Shannon Flanagan
Author & Career Strategist
Independent
Also available as audio
Getting laid off 4 times (2016-2024) isn't a talent problem - it's a pattern nobody talks about. Shannon was blindsided each time despite being a top performer. One layoff came right after the Banana Republic president she'd built a close relationship with never spoke to her again after the news broke. Her point: talent and layoffs aren't correlated - shame is the only thing keeping people quiet about it.
The 3-month 'no to-do list' reset is where the real decisions get made. After her second layoff, Shannon deliberately paused - no job hunt, no productivity, just a life coach and silence. In that gap she decided to divorce and pivot entirely out of retail into biz dev/tech. Her framing: high achievers rush from A to B to avoid the pain, but the pause is where the growth actually happens.
'Comparison syndrome' is the founder's real tax, not imposter syndrome. Even with total clarity on her strengths, Shannon still compared herself to founders grinding 18-20hr days and consultants landing clients instantly - until she realized her actual value was the boundaries and balance she'd built her whole career around. New definition of success: impact, not hours or money.
Conversation 125
Career transitions aren't really about careers. They're about identity.
Shannon Flanagan, Author & Career Strategist at Independent
Shannon Flanagan
OFFBounds Source · 125Author & Career Strategist · Independent
