Most people think momentum creates clarity.
It doesn’t.
Momentum without clarity is just motion.
It feels productive, but it usually sends people in the wrong direction faster.
That’s the pattern I see over and over—especially with talented professionals navigating layoffs, career pivots, or creative reinvention. The instinct is to do something: apply to more jobs, launch something quickly, say yes to everything.
But the real work happens earlier.
Clarity is the asset. Momentum is the byproduct.
This is why I’m renaming this newsletter The Signal.
Its role is to slow the noise down long enough to see what actually matters—what skills transfer, what stories hold weight, and what direction is worth committing to. These notes are drawn from executive search conversations, building DEJ Media, and my own lift-off journey after being laid off.
They’re not meant to overwhelm you.
They’re meant to orient you.
For readers who want a place to apply these ideas, I also host a private community called The Lift-Off Launchpad. That’s where we take concepts like transferable capital, identity shifts, and ownership—and turn them into weekly action through prompts, discussion, and accountability.
You don’t need to be part of the community to read The Signal. This newsletter will always stand on its own.
But they’re designed to work together:
The Signal sharpens thinking
The Lift-Off Launchpad builds momentum
Every week, I’ll share one idea worth sitting with—usually rooted in a book, a pattern I’m seeing, or a lesson learned the hard way.
No noise.
No chasing.
Just a clearer read on what’s next.
If this resonates, feel free to reply and tell me what you’re navigating right now. I read every response.
You can find The Lift-Off Launchpad community here: http://theliftofflaunchpad.com
— David Edgerton Jr.