The Hidden Cost of Chasing Career Success / Ida Persson / Episode #262

Are you exhausted from constantly chasing the next career milestone without ever feeling truly satisfied? Join us as we explore how to step off the treadmill and shift your focus from endless professional growth to genuine human flourishing.

🎧 In This Episode

• The competitive swimmer mentality and how it secretly drives your service design career.
• Why real rest feels completely incompatible with the standard corporate calendar.
• Unlearning the limiting beliefs about success and security that keep you running 24/7.
• Navigating abrupt career stops and the lessons learned from the closure of IDEO Munich.
• How to transition your mindset from chasing metrics to finding joy in your practice.

Ida Persson is a designer focused on social impact and climate work. After spending 20 years as a competitive swimmer and later working at IDEO Munich, she learned the hard way what it means to finally slow down and question the endless hustle.

What actually brings you joy in your work? We want to hear from you. Drop a comment below with your thoughts or subscribe to the channel for more conversations on building a sustainable design career.

Enjoy the conversation and by all means take a break .

Take care,

~ Marc

[ 1. GUIDE ]

00:00 Introduction

03:15 Achievement Treadmill

09:00 The Cost

12:45 Leaving IDEO

16:45 Corporate Culture

20:30 Creative Price

21:45 Ethical Lines

31:45 Design Shifts

36:30 Status Quo

42:30 True Flourishing

46:00 Open Ideas

50:15 Human Dignity

56:30 Finding Joy

57:15 Takeaways

[ 2. LINKS ]

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/idampersson/

• DesignShifts - https://www.designshifts.org/

[ 3. CIRCLE ]

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.

⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle

[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]

• Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-youtube
• Spotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-spotify
• Apple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-apple
• Snipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/262-snipd