Wayfaring Women: Serena Williams

A wayfarer finds her way the way a compass does, sensing the current, the wind, the small signs most people walk past. A felt sense of direction, trusted one step at a time. This week's wayfarer built her power in full view of the world, and never once apologized for taking up the space she'd earned.

Initial Bearings Where she started, and what she didn't yet know about herself

She became one of the most dominant athletes in the history of her sport, holding 23 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other player in the Open Era. Her name is Serena Williams. Her power on the court came first.

New Discovery The moment she noticed what she was actually built for

Being the best on the court meant she was watched constantly, and criticized for things her competitors rarely were: her body, her outfits, her voice, her opinions. She discovered that the same refusal to shrink that made her dominant as an athlete could carry just as far off the court, in how she spoke about pay equity, motherhood and maternal health, and her own business ambitions, even when doing so invited more of the same criticism.

Course Pivot: What she did once she trusted that discovery, more than once

She kept using her voice publicly, on equal pay, on the maternal health crisis she nearly died from herself, and eventually built Serena Ventures, investing specifically in founders, many of them women and people of color, who'd been overlooked by traditional venture capital. Her power off the court came next, built on the same refusal to make herself smaller for anyone else's comfort.

My Own Wayfaring Where I've seen this same instinct show up in my own life

Serena's story is about refusing to shrink, on the court and off it. Mine is about refusing to shrink against a different kind of pressure: age.

When I was deciding what my second act would look like after decades in healthcare sales and consulting, I started my own business in my late sixties. There's a voice that still shows up sometimes, asking if I'm too old for this, what fresh ideas I could possibly still have to offer. But there's another part of me that loves creating material, writing, and coaching other people through their own journeys, and that part has kept building the business anyway.

The growth mindset it takes to keep developing my coaching expertise is what keeps me young and still learning. I find inspiration every day in people who refuse to shrink, no matter their age, and keep letting their light shine.

Your Turn to Wayfare An invitation to find your own bearings, discoveries, and pivots

Where has a voice told you that you were too old, too young, too much, or not enough to keep going? What did you do instead of listening to it?

This is the kind of pivot I get to walk alongside in my own coaching work, watching someone trust the next true thing before they can fully explain why.

I'll see you next week with the ninth wayfarer.

I am Coach Ellen. I help leaders and seekers navigate life to find clarity, confidence, and purpose, living more aligned with who they really are. Graduate, CoachVille | Member, ICF Connecticut | emzlifedesign.com