28/09/2025
I wasn't made for corporate!!!
It didn't take long for me to get the picture...
👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔 👔
Yes, it was easy to get caught up in the flow of the party atmosphere, the vibe of team building events away from the office and the Friday afternoon drinks at the local pub WITH the bosses!
But I wasn't made for the dog-eat-dog world of bitchy backstabbers, the manipulating freeloaders, the biased managers, and the 24-hour deadlines and demands that climbing the ladder offered.
I had several crashes into depression, nervous breakdowns, developed debilitating panic attacks and spiralled down the slippery slope of overwhelm, burnout and more.
I began my career without the privilege of a degree, became a parent at a young age, and soon after found myself raising a child on my own, and tackling the corporate world at the same time.
Without formal qualifications to validate my expertise, and without a male counterpart to offer the kind of stability that often earns respect in male-dominated spaces, I had no choice but to carve my own path. I committed to showing up, putting in the time, and proving my worth through relentless effort and unwavering dedication.
I had to climb the ladder with long hours, often working through the night, relying on outsiders to collect my child from school, all for an income that would leave most people googly-eyed at the thought of what I gave up of myself in exchange for the pittance of a financial reward that my salary offered.
In fact, while the business development and management teams spent their days unwinding on golf courses and their nights resting easy, I was often buried under the weight of tender responses—working late into the night, carrying the load that others avoided.
So what would I change about my walk?
The take it on the chin, slave mentality...
I would relook at what submission looks like...
I would relook at the methods I was using to grow my career...
And I would choose to spend more time with my son and less time behind my laptop.
Why do you say?
Driven by the need to build a sustainable income to support my son, I cultivated a wealth of boardroom-level knowledge and skills. Through unwavering commitment and resilience, I earned a strong reputation for delivering under pressure, maintaining consistent performance, and excelling in any task—regardless of its complexity or demands.
However, looking back, I realise the toll on my health wasn’t worth the sacrifice. If I could do things differently, I would take full ownership of my wellbeing—prioritising movement, fresh air, and intentional pauses to recharge and reflect.
That space would have given me the clarity and resilience I truly needed to raise my son with presence and vitality, rather than both of us bearing the consequences of my relentless work schedule and the time we lost together.
So my word of advice is STOP, LOOK and realign. You have more than enough time to adjust!
START NOW!
