More Than Your Job

A practical guide for ambitious professionals who have tied too much of their identity to work and want to build success, security, and self-worth on their own terms.

For millions of ambitious professionals, work has quietly 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. A layoff, a career change, burnout, or a growing sense of dissatisfaction can leave you wondering who you are without the role.

Faye McCray calls this professional enmeshment, the gradual merging of identity with a job, a career ladder, or an institution. Drawing from research, interviews, and her career across law, media, health, and executive leadership, McCray shows readers how to keep their ambition while building a life with more room for themselves. Her personal reckoning began when she found herself working from a hospital infusion chair.

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

• Stop renting your stability and create security that does not depend on one employer, role, or title.
• Own your yes by making choices from alignment instead of fear, obligation, or approval.
• Run toward change with greater trust, curiosity, and self-direction.
• Lead with who you are, not who they expect, and stop editing yourself to fit someone else’s definition of success.

More Than Your Job offers a practical path toward a life where work matters without having to define who you are.

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