WHY I QUIT META & WHAT I FOUND INSTEAD

On paper, it was a great job. It was a good experience and challenged my character and confidence in many ways. I wouldn’t go back and erase my time at Meta because it needed to be a part of my story to push me on my path today.

I was supporting major sports leagues on the Entertainment team. I had mentioned when negotiating the return that I’d only want to return full-time if it was on that exact team — because I’d had such a great summer during my MBA internship there (naive to how quickly tech can change in a year, even a month). My summer role had me piloting customer research to help entertainment brands better understand and connect with their audiences. It was fast-paced, strategic, and creative. And it was in Union Square, my favorite neighborhood in New York City.

In a full-circle moment - My internship office was on the same floor as my pre-MBA job, just a year and half later. My old company had moved from Union Square to Bryant Park and Meta moved in - 2017. I remember seeing the space being remodeled and telling the security guards, “I’ll be back” and 2 years later, I was and this time with Facebook. They remembered me and we had some good times in the lobby.

From the outside, it looked like I’d made it. Good money. Good performance reviews. A company name everyone recognized. A “cool” job working with major sports leagues. I figured maybe I could learn to love it, but from the moment I inched closer to signing the offer letter, I felt out of alignment - my soul started to ache.

Inside? That feeling of being unfilled would only keep growing. Up until the job, I hadn’t had a facebook account since 2013 and was on and off IG. Now I only work with organizations that deeply align with how I already live my life.

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The Unease I couldn’t Ignore

I was restless. I kept trying to squeeze creativity into places that didn’t ask for it. I wanted to build. But the role needed someone to maintain. I felt I was 10 years too late.

It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t me.

I’ve always thrived in ambiguity. I light up when given a blank canvas — in work, in art, in life.
I had to confront the truth: I had followed someone else’s definition of success.

I stayed telling myself I could “tough it out.”
I pushed through difficult life events, the passing of my grandmother, a concussion and more. I was deeply in my masculine energy. I was surviving and far from thriving. I used to have a problem with overstaying in places and relationships, but now I try to get out as quickly as possible. Say it with me: “If you don’t belong, don’t be long.”

And eventually, the whisper in my spirit got louder:

“You have to leave this in order to make room for something else.”

This is in complete contrast to what society tells us - to only leave a job once you firmly already have one. Someone actually said to me when I had this itching - “a bird in the hand is worth two in a bush” …essentially meaning it’s better to have a small, secured advantage than the possibility of a bigger one. BUT I WANTED THE BIGGER ONE. I WANTED TO BE ON MY PATH TO MY GREATEST POTENTIAL. I did not want to play small nor settle and the truth was, I was settling in more ways than one.

A lot of people around me tried to dissuade me and told me I was crazy. I did it anyway although I didn’t do it blindly. I leaned in to those supporting me and the advice they provided:

MY EXIT PLAN

In the six months leading up to my departure, I built the scaffolding I needed to make the leap:

• I met regularly with a therapist

• I had multiple coaches and mentors who helped me get clear, stay grounded, and prepare well

• I picked up two part-time jobs to cushion what felt like a free fall

• And I made a list of hobbies I wanted to explore again — things I hadn’t made time for in years

Around this time, I’d been interviewing at consulting firms and other tech companies. It all felt the same. Mirroring experiences and places I hadn’t yet had been.

It was clear that I was done with a traditional corporate setting.

Not because I couldn’t do it.
Not because I failed.
I’d done well, “succeeded” and still felt the ache of something deeper calling me forward.

I needed to reclaim my energy, my time, and my voice.
I needed space for my art, my healing, my community, and joy.

I needed to know, deeply, who I was outside of work.

And as God would have it, just two weeks after leaving Meta, one of those part-time roles opened into a full-time opportunity.

In my next role, I was upfront with my boss and team, both during the interview process and in early 1:1s, that I was actively reshaping my relationship with work. I’m grateful they embraced this part of my journey. It wasn’t about working less or slowing down; it was about maintaining high standards while also creating a sense of harmony across all areas of my life. I’ve never liked the term work-life balance because it suggests a scale where one side is always tipping. Instead, I started aiming for harmony, a life where work, personal growth, and relationships could overlap meaningfully and reflect who I am and what I value.

I wanted my identity to be guided from within, not shaped by external pressures or expectations.

Gratitude

I had a few incredible leaders and peers at Meta who supported me through the process.

When I shared that I didn’t think the company nor role were quite right for me long-term, they didn’t shame me or try to convince me to stay. On some calls, I was so frustrated that I spoke while choking down tears.

• Some told me to make a list of things I loved in the job and things I didn’t love to gain more clarity on my next step. I realized I didn’t want to work for a social media focused company and I didn’t enjoy environments or business models where ads were a large component of revenue

• Someone once reminded me to make sure I was running toward something, not just away from my company. I thought about that deeper: if you’re running from a bear, it’s chaotic and panicked, with no clear direction. If you’re running toward a lighthouse, you have a clear purpose. Your path is focused and distractions fall away.

• Some gave me permission to explore inside and outside of the company

It was important to not end up in one frying pan trying to get out of the other.

Their guidance reminded me: even within systems that may not fit us, there are still people on the path to meet you with grace.

AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET

By the time I left Meta, it was clear to me:

I wasn’t giving up my salary, I was making room for it to come from more sources and stopped putting all my eggs in one basket.

That shift changed everything. Removing my identity from a title helped too. Life has become far more abundant than if I had stayed, financially, emotionally, spiritually, creatively.

As my friends often hear me say when I talk about my daily miracles, “I can’t make this up.”

The friends who said I was crazy turned around and told me they finally understood, it took months and years, but they’ve made their own quits and changes. Everyone is on their own journey.

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Identity Beyond the Job Title

Since leaving, I've been rebuilding, not just my career, but my confidence, my values, my sense of what I truly want from this one wild and precious life.

I’m living closer to what the Japanese call Ikigai, the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what can sustain you. (A mentor and leader at Meta first introduced me to the concept.)

And I’ve embraced a new mantra since 2021when I started this deeper journey:

Not everything that calls your name is for you.

So many things want your talent.
So many titles look good, but feel hollow in your spirit.

You can say no and or determine what terms you will accept.

Discernment is the new power.
Listening to the still, small voice.

Chats with my sister revealed I wasn’t even looking for a dream job (title-focused), I had been looking for dream work - being much more intentional about how I was spending my time and with whom.

The company didn’t change overnight, but I was changing and starting to ask different questions about purpose, creativity, and sustainability.

A Note for Anyone on the Edge

If you’re in a job that’s “fine,” but your soul is whispering go, go.

If you’re afraid to walk away because the next thing isn’t clear, I can assure you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I promise: you’re not crazy. You’re not behind. You're not alone.

Build your net. Gather your people.What’s waiting on the other side isn’t just another job.
It’s your life. I’m not anti-corporate, it’s good and great for a lot of people, but I believe it’s important anywhere we work, to know why we are there and what we want to gain from the experience.

What’s calling you next?

Here’s a little sketch I drew for myself this past valentines day. A little love letter to corporate.

💌
— Sasha Mack