Untold Stories: Breaking the Silence in Corporate Life
- Mollie
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
I spent many years in corporate America, where everything had a format: processes, measurements, definitions of success. Necessary structures, yes, but what I struggled with most was the silence.
We spent more hours with colleagues than with our own families, yet rarely shared what was really happening in our lives. We were told to keep business and personal separate, but many people left work only to step back into private struggles they never spoke of. The unspoken rules silenced stories that needed to be heard.
What I Yearn For
I’ve always longed for deeper conversations. I want to know:
What was your turning point?
What regrets linger?
What keeps you awake at 2:00 in the morning?
What are you afraid someone will discover about you?
Not because I want to sit in the negative, but because our true stories reveal the heartbeat of who we are. I wasn’t interested in the polished version of a person in a meeting, the one who fit neatly into “high performer” boxes. I wanted to know what made them tick, especially when life fell apart.
When I was lucky enough to hear someone’s real story, it always changed how I saw them. I didn’t just see a co-worker, I saw a survivor, a hero, someone courageous enough to keep going when life was at its hardest.
The Gift of Witnessing
Yes, part of my fascination comes from a love of human behavior, Joseph Campbell’s idea of the Hero’s Journey has always resonated with me. But more than that, I’ve seen the healing power of speaking a story aloud.
When pain gets out of your head and into words, it lessens its hold. You’re reminded of your own resilience. And most of all, someone else gets to bear witness. That moment of being heard can shift everything.
Over the years I’ve listened to stories of addiction, of abuse, of fear about children, of financial despair. I’ve also heard stories of grit, recovery, and transformation. Every time, I’ve felt honored that someone trusted me enough to share. Sometimes I wondered, “Am I prepared to hear this? Should I offer advice?” But I’ve learned that listening is enough.
Later, through coach training, I discovered how to take those stories further - if someone wanted to process, to grow, to use their turning point as a springboard into a new chapter.
The truth is, we all carry secrets, regrets, and unspoken stories. But silence keeps us stuck. When we bring those stories into the light, whether through a safe conversation, a journal page, or a coaching space, we not only honor where we’ve been, we create space for change.
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