Why I’m Tired of Playing Small

By Bobbie Racette Founder & CEO of Virtual Gurus | Métis-Cree | Queer | Builder of things (that weren’t supposed to exist)

There’s something that happens when you spend years building a company people didn’t expect you to build.

You stop asking for permission.

You stop filtering your ambition.

Forget glass ceilings. Some of us were never even invited into the building. So I learned to build my own.

This is No Ceilings (NoCe).

And this is why I’m done playing small (and you should be, too).

From kitchen table to multi-million dollar organization

In 2016, I was laid off during Alberta’s oil and gas downturn. I wasn’t lacking talent. I wasn’t lacking work ethic. But I was — and am — an Indigenous, queer woman who didn’t fit the mould.

And for too many employers, that made me invisible.

So I sat down at my kitchen table with $300 and a simple idea: I’d market myself as a virtual assistant. That’s it. What happened next lit a fire that still hasn’t gone out.

I didn’t look like the CEOs I saw in magazines. I wasn’t the founder that investors were lining up to fund.

But, the demand was overwhelming. And more importantly, I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt invisible. There were thousands of people, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, racialized, disabled, remote, who were being overlooked by the traditional workforce. And they were just as ready to work as I was.

That’s when Virtual Gurus was born. Not as a company, but as a correction. A rebalancing. A reclamation.

Today, we’re one of North America’s fastest-growing talent-as-a-service platforms. But that’s only part of it. Virtual Gurus is not just a business. It’s a mission. And it’s proof that you don’t need to be a “tech bro” to build something that scales.

But here’s the thing: that’s just one part of my story. And I’m ready to tell the rest.

I’m not just a founder. I’m a leader.

What people don’t always see is what happens after the startup glow fades. After the awards. After the headlines. After the funding round closes.

You’re still leading. Still hiring. Still screwing things up and learning how to fix them.

I’ve led badly in the past. I’ve let toxic people stay too long. I’ve burned out. I’ve broken down. I’ve gotten it wrong.

And I’ve cleaned up every mess. I’ve rebuilt from every low. And I’ve become a better leader. Not despite the hard parts, but because of them.

That’s what No Ceilings is really about.

Not the polished LinkedIn version of leadership — but the version with all the cracks showing. And the lessons of growth that come from them.

Why No Ceilings?

Because ceilings are imaginary — especially for people like me, who were never supposed to be in the room in the first place.

Because I’ve been underestimated, misjudged, and overlooked. And I’ve succeeded anyway.

Because I’m tired of being asked to “soften” my leadership while watching men be praised for being direct.

Because the business world still struggles to make space for authentic leadership — leadership that includes trauma, culture, queerness, and community.

Because the next generation of leaders isn’t waiting for an invitation, and I’m here to walk alongside them.

What’s in it for you?

This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a call to arms for people who lead differently.

Every Thursday, you’ll get:

• Behind-the-scenes stories from scaling a purpose-driven tech company.

• Truth-telling about leadership, burnout, bias, and bulls**t.

• Practical tools for inclusive hiring, empathic management, and growing your business with soul and impact.

• Guest contributors and lived-experience interviews.

• Sneak peeks into my upcoming podcast + book.

If you’ve ever felt like the rules weren’t written for you, this is your safe space.

What I’d love from you.

If this issue resonated, please do three things for me:

1. Subscribe to No Ceilings. Let’s grow this together.

2. Tag me on LinkedIn with the biggest takeaway from this post. What did it spark for you?

3. Share this with someone breaking their own barriers (especially if they’re doing it quietly or by themselves).

Remember: you don’t need a formal title to be a leader. And leadership doesn’t have to be loud. But it does need to be gutsy, gritty, and come with a willingness to smash the mould for everyone who comes after us.

Let’s tell the truth. And let’s lead without ceilings.

- Bobbie

What’s next?

Next week’s issue: What leadership books never told me (but should have).

You’ll discover some of the hard lessons no handbook prepared me for: from team toxicity to unlearning how to lead “like a man”.