The Great Reclamation: What to Do When You're Wondering What's Next

Over the past year, the Great Resignation is a topic that has dominated my video calls, board meetings and mentoring sessions: “What is its impact on our business?” “How is it changing the culture of our company?” And, the one that has resonated most with me, “What do I want to do next?” As a marketer, one of the things I like to do with my teams is to flip the narrative. Instead of trying to dissect the Great Resignation, I’ve started to call this chapter the Great Reclamation. In doing so, I'm finding new ways of thinking about the next chapter for my colleagues, fellow board members and myself. Shifting our mindset from resignation to reclamation changes the perspective from something ending to something restarting. Resignation is defined by the act of giving up a position or accepting something that may be undesirable but inevitable. By contrast, reclamation is the process of claiming something back or reasserting a right. There is positivity and optimism in reclamation. And we can all use a little more positivity and optimism in today’s world. Growing Your Brand Community Is One Thing. Serving It Is Everything During times of change, I make a conscious decision to focus on reclaiming what is important to me. This can be hard work, but when you take the time to do it, it will give you the clarity and confidence to pursue something you are excited about. Here are three marketing tips I've repurposed to help reclaim my personal brand journey. Look back to look forward In order to plan where we want to go, it is important to look back to where we have been. In marketing, we do this to map out the consumer journey and to plan the brand narrative. We do this for the brands we work with, but rarely do we allow ourselves the luxury of doing this for our own personal brands. When it comes to our careers, it is so easy to get caught up solely in what is next. There is true value in celebrating our accomplishments, realizing how much progress we've made and, most importantly, taking inventory of changes we would like to make moving forward. For me, this process involves reviewing previous work, reconnecting with old friends and past colleagues as well as scaling up my mentoring sessions to share my experience. Are you able to identify patterns from your past positions that can help you hone in on a better path forward? During my career, I have worked at advertising agencies, on regional brands, global brands and startups. In each position, I have tried to learn, grow and leave the team in a better place than when I started. Mapping out my personal brand journey, including all of the positions to date and key life milestones, has helped me better understand what I can bring to my next opportunity, as well as what I want in my next position, so I continue to grow. Name it and claim it Can you name the 10 most important criteria for your next chapter? When I worked in global marketing at Nike, we did a lot of brand planning. When working on our strategic plans, one of my mentors would often coach us to “name it and claim it.” It was a phrase that challenged us to be sharp about what we wanted to achieve, to let it be known and then to make it happen. I've continued to use this practice for my work and my personal life. By taking the time to reflect and articulate what you want, you can then more effectively put a plan in place to achieve it. Whenever I find myself in between roles, I always make the time to reflect and rearticulate what is important to me. For me, this often includes a combination of family time, opportunities for professional growth, a diverse and healthy work environment and alignment with leaders with similar values. I have shared my top 10 with my trusted, personal board of directors so they can hold me accountable, and I also share it with recruiters. This exercise has been helpful for me when I evaluate new career opportunities. I use these as filters to remind me of what is important to reclaim in my life and to guide me on what roles I should pursue. If a role does not meet enough criteria on my list, I move on. Architect your life with optimism I recently caught up with a close friend who is also an entrepreneur. One thing that always strikes me about the entrepreneurial spirit is the optimism. When shifting your mindset from resignation to reclamation, it's important to remember that optimists move the world forward. One piece of advice that Phil Knight would share with the team at Nike was, “Always believe that your best work is ahead of you.” With that in mind, when evaluating what's next in your career or life, architect with optimism. Any time I have evaluated an opportunity with skepticism, I felt like I was holding myself back from building the opportunity I wanted. Take back what is important to you and play an active role in planning a life that you would be proud to name and claim. Maybe your relationship with the Great Resignation is not as challenging as you think: Instead of resignation, think reclamation. Instead of focusing on your next career move, invest in your journey. Embrace the power of reprioritizing what is important in your life. Why not define your own version of the Great Reclamation? If nothing else, it can put you on a path to live the life you desire and deserve. Attracting Gen Alpha to Work in Agency-land Requires a New Set of Priorities