Be the C.E.O. of Your Career: Define Your Why with Rashmir Balasubramaniam

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Written By Tammy Gooler Loeb

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Be the C.E.O. of Your Career: Define Your Why with Rashmir Balasubramaniam

Be the CEO of Your Career: Define Your Why

A meaningful career isn't necessarily built by following someone else's map. It begins by understanding your own compass. That's the idea at the heart of Define Your Why, the initial  practice within Tammy Gooler Loeb's Be the CEO of Your Careerframework.

In this installment of the podcast’s summer series, Tammy revisits the story of transformational leadership coach and consultant, Rashmir Balasubramaniam. One of Rashmir's earliest memories is asking her father a surprisingly profound question for a young child: "Why am I here?" He didn't have an answer for her. That quest for meaning became a recurring thread throughout her life.

Rashmir initially followed paths that made logical sense. She studied mathematics and computer science, trained as an accountant, and eventually entered investment banking. Learning and growth were powerful drivers. Yet her work felt too far removed from mission and impact, which were equally important to her. She recognized that something needed to change. That realization eventually led her toward the nonprofit sector, graduate school, social entrepreneurship, and an extraordinary five-year chapter at the Gates Foundation.

Her career continued to evolve as she became increasingly attentive to another source of information: her inner guidance. Through meditation, coaching, reflection, and experience, Rashmir learned to pay closer attention to what excited her, what felt aligned, and what was calling her forward. Eventually, coaching itself became part of her work, bringing together many of the threads that had been present throughout her career.

Rashmir's story demonstrates that defining your why isn't about finding one perfect answer and following it forever. Values remain important, but how they show up in a career can evolve. Sometimes defining your why leads to a dramatic transition. Other times, it may reveal that an internal change, a new project, a different way of working, or a period of reflection and respite is needed.

And the practice of defining your why doesn't necessarily end when a traditional career does. Tammy points out that retirement is another important crossroads where defining your why can provide direction. Whether the next chapter involves stepping away completely, consulting, mentoring, creating something new, or pursuing an entirely different interest, understanding why you're making that choice helps ensure it's intentional and connected, rather than just the expected next step.

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 framework

  • How values and priorities provide a compass for career decisions

  • Understanding the difference between logical choices and an inner sense of knowing

  • Why Rashmir repeatedly chose learning, growth, purpose, and impact

  • Recognizing when a successful career path no longer feels aligned

  • Why letting go can create space to discover what's next

  • How reflection helped Rashmir to navigate multiple career transitions

  • The power of curiosity throughout her professional journey

  • Listening for the inner and outer signals pointing toward what comes next

  • Defining your why matters at every career crossroads, including retirement

Learn more:

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.

Interested in individual or group coaching with Tammy?  Learn more about her coaching service.

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Affiliate Links: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products and services I use personally and believe will add value to my listeners. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

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About Tammy, host of
Work from the Inside Out

Before launching my coaching practice, I worked in mental health, higher education, public policy, and fundraising. Those experiences showed me how deeply our work shapes our sense of purpose—and now I help clients navigate change and growth so they can feel more fulfilled and aligned in what they do

More about Tammy
Tammy Gooler Loeb
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Your Career, Your Future: Be the CEO of Your Career