How I consciously changed my identity (and how you can too)

When I left Nike and went to Apple, I had this quiet but very intentional thought in the back of my mind:

“I don’t want to be the same Steph in the next chapter.”

I started at Nike at 23 and left at 32. I loved my time there. It shaped me. I worked incredibly hard and learned so much.

But I also knew I’d been stressed a lot in my 20s.

Not because Nike was bad. It was just the stage of life I was in, the pace, and how seriously I took everything at that age.

As I got older, I wanted something different.

So before I joined Apple, I sat down and worked out who I wanted to be in this next chapter and how I wanted to be seen.

I still cared deeply about the work.
I still worked incredibly hard.
I just didn’t want the work to live in my nervous system anymore.

But I wanted to be calmer. More chilled. I wanted to be the person people could rely on in a storm, not the person who felt the storm.

Reinvention isn’t becoming someone new

This is the part most people misunderstand.

Reinvention isn’t about creating a whole new person or pretending to be someone you’re not.

It’s about removing the mental scaffolding that keeps the old version of you in place.

That scaffolding is made up of old stories.

- Who you’ve been.
- What people expect of you.
- What’s felt safe so far.

Over time, it becomes invisible. It quietly decides who you’re allowed to be.

But the version of you you want to become isn’t fake or made up. It’s already there.

Reinvention is simply about loosening the grip of that old identity long enough for the next one to emerge.

How I showed up differently on purpose

When I arrived at Apple, I didn’t just hope things would change. I acted in alignment with the person I wanted to be.

I stopped carrying problems that weren’t mine to carry.
I got better at boundaries.
I learned to pause before reacting.

Same standards. Same work ethic. Different energy.

And here’s how I knew it had worked

About a year into Apple, I was chatting to a colleague, and without really thinking I said: 

“I’m quite a stressy person.”

He looked genuinely confused.

“What do you mean?” he said. “You’re the most chilled person in this whole team.”

And that was the moment it clicked.

In my head, my old identity was still running. But in my behaviour and in how other people experienced me, I had already changed.

I hadn’t become someone new. I’d consciously chosen who I wanted to be next and started behaving in alignment with that.

And over time, my brain caught up.

Your next step

If you want to recreate your identity this year, it starts with clarity and intention.

I’ve created an Identity Reset journalling exercise to help you work out who you want to be and how you want to show up in your next chapter.

Download the PDF, set aside 30 quiet minutes, and answer the questions honestly.

Because the version of you you want to become is probably already closer than you think.

This exercise is part of my Creative Career Level Up programme, where I help people in the Creative and Tech industries find their next perfect role. 

> Download The Identity Reset PDF here

If you’d like my help to find a job you love, Check out more details, including testimonials, on our website here