One of my favorite songs is Vienna by Billy Joel. During my own "Rocky cutscene," it was a song I listened to more times than I can count. It reminded me that you don’t always know when you’re right or wrong. When you’re on the path, you have to trust that you’re focusing on the things that matter and keep moving forward—letting the other dominos fall into place. In a recent episode of the Everything HR Podcast, I had the privilege of speaking with Kate and Bob Carpenter, the two owners of Sunny Side Kitchen in Escondido, CA. Their story really resonated with me because, as a business professional, their path sounded like they did everything right: - They had the courage to push forward and try something new. - They tested their product by doing pop-ups, serving food at local bars, and building relationships within their community. - After three years of developing a strong community presence, they opened a brick-and-mortar location. - They spent 1-2 years refining the restaurant’s operations before focusing on marketing it. - They prioritized quality and people, earning spots on Yelp's Top 100 and other accolades. - They listened to others and tried new approaches, even if they didn’t fully understand them at first—like leveraging social media and outsourcing accounting. - They based their decisions on their life goals rather than chasing money, focusing on what made sense for their future happiness. When I shared my perception of their journey, it was striking how different it was from their lived experience. For me, their story looked like a perfect execution of strategy and growth. But for them, living it meant facing struggles, anxiety, and moments of indecision. It’s a powerful reminder that success doesn’t feel linear when you’re in the thick of it. You don’t always know when you’re right. But as Kate and Bob’s story shows, trusting the process, staying aligned with your values, and pushing forward can lead to both personal happiness and business success. Sometimes, you just have to keep moving and let the dominos fall.