From What Do You Want to Be? to Yes, All of the Above
Introduction
When ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ becomes ‘Yes, all of the above,’ you’ve entered the realm of career agility —where limits dissolve and reinvention becomes the norm.
Some folks climb the corporate ladder. Others construct entire career kingdoms.
While most of us celebrate small victories like mastering the office printer, a few exceptional people refuse to limit themselves to one path.
Jonny Kim’s Blueprint for Non-Linear Growth
Jonny Kim, born to Korean immigrants, grew up in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles.
After seeing his dad threaten his family at gunpoint, teenage Kim felt lost and without direction.
This low point sparked his transformation.
Starting with just the goal of avoiding burdening others, Kim joined the Navy and qualified for the elite SEALs, completing over 100 combat missions and earning a Silver Star.
Not satisfied with military accomplishments, he studied medicine at Harvard and became an ER doctor—then answered NASA’s call to become one of 12 candidates chosen from 18,000 applicants.
This incredible path from Navy SEAL to Harvard-trained doctor to NASA astronaut shows us that our abilities aren’t confined by usual limits—by the guts to start over.
What would you try if you knew your past achievements were just the start?
What is His secret?
Treating life like a series of sprints, not a marathon. After surviving trauma, he embraced Scrum’s iterative mindset: start small, learn fast, and pivot fearlessly.
The Scrum Career Compass framework redefines professional success by balancing long-term mastery (Kim’s decade-spanning goals) with quick wins (his SEAL training, ER rotations, and NASA trials). It’s not about climbing ladders but building career kingdoms through:
- Iterative progress (Break big visions into 30-day experiments)
- Feedback (Learn from setbacks, like Kim’s transition from combat to medicine)
- Pivots (Leverage past wins as launchpads, not finish lines)
- Overcoming Professional Limits (What’s Your “What If”?)
Kim’s story challenges us to ask – What if your career could defy traditional boundaries?
Scrum’s Career Compass teaches that uncertainty is not a barrier but a catalyst —whether you’re shifting industries, upskilling, or merging passions.
Chart Your Agile Journey—Free Resource Inside
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Conclusion
Just as Scrum empowers teams to adapt through continuous feedback, Kim’s path reminds us that careers are not linear but evolving landscapes. Every role, every challenge, becomes a stepping stone to reimagine what’s possible.
What if we viewed our own careers not as fixed trajectories but as agile journeys, where each pivot opens doors to uncharted potential?
Ready to chart your own unconventional path?
Explore how Scrum’s Career Compass framework can help you navigate uncertainty, leverage your strengths, and turn “what if” into “what’s next.” Start your journey at Scrum Career Compass today.
So, What Do You Want to Be?
A big thank you to Monica Jasuja for helping out with this post!
