I walked into the Heritage Club expecting a routine board update. Instead, I was met with silence, lowered eyes, and a sentence that changed everything:

“You’re done. Pack up your things.”

I’d been there for nearly a decade.

One day, respected. The next, replaced.

I walked out of that meeting dazed. The air outside bit at my face, but I barely felt it. Inside, I was unraveling.

No goodbye email. No handover. Just a severance packet, a confidentiality clause, and a dozen unanswered questions.

I wasn’t just fired. I was untethered — from title, purpose, and identity.

For weeks, I wandered my Midwestern neighborhood like a ghost.

I couldn’t even walk to the barber without slipping on black ice and tearing my coat.

That fall on the frozen sidewalk hurt more than just my elbow. It crystallized a truth I hadn’t wanted to admit:

I wasn’t just mourning the job. I was mourning the version of myself who thought title = worth.

🧭 Why This Story Isn’t About Me

If you’re reading this thinking, “I’m not a CEO, how does this relate to me?” — stop right there.

This story isn’t about boardrooms or severance packages.

It’s about what happens when your career breaks your heart.

And that’s something most of us will face, regardless of role, industry, or age.

You might be 28, burnt out, and realizing your “dream job” isn’t it.

You might be 35 and laid off for the first time.

Or 40 and wondering if you’re too late to pivot.

I’m here to tell you: you’re not alone.

And you’re not broken.

🔦 What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Here’s what I learned in the darkness — lessons I now carry like armor:

1. You are not your job title.

It’s easy to forget this when you’re praised for climbing fast. But if that title disappears — you still exist.

2. Resilience isn’t a personality trait. It’s a practiced skill.

I didn’t bounce back. I crawled. And I built myself back up, one cold morning at a time.

3. Success has a price. Know what you’re willing to trade.

Power. Hours. Health. Family. Peace. Something always gives. Pick your sacrifices consciously.

4. Careers aren’t ladders anymore. They’re obstacle courses.

You’ll climb, fall, detour, stall. The key is to keep moving — even when the map disappears.

5. You don’t need to have it all figured out.

Clarity rarely arrives before action. Just take the next step.

💥 To Anyone Who’s Just Been Knocked Down

Maybe you just got rejected.

Maybe your startup just failed.

Maybe you’re hiding from LinkedIn because you don’t know how to explain your last job exit.

Take a breath.

You are not done.

You are being remade.

Your fall — if you let it — can become your forge.

❤️ A Personal Ask

If this story hit you in the gut…

If you’re in your own winter season, feeling stuck, sidelined, or scared…

Then don’t just scroll past.

👉 Take the career clarity quiz now to find your footing when your old career map no longer works.

👉 Subscribe to join others navigating this new world of work with honesty and strategy.

👉 Share this with someone who needs to know they’re not alone in the fall.

This isn’t a newsletter about hustle culture or empty inspiration.

It’s about navigating your career with intention — even when it hurts.

Let’s stop pretending careers are linear.

Let’s get real — and get moving.

Michele