Part 2 of Ages 18–24 picks up at my first job in the career I went to school for — and the reality that it wasn’t what I imagined.

What looked like a dream job quickly turned into anxiety, performance warnings, embarrassment, and a hit to my confidence that followed me for years.

In this episode, I talk about:

• How it felt to land my “dream” internship

• The pressure of trying to look successful while secretly struggling

• Performance warnings, mistakes, and feeling like an imposter

• The leader whose treatment damaged my confidence — and what it taught me about the kind of leader I’d never become

• The moment I knew I had to leave

• Moving back home and rebuilding from scratch

• The power of warm introductions and how my network saved my career

This episode is for anyone who has ever:

 felt not good enough

 stayed in a job too long

 been scared to admit they were struggling

 worried about disappointing family or friends

I learned the hard way that failure isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of self-awareness.

Sometimes the wrong job teaches you more than the right one ever could.

Thanks for listening, and welcome to Part 2.