DEBORAH RICHARDSON
LIFE AND BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Hi, I’m Deborah — though many people know me as Devi.
I’m a Strategic ThinkPartner and the creator of the Think-Strategy Shift, a philosophy built around living and working with greater clarity, alignment, and intention.
But long before I had those words, there was a part of me that was always curious about the deeper question behind things.
As a young girl, I was constantly asking:
Why are we doing this?
What’s the value here?
What’s the point of it all?
I didn’t have the language for it at the time, but what I was really asking about was meaning.
My parents were wonderful role models. My father was a physician deeply committed to caring for people, and my mother was an educator who loved opening windows to the world for her students.
They worked hard and lived meaningful lives.
But even as a child, I was the one asking: How was your day?
Did you stop and smell the roses?
That was always me. That was the early version of Devi.
THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR
ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT I WOULD BECOME A DESIGNER.
Architecture. Clothing design. Creative work that shaped how people lived and experienced the world.
I ended up in what I jokingly call “crazy art school.”
It was inspiring and chaotic at the same time. And it raised an important question for me: Did I want to be an artist — or did I want to build something?
Because alongside creativity, I discovered something else I loved: Business.
I loved creating ideas and turning them into something real. So instead of choosing one path, I started combining the things I loved.
Creativity. Business. Lifestyle. Entrepreneurship became my profession.
Over the years, I founded several businesses, and something interesting began to happen. People weren’t just interested in the businesses I created.
They wanted help creating their own versions — businesses that fit their lives, their goals, and their lifestyle. Without realizing it, I had begun helping people think strategically about their lives and work.
The Strategic
Thinking Shift
By my 40s and 50s, I realized that the work I loved most was helping people step back and see the bigger picture.
Helping them ask questions like:
Where are you going?
What actually matters to you?
What kind of life are you designing?
Those questions weren’t just professional ones.
They were life questions.
As an entrepreneur raising two incredible kids, I was always encouraging them to think about life that way too — not just chasing success, but building a life that reflected their values and what truly sparked their energy.
I often told them to choose a path that sparked their mojo.
TODAY IT’S TOTALLY AMAZING:
Amazing to see that both of them are living exactly that way — building values-driven lives and helping others do the same in their own work as coaches and leaders.
Looking back, I realize that many of the conversations I was having with entrepreneurs were really about the same thing.
How do we design a life that actually reflects what matters most?
I eventually formalized that work by completing executive coaching training at Royal Roads University.
But the deeper insight didn’t come from a classroom.
It came from years of conversations with entrepreneurs and independent professionals navigating meaningful decisions about their lives and work.
That work eventually led to the idea I now call:
The Think-Strategy Shift
At its heart, the shift is simple. Step back. Think about the why.
Get aligned with what truly matters.
Then design your life and work so that your everyday choices reflect that alignment.
A STRATEGIC PAUSE
AS YOU READ THIS, YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF:
Where are you going?
What actually matters to you right now?
What kind of life are you designing?
Sometimes the shift begins simply by stepping back and asking better questions.
STRATEGY IS HOW WE LIVE
Strategic Living
Most people think strategy is something you use in business.
Plans. Goals. Timelines.
But strategy is much more powerful than that.
Strategy is how we live.
Strategic living means we don’t wait for some future moment when everything finally comes together.
We start living intentionally now.
Not chasing a distant goal.
But making small, meaningful choices every day that reflect our values and priorities.
That’s how a meaningful life actually gets built.
One decision at a time.
The Turning Point at 58
When I turned 58, something shifted for me personally. My children were grown and thriving in their own careers. I suddenly had more time and space in my life.
And I realized something important. I had spent many years supporting everyone else. But I hadn’t been putting myself first. So I made a decision.
STRATEGY LIVING STARTS NOW
58 Epic Experiences
It was my way of intentionally living the next chapter of my life with curiosity and energy.
Some experiences were planned.
White-water rafting.
Traveling alone to new places.
Exploring small towns I had always wanted to visit.
Others simply happened in the moment.
Like sitting on a plane and having an unexpected conversation that stays with you forever.
Or bumping into someone on the street who completely changes your day.
Those moments reminded me that life isn’t just about planning the future.
It’s about recognizing when you’re already inside an epic moment.
THINK-STRATEGY SPARKS
Today my work is about helping thoughtful people do exactly that. Step back. See clearly. Make intentional choices.
I call these small sparks of insight:
⚡ Think-Strategy Sparks
Short ideas, prompts, and conversations designed to help you think differently about your life and work.
Sometimes they arrive as a short voice prompt. Sometimes as a strategic question.
Sometimes simply as an idea that shifts how you see things. Because often the most powerful change doesn’t come from a complicated plan.
It comes from a single moment of clarity.
A Simple Place to Start
If something in your life or work feels like it’s evolving, the shift may already be underway.
Below you’ll find a few Think-Strategy Sparks and voice prompts you can explore.
Listen while walking.
Driving.
Or simply thinking about your next chapter.
Sometimes a small spark is all it takes.
Connect with Deborah
If you’d like to explore these ideas further or have a strategic conversation about your own next chapter:
📧 coach@thinkpartner.ca
📞 778-558-8605