The Corporate Cleanse

My career gave (gives) me many things, chief among them: money. Money to improve my life satisfaction. But what happens when we get stuck in the the cycle of working → buying things → feels good → work more → don’t have time for happiness anymore → buy more things → need to keep working to afford happiness?

Let's step a couple of toes out of this cycle before we feel completely powerless. Today I want to remind you that you have the power to control your life and how you want to live it and what job you stay at or don’t stay at. I share how I've reframed my relationship with mindless consuming and outsourcing happiness and what things I've been appreciating and rediscovering for the month of April - it's an insanely random list - enjoy :)

ChatGPT says I might be going through a "millennial mid life crisis". The biggest question on my mind has been if and when I'm going back into corporate life. For right now, it's been a problem for future Jen, but as I've been thinking about how I want to show up for my hypothetical new corporate life era, I've been reflecting on the things I would have done differently in my career. 

From Dominos Pizza to tech executive (just kidding, we really only talk about my tech career) — in todays episode, we talk about the 5 things I would have done differently in my career. During the 13 years climbing the corporate ladder, what are some of my regrets and lessons learned. 

Today, we're talking about the small, unnoticed ways you may be giving up your power in the workplace. We talk about acknowledging and accepting that power is something that is OKAY to have, and really—critical to have—because power is what makes the corporate world go round. Power is how you get things done, how you feel about yourself at the end of the day, and how you work with others. I hope this episode helps you be more aware of how you give up power on a daily basis and how you can slowly and effectively take your power back.

Having a healthy power dynamic between yourself and your workplace is critical in staying aligned with your values and feeling balanced in how you approach your career and the corporate ladder. 

Today, we're talking about your days. If corporate life has left you a shell of yourself and you're struggling to reset, to rebuild your sense of self, to remember what is important to you (outside of zoom happy hours and quarterly taco tuesdays)—then let's start small. Let's talk about what an ideal day looks like for you. Mine is usually peppermint tea and a spin class so there's a place to start. 

Today, we talk about the hardest—and the most important—lesson I've learned in my career. We take a look at the chip on many of our shoulders from years and years of injustices, micro aggressions, and just tough human dynamics and how we all carry these bitter seeds planted on our hearts from job to job thinking "this will be fine". 

Maybe you have been passed over for a promotion or laid off when you were a top performer or are continually interrupted in meetings. You are right, you deserve to be validated, you deserve to be seen and heard AND you have to take the accountable road forward because, at the end of the day, all you can control is YOU. 

Listen, if you are on the absolute brink of rage quitting your job - sometimes small steps can keep us from doing something rash. In this episode, we talk about small actions (little cleanses) you can take every day to break the cycle of feeling trapped by your corporate life. You'd be surprised at how effective small moments of ease and empowerment can be to help you take your power back, to remember you are in control of your life and your time, and to remember that you are more than your job. 

Bring a little soul back to the hustle. 

Amid mass layoffs, bank failures, $9 eggs - um are we okay? Do we all need to reevaluate corporate life and whether we're giving more than we're getting? Have you made your corporate salary/title/position your entire personality and have lost sight of who you are, who you want to be, and what you want? Today, we're talking about the pros and cons of corporate life, balancing pursuing big dreams while still paying the bills (those $9 eggs, ya know), and the toll that corporate life can take on your values, boundaries, and emotional well-being. 

Thank you so much for listening, episodes are uploaded every Monday.
Follow The Corporate Cleanse on Instagram for important dates and announcements!
@the.corporatecleanse
You can also find me, Jen - on Instagram 
@jenlgray
More 
@byjengray
Twitter
@corp_cleanse

Bring a little soul back to the hustle.

Welcome to my new podcast! I started this to open up the conversation around ~Corporate Life~ the highs, the lows, and how to strive and succeed within capitalist and corporate America without completely losing your soul and depleting everything that you are. My name is Jen Gray and I have worked in the tech industry for a long time and finally got everything I thought I wanted: the fancy executive title, the big salary. After getting the boot from my fancy job, I realized that my entire identity was wrapped up in this "Big Girl Job," and I didn't know who I was. I had to take MANY Corporate Cleanses, and now I am focused on empowering others to create a healthier balance between who they are and what they do; to help you maintain (and sometimes rebuild) your identity when corporate life seems to take more than it gives.

Thank you so much for listening, episodes are uploaded every Monday.
Follow The Corporate Cleanse on Instagram for important dates and announcements!
@the.corporatecleanse

You can also find me, Jen - on Instagram 
@jenlgray
More 
@byjengray
Twitter
@corp_cleanse