What if the pressure to “have a plan” is the very thing keeping you stuck?

Join me as I sit down with Celeste Gutierrez - a recent graduate who thought she had her path mapped out, until she realized (just one month before finishing) that it no longer fit.

Instead of forcing clarity, she chose exploration.

What makes this conversation powerful isn’t just her age - it’s her approach. Celeste is navigating uncertainty with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to try things before she feels fully ready.

And that’s something many of us (at any stage) forget we’re allowed to do.

We talk about pivots (and whether they’re even pivots at all), anxiety around making the “wrong” choice, the noise of social media comparison, the pressure of hustle culture, and what it really means to build resilience in real time.

This is a conversation about being in-between. About the tension between possibility and fear. About reaching out before you feel qualified. About trying everything - not because you’re lost, but because you’re paying attention.

If you’re in a season of transition - questioning your next move, rethinking your identity, or resisting the pressure to have it all figured out - this one will resonate.

You’ll Learn:

⭐ Why there may be no such thing as a wrong decision
⭐ How to reframe “pivots” as clarity unfolding
⭐ What social media comparison is actually revealing about you
⭐ Why networking is really relationship-building
⭐ How resilience is built through small, uncomfortable risks
⭐ How to stay connected to what you love - even as your career evolves

Key Insights:

Clarity Comes From Movement:
You don’t think your way into the right path - you experiment your way there.

Comparison Can Be Information:
Jealousy often reveals desire. Pay attention to what pulls you.

Relationships Create Opportunity:
Bold outreach and real conversations open doors that credentials alone can’t.

Resilience Isn’t Flippant - It’s Earned:
Confidence grows through trying, adjusting, and surviving small failures.

You Can Hold Ambition and Uncertainty at the Same Time:
Possibility and fear coexist. That tension doesn’t mean you’re behind - it means you’re growing.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] – Introduction: The pressure to have it figured out
[00:04:00] – Changing direction at the last minute
[00:08:00] – Pivot or growth?
[00:12:00] – The anxiety of making the “wrong” decision
[00:14:00] – Social media: comparison vs. connection
[00:18:00] – Reframing jealousy
[00:23:00] – AI, the job market, and uncertainty
[00:26:00] – Networking boldly
[00:32:00] – Hustle culture vs. exploration
[00:38:00] – Trying everything
[00:40:00] – Building resilience
[00:44:00] – What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

Resources and Links:

Find host Kristin Belden on LinkedIn or at BeldenStrategies.com
Sign up for more conversations and insights at BeldenStrategies.com/newsletter

Connect with Celeste on LinkedIn
Follow Celeste on Instagram: @Celeste.Mariaa

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow the show, and leave a review. And if you’re navigating your own inflection point, join my newsletter at BeldenStrategies.com/newsletter for more conversations about leadership, identity, and building what’s next.