I spent the first part of my career doing what I thought I should do — create that path so I could climb the ladder towards success and achievement. It’s what my parents and society at large said I should do. That was the norm.

My path looked like this: work hard to get into a top university, go to a top graduate school (I ended up with an advanced degree in statistics), and then pursue well-known companies and move up into the highest levels of management. For 15 years, I worked my way up the ladder thinking that would fulfill me. But it didn’t. I wasn’t happy mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

I was the mother of two young children. I was the only woman (and minority) on the executive management team. And I also happened to be the youngest. I had a fully remote team when that wasn’t even a thing 12 years ago. I felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions, but I wasn’t actually able to devote the amount of energy I wanted in each place. I felt like I was doing something wrong because I was struggling to “do it all.” In the end, I was stressed, anxious and just burnt out.  

Was that really what I wanted to be doing for the next 10 years? Absolutely not. So I decided to make a pivot and regain control of my life.

I realized that my priorities were all wrong. I didn’t need to make my life and my family fit around my career — I needed to create a career that helped me achieve my life goals. And a decade later, I’m really satisfied with the outcomes. I feel more fulfilled than I ever did when I was doing what I was “supposed” to do AND I get to watch my kids grow up.

And every year, I see more and more people coming to this same realization: I need to redefine what success means to me if I’m going to be happy and fulfilled. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of support out there for people like us, and far too many people who just want to create a better life for themselves and their family get stuck in their careers or lost in the corporate shuffle along the way.

But I want to help people connect the dots, to assist leaders in understanding the implications of a changing workforce that is looking at their priorities and needs differently. I want to help provide clarity when it may feel like chaos. I want to help forge the path forward when it feels like there isn’t a path to take. I know it’s possible because I’ve studied hundreds of people who have done it — and I think we, as people, have more power to shape the Future of Work than we’ve ever had before.

I conduct original research with a team of experts to present the annual State of Work & Career Success so that both individuals and business leaders can better understand why so many of us feel unsatisfied and unsuccessful. If we don’t understand why people are unhappy, if we don’t understand what people do want out of their careers and lives, we’re never going to be able to change things for the better. Because the goal should be for everyone to move toward together. 

I wrote “Building the Business of You” as a guidebook to help people navigate the uncertain post-pandemic world of work while aligning personal purpose and professional advancement. I interview people on the Strategic Momentum podcast because I want to share both the stories that help people get unstuck so they can create the life they want and the strategies that will help people navigate an uncertain world.

My husband, Josh, and I are raising two children who are growing up in a constantly changing world that is increasingly uncertain. Providing them safety and stability while teaching them the importance of testing, learning and iterating on themselves is what I believe is so necessary to helping them eventually find their career-life fit. And being supportive and present for my husband, family and friends is paramount because that sense of connection and belonging will help us collectively reach our potential. 

I plan to spend the next half of my career doing the things that make me feel happy and fulfilled. And that means doing everything I can to help create a Future of Work AND Life in which everyone is empowered to find fulfillment. I’d love to help you make those changes in your life or in your organization. Together we can help you create a Future of Work AND Life.