Co-Founder & CEO @ Ruley, the E-Referee | Start Up Business Expert | Entrepreneur

After 25 years building successful companies I found myself at a crossroads. I had built companies that helped people and families. I was proud of that legacy, I knew it was time for a new chapter.

In my early 50s, I sold my third company just a year behind schedule from a personal goal I set at 34. 

During COVID, I had the space to explore ideas that truly energized me. I enrolled in a six-month coding bootcamp to learn Python and deepen my understanding of the technologies shaping our future.

Now I’m the Co-Founder of Ruley, an AI powered smart sports E-Referee API  designed to help federations, sports media and consumer brands gain fans, players and spectators by being the go to venues for sports rules and insights.

My personal mission is to fuse decades of my experience and strategic thinking with modern tech to bring people together through playing sports and watching sports.  By working with these existing sports entities we can grow sports and all the good that comes with them.

At the heart of my work is this belief: we all deserve unbiased, instant information, and we all deserve to enjoy life like we did as kids. 

These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive. With the right tools, we can help provide knowledge in unique ways and inject more joy into everyday life.

Explore Ruley and our API rollout (and more) for sports:
🌐 ruley.ai

📸 Instagram: @ruley_ereferee
🎥 YouTube: @ruleythee-referee
📘 Facebook: @ruleytheereferee

🎾 Just Ruley it!

Cassandra Toroian

Most people still think Ruley is “that sports rules app.”

And sure, that’s where we started.
Because the fastest way to prove accuracy is to
Put it in someone’s hand.

Let them test it.
Let them see it works.
Let them try to break it.

The app was never the endgame.
It was the demo. What we’re building now is
bigger. Much bigger.

APIs.
The quiet engine behind every great product.

That’s where Ruley belongs.
Because if you want to transform sports at scale,
you don’t build another app. You build the
system everyone else can plug into.

Sports apps.
Sports Websites,
Equipment manufacturers,
Sports Federations,
And so, so many more.

Emerging sports trying to standardize their rules.
Recreational programs that need consistency.
Even niche sports nobody’s ever heard of yet.
That’s where the impact lives.

We realized that if we wanted Ruley to actually
fix the rule-accuracy problem, we had to stop
thinking just about players first and start
thinking about the entire ecosystem.

So we pivoted. On purpose. With clarity.
Ruley IS designed and developed
to sit inside any sports related platform.

It’s an API designed to sit inside
any sports platform, anywhere.
Instant rule explanations.

Unbiased.
Consistent.
Sport-agnostic.

This solution grows fans, spectators
AND player knowledge.

This is how you cultivate the next generation of players and fans

We are becoming the rules sports engine infrastructure

We started small so we could prove we were right.
Now we’re expanding so every sport can benefit.

If your platform needs clarity, plug us in.
Fair play starts here.

We can't clean the ocean, but AI can.

Not someday.
Now.

The Ocean Cleanup uses AI-powered sensors
to spot where debris gathers..
Then directs cleanup vessels straight to it.

No wasted time.
No wasted effort.

It’s already happening off Florida’s coast,
Where every current brings back what we’ve
thrown away.

Bottles.
Bags.
Microplastics.

AI is doing what we should have done
tracking the damage,
and fixing it.

Not to make headlines.
To make progress.

Because real innovation isn’t about noise.
It’s about outcomes.

If AI can clean our oceans,
Imagine what it could clean up next
If we pointed it at the right problems.

The tech isn’t the challenge anymore.
The intention behind it is.

What ChatGPT gets wrong about sports rules.

Here’s a fun experiment.
Ask AI a niche tennis rule.
Wait for the confident wrong answer.

I tried it this week.

My question:
“I accidentally double hit in tennis. Do I lose a point?”

ChatGPT’s answer:
“No. Any double hit is an automatic point loss.”

Sounds firm.
Sounds correct.
And it’s completely wrong.

Here’s the real rule:
If the ball hits your racket twice in one
continuous motion, unintentionally,
It’s legal.

The only time it’s illegal is:
If the player intentionally hits the ball twice.

Unintentional double contact, which is what actually
happens in real rallies, is allowed.

This is straight from the ITF rules.
One tiny detail. Massive difference.
 
And this is the bigger issue with AI in sports:
It predicts common answers.
It doesn’t understand nuance.
It doesn’t know how players actually argue on court.
It doesn’t know the rules the way the sport requires.

Sports don’t run on “close enough.”
They run on precision.

And this is exactly why Ruley exists.
Not to replace humans. But to replace confusion.
Sports deserve better than “close enough.”

What would it feel like to play tennis If you were color-blind?

Would there be a struggle with depth perception? 
To follow a game where the lines
And the ball looks the same shade?

VR technology is now letting athletes experience
exactly that. Simulating visual impairments in real time.

It’s confronting.
Because once you’ve felt the limitations,
You start to question how the game is designed,
and who it truly includes.

That’s where technology can shift the conversation.
Not to replace sport, but to expose blind spots
in how we design it.

If AI or VR can help athletes, coaches, and officials
understand those perspectives,
It doesn’t just build better tech.
It builds better empathy.

And maybe that’s what the next era of sport looks like..
one built on awareness as much as performance.

Such a fun time on this podcast episode with Tracy Thomas and host Bryan Fetzer

Sports Personality - Inspire / Lead / Succeed

DO YOU LIKE PICKELBALL?
Got your attention?

Curated gear that actually makes your weekend run smoother? Yes, please. 👀
On Just A Cup, I sat down with Volleybird Athletic Lifestyle founders Cassandra Toroian and Tracy Thomas to talk building a sports-lifestyle brand (tennis, pickleball, padel, golf) and their sister venture Ruley, an AI “E-Referee” that ends the rules debates before they start.

We cover: founder lessons, product curation, community feedback, and turning rec play into a real movement.

Watch/subscribe on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eHQE4X65
Listen on Bleav: https://lnkd.in/gPQKEy8j
Episode page: https://lnkd.in/eF7rqeHh

Learn more about Volleybird https://volleybird.shop/

#Volleybird #SportsTech #SubscriptionBox #Pickleball #Tennis #Padel #Golf #WomenFounders #JustACup #Bleav

Here’s what I heard this morning when I listened to the snow fall.

This song went through my mind. 

Because I know in two days a company I co-founded called Volleybird Athletic Lifestyle is launching a product here in the U.S. that will be game changing.

For the sports of #tennis and #padel.

So to me it feels like a combination of Christmas Eve and this song. 

The future is so bright I gotta wear shades.

If you’re in the #sports #tennis or #padel industries and want to get our announcement DM 💬me your email address and we’ll add you to the list.🔥

Open video: Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades Lyrics on youtu.be

Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades Lyrics

If it hits the kitchen line it’s out… right? Or is it in?



That’s always a big controversy,
especially in college pickleball.

But Brooke and Ava from
University of Miami use
Ruley, the E-Referee
So they don’t worry!

And when Brooke’s parents play,
it stops those classic “I know best”
moments that cause family feuds.

Rules made simple with our
proprietary API, so your players
can play on and enjoy the game.

#JustRuleyIt

Thanksgiving football isn’t just a warm living-room ritual. It’s a tradition steeped in real history and it teaches us something about the power of rules, legacy, and how things become meaningful over time.

Here’s the origin story:

The first college football game on Thanksgiving was in 1876, when Yale beat Princeton, 2‑0, in Hoboken.

By the 1880s, that annual matchup had become a major social event, with thousands of fans gathering in New York City.

But the modern NFL Thanksgiving tradition really took off in 1934, when the Detroit Lions hosted the Chicago Bears in a nationally broadcast game.

That wasn’t just a game, it was a masterstroke of promotion. The Lions’ owner used his radio connections to make Thanksgiving football a national spectacle.
 

Why does this matter, especially if you care about more than just touchdowns?
 
1. Tradition is not born, it’s built. What started as a college holiday game became a cornerstone of professional football through deliberate vision, not accident.

2. Legacy amplifies value. The Lions’ Thanksgiving move wasn’t just about selling tickets, it was about building identity and a long-term franchise reputation.

3. Clarity of rules matters. Football may feel chaotic, but traditions like these survive because there is a shared understanding, and respect, for how the game works. That very principle is why technology that clarifies rules (in sport or business) can be so powerful.
 
As someone who builds in the space of sports clarity, I find this intersection, history, tradition, and precision, endlessly inspiring.

What part of Thanksgiving + football tradition is most meaningful to you?


#Thanksgiving  #NFL  #Tradition  #SportsHistory  #Leadership

My recent trip to the airport was shocking.

Apparently there is a trend where some people purposefully dress inappropriately when air travelling,

Why?

From what I surmise it’s because they want to actually cause a problem or create a scene in the hopes maybe the get kicked off a plane.  

Then they can file a lawsuit. And maybe the airline writes a check!

This seems to be another example of how society has degraded.  

It’s not ok. 

Particularly since the intent behind this choice to wear an outfit that borders on socially unacceptable is to MAKE havoc.

This has to stop. 

But how does it stop when clearly so many aren’t getting taught some basic social norms?

Fortunately we have an administration that has some cajones and recognizes that some helpful hints in civility may have to be part of their job.

They put out a statement encouraging people to dress appropriately for air travelling and not show up at the airport in night clothes.

It causes disruption. It causes delays. It causes rage inside planes and people get kicked off.

We used to be a society where people would tell their neighbor or friend they looked funny, remind them to take off their cap when they go to a restaurant.

This is just yet another example of the degradation of rules in society - rules that are mean to help keep some basic order. Tradition perhaps. But also it just works.

Sad that the government has to give this basic advice. 

If you don’t like that, then please, feel free to be a good neighbor or friend and start gently point out things that you see.

Do it in a nice way. 

Do it in a helpful way.

But do it.

We all have to be part of re-elevating civility in our society again.

Do you agree?

Someone asked where I learned to be resilient.



Resilience doesn’t just happen.
It’s trained through experience.

Was it through sports? Or from
growing up as an only child?
For me it was both.

When you playing solo sports
you learn early that no one’s
coming to rescue you.

→ You problem-solve.
→ You stay resourceful.
→ You make things work.

Sports simply reinforced it.

In tennis or golf, there’s no one
to hand off the pressure to.
It’s just you, your decisions, and
how you respond to setbacks.

That mindset stayed with me for life.
Through building and selling several
companies, and now through building
something completely new.

I’ve learned resilience isn’t about
pushing harder. It’s about adapting.
Seeing patterns, solving problems,
and moving forward even when the
rulebook hasn’t been written yet.

There’s a strong link to resilience
and innovation, they’re two sides
of the same coin.

Right now, as I always have been,
I’m learning the rules and then
redefining how they’re played.

What about you?

Do you see yourself as resilient?

The future of sports tech isn’t standalone. It’s integrated.


For years, the sports technology world
has been driven by the same playbook:

→ build another app,
→ build another platform,
→ build another way for fans to “engage.”

But innovation has never meant
building something completely new.
It means taking what already exists,
and improving on it in a way that people
think “why hasn’t this always existed?”

Look at Airbnb. They didn’t invent hotels.
They invented a way for people to earn
money from renting out their own space.

Look at Uber. They didn’t invent taxis.
They invented a way for people to get a
taxi really conveniently, from anywhere.

Look at Ruley, the E-Referee. We didn’t
invent another tech product competing
for attention. We created Ruley as the
connective tissue that strengthens
the entire ecosystem of sports itself.

Our proprietary API integrates directly
into existing tech, apps and systems,
making it easy for organizations, fans,
and players to understand in real time.

Just like Uber integrating with your cell
and Airbnb integrating with your home,
the future of sports tech is integration.

When people understand the rules,
they’re connected, confident, and loyal.

→ For our partners, that means higher trust.
→ For their users, it means a better experience.
→ For the industry, it means progress that scales.

Ruley’s mission was never about
being the next big sports app.

It’s about being the trusted layer
of intelligence powering fairness
and understanding across sport.

That’s what real integration looks
like, and why the future of sports
technology will be built together.

Do you agree?

Or are we better off with 100’s
of independent systems?

Ranked #1 Global Positioning | Founder of Beyond Brilliant ™ | Award-Winning Founder & Speaker | Ex-U.S. Congress Comms Director | 35M +Views

Iza Montalvo is an award-winning founder, journalist, speaker and former political communications strategist. 

For two decades, she has  reported news, shaped public narratives for elected officials, crafted messaging for high-stakes campaigns, and trained Fortune 500 executives to command any stage.

Her purpose is to help brilliant leaders move past modesty to master the art of what she calls "Graceful Self-Promotion” in the new Brilliance Economy.

Montalvo has observed that for two decades, natural modesty, the belief that "work should speak for itself" can hold back the most capable leaders from promotions, stages, and deals. 

She argues that this is not about imposter syndrome or lack of confidence, but a strategic blind spot where brilliant operators mistake necessary visibility for arrogance.

As the founder of the Beyond Brilliant movement, Montalvo teaches a unique approach to visibility rooted in the invisible mechanics of perception to ensure her clients' brilliance is seen and rewarded. 

Montalvo's work on influence and messaging has been formally recognized on the floor of the U.S. Congress and permanently archived in the Library of Congress.

Connect with Iza: She is available for keynote speaking engagements (including her talk, "Why Brilliant Women Undersell Themselves"), media commentary, and strategic consulting on influence and visibility.

Iza Montalvo 🧲

Everyone reads your presence before your words 💥 
(The 4 ways people read you)

Studies show people form first impressions in under 1 second.

If you show up small, people read you small. 
If you show up vague, people read you vague. 
If you show up steady people trust you. 
If you show up clear people follow you. 

The same principle applies to your leadership:

If you treat people like helpers, they shrink. 
If you treat people like thinkers, they grow. 
If you treat people like placeholders, they leave. 
If you treat people like owners, they lead. 

Leadership and visibility share the same rule: 

People respond to the way you carry yourself 
before they respond to the words you say. 

Skills get you in the room. 
Presence is what people follow. 

If you want people to rise around you, 
show them what rising looks like.

Leaders don't do things for you...
they inspire you to grow. Agree? 

PS: Get access to 74-high performing hooks
here: izamontalvo.com/joinnow

➕ Follow me Iza Montalvo 🧲 for more

Ranked #1 Global Positioning | Founder of Beyond Brilliant ™ | Award-Winning Journalist & Speaker | Ex-U.S. Congress Comms Director | 35M+Views

The first hour of your day is prime real estate.
Spend it on work that moves you forward.

I see the same pattern in almost every leader and operator I work with:

They open the day with tasks that look productive, but don’t change anything.

Email.
Admin.
Quick replies.
Low-stakes work.

It feels safe.
It feels tidy.
But it doesn’t shift the needle.

The important work, the one task that demands focus or courage
gets pushed to the afternoon.

Then the afternoon fills up.
Then the task gets carried to the next day.
And the cycle repeats.

Morning is the one window where your mind is clear.
No demands.
No fires.

Use that block for the work with weight.

A project that moves the business forward.
A decision you’ve delayed.
A problem that needs thought, not speed.
A task that shapes the week, not one that fills an hour.

Block your first hour.
Protect it.

You end the day lighter.
You end the week with momentum.

If this lands, try it tomorrow: give your first hour to the task you’ve been avoiding.

Watch what shifts.

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The real performance gap isn’t hours.
It’s operating systems.

Do you trade time for output?
Top operators trade focus for output.

I’ve reviewed teams with high output and teams with low output.
The difference is structural, not personal.

Meetings are tools, not habits.
30-minute max.
Agenda or cancel.

One protected deep-work block.

👍 Daily.
👍 No interruptions.
👍 No exceptions.

Delegation based on leverage.
If the task doesn’t match their rate → offloaded.

Recovery is built in.
Clear mind equals sharp execution.
Fatigue means poor judgment.

Work ends when thinking degrades.
Not when the clock hits a number.

Teams that operate this way show:

🔥 Higher throughput
🔥 Fewer errors
🔥 Stronger decisions
🔥 Lower turnover
🔥 Predictable results

Long hours don’t scale.
Systems do.

If your calendar is full, your judgment is weak.
If your day is reactive, your output is low.
If you stay late, your systems are broken.

Remove one low-leverage task today.
Replace it with one high-leverage block tomorrow.

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5 YEARS OF FOCUS 

If you feel behind, this is your sign: you’re not.

Every goal you label “out of reach” it’s possible next year.
I used to roll my eyes at reinvention.
Now I understand it.

Here’s what one focused year turned into:

🌟 Featured in Forbes
🌟 On a magazine cover
🌟 On a Times Square billboard
🌟 Gave an international talk
🌟 Joined the global faculty at Maven
🌟 Served clients across Europe
🌟Ranked #1 Globally in Branding & Positioning (Favikon)
🌟Brand partnerships 

…and more is on the way.

The shift wasn’t magic.
It was focus and career experience.
It was starting despite feeling "too old."

If you want a different 2026, begin with one step:

One clear sentence about who you help and how
One story that proves your work
Clean one part of your profile: Headline, About, or Featured

You don’t need a full plan.
You need a starting point.
And the courage to keep going.

PS: I’m opening the “Founder Authority Lab” a private container for founders. This is for founders who want authority, not just activity.

Limited enrollment. 

More details here: https://lnkd.in/eBvTaXW8

If your private success is bigger than your public presence…
this isn’t your fault.

(It’s your system)

Influence isn’t built from occasional brilliance.
It’s built from the signals you repeat,
the perceptions you reinforce,
and the identity you make your digital footprint.

There are only 3 things people use to judge your influence:

1️⃣ What they see you talk about
If your expertise isn’t visible, it isn’t perceived.
People assume you’re an authority when they can predict your point of view on a topic.

2️⃣ How consistently you show up
Repetition builds recognition.
Recognition builds trust.
Trust builds demand.
You aren’t under-valued, you’re under-seen.

3️⃣ The proof you make public
Wins. Lessons. Patterns.
Not to brag, but to signal what you know, how you think, and why you’re credible.
Private success only matters publicly when you translate it into visible evidence.

And here’s the part most people miss:

Your reputation doesn’t grow because you’re good.
It grows because you make your value unmistakable.

Influence grows when your signals become a system:
a repeatable rhythm that teaches people who you are,
what you stand for, and why your voice carries weight.

When you control the signals,
you control the perception.

When you control the perception,
you control the opportunity.

And the real shift is this:

You don’t need to become someone different to grow your influence.
Make the real you, the skilled, proven, exceptional you, the version people recognize.

Influence isn’t a spotlight.
It’s an operating system.

Build the system,
and the visibility follows.

PS: I talk about these topics every week in my free newsletter.
Sign up here and get 74 high-performing hooks: izamontalvo.com/joinnow

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I spoke with a founder who’d been in his field for almost 20 years.
Not the “social media expert” kind of experience.

The real kind.

The kind that holds companies together when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

👉 He led teams.
👉 Handled crises.
👉 Built things people relied on.

But when he tried to build something for himself, a side income, a little freedom, nothing moved.

He spent months trying to understand how others were using LinkedIn and AI to make a steady income, book stages and get featured as experts in top-tier media.

As someone who has ran campaigns for big names, and learned how to leverage LinkedIn in 1 year, I understand the pain too well. 

Then he confessed…

“I’ve signed up for webinars”
“I’ve tried posting more”
“I’ve tried writing in the right tone.”
“I’ve tried figuring out personal branding”

Every attempt ended the same way:

🚫 No traction.
🚫 No interest.
🚫 No real path forward.
🚫 Less money in the bank.

One night, he told me he sat in his car after work for almost an hour.
He didn’t want to walk into his house and pretend he wasn’t disappointed.
He said, in a quiet voice:

“I feel like I did everything right. And it still didn’t turn into anything for me.”
That’s the part most founders never share.
That’s what I call “The Hamster Wheel Trap.”

You’re not stuck because you lack experience.
You’re stuck because you think: 

I need to post more motivational content.
Which is getting you messages like: 
"You're so inspiring"
but not DMs asking for your help. 

You wait for something to click.
You spend hours prompting ChatGpt.
And none of it works.

That weekend, I showed him the part he’d been missing:

✅ How to package what he already knows.
✅ How to use AI to reduce the time it takes.
✅ How to build a simple machine that brings clients, media and stages
to him.

He didn’t expect much.
Not after months of quiet failure.

But he tried anyway.
Eleven days later, he brought in $12,400.

He didn’t cry because of the money.
He cried because something finally worked.

He said, “I just needed someone to show me the part nobody ever showed me.”
If you’re in "The Hamster Wheel Trap", era read this:

Your experience isn’t the issue.
The missing system is.
And that can be fixed.

PS: If any of this felt too familiar, that’s not failure.
It’s a sign you have been carrying everything alone. 

I speak about these topics in my newsletter: 
Sign up here: izamontalvo.com/joinnow

📸 Hotel Catalonia, Santo Domingo, November 2025

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Ranked #1 in Global Branding | 35M+ Reach | 3M+ Media For Clients | Advisor To Fortune 500 & Public Figures | I Reengineer How You’re Seen For More Clients, Stages & Press 💫

She ran a company that moved markets. 
But online, her presence didn’t match her power.

That gap cost her millions in lost deals.

Most CEOs build their public presence like they're managing risk.
The ones who win build it like legacy.
This is perception engineering.

She came to me in August with a stacked résumé:

→ Board positions  
→ A leadership record
→ Negotiations across the US

Her public presence was polished and forgettable.
That’s the most expensive brand position a CEO can have.

So we tore the whole thing down and started again.
We rebuilt her public identity from the foundation.

No corporate filler. 
No recycled commentary. 
No messaging that sounded like her comms team.

🧲 We made her thinking unmistakable. 
🧲 We made her decisions quotable. 
🧲 We positioned her with the force she uses behind closed doors.

Here’s what happened when her presence finally matched her influence:

→ 120,000 + monthly impressions (up from 200) 
→ Prospects in her inbox without outreach 
→ Podcast hosts requesting her as a guest 
→ Media booking her without a pitch 
→ Industry peers treating her like the authority she is

This is what it took:

✅ A defined public identity 
✅ A messaging strategy using my proven frameworks
✅ A clear link between values and vision 

If your public persona undersells you, your deals run slower and your room access shrinks.

P.S. The gap between who you are and who you appear to be online is costing you more than you realize. 

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I used to think being "the boss" meant:


Having all the answers
Being the smartest in the room
Proving my worth

That pressure hits different when you are:

✅ Breaking into new spaces
✅ Challenging status quo
✅ Fighting imposter syndrome daily

5 shifts that transformed my leadership:

1/ From talking → to listening
↳ The best insights come from the quiet voices
↳ Make space for every perspective

2/ From spotlight → to spotlight-sharing
↳ Success is sweeter when celebrated together
↳ Your team's wins are your wins

3/ From directing → to removing barriers
↳ Ask "What's in your way?"
↳ Then clear that path

4/ From knowing it all → to learning together
↳ Vulnerability builds trust
↳ "I don't know" is be powerful

5/ From individual success → to collective growth
↳ Help others see their potential
↳ Build bridges, not pedestals

The greatest leadership moment:
When someone says 
"You helped me believe in myself."

That's the real measure of success.

You don't need to be the hero.
Be the one who helps create them.

What leadership lesson hit home for you?

PS: Tag a leader who lifted you up when you needed it.

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🔄 Share this with someone who needs to hear it

You didn’t outgrow your life.
You just got used to the desert.

This video reminded me how many people 
stay in places that no longer fit
simply because they’re familiar.

Take Lena.
She worked in corporate HR for nine years.
Good title. Steady paycheck.

Everyone assumed she had it figured out.
But at night, she restored old furniture in her garage
pieces people rushed to buy.

She kept saying she wasn’t “ready” to open a store.
Then one afternoon she heard herself repeat it
and felt the gap between her words and her truth.

Three months later, she rented a small workshop.
Now there’s a waiting list.

Then there’s Jordan.
He stayed close to friends who pulled him down
because it felt easier than walking away.
He wasn’t choosing connection.
He was choosing habit.

When he stepped back, his days grew quiet
and light.

Maybe you’re here too:

💫 A job that pays you but drains you
💫 An idea you keep pushing aside
💫 A version of yourself you keep delaying

Here’s something simple:

You can change your direction when the path stops matching who you’re becoming.

You didn’t outgrow your life.
You just got used to the desert.

And like that camel, you might shock yourself
when you step toward your ocean.
Not with a leap.
With one honest move.

PS: Leaving the desert for good in 2026?
Let’s talk in the comments.

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🎥 Video credit: ytinopp34/X

Iza Montalvo 

Ranked #1 in Global Branding | 35M+ Reach | 3M+ Media For Clients | Advisor To Fortune 500 & Public Figures | Ask Me About My 6-Week Accelerator For More Clients, Stages & Press 💫

Staying in a place you’ve outgrown isn’t loyalty.
It’s a slow kind of shrinking.

Most people don’t stay because they’re fulfilled.
They stay because it’s familiar.

Because it’s quiet.
Because it asks nothing new of them.
But there’s a cost to that kind of comfort:

💔 Your skills level off
💔 Your ideas stay small
💔 Your drive dims

Your network stays narrow
Your confidence stalls
You feel it long before you name it.

The meetings get predictable.
The work stops teaching you anything.
The ceiling lowers a little more each week.

You’re not dramatic.
You’re not impatient.
You’ve simply outgrown the room.

The people who move forward don’t wait for a crisis.
They pay attention to the early signs.
They choose places that stretch them.

They leave before their talent goes quiet.
You don’t need permission to want more space.
You only need to trust the part of you that knows when the season has ended.

Staying small isn’t stability.
It’s delay.
Leaving isn’t chaos.
It’s courage.

Your life expands the moment you do.

♻️ Repost if someone you know is staying somewhere they’ve outgrown
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The struggle isn’t blocking your rise, it’s shaping you for it.

Ever feel like every step forward comes with another test?
You’re not the only one.

But what if the leaders you admire didn’t rise despite their hurdles…
but because they stayed long enough to learn what those hurdles were trying to teach?

You treat this challenge like a glitch, like life dropped the wrong assignment on your desk.

But you know this pattern.

The moment you avoid is the moment that forces the shift you’ve delayed.
Not fate.
Not a lesson wrapped in a bow.
Just pressure pointing at what needs your attention.

Try this: 

1/ Take one breath before you respond.
It gives you space to see the situation, not your fear.
2/ Ask a clear question:
“What does this open right now?”
The answer often sits in plain sight.
3/ Change the method, not the aim.
If the straight line fails, use the turn.
The target stays the same.
4/ Look at what the moment exposes.
A gap.
A habit.
A truth.

Treat it as information, not judgment.
If you’re carrying something heavy today, don’t rush past it.
Stay with it long enough to understand it.

There’s direction inside it…
And once you see it, the next step becomes obvious.

PS: What is the obstacle in front of you trying to tell you?

🔁 Repost to help others 
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Cassandra Toroian

Iza Montalvo 🧲

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The Battle

Cassandra Toroian

Iza Montalvo 🧲

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Cassandra Toroian's LinkedIn Performance

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