When Leadership Gets Quiet | The WIP by OrangeWIP

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Sometimes leadership gets noisy. Expectations pile up. Roles blur. The work starts to feel heavier than it should. The instinct is to jump in and take control. But moments like these are not always warnings. Sometimes they are signals. Sometimes they are asking you to slow down long enough to get honest about what is really yours to carry.

Founders who lead well are not trying to be the main character. They know their lane. They stay rooted in purpose instead of attention. They create clarity for their teams and make it easier for people to step into meaningful work. Their leadership does not rely on volume or pressure. It relies on presence. It relies on consistency. It relies on trust that is earned over time.

When things start to stretch or feel off balance, role clarity becomes a stabilizer. Purpose becomes the compass. How you show up in those moments matters more than the pace you keep or the plans you made. It is where real leadership takes shape.

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Most founders think leaving corporate means freedom. Few realize it means rebuilding trust from the ground up.

Aleksandra Simanovsky, founder of Adige Advisory, walked away from institutional finance to build a business rooted in purpose instead of titles. She gets real about what happens when the logo disappears, credibility resets, and patience becomes the real work. This story speaks to founders navigating early momentum, personal brand shifts, and the uncomfortable gap between experience and trust.

Hear how she turned chaos into clarity and why credibility is earned one conversation at a time.

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Amanda Sheridan is a dynamic entrepreneur whose journey reflects resilience, adaptability, and strategic acumen. Amanda's entrepreneurial spirit emerged when she faced challenges reentering the nursing profession and embarked on a transformative journey.

Amanda's astute observations during her time as an Uber driver led to the inception of Charleston BagValet, a groundbreaking mobile luggage concierge service. Undeterred by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amanda strategically utilized the downtime to amplify the company's visibility, ensuring a triumphant return when travel resumed.

Amanda emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and goal setting in entrepreneurial endeavors. Her story is a testament to overcoming adversity, leveraging opportunities, and crafting a strategic roadmap for sustained business growth. As the founder of Charleston BagValet, Amanda Sheridan continues to inspire with her entrepreneurial journey and commitment to redefining travel services.

Describe your founder journey. What problem were you setting out to solve?

I initially was a nurse for several years before being a stay-at-home mom for ten wonderful years. When my kids were all in school and I was ready to get back into nursing, I had a very difficult time finding work. What I realized at that point was I really needed to step into an entrepreneurial journey for myself.

Columbia’s Boyd Innovation Center is quickly becoming the homebase for high growth and high tech founders in the Midlands.

It is more than a coworking space. It is a destination designed for builders. You will find pitch nights, founder support programs, educational events, and a community built to help you turn a spark of an idea into something scalable. Powered by GrowCo, the center brings together entrepreneurs, freelancers, and innovators who want to create what is next for the region.

If you are growing a tech company, exploring a new venture, or looking for a place where big ideas actually have room to breathe, the Boyd Innovation Center is worth a closer look.

You can find it in our Resource Navigator, along with hundreds of other tools designed to help you build with more clarity and less guesswork.

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