I’m not here to complain about it. I know this is how things go in corporate America. I’ve certainly seen my share. Somehow I’m one of the few still left standing, and sometimes I just don’t even know why that is.

But today, what I’m thinking about is how suddenly things can change when new leadership steps in.

You’ve been on the right track. You’re doing all the right things, and you’re making all the right moves. Your manager is happy with your performance, and so is the rest of leadership.

And then one day, someone leaves. Either willingly or not, it doesn’t matter.

You move on, you adjust. Three months later, another person leaves. And then another.

Suddenly, the history of what you accomplished is erased.

In an instant, all the good work you did and received accolades for has been turned into a new story about what not to do.

As I watch the walls crumble around me, I wonder: When is it my turn? When will I be the one whose story is erased and has nothing left to stand on?

Part of the beauty of working at one company for a long time is that you develop a shared history.

You build what psychologists call a transactive memory system, essentially, a shared hard drive made up of all the things a group of people collectively remembers.

You don’t have to remember everything because someone else does.

Someone remembers why a decision was made three years ago. Someone else remembers what happened the last time you tried something similar. Someone remembers which process looks ridiculous on paper but exists for a very good reason. Someone remembers the people, the personalities, the history, the things that aren’t written down anywhere.

And maybe most importantly, someone remembers you.

They remember why you did something the way you did it.

They remember what you were up against when you made that decision. They remember that it was the right decision at the time, even if someone looking at it three years (or even three months) later might wonder what you were thinking.

They remember the things you did well.

They remember your successes.

They remember the context.

That’s the part of organizational memory we don’t talk about enough.

When someone leaves, they don’t just take their knowledge with them. They take a piece of the collective memory.

And with every replacement, another piece disappears.

An influx of new ideas and new thought leadership is essential to keep any business from going stale. I believe that. New people bring new perspectives, and sometimes you absolutely need to tear down what isn’t working.

But there is a cost to constantly replacing the people who remember why the walls were built in the first place.

The people who remain are left trying to explain a history that fewer and fewer people remember.

And eventually, you find yourself living in an organization where the version of you that existed before the leadership change no longer exists.

That’s why I’m building my exit now.

I love what I do, and I love the people I work with. But most of those people are gone now. And while I respect the new leadership, I no longer have the organizational history that once made this place feel like home.

Maybe that’s ok.

Hopefully, when the last wall crumbles, I’ll be ready to step forward confidently.

I won’t be leaving all that I gained behind me. I’m packing them into suitcases and getting ready for my next big adventure.

I’ve got a journey ahead.

And I’m waiting to board the flight.

Did you enjoy this? Here are some others from the vault:

• Are You Actually Having Fun?

• Why I’d Rather Hear His Stories Than Read My Book

• Maybe It Won’t Last, Start Anyway

Roundtable Summary

This week’s roundtable is inspired by thoughtful exploration of identity and reinvention. We’ll talk about how much of who we are was consciously chosen versus simply inherited, and what happens when we start questioning the identities, beliefs, and expectations we’ve carried with us. What might we choose differently if we gave ourselves permission to become someone new?

Join Us (RSVP)

Hilary Zuckerman

Nobody Told Me You Could Just... Become Someone New

I turn 40 in November. One of the biggest surprises of getting older is realizing that almost everything I thought was a personality trait was really just a habit I hadn’t practiced yet…

Read more

7 days ago · 48 likes · 19 comments · Hilary Zuckerman

I didn’t want to get up this morning (it’s becomming a trend …)

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When my alarm went off at 5:45 AM I seriously considered turning it off and going back to bed. But then I remembered - it’s Sunday, and I won’t get another chance to be here until Thursday. Also, the weekends are my only time to hang out and write at my favorite coffee shop.

I can’t say I was motiviated (I wasn’t), but I got up.

It was more like obligation than motivation. I knew if I didn’t get my butt up, I would just delay the inevitable - and without a sunrise to make it just a little bit bearable. The articles still need to be written, the notes still need to be scheduled, and the Roundtable still needs to be promoted. Those things don’t go away just because I skip the sunrise.

So I rose.

And WOW, what a difference two hours makes! In that two hours, I walked three miles, saw a nest of baby turtles make their way out to sea (seriously - at least 50!), and saw a mama turtle too. I recorded two podcasts and transcribed the first draft of this week’s Monday Spark. I also had a lot of time to just THINK in SILENCE.

And now here I am, sitting in my favorite little coffee shop. The obligation of this small Substack world I’ve created still weighs on me, but it feels a little lighter. I know I’m taking myself in the right direction and I’m excited about it.

Want More?

• Sunrise Scribbles #27: Back to School

• Sunrise Scribbles #26: The Pain of Patience

• Sunrise Scribbles #25: Showing Up

Join me on my morning walk, where I think about Scotland, growing up, birthday mom guilt, and the strange experience of returning to a place from your past with an entirely different life.

This is Sunrise Scribbles, a podcast where I think out loud, ask honest questions, and figure life out one sunrise at a time.

We share what we’re experimenting with, from Danielle’s new Sprint Showcase to my 14-day planner challenge and monthly reflection tool, and how both of us are learning that the things we build rarely turn out exactly as planned. We also talk about the challenge of balancing engagement with everything else in our lives, figuring out how often to check Substack without getting sucked in, and finding the people we actually want to stay connected with.

The conversation gets into subscriber chats, DMs, recommendations, discovering new writers, roundtables, and the difference between supporting people because you genuinely care about their work versus trying to turn every interaction into a growth strategy.

More than anything, we’re realizing that relationships are built by showing up, communicating, celebrating other people’s work, and occasionally taking the conversation beyond the comment section. And, as usual, we’re figuring it out as we go.

Get more from Alexandra Bianco in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

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I finally made it back out to see the sunrise this morning.

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School started this week, and routines got turned inside out. I have to take my daughter to the bus stop at 7 AM, which doesn’t allow enough time for sunrise visits anymore.

I’m disappointed, but I’m proud of myself for adjusting well.

Instead of going to see the sunrise, I’ve started taking walks around the lake after dropping her off. It’s not the same, but it’s a nice substitute. I also get to listen to podcasts and books, something that I had set aside for the summer.

In some ways, it feels good to be back to my routine. It’s like coming home.

And the sunrise isn’t gone. It’s just waiting for me on the days that I can come.

Today was one of those days.

Want More?

• Sunrise Scribbles #26: The Pain of Patience

• Sunrise Scribbles #25: Showing Up

• Sunrise Scribbles #24: I Got You

Roundtable Summary

In this week’s Roundtable, we explored a question that asks us to challenge the stories we tell ourselves: What if this is possible? The conversation ranged from leaving corporate careers and building something of our own to limiting beliefs, calculated risks, uncertainty, and the power of seeing other people take a leap before we’re ready to take one ourselves.

We also talked about how community can expand what we believe is possible, especially when we find people who are willing to experiment, take risks, and build alongside us. It was an honest, encouraging conversation about belief, possibility, and choosing to take the next step before you know exactly how the story will end. The full recording is available to paid subscribers.

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Full Recording

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Today, I’m sharing three examples:

• Using AI to plan around your family’s schedule and preferences.

• Turning the random ingredients in your fridge into an actual meal (using a picture!)

• Creating a grab-and-go lunch system that takes almost no effort during the week.

The goal isn’t to have AI do the cooking for you (although… I’m still waiting for that update). It’s to use it to take some of the thinking, planning, and decision-making off your plate.

EXAMPLE #1

Create a meal plan. The best meal-planning prompts don't just say "plan my meals." Give the AI your time limit, budget, family preferences, schedule, and leftovers strategy. That's what turns a generic recipe list into an actually useful weekly plan. And remember, if the first output doesn’t work, iterate! Talk to it like a person and tell it what to change.

PROMPT

“I need to plan out dinner for the week. The meals need to be less than 30 minutes and economical. My family does not like fish. My son will eat anything, but my daughter doesn't like anything with an unusual texture. We're going out on Saturday, so we don't need a meal that night. Also, we have dance on Tuesday, so it would be great if we could have leftovers or something premade.”

OUTPUT

EXAMPLE #2

Make a recipe from anything. Don’t ask AI for a recipe. Tell it exactly what you have on hand and what you’re trying to avoid, like grocery shopping. AI can turn your random ingredients into dinner instead of another trip to the store.

PROMPT

“Help! I need to make dinner, but I haven't gone grocery shopping. I have chicken, hamburger meat, canned corn, frozen green beans, olives, green peppers, onion, celery, baby carrots, and leftover french fries. Can I make anything with that?”

*Tip: You can also take a picture of what’s in your pantry and add that to the prompt!

OUTPUT

EXAMPLE #3

Create a school lunch plan. Be specific about the life problem you're trying to solve. Instead of asking AI for “healthy school lunches,” tell it how much prep you're willing to do, what your child will actually eat, and what needs to be ready ahead of time. The more constraints you give it, the more useful the solution becomes.

PROMPT

“School is starting and meals are not free this year. I need to pack lunch for my daughter every day. I need it to be super easy so that I can grab and go each morning. I want it to be healthy but she's really picky, so it has to be "snack like" for her to eat it. I don't want to have to do a big meal prep on Sundays, but I could maybe make one item, like the sandwich, ahead of time if it would hold for a week. I don’t want any more than 30 minutes of prep though, and the rest has to just be easy to pop into her lunch box.”

OUTPUT

*Tip: If you need a shopping list, just ask for that next!

I spent most of Saturday at my computer. Not how many people would spend their weekend, I guess.

But I was enjoying myself, I was having fun.

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There’s this incredible excitement that comes at the creation stage.

You’re building something. You’ve got the foundation in place and you’re starting to put up walls. You’re starting to see the shape come to life.

It’s exhilarating.

But….

I’ve always thought that enjoying this kind of work (especially when tied to my paid corporate role) didn't count as real “fun.” That there was something wrong with me if this was what I wanted to do instead of go for a run, hike a mountain, play with my kids, or visit a museum.

I was confusing enjoyment with leisure; I was treating them as if they were the same thing. They are not. Enjoyment isn’t measured by what it looks like. It’s measured by how it feels.

If you like this story, you might enjoy these too:

Maybe You’ll Love It

Maybe It Won’t Last, Start Anyway

Three Months In: An Origin Story

What if it’s not the work I don’t enjoy? What if it’s doing it for someone else, on their timeframe, within their hours?

What would happen if I admitted that I enjoy the work? What I don’t like is the lack of freedom. What I want is autonomy.

What would happen if I admitted that this model once worked for me? There was a time when I needed it. I needed the stability, the structure, the support. The steady paycheck was a bounty, not a burden.

What would happen if I admitted that I’ve outgrown it? That it’s time to stretch my wings and do it on my own. It’s time to create my own scaffolding and stop borrowing someone else’s.

What if I gave myself permission?

I’ve told myself for years that I don’t enjoy work like this anymore. On Saturday, no one asked me to build anything. No one gave me a deadline. No one was paying me. And I still spent most of the day creating.

Maybe the story I've been telling myself isn't true.

Hello. Glad you’re here!

What a month it’s been! Last month I woke up to 100 subscribers, today I’m at 149. Who will be lucky #150?

What I’m doing seems to be working. I have a vibrant chat and have had some amazing conversations in recent roundtables. This month, I’m focusing even more on amplifying other creators’ work, starting with - the inspiration for this week’s Roundtable.

If you haven’t joined one of these yet, this is one that you won’t want to miss. We’ll be discussing how our own beliefs may be holding us back from the life we want to lead. Hope to see you there!

Most Popular

• Live with Alexandra Bianco (a birthday livestream sunrise)

• Episode 2: Thinking Out Loud with Friends

• Maybe You’ll Love It (a story about finding courage at surf camp)

Hidden Gem: Did you miss this?

Sunrise Scribbles #23: It’s Not About Presents (click the link for the full story)

He’s trying to buy me the perfect present. The perfect presents, actually. Plural.

And on my birthday, he makes sure that I have a table full of wrapped gifts, flowers, usually some wine, and handmade gifts from the kids.

The presents, honestly, usually aren’t that great. (Shhh... don’t tell him that.) …

My Community is starting to really take shape, and I couldn’t be more proud of it. If you haven’t looked aroud, now’s a great time. You’ll find things like:

✔️ What coming up next - a calendar, event invitations, and recordings

✔️ Monthly Roundtables and Member Spotlights

✔️ A shop with resouces for both free and paid subscribers

✔️ Perks for my paid members, including a free Coffee & Clarity Session with yours truly.

Check it out! There’s something for everyone!

ADHD is part of my family’s everyday life, so I immediately connected with ADHD Approved. I love how she takes the chaos that can come with ADHD and turns it into practical, research-informed strategies without shame or the expectation that we need to “fix” ourselves. Her writing is thoughtful, compassionate, and incredibly validating, especially for women and moms trying to build a life that actually works for their brains.

ADHD Approved Weekly

Define Your Business Around Your Life: The First Step ADHD Founders Skip

How do you choose a business model that works with ADHD? Start by defining how much time, energy, flexibility, and support you realistically have. Then choose an offer and operating model that can succeed within those limits…

Read more

14 days ago · 5 likes · 6 comments · ADHD Approved Weekly

I finally saw some of those baby turtles I’ve been waiting all summer for!

• Three Months In: An Origin Story

• Maybe You’ll Love It

• Sunrise Scribbles #21: Muted Sunrise

• Sunrise Scribbles #22: Your Move

• Sunrise Scribbles #23: It’s Not About Presents

• Sunrise Scribbles #24: I Got You

• Sunrise Scribbles #25: Showing Up

• 🎙️Carrying Other People’s Feelings

• 🎙️When Work Stops Feeling Like Work

• 🎙️Episode 2: Thinking Out Loud with Friends

• 🎙️Episode 3: Thinking Out Loud with Friends

• 🎙️Live with Alexandra Bianco

• What to Do When Your Ideas Outnumber Your Time

• Tiny AI Tips: Start With the Wrong Prompt

• Tiny AI Tips: Turn Anything Into a Checklist

• InBetweenNotes YouTube Channel

• Subscriber Chat

• 🎥 Sunrise Scribbles Presents (Roundtable & Event Recordings)

At the end of each month, I’m setting aside an hour to pause with you.

The Monthly Reset is a live gathering for paid subscribers to reflect on the month that just happened, talk through what’s coming next, and get a little help figuring out what matters most.

No presentation. No polished performance. No expectation that you have everything figured out.

Just a conversation with me and other subscribers about real life, the things we’re working through, and what we want to carry forward.

What we’ll talk about

Every month will be a little different, but we might:

• Reflect on what worked — and what didn’t

• Talk through something that’s been taking up too much space in your head

• Think about what’s coming next and how you want to approach it

• Get unstuck on a decision or problem

• Make a plan for the month ahead

• Share ideas, experiments, wins, and lessons with other subscribers

You don’t need to arrive with a perfectly formed question. You can come with a messy thought, a blank page, a big decision, or simply the feeling that you need to stop for a minute and figure out where you are.

Why I’m doing this

I spend a lot of time writing about clarity, but most of the time clarity doesn’t come from reading another article.

You need to say the thing out loud.

You need someone to ask a question you hadn’t thought to ask yourself.

A place to reflect, plan, connect, and leave with a little more clarity than you arrived with.

When

The last Sunday of every month
3 PM ET
Live online

The event link is available to paid subscribers.

Subscribe now

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I’m impatient today. I admit it.

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I’m enjoying walking on the beach and pondering over all of my thoughts, but inside I’m itching to get to my little café and write.

Some days are like that, I suppose.

All the beauty in the world, and all I want to do is go sit at my table and work.

I’m buzzing because I created a new little product yesterday, and I’m super proud of it. I can’t wait to get it out into the world.

I don’t know about you, but when I create something that I’m proud of, I can’t stop. I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop working on it, refining it, perfecting it, and most importantly, I can’t stop wanting to release it.

So this is where patience comes in.

Walking the beach is forcing me to practice patience — like it or not. The sun’s going to come up in its good old time. In fact, it looks like it might be a little bit later today because there are pretty big clouds in the sky.

And my product’s not ready to be released until beta testing is finished, so I need to sit back and have patience and wait.

And patience is something that I have never been good at… sigh.

Join me on my morning walk, where I think about what happens when we stop treating productivity as constant upward movement and start making room for the natural cycles of expansion, contraction, activation, and rest.

This is Sunrise Scribbles, a podcast where I think out loud, ask honest questions, and figure life out one sunrise at a time.

It’s incredible what a little saltly air can do.

Subscribe now

I woke up this morning feeling terrible. My body ached from hours put in on the computer this week, and on top of that, my head was throbbing.

But school starts this week, and my sunrise opportunities will be limited, so I dragged myself out of bed and came to the beach anyway.

The second I stepped out of the car in the parking lot, I was hit by a thick, salty breeze.

And I smiled.

Then I walked.

I walked in silence, listening to the ocean waves. I didn’t take out my phone. I didn’t journal. I didn’t podcast. I didn’t even take many videos.

I just walked.

I let the thoughts tumble out of me, one by one, nowhere to land except thin air.

But that was enough today.

An hour walking on the beach, watching the slowest sunrise ever (one that never even truly materialized) was all it took. My headache is gone, my spirits are restored, and now I’m sitting at my favorite little café, ready to put in the reps.

It’s going to be a good day.

We discuss the strange disconnect between knowing we’re qualified on paper and still questioning whether anyone should listen to us. From launching new products and recording YouTube videos to reaching subscriber milestones and asking for feedback, we share the doubts that creep in even when things are objectively going well.

Along the way, we talk about balancing a full-time job while building something on the side, the fear of putting imperfect work into the world, why your personality is often your greatest differentiator, and how comparison quietly fuels imposter syndrome. We also reflect on what success really looks like… is it subscriber counts, engagement, paid supporters, or simply continuing to show up?

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “good enough” to share your work, this conversation is a reminder that confidence isn’t something you wait for - it’s something you build by taking the next step anyway.

Get more from Alexandra Bianco in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Roundtable Summary

In this week’s Roundtable, we explored a question that feels increasingly relevant in the age of AI and productivity culture: Are we optimizing too much? The conversation ranged from content creation and the pressure to grow online to AI, personal metrics, burnout, and knowing when "good enough" is actually enough. We discussed how the constant drive to optimize every part of our lives can leave us feeling overwhelmed, and why building something sustainable may matter more than chasing every algorithm or productivity hack. It was an honest, thoughtful conversation about ambition, balance, and creating a life that feels fulfilling—not just efficient. The full recording is available to paid subscribers.

Full Recording

Read more

Roundtable Summary

In this week’s Roundtable we explored one question that doesn’t have an easy answer: Is AI making us smarter or making us stop thinking? The conversation ranged from writing and language learning to privacy, education, job displacement, and what skills will matter most in the future. It was a thoughtful, nuanced discussion with perspectives from people working across technology, finance, and education. The full recording is available to paid subscribers.

Full Recording

Read more

Have you ever gotten so excited that your ideas start flying around like popcorn without a lid? Better catch a few before they disappear!

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It’s overwhelming - I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t - but it can also be incredibly energizing.

Ideas make us feel alive. They’re soul-nourishing and provide a lifeline when we feel like we’re drowning. But at some point, those ideas need to move forward. Otherwise, holding onto all of them will lead to burnout.

The truth is that ideas without action are meaningless.

A list of a hundred stories or product ideas is awesome, but if you don’t take that next step and actually make progress on one, what good is that to anyone?

But where do I start? I’m paralyzed. I know I have good ideas, but I can’t seem to figure out how to keep up with them all. How do I stop chasing my tail and take the next forward step?

Well, here’s the secret (hint: it’s not really a secret)…

You need a system.

A good system not only helps you organize the ideas in your head. It also sets you on a path to turning those ideas into something REAL. Something tangible. Something you can sell or publish.

Today I’m going to share my system with you so that you can create your own action plan and finally get unstuck.

My Four-Step Clarity System

I don’t create a new plan every week. I follow the same process over and over again, and you can too.

Whether I’m planning Substack content, a vacation, a work project, or even our family’s meals for the week, I always move through the same four steps.

Step 1: Capture

Everything starts with getting ideas out of my head and onto paper. This isn’t the time to organize anything. It’s simply a brain dump.

I write down every article idea, podcast topic, task, reminder, or random thought that I don’t want to forget. The goal is to clear my mind, not create a perfect list.

Once everything is written down, I start grouping similar items together.

For my Substack planning, those categories are things like Articles, Podcasts, Marketing, and Other. If I’m planning something else, the categories change.

Meal planning might use Chicken, Fish, Vegetarian, and Leftovers.

A home renovation might use Kitchen, Bathrooms, Shopping, and Projects.

The categories aren’t important. The act of organizing your ideas absolutely is.

Step 2: Plan

Once I know what I want to do, I decide when it should happen.

I like planning two weeks at a time because it’s long enough to see the bigger picture, but short enough to stay flexible.

This is where I start moving ideas around until everything feels balanced.

If I’m planning Substack content, I might alternate articles and podcasts throughout the week. If I’m meal planning, I might decide Monday is meatless, Tuesday is chicken, and Wednesday is fish.

I’m not worrying about today’s schedule yet.

I’m simply creating my roadmap.

Step 3: Organize

Once my two-week plan is finished, I zoom in on a single week. This is incredibly important, but doesn’t work unless you do step one and step two first.

I love this little template. Here’s how I use it:

The Top Section reminds me what content or categories belong on each day. This way I know what to schedule when.

The Daily To Do section is for tasks that have to happen on a specific day. Maybe I need to record a podcast on Wednesday or write an article on Thursday. I put that here.

The Notes section is where I plan my Substack Notes strategy. I might decide to post a Note at 10 AM about surf camp and another at 2 PM about manifesting. I find that planning a loose strategy in advance helps me keep up when the crazy of life kicks in unexpectedly. This also gives me the freedom to post randomly about what happens in my daily life… like the day I wore my shirt inside out!

The Weekly To Do section is for things that need to happen somet

ime during the week but don’t belong on a specific day.

Finally, I leave room for new Ideas. They always pop up.

The week becomes my working plan instead of just another list.

Step 4: Focus

Only after I’ve done all of that do I think about Today.

Some days I don’t need a daily planner at all.

Other days, especially when life feels busy, I pull out my time-block planner.

This is different from a traditional planner because I’m not trying to schedule every possible thing I could do. I'm only scheduling the things I've already decided are important.

I usually fill it out that morning, although sometimes I’ll sketch the week out on Sunday night and make adjustments over coffee each morning. That’s one reason I recommend using pencil.

It’s flexible.

Plans change and that’s okay. That's what this system is designed for. The purpose isn’t to create the perfect schedule. It’s to remove one more decision from my day.

Keep the Cycle Going

At the end of two weeks, I simply start again.

Capture. Plan. Organize. Focus.

That’s it.

Clarity does not come from buying the perfect planner or downloading the latest productivity app (although those tools are all great). It comes from having a simple process you can return to every time life starts feeling chaotic.

30-minute video or audio call

Sometimes you don’t need a coach, you just need someone to help you think.

Whether you’re navigating a career decision, building something new, feeling stuck, or simply looking for another perspective, this is a relaxed, one-on-one conversation designed to help you untangle your thoughts and leave with more clarity than you started with.

There’s no formal agenda and no long-term commitment. Just bring whatever’s on your mind, and we’ll see where the conversation leads.

Perfect for conversations about:

• Career and life transitions

• Productivity and planning

• Writing and creative projects

• Building an online business

• Leadership and decision-making

• Or anything else that’s been taking up space in your head

Come as you are. Leave with a clearer next step.

Book Now

The Clarity Planner

A practical planner that helps you turn scattered ideas into clear priorities and consistent progress using the Clarity Cycle: Capture, Plan, Organize, and Focus.

Read more about it here.

Free Sample

The Clarity Planner