Values Fatigue and the Courage to Leave

What happens when the work you once believed in no longer reflects your values?

In Episode 3 of 100 Stories: The Narrative Intelligence Project, Paige Williams speaks with Matt Anderson, co-founder and CEO of Imagination Factory, about the stories that shape our work, our identities, and our willingness to change.

Matt traces the beginning of his journey to one question from a young person aging out of foster care: “Do you even know my story?” That moment led to the documentary From Place to Place, transformed his understanding of expertise and systems change, and eventually forced him to confront what he calls values fatigue: the exhaustion created by the distance between what we believe and what our work requires of us.

Together, Paige and Matt explore what it takes to leave an identity that no longer fits, enter the uncertain space between stories, and build a life that more fully reflects who we are. They also discuss curiosity, humility, courage, the power of a compelling question, and Matt’s belief that our lives can change one sentence at a time.

At the center of the conversation is a defining Narrative Intelligence question:

Can we recognize when the future is knocking, and will we answer the door?