Today Amy gives us the opportunity to sit down with her and Deian McBryde for a fun often surprising chat. Deian is an expert in making transitions. Not only has he made a number of career-altering transitions himself, but he has, throughout his many jobs, helped others make their own transitions successfully. Listen as Amy discusses with Deian his unique and fascinating life journey.

As a child, Deian wanted to be many different things, but after watching the Carol Burnett Show on TV one evening with his mother, he told her that he really wanted to be a dancer. After high school, he headed off for a 4-year stint in the US Air Force. There he found himself involved with logistics and some historical work. These skills would come in handy later on in life, but they didn’t translate very well into the civilian work world beyond his military time. After many unsuccessful applications, he landed a job as a typist at a health and life insurance company just to make ends meet. He didn’t remain a typist for too long because he was able to work his way up in the company.

Deian eventually chose to move to New York City to see what life had in store for him there. He decided he’d try for work in music as a singer. He began singing and booking gigs, all while meeting new people and networking broadly. To supplement meager earnings from his vocal career, he found positions with nonprofits, advocacy groups, and cultural projects. He knitted together a busy and fulfilling life with interesting people and travel. As time went on, though, in New York, he longed for a predictable income and the gig-to-gig existence began to wear. As these thoughts were taking form, a family event took place in his home state of New Mexico and he needed to return. His 15 years in New York City had come to a close, but another transition was about to take place.

In New Mexico he found a new role as an organizational-behavioral consultant. He also owned his own yoga studio and worked as a salesperson at Apple, eventually leading a training team of 37 people. It was at this juncture and at the age of 50 that he determined it was time to return to school.

He had attended college classes off and on over the years but never completed a bachelor’s degree. He thus took his transcripts to the University of New Mexico to be evaluated. He was told he had enough credits to be classified as a senior, so he enrolled and finished his degree shortly thereafter. Next on his agenda was a master’s degree. He thought that he would study counseling and he would continue helping people make their own life transitions. This was not to be.

A friend encouraged him to attend law school. After much convincing, Deian took the LSAT and, sure enough, at age 51, he began law school. Today, Deian McBryde has his own legal firm. He finds his work to be the most fulfilling and enjoyable he has yet experienced. He sees primarily custody and divorce cases and, in this role, he finds meaning in helping individuals move safely and successfully from one life stage to another. Today he shares with Amy some of the truths he’s discovered along his way.

Topics in this episode:

• How age and the experience it brings can work in your favor in unexpected ways
• How to view your career on a continuum even though on the surface, each job may seem unrelated
• If you are doing things that interest you, there will be a thread that strings everything together
• Why you should apply the “funnel” theory when choosing what direction to take when deciding on your next step
• How success is not always planned for and how to be okay with that
• How to attack every job, even menial ones, with enthusiasm and energy
• Remember, you can never get enough good advice

Links:

www.mcbrydelaw.com

Amy chats with energetic and informative Michelle Gomez today. Recent awards Michelle has earned include the NLPOA’s Latina of the Year Award (2019), and the Distinguished Alumni Award Nominee, and University of Phoenix Leadership Impact Awards (2019). Michelle has a modern success story with a lot to share with anyone with real ambition.

Greatly influenced by her mother’s drive and work ethic, Michelle got her first job at McDonald’s at age 16. Her mother’s example helped steer her from the golden arches to a career in the supply chain industry where she remains today. There she found herself involved with transportation companies and 3rd party logistics which were male-dominated industries at the time, and her coworkers were often older and rarely from her Latinx culture.

She decided to get an M.B.A. from Eastern New Mexico University. This helped bolster her confidence, and her work performance showed it. Coworkers saw her navigate with great success in a work culture that seemed such an alien environment for a woman like Michelle and often other people would come to her to ask for help and advice. Over a period of years, she became a “go to” person for someone in need of job coaching. She always enjoyed this work and knew she was helping others to succeed.

In 2018 then, she deemed herself a “corporate entrepreneur” and launched a business of her own as a career and life coach. Influenced not only by her mother but also by her grandmother who recognized Michelle’s drive and potential, Michelle took that business leap while retaining her position in corporate sales. As if she weren’t busy enough at that point, she published a book called Own Your Brilliance: Overcome Impostor Syndrome for Career Success. Michelle writes of the self-sabotaging, self-defeating mindset or thought pattern that plagues many people, especially women and people of color. That is, the belief that you are not good enough, but have been given your position because of something other than your ability and accomplishments. It is a gnawing self-doubt that causes you to question your worth. Michelle explains how this deep-seated problem can keep many talented individuals from moving forward in both their careers and in their lives.

Through her book (now in its second edition), as well as her online course, her speaking engagements and her one-on-one coaching packages, Michelle helps people first recognize this problem and then guides them to discover the solution. Michelle Gomez shares many of her success tips with Amy and her listeners.

Topics in this episode:

• How to internalize your success
• Exploring your thought patterns in order to recognize and eliminate underlying beliefs causing self-defeat
• How to transfer your skills to something marketable
• How to discover and accept that we don’t arrive fully formed but must learn, grow and evolve
• Why mindfulness and being intentional with our self-talk is essential
• Helpful ways to validate yourself to change negative self-beliefs
• What is a self-inventory and how to go about creating one
• How reframing your narrative can silence negative voices
• The importance of being authentic
• Why taking care of your physical well-being is an important factor for success in all facets of your life

Links:

• michellemgomez.com
• MGSUCCESSCOACH on Instagram
• https://www.amazon.com/Own-Your-Brilliance-Michelle-Gomez/dp/1948404532/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=michelle+gomez+impostor+syndrome&qid=1602592970&sr=8-1

In this episode, Amy talks to Eric Newman. founder of Iceland With Kids, a company that helps families plan memorable Iceland vacations. Eric graduated from Kenyon College where he majored in Math. He went on to earn a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins in Mathematical Sciences. He initially thought he would continue his education with a Ph.D. and become a college professor. However, he switched gears and decided to get a job in finance.

His finance career continued for twenty years. Most recently, he was a partner and portfolio manager at a boutique asset management company. Once he knew his fund would be winding down, he decided he needed figure out what to do next. His interest in travel took him to Iceland and the product of his travels was a detailed travel guidebook called Iceland With Kids. 

Eric is a Certified Iceland Specialist, and offers itinerary planning services for families visiting Iceland, as well as custom private tours. He also has written a children’s book called Lundi the Lost Puffin: The Child Heroes of Iceland.

Eric shares with listeners what inspired him to write a travel book and what’s it’s like to be midprocess in figuring out his Act 2. 

Topics in this episode 

• The benefits of taking calculated risks in your career
• How experimentation can be a great way to figure out what you want to do next
• The importance of doing something that brings you satisfaction
• The wonders of Iceland and why it’s a great travel destination

Links:

• http://icelandwithkids.com/
• Iceland With Kids: The Step-By-Step Guide to Planning Your Vacation in Iceland https://www.amazon.com/Iceland-Kids-Step-Step-Planning-ebook/dp/B081J54FMR/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=traveling+to+iceland+with+kids+eric+newman&qid=1601642727&sr=8-1
• Lundi the Lost Puffin: The Child Heroes of Iceland.https://www.amazon.com/Lundi-Lost-Puffin-Heroes-Iceland-ebook/dp/B08CHMF292/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lundi&qid=1601642702&sr=8-1
• Podcast: http://icelandwithkids.com/the-iceland-with-kids-podcast/

Marianne Hardart sits down with Amy today to talk about her dual careers and the satisfaction that she continues to derive from these two very different occupations. Marianne graduated from Wheelock College, now part of Boston University, with a major in Child Life. Though originally intending to go into Special Education, she explored the Child Life option her freshman year and was drawn to it. (Child Life involves working with children impacted by illness or injury and helping them learn to cope.) She volunteered in Boston to work with such children and found the tasks to be challenging and rewarding. After receiving her degree in Child Life, Marianne was hired for a “dream job”. She found a position at New York University Medical Center where she was able to write and implement new programs and grow in her profession. Five years later, she went on to work with an organization helping children and families with AIDS. With new experience to share, she returned to NYU Medical Center as an administrator. In all, she had built a successful and happy 20 years in the Child Life field.

As with many people though, a life event caused Marianne to reevaluate the path she was traveling. A serious health scare started her thinking about a childhood passion that she had never truly considered as an adult, and while she waited to learn the severity of her health concerns, she made a promise to herself to explore acting should things go favorably.

Happily, the medical test results proved to be good news and so she enrolled in her first acting classes. She also found that she could manage to maintain her work with children while she began this new pursuit. She was very surprised to find how much she had to learn about herself and her new chosen craft. She describes to Amy how she had never been a “theater nerd” as a kid, but here she was, past 40, and working toward a stage career. And like so many of Amy’s guests, Marianne Hardart was able to pivot with surprising success. Listen to her describe to Amy the advantages of having age and life experience in your corner along with a strong support network. She will convince listeners that what look like roadblocks to some, provide a leg up to others.

Marianne has found that an acting career can involve a lot more than stage performance. She has broadened her acting CV by becoming a writer and producer as well. She’s been successful with a one act play she’s penned. She hosts a popular podcast and she’s written a book about her famous restaurateur family called The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece.

Listeners will undoubtedly be glad to learn that it’s possible to be a success in two entirely different fields, and how though different, the first can bring a lot to the second. And some might also find it encouraging that you don’t have to be 20 something to begin down that second fulfilling career path. It goes to show you can have your cake and eat it too, even if it doesn’t come from an automat!

Topics in this episode 

• The importance of a peer support network
• How immersion in the study of your second field helps build necessary confidence to take on something new and different
• How learning who you truly are and having confidence in yourself makes a second career less intimidating to initiate
• How to use your previous work and experience to feed your new endeavors
• How to live in the present and enjoy it
• How to create “bite-size” career advancements in order to maintain balance and growth in both careers
• When you’re undecided on your path, try a new hobby or avocation. You will learn something and you will find networking to be invaluable in your search
• Why it’s important not to stand in place but to take action and keep moving

Links:

• Mare Out There: Leaving a Message (podcast)
• mariannehardart.com

Today Amy speaks with realtors Jeff Kagan and Joel Pascua who are both life and business partners. The two own a growing, successful real estate agency currently operating primarily in the New Jersey and New York areas, but they are aggressively expanding. Was this thriving enterprise the result of years of planning to create a reputable agency with so many clients? Not at all! A series of life events like so many of us experience brought them to the place they enjoy so much now.

Jeff Kagan wanted to be a veterinarian when he was younger. But by the time he reached college, he chose a major in Communication Arts. Jeff earned an M.A. in Communication Arts and found a position in program scheduling at HBO. Over the next 23 years, he advanced through a variety of positions. He thought he would spend his career at the TV giant, but that was not to be. During a reorganization there, he suddenly found his position had been eliminated. Jeff began searching for another communications position, hoping to build on his lengthy resume. During a period of 3 or 4 months of job hunting and serious thought though, he regrouped. Listen to him describe to Amy how he did an amazing pivot that led to a rewarding second career.

Joel Pascua is a creative man. His earliest thoughts were about pursuing art in some way. As school years went by, he found he also loved math and science. He eventually took a nursing degree followed by an M.S. in Nursing, Community Health & Preventive Medicine. Though he loved working in the emergency room, after he earned his graduate degree, he moved into hospital administration. He, too, felt his career was on a solid track and he foresaw a predictable future. He tells Amy how Jeff’s situation impacted upon his own career and their home relationship. Joel shares how he has managed to find career satisfaction in an area that he had never previously considered.

This episode is chockful of good advice that listeners will find very useful and relatable. Both Jeff and Joel are highly motivated and have great “people” skills. They discuss how they cultivate both clients and good employees by expanding upon their social natures. They talk about working together and how Joel still keeps one foot in nursing, allowing him to have a dual career. They stress the importance of being honest and trustworthy and hiring like-minded individuals. They also expand upon how that philosophy positively impacts their clientele. In all, these two will let you in on their success secret-courage and confidence. They will inspire you to take those next steps forward if the unexpected happens. You will come away with how you should see yourself as multidimensional and capable.

Topics in this episode:

• Transitioning from the corporate culture to owning a smaller business
• Minding your finances to allow you freedom to recreate yourself if and when the situation arises
• How trust, open mindedness and organizational skills play a big part in striking out on your own
• Some tips for staying positive during a career change
• How a hobby or pastime helps keep you centered and focused on your new career path

Links:

www.kpedgestone.com

Dr. Nancy Yen Shipley or “NancyMD,” as she’s known to those familiar with her blog, podcasts, writing and speaking engagements, is Amy’s guest today. Nancy encourages women to excel in traditionally male occupations. She helps them overcome the roadblocks they encounter on the way to fulfilling their potential and goals.

Nancy wasn’t always so focused. As an undergraduate at UCLA, she attempted pre-med initially, but wasn’t sure that she was ready to commit. Off the pre-med track, she experimented with other appealing course work. But by the end of her sophomore year, she needed to declare a major. She looked over those courses she had taken to that point and decided on a degree in psychology. Still not focused on a clear path after graduation, she found a job in the snowboarding industry and worked in event planning. During this period, she also discovered she had developed a curiosity about complementary medicine and acupuncture. It wasn’t a giant leap then for her thoughts to be rekindled about medical school.

Starting nearly from scratch as much of her relevant undergrad course work was dated, she dug in. She enrolled at Drexel University in Philadelphia at the age of 29 and finally began her medical studies. Drexel offered a problem-based curriculum with a small group format which was very interactive. She found this was just what she needed to keep her engaged. This time her focus was in place. Around her 4th year, she determined she wanted to complete a residency in orthopedic surgery. Now she was really stepping onto a non-traditional path as only 6% of orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. were women at that time. She successfully completed her studies which also included fellowship training in sports medicine and arthroscopy. She is now doing the work she loves with an orthopedic practice in Portland, Oregon.

Nancy describes herself as a Renaissance woman and a late bloomer. Although it took her what seemed like a long time on a winding road to gain focus, once she did, she realized she had many passions she wanted to explore. Today she has a fulfilling surgical practice and spends spare time with her family and her new-found interests of tennis and stand-up paddle boarding. But it is through her popular podcast, The 6%, her blog and her speaking engagements that she addresses yet one more compelling interest-the desire to inspire and encourage the next generation of women in medicine and other professions and fields. Today you will hear some of the advice she has to share that can help you, even if you too are “Fashionably Late”.

Topics in this episode:

• How to trust your instincts and not be pressured into committing until you are ready
• How important it is to stay focused on your goals
• Women no longer have to take on just one role. Everyone can be multidimensional
• How to identify your core values and then see if your activities are enhancing those values or not
• How to believe it’s never too late to redefine yourself
• How to deal with imposter syndrome
• Learning to accept yourself and not always follow the expectations of others

Links:

wwwnancymd.com

[email protected]

@nancymd on social media                               

the 6% with NancyMD on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

In this bonus episode, Amy wanted to highlight someone who just graduated from college and is working at her first real job. Rachel Rowland, who happens to be Amy’s niece, just began working as a staffing coordinator at TaleMed, a company that places medical professionals. Rachel is a 2020 graduate of the University of Cincinnati where she majored in Biological Sciences with a minor in Professional Sales and Chemistry. When she started college, Rachel planned to go to dental school, but in her junior year she decided to switch gears.  In this episode, she shares her story and the steps she took to get a summer internship before her senior year and later, landing a full-time position. Before the end of the first semester of her senior year, in fact, she had received two job offers! She’ll also share how she crafted her very effective elevator pitch. This episode will be useful to entry-level job applicants, of course, but Rachel also has some excellent practical advice for anyone looking for a new job.

Topics in this episode

• The importance of casting a wide net when looking for an internship or job
• How to stay resilient when job hunting
• Tips for writing an effective elevator pitch
• How to prepare for interviews
• What to look for in a summer internship
• Tips on using the skills gained in a summer internship to land a permanent job offer

How is your LinkedIn profile?  Is it in great shape, or just ok?  Is it neglected, or worse, does it even exist?  Today’s episode is going to help. Amy talks to Marc Halpert who is an expert LinkedIn coach and trainer. In fact, he describes himself as a “LinkedIn evangelist.” He will convince you that, with a little diligence, you can have a great LinkedIn profile that will go a long way toward getting that position that’s a perfect fit for you.

Marc describes himself as “multi-preneur”. He currently he has three companies, and his latest, Connect2Collaborate, he created in order to help job seekers expertly navigate LinkedIn to create notable profiles that help you get noticed.  With his guidance, many professionals have successfully augmented their resumes with powerful LinkedIn profiles that give potential employers a real grasp of WHO the applicant truly is and WHY they are the best hire in a field of candidates.

Marc doesn’t say to throw away that resume you worked so hard to pull together.  Rather, he advocates creating an outstanding LinkedIn profile to work with your resume by giving it and you, the candidate, dimension.  He tells us that resumes are not memorable, but your LinkedIn profile can be. But how do you go about maximizing your profile?

You’ll want to take notes during this episode because Marc is going to give you great tips.   If you are looking for ways to be that standout candidate, you’re in the right place today. 

Topics in this episode:

• Importance of having a LinkedIn profile which as strong as your resume
• Importance of being honest, direct and relevant
• Why and how to take full advantage of LinkedIn
• Tips for writing an effective headline and about section
• What an outstanding LinkedIn profile looks like
• How to use the skills section effectively
• Some tips for effective networking on LinkedIn
• How to make yourself memorable on LinkedIn
• How to effectively describe a prior career in your LinkedIn profile

Links:

https://connect2collaborate.wordpress.com/

ABA Book: https://www.americanbar.org/products/inv/book/279426434/

Nonprofit Book: https://www.amazon.com/You-Them-Marketing-Professionals-Difference/dp/1719493839

Course for College Grads: https://thebestinclass.thinkific.com/courses/program

In this episode Amy introduces us to Lynn Power, CEO of Masami, a clean, premium haircare line. Lynn’s career journey provides an interesting study in how risk-taking and self-awareness can be a winning combination for finding real satisfaction and fulfillment in the workplace. Lynn traveled from a receptionist’s desk to CEO of her own company and shares with us today her exhilarating trip.

Lynn graduated from Indiana University with an interesting dual major in English and criminal justice. She immediately applied to the FBI, but found herself on a long waiting list to get accepted. Eager to begin her post college career, she scoured the want ads for a job that would combine both her left brain and right brain abilities. An enticingly worded job ad caught her eye, and shortly thereafter, she became the receptionist at an ad agency. Lynn saw this as an opportunity to combine the creativity she knew she possessed with her head for business. She stayed for 3 years, paying some initial dues that would support her in the job she would take on next at Ogilvy and Mather in Chicago. While there she met her husband, and the two decided to broaden their opportunities with a move to the advertising mecca of New York City.

New York agencies such as Grey, BBDO, McCann, Arnold and J. Walter Thompson afforded Lynn years of experience and opportunities to launch or reposition such iconic brands as Gillette’s Venus, Clinique, L’Oreal, Natural Match, VIVE, Nexxus, Vichy, La Roche-Posay and St. Ives. And should you think that she only involves herself with beauty products, let me list some of the other product lines she’s lent her creativity to: American Express, Hershey’s, Campari, Kimberly-Clark, Nestle and T. Rowe Price.

Lynn has always “traded up”. She discovered that making more money and expanding her career usually means moving to another firm. She keeps an eye on her career compass and realigns when she finds herself straying from her true path. When she departed as CEO of J. Walter Thompson, then a longstanding institution in the advertising world, she found she had not been using her creative abilities as much as she would have liked. The company became embroiled in a lawsuit before her arrival, and it was left to her to deal with the consequences. After two years of less than fulfilling challenges, she departed and began a consulting partnership.

She once more found her work gratifying as her new venture attracted many new startups as clientele. It was a definite change of pace, and rewarding work helping new ventures find their footing. But six months into this new endeavor, Lynn was introduced through her husband to her current business partner. James had been employed at Clairol and had been working on his own small batch formulations of hair care products for years. He was ready to take next steps, but needed experienced help to begin a business. Together, Lynn and her new business partner planned their product launch for New York Fashion Week 2020 and ran squarely into the Covid-19 pandemic. Listen to Lynn tell Amy how the brand-new company is weathering the storm and one of the innovative strategies they are using.

Lynn offers lots of tips and insights on career building throughout the conversation. What she has to say will urge you to be decisive and fearless about making career changes. She gives some sound advice as well to those wanting to grow their own business. Her frank and honest responses let you know that’s she’s the genuine article with lots of good experience to share with you.

Topics in this episode:

• Pros and cons of running your own company vs. working for someone else
• How to not let your age get in the way
• Starting at the bottom is a great way both to observe and learn. Not only will you learn about the business, but you’ll learn if it’s the right one for you
• Understand that moving up in the job may involve moving into an entirely different type company
• Network with others to refine your concept if you want to build your own business and get as much and as varied feedback as you can
• Not being afraid to pivot when you’ve outgrown your current position and refrain from procrastination whether it involves changing companies or starting your own
• Honest self-assessment is invaluable. Know who you are and what you do best

Links:

lovemasami.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-power-02b8904/

Social platforms @ lovemasamihair

In this episode, Amy speaks to Dr. Marketa Wills. Marketa’s impressive array of accomplishments will demonstrate how staying the course can pay big dividends in many ways.

Though probably unconsciously at first, Marketa began charting her path at the Miami Valley School in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio.  As an only child with devoted parents, her education was paramount.  She showed strengths in both math and science studies and her parents guided her in the direction of a career in medicine.  As Marketa progressed, she realized she had another interest as well. In eighth grade, she completed a monthlong internathip at a healthcare organization and fell in love with the idea of working at the intersection of medicine and management. She began to create a career back from that vision.  

With her stellar grades and work ethic, Marketa headed off to Brown University. Armed at graduation with both pre-med and sociology majors, she continued on to the University of Pennsylvania, which at the time was the only school in the country where she could pursue medical degree and an MBA. Due to the death of her mother though, she had to forego temporarily the pursuit of an MBA, and instead did a residency in psychiatry. At the end of that residency, she revisited her desire to attain an MBA.  She headed back to Philadelphia and completed that goal at the Wharton School/University of Pennsylvania.  Now holding both an MD and an MBA, it was finally time to apply all she had learned.  But where? Doing what?

Listen to Dr. Wills describe the next phase of the journey that’s led to a career uniquely hers.  Today she is not only the Senior Medical Director at Centene, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the U.S., but she also attends to psychiatric patients at a local university in Tampa, Florida.  She has co-authored a book with Dr. Carlin Barnes entitled Understanding Mental Illness: A Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health Disorders for Family and Friends. And there’s still no stopping her.  She continues to derive joy in giving and making a difference. She’ll advise you on where to find that well within yourself for replenishment when you need it.  Enjoy learning how keeping on track, even with momentary pauses and readjustments, can make for career fulfillment and personal happiness.

Topics in this episode:                         

• Pausing on your path and making adjustments may become necessary but doesn’t mean you should set your career plan aside indefinitely
• You are responsible for your own happiness. If a person or position doesn’t contribute to your happiness, then you have choices to make
• Find satisfaction where you are and enjoy the ride. If you’re on your planned route, everything will work out. If you are not happy, you need to readjust either your plan or yourself
• A conscious plan with short-term, midterm and long-range goals is a good way to keep focused. Marketa referred to her “bucket list” which were her goals
• When you have gained all the necessary tools, you might be able to choose where you want to work rather than have the job dictate to you where you will work; With all of her experience, Marketa was able to choose where she wanted to live because she knew she had all the tools necessary to get a good position
• Trust yourself and your instincts

Links:

Understanding Mental Illness: A Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health Disorders for Family and Friends can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Mental-Illness-Comprehensive-Disorders/dp/1510745947/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=marketa+wills&qid=1598302439&sr=8-1

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketa-wills-md-mba-2992b714/