In this episode, I connected with Lisa Thompson, founder of Your Career Space and creator of Career Story Nights, a space where professional identities give way to something much more human: the stories that shaped them.

What struck me most about Lisa's journey is that it isn't really about careers. It's about what happens when the titles, brands and achievements that once defined us no longer answer the question of who we are. 

After building a successful global career with brands like Gap, Burberry and Nike, Lisa found herself facing a deeper challenge. Not how to climb higher, but how to reconnect with herself beyond the job title. That question eventually became the foundation of the work she now does, helping others connect the dots between who they have been and who they are becoming.

Deep dive talking points:

👉🏾 Reclaiming identity beyond achievement: who are we when the title, company and status are no longer there?;

👉🏾 The hidden impact of ageism: how subtle workplace messages can shape confidence, belonging and career choices;

👉🏾 Entrepreneurship as self-development: why building a business often reveals more about ourselves than any leadership course ever could;

👉🏾 The power of storytelling: how sharing lived experiences creates connection, empathy and perspective;

👉🏾 Turning adversity into purpose: how a traumatic head injury unexpectedly became the catalyst for Career Story Nights!

Empowering nuggets: 

🙌🏾 Sometimes the next chapter begins when the thing you worked hardest for no longer feels like the whole story;

🙌🏾 The parts of ourselves we think are lost are often still there. Waiting to be acknowledged, integrated and expressed;

🙌🏾 Every career is made up of human experiences. When we connect the story, we reconnect with ourselves;

As Lisa puts it:

🙌🏾 "The career is the thing that we do, but the story is the journey"

Books mentioned:

📚 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: an early influence during Lisa's corporate career;

📚 What Got You Here Won't Get You There: referenced during the conversation about growth and navigating new stages of entrepreneurship;

📚 The Body Keeps the Score: discussed in relation to trauma, healing and personal growth;

Listening to Lisa reminded me that many of us spend years building a career, only to discover that what we were really building was ourselves. The achievements matter, but the deeper question remains: 

⇾ when all the labels fall away, what part of you is still waiting to be fully seen?

Connect with Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaclairethompson/ 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/careerstorynights/ 

Website: https://www.yourcareerspace.com/ 

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