"What would you do if you weren't afraid?" — Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?

In 1998, Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese hit the world of leadership and sales with a powerful message that has stuck with me ever since: change is inevitable. Before "going viral" was a thing, this book was everywhere, teaching individuals and teams the importance of adapting to change, letting go of fear, and embracing the unknown with a positive attitude. The simple but profound story of two mice and two tiny humans searching for cheese in a maze became a metaphor for how we all deal with life's "cheeseballs".

Some of you may know parts of my story—I’m the founder of Wise, a women's investing network, and Boring & Co, our family business that acquires under-managed, value-add self-storage properties. At Boring & Co, I have the privilege of working alongside my husband and four adult children. This journey with them has been both one of the most terrifying and most rewarding experiences of my life. Recently, while reminiscing with my husband about all the changes we’ve faced in our careers, he said, "People kept moving our cheese, so we had to adapt." I hadn’t thought of that book in years, but he was right. Life has often "moved my cheese," forcing me to pivot, change direction, and grow.

I grew up without my father, raised by a single mother who did her best. Like many, I allowed this to shape my early sense of self-worth, often doubting whether I was smart or capable enough to pursue what I wanted. But life—and the people around me—had a way of pushing me into roles I never thought possible.

One of the first big changes came when I got married young and had my first child at 22. We moved back to my hometown, thinking the familiar environment would make things easier, but it didn’t. We were broke, having made some poor financial decisions, and struggled to dig ourselves out. By 26, I had three children and was pregnant with my fourth. Life was anything but easy, but it was those challenging years that taught me to adapt, to let go of what I thought my life would look like, and to embrace what it was, the big family I had always dreamed of having.

Fast forward a bit—by the time my husband lost his job in sales at a TV station in 2005, we decided to take a huge leap and open our own advertising agency. It was a wild ride, filled with ups and downs, including landing a multi-million dollar client and then losing them. We were devastated, but we used that experience to figure out what we were willing to compromise on and what we weren’t. We learned that while we were willing to work hard, quality of life mattered. We wouldn’t sacrifice family time or tolerate clients who disrespected us—especially those who didn’t value women.

The advertising world changed rapidly—social media, Google Ads, SEO. It was overwhelming, but we adapted. Eventually, though, we realized the business wasn’t giving us the life we wanted. And so, another big “cheese” move: we pivoted to real estate.

That leap was terrifying. I had never felt more like an imposter, full of doubt and fear. Our first deal? We lost $200,000 of EMD money. It was brutal. But we didn’t quit. We learned, persisted, and kept going. Today, we own over 150,000 square feet of self-storage properties across Texas, and it’s hard to believe we almost gave up after that first loss.

Through it all, I’ve learned to accept change, to anticipate it, and, most importantly, to adapt quickly. Whether it’s in business, family, or life, change is inevitable. The faster we let go of the past and embrace the future, the sooner we can find success and fulfillment. Looking back, every challenge I faced pushed me toward growth—toward finding a new cheese that was better than what I had before.

If there’s one thing Who Moved My Cheese taught me, it’s this: don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Instead, see change as an opportunity to grow, to learn, and to find new possibilities. The maze is always changing, but with the right mindset, you’ll always find your cheese.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Dedee Boring

Wise Founder