I still wake up at 7:15 a.m. Not because I have a meeting. Or a commute. Or a list of deliverables that’s longer than a CVS receipt. I’m up early because something about lying in bed while my corporate counterparts clock in makes me feel like I’m behind, even if there’s no race I’m actively running.

The day kicks off with the usual: matcha, oatmeal, a spin on the Peloton, and a shower. But then? Stillness. No Slack pings. No check-ins. No one asking for a “quick sync” to “circle back” so we can get our “ducks in a row.” Just me, refreshing LinkedIn, wondering if today is the day a recruiter cannonballs into my DMs like Ron Burgundy.

I launched this column five years ago as a mid-level marketing manager in Seattle—corporate’s middle child, navigating microaggressions, vague feedback, and

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