It's been a year of building, testing, learning, and discovering what actually matters.
When I launched PurposePhil Career in March, I had a hunch: our sector needed something different for career transitions. A space that understood the nuances of education, philanthropy, and social impact work. A community that valued both expertise and humanity.
The response has been beyond what I imagined.
What Happened This Year
The talent pool grew to 630+ experts. The job board brought in over 3,300 unique visitors each month, with 87% being new faces. People are spending real time there (3+ minutes, 2.5 pages per visit), and they're coming back. My LinkedIn community grew from 6,000 to 16,500 followers, with conversations about leadership, rest, and portfolio careers generating the deepest engagement.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
What emerged from all this activity was unexpected: a steady stream of people reaching out for career guidance. Not just resume reviews or interview prep, but deeper questions. About their North Star. About authentic positioning in a flooded job market. About creating visibility around what actually matters to them. About whether they could build a portfolio career that honors multiple parts of who they are.
I started offering structured 1:1 mentoring to help people navigate these questions. We focus on authentic outreach strategies (because standing out in application portals feels impossible right now) and building visibility through a strong, authentic voice. For those exploring portfolio careers, we work on designing income streams that provide both freedom and security through diversification.
Not everyone can afford 1:1 support, so I created an affordable cohort model that adds the crucial peer element. Job searching and career transitions are lonely. Having others on the journey with you changes everything. It also included a custom AI companion for our sector.
The first cohort had 20 participants (I'd hoped for 10-12). They valued the peer exchange, the guidance on using AI as a reflective tool for authentic positioning rather than generic output, and the accountability. But something else kept surfacing: exhaustion. The need for rest.
I also spent months interviewing 17 female leaders in education and philanthropy for the PurposePhil Pulse series. From emergency contexts in Syria to global networks spanning 60+ countries, from foundations in Switzerland to grassroots organizations in Pakistan. These conversations explored their journeys, their leadership, and their vision for systems change.
One theme emerged so consistently across these 17 conversations that it demanded deeper examination: partnership. Not partnership as a checkbox on funding applications, but as the fundamental infrastructure for creating lasting change. What these leaders taught me about building trust over time, starting with co-creation rather than predetermined solutions, addressing power dynamics explicitly, and committing to the long game has shaped how I think about all collaborative work. You can read the full synthesis and individual interviews at https://www.purposephilcareer.com/blog.
Meanwhile, I was invited to facilitate a global participatory process on learning assessments in low-resource and humanitarian contexts. Nine months of virtual sessions culminating in an in-person workshop in East Africa. It reinforced something I've always believed but now see with crystal clarity: the power of building trust before building strategy. The strength of combining virtual connection with real human presence. The magic that happens when diverse groups feel genuinely heard and can co-create together.
What I Learned
Visibility comes from value and listening. Curating jobs in a tough market is useful. But what resonated most here on LinkedIn were conversations about female leadership and collaboration, about rest as resistance, about work settings where identity and joy aren't tied solely to a salary.
Going out there before it's perfect is worth it. I had doubts about PurposePhil Career, the cohort model, about the AI mentor I built, about whether anyone would care. But showing up with vulnerability and testing demand taught me more than months of planning could have. I learned about automations, niche marketing, platform management, and emerging needs I hadn't anticipated.
AI can strengthen agency and authenticity when used thoughtfully. A custom AI trained on your priorities, style, and context, with clear boundaries and a reflection-partner approach, can be powerful. But it's most valuable when combined with real human connection and safe spaces. That combination (a 24/7 AI companion plus regular human touchpoints) is something I want to keep exploring.
What's Coming in 2026
I'm not expanding wildly. I'm going deeper.
Talent pool: I've focused on growth and quality. Now it's time to actively showcase this richness to employers and organizations who need expert help. If you have any upcoming recruitment needs at mid-/senior level in the education, EdTech, MEL or philanthropy space, you have a powerful tool at hand.
Career transitions cohort: Building on the pilot, the next cohort starts February 5th. If you're navigating a career transition or exploring a portfolio career, this is for you. Peer exchange, guidance on authentic positioning, AI as a reflective tool, and building your voice and visibility. Register now.
Portfolio career community: I want to create space for those in our sector who are building multifaceted work lives. The person writing their family history alongside consulting work. The philanthropic leader managing a hotel. The program officer offering writing courses. The ex-USAID employee with a candle shop. These aren't side hustles. They're reimagined professional lives. I'll highlight some inspiring examples and create a peer community for others exploring this path.
Rested leadership: The response to my recent piece on exhaustion was overwhelming. It clearly hit a nerve. In January, I'm offering a reflection practice (weekly emails with journaling prompts on rest, creativity, identity, and 2026 intentions). Sign up now. Beyond that, I want to keep exploring with you what rested leadership looks like in practice for our sector.
AI and agency: I'm refining my thinking on AI companions. There's a lot going wrong in this space (friendship bots, intimacy substitutes). I want to explore how to build guardrails, what makes a good reflective companion for professional and personal growth, and how this intersects with human connection. Also: what AI companions mean for agency in the Global South.
Impact networks: Strategy is one thing. Implementation is where the real work happens. I want to continue supporting networks in our space to co-create strategies, and to move from vision to action.
Make Yourself a Gift for the New Year
If the piece on exhaustion resonated with you, consider joining the January reflection practice. Four weeks of guided journaling on rest, creativity, identity, and what you want for 2026. Weekly emails, a virtual gathering at month's end, optional community space. Pay-what-feels-right (€20 recommended). Registration closes January 4th 2026. Sign up now.
If you're in career transition or planning one, the next cohort starts February 5th 2026. Let's navigate this together. Sign up now.
Thank You
For reading. For engaging. For sharing your struggles and your insights. For being part of this community as it takes shape.
I don't know exactly what 2026 will bring, but I'm looking forward to figuring it out together.
With gratitude,
Nora