Episode 6: Learning to Swim

There's something nobody talks about — the phase that comes after you feel out of your depth. That messy middle phase.

Not the fear itself. Not the doubt. But what happens when those things slowly start to lift. When the role that once felt impossible starts to feel like yours.

In this episode, I go back to those early years leading the Identity team — and the moments that quietly shaped me. The first time I stood in front of a thousand people and didn't feel ready. The leadership decision that kept me up the night before I made it. The crisis that lasted through the night, and what I learned about showing up when you can't fix anything directly. And the customer trip overseas where I finally started to find my footing.

Because confidence doesn't arrive before the moment. It comes from the moments themselves.

That's what it means to learn to swim.

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Logo and other art courtesy of Andy Reddout

What is The Knowing Moments?

The Knowing Moments is a podcast about the quiet turning points that shape our lives and careers. Hosted by Joy Chik, a senior Microsoft technology executive who spent nearly three decades building products used by billions of people worldwide. Through real life stories, the show explores moments of clarity that don’t arrive with certainty or fireworks — but once felt, can’t be ignored.