Bonus: Author Unscripted - Writing the Book

My book, Your Worthy Career: A Science-Backed Method to Build a Meaningful Career in Pharma and Biotech is officially out today, and in this special bonus episode, my marketing assistant turns the tables and interviews me about why I wrote this book, how the method came to be, and what I want the reader to feel by the end of it.

This isn’t a traditional teaching episode. It’s more a behind-the-scenes conversation. We talk about the roadblocks I hit in my own 9-to-5, the moment I was told my extra degree and stretch work didn’t “count,” and how that experience led me to develop the hidden doors framework.

This is honest, unscripted, and be sure to listen to the end to catch the blooper reel.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The reason I wrote this book — and why I wanted it accessible to every woman in science
• The story behind “hidden doors” and how roles get created outside the org chart
• The career advice I followed early on that slowed me down
• What surprised me most while writing — including what I chose to leave out
• What I hope you feel when you finish the last chapter

Get the Book: Your Worthy Career: A Science-Backed Method to Build a Meaningful Career in Pharma and Biotech here.

Work with Me: Learn more and apply to work with me here.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, hello. This is a very special bonus episode. Now, today, my book, Your Worthy Career, A Science-Fact Method to Build a Meaningful Career in Pharma and Biotech, is officially out. You can get it on Amazon right now. And instead of our usual format, I'm going to share something different today to give you a little bit behind the scenes. So my marketing assistant, who happens to be my daughter, sat down with me and asked me questions that I didn't see ahead of time about my years inside the industry, why I wrote the book, the hidden door strategy, the unwritten rules of advancement, and what I hope women in this industry feel when they finish the last chapter. This is unscripted. It's a little funny. Stay all the way to the end to hear some bloopers. It's probably the most transparent that I have been about writing this book and getting that insider glimpse. Kind of like inside the actor studio, but it's inside the author studio. So here it is, author unscripted writing the book.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Before we go into the actual book, can you tell me who you are, where you used to work, and what you do now?

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Sure. My name is Melissa Lawrence, and I'm the founder of Your Worthy Career, which is a career and leadership coaching firm for women who work in the pharma and biotech industry. And my background is really working in the pharma and biotech industry. My last role is at the AstraZeneca, leading talent and development within biologics operations. And before that, I worked for mid-sized biotechs and CROs, both in research and development and then also in manufacturing. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

I guess we can start the questions. My first question is why? Why did you write this book and what does it mean to you?

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Ooh, so I've wanted to write a book for many, many years. Even when I worked in industry, I'm sure other people can probably relate to this. I would be kind of sitting at an airport and I'd be paging through a book and think, I could write this. Like I have enough expertise, I could write this. And so it was just kind of a pipe dream I had for someday. Like it'd be nice to do that. And then as I worked more in my business, my kind of intellectual property and my methods and my frameworks really started to um take hold. And I was finding that there was just a proven method. And there I just kind of looked at what were those things that I'm consistently doing and that are also getting results for my clients consistently and decided that I really wanted this to be more accessible to more women in science. So not everyone had to work with me directly. Many people listen my podcast and other things, but the book is a way for any woman in science at any part in her career to get access to meaningful career development that's actually going to work for this industry. And is it going to be what you're going to find in any sort of generic resource?

SPEAKER_01 2:49

So this book is like your baby.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

I wouldn't say it's my baby. You're my baby. But um, no, it's not my baby, but I will say um it's been just a meaningful part of my journey. I think meaningful is in the title. Meaningful is just the word of the day. Like it's just been really um special to me to write this and make it available for every woman. Like if you go into industry, this is the book that I would want you to have. Like it would save you so many months and years of wasted time following rules that are not very clear.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Yeah, so what problem does your book solve for women in pharma?

SPEAKER_00 3:31

It gives them a repeatable process to get a new job, get a promotion, be recognized as a leader, and really to normalize the experience of women working in this male-dominated space. There's a lot of unwritten rules. There's a lot of opportunity within Pharma Biotech that isn't always talked about. And the traditional trainings that are meant for the masses, both from a corporate perspective within the company, but then also that you would typically find outside of the company, don't really marry the organizational psychology and the career development together to provide like a personalized method that's going to help women break through their own ceilings, like the ceilings we have on ourselves with our doubt and our blind spots, but also the ones that are imposed on us in industry. And so this book really tackles your development from all angles. It's more holistic so that you can really build a career that's right for you, not just what makes sense based on your resume.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Do you think you sitting in a box at your office, your nine to five, would have loved having this book?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Oh my gosh. I would have saved so many years of sitting in my career with my great job on paper and not really having a big problem in my career, but just feeling like there's a bigger difference I could be making. There's a bigger impact that I could make, but I'm not really sure. I kind of liken it to um, you know, when you find your wedding dress and you have that perfect dress you put on, and you just like know it's the one, or maybe it's your partner and you just like know they're the one. With my career, I never felt like it was my perfect career, that it was the right fit for me. And this book really is to help women find their perfect fit. And so I would have loved to have that have this years ago because it would have just saved me so much time in trial and error. But at the same time, all that trial and error is what led to this unique method that allowed me to write the book to begin with.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Yeah. Happy accidents. Can you tell me a hard truth about career and advancement that most women aren't told?

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Oh, that's a good question. I would say that there are more opportunities than what is made visible. So something that I've developed and that I talk about in the book is finding your hidden door. So we're taught to climb ladders and to look at our resume and say, what's the logical next step? And I've been here for X number of years. It's time for my promotion. Or maybe I need to get some more experience in another area so I can be recognized and advance my career. But all of that is following this linear path that really wasn't made for us authentically. It's based on the company and their leadership and what they decided at one time was the path for people. And instead, you can get really clear on what it is that you want, have that clear direction, and then position yourself effectively to find your hidden door, which could mean roles being created for you that aren't on the org chart or getting promoted outside of a promotion cycle, or maybe even redefining the role that you're in so it's more aligned with your zone of genius. There's a lot of really innovative opportunities, and it's all about finding your hidden path.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Yeah, I really like that. And I heard you mention hidden doors. So could you tell me what are hidden doors and why don't most people see them?

SPEAKER_00 6:55

So hidden doors are the opportunities that you create for yourself. So if you imagine, like a lot of people will think of the ladder and they're kind of climbing up the ladder to the next level. The hidden door is like you're going down hallways and there's doors that no one else can see, but you discover them because of your unique strategy and because you've identified that special way that you want to contribute to this industry, the problems you solve and the way that you can benefit your current company or another company. And so you essentially end up creating a door that wasn't there before and walking through it into your own path instead of following someone else's. Where did you learn that? I developed it. The hidden path versus the ladders is something that I developed when I was working with women and I did this for myself. So I also had roles created for me. I had promotions outside of performance cycles, and I didn't really realize what I was doing until I started creating methods and trying to repeat that process with my clients. And so as I worked with more women, helping them get roles created for them, move into positions with raises that didn't exist before, like all of that helped me then figure out like what is this? And it really is a hidden door. And so it's something that I created, and so it's now a strategy that I use with the clients that I work with.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Okay, and so the next thing I'll ask you is what advice do smart, hardworking women follow that actually holds them back?

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Ooh, wow, that's a really good question. So I would say one is that you have to follow that org chart that like some women will come to me and say, there just aren't any opportunities, right? Like maybe they want to advance and get their boss's job, but they're like, I have to wait for my boss to leave, or if identify they want to move into say translational into a new department, but there's no openings there. Or um something like that where they just think they have to wait, or that they have to have this opportunity presented to them in order for them to raise their hand for it, but they actually don't. That's where the hidden doors come in. The other thing that I see a lot with my clients is thinking that they need to get more credentials because they are taught, we are all taught to get A's in school, to go to college, to get our degrees. And so when you are at a pivot point in your career where you're not advancing the way you want to, when you're not getting maybe job offers when you think you deserve them, then people will often lend on that academic background to then say, well, I'm gonna go back to school and get another degree, or I'm gonna go get another certification. I'm gonna do things to make myself more marketable. But what I have found, um, and I I think if I even think about it with every client I've worked with over the last almost six years, I have never had a client have to go back to school or get a certification to get a new job or promotion. They've been able to do it just by getting clear on their direction and then positioning themselves effectively with their skills and the credentials that they already have.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Going back to past Melissa in her nine to five, do you think you were someone to raise your hand and kind of wait around for things? And how's the transition to becoming more assertive?

SPEAKER_00 10:03

So I will say that I'm I've always been someone that works really hard and um also wanted to be recognized for everything that I did because I would really do anything to help my team or my company succeed. I was very loyal to the companies that I worked for. So I will say that I did get a roadblock where I felt like I was getting the really good performance reviews. I was being told the work I was doing. I went back to school. Actually, I got my master's in organizational psychology. And I remember having a conversation with my manager at the time and saying, Hey, I'm doing all of these new projects. And I just got this degree. I've been doing these stretch projects to really show the value of how the things that I'm doing impact our employee culture and our engagement. And is there an opportunity for a razor promotion because of this work that I'm doing? And I was told no. And although I was frustrated, the reason that I got really stuck out to me, which was the role that you were hired for doesn't require this additional work. It doesn't require this degree. So it's all, I mean, it was probably said much nicer, but pretty much like it's great you went and got that, but that doesn't change what your role is here because this is what we hired you for. And instead of just sitting with that, that's where I had to get a little bit more strategic. And how I ultimately ended up getting a new associate director role created for me was by building allies and getting mentors and talking to people that maybe I didn't agree with, but would help kind of open those hidden doors for me, bring me into conversations I weren't in because a lot of people don't understand that a lot of the advancement decisions get made in rooms that you're not it, where you can't advocate for yourself. So it's important to have people around you that can do that on your behalf. So I had to get really creative with my own strategy in order to ultimately get that result that I wanted.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

So you think your book will help other women in pharma become more confident in themselves?

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Oh yeah. Actually, another thing that makes this book unique is before we even get into the the method and the how-to, because my clients just like you to who give them like an SOP or like here's what to do, they can follow instructions and get it done. But if like the foundation isn't strong, like I always say, like your brain can't solve your brain's problems. So, like if you're filtering information in a way where your roots, like your foundation is filled with like generic advice, like outdated methods, self-doubt, maybe like a little self-criticism, a little fear of making the wrong choice, all of those things are gonna filter even the best methods and advice you can get, which then filter your results and make them more negative than they need to be. And so the whole first part of the book is around looking at the dynamics of working in this industry, confidence, what it's like to be a woman in this industry, and really understanding the mindset and the belief system behind executing the method. And then I give you the step-by-steps with the method.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Yeah, that sounds really helpful. And since we're kind of getting into the book, can you tell me the hardest chapter you had to write?

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Oh my gosh, the hardest chapter? Hmm. I don't remember any specific chapter being difficult to write. I will say the hardest part that sticks out about writing the book is constraining what I was gonna say and deciding are these some of my best thoughts on this topic? What is it that women really need to know about this? Like if I never talk to them, if they don't ever, you know, work with me and all they have is this book, do I have the right information in the right way to help them, regardless of the level that they're in? And so, really getting very specific when it came to how I explained things, you will uh hear and see a uh, I guess you won't hear, but you you will see there's diagrams in the book. I have a mascot, so to speak, that represents all of us women in pharma in the book to help tell the stories. And then I also will have case studies and stories of women that I've worked with to help bring everything I'm saying to life to make it easier to implement.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

And lastly, to kind of just wrap up this interview, when a woman or the reader finishes the last chapter, what do you hope they feel?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

I would say what first comes to mind is relieved and hopeful. Okay. Like they have relief that there is a path forward, there is something that they can do, that it's not just them. They're not the problem. They just needed a different approach. Um, and to not feel alone, that there's not other people going through the same thing. That's one of the best things about the groups that I work with, is that people are always a little hesitant about being in a group because they think that their challenges are unique to them and maybe there's even something wrong with them or they're missing something. And then they get in this group with other women and they see they're all going through the same thing, regardless of the department or the title that they have. And so I hope when women read this book, I feel like it's gonna make me cry like the more when women read this book. I hope they just feel like relieved, like they can just take a big deep breath of like, okay, there's something I can do, and there's someone that understands how this industry works, and there's a method I can follow, and there's exercises and step by step so I can move forward and feel hopeful that you know I'm gonna try something different and it's gonna get me a different result.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Yeah. As we're kind of wrapping up this interview, is there anything you want to say about the book when it comes out, why you should buy it?

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Yeah, I mean, I I wrote it for the women watching this video. Like I wrote it for the women in science, whether they're just coming into the industry or they want to, or for the one that's already been in it for many years and is feeling like she's worked so hard and she's looking around and wondering, is this it? Is there anything more that she can get out of her career and get energy instead of feeling drained and stop sacrificing her family and her sleep for her job and then she can find a better way? So I really made it to be accessible and something that's repeatable. So it's like I think of it as this guide that you have with you the rest of your career, and it gets passed around to people and it's just something that becomes this invaluable resource for any time that anyone gets stuck or just proactively wants to drive their career forward. So the book will be available on February 24th. And so um it will be 50% off on that day. And I also, so like I said, there are exercises within the book, and so I took all of those exercises and made a standalone workbook to make it really easy to implement everything that's in the book, in addition to maybe some bonus um stuff in that workbook to really help you get some quick wins. Um, and so when you buy the book on the first day, when you get it, there's a QR code inside. And when you scan that, it's always gonna go to a website where you can learn more about me and get some access, some some additional resources. But when you buy right away on the day it comes out, I'm gonna have a limited release workbook that's gonna take everything from the book and it's gonna be right there. You can access it for free. And so I hope everyone that feels compelled to buy it that thinks this will help them definitely gets that opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Yeah, I know. I'm excited to read it personally. Thank you for taking the time to let me interview you and ask you some questions on your book. We're all really excited for it to come out.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Yes, thank you so much. This was such this was such a fun idea. So thank you for being such a member of my team to to do this for us. Am I supposed to be looking at a specific camera? Or just you?

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Any camera.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

All right, can you repeat the question?

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Um what advice do you smart hard looking?

SPEAKER_00 17:42

What advice do you think the hidden path versus ladders or something? Why are you laughing at?

SPEAKER_01 17:51

I really appreciate you taking the time to interview me.