Making Bold Moves

When Amy Pocsik MSA ’11 was in her late 20s — and nearly a decade into a successful accounting and consulting career — she says, “Every morning, I slapped on a smile and a suit, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the life I dreamed of was slipping away.” 

So, in 2021, she launched Bold Moves, an executive coaching firm to empower female entrepreneurs. Since then, she’s been getting noticed for her work: In 2023, she was named to Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list and has been featured in publications including Fast Company and Forbes Magazine. Pocsik serves as the company’s CEO and is committed to mentoring the next generation of women business leaders. She has mentored Bentley students and alumni and presented at the 2024 Center for Women and Business “Stretching to the C-Suite” Gearing Up conference, an annual event for early-to-mid-career business professionals. 

“Finding a mentor is essential for career advancement, and meeting my first mentor was a game-changer for me. I try to pay it forward,” Pocsik says. Here, she shares insight into experiences that have informed her personal and professional path.

I completed my Master’s in Accounting program at Bentley while working full time at one of Boston’s leading accounting firms. After graduation, I continued to work as a CPA [certified public accountant] for more than a decade and built a successful career that led me to managing multi-million-dollar budgets and hundreds of people. Although I had built a career that I was incredibly proud of, I still had a nagging feeling in my heart that I wanted more. Entrepreneurship had always interested me: I was full of ideas and creative energy. But before I could walk away from a stable, six-figure salary, I needed to dig deep and give myself permission to pursue the dream that was on my heart. 

What tipped the scale for me was a conversation with a colleague who was 15 years ahead of me on the corporate ladder I was climbing. In my eyes, she was the definition of success with the titles, salary and lifestyle I thought I wanted. Yet, halfway through our conversation, she broke down crying — and opened up about her stifled dreams, failed relationships and overall unhappiness. She confirmed my worst nightmare: that if I continued on the path I was on, I would end up just like her. In that moment I knew I had to make a change. I had to honor the entrepreneurial dream in my heart and pursue it with everything I had. It’s ultimately what made me decide that I was worth it. 

To get started, I needed to invest in myself, even if that meant spending money I didn’t have yet. I gave myself six months and a set amount of money to invest in my business. If I didn’t see progress after six months, I vowed to turn back. Giving myself this deadline lit a fire inside me to work harder, knowing that I really didn’t want to turn back. 

I made it my life’s work to help women achieve a big, bold vision for their life and business because I know how painful it is to be in the opposite position. I had been there myself and had seen many other women struggle with the same decision about making a career switch. 

Co-founding the Women’s Business League in 2018 and working with female entrepreneurs for more than six years, I have had a front row seat to see what is and isn’t working for women in business. I saw what was holding them back and what was helping them get results. I knew in my heart that I wanted to help make that success possible for more women, and so I developed frameworks and strategies that I use today with my clients at Bold Moves, the executive coaching firm I founded in 2021. The ultimate reward is seeing my clients thrive as entrepreneurs. 

I believe that finding a mentor is essential for career advancement, and meeting my first mentor was a game-changer for me. I try to pay it forward by mentoring the next generation of leaders, Bentley students and alumni included. I was thrilled to be among this year’s distinguished speakers at the Gearing Up Conference and hope that, through my session, others see entrepreneurship as a viable option for their lives and careers. 

I know through personal experience that the prospect of completely switching directions is hard — and it doesn’t necessarily get easier once you take that leap of faith either. But I can honestly say that pursuing my entrepreneurial dream was the best professional decision I made. It’s afforded me more money, more job security and more creative freedom than I ever could’ve imagined. I want more people to know that if they feel entrepreneurship is for them, the opportunities are endless. 

I also believe that there is never a convenient time to prioritize your dreams. It takes a lot of hard work, time and resources. If you want to be successful, you need to know you’re worth it. I find that the most successful entrepreneurs do a great job dealing with doubt. At one point or another, either the people around you (close friends, family and professional colleagues) don’t believe in what you’re building, or worse, you may not see yourself how successful you can be. Letting doubt win holds you back from taking the risks necessary to soar. 

Reflecting on that time of my life now, I wish I listened to my intuition sooner. Ignoring what I knew to be true delayed pursuing my passion, but I've learned that the comeback is always stronger than the setback. 

I said ‘yes’ to speaking at the Gearing Up conference because an event like this creates a space for conversations and connections that are so valuable in business. Sharing my entrepreneurial journey and hearing the business building aspirations of others was amazing. My hope was to inspire the attendees, and they inspired me right back.

In life and business, I believe community is everything. Today, I continue to challenge myself and the women I coach to be intentional when it comes to networking. Sometimes this means stepping outside of your comfort zone, but it’s worth it to expand your network, open doors to new possibilities and help others along the way too. 

If I can impart any wisdom on the next generation of women business leaders, it’s that one of the most important relationships you’ll have in life is with yourself. Give yourself time and space to really tune into what you want for your life and career, because you absolutely have what it takes. Whatever your vision is, you can create it.