The identity crisis no one talks about (but we need to)


When your job ends, especially after 25 or 30 years, it’s not just the paycheck that disappears.

It’s your title… your team… your routine… and the quiet confidence of being someone who knows what they’re doing.

You went from “VP of Sales” or “Director of Operations” to… well, what now?

Nobody prepares you for that moment.

No one talks about the void that opens up when your identity is no longer printed on a business card.

Here’s what I want you to know this morning:

✅ Your title was never your worth

You are still a leader.

A problem-solver.

A mentor.

You are still relevant even if the corporate world has forgotten how to value experience.

✅ Feeling disoriented is normal

Transitions stir up grief, anxiety, doubt, even shame.

But they also clear space for reinvention, reconnection, and renewed purpose.

✅ You don’t need to have it all figured out

The vulnerability of starting over is real.

But so is your strength.

And that quiet whisper inside, the one asking “what’s next?” deserves your attention.

If you’re in that place right now, I invite you to give yourself grace.

If you want some tools to help you through it, I’ve created a guide just for you:

👉Download: Unfinished Business: Moving Forward When Your Job No Longer Defines You

Inside, you’ll find practical strategies for rebuilding your routine, regulating your emotions, and reclaiming your direction on your terms.

This is hard.

But you’re not broken.

You’re becoming.

You’ve got more to give.

Let’s build what’s next—together.

Talk soon,

Ted

P.S. If you ever want to brainstorm "what's next?" for you, grab some time HERE

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.

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