This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Israel Garcia, the principal consultant on digital and AI transformation at Cambridge Experts, a UK-based consultancy company that focuses on tech product strategy. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. After years of working in technology and AI consulting, I found myself making an unexpected career move: shaving off my beard. The beard had gone almost completely gray, and as I interviewed for roles in AI and tech , I started