#5 — How To Reinvent Your Career At Any Age | Frank Koo: “Your Job Is NOT Your Identity!” “I Chose Freedom & Purpose Over A Higher Paycheck”

Author: Nicole Lee
Published: Sun 09 Feb 2025
Episode Link: None

Would you take a pay cut to do something you love? Frank Koo reveals that’s what he did. And he never looked backed since.

Many of us were raised to believe that Success = Earning more money + More social status.

But what if true fulfilment comes from something bigger than yourself? Something bigger than material pursuits?

In Episode 5 of You Never Know, I speak with Frank Koo, who has navigated major career transitions in life — from leaving a senior executive position in a Fortune 500 tech company, pivoting into education, to venturing into the world’s largest professional networking platform, LinkedIn.

Now at Nextplay, Frank is on a mission to transform the way people see work — not just as a means to an end, but as something that brings fulfilment and joy.

Join us as we talk about how you can reinvent your career at any age, why your job isn’t your identity, and why money does not equal happiness and success.

I sincerely hope that this episode is meaningful for you wherever you are on your journey, and whenever you are meant to find this.

00:00 Introduction: Career is Not a One-Way Street

02:06 Frank Koo's Career Journey

10:33 Resilience and Relationship Building

14:34 The Search for Fulfillment

18:43 Transitioning from Tech to Education and LinkedIn

20:38 Intentionality vs. Serendipity in Career

24:40 Changing Industries: Lessons Learned

29:03 Life Stages and Career Aspirations

34:41 Finding Values and Purpose

39:36 How Much Money is Enough?

43:30 Self Identity and Interests Beyond Your Job