Join 60,000+ seasoned professionals who are done with the corporate world. Epic Encore is an almost daily newsletter with inspirational stories from leading experts. Your Epic Encore is about turning your lifetime experiences into the cornerstone of the rest of your life. It represents your audacious leap into entrepreneurship, fueled by the wisdom and tenacity you've garnered in your successful career. This isn't about playing catch-up in business and building a 7-figure business. It's about forging a unique path, using your distinct perspective, seasoned judgment, and invaluable insights that can only come from years of life experience.
Hard work made me invisible
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Ten years after I burned myself out trying to get promoted… I finally understood what I did wrong. It wasn’t technical. It wasn’t my performance. It wasn’t my work ethic. It was the way I saw people. A few years ago, a friend gave me a copy of the book Leadership and Self-Deception. I wasn’t expecting a gut punch. But page by page, it felt like the author had shadowed my entire career. What I thought was being “helpful” and “dedicated” was actually me being stuck in what the book calls “the box.” ➡️ I saw people as obstacles or problems to solve. ➡️ I focused on doing, not connecting. ➡️ I tried to prove my value… instead of building real relationships. The network ran flawlessly. The tickets were closed. The fires got put out before anyone noticed. But do you know what I missed? Influence. Trust. Sponsorship. Leadership. All the things that come from people—not checklists. Today, I still catch myself slipping back into that old mindset… …but now I recognize it. I know how to step out of “the box” and into connection. I’ve learned how to build mutual success instead of quiet martyrdom. As I transition into my Epic Encore, this is the #1 lesson I pass on to my clients: 👉 Your value doesn’t just live in what you do. It lives in how you relate 👉 The work that earns you a living isn’t always the work that earns you a seat at the table 👉 And the next chapter of your life deserves more than transactional output. It deserves transformation If you’re entering your Encore Chapter, I’d love to help you avoid my mistakes and turn your wisdom into something visible, valuable, and legacy-worthy. Let’s build what lasts. Ted |
Ted Prodromou
Join 60,000+ seasoned professionals who are done with the corporate world. Epic Encore is an almost daily newsletter with inspirational stories from leading experts. Your Epic Encore is about turning your lifetime experiences into the cornerstone of the rest of your life. It represents your audacious leap into entrepreneurship, fueled by the wisdom and tenacity you've garnered in your successful career. This isn't about playing catch-up in business and building a 7-figure business. It's about forging a unique path, using your distinct perspective, seasoned judgment, and invaluable insights that can only come from years of life experience.
After decades in the C-suite, most executives underestimate their most valuable retirement resource: their accumulated expertise. While financial planners focus on portfolio management, the real question isn't how to manage your money, it's how to transform your knowledge into lasting impact. There's a natural evolution that happens when executives leave corporate life, a shift from building resume virtues that advance careers to developing eulogy virtues that define how we're remembered. The...
I remember a project early in my consulting career. I poured my heart and soul into it, working late nights and weekends to deliver something truly exceptional for the client. The results were fantastic, far beyond their expectations. But when I sent the final invoice, based on my hourly rate, it felt… hollow. The number on the page didn’t come close to the value I had delivered. It was a tough lesson: just doing great work isn’t enough. My clients frequently share a similar story with me....
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