Cait Fenello loved her job. She left it anyway.

Cait's path started with a digital media degree from Messiah College and a job as a promotions producer in local TV news. Then she wanted work that happened offline. So she moved into agriculture, working for farming nonprofits in Buffalo and Pittsburgh, where she got to "put my hands in the dirt." She loved it. But for most people, that path doesn't pay well over the long haul. So although she loved the work, she pivoted her career again, working for the Clear Thoughts Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money for dementia research. Her skills learned over both her marketing and agriculture careers came with her every step of the way.

Then came the Airstream. She had rebuilt a vintage Airstream camper and she wanted to drive it across the country.

Cait describes herself as all-in: "You either get 100% of me, or you get none of me." She couldn't straddle both the career world and the RV'ing across the country dream. So she had honest conversations with her employer, stepped away from a job she loved, and stepped into the Airstream, not knowing whether that job would be there when she got back.

She finished the trip, sold the Airstream in California, and flew home. Her zigzag brought her right back to the foundation and the work she loved.

Before every pivot, Cait carried the same fear most of us do. What if the newness wears off and I realize I made the wrong move? Her answer to whether she regrets it: "I would have lost a part of me if I had never gone for it."

If you've been polling everyone you love about what you should do next, listen for Cait's advice near the end. Nobody can know you like you.

Connect with Cait

👤 Cait Fenello, Executive Director, Clear Thoughts Foundation 💼 LinkedIn (her preferred way to connect): https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitfenello/ 📧 Email: cait@clearthoughtsfoundation.org 🌐 Website: https://clearthoughtsfoundation.org

🎰 Clear Thoughts Foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year, a Monte Carlo casino night, happens the first Saturday in November. This year that is November 7, 2026. 🥂 For tickets or to learn more about the champagne dress, go to: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/ctfrollforareasongala/