Dana Perino was terrified to leave the White House — until George W. Bush changed how she thinks about her career |
Dana Perino was terrified to leave the White House — until George W. Bush changed how she thinks about her career
Landing a job—especially one that is well-paid and personally fulfilling—can feel like the hardest part of building a career. But in today’s uncertain labor market, even established professionals face sudden transitions, and mid-career pivots can feel just as destabilizing as early-career ones.
Just ask Dana Perino.
After George W. Bush’s administration ended, the former White House press secretary found herself at a crossroads. She’d spent nearly her entire career in government, so stepping outside that world wasn’t exactly a comfortable leap. She landed a public relations job—and almost immediately knew it was a mistake.
“It was pretty clear after two hours that I didn’t like it,” the now-Fox News host recently told Fortune.
Weeks in, Perino found herself back at an event with her former boss, venting about the situation. Bush responded with a question that reframed everything.
“He made me answer this question: ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen if you started your own thing and it failed? Let’s talk it through honestly,’” she recalled. “As we talked it through, it was clear I wasn’t going to become homeless and live on the street.”
By the end of the conversation, Bush delivered the takeaway: If the worst-case scenario was........