The Season You’re In
Let me start by acknowledging something important: a lot of people don’t know what season they’re in. And sometimes, they’re uncomfortable admitting the season they’re in, both to themselves and to others.
So what does “outgrowing your corporate brand” actually look like?
Here’s my honest take: I don’t believe there’s such a thing as outgrowing your corporate brand if you have an organization that truly partners with you, that genuinely wants to see you shine, and understands that your doing well helps the business do well, it also helps the bottom line.
But here’s the reality: sometimes you outgrow your corporate brand not because you’ve grown so much, but because the company itself isn’t growing. Or worse, because they’re not willing to grow with you.
The Michelle Obama Framework
Recently, I had a conversation that completely reframed how I think about this, and it centered on Michelle Obama.
Michelle Obama is one of the best writers we’ve ever had in the US (and yes, there are others just as brilliant—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie comes to mind). But what made Michelle’s journey so powerful is that we watched her becoming unfold right before our eyes.
I never really saw her as “just” the First Lady. I saw her as someone playing a role at a time when she didn’t have to shrink. She was married to one of the most transformative presidents we’ve had (debatable, but stay with me), and one thing I loved about Michelle—that we all witnessed—was her brilliance every time she spoke.
She understood the assignment.
The Corporate Role: Background Dancer
Michelle knew that her job over those 8 years wasn’t just to be the best mother she could be. Her role was to be a background dancer. To champion Barack. To advocate for him. To uplift him. To support the mission.
Did it come with challenges? Of course. But while Barack was leading the country, Michelle’s job was to hold down the home, to support the vision, to be the foundation.
This is exactly what corporations expect.
They hire you. They expect you to be the backup dancer. They expect you to help the business succeed and propel it forward. Over time, they’ll allow glimpses of you as an individual to shine within the company—moments where your character comes through, where your talent peeks out.
But here’s the critical part: you can never outshine the company.
We saw moments where Michelle shined. But she never outshined Barack. And that’s how corporate wants it. They want you to shine just enough. They want to see flashes of your talent. But they never want you to become the star.
When the Role Comes to an End
Now, we get to see Michelle as this amazing author, an incredible mother, and with her new podcast, she can authentically be herself. She says it all the time: she had a role to play.
And that’s the truth. Sometimes the role you play comes to an end. And then you can fully become who you want to be.
Michelle’s story is beautiful because we witnessed a woman with grace, composure, and poise who understood that even though the season was one she didn’t choose—it was a choice her husband made—she had to do everything she possibly could to support him, to help him grow, to ensure that his mission of leading the country would be successful.
She was never the star of the public show. She was the star behind the scenes.
Without Michelle keeping the house calm, without Michelle solving problems, without Michelle leading in parenting, we would not have had the Barack Obama presidency we witnessed.
And sometimes, that’s what corporations want. They want you to show up. They want you to champion the mission. They want you to advocate. They want to see your talent, but not when it outshines them. Not when it distracts from their brand.
How Do You Know When You’ve Outgrown Your Corporate Brand?
You’ll know it’s happening when people start asking questions:
- “Where were you? Why were you at that event?”
- “Why do you have a point of view on this?”
- “Why do people gravitate toward you?”
When those questions start coming with an edge, with suspicion, with resentment, that’s when you have to sit and wonder: Is this the company for me?
It starts becoming really nasty. It becomes hateful. And ultimately, when you’re building while Black, a lot of the root cause is racism. A lot of it is discrimination. That’s a conversation for another day, but understand this: some people’s deep-rooted discrimination and jealousy will not allow them to see your potential.
They can’t see the value in your visibility, in your partnerships, in the culture and credibility you bring to the company. Instead, they see it as a threat. They see it as you taking away from who they are, from what they’ve built.
The 11 Million Views That Changed Everything
I recently had a conversation with a good friend. He’d been doing a job he loved for years, not making much money, but he loved it and was thriving in his role.
Until one day, he posted something on social media. It got 11 million views.
Eleven. Million.
He finally caught a viral moment where people saw his talent and loved it. Shortly after, everything changed. His colleagues’ attitudes shifted. They wanted to know:
- “How come you’re getting all this attention from the press?”
- “How come Gayle King noticed you?”
- “How come Oprah noticed you?”
The jealousy was deep-rooted. But here’s the thing: this was the same person doing the same role he’d been doing for the better part of 10 years. There was never an issue before.
The issue came when he became the spotlight. When he was the shining star. Even for just a moment.
And as a result, he got the inevitable message that I think we’ve all received at some point: “Hey, you can’t do that anymore. It’s distracting from the business.”
The Universal Truth About Corporations
At the end of the day, all corporations exist the same way. It doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor, in media, in tech, in finance or a lawyer, whenever your brand starts “distracting” the business because people are jealous, they will have an issue with you.
They will try to dim your light.
And from that moment on, you have a choice to make: Do you shrink? Or do you start planning your exit?
You Cannot Shrink
Here’s what I know to be true: once you’ve tapped into your potential and you know who you are, you cannot shrink in these businesses.
You’ve already seen what’s possible. You’ve already felt what it’s like to be visible, to be valued beyond your cubicle or your title. You’ve built something that belongs to you.
Trying to shrink back into a box that no longer fits you will only breed resentment, burnout, and depression.
So What to Do When You’ve Outgrown Your Role
1. Acknowledge the season you’re in
Stop pretending everything is fine if it’s not. If you’re feeling constrained, if your contributions are being questioned, if your visibility is being weaponized against you, acknowledge it.
2. Assess whether the company is willing to grow with you
Have honest conversations. Is leadership supportive of your external brand? Do they see it as an asset or a threat? If they see it as a threat, you have your answer.
3. Protect your mental health and your brand
Don’t let corporate politics dim your light or make you question your worth. Your value exists independent of their validation.
4. Start planning your transition
This doesn’t mean you quit tomorrow. But it means you start getting strategic:
- Build your financial runway
- Strengthen your external network
- Document your wins and impact
- Clarify what you want next
5. Remember: Your brand is an asset, not a liability
If your company can’t see that, another one will. Or better yet, you’ll build something for yourself where you never have to shrink again.
The Michelle Obama Lesson
Michelle Obama played her role beautifully. She supported. She championed. She was the foundation. And when that season ended, she stepped fully into her own light—on her own terms.
Your corporate role might be a season. And that’s okay.
Play it well. Learn everything you can. Build the relationships. Develop the skills. But never forget: you are not your job title. Your personal brand is yours to own, to grow, to protect.
And when the season ends—whether by your choice or theirs—you’ll step into the next chapter knowing exactly who you are.
Because you built something they can never take away from you.
The Bottom Line
If your personal brand is “outgrowing” your corporate role, it’s usually not about you being too much. It’s about them being too small.
And you have to decide: Will you make yourself small to fit? Or will you honor the fullness of who you’ve become and find a space, or create one where you can be all of you?
The choice has always been yours.
This is Part 3 of my series on Building Your Personal Brand While Black. If you missed the earlier parts, you can find them on my website. Part 4 we discuss the importance of who you are when no one is looking.
Have you experienced this transition? What did you do when your personal brand outgrew your corporate role? I’d love to hear your story.