Today I’m publishing the first of a three part interview with ex-Googler, neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff.

I came across Anne-Laure when I tuned into a podcast between her and "Oprah for Millennials" Khe Hy.

I was impressed by what I heard.

Anne-Laure has a unique backstory and a novel take on the world of work and careers.

She poured herself into her dream job until she realised it didn’t fulfil her anymore. That led Anne-Laure to step away from the corporate world to pursue her writing and research, and to build her personal growth community.

She’s also just published her first book. 

A few weeks ago, I dropped Anne-Laure a line, asked her if she'd be up for an interview, and crossed my fingers and toes.

Graciously, Anne-Laure said yes.

I’m fired up for this one. 

The interview is packed with nuggets of gold about careers, curiosity, productivity, science and sharing your work in public.

Quite the cornucopia.

Let's get to it:

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Tom: What sparked your decision to quit your dream job at Google?

Anne-Laure: I was both burned out and bored out. My career path felt so predictable, I could see the exact steps ahead, almost like the end of a movie had been spoiled.

While that might sound comforting to some, for me it felt creatively stifling. I craved more exploration. So I chose to walk in order to rediscover curiosity and agency in my work.

Tom: What practical steps or advice would you recommend to someone whose job isn’t quite hitting the spot?

Anne-Laure: Start from a place of curiosity. It’s easy to spiral into anxiety when we feel disconnected from our work, but asking open-ended questions can be incredibly powerful. Try spending a few minutes each day observing what energizes you and what drains you. These small acts of self-anthropology can lead to surprisingly big insights.

Tom: How can someone identify what work will “fit” them? Especially if they’re beginning to question whether the version of success they’ve been pursuing is the right one?

Anne-Laure: The key is to conduct tiny experiments. Instead of making sweeping career moves or putting pressure on yourself to figure it all out, give yourself permission to try different things in low-stakes ways. These can help you gather real data about what success looks and feels like for you.

Tom: In Tiny Experiments, your book of the same name, you write about the life scripts and work scripts that hold us back. How can we unlearn these scripts when it’s not clear if we’re following the scripts in the first place? Isn’t it like trying to spot your own blind spots?

Anne-Laure: It absolutely is! That’s why it starts with observation. There’s a powerful skill we all have called metacognition, which means thinking about your own thinking.

By noticing your thoughts, emotions, and reactions, you begin to see the patterns shaping your behavior. It’s not always easy, but journaling is a great tool for practicing metacognition. It helps bring those blind spots into view and creates space for change.

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Okay, that’s a wrap on the first part of the interview.

Back tomorrow with Part 2.