Second Breaks: Recent Episodes
Lou Blaser
A show about thriving — and being our best — in our middle years. This podcast helps you feel better, do better, and be better in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond by exploring what other midlifers have already figured out. Hosted by Lou Blaser.
In this episode, we discuss the key themes and characteristics of modern retirement, as well as the changing attitudes towards work and purpose in midlife. We explore the desire to continue working after retirement, the need for additional income due to longevity, and the shift toward making a difference and leaving a legacy.
Friends of the pod and readers of Midlife Cues contributed to this conversation. They highlighted, among others, the importance of finding fulfilling work in retirement and the need for purpose and belonging.
I often say we are the voice of a generation, and we have an opportunity here to influence the narrative about what it takes to retire in the 21st century. Our experience of modern retirement is something our generation will have to define and map out. Previous retirement maps aren't as helpful anymore as we experience retirement in a different era with new requirements and opportunities. And the themes that we talked about today certainly inform our new map.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Themes of modern retirement
- Shift in motivations and ambitions toward making a difference and leaving a legacy
- The reality of longevity and its impact on retirement
- Work-life integration and exploration of different parts of oneself
- Influencing the narrative around retirement
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS EPISODE
- Mary Beth Simón on LinkedIn
- Paul Long on LinkedIn
- Bernie Borges on LinkedIn
- Kathy Bourque on LinkedIn
- Luke Mathers on LinkedIn
- Susan Bernstein on LinkedIn
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
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Support the Show. Thank you!
This week, we're wrapping up the special series on Modern Retirement.
In previous episodes, we've talked about why reframing retirement is a necessary must-do. I've shared my messy retirement journey. And we've discussed the 7 skills we need to navigate retirement in the 21st century.
Today, I want to walk you through a framework that I've been working on. The Modern Retirement framework is not a rigid methodology but a loose guide that provides direction on what to consider and do while allowing for creative adaptation. It's the result of extensive research, including reading numerous articles and books, listening to relevant podcasts, and conducting interviews with individuals who have successfully navigated their retirement and those who are in the planning stages.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why a framework is useful when planning for modern retirement
- How a framework works, and how it's different from a methodology
- The 5 disciplines in the framework
- The Modern Retiree Manifesto
FOOTNOTES
- Stanford Center on Longevity
- Ep 206 What Even Is Retirement Anymore?
- Ep 207 My Unplanned, Messy, and Chock-full O'Lessons Retirement Story
- Ep 208 Beyond Financials: The Skills We Need to Navigate Retirement in the 21st Century
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Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
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Support the Show. Thank you!
EPISODE SUMMARY
This is the third episode in our series on Modern Retirement in the 21st century.
The traditional idea of retirement as a life of rest and leisure is no longer appealing to many people, and slogans like "Never Retire" have gained popularity. In previous episodes, we've discussed why we need to reframe retirement and actively reshape its definition and expectations to make it work for us.
In this episode, I introduce the seven essential skills for navigating retirement successfully, including cultivating a positive mindset, embracing curiosity, mastering technology, managing time effectively, networking, and developing emotional intelligence.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Changing landscape of retirement in the 21st century
- Reframing retirement and reshaping its definition and expectations
- Importance of planning for retirement financially, skill-wise, and mindset-wise
- Seven essential skills for navigating retirement successfully
FOOTNOTES
- Episode 206: What Even is Retirement Anymore?
- The Skill it Takes to "Go Downhill"
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
Work with Lou Blaser
Support the Show. Thank you!
EPISODE SUMMARYIt's difficult to talk about the mess when you're in the middle of the mess.
This is the "true" story behind my retirement story - i.e., what happened when (and why) I left my corporate career. It's recorded with the benefit of hindsight, of course, and only with some distance that enabled some reflection and connecting of dots.
My personal experience is the reason why I'm so driven to talk about retirement and why I urge corporate folks to think holistic, and not focus only on financial readiness.
I'm sharing my story as part of the month-long series on Modern Retirement in the 21st Century, and also because there are lots of lessons learned!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why I really left the career I worked hard to build
- My initial plans and why they didn't work
- What finally helped clear the fog
FOOTNOTES
Modern Retirement: Redefining the Experience for the 21st Century
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
Work with Lou Blaser
Support the Show. Thank you!
EPISODE SUMMARYRetirement in the 21st century looks and feels different from how our parents experienced their retirement. It’s even going to be different from how we, once upon a time, might have imagined ourselves retiring.
And while the loudest messages out there about retirement are all about financial security, investment strategies, and growing the nest egg, the truth is there’s more to consider than just dollars and cents.
So the question is, what now? What is our new relationship with the word? How should we think about retirement? Or should we, as many suggest, simply retire the word retirement altogether?
You can find the written version of this episode here.
IN THIS EPISODE
- When and how did traditional retirement begin
- How did retirement become associated with a life of leisure and relaxation
- The single most important reason why we need to reframe retirement
- How generations are shaping different perspectives of retirement
- The harsh reality we must accept
- A couple of not-so-bold predictions
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
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Support the Show. Thank yos
EPISODE SUMMARY
Are you concerned about your brain health and the risk of cognitive decline? Do you believe that memory loss is a natural part of aging? In this episode, I interview brain health professional Allison Liu, who shares practical steps to protect and improve our brain health. We discuss the importance of taking care of our brains, debunking the common belief that memory loss is inevitable as we get older. Allison expertly walks us through the 11 risk factors that affect brain health and the practical steps to address them. This episode marks the end of the Midlife Health and Well-being series. The podcast will be back in a couple of weeks with a new mini-series focused on retirement readiness.
ABOUT MY GUEST
Allison Liu a qualified Brain Health Professional and the creator of the "Stay Sharp For Life" program. She is a trained Health Coach, a Dr. Amen Brain Health Licensed Trainer, and an expert in helping women reclaim their mental sharpness and improve their energy and mood.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The 11 risk factors that affect the health of our brain
- How to mitigate the risk factors and practical steps we can do today
- The surprising (not!) relationship between the food we eat and our brain's health
- Why our brain is the most important organ in our body
FOOTNOTES
- Allison Liu's Sharp For Life program
- Connect with Allison Liu on LinkedIn
- 5 Steps to Protect Your Memory
- Dr. Daniel Amen
OTHER EPISODES IN THE MIDLIFE WELL-BEING SERIES:
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- Intermittent Fasting with Laurie Lewis
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- Stress Relief Principle with Shulamit Ber Levtov
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- Sexual Health with Dr. Alyssa Dweck, M.D.
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
Work with Lou Blaser
Support the Show. Thank you!
EPISODE SUMMARYDo you believe that sex after menopause is always painful and that your sexual life will never be the same again? If so, you may be surprised to learn that these are just some of the common misconceptions surrounding sex after menopause.
In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MD, discusses these misconceptions and provides valuable insights into managing vaginal health during and after menopause. She explains the impact of decreased estrogen levels on vaginal health and the importance of being proactive in managing it. She also addresses the misconception that sex after menopause is always painful and emphasizes the importance of individual choice in engaging in sexual activity.
Overall, this conversation highlights the importance of understanding and managing vaginal health, as well as the need to dispel myths surrounding sex after menopause. This episode highlights the need for reliable information and the importance of addressing menopause comprehensively.
ABOUT MY GUEST
Dr. Alyssa Dweck is a practicing gynecologist and the Chief Medical Officer of Bonafide. She is an Ob/GYN for over 25 years with a special interest in menopausal health and female sexual health. Dr. Dweck is the co-author of three books and has appeared on The Today Show and Good Day LA. She contributes regularly to multiple prints and online media outlets. She has been voted “Top Doctor” in New York Magazine and Westchester Magazine. When she’s not helping women improve their health, Dr. Dweck enjoys time with her husband, two sons, and “girly” English Bulldog. She is an avid runner and sports car enthusiast.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The three main misconceptions about sex after menopause
- Main reasons that lead to painful sex after menopause
- Products, tools, and practices that can help maintain vaginal health
- Complexities around women's libido after menopause
FOOTNOTES
- Bonafide
- Follow Bonafide and Dr. Dweck on Instagram
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
Work with Lou Blaser
Support the Show. Thank you!
EPISODE SUMMARYStress is a common experience that affects our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, especially in midlife. But unfortunately, only a few have been taught to manage stress effectively. As a result, how to deal with stress is often one of those things we fumble our way around through life!
In this episode, we're continuing our midlife health and well-being series, focusing on stress management. I'm joined by mindset and resilience consultant Shulamit Ber Levtov. She shares her insights on the definition of stress, how our bodies respond to it, and the three principles of stress relief. Shula emphasizes the importance of proactive stress management and self-care routines, including the daily practice of stress resilience tools. Throughout the episode, we provide practical tips and strategies for managing stress and building resilience.
ABOUT MY GUEST
Shulamit Ber Levtov is a mindset and resilience consultant. She uses her background as a trauma therapist to help women entrepreneurs stay sane and care for their emotional health as they ride the emotional rollercoaster of running a business. Shula helps her clients discover what affects their mental and emotional well-being and create a plan to care for it in an era of relentless stressors.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The physiology of stress — what is happening inside our bodies when we are under stress
- The most important thing to remember about chronic vs acute stress
- The three principles of stress relief: Soothing, Discharge, and Nourish
- Examples of how these principles look in practice
- Why it's important to develop our personal stress relief tools ahead of time
FOOTNOTES
- Shula's website
- Follow Shula on LinkedIn
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://www.secondbreaks.com/
Work with Lou Blaser
Connect with Lou Blaser on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Midlife Cues, a weekly newsletter about intentional living and personal growth in midlife.
Support the Show. Thank you!
A singular event rarely transforms a person. True transformation occurs over time and usually, after a series of events that shakes one's world view.
ABOUT MY GUEST:Vivek Chakrabortty is the CEO and Founder of The Kavi Group, a crisis management and business continuity consulting firm that supports some of the largest firms in the world today. He is a husband and a father to 3 young adults. You’ll hear him say later that home is wherever his family is, so let me just say, today, he and his family reside in Florida.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How Vivek slowly but surely, discarded the rule books and constructs that he had previously lived his life by;
- The philosophies — or his North and South stars — that guide his work and life;
- How these philosophies show up in his work and his parenting style;
- What he views as his responsibility is to his employees;
- How his ambition expresses itself today (versus how it was 20 years ago).
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
I’ve come to regard midlife as a kind of fresh start or rather, we can choose to approach it as a fresh start.
This is a time in our lives when we can pause and really review where we are and think about how we want the second half of our lives to work out, and then really refocus our energy toward that. For many of us, that means choosing to change areas of our life.
Sadly, as much as the vision of our future can be exciting, many of us would rather look away from that vision because we’re not willing to go through the pain of rocking our world as it exists today.
In this episode, I bring you the story of Lori Saitz who did not look away and went through a major life makeover of her own making.
ABOUT MY GUEST:Lori Saitz is the Founder of Zen Rabbit and host of the podcast “Fine is a 4-Letter Word.” She’s an award-winning writer, speaker, and broadcaster. She guides business professionals who are finished living in a dumpster fire, to a place of unprecedented clarity, peace, and productivity. Using a collaborative approach, she teaches people to be grounded and centered, which leads to improved relationships, increased sales, and better overall health.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why Lori says “fine” is a 4-letter word.
- The thing about commiserating with friends.
- Why our friends may not always like the changes we’re making in our lives.
- The question we should really stop asking others.
- And how to respond when we do get asked that question!
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
We've all avoided having an important conversation because of fear.
Often, we do so because we don’t have the tools — we don’t know where and how to begin. We don’t have the words or the vocabulary to discuss an important topic. Sometimes, it’s because we’ve been burned in the past when a difficult conversation went awry.
I also feel like the older I get, the need to have these difficult or sensitive conversations aren’t decreasing. They feel like they’re multiplying!
And just because we’re older doesn’t mean we’ve mastered the art of conducting difficult conversations. Sure, we have loads of experience under our belt. And some of us really have done massive work on this and have some tools to help navigate the fear in difficult conversations.
But we can always use more tools in this space.
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Nancy Burger is a communications strategist and coach who guides executives and teams to foster emotionally healthy cultures. A certified leadership coach, author, and seasoned researcher, Nancy brings her 10+ years of communications expertise and research in psychology to elevate workplace connections. Nancy also delivers workshops and talks to universities, leadership organizations, and networking groups, all with the aim of cultivating clear, effective, and productive communication dynamics.
In this episode, Nancy and I peel back the curtain and explore the challenge many of us face when having difficult conversations.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How fear complicates difficult conversations
- Why we don’t always catch the fear-based thoughts that are driving our decisions and actions
- Setting the expectations of ourselves going into sensitive conversations
- How to prepare for these sensitive conversations
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
While I have pursued many “big” projects and taken on risks head-on, there are still many things that I hold myself back from because of fear. Sometimes, it’s because I don’t feel ready. The worst is when I hesitate because “who do I think I am that I could pull this thing off?”
Recently, a good friend did one of these challenging public-facing projects. I had front-row seats and witnessed her move from idea to full execution and was so impressed that I asked her to chat about it when it was over
I wanted to learn from her experience, not so much the technical “how did you do it”. Rather, it was more about the mental and emotional “how did you do it” aspects of it.
If there’s a project you’re thinking of undertaking and you’re somewhat paralyzed with fear or wondering if you have what it takes or why in the world you even think you can do it, this episode is for you.
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Yvonne Marchese is a photographer and the host of the Late Bloomer Living Podcast. Early this year, she hosted the Midlife Uprising Summit – a gathering of women committed to busting through their Midlife Funk and rocking the next chapter of life.
The summit consisted of 30 speakers and was attended by over 300 participants. Today, she has transitioned that initial gathering to a community of midlife women who continue to inspire and cheer each other on, share stories and take bold action together.
In this conversation, Yvonne and I deconstructed her experience – from the initial seed of an idea to the finish line. We talked about some of the challenges she faced, where and how she got support, and some of her lessons learned.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
If I were ever granted a do-over, one thing I would do differently is to take my well-being seriously.
Sadly, my well-being did not show up on my list of priorities when I was in my 20s, 30s, or even early 40s. In fact, I had previously confessed that the stupidest thing I ever said was, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.
Thankfully, some level of wisdom prevailed and I no longer think that way. Somewhere along the way, I learned the importance of self-care and about putting my well-being on my list of priorities
That’s why I’m so excited to host this conversation with Ellen Kocher and Dominique Ben Dhaou here on the podcast.
Ellen and Dominique are the powerhouse duo behind Wake-Up, Shake Up, Thrive and the co-authors of the book, “Wake-Up, Shake-Up, Thrive! How to Lift Up your Life in Your 50’s and Beyond”
Ellen and Dominique met at a conference where Dominique was a featured speaker. They hit it off, with their mutual love of good food and fine wine, and most importantly, their passion for supporting individuals and organizations to conquer age 50+ demographic challenges.
In this episode, Dominique and Ellen gave me a preview of their book and walked me through the five dimensions of well-being in midlife and beyond.
ABOUT MY GUESTS:
Dominique Ben Dhaou is a Swiss National who has been working in Human Resources leadership roles in international organizations for over 30 years. She has experience in 12 different industries across continents. As the Founder and Managing Director of PointNorth International, she helps professionals and executives reinvent a career that truly fits their experience, values, skills and purpose. Her passion for untapped potential goes far beyond conventional human resources practices.
Dominique's co-founder for Wake Up, Shake Up, Thrive is Ellen Kocher. Ellen completed her undergraduate work in Economics and Finance and began her career as a Management Consultant. As a seasoned executive and senior manager, she faced the challenges of a busy working lifestyle, sprinting between responsibilities, deadlines, and travel. In 2003, Ellen decided to slow down her hectic job to care for her three children, giving her the opportunity to reassess her career-driven lifestyle. She lost weight and discovered her best new self through nutrition and lifestyle change.
DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why it’s important to think of these dimensions as gears
- The five dimensions of well-being: physical, emotional, intellectual, financial and spiritual
- Quick actionable steps to incorporate these dimensions into our lives today
- Why it’s literally “never too late” to start
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
In "Life is in the Transitions," Bruce Feiler writes about life quakes — those times in our lives when we have a massive burst of change that lead to a period of upheaval, transition, and renewal.
Following the extensive research he conducted, Feiler concluded that, on average, we go through three to five of these events in our lives. And the average length of a life quake is 5 years.
What happened to Karen Randall is one of those life quakes that Feiler was talking about. A huge change event made up of a series of events that touched all areas of her life and pushed her to redefine her self-image.
Karen is a transition life coach. She helps people in midlife who have experienced a significant life event that has left them wondering who they are to create and manifest a life that is full of Purpose, Meaning, Passion and Joy. She is multi-passionate and is also an Energy Psychologist, Creative Arts Facilitator, college professor, yoga teacher, and recovering CPA.
In this conversation, Karen walks us through the series of events that overhauled her life. We go into the many challenges that she faced during that time.
I often say that reinventions are not always “easy and smooth” the way they are portrayed in social media. One of the things I really appreciate about this conversation is that Karen talks about the “messy” parts. We talk about how she coped, what help she received, and how she got herself to the other side.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
As we get older, there's a tendency to recognize fewer and fewer personal milestones.
As my guest, Dara Goldberg, pointed out, "It's as though once we hit midlife, all growth has stopped."
But by not marking and celebrating milestones, we are, in effect, supporting the prevailing narrative out there that we disappear as we age, that it’s all downhill from here, and that everything good is in our past — all these narratives that, of course, we are rebelling against.
We are inadvertently helping keep those narratives alive by not marking, not celebrating, and not even talking about our milestones.
We have a chance and a role to play here, so we can change that.
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Dara Goldberg is a proud middle-aged entrepreneur, writer, speaker, and Founder of the Lovin’ Midlife Movement for Women. She’s known for her passion and work to dispel the misconceptions about women’s experience of midlife and beyond.
She’s also well known for her work with pro-age beauty brands to get the rest of the beauty industry to stop pushing the false notion that a woman’s beauty declines with age and has an expiration date.
In this episode, Dara explains what milestones she is specifically referring to, the difference between event milestones and developmental or growth-based milestones, and how we can support ourselves and others as we get older in celebrating our milestones.
This was such an eye-opening conversation for me, and I know you will find it insightful as well.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
We’ve all heard about stories. Storytelling is having its heyday. Everyone is invoking the word so much so that it’s beginning to lose its meaning which is what happens when everyone and their uncles use it in every conceivable way.
But the way Ronna Detrick talks about our stories — those stories that have shaped our lives — is in a different category altogether.
Ronna is a coach, writer, and speaker who focuses on the stories that have shaped women’s lives. She helps women reimagine our stories and tell them in ways that invite beauty, wisdom, and the sovereignty that we desire and deserve.
Ronna says it’s not the stories per se but the way the stories have been told to us that have had a profound impact on our individual lives and in women’s lives collectively.
Stories like Eve, Cinderella, or Snow White. And, of course, yes, the stories that are more unique to our family of origin.
In this episode, Ronna dissects these stories and decodes what about them have such profound impact, how we can begin to recognize and hear how they show up in our lives today, and what we can do to begin the process of reframing and reclaiming our stories.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How stories passed down from generation to generation, like Eve and Cinderella, have profoundly shaped our lives today
- How to “listen” to the underlying story
- The way the story is told versus the story itself
- Why reframing works
- How we can begin to reimagine and retell our stories
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
Most of the time, we try to plan for change rationally and meticulously. We think about what we want to do, where we want to go or end up, and how we want to go there. But there’s something to be said about serendipity. For opening ourselves to discovering a path we didn’t even know was a possibility. For holding plans loosely and setting a different intention than simply to arrive at our original destination.
My guest, Diane Diaz, did a version of this when she was laid off from her job in 2008, along with thousands of others who found themselves without a job due to the financial crisis. She already knew — before being laid off — that she wasn’t happy with her career. But it was a stable job with a stable income, so she didn’t rock the boat. Well, the boat was rocked for her, as it were. And when she was laid off, she took it as a “blessing in disguise”.
But the interesting step she took after that was the equivalent of going to the train station and seeing what trains were available. Serendipity stepped in, and she found herself a new career, learning new skills and discovering a few things about herself she didn’t know about.
If you’re thinking of making any kind of change in your life, this conversation will inspire you and maybe even help you find some courage to go with the unknown to find what’s truly possible.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
Those of us who are parents will be familiar with the mélange of emotions that comes when it’s time for the kids to leave the nest — whether that’s to college or to begin their adult life away from us.
In this episode, I talk with transitions life coach Karen Herbert to explore how parents can best manage themselves during some of the most challenging feelings of empty nesters, and most importantly, how to focus on the most important thing — the relationship they have with their young adult kids.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How to manage the many different emotions and feelings that you may be going through during this period
- The most important objective or goal parents should have, particularly as they guide their children to young adulthood
- How best to continue to be in your children’s lives even as they leave the nest and go on their own
- The two things young adults hate the most from their parents and how you can avoid these traps
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
The idea of seeking and getting help has become more acceptable in society, in general. More people today are open to talking about their experiences. And the stigma for getting professional help has greatly been diminished, if not entirely eliminated.
There has been an explosion in the field of coaching over the last few years. And the result of all these newly-minted coaches is that getting coached, in all aspects of life is now relatively accessible for more people.
So, the upshot is professional help is more accessible, and more people are getting help. If there’s an area in your life that you are having difficulty with, chances are, you’ll be able to find someone who can help you address or overcome the issues.
The challenge with more options is that we now must decide what kind of help we need. Who do we see for what kind of problem? How do we select, and what can we expect from the experience?
All that is the subject of today’s episode and to help me understand the landscape, I’ve invited Nicole Lewis-Keeber who is just the perfect person to chat with about these things!
Nicole is in a unique position to shed some light here because she is a licensed clinical social worker - who worked for many years as a therapist. Then, she went on to get different kinds of coach training and became a mindset coach. So today, she is both! Although she’s directed her professional work toward the business landscape and her clients call her the “business therapist”.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How therapy differs from coaching
- What kind of help you can expect from a therapist vs a life coach
- The intersection of life coaching and business coaching, and where the lines get blurred
- The limits within these fields
- Nicole’s tips for selecting the right professional help
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
Change, as we all know, is the one thing that’s constant in our lives. Fellow midlifers will likely agree with me that change doesn’t stop when we reach midlife. If anything, it feels as if we’re dealing with change all the time.
Some of these changes we deliberately introduce into our lives, such as when we intentionally change our lifestyle or eating habits, for example. Many of the changes are externally driven. But often, we know about these ahead of time such that we can plan and ease into the changes over time.
But sometimes, the changes are sudden. Or they happen sooner than we thought, and we are caught unprepared.
What do we do then? That’s what I talk about in this episode.
For the full show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
We are at the tail end of this series of episodes where we’ve been looking into the topic of Un-retirement. And to close the series, I invited my friend Mary Beth Simon, whose post-retirement plans you heard about in a previous episode.
I sat down with Mary Beth to chat and compare notes about life post-retirement. Since both of us did end up starting small businesses of our own, we talked a little bit about the experience of launching our businesses. But most of the time, we were talking about the kind of people we’ve become after we left our corporate life.
ABOUT MY GUESTAfter 30+ years in corporate financial services, Mary Beth Simon now uses her strategic talents as a keynote speaker and to coach entrepreneurs and individuals on creating their contingency plans to empower their second-in-command to keep business and life flowing smoothly in an emergency.
Mary Beth founded Niche Partnership Consulting because her clients’ transformations inspire her. She believes that the combination of continuous learning, growth, and change is the fountain of youth and recently became a certified Les Mills BodyFlow instructor.
In this episode, Mary Beth and I compared notes about how life after our corporate jobs “matched up” with our plans, the personal changes we’ve gone through since we’ve left the structured life of corporate America, and Mary Beth’s plans for the future.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
Many midlifers plan on starting a business post-retirement. Starting a business of any kind is always going to be a climb. There’s usually a significant learning curve involved. And when you’ve been an employee most of your life (and don’t have any business experience) this learning curve can be even steeper.
I say this not to discourage anyone but to highlight the importance of doing our homework and walking into this new adventure with eyes wide open — even if the thing we want to do are the stuff of our dreams!
Converting those dreams into reality requires research and planning so that the dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare.
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Diane Tarshis is the Founder and Principal of Startup Distillery, a global consulting firm that has been helping entrepreneurs launch successful businesses and secure funding for more than 20 years.
She works with clients who want to reduce their overall risk and compress their startup timeline so they don’t waste time when it comes to replacing their income. It’s about getting it right from the start.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
- Why preparing a business plan is REALLY important, regardless of business type
- Different kinds of business plans (it doesn’t have to be a 30-page document!)
- The most important form of research you can do (and it’s free!)
- Key questions that you want to be able to answer in your business planning
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
This episode is part of the special series on Un-Retirement.
Damion Lupo is a bestselling author in personal finance and money thinking, host of the Financial Underdogs podcast, owner of 30+ companies, and founder of his own martial art – Yokido®.
If there was one thing I remembered about our conversation, it was that Damion explained why he hated the word retirement. As I revisit this episode now, in the context of the Un-retirement series, I see how it’s even more relevant than ever and his points even more urgent for us midlifers to consider.
In this episode, Damion and I talked about the problem with the traditional retirement mindset, what wealth is and isn’t, and the idea of “booking it” or how not to postpone doing things until someday when we retire.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
This episode is part of the special series on Un-Retirement.
Autumn Witt Boyd is an award-winning intellectual property lawyer who works with online business owners to protect their brand, content, and business.
When it comes to intellectual property and business strategies, Autumn is known as a thought leader in the online business community. She speaks frequently at conferences, seminars, and workshops and appears as a guest on podcasts hosted by other experts and business owners.
In this episode from the vault, Autumn gives tip after fabulous tip about the basic things we need to implement and consider when we're starting a new business. Especially for folks retiring from their corporate careers, this episode is an essential primer for any post-retirement business they may want to begin.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
This episode is part of the special series on Un-Retirement.
Michael Zipursky is the CEO and co-founder of Consulting Success. He’s kinda like a consultant for consultants.
He helps business people run their businesses more efficiently and effectively. But more importantly, he specializes in helping people transition into a successful consultancy (or simply find more success as a consultant) by leveraging and marketing their expertise in an enormously crowded field.
He is the author of five books, including The Consulting Success System: How to Become a Successful Consultant and The Masters of Consulting Interviews. Michael also hosts the podcast The Consulting Success Podcast. Clearly, he is the person to talk about building a consulting practice!
In this episode from the vault, Michael and I talk about what differentiates a consultant from a coach or another service provider, and he shares the six principles for running a successful consultancy.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
This episode is part of the special series on Un-Retirement.
Mary Beth Simon retired from her long corporate career in December 2018. As planned, she started a consulting company in early 2019. Mary Beth is part of many Generation X and Boomers who aren’t interested in putting their feet up and playing golf all day post-retirement. She considers herself 100% retired from her corporate career, but that only means she now has all the time to devote to the next chapter in her professional life.
One of the things that struck me with Mary Beth’s experience was how she could make a smooth transition with little stress because she carefully planned for life after retirement long before she packed up her office.
In this episode from the vault, Mary Beth shared what sparked the idea for her unique consulting practice, how she fined tuned that idea so that it aligned with her vision for her next chapter, and where she focused her energy as she got it off the ground.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How Paula Adler discovered a path to a new career, following a rich and fulfilling corporate career
- The whole process - from the decision, to working through her fears, to facing the guilt and planning for her new life
- What it meant to leave a career she worked hard to build
- Her life and priorities after retiring from her corporate career
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Paula Adler is a certified life and leadership coach. She is a force for positive transformation, enabling clients to explore both their current realities and potential for future success. She leverages her achievements and personal growth to support others in navigating life’s trenches and transitions.
Paula retired from her long, fulfilling career at PwC to start a new career as an executive coach. But her post-retirement career is, one might say, accidental. Paula wasn't looking for a new career. She wasn't even thinking of leaving the one she had at the time. She was on a different quest — one of self-discovery. While she was on that quest, she discovered a new calling that ended up being her post-retirement career.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Lisette Smith is the Chief Operating Officer and a senior advisor at The Advisory Group of San Francisco, an independent financial advisory firm that manages $1BN in assets.
Lisette is a pioneer of the Midlife Gap Year concept as part of the financial planning process. She wrote the educational guide, The Midlife Gap Year: How to take a break and still feel financially secure to help others take a long-term view of their career and life fulfillment.
Today we talk about how we can use a midlife gap year to figure out our next act (if we want a new act!), how to effectively use our gap year so that we don’t end up simply wasting that valuable time, and what we can do if we’re cannot be away from work for a solid year.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How midlifers can benefit from a midlife gap year
- The different things we can do during a gap year
- How to creatively plan for a gap year, even if cannot afford to take a full year gap
- People’s changing views around retirement
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
Is your curiosity pushing you toward something you’ve never done before, where you don’t have a lot of relevant previous experience?
Are you itching to start a project but you’re hesitating because it’s filled with uncertainty and there are so many questions you haven’t got answers for?
I’m quite familiar with that scenario.
Recently, I published the 100th edition of Midlife Cues. This milestone is a big deal for me because Midlife Cues is one of the most personal projects I’ve ever undertaken. AND it’s one that I started without a clear blueprint in mind. It was a decision made at the heels of another major life decision and was 100% a result of a series of “what if” questions I was exploring at that time.
I celebrated this milestone by reflecting on what I’ve learned through the experience.
What I realized quickly was that my lessons aren’t unique to this experience. The lessons are applicable to any kind of project where I may be feeling a little vulnerable, and when I’m not entirely sure about what I’m doing or how I’m going to make it work.
In this episode, I share these lessons with you. I figure you may find something here that could apply to your situation as well.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
ABOUT MY GUESTS:Today, Donna Bond is a Spiritual advisor, and a Business and Life coach. She is the author of Original Wisdom: Harness the Power of the Authentic You.
But before she found this new path, Donna was near the top of her chosen career ladder in marketing. She had worked long and hard to attain that success and so it was not a small matter to deliberately leave it for something else new and so totally different from her career path.
So in this episode, we talk about letting go — of job titles, of existing metrics of success, and of identities.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
- About what it takes to let go so we can make space for new experiences and new identities
- Donna shares what she did to bridge where she was to where she can be. This is a great approach, especially if you don’t know exactly where you want to be and you’re in the experimentation stage.
- Donna said, “every step we make changes the landscape”, and so instead of tight plans, she talks of a having compass instead. This idea that every time we take action, it changes the landscape really struck me and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. What we do and how we do it affects what happens next. We are co-creators of our world, as long as we are taking action and not simply being bystanders.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
A super short trailer that talks about what we cover here on the show - now that we've turned a new chapter!
For the full backlist and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
ABOUT MY GUESTS:
James and Claire Davis are the husband and wife team behind the coaching and fitness company 38 Degrees North and the host of The Midlife Mentors podcast. Leveraging their backgrounds in psychology, coaching, and NLP, they have been helping midlifers make positive changes in their lives.
I began the conversation with Claire and James with their personal love story in mind. James and Claire were both married — to other people I mean. They both got divorced in midlife then found each other, fell in love, built a business together, all the good stuff.
But it became obvious very quickly that what we were talking about was the most important relationship in our life — our relationship with ourselves. And the quality of that relationship affects all the others.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
- The steps that James and Claire took separately and together to give their new relationship its best chance.
- James said the question to ask isn’t whether it’s too late or not but rather, “If I don’t start addressing this now, what would it look like for me in 10 years in 20 years?” This question can be applied to so many areas in our life where we may be thinking of making a change — our relationships, our health, our goals. Anytime we’re hesitating and wondering if we can take the next step, we can ask ourselves what the cost of that inaction may be.
- Claire pointed out that midlife can bring about stress in the relationship too. She said, “In midlife, we’re often growing, reevaluating, and reinventing. this can either bring you together or pull you apart.” The person in the relationship who may not be going through as much change may start feeling threatened. But this does not necessarily signal the end of the relationship and this is when communication is extremely crucial.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The reasoning and principle behind “stop fixing yourself”
- How to recognize the programming that leads us to think we are broken and need fixing
- What attachments are and how to spot them
- How to identify the conditions that we sub-consciously impose on our happiness
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Don Joseph Goewey is the director of the Center for Spiritual Exchange, the official archive for the works of Anthony De Mello. De Mello was a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist and was regarded as one of the great spiritual minds of the 20th century, influencing the likes of Eckhart Tolle and Thomas Moore.
Don is the author of End of Stress/Four Steps to Rewire Your Brain. And recently, Don edited the book Stop Fixing Yourself: Wake Up, All is Well based on Anthony De Mello’s practical spirituality.
De Mello’s message is to stop fixing ourselves. That we’re OK just as we are. No need to interfere or fix anything. It’s enough for us to simply watch and observe. We will see that these things we struggle to fix just need to be understood. And that once we understand them, they will simply drop.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
This is a short episode to give you a preview of what I've got cooking and the topics that we will be exploring in Season 8. The new season starts on Thursday, February 3rd.
Forget what so-and-so said about how someone of a certain age should look or sound or act or behave. In midlife, just as in every other phase of our life, "You Do You" is an awesome principle to follow.
In this episode, I've distilled five principles for a well-lived midlife, gathered from my own research of midlife's twists and turns and deep conversations with other midlifers on the podcast.
For the written transcript and all the links, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How Nancy Davis Kho executed her year-long project of writing one letter of gratitude a week
- What was hard, easy, and surprising about the project
- How we can start a similar gratitude project
- The project’s lasting impact on Nancy
- Nancy’s observations from her experience interviewing mid-lifers on her podcast
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Nancy Davis Kho is a speaker, author, and podcaster whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Salon.com. She is the author of The Thank You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time, published by Running Press in December 2019.
On her podcast Midlife Mixtape, Nancy covers “the years between being hip and breaking one”. Midlife Mixtape won a 2020 Iris Award as Podcast of the Year and was included in Wall Street Journal’s list of 8 Podcasts for Anyone Nervously Facing Retirement.
Nancy and I talked about her experience and takeaways from the year-long project that was the basis of her book. She offers such practical tips about how and where to start, and why she encourages midlifers especially to undertake a similar project.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- What does it look like and how does it feel when we have our own back
- The three internal voices that we have
- Why the third voice – our biggest fan – is the one we really want to strengthen
- The role that self-loyalty plays when dealing with our inner critic
- Why Nancy avoids thinking “I deserve this” and how this thought-process may lead to false self-loyalty
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Nancy Jane Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Coach specializing in High Functioning Anxiety and has spent 20+ years working as a counselor/coach. Nancy first joined me on this podcast back in 2018 when we talked about her book, The Happier Approach: Be Kind to Yourself, Feel Happier and Still Accomplish Your Goals, and specifically the three voices that we have in our heads: the Monger, the BFF, and the Biggest Fan.
I invited Nancy to join me again so we can have a follow-up conversation about these internal voices/characters, and to talk about self-loyalty. We explored how true self-loyalty sounds and looks like in practice and how we can strengthen it.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- What stress really is and how our body responds to stress
- Chronic vs Acute stress
- Three principles of stress relief
- Why Shula prefers to talk about principles rather than specific techniques for stress relief
- Examples of what these principles may look like in practice
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Shulamit (Shula) Ber Levtov is a mindset and resilience consultant. She typically works with women entrepreneurs – and using her background as a trauma therapist, she helps her clients stay sane and care for their emotional health as they ride the emotional rollercoaster of running a business.
But more relevant to our conversation about stress – Shula has been researching and studying stress and stress management, as part of her book project. And I’ve been reading her work on her website around these topics and found them to be really insightful.
In our conversation, Shula gave a very simple explanation of what stress really means — and how our bodies respond to stress. We dove into the principles of stress relief – and although we talked examples of how these principles may look in practice – Shula emphasized that there’s no one set of cookie-cutter techniques. And as she and I ran through the specific examples, I understood why it’s really important to come up with our own set of techniques.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Dr. Mickey Barber explains the phrase “successful aging” and how we can achieve it
- Why it’s important to look for a physician who specializes in age management and what we should look for
- Why she believes in a shared responsibility of the patient-doctor team
- How to talk to our doctors to have a better chance that our health concerns are heard
- The most important factors to staying healthy as we get older
ABOUT MY GUEST:Dr. Mickey Barber is on a mission to spread the word that you can look and feel great at any age. Her philosophy for successful aging includes preventing age-related diseases while maintaining energy, health, and sexual vigor through the shared responsibility of the patient-doctor team.
Dr. Barber has been featured on television and in publications including Shape Magazine, Vogue, and Harpers Bazaar. She is a Maria Shriver “Architect for Change” and a sought-after lecturer on age management and hormone replacement.
In this episode, we talk about how we can successfully navigate the aging process and stay healthy as we get older – so we can continue to do and enjoy the things we want to do… and why it really is never too late to start.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Level-setting definitions: what is peri-menopause (and how long it can last); what and when is menopause; and what and when is post-menopause
- Strategies for making the peri-menopause and post-menopause years “easier” on ourselves & our bodies
- The truth about common perceptions and “truths” about menopause
- Why Lorraine believes our post-menopausal years can be a magical time of our life and how we can make it so!
ABOUT MY GUEST:
As a certified health and hormone coach as well as a post-menopausal woman herself, Lorraine Miano discovered her passion for offering menopause advocacy, support, and resources to women in all phases of menopause through health coaching, proper nutrition, and preventive lifestyle choices.
She is the author of "The Magic of Menopause: A Holistic Guide to Get Your Happy Back!" The book helps guide women through the struggles they face as they begin menopause and helps tackle the daily changes such as balancing hormones holistically, getting a better night’s sleep, and reducing or eliminating hot flashes, to name a few.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How to craft the "best story" for your midlife reinvention
- How to tell the story that you want to tell, with authenticity and vulnerability
- Why Hillary does not encourage the typical "hero's journey" format
- Selecting the "right" stories to include in your overall narrative
- Why you'd want to have a prepared story in your back pocket
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Hillary Rea is the founder of Tell Me A Story, a communication consulting and coaching business that teaches multi-passionate entrepreneurs, mission-driven leaders, and committed change-makers how to use the art of storytelling as a powerful communication tool.
She is an award-winning storyteller (NYC Moth StorySLAM winner and 2019 Rad Award for Storyteller of the year), has been telling her own stories on stage for 12 years. In addition to running her own business, Hillary is the producer and host of Rashomon, a long-form narrative storytelling podcast where one family tells every side of the same story.
In this episode, Hillary and I talk about how we can compose and tell the story that we want to tell about our life and our midlife reinvention, how to keep vulnerability and authenticity in our "prepared" stories, and how we chose the stories that we want to include in our overall narrative.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Strategies for returning to your previous career after a long break
- Strategies for career pivots in midlife
- What to do when you’ve been let go in midlife
- How to approach networking when you haven’t been keeping in touch with your contacts
- How to address the “years and years of experience” in your resumé
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Sarah Baker Andrus is the founder and CEO of Avarah Careers, a career coaching business. She’s worked on all sides of the hiring equation, serving as a career counselor, a recruiter, and a hiring manager. After twenty+ years in recruiting and PR with the same company, she got the itch to make a change and jumped to a shiny new “dream job.” Within weeks she knew she had made a huge mistake. 18 months later, she received a gift in the form of a layoff. She started Avarah Careers in 2014 and hasn’t looked back.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
In This Episode:
- How memoir-writing can be a transformative and healing process
- Why Janelle Hardy tells her students to be open to being "wrong" about their life patterns
- Writing versus thinking about our past stories
- The good and bad about "reframing" past stories
- Janelle's writing prompts to get us started
About My Guest:
Janelle Hardy is a writer, artist, and host of the Personal Mythmaking Podcast. For the past 5 years, she has integrated her expertise and training into supporting people in their creative healing work via the alchemy of transformational memoir-writing.
According to Janelle, writing our life stories allows us to tap into guidance that’s greater than ourselves. The process helps us make sense of our traumas and rewrite the narrative into an empowering, meaningful story.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why our midlife can be the most powerful years of our life
- Strong habits that we can develop so we can not just enjoy but thrive in midlife
- Practical applications of these habits in our day-to-day
- Common situations where we can feel resistance as we apply these habits
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Sara Smeaton is a certified coach, writer, workshop and group leader, and creator of the interview series, Power Profiles: Redefining Midlife. She is determined to challenge the narrative that in midlife, and beyond, we are too old to have new adventures, romance, vitality and health, and to make meaningful contributions.
For all the links and highlights of this episode, head on over to http://secondbreaks.com
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Gail Gensler's pro-aging stance and philosophy
- Why and how she prioritizes fitness and a healthy lifestyle
- The legacy that she wants to leave behind
- How we too can embrace fitness in our midlife — even if we've never been "athletic"
ABOUT MY GUEST:Gail Gensler is a 60-year old pro-aging fitness enthusiast living in Miami. Gail's goal is to change the narrative about aging through fitness and a healthy lifestyle and to inspire younger generations to not fear the years. In this episode, we talk about her pro-aging stance, how she stays fit physically and mentally, and the message she wants all of us to hear about what we can do as we get older.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast.
IN THIS EPISODE:
-
Why self fragmentation occurs and why it shows up at work and home
-
What is a “wholeness journey” and what is its end goal
-
Self-advocacy: what it looks like and how it sounds
-
The idea behind small brave YESes
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Where to begin our wholeness journey
ABOUT MY GUEST:Shawn Fink is the founder and host of The Brave Yes Show and a coach for Gen X women who want to redefine themselves or their careers for the next half of their lives. In this episode, we explore what leads to self-fragmentation, how we can recognize it, and how we can begin the journey to our whole self. We also talk about a very important thing – self-advocacy – and how this is such a critical skill to learn and hone.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why we all need a personal contingency plan
- What goes into our plan
- Analog vs Digital
- Where to start — the basics
ABOUT MY GUEST:
After 30+ years in corporate financial services, Mary Beth Simon now uses her strategic talents as a keynote speaker and to coach entrepreneurs and individuals on creating their contingency plans to empower their second-in-command to keep business and life flowing smoothly in an emergency.
In this episode, Mary Beth and I talk about who needs a contingency plan, why we need to have one, that no one is "too young" to have a plan together - this has nothing to do with age. And where we should start and the bare minimum that we should have in place.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
- It's easy to rationalize our way OUT and convince ourselves we don't need a career change.
- Asking for help at the outset can make all the difference.
- The transition to a new career can take different forms; there isn't one way to do this.
- A midlife career change doesn't mean starting from Square 1. We take with us all the experiences, skills, and perspectives that can only enrich our new role.
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Annie Schuessler is a business coach and the host of the podcast Rebel Therapist® Podcast. With her Rebel Therapist®Programs, she helps therapists, healers, and coaches make an impact beyond a traditional private practice.
Annie had thought she was having her version of a midlife crisis when she started to feel the strong pull to reinvent herself and her career. And in this episode, we talk about all that happened after that one beautiful weekend when she finally realized that this successful career that she had painstakingly built? The truth was she dreaded returning to it the following Monday.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The concept of “Body Peace” and how we can achieve it
- The diet culture: how to recognize it, name it, and create healthy boundaries
- How we can approach weight loss, if that is our goal, and increase our chances of achieving what we really want
- Embracing our bodies in midlife
- Listening to our bodies
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Nina Manolson is a board-certified health and wellness coach. She helps women end the war with food and body so that we can finally feel at peace and at home in our bodies. The kind of home where we can run around naked and not worry about what is “good enough” or what others will think.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Limiting Beliefs: where they come from and how they develop
- The limiting beliefs that are most damaging
- Why Lana doesn’t say that we “overcome limiting beliefs” and what she teaches her clients instead
- When fear and limiting beliefs intersect
- How to reframe old narratives
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Lana Hernandez is a Mindset and Empowerment Coach who guides her clients through the mindset triggers of the entrepreneurial journey. Using her intuitive gifts and 20+ years of corporate knowledge, Lana supports her clients as they navigate their mindset barriers so they can not only experience breakthroughs but also sustain empowered growth as they plan for success.
For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
It’s been almost 4 years since I started this podcast, the first episode with my guest Shannon Davis airing in June 2017. Since that episode, I have been through a lot and have grown quite a bit, in a way that only our lived experiences can do for us.
The podcast has also changed over the years, in terms of frequency and the stories we cover here on the show. And now, the world itself has changed dramatically.
As I began planning for Season 7 of this podcast, I realized something. This podcast has to evolve — just as you and me and the world have evolved.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why and how Shara’s search for natural solutions for her husband led to her plant-based diet and lifestyle change
- What’s been easy/hard about her transition
- How the initial decision to stop eating meat led to other lifestyle changes
- Various tricks she learned and adopted to stick to her plant-based lifestyle
Former teacher, Shara Haberman began her diet and lifestyle change somewhat accidentally. Her plant-based health journey began after her husband, Tom, was diagnosed with diabetes and prescribed meds. Shara was, in her words, on a mission to help her husband fight diabetes with natural solutions.
The more she researched, the more she realized how important it was for her to change her own diet in order to prevent potential health issues that may be ahead of her and to be an example for her husband.
The positive benefits that Shara experienced from her plant-based health transformation fueled her to earn an M.S. in Health Psychology and become a certified health and wellness coach.
In this episode, Shara shares her transition to a plant-based diet, the challenges she had to navigate around, and how she's been able to stick to this new healthier lifestyle.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
IN THIS EPISODE
- Making ourselves small doesn’t help anyone, least of all, ourselves
- What ‘living small’ looks and feels like in real life
- The internal changes when we work on ourselves do affect how we show up in the world
- The concept of borrowing someone else’s belief in you
- How 2020 became the catalyst for Mara to finally do the work that allowed her to step out and take up space
Mara is an intuitive coach who helps perfectionists and people-pleasers reclaim their sovereignty. Her superpower is saying what you need to hear when you need to hear it and she is here to help you believe in yourself as much as she believes in you.
But the ability to do this for others did not mean that she had this mastered for herself. She has always been able to read a room well and sense what's needed... which is a great skill in a professional capacity. But this also meant that in a personal sense, she was always contorting herself trying to please - something that she has been doing for most of her life.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 154:
- How does living and working "on the move" actually work
- Unique challenges and benefits of living in a really small space
- Where they park, what they do for electricity, internet access, water, among others!
- How this experience is changing her and how she engages with people
- The responsibilities of traveling during a pandemic
Brigitte Lyons is the founder of Podcast Ally, a podcast booking agency that has lined up 100s of podcast interviews for their clients.
Brigitte has spent her entire career working in the PR industry, but she believes podcasts are a special medium that impacts the lives of everyone who produces, guests, and listens to a show, and she’s thrilled to have come into this specialization.
And here's the kicker, she runs the agency while traveling the United States in a 21 ft fiberglass travel trailer, where she lives and works with her husband and gets out to hike as often as she can.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why and how podcasting is a natural fit for Yvonne Marchese
- How her personal experiences and passion drove her transformation
- The steps she took to fully embrace her new role and be “all in”
- How being a storyteller is always a part of who she is
- Where Yvonne sees her podcast growing
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Yvonne Marchese is a professional photographer and a former actress. She’s also a mom and wife, and since 2020, a podcaster. She is the host of Late Bloomer Living, a weekly podcast that delivers fresh perspectives on midlife-living through candid conversations with people who have busted through their midlife doldrums by stepping into the unknown.
Yvonne calls herself a serial pivoter. And my recent chat with her focused on this latest reimagining as a podcaster, how it came about, why it came about, and what her experience has been so far, through this transformation.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 152
- The real reason behind Tara McMullin’s decision to start a new fitness habit
- How Tara was able to maintain her motivation and stick to her fitness habits
- What Tara was tracking at the beginning of her journey to track her progress
- How and when she realized she had become a different person
- Tara’s fitness routine now
Tara McMullin is a business leader. She is the founder of the What Works community and the host of the What Works podcast. About four years ago, she decided to adopt a new set of fitness habits that have resulted in a remarkable and visible physical transformation.
She is today a different person than the one I first met in 2015. I’m not just talking about her physical appearance. Something about her and the way that she shows up has changed. And I wanted to get to the bottom of it and understand it all.
It was as if the physical changes brought about other changes as well. Or was it the other way around? And as it turned out, it was both-and.
Tara’s reimagining of herself was beyond her physical fitness. In fact, it was never the main driver.
In this episode, we talked about the genesis of her fitness habit and physical transformation, how she maintained motivation and stick to her new habits, and when she figured out she had become a different person. We also talked about what her fitness routine looks like now in the time of the pandemic and social distancing.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Like so many people, I love starting a new year. The idea of turning over a new page, starting a new chapter in my life, fills me with such excitement and drive.
Many would point out though that there’s nothing magical about a new year. It’s simply another day on the calendar. And we can decide to change ourselves and set out for new directions at any time in the year.
This is true, of course. Still, I feel the special spirit and energy that only a new year brings. I can sense the renewed hope for and focus on bettering ourselves. I can feel the collective drive of so many people committing to being who they want to be.
For some of us, “being the person we want to be” may mean minor tweaks and simple improvements from how we’ve already been operating. For others, it means setting out for a new direction. It’s a choice for reinvention.
No matter where you may be in that spectrum, it’s all about reimagining ourselves — seeing ourselves acting the way we want to act, living the life we want to live, being the people we want to be.
It is in that spirit that the new season of Second Breaks will highlight stories of people who have dared to reimagine living and working differently and transformed themselves along the way.
You will hear from folks who dared to step out from their shell, who dared to embrace who they really are, and who dared to show up differently.
You’ll hear from Yvonne Marchese who dared to use her voice and lean deeper into who she is – a storyteller – and became a podcaster. And from Brigitte Lyons who dared to live the freedom that she’s always wanted, and so in 2020, she and her husband took off to live in a mobile trailer and became truly location independent.
You’ll hear from Shara Haberman who dared to live a healthier life and became a vegetarian and Tara McMullin who embraced the power of moving her body and became the person who ran and climbed, and worked-out every day.
My hope is that, by bringing you these stories in Season 6, you will find the inspiration to go forth and take a step toward the life that you’ve reimagined. And if you’re already on that path, that these stories will keep you motivated and strengthened, especially during the rough times when the doubts sneak in.
In This Episode:
- Dr. Nayla Bahri and Lou Blaser chat candidly about their 2020 and how they are approaching 2021
- Why and how, in the year that made things so complicated, many things also became simpler
- Lessons learned and surprising insights about themselves
- New habits to incorporate, old habits to re-enforce in 2021
- How they are planning for a year of continued uncertainty and hope
Dr. Nayla Bahri is a leadership and career development coach who focuses on our relationship with work. She co-hosts the Inside Job podcast and teaches at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia Business School, and Teachers College.
For all the links and highlights of this episode, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Well, my friend. Here we are. We made it to the end of this extraordinary, unbelievable year that was 2020.
I'm not going to pretend that I can imagine what kind of year you had. I have this sense that we're in this situation where we're all experiencing the same thing - but we're having different kinds of experiences.
I will hazard a guess though that the kind of year you had was quite different from what you had planned for back in January 2020. Maybe you had to change your goals because of what's happening. Lots of people certainly had that experience. Maybe you kept the same ones - but there's a good chance the way you executed those goals was different from the original plans.
Regardless of how your year panned out, I think you can take a pause here and give yourself a pat on the back. You adopted, you accommodated, you adjusted. You did the best you can! And that's all we can really ask of ourselves.
In the spirit of "we're all in this together," I wanted to reflect and share with you the five most memorable interviews - the specific ones that really struck a chord for me.
For the highlights and the links, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast.
Donald Christian is a senior partner at PwC. He sits on the Board of the firm and currently leads the US East Region Advisory practice. If I remember correctly, he’s one of – if not THE youngest ever admitted to partnership. Since his admission in 1997, Don has served in a number of roles in the firm, served on several committees, and is an active and visible leader in PwC’s efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
I have had many mentors and heroes over the years, but he is the one single individual who has had the most impact on my work ethic, how I navigate my career, how I think about relevance and making an impact. Every now and again, I still catch myself thinking what would Don do? We haven’t worked with each other for more than a decade and yet his is still one of the voices I hear in my head. Talk about impact.
In this episode, we talked about how he defines and measures success, the habits that have helped him the most in his career, the principles that guide his choices, and how he stays relevant in a changing marketplace.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She has written over 30 books published in 149 countries and 6 languages. Her award-nominated podcast, The Creative Penn Podcast, has been downloaded over 4 million times in 220 countries and is one of the longest-running and most popular podcasts for writers. Joanna has been named as one of the Top 100 most influential people in publishing & writing by The Guardian.
While all these achievements are impressive, what I really admire about Joanna is the way she’s been able to reinvent herself and build a successful writing career. For me, she demonstrates intention and focus. She knows where she wants to go and then steadfastly moves in that direction.
She sets challenging goals – I know because she shares those goals with her listeners and readers – and then, she actually takes action on those goals such that by the end of each year, we can see her progression. Frankly, if there’s one person I’d like to model for focus, drive, grit, and courage, it’s Joanna.
There’s something she said to me about longevity being a key factor to success in any field. I think what you’ll hear throughout this interview is just how Joanna works — the processes and habits she follows — to create that longevity in her career.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Bonnie Gillespie has been working in the film industry for decades, both in front of the camera (earlier on in her career) and then later, as a casting director. In addition, she has been helping fellow actors by demystifying the casting process and illuminating the business side of pursuing a creative career.
She writes, coaches, and teaches on enoughness and cultivating an empowering mindset for our chosen journey. Bonnie has been featured on Good Morning America, BBC, Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, among others.
For me, Bonnie is the epitome of a woman who is comfortable in her own skin, someone who continuously stretches herself and graciously shares her journey. I definitely consider her one of my role models. And I’m beyond thrilled she was game to come to the show.
We covered many things in this interview. But two things I truly appreciated were (1) the bits about rejection, which is my personal life’s work, and (2) the bits about enoughness, which is, in a way, related to rejection. Bonnie and I also talked about how she maintains positivity, how she uses compartmentalization, focusing on the right results when measuring success, and the importance of celebrating every step of the way.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
“Our career choice massively impacts our family and loved ones. When thinking about what I want to do next, the first lens I put on it is, ‘Is this the right thing to do for my family?’” — Graham Bell.
Graham Bell is the Chief Executive Officer of World of Books Group. He assumed this role in September 2019 after being the company’s CFO/COO. Prior to World of Books, he was the Managing Director at Countrywide. And before that, he led a Corporate Finance team at PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is where we met and became good friends.
In this episode, we talked about how and why his career goals changed over time, how he measures success these days, his views around the common sentiment “follow your passion”, and his approach when things aren’t turning out the way he might have liked.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
“There are people out there who want what I bring to the table. All of it — the technical knowledge, the perspective, the personality that goes with. And it’s my job to find them.” —Jacquette Timmons
My guest today is Jacquette Timmons. Jacquette is a financial behaviorist and the CEO of Sterling Investment Management. She is the author of Financial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship With Your Money and Your Mate. She speaks, writes, and coaches about our relationship with money, integrating psychology, financial management, and emotions into the discussion, because of course money is an emotional topic.
Jacquette brings decades of experience into her work and has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, Bloomberg Radio, Women of Power TV and has been quoted on several journals and blogs. She is a New Yorker and an avid runner. You may just catch her running around Brooklyn in the mornings. She is definitely one of my heroes and one of the people whose work inspires me.
For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Marcus Aurelius began Meditations with 17 entries — nearly 10 percent of the book — reflecting upon the various influential individuals in his life. “When you need encouragement,” he wrote, “think of the qualities the people around you have.”
These days, when our attention can easily be hijacked by negativity and pessimism when the news can bring us down feeling overwhelmed and powerless, we need a strong counterbalance. We need heroes.
Read the full transcript at https://secondbreaks.com/thepodcast
Second Breaks is between seasons and is on a brief pause. In the meanwhile, here's a look inside the latest edition of Briefing Notes.
To check out the 46th edition, head on over to http://thebriefingnotes.com
The podcast returns on November 12th with Season 5.
While the podcast is on a brief break, I wanted to share some thoughts about midlife and the latest edition of Briefing Notes. To check out the latest edition, head on over to http://thebriefingnotes.com
The podcast returns on November 12th with Season 5.
The podcast host is naturally the person out front, the person behind the mic whose voice you hear in your ears. In this growing podcasting industry, many opportunities exist today for someone to take the helm of a show. Is this the role for you? Is there something else in this job that goes beyond simply being the voice?
We explore the role of the podcast host with Jerod Morris, co-host of 7 Figure Small and The Assembly call, and a number of shows that he has created or hosted over the years.
For the show notes, highlights of this conversation, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
With over a million shows on Apple Podcasts alone and huge podcast investments made by companies, the podcasting industry is only expected to grow. This industry is supported by a cornucopia of roles and jobs for folks who want to be in on the action and there are different ways to work in the industry. In this episode, we take a peek behind the scenes at the role of the podcast producer.
To explore this role, I’m joined by Sean McMullin. Sean is the co-founder of Yellow House Media, a podcast production company that produces many shows including What Works, Break the Ceiling, Happier Approach, among others.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
A Virtual Assistant career can provide the ultimate in work flexibility. However, the other question to consider is whether this is truly a profitable career choice. In this episode, Kathy Goughenour of Virtual Expert® Training joins Lou Blaser to explore and answer this question.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
One of the newer careers that have become popular in the last few years and that definitely offered flexibility is the virtual assistant work. It’s an interesting field of work because the definition of what the role encompasses is so varied. You can pretty much design it to be how you want it to be — the ultimate flexibility in work!
In this episode, we’ll lift the hood a bit and explore the world of virtual assistants with help from Janice Dalager.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Online communities have exploded in the last few years, giving rise to a need for someone to manage, facilitate, and coordinate community activities. In this episode, we explore the inner workings of the role of the Online Community Manager with help from Shannon Paris, Community Advocate at What Works.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
These days, having an online presence is a requirement. The easiest way to do that is to have a website. And one of the most popular ways to have a website is through WordPress. Suffice it to say, lots of people are working in the WordPress ecosystem.
In this fourth episode of Season 4, we’re looking at the role of the WordPress designer. Helping me peek behind the curtains is Susanna Perkins, who has been working in this space since 2008.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
It’s not a job for everyone. But if you’ve got the right disposition and the interest to learn the skill set, becoming a Facebook/Instagram Ad specialist can be a lucrative career opportunity to pursue. In this third episode of Season 4, we continue exploring jobs within social media through the lens of online advertising.
I'm joined by Facebook Ad Specialist, Julie O'Hara, who recently transitioned to this role. It's not a job for everyone. But if you've got the right disposition and the interest to learn the skill set, becoming a Facebook/Instagram Ad specialist can be a lucrative career opportunity to pursue.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Social media created so many new jobs/roles since it became mainstream. I’m not just talking about jobs inside companies such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. An entire eco-system supports social media. So many jobs are now needed — and are flourishing — because social media exists. For the next couple of weeks, we’re exploring JUST two of these roles, starting with social media management.
In this episode, we are exploring social media management with help from social media strategist, Andréa Jones. Andréa helps businesses and podcasters build profitable online communities through simple social media solutions. She hosts the Savvy Social Podcast and is the creator of the Savvy Social School, a digital platform designed to teach its members how to implement organic social media strategies.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
The perfect job isn’t always served in a platter. More often than not, it’s something we have to create and shape without a blueprint ahead of time.
Marie Poulin is a digital strategist and workflow designer. She helps entrepreneurs level up their systems, workflow, and productivity, so they can spend more time on what matters. Marie Poulin shares how she ‘accidentally’ created a unique role for herself while simply leveraging her love for a new app.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
According to an oft-cited statistic, "85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven't been invented yet." (Source: 2017 Report by Institute For The Future) In Season 4, we'll explore eight new roles and career paths that have only been made possible within the last few years or last decade.
Read the full transcript at https://secondbreaks.com/thepodcast
The podcast is currently on a break as I develop Season 4. In the meantime, I thought I’d pop in here for a minute to tell you about what’s going inside Briefing Notes. Season 4 starts on August 6, 2020. Subscribe to the podcast and tell your friends about it!
The podcast is currently on a break as I develop Season 4. In the meantime, I thought I’d pop in here for a minute to tell you about what’s going inside Briefing Notes. Season 4 starts on August 6, 2020. Subscribe to the podcast and tell your friends about it!
As HR leader Randy Lumia pointed out in Episode 132, there will always be disruptions in the business world that can and will impact our work. Today, it is the pandemic, economic instability, plus sustained civil unrest in the USA (also being felt globally). Tomorrow, it will be something else. It may not always be as far-reaching as today’s challenges are. But no matter what, there will always be something that will disrupt.
This is the final episode for Season 3. For the full transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Clearly, unpredictability is the name of the game now where cause-and-effect isn’t clear. In this scenario, our usual, normal decision-making process and way of doing things may not be optimal and we need to adjust. So, the question is, are we completely in the blind here? Is there anything that can help us or are we simply to stumble in the dark?
Aenslee Tanner is a certified leadership coach with a focus on Vertical Development. She works one-on-one with high achievers and high performers to help them become more conscious leaders. In this episode, Aenslee shares what she’s seen work during times of sustained unpredictability, what we can do, and what models – if any- we can use to guide our decisions and actions.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Senior HR leader, Randy Lumia, discusses how the HR organization is handling the changing workplace. What can employees look to their HR organizations during times of uncertainty? And how we can best position ourselves at work, especially as companies begin measures to manage the ongoing economic situation.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Updating the resumé and LinkedIn profile is unlikely to be one of your favorite things to do. Yet, it’s a requirement especially when we need or want to make a career move. Career coach Allison Lockett and Lou Blaser geek out on all things resumés.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
As the current situation extends and the economic issues deepen, more and more of us are going to consider alternate sources of income. This raises that question, is it a good time to start a business? When we hear of small businesses closing shop and the economy’s collapse, how sane is it to consider going into business? These are the questions at the heart of this episode.
And to dig into this question, I’m joined by business coach, Michelle Ward. Since 2008, Michelle has been guiding creative women to bridge the gap between an unfulfilling career and their dream business. Her programs include helping women clarify their business goals, launch their idea, and grow their business.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Lots of people across different industries and professions are being forced to — or are choosing to — look at their current career path and ask themselves “What else can I do?” For some, this may be a time to reposition themselves within their current field of work. For others, this may be time for a pivot or a career change. In this episode, we explore life coaching as a possible career path with Lee Chaix McDonough.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
We explore those inconvenient thoughts and feelings that come up just as you’re feeling motivated to act, step up to the plate, and do something out of your comfort zone. “Well, who the heck do you think you are to think that you can do XYZ?” These thoughts make you doubt yourself, your abilities, or whether you should even attempt the things you want to do. We dig into why these thoughts come up and what to do about them so we can move forward with our plans.
I'm joined by Tanya Geisler, a leadership coach, whose body of work is all about helping us recognize these patterns of thoughts that stop us from taking action so that we can recalibrate our behaviors and do the work we’re called to do.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Everyone agrees that it’s not going to be business as usual when this current crisis is all over, hence the phrase ‘new normal’ that we keep hearing nowadays. I find it helpful to read about or listen to stories of people who overcame seemingly impossible situations, people who figured out a way not just to adapt to a new normal but to thrive even as a result of it.
My guest today, Kristen Girard, is one such person. Her story shows us we can find new paths when things decide to proceed in the opposite direction of what we wanted.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
What’s Stoicism? How can its teachings help us during hard times? Brendan Hufford joins Lou Blaser to talk about Amor Fati, and Memento Mori, and Amelia Earhart, and Thomas Edison and the big fire. We also talk about this terrible diagnosis that Brendan and his wife learned about their son when he was just 2 years old, which made Brendan really embrace the idea of Amor Fati.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
As much as the world seems intent on disrupting everything these days, there are a few things we count on to help us stay grounded. Two of those things are our personal values and our natural preferences — basically what makes us who we are. In this episode: how being self-aware and understanding our natural preferences can help us manage our anxiety level. How leaning on our personal values can help us manage our teams and communities during disruptive times.
I am joined by Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick to explore the role our personal values and preferences play during times of disruption. Alethea runs Co-Creating Inclusion, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm that’s focused on helping companies drive equity and shift culture.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Learning about what our mentors or people we admire are doing – how they are processing this moment, and how they’re going about things during these uncertain times – is instructive and motivating. Business owner, employer, and community leader, Tara McMullin discusses how she approaches planning when things are uncertain, and what leading and showing up looks like for her these days.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
The world of work is intense and filled with uncertainty at the moment. What should we be doing? Are there steps we can take to position us in the best way possible? And what if you’ve already been affected by the lay-offs and furloughs? What to do then? Dr. Nayla Bahri discusses resilient habits to practice during uncertain times, leveraging her research of the 2008 recession.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
A brief episode where I talk about what you can expect for the next season of the podcast, which starts on Thursday, March 26th, 2020.
The key to launching a post-retirement career with minimal stress is to start considering and exploring opportunities before you pack up your office. This is one to listen to if you’re nearing retirement or beginning to consider possibilities beyond your current career.
Mary Beth Simon retired from her long corporate career in December 2018. As planned, she started her project management consulting company in early 2019. In this episode, Mary Beth shares what sparked the idea for her unique consulting practice, how she fined tuned that idea so that it aligns with her vision for her next chapter, and where she focused her energy as she got it off the ground.
Highlights of Episode 122
- How Mary Beth prepared for her post-retirement career while she was still at Vanguard
- The surprising areas where she felt challenged initially
- Why she felt sharing her initial ideas were important, even if she were not sure about them yet
- Letting go of attachments to old career identity
- What helped her the most during her transition
For the transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
It’s a common story to have a day job that pays the bills (and even one that you find is meaningful work) while wishing you could be doing something else instead. KC Karr shares how she balances practicalities with her creative pursuits and how creating space in her life for her side projects keep her close to her true passion.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
FreshBooks’ Matt Baker shares results of the 2019 Self-Employment Annual Survey. We talk about steps to minimize the risks of transitioning from a traditional 9-5 to a freelance career or self-employment. Plus, how to price your services with a win-win mindset, and how to address the obstacles that new freelancers and first-time business owners face.
Highlights of Episode 120
- The results of FreshBooks 2019 Annual Self-Employment Report
- Specific steps you can take to de-risk your transition to self-employment
- Effective ways to price your services
- The mindset for successfully transitioning to self-employment
- Processes to overcome initial obstacles faced by new business owners or first-time freelancers
For the transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Zoha Abbas was let go during a recent round of layoffs at the advertising agency where she worked as a senior copywriter. Good thing that she had already been working on a side gig for three years. Though it was a bit earlier than her original plans, she took the opportunity to go all-in and turn her side project into her full-time gig. Zoha and I talked about how she found clarity around the kind of side business she wanted to grow, the first few steps she did to get off the ground (which by the way, included one thing I wished I had done and the thing I would do differently if I could do a Mulligan), and how she manages the inevitable fears and gremlin voices that chime in when she wants to do something courageous.
For the full transcrtip and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
You’re working hard to make your side hustle or freelancing career a success. So you’ll want to make sure you protect yourself, your investment, and your side project legally. Autumn Witt Boyd, Host of The Legal Roadmap podcast, joins Lou Blaser to cover the most pressing basic questions for someone starting out. Grab a notepad as you’ll want to take notes. Or head on over to the website for the show notes.
Highlights of Episode 118
- The single most important thing you have to do when starting a side business, or starting a freelancing/consulting career
- What to consider when starting a project with a colleague or a friend
- What you need to put in place if you’ve created a website, even if you’re not selling anything yet
- Why a contract is important even when you’re offering your services for free
- Do you tell your boss/employer about your side gig
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Leadership and career development coach Dr. Nayla Bahri researched disruption and career resilience by studying professionals who lost their jobs during the 2008 Recession. She discovered behaviors and habits that differentiated those who remained stuck versus those who were able to move forward and thrived. The best thing is that there’s nothing special about these behaviors. In this episode, we explore these practical activities that we can practice to strengthen our resilience muscle. Because as Nayla points out, the best time to think about these practices is when times are good.
Highlights of Episode 117
- The three situations that the people Nayla studied fell into post-recession
- The behaviors that differentiated people who remained stuck from those who were able to move forward and thrived
- Why resilience isn’t all about being positive or optimistic
- The inner and outer work that we can do strengthen our resilience muscle
- Why changing careers isn’t a requirement to bouncing back
- How experimentation helps and how we can benefit
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
There hasn’t been a new episode since mid-October. Did I fall off the face of the earth? Did I cancel the podcast? Here’s the real deal.
Starting a side hustle is exciting. But it can also be a bit nerve-wracking, especially if you’ve never done anything like it before. Wouldn’t it be great if you could start your project with a colleague? As they say, two heads are better than one, and you can push each other to take action on your plans. Karena Skibinski shares how she and her co-worker started a side-hustle and became business partners.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
A side hustle leveraging your core strength is a huge advantage because the learning curve for starting a business is going to take up your time and energy. Dr. Michelle Mazur began with a side project that allowed her to “play” in her favorite sandbox and which turned into a side consulting business in no time.
Highlights of Episode 114
- The side-project that started Michelle Mazur’s side hustle
- Some of the challenges she faced when transitioning from corporate employment to self-employment, including money-mindset blocks
- How she developed her approach to marketing and selling her services in a way that feels aligned with who she is
- Why developing your “three-word” message can help you create and initiate change
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 113:
- Key actions that Kim and her husband took to achieve financial independence
- How they were able to pay their 15-year mortgage in 3 years
- Why insurance coverage holds people back from self-employment and how Kim and her husband manage their family’s insurance
- How Kim took advantage of inexpensive and free resources to help build her freelance career
- How Kim mitigated the risks of leaving corporate employment to transition to a freelance career
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 112:
- How a side-hustle got started by raising her hand when someone asked for help on Facebook
- How this seemingly insignificant work grew into something bigger and became the basis of her new career
- Justine’s approach to channeling the skills she mastered in one field of work into another
- The idea that we can be headstrong about our goals but flexible about the way we will achieve these goals
- The principle of ‘ruling things out’ when considering a new career
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
In this episode:
- How John started his side hustle and his initial foray into Clickbank
- The difference between network marketing, multi-level marketing, affiliate marketing, and online marketing
- The major change Google implemented that closed his account and shut down his revenue source
- How John recovered from Google’s changes and how he manages the risk of similar occurrences in the future
- Why affiliate marketing is a good place to start for newcomers to the online marketing space
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Melissa Emler works in the education industry in both her regular job and her side hustle. She is the Director of Innovation at a regional service agency for educators. For her side gig, she co-owns a business called Modern Learners, where they serve educators around the globe to put the focus back on learning. But to call one a regular job and the other a side hustle misses the point somewhat.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 109:
- Althea’s practical approach to following her passion
- How she arranged her schedule with her then-manager to allow her time to build her floral business
- What steps she took to build her client-base from the ground up while she still had her full-time job
- How Althea prepared for the day when she would go ‘all in’ on her business
- It’s not all arranging flowers! What it really means to run a seasonal business
- Sacrifices and challenges, but it’s all worth it!
For the transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 108
- The main difference Susan experienced starting an online consulting business versus their previous brick-and-mortar businesses
- What she focused on when she initially got going with Scale Spark
- Susan’s methods for maintaining the balancing act between her day job and her side consulting business
- The role of their side businesses versus the role of their day jobs on their long-term plan
- How Susan talks about her day-job and her side business in social and networking events
For the transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 106
- The challenge that goes with transitioning from employee to owning your own business
- Letting go of the old identity and embracing the new one as you make a career change
- The 3 Ms (Mindset, Meaning, and Mindfulness), what each one means, and how they show up and influence our careers and personal lives
- Separating the ‘work’ from the desired results
- Aligning career choices with our core values
For the full transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
We have a complicated relationship with our technology, which we both love and love to hate! On the one hand, technology makes our lives easier. But it also creates complexity and stress. In other words: technology both helps and hurts work-life balance.
In this final episode of our series on work-life balance, I explore why and when it’s helpful and why/when it’s not. I also share my thoughts on what we can do to keep technology on the useful side.
For the full transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 104
- Why maximizing the use of time with your young kids starts with reframing expectations
- What play looks like for an infant or a toddler
- The impossible parenting standards that social media create
- Does ‘screen-babysitting’ work?
- Finding the tiny moments to support your baby in the most valuable way
For the full transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 102
- When is busyness a good thing and when is it not
- The questions you want to be asking yourself
- Why is conquering busyness not about time management or being productive
- The self-created situations that feed our busyness addiction
- Tips for conquering busyness
For the full transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 101
- Preview of the next 3 upcoming episodes around balance
- Questions to ask ourselves to figure out what balance means to us
- Why work-life balance is relative and personal, a conversation of one
- How we can connect – because I want to hear from you!
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 100
- My goals for the podcast going forward. Accountability folks!
- You can change your life from your own podcast, as Joanna Penn said.
- Proof that we can do hard things, even those we never thought we’d be able to pull-off
- The seven episodes that stood out for me because these struck a chord, something clicked in me, and I changed something in my life as a result.
For the full show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 99:
- How Joanna Penn realized that writing is her next career
- Her initial block around fiction writing and how she overcame it
- Where she focused on getting validation/feedback from her early work
- Structure and discipline required to establish herself in a new writing career
- How she maintains positivity through all the ups and downs and industry changes
For the full show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 98
- What drives Tara McMullins’ pivots
- How she validates her idea before moving forward with a change
- Why and what she shares with people during periods of change
- How she’s able to move forward despite not knowing enough
- How she stays resilient when things are in flux and don’t go as planned
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Julia James is a career coach who helps her clients get clear on their fulfilling careers. Her approach integrates body, mind, and spirit to get to the heart of what matters most for her clients. In this episode, Julia shares her process, how and why she uses a holistic approach when working with her clients. She also provides 3 practical steps that you can start on your own to explore an integrated mind, body, spirit approach to figuring out the answer to your big question.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Managing the financial implications and costs of your career plans, including how to talk to your loved ones about the impact of your plans on the family’s budget. In this episode, I'm joined by Certified Financial Planner, Christina Gatteri.
We talked about financial freedom and planning for the future, and the things that we can do today — what Christina referred to as good money habits — to get us in a position to have choices tomorrow.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
In this episode, I'm joined by SEO Consultant Meg Casebolt. We talked about aspirations and those dreams we had when we're young and idealistic and wanted to change the world. And how those dreams sometimes, if we’re lucky, become part of our DNA and influence the work that we do and our career choices as adults.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
I’m a little embarrassed to admit I have this list of things that I want to do but I’ve tagged them “impossible — as in I can’t do them. Because I don’t feel good enough or big enough. Or because I’m too this. Or not enough of that.
Doing this podcast was on that list for a long time. I dreamt and talked about producing a podcast for 2 years before I managed to pull enough mojo to do it in 2017.
As I’m officially planning for the 100th episode of this podcast (!) I wanted to share a bit of the behind the scenes.
What exactly happened back in 2017? How did I (finally) manage to pull this together? What did I do, and most importantly, what didn’t I do!
Highlights of Episode 93
- What a consultant is, how it’s different from a coach or from a contractor
- What makes for a successful consultant
- Why true expertise is critical to a successful consultancy practice
- The 6 principles for running a successful practice
- Why asking the quality and meaningful questions is super important (and what are the “right” questions)
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
My guest today is Dara Paoletti – a certified life coach – who specializes in helping women beat burnout and get their life back.
Highlights of Episode 92
- How to recognize what Dara refers to as the “zombie” work-life.
- Three common misconceptions around burn out
- Being a workaholic doesn’t mean you’re heading to burnout. Conversely, burnout happens even to non-workaholics.
- How to recognize the telltale signs of burnout
- Small steps are the key to recovering from or preventing burnout
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Tiger Woods won the Masters title last Sunday, April 14, 2019. This is Tiger’s fifth Masters title – which in and of itself — is a feat.
But that it came up after a 10-year championship drought. After a series of personal problems – some quite public – and some pretty serious health issues. After he’s been written off, for all intents and purposes, by the industry where he’s staked his career. After a very public fall from the highest pedestal and hitting his rock bottom, which was also quite public.
To be able to get back on his feet, get back in the game, and win. That’s a totally different feat, in a league of its own.
Fortunately, few of us will suffer the kind of setback that Tiger experienced. I can only imagine the kind of grit, determination, and mental stamina to overcome such adversity. But we do experience our own defeats, instances when we feel we failed, or have been handed a blow that feels like the biggest setback in our lives.
For this episode, I want to talk about rising up, about getting back up on our legs when we feel we’ve failed or fallen down, and about never ever giving up on ourselves. I share 3 things that have helped me the most to get back on my feet when I’ve experienced my own setback.
In this episode, I’m excited that we get to explore the independent work option from both the employer and employee perspective.
Jennie Nash is the founder of Author Accelerator, a book coaching service that has helped hundreds of writers complete their book projects by giving them the sustained editorial support they need. Her company’s business model was designed from the beginning to leverage the rising popularity of independent work as a valid option, and often a better choice for many workers.
In this episode, we talk about the pros and cons of the independent work path and how you can decide if this is the right career path for you. We also explored what it means to run a business designed to leverage gig workers, busted some employment myths, and explored what employers find important traits when considering independent workers.
In this episode, I share a little behind-the-scenes and talk a bit about my quarterly planning process, why I do it this way, and how I do it. I also talk about this idea of “showing up” for the value of showing up — and not for the intended results. This is something I’m actively working on because separating the effort from the results is a challenge for me. Have you mastered how to do this?
In this episode, Katrina shares how she made this 20-month break happen, how she planned for it, and what she did exactly. She also talked about her experience during the break. And what her re-entry to corporate life was like.
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Wondering whether your idea for the new career is the right one for you to pursue? Here are 7 practical and accessible ways to test your idea before you spend too much time, energy and money pursuing it.
Coming up with your career move’s Big Picture is a necessary first step. But what if you’ve done the work but you still can’t decide on your best option? Now what?
My guest today is Margaret Vandergriff, who had been working in the non-profit world for 25 years, as a freelance grant writer. She’s made a pivot in recent years and her choice of a new career was largely informed and influenced by her own personal experiences.
In this episode, Margaret traces her career path, from the time she initially considered a career in classical music, to freelance grant writing for non-profit organizations, to her most recent pivot helping empty nesters and folks who are looking to relocate geographically.
How we can experience life as much as we can without “the career” getting in the way? I've enjoyed many interesting conversations since I started this podcast in June 2017. Through interviews with gracious guests, I've learned of different inciting incidents for a career change and as many varied perspectives on fears, risks, and challenges.
One of the most memorable conversations I've had the privilege of having is with Tim DeBellis — aeronautics engineer turned management consultant in the Healthcare Industry, turned coffee-shop-owner and operator, turned Real Estate professional.
His view on life experiences and careers is definitely one of the most refreshing ones I've heard. Instead of his career becoming a pair of handcuffs that chains him to one path, Tim uses career shifts to go with the flow, try out things, and experience different aspects of life.
Denise Walsh started her professional life as a clinical psychologist. It was the career path she’d chosen for herself. But after working at a local mental health organization for several years, she realized that it wasn’t the path she wanted to be on after all.
In this episode, Denise and I talk about why she left what was a “safe career path” to create a business with her husband.
Denise shares what it was like for her in the beginning and her big Aha moments that helped her build a successful career in direct sales.
A Few Takeaways from Episode 82:
- The skills we learned from school or previous jobs will always be useful even if we were to change careers.
- The feeling of jealousy is a signal that we can harness to our advantage (instead of feeling bad about ourselves or others).
- Just because our college education might lead us down one career doesn’t mean we are “stuck” with this path for the rest of our professional life.
- We may not feel 100% confident or have all the skills when we’re starting something new. Surrounding ourselves with the right people could be the difference between making it and quitting.
We all know that surrounding ourselves with the right people — folks who support us, lift us up, and encourage us — is important. This cannot be more important as when we’re embarking on a career pivot or a career change.
Amy Lippmann’s career journey is an inspiring story of being open to listening to those whispers, to allowing the exploration, and to seeing what new roads open for her. Today, Amy runs her business, Marketing for Health Coaches, but she did not start there. In fact, she created this unique path for herself after trying different hats and roles.
Highlights of Episode 80:
- How Amy Lippmann created a unique career path for herself
- Following her instincts and exploring where it could take her
- How Amy started her health coaching business while keeping a 9-to-5 job
- What she did to get her first clients
- What helped her during her many career pivots and transitions
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 79
- What your Big Picture is for
- Why you want to paint a persuasive Big Picture
- The three ingredients of a meaningful and persuasive Big Picture
- Putting the 3 ingredients together to articulate your Big Picture
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 78:
- Why Martha Keith decided to change careers
- The challenges she struggled with as she made the intentional decision to change course
- What it means to veer away from one professional identity and build a new one
- The different reactions and responses to her career change; what matters and what doesn’t
- The most important thing she learned about herself through the transformation
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Highlights of Episode 77:
- Why making a career pivot is simple “in theory” and what “really” makes it challenging
- What getting brave enough is and is NOT
- The three things you can do to help you get brave enough
- The four kinds of support that you’ll need when making a career move
- Why having a big picture career vision is important
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
On this first episode for the year, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the three things that I’m most proud of in 2018 and the three things that I plan to focus on in 2019.
Highlights of Episode 75
- Why writing a book is still a worthwhile goal even with today’s shortened attention span
- Your first steps after coming up with your initial book idea
- The different kinds of editors to help with your book
- What a book proposal is and why it’s super important to do one, even if you’re going the self-publishing route
- The strategic elements of the book writing process
Highlights of Episode 74
- What it’s like to leave a successful corporate career in Hospitality and Entertainment and pursue a career as a DJ
- Amani’s main concerns and fears when he left the corporate world and how he addressed those.
- How a career transition can surprise you and teach you things about yourself you never knew
- How Amani addressed skeptics
- How to remain creative even when working a ‘non-creative’ 9-5 corporate job
- A truly fun and unique team-building experience
For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Beth Yarzab, career and fitness coach and creator of Career Fit Mom, shares insights and tips for women who are looking to return to work after extended maternity leave.
Highlights of Episode 72
- The most important (professional) concern for moms returning to work
- Three things to do and consider as you re-enter the workforce
- Networking tips while away on maternity leave
- Accommodating professional development, retaining or acquiring new skills while on leave
- How to address the “gap” in your resumé
Is there a way to know for sure that your decision to pursue a new career path is the right thing for you to do? We explore what’s really behind this question and discuss 3 things you can do to get comfortable with your decision.
Topics Discussed in Episode 71
- In the intro: How to plan for your career move and an invitation to join the Plan Your Pivot in 5 Days challenge
- The underlying beliefs and thoughts that drive our desire to get assurance about our career decision or choice
- The best way to get comfortable with your career choice
- Alternatives for evaluating your career choice, if the ‘best way’ isn’t feasible
- The most important thing to remember and to do!
Highlights of Episode 70:
- How Meg Casebolt expanded her role and skillset by identifying new opportunities within the organization and raising her hand
- Starting a new career by leveraging her existing strengths in graphics design and understanding of the non-profit world
- Finding initial clients through her network and word-of-mouth
- The simplest way to understand SEO and why it’s so important in today’s world
- What’s exciting and unique opportunities in a digitally-connected world
Highlights of Episode 69
- In the intro, I discuss why work is one of the most important parts of life
- I also talk about one movie that’s made such a big impact on me 🤓 and how it relates to my attitude toward work
- Why many of us, despite how much we want to make a career move or a career change, are unable to do so
- Stephen Covey’s second habit (Begin with the end in mind) and what this means for your career plans
- How to effectively plan for your career move and what to focus on
- The three kinds of resources you need to make your career move happen and how to plan for each
Ayelet Marinovich is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who works with families with infants and toddlers. She is the founder of Strength-in-Words, a podcast and an educational resource providing access to high-quality, evidence-based resources and connections to other parents and professionals so they can have peace of mind they are supporting their children to the best of their ability.
Highlights of Episode 68
- How Strength-in-Words got started
- Common misconceptions new parents have about how their babies learn/play
- Recognizing impossible standards that are spread through social media like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook
- How to feel less guilty about the time you spend with your new baby when you’re a working parent
- How to maximize your limited time with your baby or toddler
Melissa is Chief Instigator and lead facilitator of Creative Sandbox Solutions™, a creative consultancy that helps organizations future-proof their people and their plans through the strategic use of play.
Highlights of Episode 67
- How “playing” with Lego blocks can help with problem-solving and strategic planning
- Avoiding perfectionist tendencies
- Addressing the fear of the “blank page”
- Being open to exploring options (instead of shutting down everything right away)
- Proceeding with your idea when you’re overcome with dread
In honor of the upcoming World Mental Health Day, I wanted to share my experience with depression while working and growing a career.
My goals for sharing my experience in this episode are:
1) To remove the stigma and shame associated with having mental health challenges or asking for professional help. There’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help. You’re just taking care of yourself. And there are so many people who have the same issue. You are not alone.
2) To share my personal self-care routine. While I am not at all suggesting that what I do will work for you (I don’t have medical training!), hearing about how other people are keeping depression in check through their daily normal routines can only help.
3) To emphasize that you can still be successful in spite of, or in addition to, your depression or other mental health challenges that you may be going through right now.
Highlights of Episode 65
- What is a career setback?
- Examples and impact of career setbacks
- Two things to keep in mind when planning for your next steps
- How to start from a place of strength when your confidence level is low
- Approaching the setback from a place of curiosity
Highlights of Episode 64
- Setting intentions (and boundaries) around your desired career
- Finding and being open to new opportunities
- Testing and tweaking to align opportunities with your career objectives
- Technology requirements for being a VA
- How you could explore and where you can start if you want to become a VA
Highlights of Episode 63
- Amy’s take on what it’s like to work online 100% of the time and what she misses from her previous ‘in-person/in-office’ work.
- The role of social media in her work and business; how she uses social media to reach her audience
- Amy’s career as an artist and teacher; what it’s like to pursue a career based on her passion and interest
- Why she had to make a career pivot
- How she incorporated her true passions into her business and created a career path that is uniquely hers
Highlights of Episode 62
- The role of your Big Picture in your career move
- Why you’d want to start your career move by understanding your long-term vision or Big Picture
- What happens when you don’t have a clearly defined Big Picture
- Why it’s difficult to find the words to describe your vision
- What to do if defining a Big Picture is a challenge for you
Highlights of Episode 61
- Creating your unique path, especially if you have multiple interests
- Prioritization and making the time to do the things you want to do
- Mia’s season of pitching and experimentation phase
- Her process of paring things down, building pause points, and finding her through lines
- Learning to say “yes” to the right things and “no” to the wrong things
- Catching yourself
Damion outrightly rejects regret and speaks to it as the ultimate life failure. In this episode, we talk about his approach to living a full-filled life. He shares why he hates the word retirement and the problem with having it as a target goal.
Highlights of Episode 60
- The problem with retirement
- The idea of ‘booking it’ and how not to postpone everything until ‘someday’
- What wealth is and isn’t
- How to view competition in the workplace
- Breaking the ‘golden shackles’ problem
- Damion’s process change that allowed him to manage his fears
Highlights of Episode 59:
- Four good practices that can turn into bad ones that will stall your progress
- Why pointing to fear as the main culprit isn’t a good idea
- The right and the wrong way to share your plans with others
- What’s the minimum to-do, especially if you hate planning
- Planning landmines
- The deal with comfort zones
Highlights of Episode 58
- What it means to bootstrap a venture
- The challenges of bootstrapping
- The factors that Kat considered when deciding to leave her consulting career to join her husband full-time in their startup venture
- What helped Kat the most during her transition
- Factors to consider if you’re thinking of developing an app or an automated tool
Highlights of Episode 57
- The parts pieces of Kristen Runvik’s portfolio career
- Why this work arrangement suited her career goals
- Kristen’s favorite (and effective) way of finding job opportunities
- How Kristen determines if a side project fits within her bigger picture
- Why Kristen’s business doesn’t feel like overwhelming work
- The importance of time management to prevent burnout when you have a portfolio career
Instructional Designer Gregg Eiler joined me in this episode to talk about how we can use our hard-earned expertise to establish our authority in our field and create a new career path or new revenue source by turning that knowledge into a course or a program.
Highlights of Episode 56
- The benefits you gain by teaching your expertise
- Topics that make for good course subject matters
- How to compete with all the information that’s already out and available in the internet
- Where to start if you’re thinking about teaching your expertise
- The importance of putting the learner first and foremost
In this episode, I’m joined by professional counselor, Nancy Jane Smith, who wrote the book The Happier Approach: Be Kind to Yourself, Feel Happier and Still Accomplish Your Goals.
Nancy and I talk about the happier approach, a simple way to quiet our Mongers, be kinder to ourselves, while also achieving our goals and intentions. We also talk about the mistake we make when we attempt self-compassion, and the more productive approach we can take instead.
Highlights of Episode 55
- The 3 voices (Monger, BFF, and Biggest Fan) that are in our heads
- Why and when does the “Monger” talk loudest
- How to recognize the “BFF” and your “Biggest Fan”
- What you can do when the Monger has taken over
- The typical mistake we make when we attempt self-compassion
In 2015, Yana Banzen, then a practicing litigation lawyer, decided to pack her things into a storage locker and moved to Thailand. It was an open-ended plan that led to eye and heart-opening discoveries and eventually, a new career direction for her. In this episode, we talk about why and how all these changes came about, what she’s learned in the process, and how she has transformed her life and career since then.
Highlights of Episode 54
- In the Intro: I talked about a recent “sign-of-the-times” article from Wired magazine affecting the auto industry and how one company is preparing for the wave of change
- Yana Banzen’s catalyst moment that changed the direction of her career
- Leaning into her inner wisdom to guide her career and life decisions
- How she’s now using her skills and training in a different capacity providing her with better balance
- Reactions about her career transformation from friends and colleagues, and her approach for dealing with it all
In this episode, I share 5 things I’ve learned from one year of podcasting, some behind-the-scenes that contributed to this podcast, and my thoughts on the future of this podcast.
Thank you for being here. I so appreciate that you’ve made the Second Breaks Podcast part of your week. I don’t take that for granted. I know how busy you are and to be able to reach you like this is such an honor.
5 Takeaways from a Year of Podcasting
- We can move forward even if we’re scared sh*t.
- We can start small and grow from there.
- We can and will figure things out along the way.
- You can teach old dogs new tricks.
- We can and will have more fun when we share our goals with others.
"I live in beautiful chaos. To me, I feel like the step that I took back in May, the verdict on that is still out. We don’t know if this has been the best right decision just yet. A lot of that is up to me and what I do. We’re still in the middle of it." —Dave Pidgeon
Highlights of Episode 52:
- Why Dave Pidgeon left a “family legacy” career
- How a hobby turned into a new professional and career opportunity
- Bringing previous experiences and skills into new roles and jobs
- The best way to network in today’s digitally-connected world
- Why self-awareness becomes even more critical during a career pivot or a career change
- And a bonus: a sneak peek at the book that Dave is writing
I’m joined this week by brand storyteller and communications strategist, Kay Fabella. Kay helps businesses around the world bring their brands to life, so they can meaningfully connect with their clients and meet their business goals.
Highlights of Episode 51
- Why we need to pay attention to the stories we tell ourselves
- Common fears that people face when thinking about making a pivot
- The truth about how and what others “hear” when we talk about our career transitions
- How storytelling can help others understand our career change
- How to use storytelling when looking for a new job
- How to identify our strengths
Topics Covered in Episode 50
- Why we need to approach our careers differently
- What it takes to successfully navigate the changing work landscape
- The key change that happens when you adopt a career owner’s mindset
- Why continuous learning is even more important now
- The difference between a career path and a career horizon
- How to remain relevant and always marketable
"Whether it’s coaching or getting an accountability partner, you still have to go back and do the work. The work is yours to do." —Allison Lockett
Highlights of Episode 49
- What is an accountability group and what it’s not
- What makes for a good accountability partner
- How to structure accountability meetings
- Frequency, timing, and length
- How to ask someone to be your accountability partner
Highlights of Episode 48
- What MBTI is and what it’s not
- What natural preference means
- Why it’s not bad to act out of our natural preferences
- How understanding the team’s MBTI type can help improve team dynamics
- Why we may test differently at different times of our lives
Paivi Eerola had spent her entire life studying and working in IT. With a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, she spent her first professional years teaching other IT professionals.
After a while, she moved to programming and later, to project management of large-scale IT integrations, and then to selling enterprise-level IT solutions. And as if all that wasn’t enough, she also went back to school to acquire a second degree in Industrial Design.
But Paivi’s first love was art. Growing up in a small town in eastern Finland, she learned to draw as a child to while away the long quiet days. And although her IT career took off taking her to other directions, she longed to do something creative where she could connect with her rich inner world and imagination. In this episode, Paivi shares how her transition from an IT career back to Art happened.
Highlights of Episode 47
- The real reason why Paivi Eerola went back to school to study Industrial Design
- How blogging—and specifically sharing her early drawings—helped her find and understand her audience
- How her engineering background guided her approach to her artwork and helped her identify a product that became an early source of passive income
- The surprising lesson she learned about herself from these transitions and why she considers it a gift
- Why revisiting a book you liked as a kid can help you reconnect with your imagination and your view of the future
Topics Covered in Episode 46
- The four main reasons driving the change in the workplace
- The challenge AND the opportunity behind each of these change drivers
- How to spot these factors ahead of time so you don’t get caught off guard
- Why we need to be paying attention now more than ever
- What your new career strategy should include
The number of people working from home, either full-time or part-time, has been on the rise and this trend is only expected to continue. For telecommuters — or really any time we work outside the office — we need to pay attention to the kinds of tools we use, the ease of setting up, and how we access them wherever we are.
If you’re thinking about working from home, doing some kind of freelance project on the side (i.e., without the support of an IT department!), or just want to be more organized in your work and life, you’ll find this episode useful.
For this episode, I’m joined by Customer Research Consultant, Karyn Kelbaugh, who shared her career story in this previous episode.
Karyn works 100% from home. She’s got two sons under her charge, so whatever she uses to operate her business needs to have the trifecta: easy to set up, easy to use, and won’t break the bank.
She and I both share the tools we use and how we use them! We talk tools for:
- Data collection (think ‘not-your-father’s-database’)
- Automation
- Everyday planning and organization
- Meetings and interviews
- Note-taking
Key Takeaways from Episode 44:
- Take the time to discover your strengths and skills
- Pay attention to everyday clues that point to your key differentiator
- Identify the role or career path that can best leverage those skills and make you shine
- Look for external models to help you design your path, but don’t be pressured to fit the mold
Highlights of Episode 43
- Why Adda Birnir believes learning technical skills positions you for career growth in the new economy
- The only qualification you need to learn digital and technical skills
- Adda’s path to entrepreneurship
- Adda’s advice for aspiring freelancers and business owners based on her experience
- How Adda and her team ensured that Skillcrush met their client’s real needs
Highlights of Episode 42
- How Shannon Paris addressed and handled the loss of her dream job
- The importance of being intentional about who you spend time with and have conversations with during a career transition period
- Shannon’s approach to networking and how it doesn’t have to be awkward
- What Shannon paid attention to during interviews that pointed her to key strengths and assets
- How being open to new ideas opened a new career path for her
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re exploring one of the most common assumptions there is out there about what happens to women’s ambitions and career aspirations when they become mothers. My guest, Jennifer Hargreaves, has first-hand experience and in this episode, she shares how this prevailing assumption limited her options at the company where she was employed at the time she became pregnant with her first child.
Highlights of Episode 41
- Jennifer’s first experience with workplace bias against pregnant women
- The challenge women face when looking for flexible work arrangement
- Where the idea of Tellent came from
- The process that Jennifer took to explore the idea for a year before fully committing to it
- What helped her the most during her career transition
Highlights of Episode 40
- How Nicole Lewis-Keeber discovered her new career path while leveraging her background and training
- Where do issues with our relationship with money come from
- Impact of having a scarcity mindset
- How to recognize symptoms of money mindset blocks
- How to address money mindset blocks
Topics Discussed in Episode 39
- Definition of terms: Career Move, Career Pivot, Career Change
- 3 Reasons Why Making a Career Pivot is Now a Must-Have Skill
- 4 Types of Career Pivots
- Degrees of Pivots
Highlights of Episode 38
- How sharing her career goals with others and asking for help opened doors for Aenslee Tanner
- The benefits of asking for feedback, especially when you’re not getting the results you want
- What personal branding is and why it’s important to consider this when making any kind of career move
- The challenges that surprised Aenslee when she made the leap to entrepreneurship
- Things to try out and do when you’re looking to make a career move and move to a different location/country
Highlights of Episode 37
- Why Jessica Barnak left her first job and how she started a photography business
- What led to her closing the photography studio and starting an interior design business
- The key action step she took each time she started a new career direction that helped her quickly gain traction
- Designing a business around life priorities and time constraints
- What helped her during the most challenging times and how she overcame adversity and move forward
Highlights of Episode 36
- Lydia Lee’s career journey, the moment she realized she had to change direction, and how she made it happen
- What helped her the most during the transition
- How she addressed the “money” topic, a common challenge for people looking to make a leap to entrepreneurship
- How she reframed fear so that it doesn’t paralyze, but instead instigates learning
- Her advice on where to start, what to focus on, if you’re thinking of one day living your cubicle job and starting your own business
Highlights of Episode 35
- What’s Blockchain Technology, what’s cryptocurrency, and the difference between the two
- Bitcoin, Dash, LiteCoin, Ethereum et al
- Where to buy cryptocurrencies
- Where to use cryptocurrencies
- How to approach investing in cryptocurrencies
- What’s with the crypto valuation swings? Is this stable?
Topics Discussed in Episode 34
- How Ashlie Kennedy prepared for this career change by focusing on the numbers
- What pushed her to act on her store plans sooner than she planned
- What helped her the most during times of self-doubt and bouts of second-guessing herself
- The things that she’s learning now as a solo-store proprietor
- Prioritization, learning how to say ‘no’, and taking things one step at a time
Topics Discussed in Episode 33
- Why Alice Karolina Smith initially left design school even though it was her first love and how she found her way back to it
- The process she and her mother followed to decide her next steps
- How career limbo felt like for her, what was difficult about it and how she helped herself during those years
- How to get out of career limbo and indecision
- What she learned about herself following that period
- Why it’s important to ask for help
Highlights of Episode 32
- Why creating S-M-A-R-T goals doesn’t automatically make meaningful or resonant goals
- The secret to holding on and maintaining the commitment and motivation to work on your goals thru-out the year
- The reason why we set goals to begin with
- What it means when you set too many goals
- The problem with the mandatory annual-goal setting process at work and how to make it work for yourself
- The low-hanging fruits approach and why it may not be good for your self-confidence
As promised in the very first episode of this podcast, I will, from time to time, provide an update on my career reinvention. I figured, year-end is one of the better times in the year to do this.
Topics Discussed in Episode 30
- Lacy Boggs’ career journey, from the woman who wanted to make it big in the film industry to becoming a business owner
- How she created opportunities for herself by trusting her skills and strengths
- A surprising skill that she discovered while killing time at a job she hated
- The realities of freelance writing
- How the blogging industry looks today
- Two main ways you can earn money through blogging
- Key things to consider if you’re thinking of starting a blog
- The role of content in a business
Topics discussed in Episode 29
- What is coaching and how is it different from talk therapy
- Why and when you might need a coach
- How to find out if you’re ready for coaching
- How much time you should invest in a coaching relationship
- What’s missing from traditional career assessments
- Tajan’s recommended 3 steps for figuring out your calling
- Why removing ourselves from the daily grind is an important step in a transformational process
Highlights of Episode 28:
- How Alison Taylor transitioned from employed to self-employed
- How she created a name for herself in her new field through word of mouth
- The earlier “mistakes” she’s made that taught her how to market herself differently
- How cultivating this one relationship opened an industry opportunity for her and where she now has developed deep specialization
- The two things that helped her the most during this transition
- The importance of building new relationships with fellow entrepreneurs
- The advice she gives to someone in IT who may be considering using their technical skills to build a business
A former lawyer overcomes burnout and stress by focusing on sustainable and healthy routines and increasing mental energy.
Highlights of Episode 27
- Nik’s experience in Amsterdam that changed his perspective on life and work
- What leads to burnout and stress
- Why watching TV isn’t really relaxing for our brains
- How you can achieve “balance” in your “hustle”
- Why we cannot rely on willpower or self-discipline alone
Highlights of Episode 26
- A quick summary of my career story
- The inciting incident for my career pivot
- Why we never start a Level 0, even if we’re starting over
- Why asking for help is about choosing yourself
- Why I’m grateful for an extremely difficult and painful experience
- Why I strongly believe that we live in a special time
Highlights of Episode 25
- Sarah’s career story from teacher to Corporate HR to Business Coach
- How her willingness to try things out helped her transition from employee to freelancer to business owner
- The importance of creating new relationships in your chosen field/area of work
- What you should do first if you’re thinking of leveraging your skills and start a freelance side business
- What you should do first if you have an idea for a product-based business
Highlights of Episode 24
- How Amy Scott began her freelance editor career
- The (surprising) main challenge she faced when she was first starting out
- What location-independent work is really about
- How her location-independent career helped her accommodate various life situations and phases
- Key considerations, if a location-independent career sounds interesting to you
- Factors to consider when deciding between traditional publishing or independent publishing route
- Working with an editor: when to hire one during your writing process and how to evaluate someone to work with
Highlights of Episode 23
- Lisa Wood’s evolution from freelance web developer to owner of a web design/development agency and business coach;
- What helps her navigate through the business changes she continues to make;
- How the small business world has changed from when she initially made the jump, what makes it easier to make the leap into entrepreneurship, what makes it harder;
- Networking and building relationships;
- The unique challenges that women in business face;
- Where to start if you’re thinking of freelancing on the side.
Highlights of Episode 22
- The mindset shift that occurred for Gregg which allowed him to see opportunities beyond his corporate career;
- How he evaluated his career path options and chose the consulting business path;
- Habits he’s adopted to manage his time effectively so he could build his consulting business with a full-time job;
- Gregg’s advice to anyone looking to leverage their skill set to start a new career;
- How patience is helping with the motivation and the long view;
- The state of online education;
- What to do if you’re thinking of becoming an online instructor.
Highlights of Episode 21
- What holds us back from stepping into our leadership role
- The things that trip us up when we think of ourselves as leaders
- Why we are all (already) leaders, whether we recognize it or not
- What vulnerability has to do with leadership
- What to do when we think we’re not ready to take on our next step
Highlights of Episode 20:
- What triggered Lisa Akers' interest in chronic and auto-immune diseases and in herbal remedies
- Why she decided to build a second career instead of a career change
- The changes she’s made to her work-habits and mindset to accommodate a second career
- Recognizing boundaries and honoring those boundaries at work
- When is what you’re feeling beyond a simple need for a break or vacation
Jacquette Timmons, CEO of Sterling Investment Management, discusses the art of talking about money. We cover why money conversations are awkward, common mistakes to avoid, and how to get support from family and loved ones on your career move that may have financial implications.
Highlights of Episode 19
- Why it is hard and awkward to talk about money
- Common mistakes we make when talking about finances with our loved ones
- What influences our relationship with money
- How to get support from family and significant others around your career move when it has a potential impact on finances
- How to handle other people’s concern around the financial impact of your career move
- The choices we’re truly making (and managing) when it comes to money
- Difference between financial behaviorist and financial planner/asset or investment manager
- Similar lessons learned from “The Black Monday” stock market crash in 1987 and the housing market collapse in 2008
Highlights of Episode 18
- Recap of Root Causes 1, 2, and 3
- Symptoms and how to recognize root cause #4: Unclear Targets
- What to watch out for when articulating your new goals
- How to address unclear targets
- What to focus on when making long-term goals, even if you don’t know what you want to do *(yet)
Highlights of Episode 17
- How Vanessa Soto’s side passion project made her appreciate her 9-to-5 job again
- Why a side passion project may be a more realistic and fulfilling option
- How to manage the time to fit a side project into a full-time life
- Importance of obtaining support from people around you about your time commitment
- Why you’d want to build a community around your project/interest area
- How and where to start your side passion project
Highlights of Episode 16:
- What Absent Support is all about
- Why being around supportive people is important for getting unstuck
- The underlying message around many of the common advice we hear
- What kind of messages to stay away from
- What kind of support you’d want to have when thinking of making a career move
Highlights of Episode 15:
- What is the Know-How Gap
- Why this is a common problem
- Why detecting this issue is tricky
- Questions to ask yourself to determine if the Know-How Gap may be an issue
- How to address the Know-How Gap
- The benefit of planning even when you’re not sure what to do
Highlights of Episode 14:
- What the miniseries “How to Get Unstuck” is about
- How this series came about
- The first root cause: Lack of Doable Options
- How to recognize this issue; how to detect that this is what’s happening
- What causes this problem; why we might believe there are not enough options for us
- How to address the lack of options problem
We often hear the advice “follow your heart” especially when we’re faced with a decision that we’re not sure about. I’ve been noticing it come up more and more, in various forms, within the context of a career change.
Highlights of Episode 13:
- Common misconceptions about the advice “follow your heart”
- Difference between “listen to your heart” and “follow your passion”
- How to listen to your heart
- Trusting the results of the process
- How to avoid inadvertently incorporating other people’s opinions while listening to your heart
Highlights of Episode 12:
- What health & lifestyle coaching is and what you want to look for in a health & lifestyle coach
- How Lara Dalch got started on this career path
- The challenges she faced transitioning from a corporate career into a freelance type of work and starting a new business
- How finding new communities helped her during the early stages
- The importance of continuous learning when creating a new career
- How to become a health & lifestyle coach
Tim DeBellis traces his philosophy around maximizing life experiences to his immigrant grandfather, who took on so many different roles in his lifetime.
Highlights of Episode 11:
- How Tim identified his passion
- Coming up with an “exit strategy,a long-term vision, and a 5-year plan
- The willingness to go back when things don’t work out the way you imagined
- Honoring commitments while taking risks
- Applying existing skills and expertise in your new field
- The importance of having a strong support system when making career moves
Highlights of Episode 10:
- Alethea’s career journey from architect to photographer to business owner
- How becoming a parent created a strong incentive for her to consider new career possibilities
- How her vision of the kind-of-mother-she-wants-to-be factors into her business and career considerations
- How being a parent can create constraints that encourage you to be more productive and creative in your career.
- The importance of financial planning when making any kind of change
How do we avoid analysis paralysis and getting stuck while on the road to our career change? Knowing the stages of any career move, and the key action and decision points in each stage will help you avoid getting stuck with analysis paralysis. For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Is writing and publishing a book a dream of yours? How the state of today’s publishing industry opens opportunities to aspiring writers and common misconceptions by new writers about the writing process. For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Have you ever wondered how a portfolio career works? Adrianne Machina shares how she manages time, finances, and prioritization to make it all work. For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Creativity Coach Melissa Dinwiddie discusses how we can tap back into our natural creativity and how to incorporate creative expression in our work-life. For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Former NYC Police Officer Shane Moran shares his decision-making process for taking on early retirement so he can work full-time on his growing business, Goji Fitness. For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast
Deanna Carlisle works with young kids—and their parents—to help them identify those nuggets and use the insight to guide their decisions about college and, eventually, their career direction. She guides college students and new graduates through a process that allows them to better understand their own strengths, interests, and personality.
Highlights of Episode 04:
- The importance of “testing things out” (and how to do it) before jumping into a new field of work and career path.
- How to recognize patterns or signs that will help your kids (and you too!) figure out what you want to do
- What to talk about with young kids when considering their college options and career direction
- What motivated her to leave a stable and safe job
- Dealing with anxieties and fears when starting your own business
- Meaningful work in terms of the impact of your work on other people
Starting a new career sometimes mean going back to school. But this can be challenging especially when you’ve been out of it a while and making a living. Brooke Erickson is a functional nutritionist based in Washington, doing the kind of work in an area that has always meant something personal to her.
Highlights of Episode 3:
- My lesson learned about using fear as an indicator for growth
- Where Brooke’s passion for health and nutrition comes from
- The difference between a functional nutritionist and other nutritionists
- How she managed the challenging task of going to back to school to finish her degree and training
- What support network helped her make this happen
- What meaningful career means to her
- Her advice to anyone who might be interested in pursuing a career in nutrition
Gail Jessen, a veteran in the Higher Education space, uses an illness diagnosis to align work with her core desired feelings and reinvent her career.
Highlights of Episode 2
- What core desired feelings are
- How we can use those core desired feelings to set our goals
- How our bodies give us signals that our work may be misaligned with our core desired feelings
- How Gail manages to quit her job and travel—without being independently wealthy (!)
- What she defines “adventure” and how we could all be adventurous in our own ways
This being the inaugural episode of this new podcast, Second Breaks, I set the scene for the show so you know what to expect going forward. My guest is Shannon Davis, who shares her career change story from Executive Assistant to Business Owner and Entrepreneur, in under two years.
Highlights of Episode 1
- I give a brief description, format, and focus of the SB Podcast
- My own career reinvention story
- Shannon Davis shares how she started a side gig on a whim
- Picking up new required skills on the go
- Re-establishing herself in a new career
- Where and how she found her first clients
- Planning for scale and setting up for her dream work-life.