When the World Changed, I Had a Choice to Make

There is something terrifying about building a business around what you believe in and then watching the world become increasingly uncomfortable with those beliefs.

That’s what happened to me. For years, much of my work focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. I worked with organizations to help them recognize bias, address inequities, develop stronger leaders, and create environments where people felt seen, heard, welcomed, and valued.

I believed in the work. I still do. But as the political climate shifted and diversity, equity, and inclusion became increasingly controversial, something changed.

Organizations became nervous. Conversations that once felt like opportunities suddenly felt like liabilities. Some organizations began reconsidering their commitments. Others became hesitant to use language they had previously embraced.

And I found myself asking a question I never imagined I’d have to ask. What happens when the work you built your business around becomes something people are afraid to talk about?

I’m not going to pretend I handled every moment with perfect composure. There was frustration. There was fear. There were moments when I wondered what this would mean for the business I’d spent years building. And yes, there were moments when I was ANGRY. Not simply because of what it meant financially. But because I kept thinking about the people whose experiences, identities, and opportunities were at the center of these conversations. Those people hadn’t disappeared. Their experiences hadn’t suddenly become irrelevant. The need for belonging, fairness, and respect hadn’t gone anywhere.

So what was I supposed to do? Dig my heels in? Change everything? Walk away? Eventually, I realized I was asking myself the wrong question.

The question wasn’t whether I needed to abandon my work. It was whether I could find a more meaningful way to help people engage with it. And that required me to look at something I’d been noticing for years.

We can change policies. We can create programs. We can introduce new language. But if people haven’t done the work of understanding themselves, their identities, their assumptions, and their values, those changes can be difficult to sustain.

So I began putting greater emphasis on something that had always been at the heart of my work.

Authenticity.

Understanding who we are. Recognizing what we value. Examining how our beliefs influence our behavior. And developing the courage to live and lead in alignment with those values.

Was that a business decision? Absolutely.

Was it also a deeply personal one? You bet.

Because I had to ask myself whether I was willing to adapt without abandoning what mattered most to me.

And I learned something important. Changing your approach doesn’t necessarily mean changing your convictions.

Sometimes adversity forces us to distinguish between the two.

I still believe people deserve to be seen, heard, welcomed, and valued. I still believe organizations have a responsibility to create environments where people can thrive. And I still believe meaningful change is possible.

What has evolved is how I invite people into that work. I won’t pretend the uncertainty has disappeared or that I’ve figured everything out. I haven’t.

But I know this: The world may change the conversation. It doesn’t get to decide my values.

Let’s keep the conversation going. Follow Megan on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more reflections on authenticity, values, and everyday life.