More Than Your Job

What if the ambition that made you successful is the very thing keeping you from living the life you worked so hard to build?

For millions of ambitious professionals, work has become more than a job. It provides identity, stability, status, and a sense of worth. A promotion feels like proof that you matter. A prestigious title becomes part of how you introduce yourself. And a layoff, career change, or professional setback can leave you wondering who you are without the role.

Faye McCray calls this career enmeshment, the gradual merging of identity, self-worth, and emotional security with work. Drawing on research, revealing interviews, and her own journey through law, media, health, and executive leadership, McCray challenges the stories we tell ourselves about ambition. What we celebrate as drive and determination can be rooted in fear, grief, insecurity, or a desperate need to belong.

McCray knows this firsthand. After losing her older brother, she spent fifteen years pursuing success with relentless urgency, convinced she was honoring his life. It took leading a staff meeting from the hospital to recognize that somewhere along the way, her determination to make the most of life had become permission to neglect it.

Through 4 practices, readers will learn to do the following:

• Protect your sense of possibility by recognizing your value beyond your title, expanding your world, and creating opportunities outside your current role.
• Be ruthless about what matters by identifying your true priorities, making intentional choices, and accepting that not every opportunity deserves your yes.
• Choose change before it chooses you by becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, embracing reinvention, and building the confidence to evolve on your own terms.
• Stop auditioning for belonging by resisting the pressure to become who others expect, reclaiming your authenticity, and refusing to sacrifice yourself for professional acceptance.

More Than Your Job isn't an argument against ambition. It's a challenge to examine what drives it, what it costs, and whether the success you're chasing is actually the life you want. Because you can love your work, pursue extraordinary things, and still refuse to make your career the price of your identity.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs