Like a lot of folks, I didn’t start in People Operations. My first career started in Advertising. I envisioned myself as the next Peggy, owning Madison Avenue and becoming the best strategist there ever was. Unfortunately, that dream died quickly, especially if you worked in advertising. Agency life is so rough. That being said, I’m especially grateful that I was able to flex my ad chops in the early 2010’s, working at agencies like McCann and Weber Shandwick and developing campaigns for the world's biggest brands. It also meant attending Adweek concerts (I got to the front of the stage and saw Outkast) and drinking lots of free booze (sorry, past HR people). But, at some point, I hit a wall. Or, in my case, a hotel bathroom sobbing to a good friend about how lost I felt and questioning if I actually still wanted to be in this industry.

Fast forward, an internship at Skillshare landed me in front of a new founder and what would become one of the most enjoyable startups I’ve ever had the chance to grow with. It was at this company that I began to establish my roots in People Operations. I’ll save the challenges of that startup for another time, but it was also during this period that I learned the importance of personal branding. I had a very likable founder who knew how to market themselves. People were drawn to their charm, and this was at the height of the Girl Boss era and founder-led DTC companies. While I’ve worked for companies with a celebrity as the face, these were individuals who were gaining attention on Twitter (RIP) for their skills and, honestly, personality. As an aside, I’ve actually secured many jobs through Twitter, including this one 😇 . It was hard not to feel the ripple effects of that founder and what that meant for me and my career. I know you are the company you keep, but I didn’t realize what narrative that company would craft. The startup didn’t last, but I was left with an understanding of why an origin story is important.

Jumping forward – in the midst of going back to school and freelancing in People Ops for emerging startups, I had the wonderful opportunity to write a book on work culture with an independent publishing company. The owner of the publishing company hosted a writing retreat in Morocco featuring emerging authors, including Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, known for Chain Gang All Stars, and Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park. By far, it was one of the most illuminating and special experiences of my life. What stood out to me in this experience was a workshop led by Natera on owning your mission statement. As a former strategist, I often tied mission statements with business outcomes, not necessarily of my own. Natera outlined how that wasn’t that different – we are in charge of our own business outcomes, but we don’t know what our North Star is, so we’re making plans without a clear direction.

It resonated with me so deeply as I was entering uncharted territory, tapping into my identity as an author while serving as a People Operations lead. The assignment from the workshop was simple: What’s your mission statement? I distinctly wrote something to the effect of: my creativity lies in my ability to connect.

How that manifests is up to me. Reading it out loud made it so simple to see what I was craving and wanted to establish in my career. I use this same advice with both clients and friends who are experiencing this shift in identity, especially as many of us redefine our work contexts. This also helps elevate the “elevator pitch” during interviews because you can find a way to ladder up your responses into this broader theme, e.g., connection is a core thing for me.

It’s funny how one reframe of self can help recraft your internal narrative.

So, this is my very long-winded way of asking you, reader, what’s your mission statement?

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Are we experiencing somatic symptoms, or are they allergies?