Most people know something is off long before they can say what it is. They've built careers that look exactly like success. The title, the income, the company name that makes people nod when they hear it. And they wake up most mornings with a quiet sense that something important is missing. A feeling they've learned to ignore because there's no obvious name for it and no clear fix. Lenn Pryor spent 30 years as a product leader at Meta, Microsoft, Nokia, Skype, and eBay before he understood what that feeling actually was. It wasn't burnout. It wasn't the wrong company or the wrong manager. It was misalignment. A measurable gap between who he actually was and what his work required of him. And it turned out there was a structured path through it. Breaking Asphalt is built around a simple but radical idea: alignment matters more to a life well-lived than achievement. Not as a vague aspiration but as something you can measure, diagnose, and systematically address. Through the SEPARATE Framework, Pryor gives readers a structured way to identify exactly where they are flowing and where they are grinding, understand the specific forces that have been steering them away from alignment, and build a practical path toward work and life that actually fits who they are. This is not a book about quitting your job. It is not a productivity system or a mindset reset. It is a diagnostic and a roadmap for the person who has done everything right and still privately wonders if they are on the right road. The seedling doesn't break through the asphalt because it is strong. It breaks through because it is aligned. It's time to grow. Now available in print, Kindle, and audiobook on Audible. Take the free Alignment Score assessment at https://lennpryor.com/score before you start reading. It will tell you exactly where you stand across the six dimensions this book is built around. "A pragmatic guide with a structured framework for pursuing bold, authentic goals." — BookLife by Publishers Weekly "Pryor's execution blends research, coaching prompts, and candid autobiography, incorporating elements of neuroscience and psychology ... The guide offers a wealth of hands-on tools that make Pryor's information as practical as it is inspiring." — BookLife Lenn Pryor is an executive coach, author, and creator of the SEPARATE Framework™. He spent 30 years in tech product leadership at Meta, Microsoft, Nokia, Skype, and eBay, reaching VP level before leaving to build something more important. He didn't leave to find himself. He left because he had spent decades watching brilliant people — himself included — mistake misalignment for a personal failing, and he wanted to build a structured way through it. Today he works with a small roster of senior leaders who have built successful careers and privately sense that something important isn't working. His coaching practice is built around the SEPARATE Framework and the Alignment Score, a free assessment that measures alignment across six dimensions and identifies the specific pattern most likely keeping someone stuck. Breaking Asphalt is his first book. The audiobook is available on Audible. WHAT IF THE KEY TO YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS ISN'T WORKING HARDER BUT LIVING TRUER TO WHO YOU ARE? Breaking Asphalt is your guide to choosing authenticity over conformity, unlocking extraordinary success powered by clarity, alignment, and natural flow. Executive coach Lenn Pryor draws on years of helping people break barriers and harness their passions, blending neuroscience with deep personal insight. His SEPARATE Framework Shows how embracing uncertainty, cultivating resilience, and aligning with core values leads to lasting transformation. With inspiring stories and clear strategies, Breaking Asphalt will help you: Uncover and leverage your unique strengths and passions - Gain clarity on what truly matters in your life - Build Resilience and adaptability to achieve ambitious goals - Develop actionable plans for meaningful progress This book is for midcareer professionals seeking deeper fulfillment and creatives determined to reclaim their potential. Are you ready to align your greatest ambitions with who you truly are? If you're inspired to pursue extraordinary goals with joy and authenticity, Breaking Asphalt is your roadmap. Lenn Pryor is an executive coach and the creator of the S.E.P.A.R.A.T.E. Framework™ . For over 27 years, Lenn led Product and Design teams at the world's most demanding tech companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Skype, Nokia, and eBay . He spent decades optimizing products for billions of users before realizing that the people building them were running on broken systems. He didn't leave the tech industry to "find himself." He left to engineer a solution for the burnout and misalignment that plagues high-performers. Breaking Asphalt is the result of that engineering—a field-tested operating system for sustainable success. Today, Lenn advises