By: Emma Traun (2025 Ambassador)

We’ve all experienced the notorious Sunday Scaries, talked our friend’s ear off about the latest work drama, and daydreamed about quitting our jobs to travel the world, right? Working isn’t always glamorous, but it is a necessary and important part of our lives and our society. Whether we utilize healthy coping/stress management skills or not, we acknowledge that we have to show up the next day. 

But what happens when you get that overwhelming feeling of, “OMG, I cannot continue working here for another minute.” No one can prepare you for when you get hit with a tidal wave of intuition telling you that it’s time to go. Not everyone has the privilege, and therefore freedom, to walk away without a plan, but that is exactly what I did in July. 

I, along with most people reading this, care a LOT. I put myself 100% into everything that I do. That becomes incredibly difficult when you’re not in the right environment; my health began declining, my good habits started slipping through my fingers, and I wasn’t able to show up how I wanted and needed to in other areas of my life. I started to see that no one wins when I am at 50%. With nothing but self-trust and 6-months of savings, I quit my job. 

I’ll never forget that next week. My body demanded respite; I slept for 12 hours a day, and every waking hour was filled with intense emotions. As the days blended together, I questioned if I made the right decision.  The people around me had (valid) concerns—I had never felt so lost in my life. I journaled, I rested, and then on the 7th day, I was able to take action to find my next role. 

I started reaching out to friends, family, clients, and some trusted folks in my industry. I was actually most nervous to tell the ladies of The Dot’s board and ambassador crew because I’m representing an organization that is all about professionalism and career growth, yet I had no job and no plan. I felt like an imposter in that room! In reality, those women held me together physically and emotionally, and they sprung into action for me. THAT is what this group is about—mentorship, support, connecting, and showing up for other women through the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Now a month later, I can confidently say stepping away was the greatest investment I’ve ever made in myself. It allowed me to take inventory of the things I wanted to take with me into my next role and leave behind in my past roles. I have been able to ask for exactly what I want in my next role, and it’s shown up in front of me. 

What I learned: 

1. Ask for help! There are so many people who want to see you win. Closed mouths don’t get fed. 
2. Have an emergency fund. This privilege to walk away wouldn’t have been afforded to me without that planning. I know it’s hard, but I opened a high-yield savings account and contributed every single paycheck until I had 6-months of my expenses in there. 
3. Get clear on what you want and need. Don’t just accept the first offer! What I thought I needed when first applying changed drastically after more research and time to heal. 
4. Use. Your. Network. I applied to 2 jobs on LinkedIn and got immediate, automatic declines. From there, I reached out to my network and kept busy with daily coffee and zoom meetings, confidently sharing about my background and job search. 

If you are going through a job change, I am more than happy to connect with anyone reading this that wants to learn more about the specific strategies that I used on my search. 

Please know that you are more than your work. Your value is not tied to your productivity. You don’t have to have it all figured out. It’s never too late to start over. You are enough as you are today. 

Love, Emma