Cat's outta the bag
I updated my LinkedIn profile a few weeks ago and to some, doing so let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, as those curious enough can now learn that I work at the NBA. While the update is newish to some, nearly everyone who should know was proactively told months ago. (I say 'nearly' because I admittedly forgot a few.) As for how I decided who should know, the answer is in the nuance of care and curiosity.
Care for me: The people who heard first demonstrate care for my professional well-being, which is often rooted in my personal one. They've never defined my worth according to any status of employment. They trust me when I sense a vibe and remind me of my own advice. And in rare instances when comments are unintentionally projected out of insecurities, they are quick to act with maturity and accountability. In short, they're my friends.
Curious for themselves: These are often people who repeatedly check my LinkedIn before checking in on me, and whom I think of as friendly professional peers existing somewhere on the spectrum between acquaintance and friend. There's a subset of this group who check my LinkedIn primarily out of competitive comparison and the intent is clear as day. Is this to say that I dislike them? Not at all(!), but we live with different priorities in mind.
The tricky thing is, people driven by competition are why I'd rather not update my LinkedIn at all; I worry that the impact on themselves and others is negative; comparison is the thief of joy, as they say. So as happy as I am to be where I am, sharing this information can open a door to false assumptions and narratives that exhaust me. It's for this reason that I'm writing about a few common misconceptions.
I wasn't trying to work in sport.
My time at Nike has led people to tell me how obvious and natural of a transition it is to go from sport to sport; as much as I understand why this is said from a consumer and culture standpoint, I don’t see it the same way from an employment one. Nike is a public retail company that heavily leverages sports marketing, which differs from a league that operates more like a media company. As Larry O’Brien (the 3rd NBA commissioner) once said before joining the league, "I paid no attention to the business operation of the sport. Needless to say, I never envisioned having a direct relationship with sports at any level in any formal sense." Nevertheless, we both found our way to the NBA.
There are a lot of reasons why sport wasn't an automatic focal point. Among many positive attributes, its reputation includes ‘bro’ culture, less workforce diversity, and lower compensation relative to other industries I pursued. But I was lucky enough to find alignment in a role, city, manager, and organization where the timing feels right, so here we are.
No one recruited me.
I found the job through an Indeed job listing - YEP! (You should see the surprise people express every time I say this.) In fact, I think all but two jobs I seriously pursued over the last 2.5 years originated through Indeed. (See here for why I like Indeed.)
While it's certainly easier to know someone directly, I conveniently cite myself as an example of never having had that advantage. It's a consequence of switching industries and functions, but one I comfortably own.
It didn't just happen so fast.
I love when it does for others but there are many things I've accepted about my life and 'things happening quickly' is not often one of them - not in my career, wealth, or love - ha! In contrast to others' interview experiences I've heard about, my process was pretty smooth(!) until it wasn’t…the day that I thought it was strange that I hadn't heard back about something was the same day the NYTimes shared a lovely update about a hiring freeze. I'll save the whole story for later, but just know that the process took time, as good things often do.
I didn't get everything I asked for.
The most notable thing I didn't get was relo...OOF. Words can't sufficiently describe how stressful it was to move on my own (and yes, I'm being dramatic, but indulge me…); the financial and administrative burden that comes with moving is so taxing, and making sure that energy didn't seep into all things meaningful required so much mental discipline that this was the only thing I was bitter about. Fortunately, the feeling has come and gone with my move. And in all fairness to the org, I never asked whether relo was given because it's a benefit (and privileged entitlement, of course) that is often assumed.
There are people who have told me that I shouldn’t accept an offer that doesn't give me everything I want, and I appreciate the sentiment but think there are too many areas of exception to simply agree. While many offers may not warrant accepting, it's on each of us to understand the context surrounding an offer and place worth on what items are valued. I say this because I have a hot-take that there's a difference between earning a job/offer vs getting it, and as an external candidate and from the perspective of the organization, I argue that I simply got it.
For internal candidates, a hiring manager has opportunities to assess not only resumes and interview performance, but also relationships and reputations in the org; in that sense, I think it's easier to understand how internal candidates earn their consideration for the job, if not the job itself.
I, however, was an external candidate. My hiring manager had never met or heard of me before this job was posted and couldn't gauge my performance over time in a similar way. He and others had my resume and several hours of conversations to go off of. So in some ways, there's a leap of faith that a hiring manager takes with external candidates, and in that sense, he gave me the job.
Have you seen the movie Hitch? There's a scene where Will Smith has a 90/10 rule about the first kiss (skip to minute marks 2:00 thru 2:30); that's how I feel about this offer. The same way my hiring manager showed a little faith by leaning in, I rewarded it by accepting an offer and am willing to earn the difference.
Some may say I caved because I didn't get everything I asked for. That's certainly an opinion people are free to have, but I honestly hope they don't start a false narrative that it's how I feel. Disappointment and delight can coexist, and this opportunity was a trifecta in a way that no one has guessed, and I continue to discover many unexpected delights. So as big as I am on empowerment, I'm not someone who takes the narrative of empowerment to a place of entitlement. We all value things differently and framing that value accurately is of utmost importance.
Net-positive intentions
Earlier, I mentioned that I worry about the negative effects that a profile update can lead to, and this worry might seem silly, but it's also sincere. I've slightly touched on this through posts about personal branding and imposters, but simply put (and I'm generalizing here), my biggest concern with social media such as LinkedIn is that we use professional achievements as identity-defining items of transactional-worth to sell to others and ourselves(!). And as some are consumed by a so-called rat-race, career progression (e.g., better titles, more money) may be used to justify bad workplace ethics and behaviors. The scariest part of this is when others deem these behaviors as acceptable and (more terrifyingly) respectable means to an end. And while it’s fair to say I sound extreme, those who have seen this play out understand what this looks and feels like, and the effects are disheartening at best, and damaging at worst.
But I worked for LinkedIn last year because I believe in extending access and inspiring possibilities - from the possibility of finding new opportunities to seeing the same role and its value differently. So as much as I worry about the negative effects that one action can have, I anchor my decisions on net-positive ones. I've always focused on this, beginning with a short 'About Me' section on my profile, but decided to dial it up a notch by writing blurbs for the first time about my work experiences. If you end up moseying on over to my profile and the sections where people put resume bullets, you'll find what I consider accomplishments. Achievements (externally-measured) and accomplishments (internally-motivated) aren't mutually exclusive; I think overlap is healthy and keeps me dreaming. I just hope that when people lurk out of curious comparison, they see an alternative approach - one that inspires growth, connectivity, and fun.
On a final note, I had a hard time deciding if I should publish this post because I've learned to let many misconceptions go; so few are worth the energy in addressing, so it seems weird to write about it. And yet, I feel like perpetuating them is also not net-positive…clearly, I’m still torn and you’re here reading.
I don't quite know how to describe what I write about in this newsletter; if you do, simply reply. All I know is that I intentionally don't write with task-based productivity in mind, but hope you still find SOAR productive in positive ways.
For those in the US, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, xx.