(By Kat Jalbert, R.O.A.R Collaborative Founder)

If you're here, there's a good chance you're standing at the edge of something.

Maybe it's starting a business.
Maybe it's leaving a stable job.
Maybe it's chasing something that feels exciting... and absolutely terrifying at the same time.

Let me be the first to say this to you:

👉 You're not crazy. You're right on time

Because the truth no one talks about enough is this:

Growth doesn't start with confidence. It starts with discomfort.

And for me? It started with fear.

Who I Am & Why This Blog Exists

I'm Kat, a mom to 3 kids, a real estate agent in New Hampshire & Massachusetts, the founder of The R.O.A.R Collaborative and someone who made the decision to stop playing it safe.

For a long time, I lived in the "comfortable zone":

• Salary based job

• Predictable income

• Structured path up a broken ladder

But underneath that... there was this constant pull for more.

More freedom.
More impact.
More ownership of my life.

What pushed me to finally take the leap wasn't just ambition.
It was Pressure.

The kind that builds when:

• You know you're capable of more

• You start to feel stuck

• Or you can see a future you're not living yet

That pressure? That's not something to avoid.

That's the thing that changes everything.

The Truth About Starting a Business (That No One Sugarcoats)

Starting something of your own is not glamorous in the beginning.

It's:

• Uncertain

• Financially uncomfortable

• Mentally exhausting (ESPECIALLY when you add 2 babies to the mix 😆)

• And very often... isolating

But here is where you have to make the mental shift:

👉 That fear is your fuel.

Because when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the fear of changing...

You move.

And when you move, things start happening.

3 Mistakes I Made as a New Entrepreneur That Cost Me

Let's talk about what I wish I understood early on.

1. Waiting Until I Felt "Ready"

This one is the biggest trap. I was absolutely someone who thought:

• I need more knowledge

• I need more savings

• I need more confidence

But the reality?

👉 You don't feel ready. You become ready through action.

Every successful entrepreneur you see?
They started before they felt qualified.

2. Avoiding Discomfort Instead of Using It

Most people interpret fear as a stop sign. Trust me, I stopped about every half a step forward.. for YEARS...

But it's not. It's a signal.

• Nervous about posting content? --> That's growth

• Scared to make calls? --> That's growth

• Worried about failing? --> That's growth

If it feels uncomfortable, you're probably doing the right thing.

3. Consuming Information Without Applying It

Raise your hand if you love a good personal development book (hi, same 🙋‍♀️).

You can ready every book, take every course, and still stay stuck.

Why?

Because:

👉 Information doesn't change your life, execution does.

How Books Changed My Life (Even When I Disagreed With Them)

I started diving into personal development books because I wanted answers.

What I didn't expect was this:

Some of them didn't resonate at all.

Some felt too corporate, handed out by my corporate boss to act more... corporate.

That didn't align with how I wanted to truly live, but...

It caused me to think differently about being an employee vs. working for myself.

This caused me to:

• Question my habits

• Become more self-aware

• Challenge my default patterns

And that's where real change started.

Why I Started the Book Club

I realized something important:

👉 Growth is easier when you're not doing it alone.

So I created a space for

• Women Entrepreneurs

• People chasing something bigger

• People who feel that pull for more

Each book we go through isn't just about reading.

It's about:

• Applying ideas

• Building discipline

• Taking action in real time

Because again...

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

This Blog Is Bigger Than Just Posts

This isn't just a blog.

This is the beginning of something much bigger.

Every post you read here is part of a larger story, one that's building toward something I'm creating called:

🌊Stay Salty Mama

A book about:

• Resilience

• Growth

• Pressure

• And being ok with a non "aesthetic" life

If You're at the Beginning... Read This

If you're feeling:

• Overwhelmed

• Unsure

• Scared to take the leap

Good.

That means you're exactly where you need to be.

Because, the people who change their lives?

👉 They don't wait for certainty.

👉 They move with fear.

What to Do Next

If you're ready to start:

• Follow along with the blog

• Join the book club

• Start applying one idea today

Not ten.

Just one.

Success doesn't come from massive action once...

It comes from small actions done consistently.

✨ Final Thoughts from Kat

If this resonated with you, you’re exactly who I created this for.

I believe growth doesn’t happen when life feels easy, it happens when something inside you says “this has to change.”

That’s what R.O.A.R is about.

👉 A space for people who are building something bigger
👉 Who are willing to feel uncomfortable to get there
👉 And who are ready to actually apply what they’re learning

If you’re not already part of it, you can follow along, join the book club, or start with the next post.

And if you’re in that in-between phase right now, where things feel uncertain but you know you’re meant for more…

Keep going.

— Kat

📚 Want more like this?
Join the ROAR Book Club where we turn personal development into real action.

🔗 Join Here