
Feed Drop: WorkLife with Molly Graham
From Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel by LinkedIn
May 14, 2026 · 40 min
About this episode
Patty Stonesifer discusses how to filter career opportunities using a personal mission statement.
You might think the biggest, most prestigious job is always the right career move. Patty Stonesifer — founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an early Amazon board member — says that’s exactly the wrong way to decide what to do next. So what should guide your career? In this special episode from WorkLife with Molly Graham, Patty shares the nine-word personal mission statement she’s used for decades to filter opportunities, turn down what doesn’t fit, and speak up for what matters. Patty shares how you can write your own, and even coaches Molly through creating hers in real time.WorkLife is a podcast from TED where host and company builder Molly Graham and her expert guests talk through the messy feelings we all experience at work. Ambition and failure, joy and burnout, confidence and self-doubt — this show digs into it all to help you build a career without losing yourself. Listen now: https://link.mgln.ai/7r9KAe
People in this episode
Host: Molly Graham
Guest: Patty Stonesifer
Topics covered
- career guidance
- personal mission statement
- decision making
- workplace emotions
- professional development
Keywords
- career move
- mission statement
- opportunities
- workplace
- ambition
- failure
- self-doubt
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Amazon, TED
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