From Toxic Work to Fulfillment & Growth | Lynne Levy Coaching Review

Hey Megan, how are you?

Hi, I'm great.

How are you? I am fabulous. Happy Monday.

Yes, thank you.

So thank you for doing this, this quick video for us. So let's dive in if that's okay.

I'm happy to.

All right, so let's start with, so where were you before you started the Inspired Product Leader program?

Yeah. So before I met you, I was pretty frustrated. I was in a really toxic work environment. I was struggling. Everybody was— it seemed like there were always challenges that came up and I wasn't quite sure how to navigate them. I was really struggling to identify my goals. I just felt generally unfulfilled. I knew I wanted more. I just didn't know how to get there.

And why did you decide to join? I mean, what, what was that key thing that said, all right, I've got to— I need, I need some help?

Yeah, well, I had, you know, really tried all the things. So this has been— it had been years, years that I had felt unfulfilled. Um, you know, I went to business school, there's career counseling at business school. Somehow that sent me down, you know, the path of like investment banking. And then eventually I found product management and was like, okay, I love product management. But I was struggling with, as I said before, you know, kind of like the toxic, toxic work environment, and also really trying to figure out how I add value, you know, how do I make a bigger impact in this world? How do I do something that feels impactful and important. Um, and just like, what is that and how do I get there? So I, you know, I read all the books, like, you know, What Color Is Your Parachute to, you know, the new ones that are coming out. I like literally read everything I could find in the library. It helped, but it wasn't quite getting me there. Um, I tried going to a career counselor and she was just a very traditional career counselor sort of akin to what I experienced in business school was not helpful. So I started looking at product-specific recommendations and found— I was part of the Women in Product group on Facebook and found some testimonials and recommendations for your group, for Inspired Product Leader on that, and was like, well, I'll give it a try. You know, what's the harm? So I had a conversation with, with you, Lynne, and from the first conversation, I felt like you really heard me. You understood what I was going through. And I loved that you had a program where it would be a network of people. It wasn't just us one-on-one. There was the one-on-one component to it, which is great. And I found invaluable. But I really liked the idea of building out my network and going— walking through this process with other people.

I love that you said that because as product managers, we are— for many of us, we are at our best when we're basically working with people at a whiteboard, collaborating. And the same applies to figuring out what you want in your career.

Absolutely. Yes.

So what were some of your key learnings in the program?

Let's see. So the biggest, the best, I think, takeaway that I've had— well, two. So one is the power of setting goals, the power of, like, through your support and help, I really have identified my BHAG, you know, what I want to do kind of long-term. And I'm taking steps to get there. So that's really important because I feel like I have a destination in mind. I'm no longer just like, you know, kind of moving through and feeling like I really enjoy this, but it's not quite there. So now I know where I'm going. So that's been great to have identified goals. And I find that, you know, whether they're small or large, really helps me get there. The other thing that just on a day-to-day basis, as I'm navigating my career, is really learning how to manage the emotions of myself and key stakeholders. So, you know, a lot of moving, and that's helped me move out of, or move away from toxic environments. When I identify situations are becoming toxic, I am able to take a step back and try to reset and support people who are struggling themselves. So through this, through this process, it's really enabled me to, I would say, grow my own emotional intelligence and, um, and understand how to really influence other key stakeholders.

So correct me if I'm wrong, but you decided— I know when we started working, you're like, then I want, I want to get a new job. But correct me if I'm wrong, things settled down enough where— tell me about your current state at work.

Yeah, that's true. So when I joined, I was, I was like, I've got to get out of here. This is, this place is a disaster. Like, my skip level is, was, was a very toxic person. And, you know, but fortunately, things changed, things shifted, there were reorganizations. And so that person moved away. And things, and through the support of this program, I figured out how to really sort of start navigating towards what I was looking to do and figuring out how to make my work environment a more positive place. So I am still at the same location, same job as I was when I started a year and a half ago. And things have just been going really great. Like I have great relationships with my coworkers. I I kind of describe my job as managing VPs, and there's a lot of, can be a lot of political things that come up, and I've really felt empowered to identify and help support the team through navigating kind of some, can be some like choppy political waters. And I've been I feel like, um, I have really good, you know, I'm, I feel very supported by my work environment as well.

That's a really big deal.

Um, my manager's fantastic. I've, um, gotten a significant bonus at work. And so things are just really moving in a much more positive direction, um, than they were.

So I know we talked about at the beginning fulfillment? Do you feel like you are— you're loving the journey?

Yes, the journey. I don't think I'm— I'm not at my BHAG yet, but I'm moving towards it, and it's a lot more fun to do it in a way that's, you know, supported, um, where I feel like I can always come back to Lynne and to, um, the group for support and for guidance when I encounter issues that, you know, are a struggle at work. And, um, so it's really been helpful.

Amazing. So what, what, what are a couple major shifts or major things that have changed in your life and career?

Yeah. Um, so in my, in my life, I bought a house, which is great. It's one of those things that I recognized during, um, like a visioning session last year where, you know, I really articulated what I wanted. And one of those was dedicated office space. And another was I want to buy a house. And so I, even though it was a crazy housing market, made it happen, have a dedicated office space.

Amazing. Amazing.

So even, you know, just identifying goals outside of work has really been a great part of this. Journey for me as well. But yeah, so I feel much more fulfilled. And, and in terms of work, I have been able to really articulate at work what I am interested in and where I want to move towards. And I've found that there's a lot of— my manager and my VP have been very supportive towards carving out opportunities for me to build and strengthen my, my skill set in the areas that interest me.

That's amazing. So you're— you, you now have a career path at work, which is awesome.

Yes.

All right, last question. So if you were to bump into somebody, I don't know, on the streets of California or on Facebook, and they were to say, should I join this Inspired Product Leader program, what questions would you have them ask themselves?

It's a good question. I would say, you know, look, are you, are you ready to really put in the work, put in the time, put in the effort? Because it does take time to actually do the program. So one is like, are you, are you in a space where you can commit to it? Two would be, are you feeling like you just need the support of a group of people to help you through it? So one of the fantastic things about this program is that group, that kind of cohort that you get to move through this process with. You realize you're not alone. So if you're somebody who gets inspired and gets support from, from community, this is a great place to do that.

Awesome. I am so excited to watch you on your career journey.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. And we'll talk in a bit. Thank you, Megan. Bye.