Apparently, I Had Terms and Conditions. Don't Let the Smile Fool You EP32

I still remember that phone call like it was yesterday. I had been CMO for a few years and, like most ambitious people, I knew what I wanted next — to become a CEO. So when a headhunter asked to meet, I was excited. After a great conversation, they called back and said they had a CEO role. All my teeth were showing. Then they revealed the job was in the DRC, and just like that, disappointment hit. For years I had built up this idea in my mind of exactly how my story should play out, never realizing there were unspoken terms and conditions attached to my ambition.This episode is not about becoming a CEO. It is about the hidden assumptions we carry, often without even knowing it, and how reality has a way of testing them. Whether it is thinking you want something "no matter what," or being adamant about not wanting international experience, or working toward a dream job with every career box ticked only to see someone else get it, we all have stories in our head about what matters and what does not. But when reality bites, it often exposes things in us we did not even realize were there.The conversation focused on three different career stories:The shock and humor of learning your ambition comes with unspoken termsWatching a colleague's certainty about staying local give way to a career-changing international opportunitySeeing a carefully planned career hit a wall despite all logic and preparationA key theme that emerged was that certainty about what we want, or what will make us happy or successful, is often an illusion. Reality tests us. And sometimes, the things we have been pushing aside or the plans we have carefully constructed are not as solid as we believed.This episode is your reminder to watch out for those unseen terms and conditions in your life and career. When reality shows up with an unexpected twist, sometimes the best thing to do is roll with it and see where it takes you.00:00 The CEO call and a reality check03:24 Uncovering hidden assumptions04:04 The DRC experience and a colleague’s story06:29 How an unexpected move changed a career08:06 The deliberate planner who didn’t get the outcome10:20 The real lesson about control, certainty, and surprises12:36 Wrapping up and embracing the journey