What if career growth isn’t about climbing faster — but choosing challenge over comfort?

In this episode, Candice Mitchell sits down with learning & development leader, community builder, and solopreneur Anamaria Dorgo to unpack what a non-linear, intentional career really looks like.

From starting in retail, to staying with one company for a decade across countries and roles, to experimenting with consulting, community building, and finally finding the right hybrid — this conversation is an honest look at clarity, pivots, and designing a career that actually fits.

No hype. No “follow your passion” clichés. Just real decisions, trade-offs, and growth.

• Why variety and challenge matter more than titles
• How to think about sideways (and backward) career moves
• The role clarity plays when things get hard
• Why not every career needs an “all-in” leap
• How side projects quietly shape long-term success

This episode is for anyone questioning their next move or wondering if they’re “doing it wrong.”

Get to know Anamaria

Anamaria is a Learning & Development Manager and Community Builder, a podcast host, and the founder of Handle with Brain. You'll usually find her tinkering with collaborative projects at the overlap between community + (learning) experience design + facilitation.

She prefer practical approaches over grand theories, and she cares about creating environments where people share what they know, challenge each other, and make progress together.

Connect with Anamaria

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamariadorgo/

Podcast (Mapping Ties) : https://mapping-ties.com/

Newsletter: https://anamariadorgo.substack.com/

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com