When Allie Fumo joined Habituelle’s Accelerator, she wasn’t experiencing the kind of career crisis that everyone could see.
As she describes it, she was “stuck, but not in a dramatic, everything-is-falling-apart way.” Instead, it was “the quiet kind of stuck that sneaks up on you when you’ve been putting everyone else first for too long.”
As Senior Director of People & Culture at Next League, Allie spent her days helping others grow. She was focused on developing leaders, building careers, and supporting the people around her. Somewhere along the way, she realized she had stopped investing in herself.
She joined The Accelerator because she wanted someone in her corner who would help her get clear on what she actually wanted and hold her accountable for pursuing it. She expected a coaching program. What she found, in her words, was “far more.” It became a sisterhood.
Shifting from Reactive to Intentional
Before joining the program, Allie described herself as reactive. She was focused on what the organization needed from her and spent most of her energy thinking about the immediate future instead of the larger strategy for her own career.
She knew a promotion was on the horizon and wanted to ensure she was prepared for that opportunity, but she also wanted a group that would challenge her to think bigger. Just as importantly, she wanted to rebuild her confidence and surround herself with women she could support while also finding renewed purpose herself.
Working together helped her reconnect with why she chose this work in the first place. That clarity didn’t just change how she felt about her career; it changed how she showed up every day. She became a better leader, a stronger coach to her managers, and a more confident advocate for the people on her team.
As Allie shared, she began to feel like herself in the room again—more confident, more willing to take up space, and more willing to say, “This is what I bring, and it matters.”
The Biggest Results Couldn’t Be Measured by a Title
While in The Accelerator, Allie earned the promotion she had been working toward. Her renewed confidence also gave her the courage to restructure her team, launch new initiatives, and inspire an internal team member to join her department, creating new opportunities for mentorship and leadership.
Yet when she reflects on her experience, she believes the greatest results weren’t the tangible ones.
“The intangible results are bigger,” she wrote. “I stopped waiting for someone to give me permission to take up space. I remembered that my career deserves the same intentionality I give everyone else’s. And I gave myself permission to be ambitious about my own future, not just everyone else’s.”
The Work Didn’t End When the Program Did
Nearly two years after completing The Accelerator, Allie continues to build on the momentum she created. She has developed a six-month industry visibility plan, written thought leadership articles, secured podcast appearances, pursued award submissions, and intentionally expanded her professional network. Looking back, she credits those opportunities to the confidence and intentionality she began developing during the program.
Investing in Yourself Is Worth It
When I asked Allie what she would say to another woman considering The Accelerator, her answer was immediate.
“The best time to invest in yourself is when it feels a little uncomfortable, a little inconvenient, and a little scary. That discomfort is the signal that something needs to shift.”
She went on to share that the experience helped her get honest about where she was, gain clarity about where she wanted to go, and reminded her that if you’re a woman who has been putting yourself last, this work is for you.
Allie’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about helping others grow. It’s also about giving yourself permission to evolve, invest in your own future, and pursue the ambitions you’ve spent so much time encouraging in everyone else.
If you’ve been pouring your energy into your team, your organization, or your family while quietly putting yourself last, The Accelerator was built for women like you. Sometimes the most important investment you’ll ever make isn’t in the people you lead. It’s in yourself.
If Allie’s story resonates, I’d love to invite you to learn more about The Accelerator—an immersive leadership experience for women leading at a high level across industries.
