Despite years of education and prestigious positions, I realized that my identity extended far beyond my job title. It's a lesson I've carried with me into my current role. While our careers are undoubtedly important, they're not synonymous with our identities or our purpose.

Today, I find myself working alongside colleagues with impressive credentials – PhDs and master's degrees galore – and I wholeheartedly applaud their achievements. Yet, it's crucial to acknowledge that we all arrived at this destination via two distinctly unique journeys, each offering something valuable.

A former colleague from my LinkedIn days invited me for lunch at her new job at Instagram. Upon arrival, I immediately flicked it up. Of course I had to do it for the gram one time! The rest of the story of how I went from IG visitor to IG employee is one for the books and will be shared at a later date. But the takeaway point is…