Lessons from a Quitter

Today we had our first professional athlete! Nick J. Murphy started out his career as a punter in the NFL until 2005. After leaving the NFL and finding a void in the job application process, Nick jumped into entrepreneurship by creating workblast.com, a startup focused on bringing video resumes to the job site world. After 4 grueling years, Nick and his partner closed down the company and Nick found himself back to square one.

He ultimately went into the corporate world and ended up successfully climbing the ladder at 3 of the world’s largest job sites: CareerBuilder, Monder, and Indeed. And while he found stability and a large paycheck, Nick was unfulfilled in his role. He quit in order to give entrepreneurship another shot. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Mid-America Careers, a career website focused on the Midwest.

Nick is also a Transformation Strategist, host of the Job Lab Podcast, speaker, frequent media contributor, and father of five. His insights have been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Inc.com, Yahoo!, Business Insider and many more

Today we got to talk to Nick about how he was able to let go of the identity that was wrapped up with being an NFL player, how he came back from bankruptcy, and why staying at a high-paying job that you are not fulfilled in is just not worth it.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How Nick dealt with the difficulty of leaving the NFL
• How he got the idea and funding for his first startup
• How he dealt the failure of that startup
• His journey climbing the corporate ladder
• Why he decided to risk it all to start another company
• Why he thinks 85% of people are unhappy in their jobs
• And why you should just go for it...

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Tim Ferriss’s Fear Setting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=5J6jAC6XxAI
• Gary Keller, The One Thing
• Greg, McKeown, Essentialism
• W. Chan Kim, Blue Ocean Strategy

Where to find Nick:

• https://www.nickjmurphy.com
• https://www.facebook.com/njmstrategy
• https://www.instagram.com/nick_j_murphy
• https://www.thejoblab.com

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Pleasance Silicki has had 2 major career transitions. But as you'll see from the interview today, each career she's had has put her on the path to the next thing. So what was her journey? Well, Pleasance received her Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a teacher, and then a principal, of urban elementary schools. After already feeling burned out from the job, a school shooting prompted Pleasance to leave her position.

She went on to follow her passion for yoga and opened up numerous yoga studios around the DC area. After running those studios successfully for a number of years, circumstances outside of her control led her to close them down.

Pleasance is now an author, teacher, speaker, podcaster, mentor, creator, and magic-maker.

She is the founder of Thrive, an online self-care class and community. She also facilitates Stress Management and Self-Care workshops and retreats to a variety of groups and does one-on-one private mentorships based on Ayurvedic, Buddhist, and positive psychology teachings. Pleasance is also the author of Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease and the host of the Soulful SelfCare Sessions Podcast.

I got to talk to Pleasance about how each stage in her life and each step on her journey led her to the next thing, the lessons she's learned from pivoting numerous times, and how she approaches her career today.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why she wanted to become a elementary school teacher
• How she became a principal at a Charter School
• How a school shooting changed the course of her career
• How she got a dream job at Lululemon
• Why it is so important to take baby steps and not worry about the end goal
• How she ended up opening numerous yoga studios around DC
• The lessons she learned from having to close down those studios
• How she has evolved her career into consulting, mentorship, and teaching the spiritual practices founded on Ayurveda, Buddhism, yoga, and positive psychology.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Body of Work, by Pamela Slim
• Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease, Pleasance Silicki
• Book Recommendations

Where to find Pleasance:

• Soulful Selfcare Sessions
• [email protected]
• www.instagram.com/lilommyoga

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Pleasance Silicki has had 2 major career transitions. But as you’ll see from the interview today, each career she’s had has put her on the path to the next thing. So what was her journey? Well, Pleasance received her Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a teacher, and then a principal, of urban elementary schools. After already feeling burned out from the job, a school shooting prompted Pleasance to leave her position.

She went on to follow her passion for yoga and opened up numerous yoga studios around the DC area. After running those studios successfully for a number of years, circumstances outside of her control led her to close them down.

Pleasance is now an author, teacher, speaker, podcaster, mentor, creator, and magic-maker.

She is the founder of Thrive, an online self-care class and community. She also facilitates Stress Management and Self-Care workshops and retreats to a variety of groups and does one-on-one private mentorships based on Ayurvedic, Buddhist, and positive psychology teachings. Pleasance is also the author of Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease and the host of the Soulful SelfCare Sessions Podcast.

I got to talk to Pleasance about how each stage in her life and each step on her journey led her to the next thing, the lessons she’s learned from pivoting numerous times, and how she approaches her career today.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why she wanted to become a elementary school teacher
• How she became a principal at a Charter School
• How a school shooting changed the course of her career
• How she got a dream job at Lululemon
• Why it is so important to take baby steps and not worry about the end goal
• How she ended up opening numerous yoga studios around DC
• The lessons she learned from having to close down those studios
• How she has evolved her career into consulting, mentorship, and teaching the spiritual practices founded on Ayurveda, Buddhism, yoga, and positive psychology.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Body of Work, by Pamela Slim
• Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease, Pleasance Silicki
• Book Recommendations

Where to find Pleasance:

• Soulful Selfcare Sessions
• [email protected]
• www.instagram.com/lilommyoga

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Today we got to talk to Steve about how he made the jump from systems engineer in IT to being a therapist.

Steve McCready got his BA from Brown University in American Studies. After graduating and not knowing what he wanted to do, Steve focused on his interest in computers and forged a career in IT. He climbed the corporate ladder as a systems engineer but became frustrated that he wasn't actually helping his customers. After his own personal experience in therapy, Steve realized that his passion truly lied in helping people on a one-on-one basis through counseling. He returned to school at the University of San Francisco to get his master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. And now, for over 15 years, Steve McCready has been working as a therapist, focusing his practice on helping people who are 'too nice' get the clarity, courage, and confidence they need to stand up for themselves and live happy, successful, and fulfilling lives.

Today we talked to Steve about how he figured out what he would do next when he wanted to leave his career in IT, how he pushed back the false narratives he created about himself, and how we can get better at literally anything that interests us.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why Steve felt unfulfilled in his role as a systems engineer even though he is interested in computers and electronics
• How he moved past the negative internal voices that told him he couldn't do anything else
• How therapy helped him personally and also exposed him to a new career path
• How changing a career when you're a little older can be a huge benefit
• How to get over the stories we have created about ourselves
• What the difference between therapy and coaching is
• How we can get better at any endeavor if we just work at it.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Dead Poets Society

Where to find Steve:

• www.stevemccready.com
• [email protected]
• www.limbicvisions.com

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Today we got to talk to Steve about how he made the jump from systems engineer in IT to being a therapist.

Steve McCready got his BA from Brown University in American Studies. After graduating and not knowing what he wanted to do, Steve focused on his interest in computers and forged a career in IT. He climbed the corporate ladder as a systems engineer but became frustrated that he wasn’t actually helping his customers. After his own personal experience in therapy, Steve realized that his passion truly lied in helping people on a one-on-one basis through counseling. He returned to school at the University of San Francisco to get his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. And now, for over 15 years, Steve McCready has been working as a therapist, focusing his practice on helping people who are ‘too nice’ get the clarity, courage, and confidence they need to stand up for themselves and live happy, successful, and fulfilling lives.

Today we talked to Steve about how he figured out what he would do next when he wanted to leave his career in IT, how he pushed back the false narratives he created about himself, and how we can get better at literally anything that interests us.  

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why Steve felt unfulfilled in his role as a systems engineer even though he is interested in computers and electronics
• How he moved past the negative internal voices that told him he couldn’t do anything else
• How therapy helped him personally and also exposed him to a new career path
• How changing a career when you’re a little older can be a huge benefit
• How to get over the stories we have created about ourselves
• What the difference between therapy and coaching is
• How we can get better at any endeavor if we just work at it.  

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Dead Poets Society

Where to find Steve:

• www.stevemccready.com
• [email protected]
• www.limbicvisions.com

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Laurie Rowen received her law degree from USD Law in 2004 and went on to have a successful career as a litigator at the prestigious firm of Snell & Wilmer. After having her first daughter, Laurie quit her job to work as a freelance attorney on her own schedule. Her decision coincided with the market crash of 2008 and Laurie realized that there was a huge opportunity to make freelance legal work more accessible. With her business partner, Laurie co-founded Montage Legal Group, a nationwide network of experienced freelance lawyers who work remotely on a project basis for law firms that need help with overflow and specialty areas of law. Montage Legal Group has been featured in numerous publications including ABA Journal and Forbes.com and Laurie has received numerous awards National Association of Women Business Owner's Entrepreneur to Watch and OC metro magazine's 40 under 40.

Today we talked to Laurie about how she disrupted a profession that is resistant to change, how she scaled a business with no experience and how to start looking for your next jump before quitting your career.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why Laurie quit her career as a litigator in a big law firm to do freelance work
• How her own freelance career led her to see a much bigger opportunity
• How she started a nationwide network for freelance attorneys with zero business experience
• Her advice on whether you should find a partner when starting a business
• How to figure out what your next step should be

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• 21 Days of Resilience, by Dr. Zelana Montminy

Where to find Jenny:

• www.montagelegal.com
• [email protected]

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Laurie Rowen received her law degree from USD Law in 2004 and went on to have a successful career as a litigator at the prestigious firm of Snell & Wilmer. After having her first daughter, Laurie quit her job to work as a freelance attorney on her own schedule. Her decision coincided with the market crash of 2008 and Laurie realized that there was a huge opportunity to make freelance legal work more accessible. With her business partner, Laurie co-founded Montage Legal Group, a nationwide network of experienced freelance lawyers who work remotely on a project basis for law firms that need help with overflow and specialty areas of law. Montage Legal Group has been featured in numerous publications including ABA Journal and Forbes.com and Laurie has received numerous awards National Association of Women Business Owner’s Entrepreneur to Watch and OC metro magazine’s 40 under 40.

Today we talked to Laurie about how she disrupted a profession that is resistant to change, how she scaled a business with no experience and how to start looking for your next jump before quitting your career.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why Laurie quit her career as a litigator in a big law firm to do freelance work
• How her own freelance career led her to see a much bigger opportunity
• How she started a nationwide network for freelance attorneys with zero business experience
• Her advice on whether you should find a partner when starting a business
• How to figure out what your next step should be

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• 21 Days of Resilience, by Dr. Zelana Montminy

Where to find Jenny:

• www.montagelegal.com
• [email protected]

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Maria Granovsky knows exactly what it takes to quit and start something new because she quit her profession not once but twice! Maria got her Ph.D. in medical and molecular genetics from the University of Toronto. During her post-doc training, she decided not to go down the path as a scientist but rather pursue her lifelong interest in the law. She received her law degree from Georgetown University and went on to work as a patent litigator for over 10 years.

During that time, Maria took some time away from the law to write and sell a novel. Ultimately, though, she decided to return to law for a couple more years. Maria delved into marketing courses in order to help with business development of her own law practice. She quickly began helping other lawyer friends with business development for their law practices as well. She realized that she had a knack for marketing and really enjoyed this aspect of the business. About a year and half ago, Maria quit her legal practice in order to start her own business helping other lawyers with marketing and business development.

Today we talk to Maria about how she navigated these various career pivots and what she has learned from them.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How graduate school can be the path of least resistance
• Why Maria took time away from law to write a novel and ultimately decided to go back to law
• How her experience with business development in her own legal practice led her to start her marketing and coaching business.
• How she moved past having her identity tied up with being a lawyer
• Why it makes sense to start a new business that is tangentially related to your career
• Why everyone has to learn marketing and business development regardless of their field
• Why networking is like a negotiation and how you can make it work for you

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Pivot, by Jenny Blake

Where to find Maria:

• www.mariagranovsky.com
• Linkedin: @mariagranovsky
• Twitter: @mgranovsky

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Maria Granovsky knows exactly what it takes to quit and start something new because she quit her profession not once but twice! Maria got her Ph.D. in medical and molecular genetics from the University of Toronto. During her post-doc training, she decided not to go down the path as a scientist but rather pursue her lifelong interest in the law. She received her law degree from Georgetown University and went on to work as a patent litigator for over 10 years.

During that time, Maria took some time away from the law to write and sell a novel. Ultimately, though, she decided to return to law for a couple more years. Maria delved into marketing courses in order to help with business development of her own law practice. She quickly began helping other lawyer friends with business development for their law practices as well. She realized that she had a knack for marketing and really enjoyed this aspect of the business. About a year and half ago, Maria quit her legal practice in order to start her own business helping other lawyers with marketing and business development.

Today we talk to Maria about how she navigated these various career pivots and what she has learned from them.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How graduate school can be the path of least resistance
• Why Maria took time away from law to write a novel and ultimately decided to go back to law
• How her experience with business development in her own legal practice led her to start her marketing and coaching business.
• How she moved past having her identity tied up with being a lawyer
• Why it makes sense to start a new business that is tangentially related to your career
• Why everyone has to learn marketing and business development regardless of their field  
• Why networking is like a negotiation and how you can make it work for you

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Pivot, by Jenny Blake

Where to find Maria:

• www.mariagranovsky.com
• Linkedin: @mariagranovsky
• Twitter: @mgranovsky

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Jenny Berk received her Master's degree in Psychology and Education and is a Certified Eating Psychology Coach, Body Image Mentor, International Speaker, and best selling author of the new release The Body Image Blueprint. Prior to starting her coaching program, Jenny worked for over 13 years as a health educator for a weight management company. While she loved helping people with their issues surrounding food and body image, Jenny was against the company's aggressive tactics. Wanting to utilize her background in Psychology in order to heal people's relationships with food rather than focus on weight loss, Jenny went on to get certificates from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and Mindfulness-based Eatingness Awareness training. In 2015, she quit her job in order to start her own coaching program where she specializes in unique binge eating cessation techniques and mindful eating practices.

Today we get to talk to Jenny about how to create a career on your own terms, how to overcome imposter syndrome and how small steps make all the difference.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How Jenny started working for a weight management company
• Why her own issues with dieting made her feel like an imposter
• How she started noticing the problems with the tactics being used by her employer
• How she had her awakening that she needed to leave
• How she got her gentle push to leave her company
• How she created her coaching business to fit her life

Where to find Jenny:

• www.jennyedencoaching.com
• Facebook Group

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter