For many years of my personal and professional life, fear was a barrier that prevented me from achieving some of the things I desired most.

This really took hold when I was a young producer working in Chicago TV newsrooms. These high-stress environments brought out some of the insecurities I had developed as a child, teen and in college. While I did love the challenges of those jobs, learned so much and met amazing people who are still important to me today, I found that the fast pace of the newsroom intensified my fear of making mistakes and general fear of failure. This led to a limited perspective of my capabilities and future opportunities. For a while, it seemed best to play it safe.

Eventually, I found courage to pivot in my news career and enter the field that had long intrigued and inspired me – public relations. Walking out of the newsroom and into my first PR agency took guts. I was nervous to face the unknown!

But I persevered through my fears and kept showing up, learning from mistakes and becoming the best PR professional I could be. The transition to PR taught me about building confidence by taking advantage of every opportunity to learn, including seeking mentoring from those I trust and respect.

After years of growth and incredible experiences in PR agencies, it was time to face my fears again and begin the entrepreneurial journey I knew I was meant for. I left the relative security of working for someone else and took the leap of starting my own firm, Mekky Media Relations, eight years ago this summer – the ultimate exercise in breaking through fear!

Facing an uncertain future was unsettling for someone who had always been a planner. But after hard work and support from family, friends and my network, my agency began to take off. Since then, with the support of my all-star team, we’ve experienced tremendous growth and success. I could not be more proud of our journey.

But that doesn’t mean fear has taken a back seat. Even though I’ve repeatedly seen the payoff that can come from taking risks and pushing boundaries, I still find myself thinking limiting thoughts. So last year, as I set 2024 goals, I decided it was time to embrace fearlessness in a whole new way. I would work to elevate my bravery and see where it takes me.

By December, this took on new meaning. My friend and Chicago newscaster Dina Bair offered me the opportunity to participate as a corporate dancer in Dancing with Chicago Celebrities, a competition and fundraiser for breast cancer research and support. Not only would I need to learn ballroom dancing – totally new to me – but I would perform in March in the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom in front of hundreds of people! To add to the stress, I’d also be responsible for hitting significant fundraising targets.

I considered saying no. But then I remembered my word for 2024 – fearlessness. And I thought about the fundraising. As a cancer survivor, the mission of supporting early detection and treatments is important to me. So I did the only thing I could do. I said YES!

January and February were spent in intense training with my personal dancing pro, Kam Cho of Arthur Murray Schaumburg Dance Studio. Meeting Kam was a huge gift, as he taught me how to do the moves and gave me the confidence needed to push myself into previously terrifying territory.

In the end, I became a decent dancer with Kam’s coaching and encouragement. And while we didn’t win top prize, I was blown away by how well we placed, buoyed by loud cheering from tables of my family, friends, staff, clients and colleagues. Most importantly, thanks to generous supporters, I raised more than $20,000. My family was overcome with joy and my daughter even cried.

Participating in Dancing with Chicago Celebrities was a pivotal moment in my long journey of trying to overcome fear. It turned out to be an absolutely electrifying experience and highlight of my year – probably of my life! I am so glad I didn’t listen to that voice inside that almost made me say no.

That voice is there for many of us. I believe breaking free starts with outlining your goals and a path toward achieving them. In this case, my path involved carving out time to train so I could gain the skills and confidence needed to step onto that vast stage. I’m thankful to my team for stepping up and enabling me to have the space to make this happen.

Overcoming fear has been a common theme throughout my career. I have heard from other founders and CEOs that it is something they have struggled with as well. We all have the urgency inside of us to grow and learn, try new things and become better versions of ourselves. We simply must quiet the doubt so our true potential has the chance to rise to the surface.

There are a few lessons learned in my ballroom dancing quest, and I’m keeping them top of mind in my year of living fearlessly:

  • Don’t let your insecurities limit you, take the risk and put yourself out there.
  • When pursuing a dream or pushing your boundaries, take advantage of support, help and expertise when it’s offered.
  • You’re never too old to grow and become a different and better version of yourself, so be open to new experiences throughout life.
  • Don’t underestimate the benefits that can come from unplugging for a while. I left my phone and laptop behind while I trained, and this forced me to be totally focused on the job at hand, while also freeing my mind so I could get inspired and motivated.

With the year half over, I continue to see a shift in my mindset and approach to new challenges. In fact, on a recent girls’ trip, I set out alone on a challenging hike in a beautiful canyon. I would not have attempted this before competitive ballroom dancing came into my life! But the confidence I gained throughout that extraordinary time has lifted me and made me realize I can continue to push myself to new heights.

I now look forward to greeting the next challenge that comes my way!