Meet Tara. She feels the tension at the Christmas dinner table as her father repeatedly questions her about leaving her stable job of six years. With a hesitant laugh, she replies, “I’m still mulling it over.” Recently, Tara received an enticing offer from a startup as a senior account manager. The role excites her, promising the chance to build her team and step into a leadership position. Yet, leaving her well-established cloud services company feels daunting after so many years of dedication. Work has become frustrating for Tara, as she's been trying to address issues with inaccurate reporting that misrepresents account managers' performance. Despite raising her concerns, nothing changes, pushing her to explore new opportunities that inspire her. Jay sits down with workforce transformation expert Geoffrey Roche to dive into Tara's career dilemma. They explore loyalty, personal branding, and the importance of aligning career choices with personal values. Geoffrey offers insights on trusting one's instincts and making informed decisions while navigating transitions, highlighting the role of compassionate leadership and workplace culture. If you find yourself stuck in a similar situation, join Jay and Geoffrey in this enlightening conversation. Tune in now to gain practical advice that can help you navigate your career journey! Timestamps [00:01] Tara’s story   [01:26] Tara's exciting opportunity   [02:35] Discussion with Geoffrey Roche   [03:13] Importance of personal branding   [07:04] Finding balance in career   [09:39] Understanding job security   [13:30] Building a personal brand on LinkedIn   [15:55] Genuine connections on LinkedIn   [20:14] Impact of mentorship and leadership   [20:40] The importance of workplace value   [23:38] Supportive work environment   [24:37] Workplace support during tragedy   [26:41] Leadership and human connection   [27:07] Tara's dilemma and leadership vision   [28:17] The role of inspirational leaders   [29:52] Impact of poor leadership   [32:31] Generational perspectives on career decisions   [34:44] Trusting your instincts   [36:02] Courage to leave toxic situations   [37:22] Evaluating job opportunities   [38:17] Personal board of advisors   [39:15] Researching company culture   [40:15] Asking the right questions   [48:30] Personal branding insight   [49:05] Purpose in work   [50:30] Personal board of advisors   [51:18] Asking questions in interviews   [52:15] Next episode teaser  Notable Quotes [06:02] "I’m going to make sure that I go out and identify and develop my brand so that as I take on the next job, I’m not going to be beholden to them." — Geoffrey Roche [48:30] "You are your brand, not your company. Sure, you are contributing towards the organization, but you are offering a unique value contribution." — Jay Abbasi About Our Guest Geoffrey Roche, MPA, is the son of a nurse, future of work and education expert, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging advocate, champion for transforming health equity, and the host of the Ed Up Health Up podcast. Roche currently serves as the Executive Advisor, National Health Care Practice & Workforce Partnerships for Core Education PBC. He has been asked to regularly present on healthcare workforce topics at various national healthcare events including Becker’s Annual Meeting, HIMSS, ViVE, Becker’s HR Conference, among others. Roche was nominated in 2022 to the Forbes Business Council for his national level work. Resources and Link Jay Abbasi Website: https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Geoffrey Roche Website: https://marketscale.com/geoffrey-m-roche/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreymroche/