You Own the Work, Not the Brand

You can feel it when you walk into the office, or fire up your computer at home.

You know it's time to leave. Time to make the move you've been wanting to make for years.

But making the move, making the transition, feels so hard to do in reality.

Why?

Adam Savage, the former host of the wonderful TV program Mythbusters, may have left a clue in a recent video.

In answering a question about starting a brand, he said, "the establishing of the brand is always secondary to the doing of the work."

Sit with that for a minute.

For 26 years, I was "Richard from The Wall Street Journal."

The brand. The business cards. The identity.

But years before my layoff, I'd quietly discovered something:

I'd confused my brand with my work.

When you're a journalist, your byline becomes your identity. When you're any professional who's poured decades into a role, the title becomes who you are.

But Adam's right.

The brand isn't the main thing.

What is?

The problems you solve

The value you create

The skills you've developed

The difference you make

Think about it:

Were you reducing widgets at your newspaper? Or were you making complex information accessible, holding power accountable, telling stories that mattered?

The work transcends the brand.

Your journalism skills—research, synthesis, storytelling, meeting deadlines—they're not tied to a masthead.

They're yours.

The Identity Trap We All Fall Into

Here's what I want you to know: You're not alone in this confusion.

We all do it. We introduce ourselves as "Sarah from Google" or "Mike from McKinsey" or "Jennifer from the hospital." We wear our companies like armor, our titles like merit badges.

And why wouldn't we? These brands carry weight. They open doors. They signal competence and success.

But here's the thing—when you tie your identity too tightly to your employer's brand, you forget something crucial:

You brought the skills that got you there in the first place.

The company didn't create your analytical mind. The organization didn't install your ability to communicate complex ideas. The brand didn't manufacture your problem-solving capabilities.

You developed those. You honed them. You own them.

Your Skills Have No Corporate Logo

Here's what I discovered after my layoff: I was continuing the work. Just without the brand.

The interpretation, as Savage says, comes later. The brand is helpful but not essential.

What's essential is recognizing that your work—your real work—isn't confined to one industry, one company, one identity.

The brand may have opened doors. But the work? That's what keeps them open.

And that work goes with you wherever you go.

Think about what you actually do every day:

• The accountant who translates financial chaos into clarity

• The teacher who makes complex concepts click for struggling students

• The engineer who sees elegant solutions where others see problems

• The manager who turns dysfunctional teams into collaborative powerhouses

Strip away the company name, the department, the official title. What’s left?

Your ability to create value. And that's portable.

Reclaiming Your Professional Identity

I get that this feels a little overwhelming. Maybe you're thinking, "But Richard, my whole network knows me as [title] at [company]. How do I even begin to see myself differently?"

Start here:

1. List your daily activities, not your job description. What do you actually DO? Not what your title says, but what fills your hours?

2. Identify the problems you solve. Every job exists to solve problems. Which ones have you become expert at addressing?

3. Notice your transferable superpowers. That thing colleagues always come to you for? That's not company property. That's yours.

4. Reframe your introduction. Instead of "I'm a marketing director at XYZ Corp," try "I help companies connect with their ideal customers." Do you feel the difference?

5. Document your wins. Keep a record of problems solved, value created, differences made. These stories travel with you.

The Freedom on the Other Side

When you finally separate your work from your brand, something remarkable happens:

You stop feeling trapped.

Suddenly, that career change doesn't mean starting from zero. It means taking your accumulated expertise and applying it somewhere new. That layoff isn't an identity crisis—it's a chance to showcase your skills in a different arena.

You realize you're not leaving your value behind. You're taking it with you.

Because here's what I've learned: The people who thrive in career transitions aren't the ones with the fanciest former titles. They're the ones who understand that their real value was never the brand on their business card.

It was always the work. And the work is yours to take wherever you choose to go.

Take a moment today and think about this: What abilities have you developed that would still be yours even if your business cards disappeared tomorrow? I'd love to hear what comes up for you in the comments.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach specializing in helping mid-stage professionals gain clarity on their career journey. I’ve written a guide on how to escape the work hamster wheel. Click here to download yours.