Hola friends! đ
So by the time youâre reading this, you might have heard already about the Great Big Blackout that hit Spain and Portugal on April 28, 2025. We still donât know what caused it (as of writing), but the internet sure is full of conspiracy theories.
But Iâm not here to write about the conspiracies, Iâm here to write about being a prepper. As in doomsday prepper. đ
Iâve always been a prepper. Having grown up in Manila when we had regular power outages in the 90s, and typhoons that killed both power and water supply while also blocking off roads for days (weeks for some) â itâs hard not to be.
I grew up knowing that we always had to have, at least, the following at hand:
Source of light: battery-operated lamps, flashlights, candles, batteries, lighters
Source of food and water: including food that can be eaten without cooking (bonus: ice packs to keep the food in the freezer frozen longer)
Fully charged power banks and devices + a battery-operated radio
First aid kit and extras of basic OTC medicine
And emergency cash
Since Iâve moved to Europe, some things have been modified like: swapping my car preps (I donât have a car here) with sturdy shoes and socks in case thereâs a need to evacuate. If you need a list, let me know and Iâll send you mine. đ
I grew up with disasters, so I was always prepared for disasters.
During the early days of the Covid lockdown, I made sure we had a full fridge and pantry that could last us weeks without needing to go to the store.
When there was a water supply issue in Catalunya in 2023, I made sure we always had palettes of water, empty containers we could fill up, and water-purifying tools.
My friends thought I was being paranoid. Maybe I was. But Iâm ok with that. When you've gone through the disasters that I have as a kid, itâs better to be paranoid than caught unprepared.
But I never prepped for doomsday. I prepped for Tuesday, as the more hardcore preppers would say. As in, I prep for the most likely to happen scenarios vs prepping for the apocalypse thatâs likely to wipe out the entire human population in one go.
Some examples of Tuesday scenarios:
Service interruptions
Sudden layoffs
A natural disaster
So I prep for when electricity and water are out, and weâd have to bug in.
And I also prep for having to immediately rush out of the house in case of fire or earthquake.
What does this have to do with the blackout?
Well, on Tuesday, while some of my friends were out of water, or had no cash to buy supplies from the very few open stores, or had no means to get information from anybodyâŚ
I was having a candlelit dinner of âlomo bajoâ and kimchi fried rice with my boyfriend while we listened to a woo-woo audiobook for fun.
We were comfortable, and could invite our friends over to cook their food (or have some of ours if needed), refill their water/ take a shower. At least I could tell them when our mobile coverage was not failing (which is a prep improvement for later).
But before you go rushing to the nearest supermarket or fill up your Amazon carts with power stations and emergency kits (donât, theyâre useless) â I just want to tell you that the preps we have at home were not made in one day. That would get ridiculously expensive very fast and also hard to plan out (which is what usually turns most people off from prepping, apart from not wanting to be seen as a paranoid, off-the-grid, wild person).
My preps were made over time. Slowly. Sustainably.
Buying extra tins of tuna, canned veggies, or a bottle of honey when doing the groceries
Subscribing to battery orders so Iâll always have a fresh supply every 10 months
Watching out for sales in camping stores so I can buy water containers and portable lighting equipment
My point?
Most people think prepping is about stockpiling out of fear. Hoarding things âjust in caseâ. But at its core, prepping is about readiness. Not for catastrophe but for disruption.
And before you think you just signed up for a prepping newsletter (thatâs an idea though!)âŚ
What does this have to do with careers?
Right! Plenty!
Because career disruption is a Tuesday scenario that canât be solved by just purchasing extra cans of tuna the next time you do your groceries.
And because most people donât prepare for Tuesday, they only realize how unprepared they are when something breaks: a sudden layoff, a messy reorg, a promotion that doesnât come, a job that slowly stops fitting.
And Iâve seen it up close with my clients, ex-colleagues, and friends.
Here are ways being unprepared can look like in the wild:
Believing the career myth that having a full-time job is real security, until the layoff hits, and they realize their LinkedIn is empty, their CV is five years old, and their network doesnât reach beyond their team.
They believed that if they just kept working hard, volunteered for more initiatives, and kept their head down, the reward would come⌠until they get their third ânot yetâ in a row. And they want to get out because it's been truly frustrating, but after being told so many times that they're not ready, theyâve started to believe it.
They want to get out of their 9-5 grind and build something of their own. A startup, a business, a hustle. But they donât know where to start. And the risk feels too big for them to truly bet on it (or themselves). After all, there are bills to pay.
Theyâre craving a full career pivot. They want a role thatâs different from what they used to do. But they have zero credibility in the new field, unable to connect the dots between what they used to do and where they want to be, each rejection chips away at whatâs left of their confidence. And motivation can only last so long.
And itâs not that they donât have the talent or potential. The people I know who are in these situations are some of the most brilliant people Iâve ever met, and I wish I had half of the talent that they have đ
So this is absolutely not a talent problem. Itâs not a potential problem either.
Itâs a system problem. Or more accurately, the absence of a system.
And by the time people realize they need one, itâs like showing up to the supermarket to grab toilet paper⌠but the shelves are already empty.
So what does being a career prepper actually look like?
So what does being a career prepper actually look like? Itâs not about perfecting your CV in 47 formats or doomscrolling Linkedin, saving posts from the 5 million thoughtfluencers whoâre preaching that if youâre not learning AI, youâre going to get left behind.
Career prepping is about building your career stack:
Being able to name what you're actually great at and how thatâs created success (for you and the people or orgs youâve worked with).
Being clear on what you want to be known for and being intentional about what you want other people to say about you when you're not in the room.
Building relationships beyond your job title and current organization with people you can learn from, collaborate with, support, and be supported by.
Knowing how to show up with a strong voice, a clear story, and a presence that says âI know Iâm awesome. Have you met me?â
And perhaps most importantly: having a self-worth that doesnât rise and fall with the market. A value you carry even when the org chart doesnât know where to place you.
Thatâs what I mean when I say career stack.
Itâs not just a 10-year plan. Or immediately posting every day on LinkedIn, thinking thatâs how you build a personal brand.
Itâs having a full ecosystem that you can build over time, piece by piece. In a way thatâs sustainable, real, and rooted in who you are (not just who you think the market wants you to be).
And because you build it slowly, you get to experiment. To have your preps ready and your pantry full before the storm hits. To make moves that feel aligned, not reactive.
Practical examples, letâs go!
For someone still employed but watching layoff waves roll by? It might look like updating that CV and their LinkedIn profile now â not because theyâre panicking, but so theyâre never scrambling. Or warming up connections and making new ones (because we all know that the application that matters these days is a referral). Quiet prep that turns into confidence when it counts.
For someone stuck in ânot yetâ promotion purgatory? Itâs not about asking for more responsibilities. Itâs tracking the impact that they already make. Creating a brag document, even if no one asks, and turning it into a bullet-proof case come the next promotion cycle.
For someone dreaming of leaving the corporate grind? Itâs not quitting and building a business from scratch overnight. Itâs talking to people. Running low-stakes, high-insight experiments or research. To test ideas. Validating that the problems they want to solve are real, and that their way of solving is something people would want to pay for.
For someone craving a pivot? It might look like mapping the common thread across their career. Reaching out to five people in the new field, not to ask for a job, but to learn, connect, and be seen before they even send a single application.
Small shifts that compound to create big impact.
One of my 1:1 coaching clients did exactly just that. When we started working together, she introduced herself as âIâm just a Product Owner.â She didn't think she had the chops or legitimacy to go after something big. She was applying for roles, but none of them were landing.
She saw herself as small, so other people saw her as small too.
We didnât jump into CV mode. We built her career stack instead.
We got clear on her edge: the things she was brilliant at, and how her presence made teams stronger and companies better.
We defined what she wanted to be known for and helped her show up as that version of herself, consistently.
We mapped possibilities: spaces, people, problems, where aligned opportunities could come from
She started building real connections: joining communities, learning from peers, and being seen by the people already doing what she wanted to do.
And we worked on her voice. Her stories. Her self-worth. So she can align with the things that matter to her and not make herself smaller to fit the container that her fears want to box her in.
She finally stopped waiting to feel legitimate, and she started showing up fully knowing she already was.
The results soon came after.
Two months ago, she was tapped to lead a project with the exact ownership, scope, and visibility she used to think required someone more⌠âlegit.â
Now sheâs up for promotion. But the best part was what she said after:
âIf the promotion happens, amazing. But if not, because of politics or budget or whatever â Iâll be okay. I know I can move somewhere better for me.â
Thatâs what building your stack does. And thatâs what career prepping looks like.
Itâs not scrambling for a plan B. Itâs building a foundation so solid, you always have a plan A, B, and C⌠and the power to choose which one feels right.
âď¸ If you're in the middle of your career crisis (or you're on the edge of one), and need help prepping for your ideal scenario. Click here to book a discovery call with me and let's chat about the support you need and how we can collaborate together. đ¤
p.s. Or you can join my 8-week group coaching program, From Stuck to Expansive: The Full Journey. It's an 8 week group experience to help the often high-performing professionals in tech who are feeling stuck and unsure about where to take their careers next.TL;DR Career Prepping in a nutshell
Being a prepper was never about stockpiling canned goods for the end of the world. It was about being ready for the disruptions that are likely to happen on a regular Tuesday (sometimes Monday).
And career prepping works the same way.
Most people wait until they need to make a move before they even start thinking about their next step. But by then, the layoff has already hit, the role has stopped fitting, or the opportunity has passed them by.
Career prep isnât just dusting off your CV or downloading a free resume template from some influencerâs newsletter. Itâs building your career stack over time. Quietly, sustainably, and with intention.
It looks like knowing what youâre great at and how youâve made a difference.
It looks like knowing how to make your name carry weight so you can show up in spaces with presence, not because of your title, but because of your impact.
It looks like having a story you can tell without cringing, a network that extends beyond your team
It looks like having self-worth that doesnât fall apart when the org chart does.
And when all of that is in place? You stop chasing stability in systems that were never built for you. You stop waiting to be picked, validated, or promoted to feel like you matter.
You start building on your own terms. With more clarity and conviction.
While it creating a career stack as a prep is a smart strategy â for me, itâs also a quiet rebellion.
Because the real goal isnât just to survive your career. Itâs to build a life that doesnât revolve around it.
Let the companies keep their tables. Iâd rather that the rest of us are building entire homes, so we can invite more people in to have tea. đ
đ Coaching Bulletin Board:
đ From Stuck to Expansive: The Full Journey is an 8-week program for people who want to be career-ready before the next shift hits. Whether youâre feeling the itch to move, wondering whatâs next, or simply tired of waiting for the system to reward you, this is your space to build your career stack with clarity and confidence.
There are only 20 spots â because this isnât just another course meant to teach you how to be more productive. Itâs a small, high-touch group designed for support, accountability, and expansive conversations with people who get it.
We start May 21. Early Bird pricing (âŹ599) is available until May 5.
đ 1:1 Coaching for the new Product, UX, and Tech Leaders going through career dilemmas. If this is you, Iâd love to help you define your strategies to set yourself and your team up for success. Book a free call and letâs discuss how we can work together.
đ Magical Audios is partnering up with companies to provide stronger and more effective support to their leadership teams so they can lead with presence, confidence, and resilience. If you would like to know how this can work for your organization, please donât hesitate to reach out.
If you got to this part of this newsletter, thanks for staying with me until the end. And thank you for sharing with me topics that youâd like for me to share my thoughts, feelings, and violent reactions on.
â¤ď¸
Kax
Re: Manila (Philippines, in general) typhoons and growing up with them - can relate. so many memories of those disasters and the destruction theyâve causedâŚ