Meet Alana, who built a life outside of work

We're back today with another Expander! As you may remember from our first Expander profile on Jane, Expanders are people who are doing what you want and help you “see to believe” that what you want is possible. They are the be the people who have mastered the path you want to go down. In other words, a role model on steroids. You can find Expanders within your professional network, friend group, social media or within this community. 

I want to make it as easy as possible for you to find Expanders – other ambitious, millennial women making big, bold and brave moves – so I am profiling my clients every so often. I want you to “see to believe” that you can do the same. 

Meet your Expander, Alana…

Alana is one of my OG clients. We started working together in the fall of 2020 (!). Alana was in her dream job, the job she had gone to college for and spent the first decade of her career building towards – Buying at The North Face. But she was so. burnt. out. Alana used coaching as a jumping off point to transform her life and create a robust, passion-filled life outside of her work. 

The most important coaching tool Alana has drawn on are her operating principles. I work with each of my clients to define their operating principles or the elements in their life they need to feel grounded, fulfilled and balanced. Three years later, Alana is continuing to use her operating principles to create an intentional life. I’m excited for you to hear from Alana in her own words. 

Q. It has been a minute since we started coaching in 2020. Can you give us the spark notes of your journey since then?

I can’t believe it’s been three years! Since we started coaching together I quit my dream job, spent 11 months exploring what I want in life, moved to Seattle, WA, bought a house, adopted a second dog, strengthened relationships, and found a new career path. 

Not only can I look back over the last three years and make a list of tangible changes, I can look back and see the change within myself (as cheesy as that is). It’s not by accident that a new career path is last in the list of what my journey has been. I realized that having a life outside of work was most important for me after dedicating so many years to my career, and I developed the confidence to create that. I have grown exponentially and I have coaching with you to credit for building the foundation for me to grow.

Q. What was the biggest lesson you learned from coaching? 

That the seemingly simple act of listing your operating principles out can guide you through the hardest times/decisions. I have gone back to my original list so many times. In our most recent coaching session this summer, I realized that those same operating principles are still at the core of who I am.

Q. What was the bravest thing you did as a result of coaching? 

Phew, I quit my dream job that I excelled in! Sometimes I still can’t believe I was able to do it.

Q. Your operating principles have played an important part in helping you make decisions over the past few years. How are you using them today?

I hadn’t read through all the questions before answering, so you can see the impact operating principles have had on me! I’ve found that I have internalized my operating principles and they guide every decision I make. I use them as a guide to make sure I am making decisions in the best interest of myself and not based on external stressors. They have also helped instill a level of confidence in myself that I have not had before.

For example, a few of my top operating principles are fluidity, personal growth and quality time with my husband. When I moved to Seattle, I found a new job in people management that gave me much more freedom in my day-to-day life, time to spend with my husband, create a community and hobbies (love my book club!). Now, I'm thinking about what is next professionally that will continue to fulfill those operating principles. 

Q. As an Expander, what do you want the rest of this community to know?  

As millennial women, it has been ingrained in us to always be working towards the next thing in our career, always pushing ourselves at work, and making work a core part of who we are. The best work of my life thus far is separating my self-worth from my work. They do not have to be intertwined if we don’t want them to be. There is more to life than achieving at work in the support of someone else's profit. 

I feel more confident in who I am, what I want from life, and what I bring to the table than ever before and it all started with coaching with Cydnee. I don’t say this lightly when I say my work with Cydnee changed my life for the better.

Alana is the Expander who proves that when you have a crystal clear understanding of who you are and what you value, you can make big decisions in your life with clarity, conviction and ease. The decisions and context might change, but your internal compass stays the same. 

And, she is, of course, an Expander for anyone wanting to quit their jobs, take a sabbatical and know that they can find a job that satisfies their operating principles on the other side. 

Let me know what Expanders you've found for yourself and what other Expanders you'd like to see. We can all be Expanders for each other!