1. Would have,
Should have,
Could have…
PERSONA
L
PROFESSIONAL
Decided to stop
after 2 children
Agreed to move to
small towns for
my husband’s job
Decided I didn’t
need an MBA
Worked for small
firms instead of
getting well-trained
at larger ones
My mini failure resume….

2. If I could do it over…
…. I wouldn’t have left San Francisco to live in small resort towns where my
husband’s job took us.
At the time, I was a young bride in love and I was willing to follow my new husband anywhere. But I was also
succeeding in my career at a global advertising agency with hopes to start my own agency one day.
Looking back on my career, I now realize that “leaning back” as Cheryl Sandberg would say, at that
critical early stage in my professional development, had a lasting impact on me.
I was able to find jobs as smaller advertising agencies, but the work wasn’t on the same level and the clients
were far less sophisticated. My senior team members weren’t encouraged to develop their employees as
they are at larger firms, and I got some bad advice about not needing to pursue an MBA.
After almost 10 years of living in small, resort towns we finally moved back to San Francisco and I found
myself woefully behind my peers in terms of experience and expertise. I made a change to the
innovation category, which I have loved, but I often feel far less seasoned than my client counterparts.
If had to do it over, I would have stood up for myself and my career and encouraged my husband to try to find
opportunities that would have nourished both of our professional lives.
And a bit about one particular failure..