I stepped back from a successful VC career. The hardest part was the ego hit.
After years in venture capital, Chloe Steinberg left her full-time job and began questioning how she defined success and ambition.
Chloe Steinberg, a 34-year-old venture capital investor and mother of four, recently stepped back from her successful career in the field. The turning point came after she had her second child. Steinberg, who had previously invested in Canva and led Equinox Ventures, found herself struggling with the loss of her professional identity.
In Connecticut, where she was a newcomer, she encountered questions about her professional life. At first, she identified herself as a VC, but realized that this label no longer resonated with her. The hardest part of leaving her career was the ego hit she experienced. Part of the challenge was ensuring her children wouldn't see motherhood as a lack of ambition.
Despite this, Steinberg didn't stop working and instead redirected her mental faculties to other pursuits. At one point, a close friend asked why she had become quiet, to which she replied that she was uncertain about what to say. This introspection was further fueled when she felt her natural brava had been diminished due to years of boardroom pressures.
The thought of her daughter being silenced by the same experiences weighed heavily on her. Now, she invests in a startup based in Silicon Valley and finds fulfillment in supporting a product she believes in. She emphasizes that ambition for ambition's sake feels pointless, and she is focusing on meaningful endeavors.
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