She flies 1,000 km every week for work: Why this AI executive calls her ten hour commute the best career move?

Time of India

9 hours ago

When most people think of
long commutes
, they picture a frustrating hour in traffic or a crowded train ride. But for Janet Lee, leading
go-to-market strategy
at a rising
AI startup
, the daily grind takes a dramatically different shape. Every week, she boards a 7 a.m. flight from Los Angeles to
San Francisco
, spending nearly five hours door-to-door each way — and does it all over again by Friday night. For her, it's not a sacrifice; it's a strategy.
This unusual rhythm, which might seem overwhelming to many, has become the backbone of her professional rise — and an unorthodox recipe for long-term growth.
Face-to-Face > Zoom: The Power of Proximity
Speaking to CNBC Make It, Lee explained that what started as an impulsive decision turned into a game-changing career move. 'Being in the room changes everything,' she says. In a city like San Francisco, where the AI scene buzzes with innovation and off-the-record networking, proximity isn't just a perk — it's a power move.
Her current role at AI startup daydream came out of one such face-to-face interaction. A conversation over SEO unexpectedly turned into a job offer, despite her having no formal background in sales. "Is it crazy if we brought you on?" a new connection asked. She didn't hesitate. The lesson: spontaneous opportunities like this don't usually knock through screens.
She credits her success — including the last three jobs she's landed — to being physically present in the right spaces. 'Those doors don't open over Zoom,' she says.
You Might Also Like:
Nikhil Kamath's 'lifelong learning' advice is only step one: Stanford expert shares the key skills needed to survive the AI takeover
Torn Between Ambition and Belonging; So She Chose Both
The jet-setting life might seem glamorous, but the real story is more nuanced. In San Francisco, she leads the company's go-to-market efforts — a high-pressure role that constantly challenges her. But Los Angeles is still home — where her support system, oldest friends, and passion project are rooted.
Outside of her full-time job, she runs a
personal finance
coaching business called Doing Well. It was born out of her own journey with financial anxiety and has since evolved into a side hustle that helps others take control of their money.
Balancing these two lives — both professionally and geographically — hasn't been easy. But she wasn't ready to give up on either. 'I didn't want to choose between ambition and roots,' she says.
Sacrificing Comfort for Career Growth
Despite the long-term payoff, the early months of this lifestyle were grueling. She left a steady job, stayed in short-term rentals in unsafe neighborhoods, and picked up the tab for all her flights and accommodations — averaging $450 a week. There were tears in Ubers, lonely late-night meals at the office, and moments of real doubt.
You Might Also Like:
How this ex-Microsoft and Amazon techie saved 90% of his salary and retired at 39 with Rs 30 crore
But she reframed the discomfort as part of the growth process. 'I started doing affirmations every morning,' she recalls. 'Discomfort wasn't a sign to quit. It was proof I was growing.'
Eventually, she found her rhythm — building connections in San Francisco, settling into her leadership role, and staying emotionally tethered to her life in Los Angeles. The chaos gave way to clarity.
Now, a year into this unconventional routine, the results are showing. She's grown in confidence, expanded her network, and turned a wild experiment into a sustainable lifestyle. What looked like burnout risk became momentum — simply because she kept showing up.
In an era where
remote work
dominates and virtual meetings are the norm, her story is a reminder that sometimes, success still belongs to those who show up in person — even if it means flying five hours to do it.