Career Forward: Why Your Job is Not Your Career — with Christiana Smith Shi

We all know work-life balance is a lie. But how can we build fulfilling careers without sacrificing our lives or leaving our jobs in the process?

In this episode, Lucy is joined by Christiana Smith Shi, a retail executive and management consultant formerly of Nike and McKinsey who is now the co-author of Career Forward: Strategies of Women Who’ve Made It — which just came out in paperback last week!

Together they dive deep into how to take control of your career, build your professional equity, and cultivate your 360° life. Christiana also answers your questions about how to handle lay-offs, ways to avoid career breaks, and places you can find support when your company’s values don’t align with your own.

Tune in for a powerful pep talk on getting your needs met while staying in the game. Then join us for an upcoming immersive in Montana, Spain or Kenya where you can get the support you need to design what’s next for your work and life!

Jump into the conversation:

[6:00] Creating options and opportunities for your career

[9:30] The story of how Christiana wrote Career Forward with Grace Puma

[15:00] Why your job is not your career

[18:00] How to build rapport with recruiters and why LinkedIn matters

[25:15] Building your professional equity

[34:45] The power of staying in the game

[38:15] Why work-life balance is a lie and how to cultivate a 360° life

[51:00] How to steer into the skid and make career pivots

[56:45] How to handle a lay-off or being fired

[63:00] The pros and cons of being a “strong contributor”

[69:20] Why it’s worth it to build a successful career

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
• Buy Christiana’s book Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who’ve Made It

Join our next Virtual Coaching Cohort — This one's for purpose-driven, career-focused women with 5–9 years of post-college experience, navigating the early stages of their careers amid workplace challenges, economic uncertainty, and a rapidly changing world. We being September 18th. Learn more and join us.

Your Montana Immersive Awaits! — Our flagship retreat, the Montana Immersive, brings you to Rocking R Guesthouse, a private residence on Flathead Lake’s breathtaking shores. Together, we’ll dive into our expansive curriculum, moving bodies and mindsets until the pathway forward becomes clear. Happening Oct 23 - 26. Learn more and join us.