Let me tell you about a woman I worked with.
She was a Senior Vice President. Highly respected. Trusted. Visible.
Her title wasn’t just a role — it was a shorthand for who she was in the world.
And then, one day, she was made redundant.
Not because she wasn’t capable. Not because she’d failed. But because organisations change, restructure, move on.
And suddenly, the question wasn’t: “What’s my next role?”
It was: “Who am I without that title?”
The part no one prepares you for
On paper, she had everything she needed:
- deep expertise
- years of leadership experience
- a strong professional reputation
What she didn’t have was distance from an identity that had become fused with her role.
So when she decided — courageously — to reinvent herself as a freelance consultant, something unexpected happened.
She didn’t doubt her competence.
She doubted her legitimacy.
Without the title, the company name, the hierarchy behind her, she felt exposed. Almost invisible. As if her value had evaporated overnight.
This is more common than we admit — especially for women
For women executives, titles often carry extra weight.
They’re not just recognition. They’re protection.
Proof that you belong. That you’ve earned your place. That you’re allowed to speak with authority.
So when the title disappears — by redundancy, choice, or transition — the loss can feel personal, even destabilising.
Not because you sono your title. But because, for a long time, it helped you survive and succeed.
Reinvention isn’t just professional — it’s psychological
This woman didn’t need help setting up her consultancy.
She needed support to:
- separate her worth from her role
- trust that her experience travelled with her
- find language for who she was becoming — not who she had been
- stand confidently without borrowed authority
The work wasn’t about strategy first. It was about identity.
Once that shifted, everything else followed: pricing, positioning, confidence, momentum.
This is where coaching makes a difference
Moments like this are not failures. They are identity transitions.
And they require a different kind of support.
In my work with women executives, coaching becomes a space to:
- grieve what has been lost without getting stuck there
- honour the role a title once played
- reconnect with an inner authority that doesn’t depend on hierarchy
- design a next chapter that feels aligned, credible, and true
Not louder. Not performative.
But grounded.
A question for you
If your title disappeared tomorrow…
What would still be true about your value?
And if that answer feels uncomfortable or unclear, that doesn’t mean you’re lost.
It means you’re in transition.
An invitation
If you’re navigating redundancy, reinvention, or a moment where your professional identity is shifting, I invite you to a confidential discovery call.
A safe, thoughtful space to explore:
- who you are beyond your title
- what wants to emerge next
- and how to move forward with clarity and self-trust
You can book a time that works for you here: https://calendly.com/beatrice_redi/confidentialdiscoverycall
You were never your title.
It was just one chapter — not the whole story.
