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August 1, 2025 11 mins

Feeling like your career path looks like it was designed by someone with career ADHD?

You're not alone—and you're definitely not broken. In this episode, we dive deep into why nonlinear careers are actually MORE valuable in 2025, not less.

We'll explore why traditional "pick a lane and stick with it" advice was designed for a world that no longer exists, and how your scattered resume is actually a secret weapon waiting to be unleashed. By the end, you'll understand the T-shaped professional model and have a framework for turning your biggest career insecurity into your most compelling narrative.

  • The myth of linear career success and why it's outdated
  • Career change anxiety and how to overcome it
  • The T-shaped professional model for explaining your diverse background
  • Reframing your career narrative from scattered to strategic
  • The compound interest of confusion - how diverse experiences create unique value
  • Practical frameworks for networking conversations and interviews

Your zigzag career path isn't evidence that you're behind

The economy has changed, but we're still using the same old tired playbook

Every detour is data. Every wrong turn is skills acquisition

Stop trying to think your way to clarity. Start testing your way there

You're not scattered, you're T-shaped

Every seemingly random experience compounds into something more valuable

Your nonlinear path isn't a detour from success

"You're not scattered, you're T-shaped."

"We're all learning this together."

"Your nonlinear path isn't a detour from success."

"Your zigzag journey is writing a more interesting story than any straight line ever could."

If you're on Spotify, be sure to vote in the poll!


Great products:

🧠 Kortex - Second brain writing app for connecting ideas across contexts

📱 Typefully - Craft and schedule authentic thought leadership content

📧 Newsletter: Get more perspective-shifting content delivered weekly

💼 Linktree: Connect and share your nonlinear success stories

  1. Identify one "detour" you've been viewing as lost time
  2. Write down three skills you developed during that period
  3. Practice connecting your experiences in one conversation this week
  4. Stop measuring yourself against someone else's timeline

Remember: Your zigzag journey isn't writing a consolation story—it's writing a more interesting one.

Be sure to leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts if this resonated with you, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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