You did everything right. You studied. You worked hard. You built the résumé people told you to build. Degree, internships, late nights, promotions. The quiet promise behind all of it was simple: if you put in the effort, you would eventually gain something that feels like freedom.
For twenty years, my identity was intertwined with my profession as a journalist—a career that, by its very nature, thrusts you into the spotlight. I embraced this public role wholeheartedly, not just as an individual or a journalist, but as what we called a personal brand. This approach felt not only natural but necessary. Yet, over time, a growing realization dawned on me: perhaps I wasn’t as professional in my journalistic role as I had believed.