The best—and briefest—career advice I've ever received

The two words that changed my career trajectory for the better

Jun 18, 2023

I’m back after a two-week break, and I wanted to wish all the dads (and dad-like) folks out there a very Happy Father’s Day.

And a special shout-out to my husband Todd, an amazing dad to our two daughters AND who happens to have a birthday today!

Welcome to Illuminate Me. Each week, I share an illuminating insight to help you communicate and connect better, growing your reach, impact, and career.

This week’s insight: Stop hiding.

Ever have a nagging feeling that it’s time to move on from a job, even if, on paper, the job is fantastic?

Stop me if this sounds familiar:

You’ve always dreamed of becoming a (fill in the blank) but haven’t actively pursued it because it’s not practical, it’s too late, or you tell yourself what you’re doing now is good enough (when in fact, you feel deep in your bones that it is not).
When you speak about (fill in the blank), you’re animated and excited; when you talk about what you do now, you are not.
You’re doing fine professionally, maybe even exceptionally well, but you still feel something’s missing.
Your life is good by most standards, yet you’re still unfulfilled.

If any of these statements ring true, it’s time I shared with you the best two-word career advice I’ve ever received:

STOP HIDING.

But first, a little backstory.

From the time I was a child, I knew I was born a creative. I was that kid in the corner who was always painting, drawing, and writing stories about the world, expressing herself through color, emotion, and words.

But as I got older and prepared to enter the workforce, I started to suppress my true self, settling for “creative adjacent” roles, like an advertising account executive instead of a copywriter.

Becoming an account person was a no-brainer because I genuinely like and work well with people and intuitively understand strategic and creative matters.

I excelled at it, so I naturally progressed in that arena.

But the more I managed projects, budgets, and people, the less I got to express and contribute creatively.

By playing it safe, “Account Amy” was killing it in her career—and “Creative Amy” along with it.

It wasn’t until years later that a friend called me out on this. He observed that I had subconsciously placed myself at the periphery yet longed to jump out from the shadows and into the action.

He told me it was time to stop hiding.

That two-word career advice was eye-opening and forced me to confront what I’d neglected for decades: acknowledging, embracing, and putting my talents to their highest and best use.

And maybe, it’s time for you to stop hiding as well.

Here are three ways how:

1. Get clear on what you want.

Have you spent years doing the same thing, over and over again, suppressing your desires? Allow yourself the space and grace to revisit a long-forgotten dream by carving out time to reflect and gain clarity.

And even if you already have a good idea about what you want, it’s helpful to seek the guidance of a trusted friend, mentor, or coach who will talk you through the disconnect between where you are now and where you want to be.

2. Move past your fear by changing the narrative.

Why do we hide?

Because:

We’re scared of being vulnerable or facing ridicule.
We question why we have the audacity to think we could pull what we truly want (aka “imposter syndrome”).
Somewhere along the way, some well-intended individuals planted seeds of doubt in our minds, convincing us that going after what we wanted was a bad idea because it was too late or not practical.

Unfortunately, those negative stories echo in our heads, stagnating our growth and preventing us from pursuing our dreams.

To move past your fear, you have to change the narrative, and it starts with the stories you tell yourself. For instance, when you shift from I could never be a (what you want) to I am a (what you want), you replace self-sabotage with self-affirming talk, helping you abandon limiting beliefs and adopt a growth-focused mindset.

Words have power, especially the ones you say — or don’t say — to yourself.

3. Take action to put yourself out there

When you have clarity on what you want and change the way you talk about yourself, the next—and most important!—step is to move out of the shadows and into the action.

Real change happens when you align your attention with your intention and then take action. Because action begets more action, and when you finally heed the advice to stop hiding, the trajectory of your career will change for the better.

Remember, it’s time to stop hiding.

One way to do that?

Adopt an unconventional approach to career success.

In my latest Forbes article, I share five reasons why you should.

And speaking of unconventional, do you have a non-linear career?

It’s time to think of it as an asset, not a liability.

ICYMI, in my recent Forbes article, I shared the three best ways to embrace it.

More illumination:

Miss my last newsletter? I shared the six best ways not to be an “askhole.”
And one from the archives: Even when it’s well-intended, not all advice is good. You can insert an eye roll here and read more about it.

P.S.

What I do:

When I’m not writing this newsletter or trying not to hide, I’m a social media ghostwriter. (Yep, that’s a thing). I help founders craft their stories to communicate and connect better, magnifying their reach and impact. (Think personal branding and thought leadership.)

I can also weave together your personal and professional experience to write an engaging, original, and authentic career story that aligns with and supports your personal brand and thought leadership, positioning you for success.

Learn more by visiting my website.

Where you can follow me and find more of my work:

Forbes: I write weekly articles on personal transformation and its impact on career growth.

LinkedIn: Hit the 🔔 in the top right corner of my profile to get notified when I post and join more than 21,000 others by subscribing to my weekly LinkedIn newsletter, momentum, featuring insights to help you maintain positive motion and continually grow your career.

Twitter: Pithy synopses and threads of my content.

Instagram: My content, visualized (and occasional travel-related Instagram Stories and archived Story Highlights about my adventures if you’re into that kind of thing).

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Illuminate Me