Redirecting.work

 

Still, her story is calm and intentional. She has already passed on roles that looked perfect on paper. “If you looked at my resume and the job description, you’d think somebody matched them together,” she said, “but they aren’t exactly what I want to be doing.” The layoff forced a pause, and she used it to ask a deeper question: not just what is next, but what is worth doing next.

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That question is personal. Brenda has long said she tries to “play harder than I work,” giving enormous energy to life while still committing fully to work. But something shifted. “I want my grandkids to remember the joy of grandma, not just the busyness of grandma,” she told me. She doesn't want to be remembered for what she did, but for how she lived. She wants to be present, laughing, fully there. That lens frames her life. The next role is not just about influence. It's about designing a life where contribution and joy can coexist.

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Current direction

Brenda describes herself as a pivot in progress. This is not a retreat from ambition. It is a recalibration. She believes she has another high impact corporate role in her, with practical realities like healthcare and because she still wants to operate where transformation happens.

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“A role where I am part of a high energy leadership team and have an influential voice is critical to me,” she said. She's exploring Chief Product Officer roles or positions equivalent in scope. Title matters less than impact. She wants to be a voice where decisions are made, where customers are centered, and where AI is implemented thoughtfully rather than performatively.

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Brenda sees organizations stuck between urgency and responsibility around AI. She wants to help companies move forward deliberately, not just “so they can put it on their website that they’ve got AI in something.” She believes many companies have drifted from customers in the rush to add features. “We have an opportunity to elevate the customer experience and the customer voice in the products we build,” she said.

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At the same time, she is building a parallel runway toward what she calls her retirement career. The throughline is influence and people. Coaching, mentoring, and inclusion have always defined her leadership. She has nearly 200 hours of formal coaching training and has coached leaders for years.

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She recently joined Athena Alliance and enrolled in its modern board readiness program, positioning herself for board work over the next several years. She is also exploring angel investing in HR tech. She's not leaving the industry. She's widening how she participates in it.

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Brenda is leaning into relationships strategically. Executive recruiters have become an important source of opportunity. She also prioritizes in-person conversations. “That’s how I got my job at Cornerstone,” she said. A conversation at HR Tech turned into a role. She knows opportunities come from relationships, not online applications.

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Advice to others

Brenda’s advice is steady and practical.

 

First, catalog three things: what you want, what you don’t want, and what you need. “What you don’t want is as important as what you do want,” she said. She filled a whiteboard with insights, adding clarity as it emerged, and invited trusted voices into the process.

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Second, remember this: “Action calms anxiety.” Even small steps restore agency.

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Third, breathe. Find your steady voice. Do not navigate transition alone.

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Finally, pay it forward while you are in it. Brenda posted an open offer on LinkedIn to help with resume reviews and career coaching, even for people she didn't know. The response confirmed what many sense right now: too many talented people feel alone in the in-between.

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Her answer is simple. Get clear. Take action. Help each other. And if you are in your grandma era, make sure the grandkids remember your joy.