Uvaro saved my life.
A story written by Uvaro grad, and Partnership Associate at Affable.ai, Kate Walmsley
I am a woman hear me roar! She shouted to herself in her head as she removed the starc white door from its hinge. HA! she said aloud, sipping some red wine with a grin. It was a Monday in June and although the air lay heavy over Toronto, the air felt light in her apt at 229 Carlton.
You see she(me), never planned for this mment. This moment came from lack of self love and heartbreak. A heartbreak that I believe was a catalyst of bad choices led by my inability to love myself. It is interesting what we choose when we are broken but do not know it. I chose someone who didn’t appreciate me, did not honour me, never defended me … but wanted me. I chose a man that reflected my own love for myself… and it was heartbreaking. Looking back on the mistreatment now brings so much clarity to my state of self during this time. I was mistreating myself and blaming my ex. He has a lot of faults that did not make us stronger but I will fully admit ignoring my gut and little voice inside are my acts that led to my own pain and his. I take full ownership of that insecure projection. I let someone in because I wanted to be loved. What I didn’t realize until our breakup was that the heart and love I was screaming for was my own.
Here’s how I found it,
I fell in love with myself this spring, really in love. I smile when I look in the mirror now … like really smile. I wake up excited for work and the day even when I don’t book a meeting or it’s pissing down rain and I have to frantically cover my vintage armoire i’m trying to save/sell(you guess it, that just happened). The point is, I get another day where I feel like I belong and that shit fuels me. I am grateful I get to be me and look forward to whatever that creates on a daily basis. Now when I say I fell in love with myself this spring, it wasn’t overnight and it wasn’t on my own. Apart from my immediate family and best friend it was my Uvaro family that helped me find me. My classmates, my instructors, the founders all may not know it, but they gave me back my zest, my fire, my glow. How could a 12 week bootcamp in Saas save your life and provide self love you ask? Well Anomalies do that, let me explain a little about the Anomaly of Uvaro.
Joseph and Donna are siblings and with the wonderful “adoption”of Derek, you have the creators of Uvaro. These are not only brilliant individuals but they are also the most emotionally intelligent humans I have had the pleasure of learning from and working with. I also need to note Sheila Fung in this, the third of three wildly impressive siblings and my first instructor. Sheila’s kindness is why I was able to even have the life changing conversation with Donna.
Being involved in the steps leading to my 12 week bootcamp in itself was an Anomaly. The interview after applying was not a “why Uvaro?” it was “who are you, what do you want in life, how can we help? ‘’ … it was a conversation about a relationship that was going to mutually benefit us. It was something I had never experienced before … It was meaningful, powerful…real.
I have always been very smart as well as have a knack for sales/gift of gab, Uvaro saw this and they held me accountable for my choice to join. I was going through a lot at home and I stopped attending class. Each time I didn’t go to Sheila’s lecture I felt shame, I knew I needed this and yet was depriving myself of it. I was falling farther behind from this future I wanted so damn bad. I remember emailing Shelia about my absence thinking I would be condemned or asked to leave the program I was so lucky to get into. I was very wrong, in fact embarrassingly so. The opposite happened, I was offered a meeting time with Donna via zoom. I had never met Donna at this point and was still nervous about talking with the COO and Co-founder of a program I was struggling to feel I fit into. Again, my fears were never met, they were extinguished immediately with kindness and understanding. Instead of leaving the program a life changing conversation happened.
Donna is one of the most impressive humans I have spoken with. She is kind, calm, articulate and determined. During our talk she helped me talk about what was happening in my personal life and point out the imposter syndrome I was feeling/fueling. When I was done talking instead of adding to the stress she alleviated it with one simple question, “do you want to do this course and what can I do to help you feel supported?” I was floored. She made me feel worthy of my own self in a question, I am telling you these leaders are gifts to souls like mine. My answer was not only yes, it was thank you because I knew I needed to do this course.
You see before Uvaro I was lost and it made me sort of suck at life. I don’t feel bad for old me anymore, I was always successful in what I tried but I never felt I deserved it or was valued, so I would quit, stop-run … I wasn’t good at finishing things and a part of me didn’t think I deserved the future I was meant for. Again, I was very wrong.
I made a vow that day to start showing up for myself. It is safe to say Uvaro was the hail mary that saved my soul. The leadership of Donna, Callum, Alyx & Spencer were so quintessential in my success that If it were not for that guidance, I would never have gotten to my goal…GRADUATION.
Uvaro helped me see me for who I was capable of becoming and not who I was so destructively being. Uvaro helped me to take control of my life not only with tenacity but with gratitude, grace and kindness. If you add emotional intelligence together with the most effective online platform for learning the Saas industry you have Uvaro. I am smarter than I have ever been, I am capable of more than ever before and I have access to the most intelligent network of humans in the tech industry.
I think it is very safe to say Uvaro not only helped me save myself, but they continue to do so every single day. This was the best gift I ever gave myself and I encourage anyone struggling to find something like Uvaro and the community provided to help you change the perception you have of yourself.
My Uvaro journey to be cont…girls gotta get to work ;)
Originally published at https://kateelizabeth-78110.medium.com on June 8, 2021.
