I Hate It Here Decentering Work: What Happens When Your Job Isn't Everything with Ayanna Kelly
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Feb 2, 2026 Ayanna Kelly, Director of Culture and founder of Hidden Healers and an Afro-Latina disabled veteran who builds trauma-informed workplace programs, talks about why work feels empty now. She explores grieving the workplace we expected. She challenges monetizing passions and explains how to decenter work from identity. The conversation centers on boundaries, healing practices, and rejecting burnout culture.
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Milestones Don't Equal Fulfillment
- Many people reach traditional career milestones and still ask, “Is this it?” because title and pay alone don't fulfill them.
- Hebba says fulfillment comes when work lets you live your core values, not from external markers like promotion.
A First Meeting That Turned Vulnerable
- Hebba recounts meeting Ayanna and crying while sharing pressures as a child of immigrants.
- Their immediate emotional connection established the supportive friendship they have now.
Choose Roles By Values, Not Just Title
- When choosing roles, ask if the job allows you to live your values and give you autonomy to say no when needed.
- Ayanna recommends accepting pay tradeoffs for roles that align with your values and support your wellbeing.
