Eighteen Years Ago Today, I Quit My Job
Eighteen years ago today, on September 7, 2007, I did one of the most courageous things I’ve ever done. I quit my job.
On paper, it was a good job. I was a Global Web Strategist for the world’s largest telecommunications company, pulling in a six-figure income. I wasn’t just good at the work, my clients loved me and even called me their “Web Guru.” While others faced the dreaded “layoff Thursdays,” I was getting job offers from other divisions.
But here’s the truth: it was killing me. I was burning out, not because I was working too hard. I mean I was, but the real problem was that my soul was out of gas.
The endless deadlines, the politics, the meaningless conference calls. The fact that I wasn’t inspired by the product or the mission. Even though I was successful by external measures, it felt like mediocrity compared to what I was here to do.
I also had my fair share of well-earned Impostor Syndrome during those nine years. Even with accomplishments and external validation, I still questioned if I was as good as they thought I was.
But underneath it all was something even more pressing: I actually knew that I didn’t belong there. I longed for alignment, authentic expression, and work that called on my true gifts.
The Leap
The pain of being misaligned finally outweighed the fear of leaving. So I quit. The subject line of my goodbye email was simple: “Quitting my job to follow my dreams.”
That was the day my life began to shift.
Eighteen Years Later
Looking back, that decision has defined my life. For 18 years I’ve been walking the path of alignment—sometimes stumbling, sometimes sprinting, but always choosing to be true to myself rather than safe in someone else’s version of success.
I’ve built a coaching practice and served thousands of people through coaching, speaking, and workshops. I’ve developed my own body of work that people now seek me out for. Most recently, I’ve been delivering Impostor Syndrome workshops for groups, organizations, and teams to help unleash people’s brilliance in their workplaces, while also acting as a coach, mentor, and thought partner to leaders, emerging leaders, innovators, and visionaries across the country. Along the way, I’ve become an Impostor Syndrome Informed Coach and a Licensed Speaker with the Impostor Syndrome Institute.
Most importantly, I feel curious, creative, inspired, and aligned.
A Creative Season
This is also a deeply creative time in my business, which feels especially meaningful and appropriate, as this is my eighteenth year, and in Judaism the number 18 represents “life” (chai). For over a decade, I’ve been following the thread of how to help people discover what makes them uniquely magnificent, their gifts, their special sauce, their magic, their Superpowers and create the impact that only they can create.
That thread has now led me to my latest body of work: Leadership Essence™. It shines a light on a blindspot in the leadership development field. It’s about uncovering the core of who you are as a leader, the foundation of your confidence, alignment, and impact. I’ll be sharing more about this soon, but for now, I’ll say this: everything I’ve learned on this journey has brought me to this point.
