This Wasn't The Plan

Letting go of the career path I thought I wanted, and finding something that I truly did.

We’re in such an interesting inflection point in the world of careers. I grew up believing that my career path would look like those of my parents’ generation. I didn’t have direct role models with my mom and dad: my dad was a dentist and when I was around nine or ten years old, he opened a one chair dental practice with my mom filling the roles of office assistant, receptionist, accounts payable… you name it.

I never aspired to be a dentist (going to the dentist to this day always fills me with anxiety even though my dentist is amazing), and I also never aspired to be an entrepreneur. My goal: to be an executive in the fashion industry. And I reached it, until 2020 made it all come crashing down.

Here is 2025 I am now a full-fledged entrepreneur, something that had never crossed my mind until the pandemic turned seemingly everything on its head.

I used to believe success came with a title and a timeline: a corner office (or at least a decent clothing allowance), and a steady climb upward. I thought if I worked hard enough, proved myself enough, stayed loyal enough, it would all fall neatly into place.

But the past few years have unraveled that belief, in the best possible way.

Losing the job I thought I’d always have didn’t just shake my sense of identity (although that certainly did happen). It also forced me to ask bigger questions. What do I want to build? Who do I want to serve? What actually matters to me?

It turns out, the answers weren’t on a corporate ladder. They were in long walks, outdoor meals, strong coffee, and even stronger conversations with friends and people I met through one of the most surprisingly generous places on the internet: LinkedIn.

I didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. But it turns out, entrepreneurship has given me something I never expected: alignment. Not just with what I do, but with how I show up.

These days, I’m still building, still learning, and still caffeinating. But I’ve traded a roadmap for a compass. And honestly? The view is better from here.