In today’s reflection, I want to talk about the moment the title comes off. The job, the role, the line on your LinkedIn profile. And what is left of you when it’s gone.
I met Anat Weissman back in 2018, in one of my previous roles in marketing. Tel Aviv, Düsseldorf, our paths kept crossing. Even then, she was the person who connected people and departments that would never have found each other. This week, I got to sit down with her and hear the whole story.
Meet Anat
Anat grew up between Israel and Kenya, a third culture kid. She spent more than 25 years in customer-facing roles, from sales enablement to customer success. She was laid off twice. The first time, she was sad for 24 hours. The second time, she decided it was her time.
For two years she carried an idea for a product in her head, waiting for funding, an engineer, a team. Then she took a short workshop, started working with AI agents, and launched CXmate in under three weeks. Without writing a single line of code.
Today she is a founder, a coach and a speaker. And she no longer introduces herself by her title. She says: I connect the dots.
🎤 Join Anat live: her talk The Human is the Loop is online, in English, on November 5, 2026. I’ll be there too. Link here
What stayed with me
The missing piece is rarely money or skills. It’s starting. Anat had every excuse ready for two years. What changed was not her resources. It was her decision to begin and figure it out on the way.
If AI scares you, start with your life, not your work. Anat built an app in one hour so her family could follow her daughter’s schedule while she traveled. Small, personal wins make the fear smaller.
Say yes, even when it’s uncomfortable. Her AI agent created a landing page for a talk she hadn’t planned to give. Her first reflex was no. Two minutes later she said yes. Fifty people came.
My reflections
Anat is truly brilliant, and so generous to open up and talk about her journey. She is also transparent about her struggles, and I love that about her.
Before we hit record, we talked about how she never felt appreciated in any workplace. They kept trying to box her in. But Anat cannot be boxed, because she brings so much to the table. She knows clearly what she brings. She knows herself. And now she finally feels at home in everything she does, with so much more time for herself.
I loved what she said, because I feel it too: AI gives us back the time to be ourselves, and to spend it the way we want.
I understand that most people don’t use AI to the capability it has today. The only thing in between is the fear of change, and of adopting the new times we are heading into. In some parts of the world, this has been happening for a long time. It is coming to Europe as well. And it’s better to start playing with AI now than to wait until... until you feel ready.
This is what we keep doing, isn’t it? I have been there. Some of you are there now. Waiting is the most dangerous way of postponing the moment you act on your idea.
But I understand where it comes from. It comes from the fear of failure, because society taught us to show only the glamorous side of our lives. That has never been realistic, and it will collapse faster than anyone can say abracadabra.
I truly believe we all have our own way of adopting new technology. And I get it. Take your time and find your own rhythm. That’s why I bring these guests to you, so that every Thursday you get your dose of inspiration and find your own rhythm.
What I learned from Anat: if you have been sitting on a genius idea for a new business or product, or you simply want to start, stop procrastinating. Start! You will see along the way whether it’s working or not. You don’t have to have it all figured out from the beginning. Move, and figure it out on the way. And if it doesn’t work, that is a lesson to change direction and try something else.
I loved the light in her eyes when she talked about her company, but also about the other sides of her life. She gave herself permission to just be herself, with the amazing days and the not so amazing ones. She has embraced herself entirely, and now she flows with her life instead of resisting it. Instead of fighting how her brain works, she works with it.
It reminded me of how many years I spent fighting myself, trying to fit the neurotypical brain. But I have never been that way. My brain has always been wired differently, and that is okay. Because, you see, I bring you a different perspective, one you might not see without my input.
So maybe my lesson from Anat is this: embrace variety and diversity. When we come together at the table with different perspectives, curious about why you see the world the way you do and why I see it differently, that is where the best ideas are born. And most importantly, that is where we bond.
Let’s leave the workload to AI, and keep the critical thinking and the reins in our hands.
🎤 Want more of Anat? Join her talk The Human is the Loop, live online on November 5 → link here
Find Anat: Website · CXmate · LinkedIn
A question for you
If someone took your title away tomorrow, how would you introduce yourself?
I’d love to hear. Reply in the comments or reach out. I’m collecting these stories.
It does not cost you anything to share. And sharing is caring!
Until next time, gorgeous: keep moving. Keep questioning. Keep being brave enough to not fit the mold. Your non-linear path isn’t a failure. It’s evidence that you’re paying attention.
And the world needs that.
See you in the next one,
Cris