Are You Bold, or Just Insane?

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Insanity (noun): lat. insānus ("unhealthy, mad"); extreme mental dysfunction, impaired judgment, or inability to distinguish right from wrong. Leg.: excuses responsibility due to loss of control or awareness. Comm.: repeating actions and expecting different results.

Boldness (noun): OE bald ("brave, strong"); courage to take risks and act confidently; daring in action and speech, marked by audacity and readiness to face danger.

Between insanity and boldness lies a space, where our courage meets vulnerability, and where each of us can find the heart of innovation. It’s where our boldest actions might seem the definition of madness to others, yet they hold the potential to ignite extraordinary change. When boldness flirts with insanity, we find ourselves daring to act big despite the risks.

So, welcome to the next edition of my ✨MuseLetter✨, where I explore the relationship between insanity and boldness, argue one serves as a precondition for the other, and examine the conditions that shape boldness in entrepreneur- and leadership. Btw: You can find more inspiration on my website.

Operating From The Edges

"There's a fine line between insanity and boldness. Unfortunately, you have to be bold to see it." - NB

I want to poke the bear right away and argue that insanity in its colloquial sense is the shadow frequency of boldness.

Doing the same thing over and over again creates a repetitive cycle. Maintaining that cycle while expecting different outcomes is, as they say, insane (👋 good old Albert E., though there’s no real evidence you said it). So, insanity is operating in cycles. Boldness, however, lies in ① recognizing this repetitive cycle, ② understanding it as a dysfunctional pattern that no longer serves us, and ③ breaking free from it. And, as a result, creating a spiral dynamic to move on. Innovation cannot exist in cycles. Innovation needs spiral dynamics. And the survival of our species needs innovation.

Recognizing cycles, patterns, and breaking free from them requires a level of self-awareness and systems awareness. Breaking that loop demands boldness. After all, from the insight running on a hamster wheel can look like climbing a ladder—and those ladders come in intriguing shapes and shades. That’s the first realization we need: are we on a hamster wheel? Or are we making real progress?

Boldness involves embracing discomfort, uncertainty, and the risk of failure. Stepping into the unknown can feel like teetering on the edge of what society—or even our minds—perceive as sanity. To innovate or evolve, we must challenge the status quo—and this might appear irrational or "insane" to those still trapped in familiar cycles. And it always comes with a feeling of anxiety for each of us.

So, in a way, insanity, in its colloquial sense, can be seen as limited consciousness, which prevents visionary leaps. Boldness represents the realization that the current way isn’t working. This may push us into new, often uncomfortable, territory. Boldness is akin to being punk, rattling the cage, questioning the existence of the cave, and craving the light while withstanding those who remain on the hamster wheel, believing they are climbing up life’s ladder. Those who only believe in the cave don't crave the light and cannot imagine a life beyond.

The Insane Ones Don't Know They Are

To lead or build something truly innovative, you often find yourself facing decisions that feel like stepping off a cliff. You leave behind the comfort of the known, walking straight into the unfamiliar and unknown. And in that space, you often get asked: Are you bold, or just insane?

The truth is, boldness often appears as insanity to those standing on the sidelines. When you're stepping into a void with no guarantee of success, it's easy for others—and sometimes yourself—to question your judgment. No denial: boldness is risking everything (at least a big chunk of it) for something new, knowing the path will be uncharted and the outcome uncertain. It’s a delicate dance, and those who succeed are the ones willing to live in the tension. Nothing for the faint of heart, for sure.

The Sacrifice of Security

As an entrepreneur, I find myself in a constant dance with the idea of living without a safety net. I know, sounds like a no-brainer. But let me tell you, it can get profoundly deep and, at times, feels quite awful. A safety net means something different for each of us. For many, it’s that steady paycheck; for others, it’s the support of loved ones or the simple comfort of knowing their dog or cat is doing alright. “Without a safety net” essentially means sacrificing financial stability, personal relationships, and the well-worn path of traditional success. Each bold decision that propels us forward feels like smashing the status quo, trading it for the next small death. We’re killing off an old, predictable life and most of the time parts if not even our entire identity so far. Over and over again (reflecting while writing: who needs any substance to feel THIS thrill?🧐).

But the sacrifice goes beyond just comfort and predictability. W’re also letting go of the illusion of certainty. The world of entrepreneurship and leadership is rife with ambiguity, stripping away false images of success. Before we even see tangible results, we often find ourselves diving inward, learning the different shades of success like maturity, resilience, tenderness, kindness, humbleness, ...

Boldness thrives in that unclear space, where every step feels like a gamble. And therein lies the terrifying beauty of it—boldness demands trust in something beyond logic. It pushes us to follow our gut, our instincts, our inner knowing, even when the world outside shakes its head in doubt. Boldness requires you to trust yourself and your judgment. And (eyes on me, please!) that has to be meaningful to YOU only. Period.

This journey often feels lonely, no denial. We may find ourselves stepping away from family and peer support, leaving behind the comfortable validation of paths that make sense to others. We’re pursuing a vision that might not materialize for months and many times for years. Yet, deep down, we understand that boldness necessitates letting go of what we know and what we’ve (be)come to cherish. To be bold, we must evolve—and evolution means none of us can’t stay the same.

Into The Void, Yikes!

But here’s the kicker about letting go: first it terrifies us and then creates a void that terrifies us even more. That nasty "empty" something that holds nothing and yet everything. This is where chaos reigns and entirely new creations can emerge. When we release our grip on security, we open ourselves up to an influx of innovation. Boldness reveals possibilities that were hidden while we were clinging to the familiar. Yes, it’s scary, and yes, it feels like walking a tightrope without a harness. But this is where genuine growth occurs—right on the edge of discomfort.

I know… 🥱🥱🥱 sounds a lot like textbook advice. Let me share a bit of my journey, though. Leaving the corporate world and a pretty high-status, well-paid job became a clear choice for me in 2018. Yet, it took me until 2019 to muster the courage to leap into my advisory business, even though I was the main breadwinner at home and had two very young children to take care of. That leap was a bold step for me and anything but easy-breezy. I was accustomed to the soothing comfort of a salary and maintaining a glorious work-lifestyle. But I couldn’t spread my wings any further where I was. Imagining another corporate job felt like “same shit, different day" paradigm. I wanted to explore what I was capable of, following my unsatiable curiosity and experience of becoming ME. Embracing uncertainty was clear to my mind (Duh!!!)—but I didn’t expect it to feel so f*ing awful many nights and days. I had to detach from the old status first, had to leave many relationships behind and to practice self-patience to adjust to the new. I made it through and working on my next venture (btw: you can find my services here). When I reflect on my boldness, I realize without taking it I would have never had the opportunity to work on those magnificent projects with business owners and investors, helping them transform their visions into impact, learn from them, and understand deeper layers of transition and systemic patterns. I wouldn’t have made new friends, many of whom have become cornerstones in my life. And I wouldn’t have learned so much about myself along the way. But for that, I had to accept (and am still working on it):

Failure Is A Necessary Death

Entrepreneurship doesn’t come with guarantees and

Failure isn’t just a possibility; it’s a certainty.

However, failure doesn’t mean the end. Each failure—a lost deal (don't ask me...), a broken partnership (still recovering from my latest), a misstep (countless in my life)—is a death of sorts. But from each of these deaths, something new was born: a stronger, wiser version of myself. A clearer vision. A sharper perspective on myself, my business, and my next endeavor. And this will be the same for you. This I can say with certainty.

Bold entrepreneurs understand this intimately. They still fear failure, but they know it’s an essential stepping stone to success.

Failure isn’t the opposite of progress; it’s part of the process.

It serves as an iteration, and when they act boldly, it becomes a spiral dynamic that brings them closer to the right path.

Failure strips us down to our essence. It forces us to confront parts of ourselves that we may have ignored or avoided—our insecurities, our doubts, our blind spots. But in doing so, it also reveals our strengths. The more we fail, the more we learn to pivot, to adjust, to evolve. We become less attached to the outcome and more focused on the process. Each failure becomes a teacher, guiding us toward what truly works for each of us.

Boldness, then, isn’t about charging forward recklessly. It’s about having the resilience to keep moving after each fall, knowing that every failure brings us one step closer to success and emotional freedom. Boldness is not an absence of fear but the mastery of it. Knowing and feeling it is there and moving on anyway. In this way, boldness is an evolutionary force, a willingness to step into the death of the old and the discomfort of the new.

The Death of the Old Self - And New Beginnings

Entrepreneurship and leadership demand sacrifice—and the sacrifice is always personal. To be bold, we must be willing to die for the person we want to become and say farewell to the person we used to be. The comfortable, predictable self that clung to familiar routines and beliefs must fade away, making space for the bold, audacious new being in us waiting to emerge. This is a daily practice of surrendering old identities, releasing attachment to the past, and stepping into the unknown. And for me personally: a daily practice of breathing. 😮💨No kidding!😮💨

In this sense, boldness is as much about letting go as it is about moving forward. It requires a fierce commitment to self-discovery, a willingness to confront your fears, and question everything you’ve been taught about success, failure, and what it means to lead. This inner journey can feel tumultuous, filled with moments of doubt and vulnerability. But it’s in this chaos that your true strength lies. You may stumble, fall, and feel lost—but each step leads you closer to the authentic self you’re meant to be (more about authenticity and how to foster here).

And I cannot wait to see you in your unique, authentic self, walking in your own light! And you don't have to go all the way through it alone. Just drop me an email, and we will find out, how we might work together.

With love, beauty, and joy

Nicole