I made it!
And what a journey it’s been.
Today, I’m living the lifestyle my past self hoped for. I’m proud to report that not only am I in my dream career, I’m building it on my own terms. I credit all the people in my life and the experiences I’ve shared with them—good and bad—with getting me to this point.
I’m somebody who likes to work. Some might even call me a workaholic. Hey, I wear that title with pride because I know exactly who I am, and I know those workaholic tendencies are a big part of who I am as a friend, a wife and a mother. For me, there are few things more fulfilling than being part of a team with a clear mission. And every day, I inspire others to keep working on their missions by showing them how to really conceptualize their challenges and problem-solve their way to success.
But that’s not what this blog post is about. I could talk about what I do all day (and hey, if you want to hear it, let’s chat!)
This blog post is about the point in my life that I realized I needed a pivot…and how I realized I was at that point.
The year was 2020.
Yep. The year we all pivoted in some way or another.
But back in early 2020, I was at the top of my game. I’d spent years putting in long hours, going above and beyond, leading bigger and bigger teams doing fascinating, important work and climbing the rungs of that lofty corporate ladder. Every year that passed, my career scaled.
My titles got bigger.
My teams got bigger.
My responsibilities got bigger.
And as I grew with them, I found myself struggling. I knew I was reaching my goals and beyond, getting exactly what I’d worked so hard for. But once I was in that winner’s circle, achievements in hand, I wasn’t feeling as fulfilled as I thought I would be.
I’d just started a new job, so I thought maybe I was just having a hard time adjusting to it. Then, COVID sent us all home. Telecommuting was another new challenge to conquer, and as the months marched on and we sunk further into the pandemic and the social upheaval surrounding the presidential election, I knew I needed a big change in my life. I knew it was time to step back, reassess where I was, refocus on where I was going, and re-energize myself to start moving in the right direction.
I spoke with mentors. I listened to podcasts. When I tell you I did all the things, believe me, I did all the things.
I spoke with professionals. I leaned on my friends and family. I read self-help and business books. I got a business coach. I did branding exercises to uncover the real “me.” And while I was doing all that, I was doing consultant work.
Somewhere in the fray, I found time to reflect. And as I took a cold look in that mirror, I saw what I needed most: my time back.
I was just about to turn 40 and I was working in a new role at a company funded by some of the largest private equity funds on the market. My day-to-day routine reminded me of my years at ESPN when I worked on their digital media investments: ESPN Mobile, MobileTV, ESPN360, ESPN3, ESPN iTV, WatchESPN….the list goes on! Disney kept an eagle eye on their investments. They required constant check-ins and with every resource request, expected that every T be crossed and I be dotted perfectly. Every day, my team and I faced a new obstacle, a new perspective and new ideas that drove us to reassess our strategies and reprioritize, but this had to occur within the constraints of staying focused on our goal of delivering unmatched value to our fans and creating unprecedented value for our investors. While this new role reminded me of that start-up feel at ESPN, with our laster focus on driving value for the investors, it was a different time, a different way of life. At ESPN, I could let myself become completely absorbed in strategizing, modeling and presenting rock-solid cases with my team. But in this role, my life was different. I had a home, a spouse, kids and friends who needed me to be present.
And I needed to be present for them.
After much reflection, I was able to see exactly what I needed to be doing: not just leaning into what I’m good at, but doing the kind of work I’m excited to get up and do every day.
I love inspiring, guiding and energizing people. When people work with me, they feel that energy—and as their energy levels rise, so do mine. We become a system; a network that continually charges each other up to overcome challenges and achieve difficult things.
I remember once, years ago, I was sitting at a table and asked this question: “If you didn’t have to worry about money and you had all the connections in the world, what would your dream job be?”
People had really interesting, inspiring answers.
Then it was my turn.
I answered that aside from being an NFL coach, I would love to help talented people realize their dreams. When I see somebody light up with desire, I go into Macgyver mode. I immediately start assessing the resources they have available and calculating ways to use those resources to make their dreams come true.
There’s that Type A workaholic coming out again.
I’ve learned to channel that obsession with high performance and efficiency into something that helps people bring their visions to life. Or should I say, “BRIJ their visions to reality.”
