Vol. 1 Ed. 21 Sept. 28, 2025 ✨ What I learned When I stopped saying Yes to everything

"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde

Dear Brilliant Community, 

Three months ago, I was that entrepreneur who said “yes” to everything and wondered why nothing felt quite right. Today, I can tell you in one sentence exactly what I do and why it matters.

This summer, I joined Launch Raleigh, a 10-week entrepreneurship program modeled after LaunchDetroit and hosted at The Wright Village. It’s designed for early-stage business owners to sharpen their focus, strengthen their business models, and build community with peers.

I joined because I am always learning, always improving. Continuous improvement isn’t just what I teach—it’s how I live. I’ve come to see my life as one long experiment. I am the scientist and the subject. I test, fail, refine, and try again.

Even in my corporate days, leaders saw this in me—like the VP who called our product development team “Frankenstein Unicorns” for our unique blend of curiosity, rigor, and creativity. That’s exactly how I show up now, and through Launch Raleigh, I’ve been able to channel that energy into something sharper: clarity.

Launch Raleigh has been part of my unlearning. In week four, during an exercise focused on value proposition, my “why”, I discovered something surprising: my best clients weren’t hiring me because I was a generalist. They were hiring me because I could translate their big vision into actionable systems. That was the gift.

For example, I recently partnered with a local nonprofit to transform their volunteer coordination from a spreadsheet nightmare into a streamlined process. The result? A 40% increase in volunteer retention. That’s what clarity looks like when it’s lived out in practice.

For years, I believed being a jack-of-all-trades was honorable. I wore it like a badge of honor. But clarity isn’t about doing everything. It’s about knowing the one thing you do that no one else can replicate—and claiming it with confidence.

Here is my clarity today—my value proposition:

Brilliant Corners Innovations is a program and process development consulting firm that blends strategy with empathy. We help mission-driven organizations untangle complexity, align their people, and build the confidence to act. Leaders trust us as thought partners, not just vendors, because we bring clarity, structure, and soul to the work of change.

The network I’m building through Launch Raleigh embodies something powerful that the Zulu people captured in their greetings:

Sawubona: “I see you.”

Sikhona: “I am here.”

Together, they mean: I am seen because you see me. I am here because you acknowledge me.

In Launch Raleigh, I’ve experienced this daily—entrepreneurs seeing each other’s potential and answering with, “I am here to support you.” This is what transforms loneliness into belonging, and possibility into reality.

Here’s what I’m taking from this experiment: Clarity isn’t about narrowing your capabilities; it’s about amplifying your unique value so you stop being everything to everyone and start being irreplaceable to the right people. 

✨My invitation to you this week:

If reading this stirred something in you—an idea you’ve been carrying, a process that feels stuck, or that fundamental longing to be truly seen in your work (Sikhona)—I want to hear it. Brilliant Corners was built on the belief that clarity isn’t a luxury; it’s the spark that moves us forward.

If you’re leading a mission-driven organization with big vision but struggling with the “how”—the systems, processes, and operational bridge between dream and reality—let’s talk.

📅 Book a Clarity Call to explore what’s possible for you, your business, or your team.  Or simply hit reply and share what’s on your mind. I’d love to hear your story.

Onward,

Soyini