People questioned me when I gave up my exec role at Google. “Why would you leave a job like that?” “You’ve made it to the top — why walk away now?” “Isn’t this a little...reckless?” Here’s the thing: I didn’t leave because I was unhappy. I loved my job. I loved my team. But I had a bigger purpose calling me. After 18 years at Google, I realized I didn’t just want to help my team grow. I wanted to help YOU grow. I wanted to give you every tool, script, and strategy I’d learned along the way to help you navigate your career with confidence and courage. That’s why I wrote my book, WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want and Get It. It’s not your average career advice book. It’s a step-by-step guide to: 👉 Navigate tough conversations (and actually feel good about them) 👉 Build influence with the right people at the right time 👉 Speak up for what you want—and get it If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsure, or like you’re not reaching your potential, this book is for you. I left Google to write this book because I believe in your potential. And I believe in your courage to chase what you want. What are you chasing right now?
As Rumi would say: "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." At this point, it is no longer the question if you chose the road not taken (Frost) but once you start to walk , the path will appear in front of you . Cheers to you and your courage!
The question isn’t “why leave,” it’s “what are you moving toward."
That kind of clarity and conviction is what real leadership looks like—choosing purpose even when the path isn’t obvious. And the way you show up visually plays a role in that too; when your presence is intentional, it reinforces your personal brand and makes that confidence visible to everyone around you.
Jenny Wood 100%. Every pivot from taking a step down, to leaving corporate for good 7 years ago from a CSuite exec role... I still get asked why would I ever do that with a kid and a mortgage in my 40s... My answer, when most people zig, you may need to zag. Sometimes, you need to be that rulebreaker.
Nobody asks "why would you leave" when you leave a job you hate. Only when you leave something good, everyone starts having an opinion about your life 😅
Those people have a vested interest in you staying, because that reflects their worldview—and in many cases their own identity and life choices.
It’s spot on, you have to own your career and go after what actually matters to you. Not easy to find but when you do, the chase becomes easier.
Not only are you hoping to give others courage, you’re modeling it too. 🙌
You do not need to hate where you are to move on. Sometimes growth means leaving even when things are good.
Altimeter Wealth•2K followers
4dSuch a great book! Thank you!