# 307. The Hidden Cost of Being Great at Your Job | Billy Keels

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-learn-it-all-podcast-6700797/307-the-hidden-cost-of-being-great-at-your-job-billy-keels
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-learn-it-all-podcast-6700797/307-the-hidden-cost-of-being-great-at-your-job-billy-keels.md
Podcast: [the Learn-It-All™ podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-learn-it-all-podcast-6700797)
Published: 2026-06-30T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.learnit.com/podcast
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/13290e68-b399-46e5-ad95-cdd5ac7ddfef.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-learn-it-all-podcast-6700797/episodes/307-the-hidden-cost-of-being-great-at-your-job-billy-keels
Duration seconds: 4127

## Resource

Are you getting on planes you don't actually need to be on? It is easy to confuse your corporate role with your personal identity, especially when you are a high performer consistently hitting the president's club. But what is the hidden cost of chasing that next title, bigger team, or salary increase? In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with Strategic Advisor, Author, and Top-Ranked Podcast Host Billy Keels to discuss what happens when your identity gets completely wrapped up in your corporate lifestyle. Billy shares his personal wake-up call from October 2012, when he found himself boarding a flight for an executive meeting in Germany on his son's third birthday, physically feeling sick because he was far away from the people he wanted to be with. He dives deep into the corporate "busy-ness" that keeps high achievers frantic and explains why every corporate relationship eventually ends. If you are a high-earning corporate executive trying to figure out how to stop being just a corporate number, manage the chaos of a side business, and gain control of your calendar, this conversation provides a strategic roadmap to designing a life where your job becomes completely optional. 📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5 In this episode, you’ll learn... Why Billy’s flight on his son’s third birthday exposed the hidden cost of tying your identity to your corporate role How high performers can separate their title from their values before the next promotion, paycheck, or business trip starts making decisions for them Why “spending time” with family is not the same as “investing time,” and how intentional presence changes the way leaders show up at home How to calculate your optionality number so your job…

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