I Wanted to Know I Mattered

As I share more about this next phase of my life, I want to be honest about the transition too: not just what I’m creating, but what I’m discovering about myself along the way. This realization came slowly and saying it out loud took a bit longer.

When I retired from Workday, I was ready to step away and take a real break. I gave myself permission to take one for three months, and I leaned into it fully. I wasn’t thinking about what I missed or wondering what was happening without me. I was just resting.

But once the break ended, I started reflecting on what my career and my time at Workday had meant to me. That chapter represented growth, purpose, and daily connection. It represented conversations and debates about serious topics, filled with humor, goodwill, and the best of intentions. It represented my life’s work thus far, my greatest contribution.

I had to admit to myself that I missed being part of something bigger than myself. I missed building products, culture, and teams. I missed being surrounded by people willing to imagine how work could be better.

Most of all, I missed the team! I missed our daily collaboration and the conversations that pushed our thinking forward. I loved watching people stretch into their capabilities and extend their capacity. The team and the organization were doing meaningful work, and I missed the energy, the learning, the chance to help people thrive within it.

And honestly, I wanted to know I had mattered too. That my presence made a difference. That the relationships we built were real. That something of what I contributed stayed behind after I left.

That question got answered faster than I expected. Almost immediately after my break ended, people started reaching out. Some had even set calendar reminders. 😊 They gave me the space I needed, and then they remembered me. They missed me. They wanted to reconnect. Their calls and messages reminded me how meaningful it is to tell people what their presence has meant to us, whenever we have the chance.

As it turns out ... I mattered. And that deeply matters to me. Even though writing it here feels like a small risk, I think it’s one worth taking.