From the Cover: Janet Tanguay On How Fear Was Stopping Me From Starting My Own Business — And What Changed

I thought about starting a business for a long time before I did it.

The thing that pushed me to take the leap was an ugly sweater vest.

I was in the banking industry for a grand total of four days. Day One of training: all the different ways a bank could be robbed. I sat in my uniform — a bank-issued sweater vest — and listened to a trainer say that even if I did everything right, I might still die at the hands of a bank robber.

On Day Four, I thought, "This is my life now. I'm going to be robbed, and killed, and I'm going to die in an ugly sweater vest."

With no plan in place, I quit. I did temp jobs while working part-time in a business incubator, delivering vision board workshops, and learning to turn my passion into a business.

I tell the whole story in my new book, The Hammock Way of Life: Leaping Toward Joy. This book is written for early-stage entrepreneurs and for those of you longing to start something new and feeling stuck.

I know that stuck feeling. The bank job was supposed to be my escape from another corporate job where I didn't fit in.

In hindsight, I'm not sure why I thought banking would be a better fit. It's the kind of thing you do when you want a different life, but you're too caught up in your head to trust your gut.

I knew I didn't want to stay where I was. But I was afraid to do what I really dreamed of. So I just traded one hamster wheel for another.

Fear is the biggest thing holding back people who want to be entrepreneurs.

Fear of walking away from a steady pay cheque.

Fear of not having insurance.

Fear that maybe you're not good enough to do the thing you love full-time.

If that sounds familiar, I wrote this book for you.

I was in the third grade when I learned that fear could make me miss out on fabulous opportunities.

My third-grade teacher, Mr Charron, was one of my favourite teachers ever. So when he stood at the front of the room and asked us all to stand up, I paid attention.

He held up a paper bag. One person would win the bag, and they had to eat whatever was inside. Anyone who didn't want to play any more could sit down.

He said it might be sweets. Everyone stayed standing.

He said it might be bugs. Half the class said, "Eww," and sat down.

I thought, he won't make us eat bugs. I stayed on my feet.

He said it might be liver. He said it could be mouldy cheese. More kids sat down. I held my ground.

When it was down to just two kids — me and Paul Comparone — Mr Charron slammed the bag down on the desk. There was the unmistakable sound of something hard.

I wavered. I thought, it could be a ruler or a rock. I could choke to death. I sat down.

Paul Comparone won the biggest, most beautiful lollipop I have ever seen to this day.

In both stories — when I quit the banking job and when I quit the paper bag game — my action was driven by fear.

As a child, fear drove me to sit down. I decided I'd rather be comfortable than take a chance on something that could be amazing.

As an adult, fear inspired me to take the chance. I decided I'd rather fail trying than die in a sweater vest.

Fear takes over when you put too much energy into thinking and not enough into feeling. Running numbers, making plans, and picturing worst-case scenarios make you believe you're prepared — but it also makes it scary to actually take the leap.

I've spent years helping people truly feel what it's like to get up every day and do work they love. Not just talk about it or imagine it, but actually step into their future self and feel it.

Once they feel it, they can find the path to live it.

I've also studied neuroscience, quantum physics, and business models as they relate to how the brain processes images and words on vision boards. We have to be ready to meet the possibilities presented to us.

The Hammock Way of Life: Leaping Toward Joy brings together the timeless lessons I've learned about letting go of limits and embracing the life you want. If any of this sounds familiar — especially if you're building up the courage to take a leap of your own — I'd love for you to connect with me.