Ep. 52 | How to Know When It's Time to Leave Your Job.
You built the career. You reached the milestone. So why does it no longer feel like enough?
Fresh from recording Sticky Situations live at the Arcadia Leadership Experience in Bozeman (https://www.arcadialeadershipexperience.com/), Blakely Graham and Heather Cooper bring the audience’s hardest career questions home. They unpack the strange lull that can follow achievement, the difference between burnout and outgrowing a role, and how to explore a career change without pretending money and responsibilities do not matter.
Blakely and Heather share what happened after their own career exits, why purpose rarely arrives on command, and how small “one-degree decisions” (an idea from Lindsay Tjepkema, https://lindsaytjepkema.com/) can help you regain control before you make a dramatic move. They also debate quiet quitting, taking a pay cut for work you actually want, trusting your gut versus the spreadsheet, and whether it is better to coast between successes or chase the next unknown thing.
The conversation begins with a tribute to Dolly Parton: her kindness, professionalism, refusal to shrink, and extraordinary legacy.
Key Takeaways:
Why getting everything you wanted can still leave you without purpose
How to tell career burnout from having outgrown your role
Why “get interested in your interests” is better than forcing a five-year plan
How to listen to intuition without confusing it with fear or your inner critic
How Lindsay Tjepkema’s “one-degree decisions” can move you toward a career change without rage quitting
Why salary is only one part of a job’s real value
Quiet quitting versus bringing your boss a solution
The case for coasting and the case for chasing what comes next
Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business.
Follow Hosts:
Follow Not All Business:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notallbiz/
Substack: https://notallbusiness.substack.com/
Links & Mentions:
Arcadia Leadership Experience: https://www.arcadialeadershipexperience.com/ (the Bozeman leadership gathering where this episode’s audience questions originated)
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: https://imaginationlibrary.com/ (free, age-appropriate books for enrolled children from birth to age five through participating local programs)
From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646134/from-strength-to-strength-by-arthur-c-brooks/ (a guide to finding purpose, meaning, and success in the second half of life)
Jayne Robinson, “Dying At Your Desk? Why Comfort Is More Dangerous Than Failure”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8AIomCptBE (the earlier NAB conversation about telling your real inner voice from fear-driven noise)
Lane McLeod, “She’s Teaching Women to Buy Houses Alone: And It’s Working”: https://youtu.be/Cbmv0xwBaGs (the earlier NAB conversation about Lane’s career pivot and building wealth through homeownership)
Sam Yarborough, “Stop Pitch Slapping and Start Connecting”: https://youtu.be/nyWpMGYTd8k (the earlier NAB conversation with Arcadia co-founder Sam Yarborough)
Plum Village Monastery: https://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/plum-village-monastery (the Buddhist community in France referenced during the conversation about practicing freedom)
Lindsay Tjepkema: https://lindsaytjepkema.com/ (source of the “one-degree decisions” idea discussed in the episode)
Submit Your Sticky Situations:
Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send an email or voice recording to sticky@notallbusiness.com or drop your question in the comments.
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Face Five Acne Clinic, Root-Cause Acne Care, No Harsh Prescriptions Required: https://facefiveacne.com - code NOTALLBIZ10 for 10% off your first order
Follow Face Five Skincare: https://www.instagram.com/facefiveskincare/
Follow Wellness with Yuki: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithyuki/
Follow Us:
