Newsletter issue: #148
Read time: 1m 53s

Nothing says “career clarity” like a luxury resort unraveling into existential dread.

I binged White Lotus Season 3 last weekend (don’t judge me) and realized it’s basically a documentary about working in UX.

Strip away the infinity pools and awkward dinner parties, and boom – it’s just like my last UX role.

Let me explain…

Back in 2019, I was living the dream.

Head of Design at Thailand first FinTech unicorn. High status. High salary.

But like every White Lotus character, I was chasing enlightenment while ignoring reality.

Sound familiar?

My favourite moment this season: watching a character convinced she can 'fix' another adult.

We do this in UX all the time!

• “If I explain it nicely enough, this PM will stop rushing our process.”
• “One more workshop and they’ll finally understand!”
• “Let’s be more empathetic to our stakeholders”

I spent years trying to fix broken design cultures before realizing:

You’re a designer, not a workplace therapist.

Playing saviour doesn’t make you valuable, it makes you exhausted.

(Trust me, I learned this the hard way when I burned out and quit mid-pandemic with zero plan. I even made a video about it 🫣)

Or how about the characters who keep changing locations hoping their problems won’t follow?

In 2021, I was jumping between projects faster than a product manager changes requirements:

Web 3 → Video Agency → SaaS → Startup Incubator

Each time thinking: “This project will be different!”

Spoiler alert: The only constant in all my workplace drama was me.

The best career advice I never got?

Your problems have frequent flyer miles.

They’ll follow you to every “dream job” until you address them.

For me, it was saying yes to everything, avoiding tough conversations and working 80-hour weeks to prove my worth.

In 2022, I finally stopped running. Instead of chasing the next win or pretending burnout was a badge of honour, I got real with myself.

Question for you:

1. Are you a White Lotus character in your career right now?
2. Running from job to job expecting different results?
3. Chasing validation like it’s an open bar?
4. Trying to fix everyone except yourself?

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Self-awareness beats the shiny objects.
• Your impact speaks even when recognition doesn’t come.
• The meaning isn’t in the final product. It’s in the small victories.
• You don’t need a silent retreat to fix career burnout. You need boundaries.

That’s why now I help designers navigate their careers (without the drama).

No infinity pools required.

Just clarity, boundaries, and the occasional existential crisis (hey, we’re still designers after all).

P.S. Want the full breakdown of all 6 White Lotus career lessons? Dive deeper into each one (with way more snark) on my blog!

What White Lotus teaches UX designers