On Going Viral

A story about going viral on LinkedIn and betting on myself.

Nearly 2 million impressions, over 16,000 reactions, 600+ comments, and almost 100 shares on my LinkedIn post about taking a job at a local winery that pays $20 an hour after being let go from my six-figure, salaried job at Meta.

The outpouring of kindness was astonishing, and the conversations in the comment section were incredibly energizing.

I expected to get support from my usual circle of friends and colleagues, but what happened next blew my mind. The post quickly started going viral, and by the following day, my inbox was flooded. Today I chatted with a lovely journalist from Vice (!) who is doing a story on passion pivots out of tech.

Many people have asked me why the post blew up how it did, and I have some ideas. First, LinkedIn itself is an overwhelming place to be of late, with thousands of layoff announcements, people desperately begging for help finding employment, and their stories of applying for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of jobs with no single offer. I deeply empathize with everyone in this situation, especially those with families to support.

Second, the other message we commonly get on LinkedIn today is the “grind harder to get another job, top tips for bouncing back after a layoff” type of post. Before penning mine, I deliberately avoided LinkedIn for several weeks to protect my mental health from these types of hustle culture messages.

Your girl is tired of grinding! I busted my ass for nearly five years at Meta, working 60+ hours a week during our busiest cycles, and was discarded regardless. As one friend put it, did Zuck take a pay cut? At the end of the day, a public business is beholden to its shareholders, not its employees. I’m glad I learned this lesson now.

I decided to prioritize rest, creativity, and community instead of doing whatever it took to find another tech job.

A lot of the people who DMed me said it was refreshing and inspiring to hear my story. A story about someone leaving tech and corporate America behind, following their heart, and proudly taking a “fun” or a “for now” job - while also being vulnerable about the realities of taking a significant pay cut in a high-cost-of-living area. A hot take, if you will!

And finally, there was some financial transparency in my post, which is rare in a world where people don’t generally discuss money. Whether salaried or hourly, we don’t usually talk about how much we make. Although, if HerFirst100k has taught me anything, we should.

Truthfully, I am concerned about the financial implications of deciding not to return to tech right now. The “golden handcuffs” are aptly named. But there’s also no denying that since starting at Picchetti, I’m excited to go to work for the first time in a while. I adore my new job, my new coworkers, and my new life.

I spend three days a week at a California winery nestled among old-growth redwoods, bucolic meadows, and babbling creeks, with wild peacocks roaming about and a black barn cat named Zinfandel sneaking into the tasting room.

For the rest of the week, I’m developing recipes, styling and photographing them, writing, editing, teaching cooking classes, and building my brand.

My heart is happy, and my soul is on fire. I feel like I’m doing what I was put on this earth to do.

Connecting with the local community in person is invigorating. I’m relieved to be my authentic, creative self again. Corporate bureaucracy and masking to fit in be damned.

Many of you have DMed me to share your story of doing something similar and being successful in the end! Or, messages from folks saying my post inspired them to take a leap of faith and publicly share similar stories online. I am grateful for each of you who interacted with my post, held space for me, shared your own vulnerabilities, encouraged me, and took time out of your day to comment or DM me.

I want to encourage you in return. Bet on yourself, and take a leap of faith, even if it’s just for a few hours on the weekend while you work your corporate 9-5. One regret I already have is not starting these creative side projects sooner while I still had my sizeable Meta paychecks to rely on.

Admittedly, I was naively lulled into a false sense of security, thinking I’d always be safe in tech. I was too comfortable. But we learn from setbacks, and hopefully, we grow.