How I Got Here: How do you find resolve amidst uncertainty?
Finding faith amidst personal career chaos
We hope you’re making it through what is likely to be one of the most unproductive work weeks for those of in the US! If you’re like Lara and me and looking for some distraction, we’ve got you covered.
Given this week (and this year, really), we’re bringing you two stories that highlight the importance of finding grit and keeping faith in yourself during times of uncertainty and chaos.
Melynda Barnes dedicated years of life (and many sleepless night) to become a doctor and surgeon. And yet, she knew that she wanted to do something different, something bigger, and even more impactful. Despite her fiancé’s confusion (“Most people would kill for the career you have!”), Melynda felt in her core that she was meant to do more than medicine. Ultimately, she quit her job as a doctor without another job lined up and had faith that the right opportunity would come around.
Listen to Melynda’s full episode here to hear more about her journey through medicine and that opportunity that ultimately allured her.
Here’s a quick run-down of the episode:
Our guest: Melynda Barnes, MD, SVP Medical Affairs and Research at Ro
Career highlights: Biology and Spanish Lit double major at Stanford; MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Fellow at Oregon Health and Science University; Facial Plastic Surgeon and Head and Neck Surgeon, founding member of Chief; SVP at Ro
What this episode has got me thinking about: Throughout this episode, Melynda shows how much faith and resolve she has in herself, even in the face of making life altering career decisions. What are the ways that I can strengthen my own resolve? How do I make time to listen to that inner voice that can help guide me?
In our blog post this week, Bisi Orisamolu helps answer my questions about finding faith in one’s own judgment and path. By finding herself in a job that no longer resonated, Bisi was thrust into the chaos of being off a clearly defined corporate trajectory and path.
In what seemed to be the 13th month of my fifth Seattle winter, I decided I hated my job. In my first few years as a consultant, I had felt a sense of pride every time I rose to the challenge presented by a new project. Then one day, it all lost its luster. I didn’t know what I wanted to do next, but I was sure I needed to F9 my life.
Read Bisi’s full story here to learn how she came to terms with her inner turmoil.
Bisi Orisamolu is an MBA student at The Wharton School. After earning her bachelors degree at Georgetown University, she worked as a strategy consultant at a boutique firm in Seattle. Immediately prior to business school she spent 7 months in Paris writing her first novel. Reach out to her at bisi@wharton.upenn.edu.
We hope these stories brought some joy, inspiration, or at the very least distraction into your week. Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.
-Eric
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