Who do you really want to be? Where the name Ripcord Came From

In my first finance class, the professor posed a simple question: 'Who's ever wanted to go skydiving?' Most hands shot up, including mine. But when he asked who had actually jumped, only two remained raised. That day, I learned about risk tolerance.

Years later, reeling from a breakup, I found myself in a conversation with a friend. Instead of dwelling on what could have been, I suggested we jump out of a plane. Surprisingly, she agreed. As we soared in a rickety plane, Tom Petty's 'Free Falling' playing in the background, fear gnawed at me.

The plane ride was the worst part. But as I plunged into the sky, a strange calm washed over me. Then, with one pull of the ripcord, the world transformed. From plummeting to soaring, I realized the power of taking risks. 10 years later when I reached out to that same friend to help name my venture: Ripcord Consulting was born.

That moment became my metaphor for life and career—a reminder that sometimes, to truly live, you have to leap.