In this first episode of the Be the CEO of Your Career summer series, Tammy Gooler Loeb explores the initial practice in her framework: Define Your Why. At its core, this practice is about identifying the values and priorities that matter most so career decisions can come from clarity rather than expectation, pressure, or simply following the next logical step. To bring the practice to life, Tammy revisits her podcast conversation with Rashmir Balasubramaniam, a transformational leadership coach and consultant whose earliest memories include asking her father, "Why am I here?" That question would consistently surface for Rashmir throughout her career in accounting, investment banking, nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, consulting, teaching, and coaching. Again and again, Rashmir learned to recognize when her work was moving closer to, or further away from, the values of learning, growth, purpose, and impact that mattered most to her. Rashmir's journey illustrates how defining your why isn't something that happens once but rather serves as a thread that drives discovery, meaning and fulfillment along the way. It requires listening to the inner and outer signals that emerge throughout a career and reassessing what feels significant as circumstances evolve. Tammy closes the episode, offering a C.E.O. of Your Career Move to help listeners uncover their own why by reflecting on their best career decisions and identifying the threads connecting them. In This Week's Podcast, Learn More About: How Define Your Why sets the stage for the five practices within the Be the CEO of Your Career frameworkHow values and priorities provide a compass for career decisionsUnderstanding the difference between logical choices and an inner sense of knowingWhy Rashmir repeatedly chose learning, growth, purpose, and impactRecognizing when a successful career path no longer feels alignedWhy letting go can create space to discover what's nextHow reflection helped Rashmir to navigate multiple career transitionsThe power of curiosity throughout her professional journeyListening for the inner and outer signals pointing toward what comes nextDefining your why matters at every career crossroads, including retirement Learn more: Explore the Be the CEO of Your Career FrameworkVisit: rashmir.netFollow Rashmir on LinkedIn Your CEO of Your Career Move: Look back at every job, opportunity, or career decision that has ever felt genuinely right. Write down the thread, or perhaps several threads, that appeared across most of those experiences. Was it learning? Creativity? Service? Independence? Impact? Connection? Leadership? That recurring thread is a piece of your why. Pull on it. Consider where it is showing up in your career today and where it may be missing. As Tammy reminds listeners, defining your why isn't only useful when making a career pivot. It can provide clarity at any meaningful crossroads in work and life. Stay Connected: Connect with Tammy on LinkedInWork From The Inside Out WebsiteRead Tammy’s book: Work from the Inside OutSubscribe to the newsletterSubscribe to YouTube: @tammygoolerloebBuy Me A Coffee to support the podcast