Everyone loves to drag the 9-to-5.

“Corporate slavery.”
“I’m building my own thing.”
“Can’t wait to be my own boss.”

Cool.

But I know three people who got kicked out of their own companies.

One by a co-founder.
One by the board.
One by investors they brought in themselves.

I’m talking removed from Slack overnight level betrayal.

Locked out.
Access revoked.
Years poured into a vision…

Gone.

No goodbye.
No closure.
Just a cold email.

And the part no one tells you?

They didn’t do anything wrong.

They just didn’t understand power.

The founder illusion

There’s a popular myth floating around online.

Quit your job.
Start a company.
Escape corporate politics.

Freedom.

No boss.
No bureaucracy.
No hierarchy.

Guess what?

You didn’t escape politics.

You just changed arenas.

Corporate politics becomes:

Cap table politics.
Board politics.
Investor politics.
Founder politics.

Different room.

Same game.

The day the founder loses their company

The brutal reality of startups is this:

You can build the company…

And still lose control of it.

Because control doesn’t come from effort.

It comes from structure.

The voting rights.
The equity split.
The board seats.
The investor terms.
The legal clauses buried in 80-page agreements nobody reads properly.

You think you’re signing funding documents.

You might actually be signing your own removal letter.

Just scheduled for later.

The power math nobody explains

When founders get pushed out, it’s rarely dramatic.

It’s procedural.

A board vote.

A clause.

A “leadership change for the good of the company.”

The narrative writes itself overnight.

Yesterday you were the visionary founder.

Today you’re “no longer aligned with the company’s direction.”

Same person.
Different story.

Power is the pen that writes the story.

Ownership is not control

This is the part most people misunderstand.

Ownership feels like power.

But ownership without leverage is decoration.

You can own shares and still lose influence.

You can start the company and still lose the vote.

You can build the product and still lose the room.

Because the real control points are rarely obvious.

Who controls the board.
Who controls the money.
Who controls the narrative.

And once you lose two of those three?

You’re already out.

You just don’t know it yet.

Why founders get blindsided

Most founders are builders.

They obsess over product.
Customers.
Growth.
Vision.

They believe the best idea wins.

But companies are not meritocracies.

They are power systems.

And if you ignore the system long enough, the system eventually removes you from it.

Not because you failed.

Because you didn’t understand the rules.

The uncomfortable truth

A job can feel limiting.

But building something doesn’t automatically give you freedom.

It just gives you different risks.

Different power structures.

Different games.

Different politics.

You didn’t escape the game.

You just changed the board.

The real lesson

If you want ownership, learn governance.

If you want control, understand leverage.

If you want freedom, learn power.

The most dangerous place to be in business is not failure.

It’s naivety.

And the harsh truth is this:

You don’t own the game just because you started playing it.

You own the game when you understand who actually controls the rules.

Your next move

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I’ve met micromanagers.

I’ve been micromanaged.

And hopefully, I never become one.

And if I do, please tell me.

Immediately.

Someone recently told me she hired a social media manager (MANAGER!) and still changed every word, rewrote everything, reshaped the entire thing until it wasn’t theirs anymore.

Another told me her mid-40s boss, who has 0 idea about social media, dictated exactly what to post and when.

This is painfully common in creative industries.

And it is the worst.

Because you cannot be creative when someone is standing over your shoulder.

So I called her out.

Literally.

I said:

“You know they hate when you do that, right?

You have to give them freedom.

Do you know how to do THEIR job better than them?”

She was shocked.

Then…

She reflected.

Micromanaging is babysitting adults.

Some people don’t realize they’re doing it.

Some don’t trust you yet.

Some are control freaks.

They’re not micromanaging. They’re ego-managing.

Your boss didn’t need that report early.

They needed to feel important at 4:55 PM.

Control freaks don’t want results.

They want obedience.

Micromanagement is fear disguised as leadership.

And yes, the classic defense always appears:

“Someone wasn’t doing their job, so more oversight is required.”

Fine.

Try this instead:

“Keep going. I trust you.”

Watch what happens.

People rise when you trust them.

They shrink when you don’t.

What To Do

1. Prevent before you repair

Send updates before they ask.

Document everything.

Over-communicate on purpose.

If nothing improves, quietly prepare your exit.

Not dramatically.

Strategically.

2. Malicious compliance

They want hourly updates?

Perfect.

Give them exactly that.

9:03 AM — Email sent

10:11 AM — Awaiting approval

11:00 AM — Still pending

12:15 PM — Following up

1:30 PM — Checking status

2:45 PM — Gentle reminder

Drown control freaks in the very thing they love.

Control.

3. Give them something to stare at

I once had a boss who wanted a “quick update” every hour.

I said, “You’ll have it by EOD.”

“I just like being looped in,” he said.

So I made a fake dashboard.

A beautiful one.

He loved it.

Never looked at the real one.

Micromanagement is rarely about clarity.

It’s about control.

Give them something to look at so you can actually work.

4. Make them choose

A colleague always gave her micromanager two options.

Even when both led to the same outcome.

The boss picked one.

Felt powerful.

She got her way.

Every time.

Give people fake choices.

Let them feel in charge while you steer.

And always

Finish the task.

Deliver early (with buffer time).

Keep receipts.

“Just wanted to be sure this aligns with your vision.”

Translation:

Relax. I’ve got this.

Choose environments where you can breathe.

Work where ideas aren’t policed.

Grow where your competence isn’t perceived as a threat.

Because the best workplaces don’t suffocate talent.

They unleash it.

Your Next Moves

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Have an exit strategy.

From day one. Not “one day.”

Think of it like a prenup.

You don’t plan to fail. You plan to not be naïve.

The nepo babies and trust fund kids

(and yes, I wish we were all nepo babies and trust fund kids in this economy)

are exceptionally good at this.

I’ve been lucky enough to work in high-pressure, high-paying industries like investment banking and management consulting, environments where many of these kids start their careers. And here’s what stood out to me:

They are intentional.

Almost aggressively so.

Please stay with me. I promise this is going somewhere.

Most of them don’t treat their jobs as identities. They treat them as phases.

Many willingly take on brutal workloads, demanding bosses, and intense learning curves, not because they love suffering, but because they know exactly why they’re there.

Some work before taking over the family business.

Some work before starting their own company.

But almost all of them work with an end in mind.

One of them once told me, very casually:

“I won’t work a single day past my forties.”

He already had a plan.

Two years junior. Two years senior. Then a company change.

All while investing, stacking passive income, and building optionality.

So far, every move he’s made aligns with a future he designed early, despite recessions, layoffs, chaos, and market cycles.

And honestly,

I’m in awe of that level of confidence.

That quiet self-worth.

That mix of humility and discipline at such a young age.

Before anyone jumps to “tax the rich, hate the rich,” how about learn from the rich?

Start from the end

Think about the life you want.

And then go further.

• How do you want to work?

• When do you want to slow down?

• What does retirement even mean to you?

• What role do family, hobbies, freedom, and health play?

Now reverse-engineer it.

Don’t drift into:

“Well, I didn’t get the promotion. I’ve been here 15 years. Might as well stay until I retire.”

Because when layoffs hit, and they always do, you’re left staring at your screen thinking,

“What now?”

Preparation changes everything.

Read more

Santa is real.

Yes, you read that right.

And this year, he sent certificates straight from the North Pole.

A few years ago, I gave my sister a simple gift:

a Santa’s Certificate titled “Sister of the Year.”

She framed it.

And something unexpected happened.

Every person who visited her would light up and say:

“I love this.”

“I wish I had one.”

“You’re lucky to have such a sister.”

These weren’t kids.

They were adults in their 30s and 40s.

So this year, I did it again, but bigger.

Every family member received a customized certificate.

They laughed, loved it, and it truly made their day.

Unfortunately, as we grow up, we forget “the magic.”

Christmas movies talk about it all the time.

We get so caught up in our day-to-day lives, work, bills,

and juggling many things we feel we have to do.

But where is the fun in all of that?

Don’t let the kid inside you die.

Make your inner child happy.

This idea is not just for family.

You can use it for Boss of the Year.

Best Friend of the Year.

The One Who Always Shows Up.

And because Christmas is about sharing,
I made the template available for you.

🎅 You can find the Santa’s official certificate template here

Straight from the North Pole 😉

HO HO HO

Merry Christmas 🎄

Welcome to “CEO of My Career” Advent Calendar – Day 14

There’s a quiet truth behind every confident professional you admire.

Confidence doesn’t come first.

Competence does.

No one starts as an expert.

They start as a beginner.

They allow themselves to be bad at something.

They practice anyway.

Then they get good.

Then really good.

Then consistently good.

And here’s the part most people miss:

They keep going after they’re good.

They repeat the work when it’s no longer exciting.

When it’s boring.

When no one is clapping.

That’s where mastery is built.

People love to say:

“You’re so talented.”

“You were born for this.”

What they don’t see:

The hundreds… sometimes thousands of hours.

The repetition.

The refinement.

The muscle memory built quietly, day after day.

You stop hoping you’ll perform well.

You expect it.

So if today feels clumsy or uncomfortable, don’t quit.

Today’s reminder:

- Be willing to be bad before you’re great.

- Stay long enough to master the boring parts.

- Trust that repetition compounds.

Confidence isn’t magic.

It’s earned.

And once you earn it, no one can take it from you.

See you tomorrow!

Welcome to “CEO of My Career” Advent Calendar – Day 13

There’s a skill every successful professional eventually learns.

And it has nothing to do with titles, performance reviews, or résumés.

It’s discernment.

In your career, you will meet all kinds of people.

Supporters.

Skeptics.

Competitors.

And occasionally, those who feel threatened by your light.

If someone tries to sabotage you, stay calm.

If they gossip, don’t engage.

If they try to undermine you, don’t retaliate.

If they attempt a smear campaign, take the high road.

When someone works to undermine or sabotage you,

they’re revealing how much you matter.

So respond with grace.

- Speak well of them. It disarms negativity.

- Don’t rush to defend yourself. Time is the most honest witness.

- Invite collaboration instead of conflict. They can’t sabotage what they’re part of.

People eventually show who they are.

You don’t need to expose cracks.

Just give them space to appear.

And remember this:

You don’t rise by lowering others.

You rise by staying aligned with your values.

Reputation compounds.

And integrity always pays interest.

So today’s reminder is simple:

- Pick your people.

- Protect your peace.

- Smile, wave, and keep moving forward with confidence.

The right rooms will recognize you.

And the wrong ones will remove themselves.

See you tomorrow!

I did not believe at first.

And then, I thought “Hell yeah”

Why have I left my life, my future in someone else’s hands?

It shook me to the core.

That moment changed everything.
If I was the CEO of my career, it was time to start acting like one.

DAY 1 - REFLECT ON YOUR GOALS

Before the noise.
Before the deadlines.
Before the excuses.

You pause.

Because clarity comes before action.

Ask yourself:

• What do I actually want from my career?

• What am I chasing out of habit instead of purpose?

• If nothing changed this year, would I be okay with that?

Most people drift into careers.
CEOs decide.

Today isn’t about doing more.
It’s about choosing direction.

Write your goals down.
Not the “safe” ones.
The honest ones.

This is where the journey starts.

DAY 2 – SET YOUR PRIORITIES

Busy doesn’t mean effective.

Multitasking feels productive,
but it’s often just distraction in disguise.

When everything matters,
nothing really does.

Today, do something radical:
Pause for 20 minutes.

Clear the mental clutter.
Silence the noise.
Close the extra tabs.

Mentally and literally.

Now decide:
What are the three things that actually move the needle today?

Not ten.
Not “nice to have.”
Three.

CEOs don’t do everything.
They do the right things.

On purpose.

Focus is a competitive advantage.
Use it.

DAY 3 – TIME FOR ACTION

Ideas are easy.
Execution is rare.

You don’t need a perfect plan.
You don’t need more preparation.
You don’t need permission.

You need one action.

One email sent.
One application submitted.
One conversation started.
One decision made.

Most people wait for confidence.
Confidence comes after action.

Momentum doesn’t start with big leaps.
It starts with movement.

No matter how small.

Today, turn thought into action.
Because progress—even slow progress—still counts.

And CEOs don’t just think.
They move.

DAY 4 – SET BOUNDARIES (OR BURN OUT QUIETLY)

Hard truth:
You don’t win by doing everything.
You win by doing what moves the needle.

Early in my career, I thought being “reliable” meant saying yes to everything.
Extra work.
Extra meetings.
Extra responsibility with zero upside.

Here’s what no one tells you:
Busy people look useful.
Focused people become valuable.

CEOs think in leverage.

Ask yourself:

• Does this task drive revenue, visibility, or cost reduction?

• Or does it just make someone else’s life easier?

If it’s not tied to outcomes, delegate it.
If you can’t delegate it, deprioritize it.
If it doesn’t belong to you, say no.

Politely, clearly, unapologetically.

Boundaries aren’t rude.
They’re strategic.

Your reminder today:
Stop confusing effort with impact.
Protect your time like it’s capital.

Because it is.

DAY 5 – BUILD ALLIES (TALENT ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH)

Careers aren’t built in isolation.
They’re built in rooms you’re not always invited into.

The myth:
“If I work hard enough, I’ll be noticed.”

Reality:
People advocate for people they trust, rely on, and remember.

Allies are not friends.
Allies are people who:

• Say your name when you’re not in the room

• Loop you into opportunities early

• Vouch for your credibility when the stakes are high

How to build them:

• Help without keeping score

• Share credit loudly and publicly

• Make your manager’s life easier (strategically)

• Be consistent, especially when no one is watching

Alliances aren’t built in emergencies.
They’re built long before you need them.

Your reminder today:
Stop networking for validation.
Start building alliances for influence.

Day 6 – YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR JOB

“What do you do?” is the first question most people ask.

But your job is not who you are.

Work is just one chapter, not the whole book.

Tying all your worth to a job is a dangerous game.

If your entire identity hangs on a job title,
you’ll collapse the moment it changes.

I saw colleagues pour their whole identity into their titles.

And when those titles slipped,
so did their sense of self.

Diversify your identity like you diversify investments.

If work is your only source of pride,
setbacks hit like earthquakes.

A bad job quarter hurts less when life is bigger than the office.

For me, it was hard to sit still.

I felt guilty if I wasn’t productive on weekends.

So here’s your reminder today:
Rest.

Enjoy what makes you happy.

Watch a cheesy rom-com.
Decorate the Christmas tree.
Paint, even if you’re a complete beginner.

Take a break.

You’re more than your job.

DAY 7 – FINISH THE YEAR STRONG

It’s that time of year.

Everyone around you is already in holiday mode,
thinking about their “New Year, New me” plans.

But while they slow down, you make your final sprint.

Work isn’t just about getting through the year.
It’s about ending on a high.

If you wait for January to make your move, you’re already behind.

The secret?
Take advantage of the quiet.

While your colleagues coast,
you amplify your wins,
take on visible projects,
and schedule career conversations.

End the year with momentum.
before anyone else wakes up to their New Year’s resolutions.

So here’s your reminder today:
Block 1 hour.
Learn something you’ve been putting off.

The holidays are coming,
but you’re already setting yourself up for success next year.

Don’t wait for January.

Finish strong.

DAY 8 – KNOW YOUR WORTH (THEN ADD TAX)

There comes a point in every career when you realize something important:
People will value you at the level you value yourself.

If you downplay your skills,
they will too.

If you shrink so others feel comfortable,
they’ll get used to the smaller version of you.

If you accept less than what you deserve,
that becomes the standard.

I’ve watched brilliant people apologize for taking up space.

But playing small doesn’t protect you.
It only limits you.

Confidence isn’t arrogance.
Asking for what you deserve isn’t “too much.”

It’s alignment.

When you know your worth,
you stop chasing validation
and start choosing opportunities that match your value.

So here’s your reminder today:
List your top 5 accomplishments from this year.
Write them down.
No downplaying, no humble edits.

Share them somewhere:
- In a performance review document
- With your manager
- On LinkedIn
- Or even in a message to a mentor

Ask for the raise, the title, the recognition you’ve earned.

You’re training yourself to own your value.
Out loud.

Know your worth.
Then add tax.

DAY 9 – BE RESPECTED, NOT JUST LIKED

Let’s clear something up.

Being liked is nice.
Being respected is powerful.

You don’t build a serious career by trying to make everyone comfortable.
You build it by being competent, consistent, and clear.

If everyone likes you, ask yourself:
Are you challenging enough?
Are you being honest enough?
Or are you just being agreeable?

Here’s how respect is actually built:

• Say no without over-explaining

• Set standards and stick to them

• Deliver results, not excuses

• Speak up, even when it’s uncomfortable

• Stop apologizing for taking up space

Respect comes from boundaries, not people-pleasing.

And one more thing:
If everyone likes you, you’re probably underpaid.

Because growth requires friction.
And leadership isn’t a popularity contest.

Your reminder today:
It’s okay to be liked.
But never crave it.

Respect compounds.
Approval doesn’t.

Choose accordingly.

DAY 10 – MASTER REJECTION

There’s one skill every ambitious person eventually has to master.

And no, it’s not Excel, public speaking, or negotiation.

It’s rejection.

Most people tiptoe around opportunities because they’re scared of hearing no.

The worst that can happen is a no.

A no doesn’t define you.

A no simply means, “Try somewhere else.”
Or “Try again.”

But you know what never gets a yes?

- The courage you never acted on.
- The message you didn’t send.
- The role you didn’t apply for because it felt “too big.”
- The mentor you didn’t reach out to because you thought you weren’t ready.

You can’t be picked for a chance you never take.

Every bold career move starts the same way.

With the uncomfortable, slightly terrifying step of asking.

Every no stretches your resilience.
Every attempt expands your possibilities.

So here’s your reminder today:
Do one thing that risks a no.

- Ask for the opportunity that feels out of your league.
- Apply for the job that intimidates you (that’s usually the one you grow into).
- Send the email that makes your heart rate jump.
- Pitch the idea that feels a little too audacious.

Because the opportunities that change your life rarely fall into your lap.

You ask for them.

Day 11 – NETWORKING (DONE RIGHT)

Networking isn’t collecting contacts.
It’s building context.

Most people network wrong.
They ask when they should offer.
They pitch when they should listen.
They disappear when they should follow up.

Real networking looks like this:

• Be curious, not transactional

• Follow up with value, not “just checking in”

• Stay visible even when you don’t need anything

Here’s the rule:
The best time to build relationships is before you need them.

Send the article.
Make the introduction.
Celebrate their win publicly.
Remember details others forget.

Opportunities flow through people.
Always have.

Your reminder today:
Don’t wait until you’re desperate to network.
Build your ecosystem while you’re stable.

DAY 12 – EXIT AT THE PEAK

It’s that time of year.

The office Christmas party is in full swing.

Everyone’s celebrating, letting loose, and having fun.

But here’s the secret:
Timing is everything.

Leave at your highest peak,
when everyone is still talking about how great you were.

It’s not about being the last one standing.
It’s about leaving at the top of your game,
remembered for your poise and grace.

Don’t let the party drag on until things get sloppy or chaotic.

People often make the mistake of staying too long,
drinking too much, and losing their professional edge.

But not you.

You’ll be remembered for how you leave,
not just how you show up.

So, here’s your reminder:
Stay classy.

Have fun, but exit gracefully before the party takes a wild turn.

Remember, after midnight, some people lose their jobs.

Don’t be one of them.

Your Next Moves

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You know what’s funny about sabotage?

People think it’s obvious.

They expect a villain in a black trench coat, twirling a mustache, cackling while slashing their career tires.

They expect betrayal with a soundtrack.

Slammed doors, raised voices, and the kind of disrespect you can screenshot.

But real workplace sabotage?

Oh, it’s subtle.
Soft.
Scented like a vanilla candle and disguised as mentorship.

If you have a sworn enemy, honestly, send them chocolates.
At least you know where they stand.
They’re predictable.
A person of honor, in their own medieval way.

It’s the sweet ones you have to worry about.

The “friendly” coworker who walks over with a smile and says,
“Got a minute? I just want to pick your brain.”

Pick.

Your.

Brain.

Sweetie, this is not Whole Foods.
My brain is not bulk produce.

And yet they scoop out your ideas like it’s a tasting station, trot off, and like magic, your concept reappears in the next meeting with their name on it.

They present your idea like it was born in their bathtub.

The colleague who sees your potential and immediately assigns themselves the role of your unofficial life coach, keeping you orbiting around their needs, their drama, their insecurities.

The manager who swears they’re protecting you while quietly installing a ceiling made of sugar.

But let’s talk about her.
The one whose story is far too common.

The manager who weaponized sweetness

Read more

Many women underprice themselves,

or worse, don’t even put a price on their services.

“I’m bad at asking for money.”

“I can’t monetize it.”

Sound familiar?

Women have a lot of competence,

but the confidence is not always there.

We overdeliver.

Offer things for free.

We’d rather go quiet and smile than ask for payment.

Meanwhile, we’re leaving money on the table.

It’s just two minutes of discomfort for a much better outcome.

The same thing happens with salaries.

Men ask for more.

They negotiate.

Women say, “Thank you for the opportunity.”

That’s one of the reasons the pay gap still exists.

Don’t come for me.

I don’t make the rules.

Think about it this way:

Would you walk into an Apple Store and ask for a free iPhone?

Or say,

“Oh, it’s too expensive. Can you give me a better deal?”

No, right?

You knew the price before walking in.

So why do we treat our own work differently?

Put a price tag on your product.

On your time.

On your talent.

You’ve earned it.

Once upon a time, your title defined you.

“Manager.” “Director.” “VP of Something Important.”

It looked great on LinkedIn.

It made your parents proud.

It told people who you were before you even opened your mouth.

But here’s the hard truth:

Titles don’t protect you anymore. Skills do.

Because in 2025, job titles are becoming like designer handbags.

Overpriced, overhyped, and often empty inside.

The illusion of status

People still chase titles the way toddlers chase balloons.

They look shiny, they float high… and then they pop.

We were raised to believe titles meant power.

That moving “up” meant success.

That hierarchy meant safety.

But the world of work has flipped.

AI doesn’t care about your job title.

The algorithm scanning your résumé doesn’t either.

It’s not asking “Were you a Director?”

It’s asking “Can you do the job?”

And when layoffs hit, it’s not the title that gets spared.

It’s the skill set that still brings value.

The corporate graveyard

Scroll LinkedIn any day this year and you’ll see a digital cemetery of titles.

“Senior Marketing Manager — Open to Work.”

“Global Head of Operations — Seeking Opportunities.”

“Vice President of Strategy — Recently Impacted.”

All impressive titles.

All unemployed.

What went wrong?

Here’s the thing: most of them never saw it coming.

They gave everything.

Ten years of loyalty, late nights, missed birthdays, endless Zoom calls.
And then one morning, a generic email landed in their inbox.

“Your position has been impacted.”

That’s it.

It hurts.

Deeply.

I know because it happened to me too.
They put me on a PIP, handed me fifteen impossible topics, waiting for me to fail.
I did every single one of them.
And they still laid me off.

“The decision has been made.”

And here’s the truth: it wasn’t about skill.
It was about business. Budgets. Optics. Timing.

So if it happened to you, don’t dwell on it.
Give yourself two good days.
Cry. Go to the spa. Call your funniest friend.
Then get up.

Because the layoff does not define you.

Layoffs are not a reflection of your worth.
They’re a wake-up call to rebuild differently.
To build something that cannot be deleted with a single email.

The new currency: skills

Read more

When I was in my last year of high school, my biggest problem wasn’t exams.

It was what to study.

My dad had always dreamed of becoming a doctor.

But during the dictatorship in Albania, he didn’t get to choose.

Despite being top of his class, learning Latin, and secretly studying medical books, that dream was never possible for him.

So he tried to pass it on to me.

That was his dream.

Unfortunately, it was never mine.

And I was very persistent in what I wanted.

I know many kids who studied their parents’ dream and do not enjoy their profession.

Choosing a path that no one else understands or has never walked before, means facing resistance.

It almost feels like rebellion.

Because they didn’t get to choose.

They survived.

Many immigrant kids feel it deeply.

Their parents had to do whatever jobs they could to provide for their family.

Mostly physical, intense labor like housekeeping, construction, or factory work, to offer their children a better future.

They wanted to see their kids study at the best universities, get the “best” jobs, wear a suit, and sit in an office for eight or nine hours a day.

There’s a joke that immigrant parents only recognize three jobs:

Doctor. Lawyer. Engineer.

To them, those jobs meant stability, status, and safety in a foreign country.

A way to say, “We made it.”

Maybe that is their way of feeling part of society. Feeling accepted.

Three types of immigrant hustle

Many of the first-generation immigrants I met fell into three categories.

1. The tireless workers

They did everything they could, and more, to give their children a better life.

Most of them still work those hard jobs until retirement.

Their children, the second generation, are usually well educated, often because of high pressure, and work in finance, tech, or consulting.

The “respectable” jobs.

2. The builders of their own luck

They knew no one would hire them for the “good” jobs, so they built something of their own.

They worked in construction for years, saved, then started their own firms.

Built homes, businesses, and eventually, wealth.

Because they knew there was no other option.

Nobody was waiting for them with a red carpet.

No university degree (or not recognized). No money. No connection.

Broken English or German.

When I told them, “That is impressive,” they often replied,

“What else could we do? I didn’t graduate. At least I did something.”

That line stayed with me.

It made me realize they wanted to feel accepted.

Whenever they met someone with a master’s degree who worked at a bank or as a software engineer, their faces would show respect.

Which is ironic, because AI is replacing exactly those types of jobs.

The physical ones are the safest.

I don’t see AI building houses anytime soon.

Sometimes I want to shake them and say: You are the definition of “made it.”

You have everything that the banker or software engineer dreams of.

But sometimes, the way we see ourselves isn’t the way others see us.

3- The highly skilled workers

There’s also a third category that’s been growing in recent years.

The engineers, doctors, and other skilled professionals who managed to continue working in their field after immigrating.

They didn’t have to start from scratch.

Their education was recognized, or they requalified through additional exams.

They’re building stable careers abroad.

Something that was nearly impossible for the first generation.

The blue-collar economic shift

There’s an economic shift happening that adds another layer to this story.

The physical work many immigrant parents escaped is now paying better than the office work they pushed their children toward.

Tradespeople are booked months out, setting their own rates.

Meanwhile, graduates with master’s degrees compete for jobs that might be automated next year.

But try telling immigrant parents their child should become a plumber.

After everything they sacrificed to avoid that kind of work, the suggestion feels like rejection.

Like all those years meant nothing.

The builders who started their own firms might have understood something the rest of us missed.

But their children still feel pressure to get the degree, wear the suit, work in the office.

Part of the issue is how we’re trained to make career decisions.

Schools teach students to chase prestige rather than understand themselves.

To want what everyone wants.

To follow templates.

Nobody teaches the crucial skill: understanding what work actually suits you.

What you’re genuinely capable of versus what you forced yourself to learn.

How you actually work versus how you think you should work.

That gap becomes obvious when the prescribed path stops working.

The second-gen paradox

Being second-generation comes with a lot of baggage and identity issues.

You often ask yourself, Where do I belong?

Most of the time, you feel like a foreigner everywhere.

My cousin went to the UK in a lorry in the ‘90s.

After many years, he finally called it home.

When his son decided to move back to Albania during the pandemic, my cousin almost had a heart attack.

“We did everything to give you a better future, and you go back?”

I think, in his mind, it was a glitch in the matrix.

He’d risked everything for a “better life,” and now his son was walking away from it.

It made no sense whatsoever.

But the truth is, my cousin made his choice back then.

Now his son gets to make his own.

It is his life.

Defining success. AGAIN.

Both my sister and I studied abroad.

Once, my little sister said, “I want to be a stay-at-home mom and homeschool my kids.”

The look on my mom’s face said it all. Her jaw dropped.

“We did everything to give you a good education, and this is how you pay us back?”

That moment made me realize that in their minds, there is only one version of success.

But I had to unlearn that idea and relearn what success means.

Success isn’t one-size-fits-all.

To me, success means going after what you want and reaching your goal.

It’s whatever version of life feels like yours.

- Someone wants to climb the corporate ladder.

- Someone else wants to be their own boss.

- Someone prefers to clock out at 5 and spend more time with family.

- Someone wants to travel the world with a laptop.

All of these are valid.

But many parents see their child’s failure as their failure,

and their child’s success as their success.

Pressure makes diamonds (and anxiety)

Don’t get me wrong. A bit of pressure helps.

It creates urgency, drive, resilience.

As the saying goes, “Pressure makes diamonds, not hugs.”

But when it turns into guilt or comparison, it steals joy.

Ask yourself:

What would I choose if I didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion?

Being an immigrant kid means carrying two worlds on your shoulders.

But you are allowed to choose your own path.

You don’t owe anyone your dream.

You can honour their sacrifices without replicating their story.

You are not their second chance.

You are your own first.

We were taught to go to school, get good grades, earn a degree, land a job...

And then what?

It’s like in the movies when they say “happily ever after.”

The day you land your “dream job,” you think you’ve arrived.

You haven’t.

You’ve just unlocked the next level of the game.

The so called “office politics.”

And most of us were never taught how to handle that part.

We learned the hard way.

We were told:

“Keep your head down. Work hard. Your results will speak for themselves.”

Results don’t speak.

People do.

The grind that blinds you

When I first started working in investment banking, I was working like I was going to inherit the company.

Blazer on. Emails flying. Working until 11 PM.
Living on caffeine and ambition.

I was great at my job.
But I forgot one thing: people.

I thought effort was enough.
It’s not.

I was the hardest worker in the room, doing the job of an entire team, and I mistakenly thought that made me important.
That my work would speak for itself.

It didn’t.
Because work doesn’t talk. People do.

I was passionate, obsessively optimizing processes, cutting costs, chasing perfection.
And every night, I went home completely burned out.
No social life. No balance. Just spreadsheets and self-sacrifice.

And the worst part?
I thought I was winning.

I thought that kind of grind was the price of success.

That someday someone would notice and say, “You’ve made it.”

You know what actually happened?
I made more enemies than allies.

Because when you’re the hardest worker in the room, you don’t just raise the bar, you raise resentment.
You make people around you look lazy.
It’s like being sober at a party full of drunk people.
You’re not cool anymore.

Don’t be a fool like me.

Don’t confuse effort with influence.
Don’t assume your work will protect you.

It won’t.

That’s when I finally understood what nobody teaches you in school or your first job:
You’re not rewarded for being the hardest worker.

You’re rewarded for mastering the game

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My teenage cousin’s birthday is coming up, and when we asked what she wanted, she said:

“I want my picture on a New York Times Square billboard.”

We all laughed.
“Okay, easy there, young lady.”

But later, I got curious and googled it.
Turns out… it costs $150.

$150.
The dream that sounded impossible was just a few clicks and a dinner bill away.

It made me realize how often we don’t even ask how something can be done.
We just label it “unrealistic” and move on.
We don’t hit a wall. We build one in our minds.

Read more

We’re in the middle of an AI gold rush.
Companies are drunk on the promise of efficiency and chasing one thing: savings.

Why pay a $120K engineer when a $20 chatbot can code in seconds?
Why hire a copywriter when ChatGPT can churn out paragraphs faster than you can microwave lunch?

AI writes emails.
Builds apps.
Designs slides.
Never gets tired.
Never complains.
Always says, “Great idea, boss.”

It’s the perfect employee.

Why pay six figures for a person when a twenty-dollar algorithm works faster, never calls in sick, and praises your every idea?

No coffee breaks. No burnout. No PTO.
Just 24/7 performance. Always on, always obedient.

Management is thrilled.
And I’m guessing you’re not.

Because while executives are popping champagne, employees are popping anxiety pills.
You can feel it, right?

That quiet dread humming under every “AI update” meeting.

So the question is: what now?

Here’s the twist no one’s talking about:
You can still win.

Read more

There was a time when “job hopping” was the ultimate career advice.

• Toxic boss? Job hop.

• Passed over for a promotion? Job hop.

• Want a raise, growth, or a fancy new title? Job hop.

It was the go-to cure for every corporate problem.
If something didn’t serve you, you left.

Simple.

And honestly, for a while…it worked.

The era of job hopping

Back then, hopping was power.

It showed ambition.
It got you better offers.
It made recruiters chase you.

The corporate ladder turned into a trampoline.

And the people who jumped the most rose the fastest.

But 2025?
Different game. Different rules.

The reality check

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but…

Do. Not. Quit. Your. Job.

Read more

This article is a collaboration with Adi, the voice behind School of Power and Influence. Adi teaches ambitious professionals how to compete and win in a rigged corporate world by decoding the unwritten rules of power, influence, and corporate politics to help them rise with strategy.

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You get a job offer abroad.
Dream company. Dream country.

You’re packing your bags, certain the adventure of a lifetime is about to begin.

You can’t wait to start the adventure.

Or so you think.

Nobody tells you that along with the excitement come invisible tests.
New rules. New biases. New comparisons.
The kind of lessons no handbook or relocation guide prepares you for.

These are the lessons we wish our past selves knew.
We had to learn them the hard way.

Through trial and error, wins and stumbles.

One of us (Adi) has lived and worked across four continents: Australia, Europe, North America, Asia.

The other (hi, it’s me 👋) has lived in four countries across Europe.

We were constantly adapting to new systems, cultures, and ways of working.

From the outside, our paths look different.

Different passports. Different industries. Different struggles.

But when you zoom in, the lessons we kept bumping into were surprisingly the same.

Here’s what life and work abroad really taught us.

Lessons Across Borders

1- The Story You Tell Yourself

As a young immigrant, fresh out of college, I felt smaller than natives.

Less confident. Less worthy. Less entitled to opportunities.

Many immigrants start out feeling “less than”.

But here’s what I learned: inferiority is not a fact, it’s a narrative.

And narratives can be rewritten.

The moment you shift from “I don’t belong here” to “I bring a unique perspective,” you show up differently.

Change the narrative, and you change how you show up.

That was the first border I had to cross.

The one in my head.

2- Racism & “Immigrants Take Jobs” Myth

I’ve heard it in more countries than I can count:

“Immigrants are taking our jobs.”
Yes, racism exists.

Yes, bias exists.

But energy is a currency. What you spend it on grows.

Putting your energy into fighting perceptions won’t get you anywhere.

I chose to spend that energy applying for jobs, networking, upskilling.

And that choice opened more doors than arguments ever could.

You are not tied to one country, one path, or one version of yourself.

3- Status Is Earned, Not Bought

This one is tricky.

Across every city, I saw the same mistake: people equating possessions with status.

The problem is that purchased symbols such as cars, watches or postcodes don’t deliver the respect people think they do.

When others see a person with such symbols, they don’t admire the person but merely imagine how they’d look with the same item.

You might think, “Come on, where do you live? Under a rock? Of course, cars, watches, titles, and postcodes are status symbols.”
And hear me out, yes, they are. And most people do treat you differently because of them.

When people asked me where I lived, what I did for a living, or simply noticed how I was dressed, I’d often see that subtle shift — the “Oh” of instant respect.

But when I was laid off and shared that openly, something changed.

Many people suddenly disappeared.

At the time, it stung. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise.

Because in the long run, purchased status fades.
It has no lasting effect on who you are or who stays.

This lesson hits harder when you live abroad.

You’re often alone, building everything from scratch, craving genuine connection.
And that’s when you realize: the people who remain when the titles and symbols fall away are your real wealth.

The kind of status that endures is built through achievements, credibility, contribution and consistency.

Think about it in your own context – the people you admire, do you admire them because of their material possessions or because of a quality or achievement they have?

4- The Arrival Fallacy

The day you land your “dream job abroad,” you think you’ve arrived.
You haven’t.

You’ve just unlocked the next level of the game.

Milestones are often treated as endpoints.

I remember thinking:

“When I get that promotion, I’ll finally be happy.”

“When I get that raise, my financial worries will disappear.”

The reality is different.

Each achievement produces only a temporary high before expectations reset or your mind normalizes to the new salary or job title.

This “arrival fallacy” keeps people in a cycle of chasing without ever feeling they’ve arrived.

Never forget: the dopamine high is in the chase, not necessarily in the end goal.

5- The Financial Paradox

One of the most surprising patterns was how many highly paid professionals were financially constrained.

Lifestyle inflation, i.e., bigger houses, better cars and ever increasing expenses, chained them to jobs they didn’t even enjoy. In chasing the symbols of success, they traded both present freedom and future flexibility for its appearance.

High income means nothing if your expenses climb just as fast.

I fell for this trap too.

I told myself it was motivation: the more I spent, the harder I’d work, the more I’d earn.

It works… until it doesn’t.

Live below your means.

Not out of scarcity, but out of strategy.
Because the less your life costs, the freer you become.

6- The Beauty & the Beast of Comparison

In every office, comparison was constant.

Who had the better office, the bigger M&A deal, the earlier house purchase.

What else was constant was the dissatisfaction, even among high achievers, of the people who engaged in this.

I found that a more sustainable approach is to use others as reference points for direction, but to measure progress against your past self.

This keeps ambition intact without falling into toxic rivalry.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Buuuuut, but, but….

I will also discuss the other side of the medal.

Comparison also pushes you to be better.

Whenever I would compare myself to peers or feel even the slightest jealousy, I knew that this is what I wanted.

Use it as a compass. The universe is abundant.

I remember, I applied for the Blue Card. I had gathered all the documents, fulfilled all the criteria and did not get it. Someone else got it so easily (at least that’s how it looked from the outside).

At first, I was a bit sad and maybe a bit envious (I try to be as self-aware as possible). Then I quickly laughed and thought: There are thousands of Blue Cards given per year. She didn’t take mine. I’m sure I’ll get it too.

And guess what? I did.

When I felt envy, I learned to ask: “What is this showing me about what I actually want?”

Comparison will always exist. What changes everything is how you read it.

Let it point you forward, not pull you down.

7- Work is NOT Your Identity

In international careers, work often becomes your badge.

“What do you do?” is the first question most people ask.

But your job is not who you are.

Work is one chapter, not the whole book.

Tying all your worth to a job is a dangerous game.

If your entire identity hangs on a job title, you’ll collapse the moment it changes.

I saw colleagues pour their whole identity into their titles. And when those titles slipped, so did their sense of self.
Diversify your identity like you diversify investments.

If work is your only source of pride, setbacks hit like earthquakes.
A bad job quarter hurts less when life is bigger than the office.

8- Be Like Water

Early in my career, I was obsessed with linear success.

The “perfect” ladder: right title, right company, right country.

Reality?

Nothing is linear.

My career wasn’t a straight ladder. It was a winding river.

The people who thrive abroad are flexible.

Laser focused on their goal, flexible on the route.

Be like water. Flow where you need to, but never lose direction.

9- Curiosity Opens Doors

Adaptability goes hand in hand with curiosity.
Every time I met someone from a country I knew nothing about, I asked questions, I listened, I learned.

That curiosity built bridges across cultures and opened more doors than strategy ever could.

It even landed me my first university job.

At a networking event, I met someone from Cameroon, struck up a conversation, and a week later he was one of my interviewers.

I got the job on the spot.

Curiosity creates opportunities where credentials can’t.

Most of us default to homophily, the tendency to surround ourselves with people like ourselves.

By living in different countries, I learned to build relationships across cultures and industries and to connect groups of people who might not otherwise meet.

That bridging ability is central to effective networking and has presented the most unexpected opportunities.

Curiosity is a bridge.

The more you use it, the wider your world becomes.

Skills That Stay With You

Working across borders develops skills that outlast any job title.

• The ability to navigate ambiguity, because nothing abroad is ever black and white.

• The discipline of detail — not just in documents, but in relationships. Remembering the small things, whether a client’s preference, an acquaintance’s birthday or a colleague’s offhand remark, often builds more trust than big gestures.

• The resilience to rebuild from scratch: new networks, new routines, new identity.

• The perspective to see issues from multiple angles, making you calmer, more empathetic, and ultimately more effective.

Those muscles never fade.

The job abroad changes your passport.
The lessons abroad change your life.

Thriving Beyond Borders

Living and working abroad isn’t about escaping home or collecting stamps in your passport.

It’s about unlearning and relearning who you are. Over and over again.

It’s about reshaping how you see yourself and how you connect with others.

Borders test you.

They strip away illusions about status, money, identity.

But they rebuild you stronger.

More adaptable, more resilient, more globally minded.

An international career isn’t just about surviving in a new country.
It’s about thriving beyond borders.

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This article is a collaboration with Joel Trammell. In his publication, Managing The Future, he helps CEOs and business leaders cut through the noise with curated insights, practical tools, and strategies to navigate today’s complex business landscape. With over 30 years of experience leading companies from startups to $1B+ enterprises, Joel brings a veteran CEO’s perspective to the challenges of leadership and decision-making.

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If most people had Aladdin’s lamp, they’d ask the genie for three things:

1. Make me rich.

2. Make me famous.

3. Make me my own boss.

Sounds magical, doesn’t it?

• No 9-to-5.

• No manager breathing down your neck.

• No “Can you jump on a quick call?” at 4:59 PM.

Just freedom.

Finally calling the shots.

Living the dream.

Usually, what people really mean is:

• I want to escape a bad manager.

• I want control over my schedule.

• I want autonomy in my work.

• I want more money.

• I want recognition for my contributions.

These are legitimate desires.

But none of them require being CEO.

• Freelance if you want schedule control.

• Consult if you want autonomy.

• Find a better company if you want a better boss.

The CEO job is for people who want the responsibility itself.

People who find fulfillment in balancing competing stakeholders, making impossible tradeoffs, being the person who decides when nobody else can or will.

Most people are better off pursuing what they actually want without taking on the full weight of CEO responsibility.

The Fantasy of a Young, Naive Girl

I was working as a strategy consultant back then.

Clean decks, sharp frameworks, neat solutions for messy problems.

And in between client slides, I’d scroll Instagram and see those quotes:

“Work 2 hours for yourself so you never work 40 for someone else.”

Yes, please. Sign me up.

I want to be my own boss.

Who doesn’t want that?

My mentor told me:

“Live below your means. Go to a coworking space. Pretend you’re clocking into a 9-to-5.”

At first, I rolled my eyes.

Wake up for a 9-to-5 but not for my dreams?

Please.

If you can’t wake up for your own dreams, you’re not ready to be your own boss.

But then I tried it.
And reality slapped me harder than my morning espresso.

The motivation quotes stop working after a week.
Discipline has to replace hype.
Consistency becomes survival.

And here’s the kicker: You don’t know how to “work smart” until you’ve worked hard.

Consulting was easy.
Tell others what to do. Hand over the playbook. Done.

Running your own thing? Different game.
You know exactly what to do and then you still have to do it.
EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.

• Bad week? Keep working.

• Good week? Keep working.

• Great week? Keep working.

Strategy is nothing without persistence, consistency, and the grind of execution.

I thought being CEO was about doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

But what I didn’t realize was that being CEO doesn’t mean less work.

It means more. With higher stakes.

The Reality of a Seasoned CEO

The idea of being “CEO” appeals to a lot of people for dubious reasons.

For some, they want the fantasy version of the CEO job, which has to do with making big calls, being your own boss, bringing home huge paychecks, and maybe even flying around the world in a private jet if you’re successful enough at it.

The reality of being a CEO is, for most people, really different.

Let’s start with a very basic misunderstanding, which was well captured recently by venture capitalist Kate Lowry:

A common misconception that I hear from first time founders is, ‘Well, I’m the CEO. I can do whatever I want.’ It’s at that point that I have to clue them in that they have the least freedom of pretty much anyone at the company.

Being CEO comes with perks and can give you fulfillment, but it doesn’t grant you unilateral power. Those who go in expecting to “do whatever they want” get disabused of the notion once they feel the intense scrutiny and weight of responsibility.

The actual job of CEO is quite difficult, and its main feature isn’t the perks:

1. You have no peer in the organization. Everyone else has a boss to provide guidance, but you’re expected to self-diagnose your weaknesses because subordinates won’t tell you. Your jokes seem funnier, your ideas better. People measure their words around you and may be reluctant to give you the unvarnished truth. It might seem great to not have a boss until you get there.

2. Most problems are outside your expertise. As a VP of Sales, you solve sales problems using sales expertise. As CEO, issues hit your desk across HR, legal, real estate, technology, finance. You’re not the expert, but you have to make big decisions that affect these areas anyway.

3. You’re judged on outcomes you can’t control. No matter what happens to the organization, even if it’s outside you’re control, the CEO has to deal with it and take responsibility for it. In the Navy, I met a submarine group commander who’d been in charge for only two weeks when one of his eight subs ran aground in the Pacific. He’d never met the sub’s commander. It didn’t matter. He was held responsible. The incident ended his career prospects. As CEO, you own every failure in your organization, whether you were there to witness it or not.

Early in my first business, I shipped a computer order to a customer in Maine and accepted his check for $13,000. It bounced. That represented a third of our annual profit. One customer, one bad call on my part to ship without verifying payment, and a year’s work nearly disappeared. I was horrified, and it was all on me – because I was the CEO.

That’s what being CEO really means: Every CEO decision carries that weight. The risks and rewards affect people’s livelihoods, not just your own. And the buck stops with you.

The Real Question

So yes, you can be your own boss.
But do you really want to be one?

And before you quit your job and print “CEO” on your business card, ask yourself:

Do I want the job when it means taking bigger pay cuts than anyone else during tough times, being last to know good news and first to hear bad, making decisions where every option disappoints someone?

And if that still excites you, if you want the weight and not just the wins, then maybe you’re cut out for it.

The genie won’t make you a great CEO.

The Instagram version of being CEO is seductive.

The real version is heavier.

The difference between wanting to be your own boss and actually being one comes down to this:

Don’t fall in love with the fantasy. Fall in love with the responsibility.

That’s the real magic.

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I get this DM at least ten times a week:

“My boss is an idiot.”
“My boss is mediocre at best.”
“My manager is incompetent.”
“The laziest person in the office just got promoted over me.”

And every time, I say the same thing:
Don’t be fooled. Learn from them.

Because here’s the ugly truth:
Power is rarely an accident.

The “incompetent” boss you roll your eyes at?
They didn’t stumble into that chair.

They played chess to sit there.

Option 1: They’re Not Incompetent. They’re Strategic.

They may look lazy.

Mediocre.

Out of their depth.

But what they really are?

Political athletes.

Read more

If you work in an office, you already live inside a sitcom.

If you don’t, congratulations: you’ve been spared passive-aggressive fridge notes and meetings that could’ve been an email.

But for the rest of us?
We clock in every day to a laugh track nobody asked for.

The thing is, you don’t need Netflix when you’ve got Greg in accounting forgetting he’s not on mute.

Corporate life is funny.

Not on purpose, but by accident.

And those accidents are gold.

Here are 10 office jokes born from corporate chaos.

The Sick Day

At 8:03 a.m., Sarah emailed her team:
“Down with a fever. Logging off.”

By 10:11 a.m., she forgot.

On Instagram, she posted a sunny beach selfie with the caption:
“Vitamin Sea > Vitamin C 🌊☀️”

By noon, HR commented under the photo:
“Feel better. Sunscreen helps.”

The Email Truth

An employee stayed up all night finishing a report.

At 8 a.m., exhausted, he hit “Send” and passed out at his desk.

Two hours later, his boss stormed in:
“This file is a disaster! Did you even look at it?”

Half-asleep, the employee mumbled,
“Of course. Twice.”

The boss slammed the papers down.

“Really? Then why does page three say, ‘I hate Excel and if I die, tell my family I went peacefully’?”

The Meeting Marathon

A 30-minute meeting ran for 2 hours.

At the end, Mark asked: “So what’s the action item?”

The manager replied: “We’ll need a follow-up meeting to figure that out.”

The Zoom Catastrophe

Todd thought his camera was off.

Todd also thought pants were “optional work attire.”

Midway through a client presentation, Todd stands up to grab coffee.

Camera’s on. Full thighs on display.

And suddenly, the whole board of directors knows Todd owns SpongeBob boxers.

HR jumps in immediately: “Todd… for God’s sake, put on pants!”

And Todd — dead serious — goes,
“Technically, these are shorts. Business casual.”

The Vision Problem

One day, Brian called his boss.

“Hey boss, I can’t come in today. I’m sick.”

The boss asked, “What’s wrong?”

Brian groaned, “I have eye problems.”

The boss frowned, “Eye problems?”

Brian said, “Yeah… I just can’t see myself working today.”

The Raise

Emma walked into her boss’s office.

“Boss, I need a raise. Three companies are after me.”

The boss raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? Which companies?”

Emma replied, “The gas company, the electric company, and the water company.”

The Copy-Paste Catastrophe

During a presentation, Linda tried to copy a chart.

Instead, she pasted her grocery list:
“Wine, wine, more wine, emergency wine.”

The VP nodded slowly and said:
“Strong strategy.”

The Reply-All Disaster

Karen meant to reply privately:
“This client is a nightmare.”

Instead, she hit Reply All.

The client responded within minutes:
“Don’t worry, Karen. The feeling is mutual.”

The Headset Mix-Up

During a call, Jen thought she was on mute.

She sang loudly along with her Spotify playlist: “I Will Survive!”

The client applauded at the end.

Her manager said:
“That… was the most honest Q4 update we’ve ever had.”

The Expensive Pen

John bought an expensive fountain pen, claiming it would “make his notes legendary.”

During the meeting, the ink leaked all over his shirt.

His boss looked at him and said:
“Congrats, John. You finally made your mark.”

On TV, the cast gets paid millions.

We don’t get the Hollywood paycheck.

But we do get the stories.

And in the middle of the chaos …the only sane thing to do is laugh.

Your Next Moves

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Which of these jokes is the funniest? Drop it in the comments . I’ll crown a winner.

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