The Silent Career Killer No One Talks About (And How AI Fixes It)


Hi Reader

10 years ago, I was in the prime of my career. I had done all the right things: climbed the corporate ladder, built credibility in respected organizations, and earned a seat at the table. I started at Deloitte, eventually overseeing training and development for 800 people across multiple regions. Then I moved into banking, leading learning and development, and later joined a fast-growing telecom startup as VP of Organizational Development. I was speaking at conferences, getting published in industry magazines, and people knew who I was.

And then, I stepped back.

Not from my career — I was still working hard, managing teams, making decisions. But life shifted. I went on maternity leave, twice. I started splitting my focus between work and family, trying to hold it all together. And in the process, I stopped showing up publicly. No more publishing. No more speaking. No more raising my hand outside the walls of my job.

At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. I was busy. Priorities had shifted. But slowly, something started to change. Headhunters stopped calling. Conference invites stopped coming. No one was reaching out for quotes or insights. I was still an executive, still experienced, still capable — but no longer visible.

I Googled Myself and Got a Ghost

One day, just out of curiosity, I typed my name into Google. What came up? A researcher in Poland. A violinist in Siberia. Not me.

That was the moment it really sank in. I had become invisible. And it hit hard — not because I needed validation, but because I was ready for something new, and I realized no one would think of me for it. Not because I wasn’t good enough, but because I wasn’t showing up.

To make matters worse, burnout was creeping in. The job I used to love started to feel heavy. I was juggling too many things at once, and even though I was delivering results, I felt like I was disappearing. I knew I needed a change — not just in role, but in how I was seen. I wanted to be present again. I wanted to be known for what I could do, not just what I had done.

So I started rebuilding my online presence. Slowly. Intentionally.

Visibility Isn’t Vanity — It’s Leverage

Over time, I figured out that just being searchable wasn’t enough. You can’t just exist online — people need to find you for the right reasons. They need to see your expertise, your perspective, and what problems you’re uniquely able to solve. That’s what creates opportunities.

This isn’t just my story. I’ve worked with dozens of coaching clients — experienced leaders, domain experts, founders — who’ve neglected their online presence because of the same reasons: workload, pressure, family, burnout. They didn’t have time. They didn’t think it mattered.

Until they realized they needed to be seen again.

What I’ve helped them do — and what I want to help you do — is build a presence that reflects your value, so that the right people find you at the right time.

📝It Takes Three Things

To rebuild your presence in a way that actually leads to opportunities, you don’t need to go viral. You need three things:

  1. Clarity on what you stand for — People should know what you care about and how you think. That’s what makes you memorable.
  2. Consistent visibility — You don’t need to post daily. But you do need to show up regularly with useful insight.
  3. Strategic discoverability — In a world of AI-powered search, your presence should be designed to be found — not just by people, but by the tools they’re using.

This is no longer optional. With the rise of AI, people will increasingly find talent, ideas, and expertise through search and algorithms. If you’re not showing up clearly, you won’t be part of the conversation — even if you’re the best person for the job.

🔜Join the 7-Day Challenge

On May 26, I’m kicking off a 7-day challenge to help professionals like you rebuild their online presence — with the help of AI, smart strategy, and a clear plan. If you’re ready to be seen again, this is where we start.

Count down to 2025-05-25T21:00:00.000Z

We’ll cover the basics of personal branding, writing your narrative, showing up in a way that reflects your experience, and using AI tools to make it all faster and easier.

You don’t need to spend hours a week. You just need to start showing up again — on your own terms.

P.S. Join the 7-day challenge starting May 26.

No fluff. Just real work that gets you seen again.

Cheers,

Daria

P.S. I regularly post behind-the-scenes lessons, tools, and stories from my work with teams on LinkedIn. If we’re not connected yet, follow me here—I’d love to keep the conversation going.

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