Manifesting the Career You Want

I recently had the opportunity to record a podcast episode with my teammate, Lauren Beane, on her podcast Ready Enough. Ready Enough is a podcast all about empowering women to take action, build confidence, and chase goals–no perfect plan required. And true to the podcast’s message, I actually reached out to Lauren (I wasn’t about to wait for her to reach out to me because that day may have never come!) to pitch an episode to her about manifesting the career you want. You can listen to the podcast here and read more below about how I manifested the career I wanted.

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🌙✨ But Wait… Isn’t Manifesting Sort of… Woo-Woo? ✨🌙

The word manifesting can sometimes turn people off because it sounds a little “woo-woo.” If that’s how it feels to you, think of it instead as setting an intention.

When you’ve done the real work—reflecting on what you want and narrowing your focus—you’re creating an intention. That’s manifesting. And when you set an intention, your mind naturally starts spotting opportunities you might have overlooked before.

This isn’t magic; it’s science. ✨ It’s your reticular activating system at work. Think of it like when you decide you want a blue truck—and suddenly, you start seeing blue trucks everywhere. 🚙💙

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🌟 How I Used Manifesting to Become a Leader 🌟

Manifesting isn’t about luck, chance, or waiting for something outside of you to change. It’s about becoming the person who already has what you desire.

When I set my sights on a leadership role, I started “acting as if.” I asked myself: “What would a leader do?” And if I didn’t know, I studied leaders around me. I noticed what books they were reading—so I read them too. I watched how they showed up in meetings, what kinds of questions they asked, how they managed conflict, how they delegated.

🔮 Quantum Leaping Exercise:
Imagine visiting your future self—one year, five years, ten years from now. This future-you has already become the leader you want to be. Ask her:

✨ What’s one habit you had to start?
✨ What’s one habit you had to stop?
✨ What’s one piece of advice you’d give me right now?

(💡 Pro tip: if you struggle to visualize, use AI—upload a picture of yourself and say, “Make me look like a leader at a large tech company.”)

(Okay sorry that last one is obviously not me as a leader at a tech company but I couldn’t resist.)

I’ve even applied this to my fitness journey. For the past two years, I’ve asked myself: “What would my fittest, healthiest self do?” She doesn’t skip workouts. She cooks at home. And by choosing as her—not current-me—I’ve created different outcomes.

The same works for leadership. At Cisco, I noticed senior leaders contributing thought leadership on Cisco.com. So I thought: If I want to be seen as a leader, I should do that too. And I did. Most people won’t put in the extra effort—but when you do, you stand out. 🌟

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🌙 Dealing with Imposter Syndrome 🌙

How do you step into something you’ve never done before? How do you let go of the familiar and embrace the unknown?

In my Cisco bio, I wrote that my three favorite words are: create, learn, and gin. I try to do the first two daily (and the third in moderation 🍸).

Because I’m committed to learning, I approach the unknown differently. No matter what happens, I’ll come out the other side leveled up.

When I stepped into a business architect role on an orchestration engineering team, I was intimidated. I didn’t come from a traditional tech background—I studied journalism and political science, and started in digital marketing. I worried I wasn’t “technical enough.”

But I wanted to be. So I told myself: “Even if I’m the least technical person on this team, I’m the least technical person on the smartest team.”

As it turned out, my skill set was exactly what the team needed. And instead of being “not technical enough,” I quickly became someone my manager considered critical to retain. 🌟

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🔥 When the Universe Turns the Page for You 🔥

Sometimes I wasn’t ready for my next chapter—but the universe had other plans.

Cisco, like many companies, has had its fair share of layoffs (or as they call it, limited restructuring). After one, I joked on LinkedIn: “Getting laid off is not my preferred way to get laid, but here we are.”

I’ve been impacted not once, but twice.

💫 The first time, I moved from demand generation into Customer Experience (CX). Demand gen felt oversaturated, while CX had more room for innovation. It ended up being a better fit and set the foundation for where I am now.

💫 The second time turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. I joined a Cisco team under a leader I adored, earned three raises, a promotion, a leadership role, my dream job in innovation, and travel opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had.

Oh—and I got a pretty sick phoenix tattoo during my “funemployment.” 🖤🔥 A permanent reminder: I’ll always rise.

As Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino from Jersey Shore says: “The comeback is greater than the setback.”

My version? “Making a comeback is my second favorite way to come.” 😉✨

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🌟 Having the Audacity 🌟

A lot of our fear comes from worrying about what others will think.

We wonder: “Who does she think she is?”

But here’s the thing: Mel Robbins’ book Let Them has gone viral for a reason. It works. The next time you feel that fear, say: “Let them.”

✨ Let them question who I think I am.
✨ Let me do what I know it takes to achieve my goals.

When an old Cisco teammate asked me how I’d gotten more confident, my answer was simple: I started living with audacity.

💼 Career? Of course I deserve this leadership role—I deliver results, I bring a unique blend of experience, I’m connected, and I’ve built strong relationships.
💘 Dating? Of course I’m attractive enough to talk to the hot guy. (Side note: that hot guy is now my boyfriend 😉).

Audacity changes everything. 🌙✨

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🌙 Are You Ready Enough? 🌙

“Ready enough” means there’s already a version of you out there in the quantum field who is ready.

For me, that version was a leader. I didn’t have to chase her. I just had to step into her shoes.

When you act like the version of you who already has what you desire, you start attracting it like a magnet. ✨

Manifesting isn’t about luck or waiting for outside forces to change. It’s about becoming the person who already is.

So step into that version of yourself—
because you’re not just “ready enough.”

🌟 You’re ready. 🌟