Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s a crossroads — and today, I’m choosing to walk a new path.
Today marks the first day I’m posting on LinkedIn intentionally.
I’ve committed to writing five times a week on topics related to writing, AI, and levelling up my career as a Gen-X professional. Writing has always been part of my life, but until now, it has mostly lived in the margins — as a hobby and a private outlet.
This time, it’s different.
Writing on LinkedIn now serves a clear purpose: to help me solve three problems I’m facing as a mid-life professional — navigating change, reinvention, and relevance.
I turn 50 this year. And as I reflect on the last two decades of my career, I keep coming back to the same three questions:
What have I actually built? What impact have I made? What’s next?
Here are the three problems I hope to solve by writing on LinkedIn:
1/ From "Jack of all trades" to building a name for myself.
I read Finding Joy in Chaos by Kevon Cheung a couple of years ago. I was in my mid-40s, just beginning this season of reflection.
In the very first chapter of his book, he writes:
“While I had been a startup veteran, I was more or less a ‘jack of all trades but master of none.’ And things began to go south because I realized I had nothing to show for it… I work so damn hard… but all of a sudden, I had only a resume and some entrepreneurial experiences I could talk about. I felt empty as if the first 8 years of my life didn’t happen.”
That quote hit me like a freight train.
I'm obviously not a startup veteran, but after 26 years in marketing, you’d think I’d have a long list of accolades. A trophy shelf. A body of work that screams, “This is me.”
But the truth is, I don’t. What I have is a resume.
One that’s honestly kind of useless unless someone asks for it.
But finding a job isn’t why I’m committing to LinkedIn, though. Far from it.
I’m writing on LinkedIn to learn a new skill, find my voice, and build a name for myself while figuring out what's next — and I'm doing this by learning in public.
That’s why I decided to write.
Not for vanity. Not for virality. But because I have questions to answer, and writing helps me do that. It’s how I make sense of my past and shape what comes next.
I’ve done it all: strategy, content, events, social media. I’ve helped others shine. But somewhere along the way, I forgot to shine a light on my voice.
Now, I want to be known for something — not just as a reliable team player but also as a thoughtful voice in areas that matter to me.
That’s why I've decided to write about writing and AI:
Writing because it’s how I think, connect, and create clarity — and because I truly believe it’s an underrated superpower. It’s the skill I want to be known for.
AI because it’s reshaping how we work — and I want to be part of that shift, not left behind by it.
This is how I plan to move from “jack of all trades” to someone with a clear skill set and strong authority — and make a positive impact in this world.
2/ Staying relevant as a Gen-Xer in a fast-changing world.
Let’s be real: we Gen-Xers rarely get the spotlight.
We work hard. We get things done. And most of us… don’t talk about it.
We expect our work to speak for itself. We expect people to notice. But here’s the truth: if no one knows about it, it didn’t happen.
And in a world that moves at the speed of TikTok trends and AI disruption, staying relevant takes intentional visibility.
I recently re-read Known by Mark Schaefer (highly recommended; this book changed my approach to writing and building an online presence), and it brought home a simple but powerful truth:
If you want to thrive in the modern world — especially as a Gen-Xer — you must be known for something.
You have to take ownership of your story, your reputation, and your voice. Because in midlife, obscurity is a career risk we can’t afford.
Most of us are stuck in mid-senior positions with likely little opportunity to move up, while keeping things running and quietly trying not to become obsolete.
Hiring managers hesitate to hire us because they think we're not tech-savvy and can’t adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
But we know that's not true.
We grew up constantly adapting to technological changes. We lived through the entire shift from Walkmans to iPods to Spotify — and everything in between.
The fact is, many of us will be working well past the traditional retirement age.
Some by choice. Others by necessity.
That’s why I write.
To stay relevant. To demystify the notion that Gen-X is irrelevant. I also want to experiment with the concept of reinvention for my second act in life.
And it helps me prove that, as a Gen Xer, I still have plenty to offer: wisdom, depth, and ambition.
3/ LinkedIn as my five-year exit plan from corporate life.
I told my friend recently, “If I’m still working in corporate at 55, please run me over with a big fat truck.”
She laughed. “Drama much?”
Maybe. But there’s truth in the drama.
At 50, I’m not chasing early retirement. I want to work for as long as I’m mentally and physically able.
But I also want the freedom to choose how and where I work.
Lately, I’ve found myself questioning the corporate narrative. My values don’t always align with what many companies stand for. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the corporate environment. It just means I’ve probably outgrown my role within it.
I want the next chapter to feel different.
I just don’t know what “different” looks like yet.
That’s why I’m writing on LinkedIn. It's my five-year experiment. My testing ground. My bridge to a second career.
Maybe it’s consulting. Maybe coaching. Maybe a content business. I honestly don’t know yet.
But writing here helps me test ideas, build visibility, and connect with people I wouldn’t otherwise meet.
It’s how I’m exploring what’s next — not in theory, but in action.
Finding the answers by writing in public.
I didn’t start writing on LinkedIn just to build an online presence.
I started because I had questions and felt like I was at a crossroads.
For two decades, I’ve written on X and through blogging to make sense of what I learn — and now, I’m doing that on LinkedIn.
If you’re on a similar path, maybe whatever I share could be valuable to you, too.
I’m trying to turn 26 years of experience into something I can truly call my own — a body of work, a reputation, a future.
This isn’t the end of my career.
It’s the beginning of my second one.
And if you're reading this and thinking, "That’s me too,” welcome. Let’s build something meaningful together.
