The founder's story
I didn't create CIQ because I had everything figured out. I created it because I didn't.
Chimere Taylor · Founder
A season of questions
Work felt different. The world felt heavy. And I wasn't sure what the next chapter should be.
After more than 20 years of building a creative career I loved, I suddenly found myself questioning what came next. AI had seemingly pulled the rug from underneath an industry I'd spent decades learning, and if I'm being transparent, the uncertainty got to me.
I spent more days than I'd like to admit in bed, overwhelmed by everything I thought I should be figuring out. I had written a book I believed in, but instead of releasing it, I kept editing it, waiting for the “right” time while quietly wondering, What if it doesn't do well? What if I'm not ready?
The irony wasn't lost on me. I was asking God to show me just how good life could get while barely leaving my house long enough for anything new or good to actually happen. My world had gotten smaller, and eventually I had to admit something to myself:
I couldn't keep asking for a different life while participating in the same day over and over again.
Eventually, the question changed
What do I need in this season of my life?
I thought about the extraordinary clients and entrepreneurs I'd worked with. The common denominator wasn't always superior knowledge.
- They moved.
- They sought help.
- They talked about what they were building.
- They stayed consistent.
- They surrounded themselves with people.
- They behaved as though what they wanted deserved their attention.
The word that kept coming back
Confidence.
Not loud confidence. Not the absence of fear. The kind that says:
“I may not know exactly how this turns out, but I'm willing to take the next step.”
Confidence Is Queen.
CIQ.
Pronounced seek.
Ask · Seek · Knock — Matthew 7:7
“Seek” felt right because CIQ isn't about already having every answer. It's about becoming willing to look for what comes next.
CIQ may have started with my question. It was never supposed to end with me.
Maybe you're not starting over. Maybe nothing is terribly wrong. Maybe you simply know there is more.
- More you want to experience.
- More you want to learn.
- Somewhere you want to go.
- Someone you want to meet.
- Something you want to create.
- A version of yourself you've been curious about becoming.
You don't need the entire plan. You have to become willing to seek.