Dear Younger Me: What Industry Pros Would Tell Their Younger Selves💌

Picture this: you're sitting across from your 22-year-old self at a coffee shop. They're nervous, eager, and probably wearing something they think makes them look more professional than they feel. You've got exactly five minutes to give them the advice that will save them years of unnecessary stress, wrong turns, and overthinking every decision. What do you say?

We asked industry leaders this exact question, and their answers might surprise you. No complex frameworks or elaborate career strategies. Instead, we heard things like "trust your gut," "show up and be honest," and "start working for yourself as soon as possible." The advice that matters most turns out to be remarkably simple. These conversations reveal something fascinating about hindsight: the wisdom we wish we'd had earlier often sounds like common sense, but hearing it from people who've actually lived through decades of career-defining moments gives it weight.

Meet the Media: Dear Younger Me 📬

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Laura Desmond: "It's really about trust, culture, and partnership - be the best person you can be, be honest when you have an answer, be honest when you don't" - the Smartly executive who lived through four tech disruptions believes in fundamental values 📈
Jaime Robinson: "The answer is in you - trust your gut, every decision you made was the right one and got you to where you are today" - the JOAN Creative co-founder, who transforms brands into modern legends, trusts internal wisdom 🎨
Cindy Gallop: "Start working for yourself as soon as humanly possible" - the entrepreneur who built Make Love Not Porn believes in betting on yourself early 💼
Howard Homonoff: "Work with people that are really going to provide you the best opportunity for a great working environment, collaboration, mentoring, growth" - the Grant Thornton strategist who knows relationships matter most 🤝
Kirk McDonald: "Trust your instincts, tap into culture and trends - don't let moments of doubt come in and go ahead and be early" - the Sundial Media & Technology Group CEO, who chased consumers, content, and connections across decades, values intuition 🎯
Abby Thomas: "Find the females, seek out female mentors" - the Anoki AI CCO who revolutionized multimodal AI believes in the power of women lifting women up 👩‍💼