This Wasn't the Plan (and that's the point)

Careers aren't linear. They're messy, unpredictable, and often shaped by pivots, detours, and course corrections that only make sense in hindsight. For early-career professionals and people navigating a career change, that uncertainty can feel like failure - even when it isn't. This Wasn't the Plan (And That's the Point) is a work of creative non-fiction told through sharp insight, humor, and single-panel comics. It's written for people in their first decade of work, those considering or navigating a career change, or anyone quietly wondering whether they're doing it "right." There is no single right path - only the next step that moves you forward. The book follows a young environmental idealist who accidentally enrolls in the wrong university program and ends up on a career path she never could have designed on purpose: moving between sectors, roles, and identities - from corporate boardrooms to government, consulting, disaster-recovery missions, and leadership roles that arrived long before she felt ready. Each transition reshapes how she understands work, ambition, and success. Blending personal stories with practical coaching moments, the book explores career direction, mentorship, power dynamics at work, reinvention without starting over, and growth through uncertainty. It isn't a how-to manual or a traditional memoir - it's a companion for people changing direction, rethinking their careers, and figuring things out as they go. Because careers don't always unfold according to plan. But with the right perspective, even unexpected changes can lead somewhere meaningful.