The Moment My Career Really Started To Take Off — Business Professor

As a professor, I have spent too much time worrying about impressing others—chasing, trying to earn respect, and “proving my worth.”

It’s an exhausting game, one where success always feels just out of reach.

And, it is.

The moment my career really took off was when I stopped playing that game.

I let go of the need for validation and started appreciating who I already am and what I bring to the table.

I stopped fixating on the next paper, the next metric, or what my peers might think, and I began to see the world—and my work—for what it truly is: an opportunity to learn, explore, and create something meaningful.

To laugh and play.

It hit me that even in a field where “impact” is everything, the real impact comes from showing up authentically, embracing the process, and allowing yourself to enjoy it.

I learned to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

After all, we’re just here, watching our gardens grow as my Dad used to.

Letting go of the need to impress didn’t make the world less competitive, but it made me better

I am freer to explore, to innovate, and to appreciate the beauty of trying, no matter the outcome.

That’s when everything changed.