WTF is a multi-hyphenate?

(and how to know if you should become one!)

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Is it just me or is almost everyone starting to think about doing something different?

I'm speaking to more and more people who seem to be disconnected, unfulfilled, stressed, tired, over it or just simply bored. 

It’s probably no coincidence that, at a macro level, the old systems and structures that we once used to rely on as sources of stability, meaning and truth also seem to be falling apart.

It's fair to say that things are starting to look pretty different out there. 

To me it feels like we're on the cusp of something new…

A new way of being where what we do is in greater alignment to our values. 

Where how we spend our time is, well, more like how we’d like to spend our time.

I went through this process in 2021 (although it really began in 2017…).

I decided it was time to do something new. 

Something that energised me. 

Something I felt good about. 

So I left my cushy corporate job and started my own consultancy for brands doing good things for human and planetary wellbeing.

And very soon after that I unexpectedly started a breathwork business (which has since morphed into training program and workshops for businesses). 

I inadvertently became a multi-hyphenate.

A word I’d never heard of but one the the Oxford Dictionary defines as “a person with several professions or skills”.

I’ll share more about why I decided to make my career change another time, but today I want to share the lessons I’ve learnt along the way (and why you don’t have to burn everything down to start fresh).

1. Meaning > Money

I wasn’t looking to become a breathwork facilitator. I just wanted to feel more meaning in what I was doing. Turns out, meaning fuels energy. Energy fuels success. Follow what excites you. The rest will come.

I followed the cues to create a life where I now blend brand strategy with breathwork, and creativity with wellbeing. 

If you’re feeling unfulfilled, ask yourself: What actually lights you up? Then direct as much energy and attention as you can towards that.

Note - I know there are practical realities here - believe me, I had to make some pretty hard decisions and have had to persevere through some challenging times. I’m not saying it’s easy, but staying in a job you hate isn’t easy either…. 

2. You Don’t Have to Go All In

Ignore the “quit-your-job-and-move-to-Bali” fantasy. I started small - consulting for purpose-driven brands that were values aligned. From there I’ve met (and been helped by) so many people who are on similar paths. If you commit and your intentions are true, you’ll find your people.

Importantly, you can test the waters. You don’t have to go all in.

Take on projects. Explore new skills. Side hustles don’t have to be about extra income, they can be experiments in reinvention (especially if your current role is comfortable and affords you the space).

Find the intersection between what you’re good at, what people need and what lights you up. 

And remember, in this new world of multi-hyphenates, you don’t have to go all in. 

3. Uncertainty is OK

Most people get stuck because they need certainty.

I know this because I did too. I needed to know what my job title would be, who my clients would be, how much I’d earn, how it’d all work out etc.

But here’s the thing: what you think is possible is only a sliver of what’s actually possible. And what’s actually possible only becomes available when you loosen your grip on needing all the answers upfront. 

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You really don’t. I can confidently say from experience that I still don’t! You just have to be willing to take the next step. 

4. Lean Into What You’re Good At

You already have skills people value. The key is recognising them and determining how you’ll use them in your new thing. 

For me, it was storytelling and presenting - both skills I learned in advertising without realising how transferable they were (to pretty much every industry!).

Today I use them to run workshops, design programs, and help businesses tap into flow state. Your next chapter doesn’t have to start from scratch - start to explore what you already do well in a new way.

Look at what people naturally come to you for or praise you for. That’s your edge. 

I truly think that careers of the future will be much more open, fluid and dynamic, and those who are able to embrace the discomfort and uncertainty will quickly learn where and how they can best match their unique skills with opportunities they truly care about.

And from there, build a life they truly want.