I quit law school. Then I quit my PhD. | Cheryl Lau
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Show Notes
When you've always been the straight-A student, quitting feels like a character flaw - not a decision.
In this episode, my friend Jennifer Ho turns the tables and interviews me. We go through my three-page resume and look for everything it doesn't show: the shame of quitting law school, my mum telling me I needed to "bring harmony back into the family," and then quitting a PhD years later - terrified of becoming a two-time quitter.
This is a conversation about high-functioning doubt, outsourcing your identity to systems, and how I eventually stopped making decisions based on what would make me look good - and started making ones I could actually stand behind.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Trailer
(00:47) Opening
(01:47) The story my resume can't tell
(06:02) How I used to define success
(06:46) Why law school and a PhD didn't actually fit me
(11:38) How long I knew something had to change - before I quit
(15:21) The strengths I carried through every pivot
(20:31) How do you know when something isn't right - even if you're good at it?
(23:27) The skill gaps I'm actively working on now
(26:47) How I'm thinking about future-proofing my career
(30:53) My edge vs and the part of my work that still scares me
(32:21) What an irresponsible career risk looks like
(33:29) What will never need to be on my resume
(36:34) Closing
CONNECT WITH CHERYL LAU
Website: https://cheryllau.com
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau
WORK WITH CHERYL LAU
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