This week, I met a LinkedIn contact in person — we were talking about our career journeys, pivots, and reinventions. At one point, she said something that stuck with me:
“I stopped going to networking events because I didn’t know how to introduce myself anymore.”
I felt that.
For years, I never had to think about how to introduce myself. It was crystal clear:
“I’m a consultant cardiac surgeon at the university hospital.”
“I’m a director at Deloitte.”
“I’m the Managing Director of VAMED Middle East.”
Simple. Instant clarity. Job title = identity.
But then I quit.
And suddenly, with multiple ventures, a podcast, The Leadership Clinic™, strategy advisory, uplive… things weren’t so simple anymore.
Was I now “an ex–Managing Director”?
A “portfolio careerist”?
Should I lead with what I used to do — or with what I’m building now?
The truth? It depends.
I have multiple elevator pitches depending on who I’m speaking to and the context.
But the one thing I always come back to — the part of me that doesn’t change — is this:
👉🏼 I’m a cardiac surgeon. That will always be my root system.
From there, I branch into strategy, leadership, performance, reinvention — because these are the rooms I now belong in. But that root never goes away.
So here’s a little weekend reflection for you:
🌀 If you couldn’t use your job title, how would you introduce yourself?
🌀 What’s the value you bring — beyond the logo on your business card?
🌀 What part of you will always be true, no matter where your career goes?
Let me know what comes up for you. I read every reply.
See you next week,
Dr. Kerstin
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