FROM BACK-TO-BACK LAYOFFS TO FRACTIONAL POWER.

When you've been laid off or you're in transition, it can get really easy to go into fight or flight. "I gotta get a job, gotta get back to work." Being a high achiever, high-level executive like yourself, you expect results. What was going through your mind in one of the toughest job markets in the last decade?

There was never anything I've done in my life where I haven't excelled. So the fact that I had trouble finding a role that really fit me, that was really humbling. I probably thought that Olivia and her team were just gonna tell me what to do... I still thought there was like some magic secret. Like, "Oh, I just need to fix something on my resume one more time."

I also really cared about what people thought of me, and I shouldn't have... I had to let that part of my ego die as well. I kept thinking, like, I'm just, somebody's gonna choose me, and I wanted to be chosen. I wanted the easy fix. But there was no easy secret sauce.

I certainly put my resume in AI and I started realizing that it would get things wrong, and I'd be like, "No, change that," and it would delete bullets. I realized I was spending more time trying to guide AI to make changes... it just wasn't working. And on top of it, I wasn't being myself. Double whammy.

There were a couple opportunities that weren't quite ready for you because you bring so much power and you're expensive, as you should be. But when you really want that kind of talent, but you're not ready for it... you were able to flip the script and land fractional executive opportunities.

I interviewed with all the people, and they came back and said, "You know, we're just not ready for somebody of your caliber." And I said, "Wait a second, are you talking about salary? If you're thinking about money... you need help now. I am capable and I am competent. But don't just push me off like this. Let's work something out."

So I turned that into a fractional role. Where I had nothing before, suddenly I turned these two fractional roles into something real that gave me real validation and feedback that, oh, actually, I am pretty good, and I am unique. It reinvigorated what was special about me.

The opportunity to go full-time came from somebody that I connected with at Career Evolved. She asked to connect with me and said, "I think you should connect with a friend of mine."

I connected with him, and we had a great conversation. At one point he said, "Yeah, I'm hiring, but I don't know if that's the experience that you have," and I said, "No, I actually do have that experience." The conversation just flipped. And then it became, let me introduce you to this person. So it's 5 or 6 interviews later, and it's an offer.

You didn't give a resume or apply to a job board. Why do you think you were able to get his trust without that?

I asked, "Why are you hiring for pricing right now? What's changed in the business that makes you guys want to hire for this right now?" I didn't ask what the role does or launch into everything I know. It was about: I'm curious, why the hot button?

He basically launched into all the changes the business is going through. Because I had this fractional work, it gave me the confidence of like, "Well, there's nothing to lose. I still have this fractional work." I was more detached.