Episode 7: Sometimes, We Are the Whole Package at the Wrong Address

You can be a whole package… at the wrong address.

Welcome to cherryontop.cafe. This podcast is a personal story of ambition that didn’t fit the places it was handed to — and the fire that starts when you realise you’re meant for more than the roles other people choose for you.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked or underestimated, you're in a good place. So, grab a coffee, settle in, and let's begin.

You know… every so often life hands you one of those moments that feels like a slap and a plot twist at the same time. The kind of moment where you just stand there thinking, “Really? Really? This is what we’re doing now?”

For me, that moment arrived wrapped in corporate branding and a polite rejection message.

I had applied for a job — a job I genuinely believed I was perfect for. Not in a delusional, “I was born for this role” way. More in a “I’ve literally done this, studied this, breathed this, and could probably do it half asleep while stirring a risotto” way.

I had the experience. I had the education. I smashed it at the interview. I had the receipts. And I thought, very calmly, very rationally: “This is mine.” And then… it wasn’t.

They gave the job to someone else. Someone younger. Someone with less experience. Someone who, bless her, probably still has the warranty on her twenties intact.

And listen — good for her. Truly. But when I saw the announcement, I felt this wave of disbelief wash over me. Not because I thought I was better than her… but because I suddenly realised something uncomfortable:

I was trying to win in a system that wasn’t designed to recognise people like me.

People who think independently. People who don’t play politics. People who don’t want to be chosen because they’re convenient — they want to be chosen because they’re competent.

And that’s when the fury kicked in. Not the dramatic, throw‑your‑phone kind. The quiet, simmering, “Oh absolutely not” kind. The kind of anger that doesn’t destroy — it redirects.

I remember thinking, “If this is how they make decisions, then maybe I’m not meant to be here. Maybe I’m meant to build something where experience, education, and skills actually matter.”

And that thought… it stuck. It grew. It became a little spark. And then a flame. And then a full‑blown, “Right, let’s do this” fire.

Because here’s the truth I learned that day:

Sometimes you’re not rejected because you’re not good enough. Sometimes you’re rejected because you’re not compliant enough. Not convenient enough. Not easy enough.

And honestly? Thank God for that.

Because if I had gotten that job, I would’ve stayed in a place that didn’t know what to do with someone like me. Someone who wants more. Someone who thinks bigger. Someone who refuses to shrink to fit a job description written in 2014.

That rejection didn’t break me. It clarified me.

It showed me that I wasn’t meant to be waiting for permission. I wasn’t meant to be hoping someone in HR would finally notice my potential. I wasn’t meant to be competing in a race where the winner is decided before the starting gun even fires.

I was meant to build my own thing. My own path. My own work. My own life.

And here’s the funny part: The moment I stopped trying to impress them… I started impressing myself.

So if you’re listening to this and you’re sitting with a rejection that still stings — let it sting. Let it annoy you. Let it make you roll your eyes so hard you see your past lives. And then let it push you forward.

Because sometimes the universe doesn’t close a door. Sometimes it slams it, locks it, and throws the key into the Thames just to make sure you don’t wander back.

And honestly? Good. You weren’t meant to go through that door anyway. You were meant to build your own.