Choosing Growth When Comfort Was Easier

For most of my career I lived in a world I knew well — BIM, design, modeling, MEP coordination and production realities.

I had credibility. I had confidence. Some would even call me an expert.
(Hi, I’m a blue-Birkman overthinker, nice to meet you.)

Technical workflows, complex models and solving problems through software always came naturally to me. I loved the work and I loved helping teams build smarter and deliver better.

So when I decided to move into the tech side of the industry, it surprised a lot of people/peers.

Why leave something I had mastered? Why step out of a world where I knew exactly who I was and the expertise I had earned?

Because growth doesn’t live in comfort.

I didn’t just change jobs, I changed altitude and I carried my expertise with me. I’m expanding it into new arenas where I can make a bigger impact, support transformation and help move our industry forward.

At Autodesk I spend more time focused on business outcomes than Revit windows. I help connect technology vision with real-world customer challenges. I’m part of conversations about transformation, not just execution. I help leaders think differently about how work happens, not just how models get built.

And yes , I traded Revit families and systems for Salesforce stages and dashboards. A different type of data, sure – but it still comes down to clarity, alignment and moving work forward with purpose.

This shift stretched me. It took humility, patience and courage.

I went from being the person people came to for answers, to someone willing to ask new questions again.

“You learned Revit. You can learn this too.”

There are days I miss being the expert in many rooms. On those days I remind myself that mastery isn’t lost, it evolves. The tools changed and the responsibility changed, but the mindset didn’t – curiosity, persistence and problem-solving still matter just as much.

What shaped this mindset

Along the way I’ve learned a lot — not just from coworkers and mentors, but from the people closest to me. I truly believe being a lifelong learner is part of my DNA. My son is a young adult now and his confidence and willingness to try new things continually inspires me.

My husband is an Army Veteran, and one of his sayings has taken on new meaning for me in this chapter:

“Comfort Kills.”

It’s a little brash, but it’s true, for personal growth and for our industry.

Innovation starts when things get a little uncomfortable. That’s where real change begins.

Growth doesn’t always feel like confidence.

Some days feel unsteady, not because I can’t do the work, but because I’m stretching beyond what I already mastered. When that happens I ask myself the same thing I ask my son when he faces something hard:

“What decision would your future self thank you for?”

That question rarely points toward comfort. It points toward growth.

Curiosity carried me early in my career.
Courage carries me now.

Comfort is a competitor — not a goal

In AEC and technology we all face a moment:

Stay where it’s familiar
or
step toward what’s possible

“We’ve always done it this way” feels safe, but it doesn’t build the future.

Innovation starts where comfort ends.

In my work at Autodesk I see firms leaning into that discomfort — adopting cloud workflows, embracing connected data, strengthening coordination and modernizing delivery models. They’re not just changing systems. They’re changing mindset and identity. It’s amazing to see companies not just adapt, but excel — increasing their capacity, strengthening collaboration, and growing revenue as they embrace new ways of working and leading through change.

The advice I give my son — and myself

Growth isn’t always convenient. It isn’t always graceful. And it doesn’t always feel good in the moment. But on the other side of discomfort is:

new capability
new confidence
new opportunity

So I remind him — and I remind myself:

Do the hard thing. It means you’re expanding.

Curiosity gets us started.
Courage gets us where we’re meant to go.

If you’re choosing growth over comfort too, I see you. Keep going.

Personal note: I watched my husband navigate that same leap when he left the Army after more than a decade and entered corporate America — a different kind of courage, and a reminder that growth rarely feels easy, but it always builds strength.