Associate Director, Major Gifts at NYU Stern | Nonprofit Board Member | Storyteller | Entrepreneur |Wellness Advocate
At a recent work conference, my close friend listened as Zack Kass, the former Head of Go-To-Market for OpenAI, addressed a room full of professionals. Inevitably, the conversation turned to AI and its potential to replace jobs—a worry that’s on everyone’s mind these days. Kass offered a striking perspective: “You don’t need to worry unless your identity is tied to your work.” That statement hit home for both my friend and me. While I share people’s concerns about generative AI, Kass’s point made me reflect on how much we tether our self-worth to our careers. Jobs come and go, but when we wrap our identity around them, we risk losing ourselves when that work disappears. This fear of change isn’t just theoretical—I’ve felt it firsthand. In October 2020, I was laid off, along with millions of Americans, at the height of the pandemic. It was a shock—something I never imagined would happen. I thought my career was secure, but life has a way of pulling the rug out from under us, teaching us that nothing is guaranteed. The hardest part of being unemployed wasn’t financial—it was untangling myself from the idea that I was my job. I had to confront the lie that my worth was tied to a title or a degree. For so long, I clung to these identities: student, employee, achiever. Without them, I felt unmoored. But that season of unemployment gave me the space I didn’t know I needed—to rest, reflect, and rebuild. During that time, I realized how much more existed within me—untapped creativity, resilience, and curiosity that had been buried beneath the noise of achievement. I even built an entire website from scratch, a monumental feat for someone who isn’t exactly tech-savvy. Each day, I surprised myself with new skills and the strength I discovered along the way. The biggest lesson? Jobs and money matter, but they aren’t what truly sustains me. What sustains me are my heritage, character, vision, and values. Now that I’m gainfully employed again, I carry that lesson with me: my worth isn’t rooted in what I do for work—it’s found in who I am. So, if you’ve recently lost your job, are transitioning into a new role, or find yourself dissatisfied with your current work, I encourage you to pause and ask: Who am I, and what do I have to offer the world? Keep searching for opportunities that align with the truth of who you are—those things that nourish your spirit and allow you to give back in a way only you can.
