She Had the Perfect Job... And Still Knew It Was Time to Move

Hi

I am wrapping up my 1 on 1 coaching client

I realize there are more people that I talked to exactly on the same spot.

She had the kind of job that looks perfect on paper.

Senior Product Manager.
Well paid.
Stable.

And yet, when she came to me, something was off.

She hadn’t failed.
She hadn’t burned out.
She hadn’t hit a wall.

She had outgrown her role and she knew it.

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The Signals Were Everywhere

They usually are.

• Corporate restructuring created uncertainty she couldn’t control

• “Interesting projects” were promised but never clearly defined

• No visibility into what was next inside her company

• A quiet, persistent feeling: I’m ready for more… but I don’t know how to position for it

What made her different wasn’t the situation.

It was this:
she knew she had a competitive advantage — she just couldn’t articulate it.

The Real Bottleneck (It Wasn’t Her Skills)

When we started working together, we didn’t begin with:

• values alignment exercises

• job market research

• resume polishing

Because that wasn’t the problem.

Her bottleneck was simpler and harder:

👉 She couldn’t see her own story.

Years of shipping features.
Hitting metrics.
Keeping stakeholders aligned.

But when I asked her to talk about her strategic impact?

A classic high-performer blind spot.

What We Actually Worked On

Instead of “doing more,” we focused on seeing differently.

1. Strategic positioning shift
Moving from delivery-focused PM → strategic PM
Not just in title, but in how she thinks, communicates, and frames decisions.

2. Competitive advantage crystallization
Her edge was already there.
We pulled it out, named it, and turned it into a story she could own.

3. Evidence-based storytelling
Concrete examples.
Clear narratives.
Metrics that showed strategy — not just execution.

4. Belief work
The quiet blocker.
She didn’t believe she had a compelling story.
Until she could finally see what I saw from the start.

What Changed (And What Didn’t)

Within weeks, everything shifted.

Not because:

• the job market changed

• new roles suddenly appeared

• her company created clarity

But because she could finally present herself as the strategic leader she already was.

What I’m Seeing More of Lately

More and more people are in this exact place:

• well paid, but uncertain

• capable, but invisible

• ready for more, but unclear how to position for the jump

Here’s what I believe about the job market right now:

Not perfect resumes.
Not the longest experience.

People who can influence through their story.

That’s why my coaching focus has evolved over the last year — beyond execution, into storytelling, interviewing, and influence communication.

Because that’s where the real leverage is.

This Week’s Reflection

Ask yourself honestly:

Where might I be underselling my own impact, not because it’s small, but because it’s familiar? This applies to people who runs their businesses.

If someone else had your career, what would you say about their strategic value?

Micro-Action: Make the Invisible Visible

For the next two weeks, do one thing:

Write down one project or decision where:

• you influenced direction

• shaped thinking

• prevented risk

• or created clarity for others

Then finish this sentence:

That’s the beginning of your story.

If This Resonates

If you’re in a similar spot:

• you’ve outgrown your role

• you know you have an edge

• but you’re struggling to articulate it

I’d love to talk.

You can book a free call here

or simply reply to this email, tell me where you’re at, and we’ll see if a conversation makes sense.

No pressure. Just clarity.

Until next time,
Irene

P.S. Do you know what is curator, translator, synthesizer? How can this role amplify your work and business?

This is not that I invented but check out her Grace Macarrick Video here and if this sparks your interests. Here is the quiz to help you to figure out your primary role.