Throw your old titles in the bin

Most people who leave a corporate job keep the title anyway - on the business card, in the introduction, in the back of their own head. Stephanie Leue came to Ship26 with a blunter idea: throw the old titles in the bin.

She was the speaker at a Portfolio Careers Hub networking event we hosted at Schifflände 26, on the Limmat, and her subject was the part of going independent that has nothing to do with the work itself.

The hardest part isn't the work

Leaving a corporate environment rarely stalls on the work, Stephanie told the room. It stalls on the people. When friends and family can't quite see the vision, what sets you on the right path is surrounding yourself with a community already living that reality.

Strip away the ego

To thrive in a portfolio career, she argued, you have to define yourself by who you are and what you are genuinely good at - not by the status of a role you used to hold. Throw the titles in the bin. What is left is more useful anyway.

Focus on the happy moments

You can't get everything perfect at once. Her advice was to lean into what is working, even when other areas feel out of balance - and she practiced it in the room. Setting aside the usual pressures to be fully present and share her story was, she said, her happy moment of the day.

That is the room we are building: a curated community of builders with a home on the Limmat, where independence comes with company. If that is the path you are on, come aboard. Thanks to Stephanie Leue, and to organizers Lidia Zabala, Laney Lan and Ruthlene B. for the chance to host.