Recently, I unearthed an old email from October 2011, just months before Victor's "Leap Year Project" officially sparked the idea that became Ei.

At that time, I had a job I liked but didn't feel particularly challenged by; I lived in a city I frequently tried to convince myself was "where I needed to be," and I filled my time with activities that mostly kept me distracted from the deeper questions.

Victor was about to embark on a highly transformative personal journey. Inviting others to join him, he asked the simple yet profound question:

"What risk will you take that will change your life, the community, or the world for the better?"

It was a query I couldn't ignore, one that rooted deep within me and unsettled all I'd been working so hard to quiet.

Things Began to Change

Six months later, I wrapped up almost every aspect of my life tethered to my current location, packed my possessions into my compact car, and headed west. What followed was a decade-plus full of experiences, lessons, and people who would have never been part of my life had I not accepted the invitation to leap. What followed has led me to where I am today, exactly where I want to be: leading our immensely talented, full-hearted, dedicated team at Ei.

12 Years Later

From the beginning, the invitation to change, risk, and think about what "could be" has drawn me to Ei. Today, that remains what I love about our work. Embedded within our workshops and cohort programs is an invitation, a provocation for slight changes or risks that hold the potential to transform a life and career. It's a profound gift to facilitate that kind of impact.

Ei is more than a company – we are a community bound by a shared mindset and passion for continuous growth. Our programs aim to reignite motivation and purpose in the workplace by meeting our learners in their present state, inspiring deeper self-knowledge, and challenging them to step out of their comfort zone into the unknown.

As we progress in this new chapter, there will be updates in the weeks and months ahead. But for now, I want to emphasize two key points:

1. We’ll continue to focus on you – our Ei community and clients – and the motivation, collaboration, and confidence you hope to ignite in your team members through top-notch cohort learning experiences tailored toward team members at every stage of their career journey.
   
   
2. We'll continue to do learning differently here at Ei, breaking the mold of traditional learning studios that synonymize learning with convenience, PowerPoints, and quick results. We firmly believe in what is embedded in our name: that experience is our greatest teacher. Our programs will bridge the gap between where learners are today and where they aspire to be.

For now, I’ll sign off with heartfelt gratitude: to you for enriching our shared corner of the world; to our exceptional team, composed of individuals whose brilliance, kindness, and talent continue to inspire me daily; and finally, to Victor. It was Victor who, in 2011, dared to pursue his own dream and generously invited me along for the ride, forever altering my path in the most significant of ways. And now, in 2024, his invitation to lead the team at Ei is already proving to be another transformative journey, echoing the same spirit of leaping.

And now, here's your invitation for growth: What small risk can you take to change your life, community, workplace, or our shared world for the better?

Answer that and see what happens.