For the past five years, I’ve been working at hyper-growth, mission-based startups. This was fulfilling at first, until I realized the founders and many of the leaders at these companies seem to believe burning out their employees is worth it to further the mission.

I understand the drive behind this, at least in part. Both of the startups I’m referencing are woman-founded. I’ve heard the stories and statistics about how difficult it is to find investors as a woman in tech. I know they have to go all-in and operate at a different level than a male founder.

But that doesn’t justify the toll it takes on employees to fulfill someone else’s mission—or the level of burnout that gets rationalized daily.

I was laid off last June, and for two glorious months I tasted freedom: freedom over my time, freedom over the kind of work I did.

I took on two consulting clients I absolutely loved, doing highly energizing work. I could dip in, advise, evaluate, build—and dip back out without the daily weight of being a full-time employee.

I felt alive and more like myself than I had in a very, very long time.

Now, nine months into a new full-time role, every fiber of my being is screaming… ENOUGH.

I’m working too many hours at too high a level of intensity. I’m doing things that were never in my job description that deplete my energy every single day.

Last week I attended our annual women’s summit, and that pushed me over the edge.

In person events require more energy than I have, but I was looking forward to this one. I thought I was going to learn, absorb the content, connect with attendees, and bring back insights.

Instead, I was put to work. Checking people in, setting up and dismantling equipment in 85-degree heat, and missing most of the sessions.

Afterward, I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t felt inspired or empowered by the experience. The content (that I heard) was meaningful and all the women were wonderful, so warm and grateful. So what was wrong with me?

I finally figured out that I wasn’t given the conditions to be inspired. I was in survival mode the entire time, and you can’t access inspiration when your nervous system is in task-completion mode.

My priorities are:

1. My faith

2. My husband

3. My parents

4. My health

5. My job

But I’ve been living like that list is reversed.

Every company will take everything I’m willing to give. That’s just the nature of any organization, mission-driven or not. The boundary has to come from me.

So this week I finally said… enough.

I’m retracting what I’m willing to give from 110% to 80-90%, so I still have some energy left over at the end of the day.

My job is last on my priority list for a reason. It is not my identity or where I find my worth.

For me, hitting this breaking point isn’t about giving up. It’s living aligned with my priorities and values, from my integrity, and finally feeling like myself again.

I rush through my day. I know breaks = productivity but I still push too hard, work too late, and take far too few breaks. When I’m getting ready in the morning or making and eating lunch, I’m usually listening to an AI podcast (gotta stay ahead!).

I’m always trying to optimize my time and cram as much as I can into every minute, because I constantly feel like I don’t have enough time to get everything done. (I know this is a scarcity mindset, I’m working on it! 😅🌱).

Last week, I had my afternoon espresso outside on my back deck, in silence. I enjoyed every sip, listened to the chorus of birds that always intensifies at the start of spring, and let my mind process… wander… think.

It was so, so nice. So I did the same the next day, and this has turned into a daily practice.

It only takes about 3 minutes and gives me the mental break I need around this time every day. It helps me reset and restart my work with fresher eyes and a clearer head.

3 minutes!!

We can all carve out at least this much time each day, at whatever hour we know we need it most. Even if we have to block our calendars.

And...the ROI is 10 fold. It is for me, anyway.

I know I’m not the only one pushing, maximizing every minute, and rarely taking the time to stop and think. So I wanted to take another 3 minutes to share this realization. ✨

Over the past few years, I've noticed my empathy kicks into high gear whenever I'm at an airport by myself, and today I finally realized why.

When I'm able to completely relax and just be, my heart has the space it needs for other people. To observe them, take in their energy without taking it on, get a sense of who they are.

I realized this during lunch today. There was a Portuguese family celebrating an elderly member's birthday, and they all just exuded kindness.

The Portuguese people are so warm, kind, and genuine. And the culture has so much depth and character.

Because it's older it feels refreshingly imperfect. The buildings have cracks, patches, wear and tear that's a testament to standing the test of time.

It's inviting and beautiful, the way a human who is imperfect and vulnerable draws people to them. It mirrors that same safety and invites the same level of depth and openness.

These thoughts were inspired by my view at dinner tonight. I'm sitting in a cozy tapas style Portuguese restaurant at a table for one. My view out the window is of the side of a building that's cracked and peeling. It's so much more interesting because of this.

One of the reasons I love traveling so much is different cities and countries don't demand anything of their visitors. Life at home can feel so demanding. Stressful job, never ending responsibilities making us feel there's so much to get done (always).

A new city, new country, asks nothing. Instead it gives us a place to enjoy, sink into, and recharge in. It gives us the time and space to just be.

I've also been making a lot of assumptions that are completely untrue.

And it broke my heart. For the person who had been struggling and because of the blind spot that had been blocking my empathy and compassion. 💔

No one knows how much someone is struggling, how hard they're trying, or how trapped they feel, except the person in the impossible situation.

A wise friend reminded me that everyone is the main actor in their lives. Our job is to play the most supporting role. Giving them grace instead of judgement, continuing to show up, no matter how hard that feels or how confusing their choices, without judgement, and with the deepest understanding and most unconditional love.

We're all teachers and students in every situation. There's always something to learn, more grace and so much more love to give.

That's how I want to show up in 2026.

My word for this new year is love. I want to love better, more deeply, selflessly, with boundless understanding and grace, assuming the best of others and staying as open and humble as I can.

I want to continually acknowledge that every person I meet is the main actor in their own lives, with perspective and knowledge I don't have. I want to remember they're doing the very best they can with whatever hard thing they're in, and let go of my own opinions so I can support others better, truly showing up the way they need instead of what I think is best.

Love. Grace. Humility. Enoughness.

That's what I want to be and feel in 2026.

What's your word for 2026, and how do you want to show up? I'd love for you to share this with me in the comments. 💖

The past few months have felt impossibly intense and kept me in survival mode.

We spent time in Curaçao and got scuba certified in Bonaire (an incredible experience), and I traveled for work twice.

All good things, but it's been hard to balance my need to catch up on work and life with my need to deeply recharge.

I kept trying to get into the holiday spirit while feeling like it was racing by without me.

My husband is so excited for the week of Christmas, and I've been wanting to turn back the clock so more of December is in front of me than behind.

Until this beautiful, cold morning. I woke up late to a quiet house.

I've spent over an hour in bed, just being. Feeling. Thinking. Processing.

Recharging at the soul level.

And I finally feel ready for December and Christmas.

It's my favorite time of year, full of reminders that 2,000 years ago, Jesus chose to come to earth in the most human, vulnerable form: as a baby.

To walk and be among flawed, imperfect humans who betrayed him and was still offered His love. His kindness. His perfect peace.

What an incredible reminder, year after year, of the hope we have. Of the love, kindness, and peace we can receive and experience and give to others.

For unto us a child is born… and He will be called the Prince of Peace.

I think we could all use more peace and joy in our lives this Christmas season.

But for me, at least, I need to create as much peace and stillness in my life to receive it and enjoy this wonderful time of year. ✨

The first thing I did was build my virtual content marketing team of 7 custom GPTs.

The knowledge gap is always one of the hardest things about starting with a new company, so I built compliance and brand guidelines into my GPTs. They taught me what I can and can’t say, the value of Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage leaders, and how to promote events I’d never heard of on LinkedIn.

I had calls with sales reps from every audience, and added these insights to audience-specific GPTs.

All this helped me ramp quickly and write compliant copy, despite my knowledge gap.

But it didn’t feel good to have to rely so heavily on AI. I’m a creative, and “writing” AI-first copy feels hollow and soulless. The amount of output capabilities LLMs have can honestly be overwhelming, and I’ve been spending a lot of time sifting through copy versions and options, not quite sure what “great” looks like yet.

Until last week.

We had our Marketing Offsite in D.C. These two days of sessions and brainstorming ideas and connecting in person were incredibly inspiring, and emphasized the importance of emotional storytelling.

They also filled my knowledge and confidence gaps.

I’ve started writing copy myself again, relegating AI back to a brainstorming tool and thought partner, and that feels so good.

Just because AI can do something, doesn’t mean it should.

It’s great for generating ideas, filling our skill and knowledge gaps, augmenting our strengths, synthesizing notes and call transcripts, and creating quickly when needed.

But when it comes to actually creating, the fulfillment piece drops out when we allow AI to lead.

This has become abundantly clear as I’ve stepped back into the driver’s seat.

As creatives, I think it’s incredibly important to find the balance between creating quickly with AI and writing emotionally resonant, human-first copy ourselves.

This is the balance between speed and checking off our to-do list, and continually honing our craft, feeling fulfilled on a soul level, and writing from the heart.

How we work is changing. For Marketers, this has been the case for our entire careers, but never at this pace. Never with so many unknowns.

It’s currently impossible to know what the future of work will look like, which is both exciting and exhilarating, unnerving and terrifying.

But I see creativity as the through line. Resisting too much dependence on AI, intentionally carving out time to create on a soul level, and critically and strategically evaluating when we should and shouldn’t use AI.

It’s an exciting time to be alive, in the midst of so much innovation. Our responsibility is to lean in and be curious about all the tools available to us.

Then be intentional about our responsibilities - what we want to delegate to AI and what we want, need, and should keep for ourselves. This is how we keep our sense of purpose, fulfillment, and creativity alive.

There are no other emotions to feel but my own. No other energy to manage.

I can finally…just…be.

Alone with my thoughts, with all the space I need to feel and expand and process my feelings.

As a highly sensitive person (HSP), I don’t always have the space to process and sit with my big emotions during the day. But at night…in the stillness…I have all the space I need.

No wonder I’m a night owl. I imagine morning people experience something similar. Quiet. Time to process and just be. But I feel like I wake up with a relatively blank canvas each morning.

At night, I have an entire day’s worth of emotions, conversations, and happenings to process. I can only truly do this, on a deep level, when the night falls. The cicada/frog chorus commences and keeps a steady, soothing rhythm, and I feel like I can expand into the stillness.

There’s finally room for my thoughts, needs, and big feelings. I can feel, sink, relish, and savor this precious time.

Some version of this damaging, critical message has been going through my head since Tuesday.

I'm four days into my new job, and on Day 2, I wrote a LinkedIn caption promoting an event my company is attending.

I always feel a lot of pressure around the first thing I write for any new company. I treat it as a test of my ability and skill set—with the goal of proving I'm worthy of the job they hired me for.

Clearly, this is an area where I haven't yet detached my worth from my work.

I defined success as knocking it out of the park, with near-perfect copy on my first pass.

Big ambitions for Day 2, especially since I hadn't written a LinkedIn caption for a company in over a year, and social media copy is one of my weakest areas as a writer.

So, I created a custom GPT to fill my knowledge and skill gaps, and act as the LinkedIn copy expert I'll never be. I spent way too much time on the copy, and finally sent it off for review.

I did not knock this out of the park.

I received extremely helpful feedback and went through several rounds of revisions, feeling embarrassed and like I'd failed—because my first pass missed the mark.

That's the story I started telling myself anyway, because of my extremely high expectations.

The reality is, I am brand new. I need lots of guidance, and multiple revisions on the very first thing I write is completely normal.

I had a therapy session tonight, and shared with my therapist that despite my commitment to try softer, I'd been running on adrenaline all week, operating from a constant state of urgency—which saps my energy and puts me into overwhelm fast.

I shared what happened with the LinkedIn post, and she sat back and said: “You should have known better.”

I knew she was calling out the subconscious belief driving my state this week, but I immediately felt shame creep into my chest.

This belief that had been running the show from behind the curtain was so invisible (to me) and yet so strong that as soon as my therapist named it, the shame expanded and took hold of my entire heart space.

No wonder I couldn't break free from “striving, try harder” mode. My inner dialogue kept telling me that I'm coming in from a very similar company, and should be able to hit the ground running because of all the related knowledge I already have.

There's never any grace in the “shoulds”.

My therapist led me through a powerful guided imagery meditation, and I was able to release the shame.

I had to write two more LinkedIn captions at the end of the week, which gave me two more chances to practice a different approach. This time, I paid close attention to my internal dialogue.

I was able to catch and challenge my “you should have known better” belief whenever it came up, and begin to reframe it based on what’s actually true (“I’m new… I’m doing the best I can… and I don’t have full context for anything yet”).

Whenever you hear a ‘should’ in your self-talk, it’s usually a sign a limiting belief is running the show.

I'm sharing this with you to show how powerful, silent, and sneaky shame is, along with all the beliefs that drive it.

Most triggers like this come from childhood. I felt the pressure of high expectations when I was very young, and carried that with me right into today.

I'm not sure if my parents ever said the exact words, “you should have known better,” but I felt them deeply my entire life, from a very young age.

I don't fault them for this. They did the best they could with the knowledge and tools they had. But now it's my turn to identify these damaging beliefs, and decide what to take and leave going forward.

This is easier said than done, of course. That's the nature of personal growth. But it's worth it, and working with a therapist (who gets you) is so incredibly powerful.

Shame loves silence, so much so that it keeps us quiet. But when we have the courage to name it, shame loses its power and hold on us.

We can get to the root of what’s causing it and examine where that belief came from, deciding whether we want to reframe it or banish it entirely.

As you go through your workday and week, pay attention if you feel yourself operating from a sense of urgency or striving. See if you can uncover why—the belief that's driving it—and then decide if it's time for it to take a backseat.

I get it. I was just there, in June and July.

But this in-between time matters. With the right perspective, it can become a rare chance to pause, reflect, and reimagine what’s next. It can be such a gift, if you're able to see it that way.

This is the time to shed the beliefs about work you've picked up over the years that no longer serve you—and probably never did.

It's the time to process the intensity of your last job, who you had to be to survive there… and even more importantly, decide what you truly want next, who you want to be, and how you can show up more closely to the way you're wired.

Ideally, fully aligned with the way you're wired. Because that's actually how you can deliver the most value, from that place of internal alignment.

It's easier said than done, I know, but it's times like this—messy, uncertain, uncomfortable in between seasons—when we actually have the headspace to look inward and do this deep work.

What I Gained From the In-Between

My layoff in June gave me the first break, outside of PTO, that I've had since I entered the corporate world 19 years ago. And I am so incredibly grateful for what has become such an unexpected gift.

Through interviews, I got to meet people I never would have otherwise and learn about so many interesting companies.

Through writing for myself—and especially by being vulnerable—I've connected with so many of you.

I've had several virtual catchups with friends who saw my open to work post and reached out. I'm so grateful for the time I got with them.

I had the absolute pleasure of taking on AI consulting work for two incredible leaders and companies, and I discovered how much this kind of work energizes me.

I even led an AI workshop for one of these teams, which is way outside my comfort zone. Despite the anxiety, I loved helping fellow marketers shift their mindset and hopefully see more ways to use AI to make their jobs easier.

I'm an Enneagram 2, and I'm learning how to lean into my “helper” energy for opportunities like this.

Plus, I finally, finally had the time, energy, and headspace to finish my book draft, and that feels like the biggest accomplishment of all.

I'm so grateful I was laid off in June. I know it's easy for me to say as I'm about to step into a new role I'm incredibly excited about, but I'm writing this to encourage you.

Why Gratitude and Mindset Matter

If you've been laid off, this is your reframe. Savor this time. Don't waste it steeped in fear and striving.

Start a gratitude practice if you don't have one already. It's impossible to be grateful and fearful, grateful and angry, grateful and sad at the same time.

Gratitude is an all-encompassing emotion and scientifically proven to rewire your brain (for the better).

Seek out new experiences and allocate time every day to spend on something you love doing—especially things you don't have the energy or headspace for when you're working full-time.

Connect with people you haven't caught up with in a while, double down on what's working, and let go of what's not. I got this wise advice from my good friend, Josh Allan Dykstra.

After interviewing for 6 roles, hearing 5 no's, and getting one offer I knew wasn't right, I shifted my focus to consulting work—because that was falling into my lap without me even trying.

And as soon as I did this, a job posting that felt right (the second I saw the company name) landed in my inbox.

Your energy and mindset matter more than you may realize. Dedicate time for what keeps both of these high and positive.

Look Inward, Not Just Outward

Use this time to reflect and look inward. Think deeply about what you want your next chapter to look like and who you want to be as you walk into your next opportunity:

1. How do you want to be different?

2. What beliefs do you have about work that you want to change?

3. What beliefs about your value as an employee do you want to shift?

This is the work I’ve been doing, and it’s given me more clarity than I’ve had in a very long time.

Job searching, applying, and interviewing is important too, of course, but that's 100% external.

Carve out time for this internal work. You don't know when you'll have this kind of time and energy and headspace again.

But at some point, during the past three years, I stopped believing this. I started thinking (and saying) I'm a better editor than writer. I have a feeling this started when I stopped writing for myself.

I saw this quote on Substack today, from :

“Humans were designed to create. That's why you get sad, confused, and depressed when all you do is consume. Create art, music, books, pots and pans, a garden, a skill. Whatever your heart desires.”

For the last seven weeks, my time has been (largely) my own for the first time since I entered the corporate world over 17 years ago.

Yes, I've spent a LOT of time interviewing and job searching, but I've also had the opportunity to take on two extremely energizing AI consulting projects and prove to myself I can do that kind of work.

I finally had the time to work on the book I've been writing for over four years, and… I finished the draft yesterday.

I've been writing for myself because I have something to say again.

Several friends have commented that I've blossomed and expanded since I was laid off, and this is true... because I've had the space to expand into.

I've been able to breathe more deeply than I have for a long time. I've had the time to live and be, instead of just do. Most importantly, I've been creating whatever my heart desires—far more than consuming.

I've loved so many of the jobs I've had, and most recently, discovered the joy of working at a mission-driven company in an industry I'm extremely passionate about.

But as I've reflected on that experience, I've realized I made choices I don't want to make again. I gave more than I had. Every ounce of my mental and emotional energy, in fact, and I can't do that again.

I'm an overachiever, and that's part of my value, but it's led me to over functioning—and that's not healthy. It's led to stress, striving, always trying harder, never feeling like my best is enough.

So, for this next chapter, I'm committed to trying softer. Believing that my best is more than enough, every single day, and preserving enough energy to write for myself—at least once in a while.

I think a good litmus test will be whether, after I start my new job, I'm still writing for myself and still have something to say.

So, at the encouragement of many, I've started writing here. I'll be sharing my experiences in the corporate world (and in life) as an introvert, my thoughts on AI, and chapters from my upcoming book.

If you’re reading this, thank you for being here at the beginning.

I applied to 15 roles, interviewed with 8 companies, made it to the final round for 3, and got 2 offers.

Here's how I did it, and what I learned along the way.

1. Take time to pause before you sprint

My mistake

I started job searching about 2 hours after my position was eliminated. It was the easiest way to regain a sense of control. This happened on a Monday and by Friday, I already had three interviews lined up.

The following week, I was in the middle of interviewing for 6 different companies. This may sound good, but I was miserable. Interview processes have lengthened significantly, and many require a presentation. I had 7 interviews with one company, including a presentation with their CMO, and didn’t get an offer.

I was overwhelmed by all the prep, completely drained from being “on” for each interview, and felt stretched thin from writing thank you letters to every person I met with.

I wasn’t even sure I truly wanted any of those jobs because I hadn’t yet slowed down enough to figure out what I wanted next. I got an offer the day after I finally did this, and I knew I wanted it because I’d done this work.

My hindsight 20/20 recommendation

If you get laid off, give yourself at least a day (ideally a week) to process what happened and grieve this loss. I’m proof that it’s never too late to do this.

Pay attention to the stories you’re telling yourself. Are you making this mean something about your value as an employee? That you didn’t do enough or just weren’t good enough?

If so, you may be attaching your worth to your work, and now is an ideal time to start detaching. Read this to learn how.

Then, get crystal clear on what you want next. Define what success looks like at the end of your job search, and write it down.

2. Create an All-Star Recruiter custom GPT or Gem

This is one of the first things I did on day one of my job search, and if you’ve never built one before, it’s so easy to do. Here are my instructions, along with how to create the GPT and how to use it.

I trained mine with my experience, my strengths, the titles I wanted, and told it to act as a highly experienced, award-winning recruiter and head hunter. This made accurately tailoring my resume, writing cover letters, and interview prep so much faster and easier.

Also, a pro tip for your resume: add a headline at the top and optimize that with keywords for every job you apply to. I think this is one of the reasons I got so many interviews. One recruiter even told me she was impressed by my headline.

3. Fully leverage LinkedIn

Profile updates

Purchase LinkedIn Premium. This is worth it, I promise. You may be able to do a free trial for 30 days.

Use the Open to Work banner on your profile image, and start marketing yourself.

Write a thoughtful open to work post that engages your network, invites people to help, and clearly defines what you're looking for. Your network wants to help, but you have to tell them how.

Engage with your network and curate your feed

Comment thoughtfully on posts that resonate with you, and add your own ideas whenever you have something to say—especially if you're a writer, but even if you're not. This keeps your network engaged.

For a lot of my job search, I felt myself swinging between fear and hope, and all the fear came from LinkedIn posts. Curate your feed by following others in your space who are posting positive, thoughtful content. I got this idea from a post by Jessica Rice, and she is spot on.

It's way too easy to spiral after reading even one negative post, and there is abundance of these on LinkedIn. You want to live, job search, and interview from a positive, hopeful place. That’s how you project the right energy into the world—and attract the kind of job you truly want, with the right company.

4. Take a targeted approach

I’ve seen this advice in so many other LinkedIn posts, and it’s true: resist the urge to apply for every role you’re qualified for. Only apply with companies you truly want to work for.

As I mentioned above, I only applied to 15 jobs and almost half of those turned into interviews. I was intentional about only applying to companies with a mission that resonated with me and a job description I wanted.

That said, this job market is unlike anything any of us have experienced before, and these four things helped me get interviews:

1. Focus on industries you know. My background is healthtech and fintech, and I noticed early on that I only heard from recruiters in those industries.

2. Look for roles serving audiences you know and require your exact experience. This is necessary right now because the market is so flooded with top talent. My entire experience is in B2B and B2B2C marketing. I tried to interview for some B2C roles, and those companies went with “another candidate with the experience they were looking for.”

3. This is not the time to uplevel. If your title is uncommon, find the closest match and level down if you can. My last title was Associate Director, which most companies don’t have. I aimed for Director roles and was passed over. When I shifted to Senior Manager roles, interviews felt easier and I got an offer.

4. Use smaller job boards. I've gotten all my recent jobs from LinkedIn—except for this one. I had alerts set for LinkedIn and BuiltIn, but I also used AI-specific job boards and found my new job on Welcome to the Jungle.

5. Message the hiring manager

Send a LinkedIn message to the hiring manager for every single job you truly want. It can take some sleuthing to find this person, but you can almost always find them. If they're not listed on the job description:

1. Check the People section of the company, search for the most likely word in their job title, and look for the "Hiring" banner on profile images.

2. Click into profiles of people who work in the department this position is in, to see if they've posted or re-posted about an opening.

3. Do a general search for the company on LinkedIn, to see if anything pops up.

Be sure you're messaging the hiring manager, or this likely won't help you.

Send a short note introducing yourself, mentioning you’ve applied, and attaching your resume. They won’t always respond, but I got responses to at least half of the messages I sent, and those interviews happened a lot faster.

6. Lean on your intuition

Pay attention to your intuition as much as you can. I know this can be difficult as you juggle and prep for interviews, and read job descriptions that don't give you an accurate idea of what it's actually like to work at a company.

My intuition is strong, and it went quiet at the start of my search—primarily because I didn’t take the time to pause, process, and get clarity on what I wanted next (see #1!).

I convinced myself I wanted certain roles just to end the discomfort of uncertainty. But when I started interviewing with my new company, my intuition was activated again.

I knew, deep in my soul, this was the one. That knowing didn’t come from desperation. It came from fit, and I had this same feeling when I interviewed for my last two roles.

So yes, prep hard. But also listen for that quiet inner knowing under all the noise. No matter how buried, your intuition will come alive again with the right opportunity.

7. Use interviews to get the real picture

Skip the generic “smart-sounding” questions AI can give you. The “What questions do you have?” part of the interview is your best chance to understand what it’s truly like to work there.

Most people will be honest. They don’t want to hire someone only to lose them in a few months.

Ask:

• What’s your favorite thing about working here?

• What are the biggest challenges the person in this role will face?

• What do you wish you’d known before joining?

Their answers can tell you more than any job description.

8. Welcome new projects

Seek out contract, fractional, or consulting work while you search. Last month, I worked on two AI consulting projects, and it kept my skills sharp, my confidence high, and the pressure much lower.

It also reminded me how fun it can be to take on project-based work I can’t usually do while in a full-time role.

9. Protect your energy

It's critical to regulate your nervous system. I’m an introvert and Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and interviews take a lot out of me.

Deep breathing before an interview helped calm my nerves. A full-body shake afterward released the leftover tension (this may sound strange, but don’t knock it until you try it!).

Take breaks. Job searching eight hours a day isn’t sustainable. Decide how much time you’ll spend, set a timer, and walk away when it goes off.

Set up job alerts on at least three job boards so you’re not glued to them all day. Let the alerts do the work.

And give yourself more grace than you think you need. A lot more. I didn’t realize how much pressure I was under until I signed my offer and felt the weight lift off my shoulders. I saw the same thing happen to my husband.

10. Give recruiters grace

As I previously mentioned, the market is flooded. Recruiters are fielding hundreds more applications than usual—many from AI-generated resumes that all look the same. Hiring managers are feeling it, too.

Give them grace. They’re doing their best in a messy, overloaded system.

11. Talk about AI, and keep learning it

Yes, it replaced me at my last company, but I love AI. I find it fascinating, and have carved out as much time as possible during these past 6 weeks to keep upskilling.

My AI skills are featured prominently on my resume. During every interview, I jumped at the chance to talk about them. I quickly noticed this was what interviewers leaned in for—my knowledge, my skills, my passion for this area.

I highly recommend doing the same, and if you're light in this area, now is the time to upskill. Dedicate at least one hour a day, minimum.

If you’re not sure where to start:

1. Listen to The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast. Each week, the hosts break down the latest AI news.

2. Check out the Marketing AI Institute’s free resources. Even if you’re not a marketer, they host webinars and have courses that are relevant for every profession.

Companies want employees who are embracing AI, but it goes deeper than that. Your career depends on it.

A Word (and Warning) About Hypergrowth Startups

I’ve learned I thrive at startups. I’ve worked at large corporations and very small companies, and the bigger the company, the slower the pace. I like nimbleness, speed, and autonomy.

But my last company was hypergrowth, and working there was wild—in exciting, frustrating, and extremely stressful ways.

I’m grateful for the experience. I know I can survive anywhere now. But those 3.5 years challenged me in ways I’d never experienced before.

Right now, with the job market tightening and AI reshaping roles, big corporations are laying off and startups are hiring. If you’re interviewing with one, ask directly whether they’re high growth or hypergrowth. Then be honest with yourself about whether that’s truly what you want.

Because hypergrowth companies are not for everyone, and to make it in that environment, you have to really, really want it.

Final Thought

Job searching in 2025 is intense. So many of the old rules no longer apply, and some (most?) days it’s hard to see the end.

But your “yes” is coming.

I hope what I’ve learned might help in your own search. Please feel free to reach out directly if you have questions about any of this. I really do want to help. 💜

This is the title of a book a friend recently recommended. When she said those two words, I knew I needed this concept in my life.

I ordered the book and it sat on my nightstand for a few weeks. I was too busy trying harder.

That approach is all I've known for my entire life. I operate from the deep-seated belief that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. I've proven time and time again that if I'm determined enough, strategize well enough, and… try hard enough, I can make almost anything happen.

This was my strategy when I got the first glimpse of how AI would reshape the way we all worked. I went all in.

I absorbed everything I could about AI, learned all the tools, upskilled in every area I could, while encouraging my teammates to upskill as well. I did everything I could to be the AI-forward marketer my company would value and keep. But I still got laid off.

To land my next role, I kept operating the only way I knew how. Applying. Interviewing. Striving.

Until I started reading this book.

It's based on Internal Family Systems (IFS), which I personally find fascinating. It's given me so many insights on how to approach life from a different perspective, but I couldn't globalize the concept for my job search.

So, I asked ChatGPT: what does trying softer look like in my job search? Its response was so powerful and impactful, I wanted to share it.

1. Shift from “Make It Happen” to “Make Space”

I was taught that hard work = reward. Trying softer means:

“I still take action. But I stop gripping. I release the panic energy that says everything depends on me.”

Reframe: “Instead of hustling to prove I’m worthy of being hired, I allow my worthiness to guide my choices.”

This means pausing before each application and asking: Is this job aligned with my authentic code? Does it feel nourishing or depleting to even imagine myself in it?

2. Let Inner Wisdom Guide Action, Not Anxiety

Instead of applying to every job out of fear, trying softer is trusting.

You’re allowed to wait for clarity. Pauses are productive. The “right” role often arrives when you’re not gripping for it.

3. Protect Your Nervous System Like It’s Your Job

Instead of forcing yourself to spend 8 hours a day job searching, design “regulation-first” days:

• Morning = connect with peace (God, journaling, nature)

• Midday = 1–2 focused hours of job search + applications

• Afternoon = nourish (movement, rest, creativity)

Track your nervous system more than your job apps. That’s your real data.

4. Choose Alignment Over Approval

Trying softer means you no longer over-function to get hired.

Instead of: “Will they like me?”

Ask: Do I like the energy of this company? Do I feel safe, valued, and excited to contribute here?

You’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you. You’re not a product. You’re a person with a soul.

5. Let Surrender Be a Strength

“If I’m not meant to have it, I don’t want all the effort in the world to give it to me anyway.”

This is a sacred truth I learned during a season of personal grief, and it applies here too.

Trying softer invites trust in divine timing. It means believing the right role will recognize you as you are—not just the résumé version of you.

Let go of jobs that require you to contort. You’re not a chameleon. You’re a lighthouse.

Where Could You Try Softer?

Trying softer doesn’t mean abandoning ambition. It means loosening your grip. It’s choosing alignment over anxiety, presence over panic, trust over constant striving.

This shift has been subtle but powerful in my own search. I’m still taking action, but from a quieter, deeper, more powerful place—and that’s changing everything.

Where in your job search, career, or life could you try softer? I’d love to hear how this idea lands for you. 🌱

I was in the midst of one of the most difficult personal seasons of my life, grieving an invisible loss and trying to reimagine a future that would now look very, very different.

As a creative, it was incredibly hard for me to fully show up at work and do great work, and my manager suggested I take a mental health leave.

This was offered in love, but it shook me. It also exposed how much of my worth was tied to my job.

Detaching From Both Failure and Success

I’d joined a program called Women of Worth to help me grieve, and started the Rebuild Your Worth module right when all this was happening. I recognized the divine timing.

I opened the first lesson on the plane to see my parents for a much-needed week off. I spent the entire flight in this module, journaling and feeling and detaching.

By the time the plane touched down, I was already in a much healthier place.

This kind of work is a lifelong process. Since then, I’ve had to continue to detach, over and over again. Sheri Johnson, the founder of Women of Worth, shared that to truly do this, it means detaching our worth from our successes and recognition, along with our failures.

That’s even more difficult, but I quickly realized it’s equally important.

A Very Different Internal Narrative

My job was eliminated for the first (and only other time) in July of 2015. I'd been actively job searching and interviewing, and got a job offer the following day, but I was still devastated.

The story I told myself back then is that I wasn't good enough. I hadn't proven my value as a Marketer, and that belief shook my confidence.

When my position was eliminated on Monday, my internal narrative was very different from 8 years ago, or even what it would have been a year ago. This is, of course, a massive, disruptive, stressful life event, but it didn’t impact my sense of worth or value one bit.

I felt sadness, financial stress, and anxiety because of the state of the job market, but I was also able to lean into my worthiness and trust this happened for a reason.

On Monday, after meeting with HR, I immediately had the urge to write and reflect. But instead, I threw myself into job searching and networking and…proving. Proving I was going to be proactive and do everything I could to start generating momentum and opportunities.

I started doing to avoid feeling. Like I said, detaching worth from work is a lifelong journey.

Today, I'm finally giving myself the time and space to feel, reflect, and just be. To receive and unlearn, take off some of the armor I’ve put on, and lean into the lessons and gifts of this in-between season.

Reflections on my Spring Health Chapter

I learned a lot during my time at Spring Health. I still vividly remember how I felt when I got the job. I'd been in finance and fintech for most of my career, and I was so excited to get into healthtech at a company with a mission I deeply believed in.

My coaching certification and practice were one of the reasons I was hired, and it felt so good to use those skills in my day job. I was so fulfilled that I closed my practice a few months after starting with Spring Health.

I was there for 3.5 years, and 2.5 of those were the most challenging years of my career, by far. I navigated a lot of change. It was intense, fast-moving, and incredibly stretching.

All this led to immense growth and clarity, some of which I'm sure I haven't fully stepped into yet. I'm emerging from my Spring Health chapter with a new level of adaptability, a new level of GenAI fluency and passion for AI, and a new resolve to find a company aligned with my values.

Truths I’m Leaning Into

I just read through my notes from the Women of Worth program, and was amazed by how relevant they are for me right now:

Open up space for something new to come in. Let go of control and allow. It’s all happening for you and through you to learn and grow on this life path.

When I’m not supposed to have something, I don’t want all the effort in the world to give it to me anyway.

I can have my to-do list and also create one for God, things I’m releasing to Him to take care of.

One more from Success Coach Mitch Matthews, that really resonated today:

Everything you’ve walked through—every lesson, every win, every scar—has been shaping you for what’s next.

Writing From the Heart

I love AI. I’m fascinated and energized by it, and I’ll keep digging in and learning even if my next job doesn’t require it. But I didn’t use GenAI to write a word of this, and did it ever feel good to just write from the heart.