Totally Unacceptable with Ed Clementi
Some things in leadership, careers, and life don't just frustrate us.
They cost us. Real money. Real ambition. Real years.
Totally Unacceptable is where we name those things — honestly, directly, and without apology.
I'm Ed Clementi. I spent 25 years in financial services, rising from Executive Assistant to Managing Director. What I learned along the way is that the most important conversations — about leadership, about careers, about the life we're building around all of it — are the ones nobody is having out loud.
That changes here.
Some episodes shine a light on the external — the leadership behaviors, the organizational failures, and the cultures that hold great people back. Others turn the lens inward — on the choices we make, the stories we tell ourselves, and the moments where we have to decide who we're going to be.
Because leadership doesn't stay in the office. It follows you home. And how we lead — at work, in our careers, in our lives — matters more than most people are willing to admit.
If you're a professional who refuses to accept less than what you're capable of, this podcast was built for you.
🎙️ Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.
Totally Unacceptable with Ed Clementi
Almost Chosen - The Cost Nobody Names
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There's a name for what you've been feeling.
You've delivered. You've developed. You've done everything they asked. And yet — year after year — someone else gets the call. You get the praise, you get the appreciation, you get told how valuable you are. But you don't get chosen.
I call it Almost Chosen. And it has a very real cost.
In this episode, I walk you through what Almost Chosen actually looks like — the commute home when you let yourself believe this is the year, the dinner table conversation, the quiet shift in how you show up when it keeps not happening. And then I price it out. Conservatively, being Almost Chosen in financial services can cost you $50,000 a year in foregone compensation. Over multiple years — that's six figures of real money, real lifestyle decisions, real ambition eroded.
But this isn't just about the individual. Almost Chosen is a leadership failure with a price tag. When great talent gets maintained instead of advanced, the organization pays too — in productivity, in engagement, and eventually in the talent that walks out the door.
If you've ever carried Almost home, this episode is for you.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The Almost Chosen moment — and why it's more common than anyone admits
- What it does to you psychologically over time
- The real financial cost of being passed over — year after year
- What it costs the organization when they keep doing it
- Three honest questions every Almost Chosen professional needs to ask themselves
- Why Almost Chosen is a choice to stay — but not a permanent verdict
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
📖 Almost Chosen No More — The Playbook Everything I wish someone had handed me, built into a framework you can use starting today. For the professionals done waiting and ready to become undeniable. 👉 https://edclementi.com/almost-chosen-no-more/
📩 The FireStarter Newsletter Every Monday. One idea to start your week. Leadership, careers, and life — the stuff nobody tells you until it's too late. Free. 👉 https://firestarter.edclementi.com
🌐 AxioLead™ — Leadership Risk Advisory 👉 https://edclementi.com
CHAPTERS:
00:00 — Intro
00:11 — Have You Ever Known Someone Like That?
02:15 — It Has a Name: Almost Chosen
02:50 — Who I Am and Why This Matters
05:07 — Walk With Me: The MD Journey
12:39 — The Almost Chosen Moment
16:17 — What It Does to You Over Time
19:36 — Let's Price This Out
22:54 — What It Costs the Organization
23:50 — Who This Is For
25:13 — Almost Chosen No More: The Playbook
28:42 — Three Honest Questions
29:55 — Almost Chosen Is a Choice — Not a Verdict
CONNECT WITH ED: 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/edwardclementi 🌐 edclementi.com 📩 FireStarter Newsletter: firestarter.edclementi.com
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