From Boxed In to Boundless: The Power of Breadth in a Narrow World

If you feel boxed in, you can create a career that feels like you, even all of you. It may not look like 9-5 and it may not come with a job description but if you feel boxed in, chances are you’re fine with that!

Like many others portfolio careerists, founders, and others, I tend to need more engagement than a job description can provide and there are always more ideas I want to pursue. Now I can’t do it all but I surely made a combination that works for me and so can you.

This took freeing myself of what “best” and “should” look like as well as learning to growth in motion, not in overthinking.

Let me share a little how why and how:

I grew up in France, raised by an Italian family.
Two cultures. Two languages. Two worlds.

I was a curious kid — and had this odd feeling of being privileged to go to school when other kids complained.
Maybe because my grandmother was sent to mind goats and never got the chance to learn to read.

I cruised at school with little effort.
I dreamt of literature, of studying ancient Greek and Latin at university in Rome.
I loved philosophy and writing essays.

But I was good at math and science.
And so my teachers and family led me to believe that science was “better” than literature.

“What are you going to do with a degree in Ancient Greek?”

I didn’t have an answer.
So I continued with science.
Slowly leaving my writing skills behind.

Living the Dream — Until I Outgrew It

I did enjoy the science.
I got into a competitive school and earned two master’s degrees — in drug development and chemical engineering.
Before I even graduated, I was hired by a big pharma company doing drug discovery in Barcelona.

I was doing too well to give it all up for a PhD, but eventually, I got tired of lab work.
So I changed countries a few times, moved into innovation consulting in Belgium.

Then I started feeling like I should go back to research — not enable others to do great research, but do my own.

Meanwhile, for a bunch of reasons, I decided to go backpacking in Australia.
But instead of picking mangoes, within four months I got a sponsorship to do academic research at a drug discovery centre.
Within 18 months, I had a permanent visa and a full-time job at a biotech in Sydney.

I was living the dream I had imagined.
Until I outgrew it.
And that’s totally fine.

Dreams change. People change. Ambition evolves.

That’s when I got lost.

The Trap of the Perfect Move

I started searching for my next perfect move — but the harder I looked, the further away it felt.
I was feeling undervalued, underutilised.
I had so much more to give than the role I was in, even if it was a role many people would’ve wanted.

The truth was, I didn’t know what I wanted anymore.
What would make me feel engaged?

I had broad interests. I wanted to keep learning, change expertise, build new skills.
But that didn’t always fit the box I was in.

“I run a business, not a university, Angélique,” said an R&D Director. “I need you to settle and do what you’ve just learned — not move on to the next thing.”

“You need to focus on one thing, not try so many,” said another senior.

Fair enough. I understood.
I just wasn’t in the right spot anymore.
And that was no one’s fault.

But I could never resonate with that feedback: You need to focus.
I wasn’t unfocused. I had breadth and depth.
That was a strength, not a flaw.

I just needed to find a place where that was true — find my crowd.
I just didn’t know who those people were yet.

Perfectionism Kills

I would’ve never allowed myself to give up a salary without a plan.
So I kept searching for that perfect move.

Except it didn’t exist.
And that was my biggest lesson.

Analysis paralysis.
Perfectionism kills.

I spent months researching, talking to over 20 people, documenting every conversation.
I even did another master’s in corporate innovation.
I ended up with a 50-page document… and no action beyond those conversations.

I wasn’t any closer to knowing what to do.
I just wanted the next move to be the right move.

Motion Creates Clarity

Then I started working with a coach.
And the most powerful thing she did was get me out of my head.

She pushed me to apply for things even if they merely intrigued me — so I could start real conversations.

Within two months, I had changed jobs — with a 30% pay rise that would’ve taken me five years to reach, if ever.

But that wasn’t the real win.
The win was momentum.

I didn’t open one door.
I stepped into a new world — with opportunities I didn’t even know existed.

That’s how I got into consulting, where breadth and depth were finally seen as a strength.
Standing up for myself. Saying no. Reframing. Challenging assumptions.

All strengths.

When Life Gets Messy

But life is funny and messy.
I got pregnant, had lots of complications, took a break, came back — and my role was made redundant post-COVID.

But by then, I knew how to advocate for myself.
I knew how to convey energy and leverage the strengths that once looked like flaws.

Before my contract even ended, I already had options — good options.
It was hard to choose.

I chose the one I knew nothing about: clinical trials and operations.

“I know people who tried this, Angélique. It’s a crash course — and they quit.”

But crash courses are what I live for.

Within a year, I was rescuing projects and learning what usually takes others four.

Because I had crossed departments and functions, I became good at building bridges, connecting business units, and getting involved in initiatives.
I articulated the impact I wanted to make in every possible way — and that’s how I built a brand for it.

And eventually, that brand started attracting opportunities.
People began putting me forward for things they thought matched it — and they were right.

Breadth, depth, connection, storytelling — all became central to my job.
And that’s when things started to click.

The Podcast

Somewhere along the way, I started speaking to people whose brains worked like mine — always interested in something new, always creating.

These were founders.
And that’s how Multiple Hats was born.

I wanted to showcase amazing yet approachable women in STEM — women who had written their own script and designed a career that truly mattered to them.

“Hey, I’m Angélique. I want to showcase amazing STEM women who have written their own script. No scripted interviews, just your raw thoughts on how you found your vision and what it took to make it happen.”

I never got a no. Only a few didn’t reply.
Because I was clear — on why I was doing it, what I needed from them, and what they were contributing to:
being role models and lowering the entry barrier for the next generation of founders and change makers.

That’s how I started podcasting — out of sheer love for learning, talking to incredible people, storytelling, and making an impact.

What I Learned

Here’s what I realised:
The most brilliant minds can still struggle to articulate their vision and thoughts.
But visibility — rallying people behind your ideas — is what makes things happen.

It’s not just about what you know.
It’s about how you make people believe.

That’s why I created the Thought Leadership Signature Program —
so that you can find your vision, become articulate, and make the stars align for you.

Because the world doesn’t need you to fit a box.
It needs you to light it up.

If you want to align how you speak with what you want - book a free clarity.