"I don't know who I am without this company."

"I don't know wwho I am without his company."

Daria (𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥) said this during our first coaching session a couple of weeks ago. 

Twenty years at the same firm. Same badge, across 3 different countries.

Now restructuring was coming, and her world was cracking.

Here's what she thought she was losing:

Her morning routine of swiping into the building. 

Her corner office with the good coffee machine. 

The weight of being "Daria from [Company Name]" when she introduced herself.

But that wasn't the real fear.

The real fear was simpler: "If I'm not the Director of Operations at [Company Name], then who am I?"

During our second session, I asked her to tell me about her proudest moments at work. Not the company's wins. Her wins.

→ The process she built that saved 40% of project time. 

→ The team she grew from 3 to 15 people. 

→ The crisis she navigated when everyone else was panicking.

Then I asked a couple of questions that changed everything:

"Daria, what happens to that process you built when you leave? Where do those skills live that you used to mentor 15 people? What about your ability to stay calm when everyone else is panicking - where does that come from?"

Long pause."No. That's... that's mine, isn't it?"

Eactly.

You don't need to rebuild your brand after leaving a company. You need to remember what was always yours.

The skills, the judgment, the way you make people feel heard. That's not your company's brand. That's your brand.

Now Daria confidently talks about her achievements in events and interviews. She writes confidently about her expertise online.

Opportunities are finding her instead of the other way around. Same woman. Same talent. Just finally willing to own it.

What skills would you take with you anywhere?

#change #executivecoaching #skills

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