About three years ago, I read a post from Marcus Whitney about realizing that he was giving 80% of his time (and his company’s time) to one client. Once that relationship was over, he had so much time on his hands that he realized how much of his life, time and energy that one client took. That post was powerfully moving to me. (Wish I could find it) But, at the time I read it I was truly at the place of, ‘nah, that’s not me/us.’

At certain points in your life, you realize that a chapter is done, personally or professionally. Resigning from NMAAM, as PR/Mktg agency of record, was that moment for me.

Two weeks ago, today, I resigned my company from serving the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) as ‘agency of record.’

It was time.

When NMAAM hired a new marketing director, earlier this year, we (dGC) were all excited because the work was getting to be way more than an outsourced marketing and PR department could handle. Being ‘outside’ the office walls actually was becoming harder and harder. And I saw the writing on the walls. And to be fair, I had grown NMAAM’s presence for nearly six and a half years. From no presence to a 1600% increase in media mentions in the first 18 months of starting PR strategies for the fledgling (yet seasoned) non-profit.

But it was time.

In a conversation about a large event that NMAAM was involved with, I said, “it’s time for us to think about a hard transition. We will finish these two projects and that will complete our time with NMAAM.”

Silence.

“Really?” she asked, not at all expecting this when we’d just been working, collaboratively, on solutions to several steps needed for the event.

“Yes, really” I said.

So we did.

While it was a hard decision, and even bittersweet, after discussing this concept with my husband, and a couple others, it lead me to believe that the organization needed to move forward with day-to-day marketing, public relations efforts and strategies that would build NMAAM into its next level.

I had nurtured ‘my kid’ (NMAAM) as long as I could, home schooled her for Kindergarten and half of 1st grade but it was time to let her go off to school. Considering that my husband and I have miscarried twice, this was hard.

But necessary.

So on August 15, 2016 at 5:56pm, I let my kid go. And I didn’t realize how much I had given to get her ready for someone else. While I’ll still cheer my kid on…and do all I can to ensure this cultural imperative continues to move forward — (but watching from the car, while she walks into school…and from a distance).

A realization after the fact, that lends itself (again) to my being a late bloomer; it took letting go to realize it was time to move on.

It was time – for many reasons.