Good Work with Barrett Brooks The Stories We Tell Ourselves That Keep Us Stuck with Jenny Wood
16 snips
Mar 12, 2026 
Jenny Wood, former Google exec turned NYT bestselling author and coach, blends leadership experience with writing on ambition and identity. She talks about trading relentless striving for aligned living. Conversations touch on flying and flow, obsession versus ease, quitting a secure career, parenting and presence, and building a new work mix that supports more freedom.
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Twizzlers In A Tiny Office And The Imposter Work Cycle
- Jenny's first Google office had ten people and a 'micro kitchen' of Costco Twizzlers, which amplified her imposter syndrome.
- She coped by overworking to 'throw strikes' and later counsels hires to unpack their desk as proof they belong.
How Anticipatory Shame And Impact Bias Distort Career Risks
- Jenny links anticipatory shame and impact bias to workplace fear: people overestimate how long and how badly a negative event will hurt.
- That skew drives avoidance behaviors like not personalizing desks or overpreparing to prevent imagined long-term harm.
Physical Crises Forced Jenny To Face Leaving Google
- At her breaking point Jenny was sleep-deprived, on trazodone, fell while trail running, and nearly dozed driving with her son—signals she couldn't rationalize away.
- Those physical crises pushed her to separate 'truths' (facts) from 'tales' (stories) about leaving Google.
