A Moment of Reflection — and Celebration
After wrapping up a recent CAB event, I finally had a quiet moment to pause and reflect.
These moments don’t come often — but when they do, they hit me.
It’s been just over a year since I officially launched my business and ireneyam.com. One year since I took the leap into solopreneurship.
At the time, I didn’t have all the answers. (I still don’t.)
But I was clear on one thing: I wanted to build something rooted in real human connection.
This past year has been filled with CABs, coaching, workshops, writing a book, and speaking to more customers and leaders than I can count. But underneath it all, it’s the why that’s never changed.
Let me tell you a story that brought it all back home for me.
Why Human Connection Is at the Heart of Everything I Do (Especially CABs)
A customer recently shared that they went dark for a while. When we finally reconnected, they told me someone close to them had experienced a mental health episode. They apologized.
But honestly? I didn’t care about the delay. I cared about them.
I told them I understood. I’ve been there.
My mom lived with bipolar disorder and passed away when I was 20. Clyde passed almost seven years ago. I don’t talk about this much, but these experiences have shaped the way I show up — in life and in work.
It’s also why I’ve been so focused on Customer Advisory Boards (CABs). Yes, they’re strategic. But for me, they’ve always been about something deeper: creating space for human connection.
Sometimes, I have to gently remind executives — and it took me years to feel brave enough to say this — that being vulnerable during a CAB isn’t a weakness. It’s actually where the magic happens. Ask your customers for advice. Let them in. That’s when real connection starts — and when you hear the kind of insight no dashboard or NPS score can deliver.
CABs give us a structured reason to sit down, listen, and really learn from one another.
Not just to improve a product — but to build trust.
One Year In, and I Still Believe This:
Human connection isn’t a “nice to have.”
It’s not just a soft skill.
It’s the core of everything.
To those of you who’ve supported me, worked with me, shared a CAB room with me, or cheered me on in the past year — thank you. 💛
And to anyone out there trying to connect more deeply — with customers, your team, or yourself — you’re not alone.
Let’s keep showing up. For each other.
#CAB #CustomerAdvisoryBoard #HumanConnection #Leadership #MentalHealthAwareness #Solopreneurship #AnniversaryReflection