Recognizing Red Flags in the Workplace

One of the biggest gut punches of my career came when the company I worked for was purchased by another brand.

Several months in, all corporate and field-level management were to go on a trip to Cancun, a trip dedicated to discovery + bonding of the two brands. 

I didn’t make the list of attendees. 

My title was “Director of Brand Communications” 😂 🤔

Let that sink in…

It wasn’t about the trip. Yes, I had FOMO, but the gut punch was realizing that my job and title might not have the same meaning to my workplace as it did to me. And more importantly, that I wasn’t on the professional path I thought I was on.

(Not their fault, btw - I still love this company! Mostly just a huge misunderstanding on *my* part).

I did express all of this at the time, and ended up joining everyone on the trip. 

But it was too late. It was a huge red flag 🚩 that the path I wanted to be on wasn’t there for me. My disappointment was irreversible, and it wasn’t long before I ventured into something new.

And I am SOOOO grateful for that gut punch. It led me on a path much more aligned to my purpose and the life I wanted to create.

When we generally like our work, our workplace, our co-workers... it can become easy to miss the signs that we're not in the right place for our life and career path.

🚩 Don't ignore these red flags, I beg of you!

Titles and perks can be a wonderful showing of your value to an employer - but they’re not always enough. Not when you’re passionate about expansion and making a difference. 

Be on the lookout for the smaller, day-to-day signs that you're not on the right path. Some of them will be external signs, but many of them will be internal. Gut feelings that there's "something more out there," that "life could feel better" or that we "could make a bigger difference somewhere else".

🤔 If you're ever left questioning your value in your workplace (or anywhere), there’s a conversation to be had. Make sure you’re on the same page about the role you play and what you’re growing into. And that it's what you actually *want* to grow into.

✨ Life is too short to hang out in spaces that don’t light our fire and fuel our expansion. Do yourself *and* your workplace a favor by doing the work to find out if you're still a good fit.

PS, if you’re struggling to find your path, or need help framing your story for your next career move, I’d love to help you! 

Book a free 15-minute discovery call or a 1-hour personal storyboarding session.