For me, it started in impossibility.

I’m a first-generation American, French Canadian origin.
My parents grew up in rural Quebec. Neither of them finished high school.
College wasn’t just far away—it wasn’t even something we talked about.

Then I got to 9th grade in a Washington DC suburb.
And suddenly—college was everywhere.
SATs. Campus visits. My classmates were already talking about where they wanted to go.

And I remember thinking:
Wait—is that even possible for someone like me?

There were five of us kids.
We were living paycheck to paycheck most of the time.

My dad wanted me to follow him into construction.
Not because he didn’t believe in me—but because that’s what he knew.
They had moved to the U.S. for opportunity.
I just happened to pick up on that desire—and run with it in a different direction.

So I did what I could:
I started learning. I read every book and brochure I could find.
(Yes, this was pre-internet. And yes, I was a library nerd.)

I didn’t know the path, so I figured it out myself.
Started with the unknown—and made it known.

By the end of freshman year, I still had no idea how it would happen.
But I’d already made the decision:
I’m going to try. I’m going to figure this out.

Years later, I found myself in the same kind of place—
this time, thinking about starting a business.

No model. No one in my family had done it.
None of my friends, either.

Just me, wondering:
Could this even work? Is this possible?

And again—I started learning.
Digging in. Asking questions. Letting the idea grow.

Because that’s what the start of possibility feels like.
Not clarity. Not certainty.
Just a quiet decision to keep going, even if it still feels impossible.

So if you’re circling a business idea—
and wondering whether it’s even for you—
maybe you’ve been here before.

What helped you find your way through last time?

Photo by Emil Widlund on Unsplash

First published on LinkedIn.