Amy O'Brien is today's guest joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business podcast. She is a lady who has recently taken the plunge and left her secure and reliable wage check to start her own business A Life By Design Financial Services. As she says to her clients everyday "You deserve to live a life that reflects the values you cherish. We can help you develop a financial plan that allows you to pursue the quality of life you desire. Financial planning is a journey we take together. Establishing and pursuing goals is a dynamic, vibrant process that takes time to develop. As your advocate, our role is to advise, support, encourage and guide. When you succeed, we succeed. A true win - win situation But there was a time that this mission wasn't one that she was living herself. She most certainly didn't live a life that reflected her own personal values and like millions of people around the world found herself directed by the wishes of others. Early mornings, long commutes and late nights were the norm. How The Dots Joined Up For Amy However unlike millions of others she didn't just accept that her life was always going to be this way and took big action. Believe me, taking this kind of action is never easy, and this wasn't an easy plunge to take. Even though for many years the doubts surrounded her whether it was the right thing to do to stay where she was. Was this life that she had seen herself living as a younger woman? Was she providing the kind of advice and support to her clients that she knew she could if she hadn't had her hands tied behind her back? Well she took the plunge and launched her fledgling business and now is in the process of growing her client base, getting her name out there and building stability in hers, her families and her clients lives. So what finally pushed her over the edge and made her fix her mind on taking control of her life? And where has been the hardest parts of starting a business in such a regulatory industry? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Amy O'Brien Show Highlights During the show we discussed such weighty subjects with Amy O'Brien such as: We discuss the energy levels that are we required to use when we play a role in our career and do things that aren't suitable for us. Why internally Amy struggled with finding her passions even though it was right under her nose her all the time. Amy shares her steps to attracting her first customer and how simplicity is always the way forward when starting a business. And lastly.... We share the biggest shift that we have to go through when starting our own businesses and that is truly believing in ourselves.