Dear EverMore: What career advice would you give your younger self?
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 9
A few weeks ago, we did something very special — Courtney and I, along with Courtney's 10-year-old daughter (Henley), hit the streets of SXSW 2026 to interview people about their career. We heard how they got into their current job, the bobs and weaves they took to get there, advice they would give their younger self, and the movie (or genre) that would best describe their career story.
Career advice we took away from the conversations:
Be kind to yourself — some talked about how they put a lot of pressure on themselves when younger to be perfect and do it right the first time. They mentioned how this wasn’t realistic and didn’t make anything better.
Sometimes things don't work out the way you want it to— but ultimately, it always works out for the best in the long run.
Prioritize working for a company where you don't feel like a little fish in a big pond — one individual talked about being a new grad getting into the workforce and how important it was for them to work in an environment where she got coaching and was treated equally to everyone, no matter the role or level.
Figure out what you're good at and enjoy — how important it is to not listen to whatever everyone else tells you but listen to yourself first. Take the time and space to figure out who you are on your own without anyone else telling you what to do.
Life is supposed to be fun and we should play more — we couldn’t agree more! It’s important to see life (including work) as a way to build a craft, grow, and reflect on what gets our best energy.
You are never doing too much — being the most passionate person in the room is one of the most valuable skills you can have and it can inspire others to show up as their fullest self, too.
A huge THANK YOU to Henley for bringing her personality, talent, and curiosity to the Dear EverMore podcast. She did an incredible job, and we hope there will be more opportunities to highlight her perspective from the next generation. We hope this gave you all the chuckles and smiles it gave us, too!
More things for you:
Feeling stuck or unsure about where to go next in your career? We’ve got you! We built EverMore so you can take ownership of your career story, track your impact and growth over time, and (coming soon) automatically update your resume + portfolio based on your reflections. Join the beta to try it out!
If you love a good career story, we have career diaries featured on our blog. If you want yours featured, reach out to us so we can get you scheduled on our blog + podcast.
xoxo,
Kelsey
p.s. have a tough career situation and need some advice? We'd love to answer this for you on the pod! You can submit it anonymously here.
Kelsey Peterson is the cofounder of EverMore, the career companion tool for owning + telling your career story. She's a former People + Culture leader at early-stage startups and focuses on authenticity at both work and creatively. She is also a singer-songwriter based in Austin, TX. You can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and as the cohost of the Dear Evermore podcast.
