Explore every episode of the podcast Burn the Map

Find the full transcript for this episode and more resources for GenXers here.

You’ve been telling yourself you’re ready to leave. You’ve imagined the exit—your farewell email, turning in your laptop, and walking out the door for the last time.

But if you’re like most GenXers I talk to, you might wonder:

What if you finally leave… and end up pacing around your house like a zombie? 

Even if you’re over it, walking away still feels risky. Not just financially, but emotionally. Because whether we like to admit it or not, our jobs give us more than a paycheck.

Jobs give us a rhythm. A sense of who we are. Proof that we matter.

And even when we know something new is calling, part of us is afraid that letting go means losing more than we can afford. 

The good news is that if you name those coming losses, you can start to prepare. By anticipating what you’ll need to rebuild, you’ll lessen the emotional impact and free up energy to design what’s next.

• Shelley McIntyre helps GenXers dying to leave corporate and create their own thing, build courage, clarity, and structure so they can take the leap.
• For individual, step-by-step support, apply for Shelley’s Reinvention Partnership Program, and she’ll contact you to set up a call.
• Or to get started now, book an Own Your Edge Strategy Session with Shelley here.

Find the full transcript for this episode and more resources for GenXers here.

You spent decades playing the game, learning the systems and getting the promotions. But now? You’re starting to question the whole thing.

That job title you worked so hard for no longer fits. But when you try to peel it back, you wonder: who’s under there?  

If you’re starting to feel the mismatch between who you are and the role you’re performing at work, you’re not alone.

You're a GenXer, which means you've been at this career thing for decades. Of course you’re still showing up. But you’re not excited about it. 

And when you try to imagine what’s next, all you see is a blank page. Or worse—another job with a different logo and the same nonsense.

You’re not lost.

You’re just bumping up against the edge of a borrowed identity—the one that got you here, but isn’t taking you further.

Let’s talk about what happens when that persona takes over—and what begins to return when you finally start setting it down.

• Shelley McIntyre helps GenXers dying to leave corporate and create their own thing, build courage, clarity, and structure so they can take the leap.
• For individual, step-by-step support, apply for Shelley’s Reinvention Partnership Program, and she’ll contact you to set up a call.
• Or to get started now, book an Own Your Edge Strategy Session with Shelley here.

Burn the Map is the podcast for GenX professionals who are done following old directions and ready to build something of their own. Hosted by Shelley McIntyre, a certified coach and former corporate strategist, this show is your weekly dose of clarity, courage, and permission to start over—on your terms. Each episode unpacks how to break up with your job title, unmask your true identity, and stop outsourcing your worth to someone else’s org chart. You’ll get no-fluff insights on navigating fear, reclaiming your energy, and building work that actually fits. Shelley draws on decades of strategy and coaching experience to help high-functioning GenXers leave the corporate grind and create something real. Ready to burn the map? 

I'd love to hear from you as you begin your evolution. - Shelley McIntyre, Burn the Map Coaching.

• Shelley McIntyre helps GenXers dying to leave corporate and create their own thing, build courage, clarity, and structure so they can take the leap.
• For individual, step-by-step support, apply for Shelley’s Reinvention Partnership Program, and she’ll contact you to set up a call.
• Or to get started now, book an Own Your Edge Strategy Session with Shelley here.