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Four mentors said no. My gut said yes.
My company was going through a company-wide reorganization. That meant uncertainty, chaos.
I could have sat back and waited to see what hand I was dealt. But I decided instead to explore if I had options that could push me forward.
To my surprise, there were two exciting opportunities I could apply for:
1️/ A manager role—the milestone I’d been working toward for years.
On plan. An obvious step up. Aligned with my mentors’ advice.
2️/ An innovation role—risky, uncertain, exciting.
It was the 4th attempt at this department. The last three had failed.
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk…”
I asked my “board of directors.” (My group of mentors, supporting my career)
→ Four said the Manager.
→ One said Innovation.
The answer seemed clear.
Except—it didn’t feel clear to me.
Because every time I imagined the manager role, I felt… sad.
(I honestly couldn’t explain why…)
And every time I thought of Innovation, I felt… alive.
It was hard. I went back and forth, and back and forth again. I was taught to be objective, logical – not base a decision on feeling.
And yet… I couldn’t ignore what I felt.
In the end, I went against the advice.
I chose Innovation.
I knew there was a lot of risk. And it was true…
Two years later, the role was eliminated.
But… it also became my favorite role of my entire career.
Importantly, it gave me the skills and the courage to build my business today, Mindtap.
Something the manager role would not have done.
Your career isn’t a checklist.
It’s a creation.
And the best measure of success?
Not what makes sense to others.
→ But what makes you come alive.
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk…”
Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook Co-founder
