In this episode, the second in the series The Myth of Knowing, I talk with Dana Calder, a queer neurodivergent SVP in the fintech world, about what it means to “know” in the workplace. Work culture often treats knowing as currency—a sign of belonging, authority, and success. But what happens when certainty is a mask, and perfectionism becomes a survival strategy?
Dana shares her journey of discovering she’s autistic later in life, reflecting on years of over-preparing, masking, and striving to avoid mistakes. Together, we explore the hidden costs of “knowing at work,” the limits of binary thinking, and the different possibilities that come from leading, working, and living with curiosity instead of certainty.
We challenge the dominant narrative that equates competence with achievement, showing that curiosity, slowing the pace, and cultivating “other joy” is not just valid- it’s a radical act of self-knowledge and resistance in a system that claims to rewards overwork and perfectionism. This episode flips the idea of success from achievement and knowing to wonder, self-trust, and discovering joy in unexpected places.
