Can you remember the first time you were asked that unavoidable life question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
What was your answer? A firefighter? A doctor? A hairdresser? Maybe a barrister? Elle Woods definitely did wonders for early 2000s law school sign-ups.
It is a question we have all been forced to ponder since childhood, and it comes to the forefront as an "adult" when trapped in well-meaning but inane small talk at drinks parties.
What used to be a topic of excitement, full of unstoppable dreams and possibility, can turn into an anxiety-inducing existential crisis in a matter of years. And this is by no means because of a lack of options, but thanks to an overwhelming array of them.
At Girlboss, we talk about career paths constantly, and the question we hear more than almost any other is some version of "What if I want to do more than one thing?" This piece is for everyone who has ever been told to pick a lane and found the instruction genuinely baffling.
The Problem With the "One True Calling" Narrative
If, as widely suspected, choice is one of the modern world's main causes of stress, there are few places this will manifest more than the countless career paths we are privileged to explore today.
In her TEDxBend talk, "Why Some of Us Don't Have One True Calling," Emilie Wapnick reflects: "While this question inspires kids to dream about what they could be, it does not inspire them to dream about all they could be. In fact, it does just the opposite, because when someone asks what you want to be, you can't reply with 20 different things."
Let's be honest. The declaration "I want to be a helicopter pilot and a jewelry designer" may be met with a fond chuckle when you're five, but it is more likely to be a skeptical eye-roll when you're 25.
Wapnick believes this is because "the notion of a narrowly focused life is romanticized in our culture. There's this idea of destiny or one true calling, but what if you're someone who isn't wired this way? What if there are a lot of different subjects you're curious about, and many different things you want to do?"
This was me. Hell, this is me. I have a complex about attempting to fit in everything I want to experience. The term "multi-hyphenate" has risen to describe people like me in the working world today, but it still does not fully account for those who jump from one passion to another rather than holding them all simultaneously.
What Is a Multipotentialite?
Thankfully, Wapnick has coined a term for those with more than one dream or path of curiosity: the "multipotentialite."
This notion is actually not new at all. Even though your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents may have remained in one vocation for 40 years, their ancestors only a couple of centuries back were total multipotentialites. Ever heard of a "Renaissance person" or a "polymath?" Having multiple interests and disciplines was highly idealized before the Industrial Revolution streamlined us all into silos. And the qualities that were celebrated then are even more relevant today, in an era of portfolio careers, creator economies, and fractional work.
If you have ever found yourself oscillating between career paths and wondering whether something is wrong with you, this guide to what a portfolio career actually looks like in 2026 is worth reading before you decide.
The Three Superpowers of the Multipotentialite
Wapnick highlights three main strengths of a multipotentialite, and in 2026, all three read as explicitly valuable rather than merely tolerated.
Idea Synthesis
Innovation almost always sits at the intersection of different fields. Multipotentialites have the strong ability to combine knowledge, experience, and interests from two or more disciplines and see solutions that specialists often cannot. In an economy that increasingly rewards creative problem-solving over rote expertise, this is a genuine competitive edge.
Rapid Learning
Multipotentialites are natural absorbers and recurrent beginners, comfortable with being uncomfortable and learning things for the first time. Each time they change role, profession, or environment, the skills from their prior chapter turn out to be surprisingly transferable. They are rarely starting from scratch, even when it feels that way.
Adaptability
The ability to morph, pivot, and shift to meet a given situation is one of the most important requirements for entrepreneurs and employees alike. In a working world that has been reshaped by remote work, AI, and economic volatility since 2020, adaptability is not a soft skill. It is a survival skill.
Specialist vs. Multipotentialite: Why You Need Both
Moving forward, I am planning to take Wapnick's lead and own my multipotentiality. Have fun with it, learn from it, and be completely honest the next time somebody asks, "So, what do you do?"
But if none of this sounds like you at all, there is no cause for concern. Chances are you are a "specialist": the kind of person who just knew the one thing you were born to do from the moment you left the womb.
And thank God for you, dear specialist, because as most co-founded businesses will attest, the best teams are usually formed with a multipotentialite and a specialist working together, each playing to their own innate wiring. The specialist dives deep and implements. The multipotentialite brings breadth, connection, and creative range. It is a genuinely beautiful partnership when it works.
Perhaps the bottom line is simply this: to thine own self be true.
If you are still figuring out where you fall, this piece on passion versus career is a useful place to start. And if you are a multipotentialite who wants practical steps for exploring multiple paths without blowing up your finances, this guide to trying different careers without the risk is exactly what it sounds like. For those who already know they want multiple income streams but are not sure how to structure them, getting clear on your career path first is the move.
Originally published on Collective Hub. Written by Hannah Silverton. Updated for Girlboss 2026. Note: Collective Hub ceased publication in 2019. This piece is republished with original author credit.
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