Explore how choosing AWE transforms fear into fuel and wonder into wisdom, helping leaders cultivate courage, clarity, and growth through life’s messy middle.

Many have asked this question:

Where did you get the name for your company, Choose AWE?

The short answer is I love both of those words.

The longer answer? They reflect everything I believe about how we move through the messy middle—those in-between moments where life feels uncertain, unclear, or downright uncomfortable.

The Power of Choice

When things get messy, we often forget that we have a choice.

It can feel like life is happening to us, not for us. But here’s the truth I’ve learned again and again:

You can choose something—even if you don’t like it.

Choosing what “is” doesn’t mean you agree with it or want it to stay that way. It means you stop resisting reality long enough to see what it might be trying to teach you. And, it isn’t just any choice, but the right framing of choice (clear, meaningful, aligned) that creates the benefit.

There’s lots of research that supports this: studies on acceptance and psychological flexibility show that when we stop fighting what is and instead acknowledge it, internal resistance chills. That shift in energy opens the door to creativity, movement, and change. It opens us up to new possibilities.

(Think Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, which links “accepting what is” with moving toward what matters.)

Choice, at its core, is an act of agency.

It says, “I can’t control everything—but I can control how I meet this moment.”

The Power of AWE

Now, let’s talk about AWE. How can you not love this word? AWE lives at the intersection of fear and wonder.

It’s that powerful collision that happens when you stand on the cusp of something vast, new, or unknown—and your breath catches because you’re both terrified and thrilled at the same time.

Psychologists describe awe as a “self-transcendent emotion.” It actually quiets the brain’s self-focused chatter and increases our sense of connection, curiosity, and openness.

In other words, awe reminds us that we’re part of something larger—and that’s where big visions are born.

Why This Matters

In both choice and awe, something profound happens: we reclaim our power while expanding our perspective. Choice brings us into agency—it’s how we meet the moment. Awe stretches that moment—it’s how we see beyond ourselves. Together, they create the conditions for real transformation: grounded in acceptance, fueled by curiosity, and guided by courage.

How I Chose AWE (Literally)

When I launched my podcast, Thriving in the Messy Middle, I was equally excited and afraid.

There were moments I thought, “Who am I to do this?” But I chose to do it anyway.

Here’s how:

  • I announced it publicly on LinkedIn before I even had a recording (accountability is a powerful motivator).

  • I shared it with communities of connection—DIYInfluence, Tirtha, and my tribe of trusted advisers—because support builds courage.

  • And I asked for help, hiring a dynamic duo, Holli Ehrlich & Robert Allen, who knew the podcasting world better than I did.

Each of those actions was a way of choosing AWE—leaning into both fear and wonder, and trusting the magic that happens when we do.

The Invitation

My dream is that we all learn to Choose AWE.

To choose what is, even when it’s uncomfortable.

To embrace the messy middle as the space for growth.

To recognize that fear and wonder often show up hand-in-hand when something big is trying to emerge. Because when we Choose AWE, we’re choosing to move—not from certainty, but from courage.

Reflection Prompt

Where in your life right now can you choose what is, instead of resisting it?

And what would it look like to meet that moment with both fear and wonder?

If you’re ready to build this mindset into your leadership or life transition, that’s exactly what I help women do through my coaching, workshops, blog, and podcast.

👉 For more inspiration, sign up for my weekly Magic in the Messy Middle newsletter and tune into Thriving in the Messy Middle wherever you get your podcasts.