What the Free-Soy-Latte Happened to LinkedIn?

How performative culture hijacked storytelling, leadership, and soul-aligned careers

Image generated by ChatGPT 4o on April 8, 2025

So my client wants a new job.

(All of my clients want a new job.)

She changed her LinkedIn profile to display the “Open to Work” banner.

While scrolling, I saw it.
I immediately DM’d her:

“Hi X. Looking forward to our next session. What’s going on?”

She replied,

“I think my boss is out to get me. I think it’s time to amp up the job search.”

I said,

“Great. We’ll work on it. In the meantime — take down the ‘Open to Work’ banner.”

Why?

Because the unspoken truth is this:
EVERYONE on LinkedIn is open to work.

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Pick Me People

For those of us born before 1997, Gen Z uses “pick-me girl” as slang to describe someone who performs for mostly external (usually male) validation.

But if we’re calling out “pick-me” behavior, let’s also call out the platforms that reward it.

LinkedIn is the ultimate “Pick Me” platform.

It wasn’t always like this.

Ten years ago, LinkedIn was about staying connected with colleagues.
The buzzword? “Thought Leadership.”

But LinkedIn today?

• Endless “new job” announcements

• Selfies next to kombucha machines

• Certificates no one remembers

• Long-form posts that read like North Korean propaganda:

“Feeling blessed today. Huge thanks to @BIGCORPORATIONX for today’s sponsored boxed lunch!”
#overusedvalue1 #overusedvalue2 #artificialintelligence #companytagline

Woah.

What happened to storytelling?
What happened to inspirational leadership?

Now, I log in and scroll through a parade of curated perfection.

Is this the new professional?

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What the Free-Soy-Latte Happened?

LinkedIn used to be my platform of choice.
(Substack a close second.)

But lately?
It’s mushroom-clouded into a cry for validation—where real talent and real leadership get drowned out.

Enter the rise of the “office siren” trend.

(Insert eyeroll here).

It’s not enough to be a top performer.
Now, people feel pressured to be performative.

Performance used to mean delivering results.
Today, it often means delivering a persona.

But when performance eclipses authenticity, we lose the plot.

“When we’re unclear on what we want, performance becomes a stand-in for purpose.”

Yes, personal branding matters.
But many young professionals have missed the point entirely.

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The Plot Thickens

In our next session, I asked my client more about the role she wanted — and her fear of her boss.

Some concerns were valid.
Others were misunderstandings.

Then she asked:

“How do I get more engagement on my posts?”

Fair question.

I answered:

“We’ll definitely cover engagement strategy next session.
But first—what kind of job do you actually want?”

Long pause.

Because without clarity on that, your content isn’t a message—it’s a mask.
And you weren’t meant to perform your way to a role.
You were meant to align into it.

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The Truth

We all want to be picked.
Even I’m not immune.

We want to be accepted.
Acknowledged.
Chosen.

But the most transformative question you can answer is:

What do I really want?

Don’t skip it.

Don’t let someone “pick” you for a path your heart never agreed to.
Don’t perform for a role you were never meant to play.

Start picking.

Pick the life that’s aligned—not just approved.
The one that feels like home in your body.
The one your soul already chose.

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You weren’t born to be picked.
You were born to choose.

I write for the quiet disruptors, the soul-aligned professionals, and the high-achievers tired of performance.

And if you’re ready to stop performing and start aligning?
Let’s continue the conversation.