In this inspiring episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah sits down with Steven, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) alum who transitioned from uncertainty to launching his own UX research agency. Steven reflects on his journey, from overcoming self-doubt as a career switcher to building confidence, leveraging mentorship, and creating a sustainable business model. Sarah and Steven explore the role of community, structured career tools, and storytelling in navigating the job search and scaling an agency.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to balance career switching and climbing in your professional narrative.
• The power of mentorship and community in building confidence and finding opportunities.
• How CSL’s structured resources and critiques accelerate career progress.
• Tips for marketing and storytelling as a freelancer or agency owner.
• Why action, not perfection, is key to career success.

Key Takeaways:

• Mentorship Creates Opportunities: Proactively seeking mentorship can open doors to projects and collaborations you may not have anticipated.
• Community Matters: A supportive environment accelerates learning, boosts confidence, and helps you see new possibilities for growth.
• Storytelling Sells: Strong communication and storytelling skills, honed through CSL, are vital for job seekers and agency owners alike.
• Action Over Perfection: A bias toward action—leveraging critiques and taking small steps—yields measurable results in the job market and beyond.
• Structure is Transformational: Tools like the career roadmap and portfolio critiques help organize thoughts and focus efforts for maximum impact.

Timestamps

00:30 Meet Your Hosts

01:08 Episode Overview and Audience Context

02:03 Steven's Career Journey

02:55 Navigating Career Challenges

07:57 Building Confidence and Community

12:30 Applying Career Strategy to Business

16:19 Final Thoughts and Advice

18:50 Conclusion and Farewell

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Career Strategy Lab – Transform your job search with step-by-step support and actionable insights.
• Connect with Sarah: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter.

Share Your Feedback:

Did you enjoy this episode? Let Sarah know! Email her at [email protected] or tag her on social media. Don’t forget to rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts if you found this episode helpful.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.

👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.