Who Are You Without Your Job Title

After money, the second biggest reason many women hesitate to take a career pause is identity.

Who are you without your job title?
What will people think?
What will you say when someone asks, “So… what do you do?”

In this episode of Designed Pause, host Deidra Green explores the deeper, often unspoken fear behind stepping away from work: the loss of external validation and the pressure to remain “successful on paper.”

As a millennial who checked all the boxes and climbed the ladder, Deidra reflects on how true fulfillment in her life has often come from moments that went against the grain — decisions others might have labeled mistakes or risks.

This conversation is about reclaiming your identity beyond your title, trusting that nothing you’ve accomplished can ever be taken from you, and learning how to protect your vision when others don’t yet understand it.

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✨ In this episode, we discuss:

• Why identity is a major barrier to taking an intentional career pause

• How job titles become entangled with self-worth

• Why your skills, experience, and lessons always come with you

• What people at the end of their lives actually regret — and what they don’t

• How to guard your heart and protect your ideas during a transition

• Why you are worthy simply because you exist

• How a Designed Pause can help you realign with what truly matters

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🔗 Resources mentioned:

• Mel Robbins Podcast episode with Dr. Karl Pillemer (on end-of-life regrets)

• Free journaling prompts to help you reflect on identity and desire

• The 7 Primal Questions (book) — to explore the deeper question driving your ambition