Financial services
Post LinkedIn lead magnet · Financial services
I used to feel embarrassed telling my ex-banking colleagues what I actually do now. I have an Ivy League education. I worked at BlackRock. On paper, I should be climbing some corporate ladder, optimizing for titles and comp packages. Instead, I'm running a career coaching business. And for a long time, I struggled with this thought: Am I getting dumber? By leaving the MNC world, am I losing the intellectual rigour? Am I missing out on being pushed by the sharpest minds? Am I slowly shrinking my world instead of expanding it? I look at the people I spent my 20s with - now managing billions or driving global strategy - and sometimes feel like I was doing some "random, non-money generating thing on the side." I know some people see it that way too. I’ve seen how people brush me off. Even from my own grandma. She’s a woman who’s worked her whole life alongside my grandpa. Yet in our recent catch-ups, she has spent the entire call asking about my husband’s work. My own business - when we came to it - felt… downplayed. Like some cute side hustle or hobby to keep me busy between pregnancies. There was honestly a part of me that wanted to say: "What about me, grandma?! My work is important too!" Maybe I'm being sensitive. Maybe no one actually thinks my work is less important. Or maybe I'm unconsciously downplaying it myself. So why do I keep doing this? Because I’ve stopped optimizing for the "paper" version of Jennifer Ong. My end goal has always been to work for myself. To prove to myself that I can build something from zero-to-one. And that eventually, it will even grow beyond me. Yes, my friends in strategy know frameworks. My friends in banking know models. But I’m learning how to build trust from nothing. To help people think deeper about their careers. Create work that brings purpose (not just income) - to their work, life and relationships. Where "work-life balance" isn't a desperate escape, but a natural byproduct of doing work you’d still choose, even without a paycheck. Is it less "rigorous" than a corporate boardroom? No. It’s just a different kind of fire. One that doesn’t show up neatly on paper. But one I’m finally proud to stand behind. Because I no longer need external validation from a system I’ve outgrown. And sometimes, the ‘less prestigious’ path is exactly where you need to be to find the version of success that actually belongs to YOU. P/S: Are you a high-achiever who feels like you’re wasting your potential in a ‘successful’ career? DM me PRESTIGIOUS and let’s chat about how we can change that for you in 2026!
Mécanisme lead magnet
DM me PRESTIGIOUS and let’s chat about how we can change that for you in 2026!
