During times of change, uncertainty can create fear about the future and whether the job you have today will be there tomorrow. That fear is compounded by a job market that can make even confident professionals feel powerless: you apply, you wait, and the silence starts to feel like a verdict. I dig into why that “stuck” feeling is showing up everywhere right now, from political upheaval and social tribalism to the looming uncertainty of artificial intelligence and the future of work. If you are anxious about what happens next to your role, your industry, or your professional identity, you are not alone, and you are not imagining the ground moving.

I also share my candid view on leaving corporate life and building a fractional CMO path, including how quickly a promising niche can become crowded after a major shift like the pandemic. Then we take on the AI narrative head-on: many companies are chasing expense reduction and assuming tools can replace experienced people. I explain why AI is best understood as a productivity enhancer and where it still falls short, especially when strategy, context, and judgment matter.

The core takeaway is simple and practical: when the path is unclear, run small experiments. Instead of waiting for a layoff or making a sudden leap into independence, test the waters with low-risk projects that teach you the real skills of working for yourself, like naming an offer, writing messaging, building a basic site, doing outreach, and learning the operational basics. Those experiments give you data, confidence, and options, whether you decide to pursue a new job or build something of your own. 

If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review. What experiment are you willing to try first?

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

“Write a book, and you’ll become an authority” sounds like solid advice until you do the math on time, money, attention, and what that book is actually supposed to achieve. Host Eric Dickmann is joined by Ally Machate, a former Simon & Schuster editor and the founder of The Writer’s Ally, to pressure-test the myth that expertise automatically means you should write a book. We dig into why a book is a tool, not a trophy, and why it’s often the wrong next step when your business is still taking shape. 

Ally shares what she saw behind the scenes in traditional publishing, from the flood of weak submissions to the hard decisions driven by marketability and author platform. One story in particular brings it home: a genuinely strong, helpful manuscript can be turned down simply because the author is unknown. That tension helped push Ally toward a slower, more sustainable reinvention, moving from corporate publishing into freelancing and eventually building a business that helps authors develop, publish, and market books that serve larger goals. 

We also get real about AI in writing and publishing. Publishers are being inundated with AI-generated content, “AI detectors” are unreliable, and the biggest risk is often accidental plagiarism. In a world where information is cheap and instantly customized, we talk about what kinds of nonfiction books still matter and how to avoid the “good book, wrong book” trap. Ally lays out how to shift from what you want to say to what readers will actually buy, use, and share, plus her Right Book Method for getting there. 

If you’re considering a business book, a thought leadership book, or a credibility play, listen before you outline another chapter. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s “definitely writing a book,” and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

A thermostat guard with a combination lock doesn’t sound like the start of a reinvention story, but that’s exactly why it works. Host Eric Dickmann sits down with David Ask, a Nashville singer, corporate professional turned product entrepreneur, and founder of The Ask Experience, to unpack how a side hustle that “went nowhere” quietly became a real business on the shelves of Home Depot and later Lowe’s.

We talk through the unglamorous middle: learning manufacturing, prototyping, supply chain management, retail distribution, and even basic bookkeeping from scratch, all while keeping the stability of a Verizon career. David shares how relationships opened doors he couldn’t open alone, why patience beats panic when a big opportunity stalls, and what it really means to say yes and then figure it out when a major retailer asks if you can stock 1,300 stores.

Then we zoom out into David’s next chapter, including intent-based data and lead generation for service businesses, plus practical automation like AI agents that help prevent missed calls and improve follow-up. Finally, we go deeper into identity and authenticity, including his upcoming book, The Guardians of Grit, and the idea that a father’s job is to remove as much uncertainty as possible so kids can build on safety, love, and confidence.

If you’re navigating career reinvention, building a side hustle, or searching for work that feels more aligned, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

At some point, being good at your job stops being the problem and starts being the cover story. Christian Hurst is a seasoned graphic designer and creative leader, but he also carries a sci-fi universe he’s been building in his head for more than twenty years, and he finally decides it can’t stay there.

In this episode, host Eric Dickmann discusses career identity and creative reinvention without the dramatic “quit your job” storyline. Christian walks us through how a design career built during the financial crisis trained him to develop ideas, take critique, and keep producing, then how those same skills helped him move from imagination to a finished novel. He shares the bold (and slightly terrifying) choice to self-publish before getting any feedback, how Draft2Digital helped real readers discover the book, and why shipping an imperfect first version became the turning point that made him take the craft more seriously.

The conversation also goes deeper than process. Christian reflects on growing up Mormon, the loneliness of feeling different, and how science fiction and classic literature shaped his view of identity, certainty, and moral choice. We get into editors (copy edits versus story edits), the tension between commercial viability and artistic truth, and what it means to create work that carries your own name, including his Lily Starling series and its IPPY Award recognition.

If you’ve been sitting on a book idea, a creative project, or a second path you “don’t have time for,” this one will push you to make it real. Subscribe to Beyond Expertise, share this episode with a creative friend, and leave a review so more people find it, then tell us: what would you publish if you stopped waiting for perfect?

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

You can “win” your career, sell the business, and still wake up wondering who you are without the role. Host Eric Dickmann talks with Jack Calhoun, founder of Encore Career Lab, to get honest about the emotional and practical mechanics of a second act after a big professional exit. Jack had something many people don’t: financial runway. What he didn’t have was instant clarity, and that gap is where the real reinvention work begins.

We trace Jack’s path from journalism to building a fiduciary-minded wealth management firm, including the stress of guiding clients through brutal market moments. Then we move into what happened after he sold: the pull toward creative writing, the isolation that followed, and a detour into consumer products that looked exciting but turned into a margin-squeezing grind once tariffs, COVID, and competition hit. The turning point comes when Jack stops chasing the next “what” and starts asking a better question: what did work give me that I still need in my life?

From there, we dig into identity loss, loneliness, “analysis paralysis,” and why volunteering alone often fails to fill the meaning gap. Jack explains how Encore Career Lab uses a why-first framework, small group cohorts, and coaching to help people surface their “wisdom fingerprint” and turn lived experience into real contribution and, if they want it, real income. If you’re thinking about career reinvention, retirement transition planning, or building an encore career in the age of AI, this conversation will give you language, structure, and a push forward.

Subscribe for more stories and tools, share this with someone navigating a second act, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

A big title and a steady paycheck can still come with a surprising emotion: grief. When you wake up one day and realize you’ve outgrown the career that made you “successful,” it can feel disorienting, and even embarrassing, to admit that you want something different. I unpack why that misalignment happens, how it builds slowly over years, and why so many high-achieving professionals feel oddly guilty for not feeling more satisfied.

We trace how career paths often start with a practical first job, then evolve through promotions, responsibility, and opportunity until a decade or two has passed. Along the way, the work can drift farther from the life you actually want, creating a constant low-grade tension between gratitude and fulfillment. If you’ve been asking yourself “What is my next act?” or “What do I want my second chapter to be?” you’re not alone, and you’re not behind.

We also talk candidly about the moments that force reinvention: layoffs, mergers, politics, and suddenly feeling undervalued. When change hits without a backup plan, the pressure can push you into another role that still doesn’t fit. That’s why I share simple, practical guidance for career transition planning while you’re still employed, including how to rethink your expertise, clarify your values, and start shaping a more authentic direction now.

If this resonates, subscribe, share the show with a friend who’s questioning their path, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. What would your next chapter look like if the world felt open to you?

Send questions or comments

For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

Getting fired can punch a hole straight through your identity, especially when your career has been the proof that you’re “doing fine.” Mary Korn’s story cuts through that illusion. She had the title, the money, and the corporate ladder momentum, yet privately felt misaligned and depleted. Then she gets fired from a job she took in desperation and suddenly has to answer the scariest question of all: what now, with kids to support and no clear runway?

We dig into what actually helped her reinvent her career, beyond feel-good slogans. Mary shares how career coaching and skills testing clarified her direction, and how a disciplined approach to informational interviews and outbound outreach created real opportunity. One surprising moment on a walk points her toward medical associations, and that focus becomes the first traction in a business she’s building from scratch. If you’re navigating job loss, imposter syndrome, or a career pivot, you’ll hear practical moves you can copy and mindset shifts that make them possible.

From there, Mary’s path becomes purpose-driven entrepreneurship. She builds a for-profit social enterprise that grows to 1,300 employees across 30 states, creating meaningful work for disabled veterans, people with disabilities, military spouses, and others facing employment barriers. We also talk about scaling through government contracts, what it’s like to sell the company you love, and how she’s learning to market herself as she prepares to publish her book, "Fired to Inspired."

Subscribe for more stories of identity reinvention, share this with a friend who’s in a tough career moment, and leave a review with the biggest insight you’re taking away.

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

Success can look flawless on LinkedIn while still feeling wrong in your body. That tension is exactly where my conversation with Yvonne Furneaux begins and where it gets most useful for anyone thinking about identity reinvention, career change, or a second chapter beyond a corporate title. Yvonne spent more than 25 years in corporate communications, employee experience, HR, and DEI leadership, and she shares what she learned from working within large systems that don’t treat everyone the same. 

We get into the messy realities professionals rarely say out loud: how layoffs actually land, why corporate loyalty keeps eroding, and what “humane” change management looks like when leaders put the employee experience at the center. Yvonne also talks about leaving Weight Watchers after leading through major disruption, then stepping into solopreneurship, where you’re no longer the voice of a company, you’re the voice of yourself. We unpack how she found her first consulting clients through her network and what it takes to reintroduce your expertise to people who only knew an earlier version of you. 

Then we tackle the present moment: AI in the workplace, job insecurity, loneliness, and the DEI backlash. Yvonne offers a practical lens that cuts through politics while still improving workplace fairness, focusing on workplace identity: title, location, remote versus onsite, frontline versus corporate. She calls the invisible divides “ghost gaps” like the power gap, information gap, opportunity gap, and visibility gap, and explains how they quietly determine who thrives at work. 

If you want clearer language for what you’ve been feeling and concrete ways to navigate systems that don’t always play fair, you’ll get a lot from this one. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Send questions or comments

For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

A career can look successful and still feel strangely unfamiliar. Joe Arno spent decades building in sales, real estate leadership, and recruiting, only to realize that the work he was doing no longer matched the life he wanted to live. After a move, a bout with cancer, and one too many “shiny new” opportunities that didn’t fix the underlying problem, the misalignment became impossible to ignore.

In this episode, we talk about the real pressures behind professional reinvention: the loneliness of entrepreneurship, the illusion that independence automatically brings balance, and the way industries like real estate can push people into moves that sound exciting but don’t fit. Joe breaks down a blind spot in traditional recruiting and revenue-share models: the company has representation, but the individual often doesn’t. That insight becomes the spark for his work as what he calls “the agent of the agent,” helping people slow down and choose a path based on what they actually need to thrive.

Joe also shares his 4W Strategic Identity Process framework for aligned decisions: who you are, what you need, where you thrive, and why you’re doing it. If you’re navigating a career pivot, burnout, or a nagging sense that your success is drifting, this conversation offers a grounded way to find clarity and build a path that feels like yours again. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s at a crossroads, and leave a review with the biggest “W” you’re thinking about right now.

Send questions or comments

For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.

The hardest part of leaving corporate life is not losing a paycheck. It’s losing the built-in credibility that came with your title, your team, and the company name on your badge. When you become independent, you are the marketing department, the PR department, and the sales team overnight, and it can feel scary to put yourself out there when visibility was never part of your old job.

We dig into what it really takes to be seen today, from LinkedIn to podcasts to video and beyond, and why the old playbook (publish once, rank on Google, wait for leads) no longer works in an attention economy. I share my own reality with solo content: the vulnerability of owning your point of view, the grind of promoting what you create, and the discipline it takes to stay consistent when content has a short shelf life.

We also clear up a big misconception: you don’t need to become an “influencer” chasing viral moments. You do need to build influence so the right clients can find you when they’re looking for answers to their problems. That means showing up with clarity, values, and a consistent message that earns trust, even with cold leads who have never heard of you.

If you’ve been wondering why referrals slowed down or why your expertise feels invisible online, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend making a career pivot, and leave a review with the platform you’re trying to show up on next. What’s the one thing that stops you from posting consistently?

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For more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/

Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.