Your Entrepreneurial Inner Compass: Steer Toward Intentional, Aligned Choices

I have been attending psychology conferences internationally since 2004, back when I was a college student in psychology with a notebook full of questions and an eagerness to learn anything I could. I still remember the energy of those early conferences—running from one session to another, scribbling notes, and feeling inspired by every new idea in all different fields in psychology.

Over the years, I’ve worn many different badges: student, employee, agency representative. Each role shaped the way I showed up. As a student, I focused on soaking in knowledge and meeting mentors. As an employee, I often attended sessions or meetings related to the projects I was assigned. As an agency representative, my choices sometimes reflected my organization’s funding priorities or policies more than my own personal interests.

No matter the role, my love for learning and connection in psychology stayed constant. But this year at APA 2025 in Denver, something was different. For the first time, I was attending as the owner of my own practice—and that shift changed everything.

This Year’s Shift – Following My Entrepreneurial Inner Compass

Walking into the conference center this year, I carried something intangible but powerful: my inner compass. For me, that means a sense of direction rooted in my entrepreneurship’s vision, the needs of my clients, my long-term growth strategy, and my personal and professional development.

In the past, my conference schedule was often shaped by other people’s expectations. If my agency had a specific program to promote, I went to sessions that fit that goal. If my supervisor was leading a meeting, I made sure to be there. My own interests were there too, but they were often woven around external priorities.

This time, I was the one setting the priorities.

Every decision—whether to attend a certain workshop, join a networking lunch, or skip an evening reception—was made by asking:

Does this move me closer to my vision?

Does it reflect my values?

Will it support my growth as an entrepreneur? 

The sense of ownership felt both freeing and deeply responsible.

The Entrepreneurial Inner Compass in Action

Once I started using my entrepreneurial inner compass, I noticed that the way I moved through the conference felt calmer and more focused.

I chose sessions that spoke directly to my practice’s mission and to my ongoing integration of depth psychology with community practice. I prioritized networking with people whose work resonated with my values, instead of trying to meet as many people as possible.

And perhaps most importantly, I paid attention to my energy.

In previous years, I might have pushed myself to attend every reception or dinner out of habit or obligation. This year, I made intentional choices in the evenings—sometimes preparing for my own presentation, sometimes having quiet, meaningful conversations, and sometimes simply resting.

That decision to rest was not a sign of missing out; it was an acknowledgment that my energy is a valuable resource, and using it wisely is part of my work.

The Deeper Lesson – Decisions as Identity Practice

Being an entrepreneur is not just about creating a business plan or making major financial decisions. It’s about living your entrepreneurial identity in the small, everyday choices you make.

At a conference, those choices might be about which sessions to attend or how you spend your free time. In daily life, they might be about which opportunities to accept, which projects to start, or which collaborations to nurture. In every case, the decisions we make are a reflection of who we believe ourselves to be—and who we are becoming.

When you make choices through the lens of your entrepreneurial identity, you:

• Clarify your current role and values.

• Strengthen alignment between your actions and your entrepreneurship’s mission.

• Protect your time and energy from being pulled into directions that don’t serve you.

  
  

This is how your entrepreneurial inner compass becomes more accurate and reliable over time.

Calibrate Your Entrepreneurial Inner Compass

If you are in the process of shifting into entrepreneurship, I encourage you to slow down and pay attention to the small choices you make.

They are not just logistics; they are practice for the bigger decisions ahead.

First, take the time to ask yourself:

What is my entrepreneurship’s vision and values? 

Until you know your vision and values, it’s easy to drift toward old habits or default to what others expect.

Then, with each decision, ask:

Does this choice serve that vision and those values? 

You may be surprised how many daily moments offer the chance to say “yes” with intention—or to say “no” in service of what matters most.

Growth comes not only from bold, visible moves, but also from the quiet consistency of making value-driven decisions in the ordinary moments.

Commitment to the Path

Returning from APA 2025, I feel more focused and clear about what matters most for my practice and my personal growth as an entrepreneur.

This year also carried a special honor—receiving the Jean Lau Chin Early Career Professional Award in Community Practice from Division 35 (Psychology of Women) Section 5 (Psychology of Asian Pacific American Women). This acknowledgment is more than recognition; it is a profound encouragement to keep integrating depth psychology and community practice, two threads that have shaped my work for years.

My entrepreneurial inner compass will keep evolving, but this year’s APA reminded me: the more I follow it with intention, the more my entrepreneurship will grow in ways that are truly my own.

Your identity—how you see yourself and the role you hold—shapes every decision you make, whether you’re aware of it or not. When your identity shifts, your decision-making shifts with it.

As you step into or deepen your entrepreneurial journey, take time to notice:

How does the way I see myself influence the choices I’m making?

Are my actions aligned with the identity I want to grow into? 

This awareness turns decision-making into a conscious practice—one that can transform not only your work, but also the way you live your life.

Guided by your entrepreneurial inner compass, every decision becomes a step toward your unique vision—illuminating the path from night’s uncertainty to dawn’s clarity.