You Can't Be Stopped!

Today’s Topics

• 1 out of 1 ☝️

• Your Employee Type 🧬

  5 Mins Read Time

1 out of 1 ☝️

By Jo

Let me tell you how crazy the human brain works. One day, you idolize people coming up. You study their moves, follow their stories, even use them as fuel to push forward.

Then life happens, and you reach a point where you either surpass their endeavors, match them, or fall short. That’s when the questions start hitting you: What’s my real purpose? What does all this even mean?

Somewhere along that road, you start comparing yourself—stacking yourself up next to people you think are on your level, or maybe above you.

You chase their version of success. You look at what they’ve done and think, shouldn’t I be there too?

Society loves to push that narrative: compare, compete, and copy. But here’s the truth—there are way too many variables in life for you to ever be a carbon copy of someone else. You are literally a 1 of 1.

That’s not a skewed message. That’s not unorthodox. That’s the truth. And here’s something else—you want to know what real privilege is? Real privilege is being alive.

Think about that. Being alive. Waking up every day with the chance to try again, to do better, to build something new. That’s a gift many of us take for granted.

I did too, until the walls of reality started closing in. Until I realized my parents were getting older. Until I noticed friendships weren’t what they used to be. Until it hit me that time isn’t waiting on anyone—and there’s still so much I want to do.

All of that might sound heavy, but I’m not sharing it from a dark place. It’s actually coming from gratitude. Because once you understand that your life is unique, that you are not supposed to live someone else’s story, you start to appreciate the privilege of simply waking up and being able to choose.

To wake up and do what you desire, to work toward your vision, to carve your own lane—that’s real privilege. Hold on to that. Appreciate that. And remember: you are a 1 of 1.

Your Employee Type 🧬

By Marcus

Between all the personality and skillset assessments I’ve come across, I’ve never seen one that explores your “employee type.”

I believe many of us are simply trained to be good employees—without ever considering how compatible we are with the wide variety of roles the workforce actually offers.

In my own career, I’ve held the roles of entry-level grunt, key contributor, manager, director, and entrepreneur. I wasn’t necessarily prepared for those roles—they just evolved naturally as part of my path. But what if you had a plan? What if you didn’t have to spend years fumbling through it, figuring it out the hard way?

In the prologue of this series -Vote on Yourself - we explore why you are already a leader—and why you no longer need to wait on others to act.

In Part I -The CEO Arc – we dive into how taking ownership and accountability of your life and career is the ultimate unlock to reaching your potential.

Today, in Part II- Your Employee DNA, we’ll walk through six employee roles, along with a few key advantages and disadvantages for each.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what we’re covering:

• Entry-Level (Includes Interns) – Ground-floor roles designed to learn, observe, and support. These are the proving grounds where respect is earned and skills are developed.

• Key Contributor – The go-to problem solver. You consistently deliver results, operate with autonomy, and may influence leadership—often without the title or recognition.

• Manager / Team Lead – You carry the weight. Responsible for people, outcomes, and day-to-day operations. Success is shared, but failures usually land on your desk.

• Director – The bridge between strategy and execution. You lead departments, shape culture, and operate with authority—while balancing loyalty to your team and alignment with executive directives.

• Executive (VP/C-suite) – The top decision-maker. You steer the long-term direction of the business, manage risk, and carry the burden of both public perception and internal alignment.

• Entrepreneur – The creator. You build from scratch, thrive under uncertainty, and make your own rules.

#1: Entry-Level (Intern)

Pros

• It’s an opportunity to earn, learn, and grow.

• If it’s a good company, there’s often strong upward mobility.

Cons

• Pay may not be great. Respect has to be earned.

• You’re usually given the tasks others don’t want—these are the proving grounds.

Key Takeaways:

Major Advantage: You can observe other roles firsthand and get a sense of which ones are worth investing your time in—and which ones to avoid.

Major Disadvantage: Some entry-level jobs are, or become, dead ends if you stay too long. Be careful. These roles are also disappearing in many industries, so it’s important to pivot and acquire new skills quickly.

#2: Key Contributor

Pros

• You’re skilled, get results, and are valued for it. You may work across departments, and it’s impossible to ignore your impact.

• Your input, knowledge, and experience give your ideas credibility and consideration from leadership.

Cons

• You can become “too good to promote.” Leadership might want to keep you exactly where you are.

• If you’re dependable, people lean on you—sometimes too much. That can lead to burnout.

• Your direct supervisors may also get credit for your work.

Key Takeaways:

Major Advantage: You’re typically part of the conversation when new roles or promotions open up. You may also earn a level of autonomy based on your consistent results.

Major Disadvantage: You might become an unofficial leader—without compensation or recognition. It’s also common for direct managers to downplay your role in the organization’s success.

#3: Manager / Team Lead

Pros

• Welcome to workplace politics—it only gets more involved from here. This is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and better understand your leadership style.

• The team you hire, inherit, or manage can make your experience rewarding. You’ll also gain more control and oversight over issues you directly influence.

Cons

• Short staffing, call-offs, customer complaints, and escalations now fall under your purview. You’re potentially on call 24/7 and get all the problems your team can’t handle.

• A weak or misaligned team—especially one you didn’t hire—can make the job miserable, particularly if you’re short-staffed or lack hiring control.

Key Takeaways:

Major Advantage: You gain more insight into the “why” behind business decisions. You’ll typically receive more incentives and have direct communication with department heads and company leadership. It’s great exposure—especially if you’re in an environment that rewards results or political maneuvering. In networks that value job title as status, this role creates an advantage.

Major Disadvantage: If your team lacks reliability, the burden falls on you. There’s a high risk of burnout, and you’ll often take the blame. You may also become the “face” of delivering bad news from leadership to frontline staff.

#4: Director

Pros

• Autonomy is next level. You’ve earned it—and the C-suite or Board of Directors believes in you. Your decisions are strategic in nature, and your team looks to you for leadership. You now hold the big-picture vision.

• You're responsible for multiple departments and can directly influence the culture of the organization. Your compensation and incentives should reflect that level of responsibility.

Cons

• You’ll often have access to information on a need-to-know basis—shared only between you and the executive team. Politics matter 100% at this level, and sometimes you’ll have to get on board—or get out.

• You may hold a lot of authority but remember it’s not your business. Your power and influence have limits. If you aspire for more, this can feel frustrating.

Key Takeaways:

Major Advantage: You get one-on-one time with the executive team and start to see how each C-suite role serves a unique purpose. Some must be cold and calculated, while others take a more diplomatic approach. You’re at the edge of the organization’s most important directives. Depending on your industry, you may also represent the company externally—attending networking events, building partnerships, and shaping reputation.

Major Disadvantage: Your decisions—or indecision—can directly affect people’s livelihoods. Executives can override you, so be cautious about overpromising. The weight of hard decisions, coupled with limited support, can lead to isolation. That isolation often lives in the space between serving your team and meeting the expectations of those signing the checks.

#5: Executive / C-Suite

Pros

• Power, autonomy, and the ability to shape the future of the organization through big-picture decisions.

• Your abilities are constantly tested, giving you the opportunity to prove you can navigate high-stakes challenges.

• Incentive packages at this stage are best-in-class. They don’t call it a "Golden Parachute" for nothing.

Cons

• Extreme stress. You're under public and internal scrutiny.

• It's commonly assumed that C-suite leaders prioritize profits over people, which can damage morale and perception.

• Politics play a significant role. Due to your distance from daily operations, ground-level staff may not trust that you’re acting in their best interest.

Key Takeaways:

• Major Advantage: Networking opportunities, financial incentives, organizational influence, and the ability to make a major impact at scale. There’s a reason executives often move from company to company and still earn top dollar—even after failure.

• Major Disadvantage: You can easily become a target for distrust or resentment due to company decisions or the large salary gap between executives and the rest of the organization. Your reputation is always on the line. Isolation is also common in this role, as you're often caught between public accountability and internal loyalty.

#6: Entrepreneur

Pros

• Autonomy and the ability to create something for yourself. If you believe no job can truly pay you what you’re worth, this path may be your answer. You can build a business around your passion or capitalize on a need. The only limit is your imagination.

• If you don’t work well with others or dislike being micromanaged or delegated to, entrepreneurship might be the perfect fit.

Cons

• You must be self-motivated. No one is handing you a to-do list. You’re building the infrastructure, the systems, and the processes from scratch. You can’t afford to “not feel like it today.” You have to show up even when it’s hard.

• Funding is a major challenge. It takes money to make money. If you miscalculate or waste time and capital, the setback could cost you months—or even years. You have to understand what “going all in” means, and accept the risks involved.

Key Takeaways:

• Major Advantage: For those who don’t thrive in traditional work environments or under management, this is a space to shine. Entrepreneurship rewards self-starters and people with resilience. There’s no income ceiling—the upside is yours to define.

• Major Disadvantage: Cash flow. If you aren’t strategic with capital, you can run out of money fast. And if you’re not self-motivated, entrepreneurship will punish your inaction. The business only moves when you move. In the early stages, you have to earn the right to rest.

What’s Next?

So, what do you think?

You and I could probably list even more pros and cons for each job type, but this gives a solid overview of how these roles typically function—acknowledging that variables like industry and organizational structure can shift things significantly.

I’ve personally held every one of these roles except for C-Suite Executive, across different industries. And each role taught me something new about myself and what I want.

Now, stepping back into your role as the CEO of your life—

Which one of these roles fits you best?

Does job title or status matter to you? Or do autonomy and earnings weigh more heavily on your scale?

Is money your top priority?

And what if none of these traditional job roles resonate with you? What does that mean, and how can you carve out your own path?

We often experience friction in our careers not because we aren’t capable—but because we’ve outgrown the role or discovered aspects of it we never considered. But the sooner you reflect on these variables, the better you can shape a path that actually works for you.

That’s what gives you an advantage.

You’re going to spend at least 30+ years of your life working. If the time is going to pass anyway, why not work to maximize what that time can do for you?

Summer.…. Summer.… Summer… Time…