Finding Career Satisfaction

Some observations on career satisfaction for ambitious mid-career folks in tech (from having coached hundreds of talented & ambitious people over the years): 1) Your career satisfaction in mid-career has little to do with how good your LinkedIn looks and more to do with your ability to combat career envy when it arises. 2) Corollary: Some of the most “successful” people on paper feel dissatisfied because they haven’t found effective ways to cope with career envy. This problem is global, but it is especially prevalent in the San Francisco Bay Area (and more so in the South Bay, Peninsula, SF). 3) This is not just a problem for managers and executives. Startup founders and CEOs are similarly susceptible. 4) This problem is getting worse with even more polarized outcomes of hot AI companies. 5) Taking a temporary break from this site can be a useful tactic when you’re experiencing career envy. 6) Other people will tend to judge your career by one or more of - Title: big titles > small titles - Money: “she was early at [hot AI company]”, “he just bought a home in Crescent Park”, etc. - Scope: “runs 100 person series C startup”, “manages an org of 800 people at Google” 7) No one judges your career by your - Competence in your role - Flow when doing your work - Culture & people fit - Work-life harmony - How you feel most Sunday evenings 8) Many ambitious people choose their next job based largely on Title / Money / Scope. It makes sense, because these factors do actually make you happy when you accept the offer. But they will stop making you happy starting the very first day of your new job. This happens because we tend to take the items in #6 for granted once we’ve started the job. We promise ourselves that we won’t take them for granted but we also reliably fail at keeping this promise. 9) The things that actually make you happy (and keep you happy) after your first day on the job are the items in #7, not the ones in #6. 10) The moment you make your career identity about the items in #6, you’ve made a deal with the devil. 11) There is no single career path that will work for everyone. But there is a career philosophy that can work: In your job, you know you must first understand your users when building the product. But you never consider that you must first understand yourself as you build the rest of your career. Because when it comes to your career, you are the user. 12) What is the way out? It isn’t easy, but consider this: once you reach certain levels of security and competence, your career is not a performance you are doing for an audience. Your imagined audience doesn’t know you at all, doesn’t understand you, and doesn’t even care about you. The audience does judge you, but that judging is just for soothing its own insecurities and fears. The only true audience for your career is you and those dependent on you. So if you want to perform, perform for that true audience. I hope you make it a worthy performance.

Last week, after a keynote at a multi-national firm, someone asked me a great question: “How do you help people feel their work actually matters?” It’s a deceptively simple question, but one every leader should sit with. According to a 2023 Harvard Business Review study, meaning ranked as the single most important factor for employees, outweighing salary, promotions, or working conditions. When people don’t see how their work matters, even the best perks fall flat. But when they do? They go further than any mandate requires. The mistake we often make is assuming that meaning trickles down from mission statements or culture decks. But meaning isn’t inherited. It’s built, reinforced, and modeled. And much of that building happens in the ordinary moments: - The way you talk to your team - The moments you celebrate - The behaviors you tolerate - The actions you choose to reward Leaders who help others feel their work matters do it with specificity. They connect effort to outcomes. They remind people: This is who you’re helping. And this is why it counts. In high-pressure environments, meaning is a psychological buffer. It lowers burnout, and it increases loyalty. We need to be needed. Work becomes meaningful when it combines earned success with service to others. If people know their work matters, they show up like it does. So the better question for leaders might be: Can the people you lead see why their work matters, and who is better off because of it?

Passion projects are like a cheat code for upskilling. Courses and instructor-led demos are great, but it's tough to get fired up about widgets and SuperStore transactions. When it comes down to it, nothing beats immersing yourself in work that actually MEANS something to you. Here's an example 👇 One of the most transformative moments in my own path came ~10 years ago, when I first learned about Excel's WEBSERVICE and FILTERXML functions. I don't have a CS background, so the idea of pulling real-time data into Excel via APIs was absolutely fascinating to me. Around the same time, MIT and Open Data Nation announced a local hackathon called the "Street Safety Challenge". Using public accident records from the city of Boston, the goal was simple: inspire ideas to make the streets safer for drivers and cyclists. What better way to put my shiny new skills to the test?? My plan was to build a tool that would analyze turn-by-turn directions using Google Maps' API, and assess the level of risk based on historical accident rates and real-time weather conditions. I spent a week or so building a prototype in Excel, pulling all-nighters for the first time since college – adding features, experimenting with new functions, tweaking layouts and visuals – yet barely noticed as the hours passed by. Nothing about it felt like work. Was Excel the best tool for the job? No way. Would it ever become an actual product? Probably not. But it was FUN, and I learned so much more, so much faster than I would studying the same topics in a textbook or course. So get out there and find something that inspires you. ↳ Grab a fun dataset from Kaggle or the Data Playground ↳ Export & analyze your own data (fitness apps, social posts, etc.) ↳ Join public data challenges or hackathons ↳ Reach out to local non-profits or start-ups You'll be amazed at how much your skills will grow when learning doesn't feel like a chore!

What happens when you build something with passion, not credentials? What do you get when you put together: ❓ A video game studio that had never published a game before ❓ A lead writer who had never had any work published ❓ An art director who had never worked on video games ❓ A music composer who was never formally trained You get Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, easily one of the best games I’ve played in the last decade. The Belle Époque setting, the distinctive art direction, the emotionally rich plot, and the haunting soundtrack (which has been looping on my Spotify ever since) all come together to create something truly special. Curious about how a small studio like Sandfall Interactive pulled this off, I did some digging. What I found was a story that resonated deeply with me. 🎮 A Fresh Perspective and a Willingness to Bet on Talent The game director left a major studio to pursue his passion project. Instead of hiring industry veterans, he sought out raw talent who shared his vision. He found his lead writer on Reddit. His art director was recruited after he saw his online portfolio and emailed him to ask him to join. Most serendipitously he found the after listening to his samples posted on an indie music forum. With a tight budget, they used iPhones for motion capture and outsourced animation to part-time animators in South Korea. Despite these constraints, the game’s vision remained crystal clear. It’s a testament to what happens when you trust people’s potential, not just their résumés. 💡 Make What You Want to See in the World The director grew up (like me) loving 90s-era JRPGs like Final Fantasy. He wanted to recreate the magic of those games for a modern audience. And he succeeded. The composer, knowing this might be his only shot, poured his heart and soul into the soundtrack. You can feel it in every note. In a world where so much content feels soulless or algorithmically generated, Expedition 33 is a reminder that human-made creations, driven by passion, still matter. ❤️ Appealing to the Human in All of Us The lead writer drew from her own life experiences to shape the story. That’s why the characters feel real. That’s why the ending has lingered in my mind for weeks. It speaks to something deeper, something human. Great art should invoke strong feelings within the audience, that is something Expedition 33 has done so in spades. As an employment lawyer who believes in a “human first” philosophy, this game struck a chord. It reminded me that when people are given space and agency to create with heart, to break free from the shackles of soulless creation purely for the sake of it, the results can be extraordinary. So if you’re looking for an experience that will stick with you long after the credits roll, I recommend that you play Claire Obscure: Expedition 33, after which go read up on how the game was made. You won’t regret it. Have you experienced a piece of art recently that moved you? Do share it below!

Personal and professional development is seriously limited when mindfulness is missing. Mindfulness is not simply meditation; it's not zoning out; it's not passive and it's not only for relaxation. It IS about focusing on one thing at a time, being aware of what is happening around you and recognizing and accepting your thoughts and emotions. Here's a guide to start you off: 1️⃣ Start Your Day with Intentions: Before diving into tasks, take 2 minutes to set a clear intention for your workday—what you want to achieve and how you want to feel as you do it. 2️⃣ Use Task Transitions as Mindful Moments: Before switching between tasks or meetings, take a deep breath and consciously pause for a few seconds to reset your focus and energy. 3️⃣ Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications: Limit distractions by silencing non-essential notifications for set periods. This helps you stay present with the task at hand. 4️⃣ Practice 'Active Presence' in Meetings: Rather than thinking about what to say next, actively listen to others in meetings. Take a moment to reflect before responding. 5️⃣ Take Micro-Breaks for Clarity: Every hour, take a brief 1-minute pause. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing, or observe your surroundings to recharge. 6️⃣ Create Mindful To-Do Lists: Prioritize 3 key tasks daily, and instead of focusing on the length of your list, concentrate on the quality of your engagement with each task. 7️⃣ Single-Task, Don’t Multitask: Whenever possible, dedicate your full attention to one task at a time. It improves quality, reduces stress, and boosts overall efficiency. 8️⃣ Notice Your Body Language: Pay attention to how you're sitting or standing throughout the day. Make small adjustments to release tension and stay relaxed, which can enhance focus and well-being. 9️⃣ Mindful Emailing: Pause before hitting send. Take a deep breath, review your message, and ask yourself: “Is this clear and concise?” This can reduce miscommunication and stress. 1️⃣0️⃣ End Your Day with Reflection: Spend 5 minutes reflecting on your day’s work—what went well, what could improve—and acknowledge your efforts, no matter how small. #mindfulness #personaldevelopment #professionaldevelopment

7 Lessons on Sustaining Passion and Purpose at Work 🔥 One of my favorite industries to study passion in is healthcare. Few other fields put human care and impact so visibly at the center of daily work. Healthcare professionals literally see the difference they make every day in their patients’ lives. That direct connection to impact is inspiring—and, honestly, something I often find myself craving in my own work as a researcher. But healthcare is, unfortunately, also one of the clearest examples of the downsides of passion. The same deep sense of purpose that draws so many into the field can, over time, make them vulnerable to burnout, exploitation, and disillusionment. --- Passion, if not sustained wisely, can fade, or even become destructive. --- I’m often asked: What strategies can help people maintain their motivation, passion, and sense of purpose over the long term? Based on my own and others’ research, here are a few key practices worth highlighting: 🌟 1) Anchor to Impact Regularly reflect on the people who benefit from your work. Patient stories or outcomes reinforce why the work matters and help renew motivation. [1] 🤝 2) Rely on the Team Supportive peers, mentors, and healthy team cultures buffer stress and prevent isolation. Passion spreads best in environments where energy is shared, not forced. [2] 📚 3) Keep Growing Continuous learning through new skills, challenges, or projects fuels progress and sustains engagement over time. [3] 🧭 4) Know Your Coping Style When facing setbacks, those who view their work as a calling may channel “hot” pain into renewed passion, while others—who see their work more as a job—recharge best by stepping away and finding distraction outside of work. Knowing which camp you fall into helps you cope more effectively. [ongoing research] ⚖️ 5) Manage Passion’s Costs A surge of passion can feel energizing and effortless, but it often leads to exhaustion the next day. Always remember that passion can make you overconfident. [4] Self-regulation practices help balance the highs and lows. [5] 🔥 6) Moderate Passion Don’t try to maximize passion—try to sustain it. Too much passion can hurt performance and increase burnout risk. The goal is a steady flame, not constant fireworks. [ongoing research] 🌙 7) Detach to Recharge Two decades of research show that psychological detachment from work—“switching off”—is one of the healthiest things you can do after hours. [6] Create rituals that help you mentally leave work behind. Even your commute, often seen as a nuisance, can actually serve this purpose. [7]

Do passion projects really land you clients? These are the logos I made as passion projects while exploring and learning the freelancing world and I got enquires based on these projects and the designs I made started relating the potential clients.. So to answer the question, yes! ✅ passion projects can absolutely land you clients, and your experience is a perfect example of this! Here's why passion projects are effective in attracting inquiries and clients: ✅ 1. They Showcase Your Skills • Real-World Examples: Passion projects give you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills and creativity in real-world contexts, even if the projects aren't for actual clients. • Portfolio Boost: They become strong additions to your portfolio, showing potential clients what you can deliver. ✅ 2. They Reflect Your Interests and Expertise • Attract Like-Minded Clients: Clients often resonate with the themes and industries you explore in your passion projects, leading them to trust you with similar work. • Show Specialisation: If your passion projects focus on specific niches (e.g., cafes, clothing brands, or bakery), you position yourself as an expert in those areas. ✅ 3. They Demonstrate Proactivity • Self-Motivation: Passion projects show that you are proactive and dedicated to honing your craft, which is an attractive quality for clients. • Innovative Ideas: Since you're designing without restrictions, passion projects often highlight your most innovative and original ideas, which can inspire potential clients. ✅ 4. They Build Your Online Presence • Social Media Magnet: Sharing your passion projects on platforms like Instagram, Behance, or (this one) LinkedIn makes it easier for clients to discover your work. • Word of Mouth: (Personal Favourite) Impressive passion projects can be shared by others, increasing your visibility and reach. ✅ 5. They Offer Flexibility and Freedom • Show Your Style: Without client constraints, you can fully showcase your personal design style and creative approach, which often attracts clients seeking your specific vibe. • Experimentation: Passion projects allow you to try new techniques, tools, or trends, which can inspire fresh designs for paying clients. Your own journey demonstrates that passion projects not only build your portfolio but also generate real inquiries and opportunities. By showcasing projects you’re genuinely excited about, you naturally attract clients who align with your interests and appreciate your work. 🌟 #logodesign #logo #passionprojects #graphicdesign #graphicdesigner #freelancegraphicdesigner #freelancer #logofolio #portfolio

Reacting impulsively to hurtful remarks can be a cycle that traps us, especially in the high-pressure environment of the corporate world. But what if there's an alternative? Picture this: taking an emotional detour, finding balance and self-awareness. Imagine navigating the workplace with a sense of calm and poise, even when faced with challenging interactions. This is the journey of mindful non-reaction and its profound impact on your emotional well-being. In the fast-paced corporate world, getting caught in the trap of immediate reactions is easy. A colleague's critical comment or a tense meeting can trigger an impulsive response, leading to unnecessary conflict and stress. But by embracing mindful techniques, you can break this cycle and foster a more harmonious work environment. 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞. 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞. 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞. When faced with a triggering moment, the first step is to pause. Take a deep breath and give yourself a moment to process the situation. This brief pause can be enough to prevent an impulsive reaction. Example: Imagine you're in a meeting, and a colleague makes a dismissive remark about your project. Instead of immediately defending yourself or reacting with frustration, take a moment to breathe. Observe your feelings without judgment. This pause allows you to respond thoughtfully, perhaps by asking for constructive feedback or clarifying your perspective calmly. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬: Mindful Breathing: Practice deep breathing exercises to centre yourself during stressful situations. This helps in reducing immediate emotional reactions. Reflective Listening: When someone makes a hurtful remark, listen to understand rather than to respond. This can diffuse tension and lead to more productive conversations. Empathy: Try to understand the person's perspective before making the remark. This can help you respond with compassion rather than defensiveness. Break the Cycle. By incorporating these techniques, you empower yourself to respond thoughtfully, breaking the escalating reaction cycle. This improves your emotional well-being and sets a positive example for your colleagues, fostering a more respectful and collaborative work environment. In conclusion, mindful non-reaction is a powerful tool in the corporate world. It enables you to navigate challenging interactions gracefully, enhancing your personal and professional life. Embrace this new approach and watch as it transforms your workplace dynamics. As a coach, I've seen firsthand the transformative power of mindfulness. It elevates your professional interactions and enriches your personal growth. If you're looking to cultivate a mindful approach in your professional life, I'm here to guide you on this journey. Together, we can create a work environment where calm, clarity, and compassion thrive. #MindfulLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #CorporateWellbeing #ProfessionalGrowth #MindfulnessCoaching #CoachSharath

Feeling unfulfilled at work. But quitting isn't an option? You're not alone. Gallup reports that nearly 80% of employees worldwide are disengaged or actively disengaged at work. The common response is to assume “𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨.” But here’s the science-backed truth: Fulfillment isn’t something you 𝘨𝘦𝘵 from your job.   It’s something you 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦. When work feels meaningless, our brains look for escape. That’s when distraction creeps in: scrolling, inbox refreshes, busywork. But avoiding discomfort only deepens the cycle of frustration. The shift comes when you ask a different question: ❌ Not “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦?” ✅ But “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣?” 👉 Here are 9 practical ways to start: 1. Propose a project that excites you 2. Timebox deep work on meaningful tasks 3. Turn a routine task into a game 4. Zoom out to see how your role impacts the wider organization  5. Block weekly “thinking time" 6. Volunteer for a cross-team project 7. Reframe one boring task around your values 8. Build fulfillment outside work (hobby, volunteering, side project) 9. Run a weekly energy audit: what drained you vs. what fueled you The goal isn’t to make every task your passion. It’s to create small shifts - inside and outside of work - that align your actions with your values. ⚡️If you found this useful, download my 1-page guide on “How to find fulfillment at work” here: https://lnkd.in/ehvdikW9 

"The perfect job doesn't exist," they said. For years, I chased the "perfect role" - ideal title, company, salary. Sound familiar? Then life happened. 4-year career break caring for my mum Coming back to Australia with resume gaps Being told to remove my leadership experience just to get ANY job That was one of the hardest things I have ever been asked to do. That's when I realised: The most fulfilled people aren't in perfect jobs. They are in jobs where they have found their perfect moments. What I learned truly matters in any role: - People who see your worth beyond resume gaps - Space to grow and contribute meaningfully - Being part of something bigger than yourself - Leaders who lead with heart, not just authority - Finding one energising thing daily - helping someone, learning something new, solving a problem creatively - Focusing on genuine connections - people can transform even the most challenging roles - Remembering your 'why' - What originally drew you here? - Being patient with yourself - Not every day feels meaningful, and that's okay For those struggling to find joy at work: Start with what you can control. Look for fulfilment in small wins. - The problem you solved today - The colleague you helped - The skill you are quietly building - The difference you made, however small - And yes, make a "winning folder." Collect positive feedback, small wins, and encouraging emails to remind yourself of the impact you are making. Today, I am part of an amazing team and have the privilege of leading one too. It is not perfect, but it is fulfilling because I choose to find purpose in everyday moments. What one thing brings you joy at work? 💜 #WorkFulfillment #LinkedInNewsAustralia #CareerJourney