Carole Demers spent nearly 20 years as a Russian bar flyer, traveling the world before joining Cirque du Soleil and performing in shows including Zarkana, Alegría, and Paramour.

For years, she knew she would eventually leave the stage, but every time she considered doing something different, another contract came along. Then the pandemic gave her the push to explore what else was possible.

Today, Carole is a co-artistic director of a circus festival and an executive director of a circus company in Quebec City. She went back to university, earned a master’s degree in creative project management, and built a career that still keeps her connected to the circus world, just from a completely different side of it.

In this episode, Carole shares what she calls her “soft transition” out of performing, how getting involved in a friend’s project opened doors she never expected, and what it felt like to go from being at the top of her field to being a beginner again.

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In this video, you'll learn:

▸ Why exploring new projects before you’re ready to leave can make career change easier

▸ How getting involved, meeting people, and following your interests can lead to unexpected opportunities

▸ What it feels like to go from being highly experienced in one career to starting again as a beginner

▸ Why Carole believes there are more possibilities available to artists than they might think

Carole’s story is a great reminder that leaving the stage doesn’t mean leaving everything you loved about your old career behind. Sometimes, it means finding a completely new way to use it.

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If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Carole Demers  at: https://www.facebook.com/carole.demers.35

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ : https://www.instagram.com/eve.recastandrise/

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

If you've ever wondered what recruiters are actually thinking during an interview, this episode is for you.

This week, I sit down with Eric Lee Usher, entrepreneur, recruiter, and founder of an executive assistant recruiting business. Unlike many guests on the podcast, Eric didn't transition out of the performing arts. Instead, he shares the perspective artists rarely get to hear: what hiring managers and recruiters are really looking for when someone is changing careers.

From translating your creative experience into business language to building confidence in interviews, Eric shares practical advice that every artist, performer, and creative professional should hear before applying for their next role.

We also dive into how AI can help you prepare for your career transition without losing your authentic voice, why recruiters value creatives more than you might think, and one overlooked opportunity that could completely change the way you think about your next career move.

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In this video, you'll learn:

▸ Why recruiters often see creatives as a huge asset—and what concerns they may have

▸ The biggest interview mistakes candidates make (and how to avoid them)

▸ How to translate your performing arts experience into skills employers actually value

▸ How to use AI to prepare for interviews, improve your resume, and clarify your career direction

▸ Why knowing who you want to become matters more than knowing what job you want

▸ An overlooked career opportunity most job seekers aren't even considering

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If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Eric Husher at: https://www.instagram.com/ericleeusher/

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ : https://www.instagram.com/eve.recastandrise/

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Musician, author, business leader, and entrepreneur Cliff Beach has built a career that proves creativity doesn't stop when you step away from your art.

After earning an MBA and building a successful career in digital marketing, Cliff now serves as a Vice President while continuing to write, record, perform, host a radio show, and publish books. In this conversation, we explore why creativity is one of the most valuable skills you can bring into any career, why artists often underestimate the value they offer employers, and how to approach career change with curiosity instead of fear.

If you've ever wondered whether you'll have to leave your creativity behind to build a new career, this episode is for you.

You'll learn:

▸ Why creativity is one of the most valuable skills in business

▸ How to explore a new career without waiting until you're "ready"

▸ Practical advice for breaking into fields like marketing

▸ Why learning by doing often beats waiting for the perfect plan

▸ Cliff's process for writing books, launching projects, and actually finishing what you start

Whether you're an artist, performer, or creative professional thinking about what's next, this episode will challenge the way you think about work, creativity, and career growth.

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/eve.recastandrise/

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Cliff Beach at: https://www.instagram.com/cliffbeachmusic/

👉  Recast and Rise website: ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

What do acting, comedy, stunt work, and acrobatic rigging have in common? Brett Copes!

Brett's career has been anything but ordinary. After starting as an actor and comedian, he spent years performing stunt work before discovering a career behind the scenes as an acrobatic rigger. Today, through Fight and Flight Entertainment, he works with productions around the world, helping performers fly safely.

In this episode, Brett shares how curiosity shaped his career, why many of his hobbies unexpectedly turned into jobs, and how he built a successful business through freelancing, consulting, and saying yes to opportunities. We also talk about finding mentors, negotiating your rates, and what it really takes to build a career in the entertainment industry beyond performing.

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In this episode, you'll learn:

▸ Why your hobbies and interests might reveal your next career

▸ How Brett transitioned from performer to acrobatic rigger

▸ What an acrobatic rigger actually does behind the scenes

▸ How freelancing evolved into a successful business

▸ Why asking for advice (and even asking what others charge) can accelerate your career

▸ Tips for breaking into backstage entertainment careers

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If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/⁠

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Brett at: https://www.instagram.com/fightorflightent/

👉  Recast and Rise website  ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Kirsten Kemp dedicated her life to ballet. She trained at the Houston Ballet Academy, earned a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah, and fulfilled her dream of dancing professionally with the Oklahoma City Ballet.

After a knee injury led to an early end of her performing career, Kirsten found a new path. Today, she's the founder of The Confident Dancer, where she helps dancers overcome performance anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, and comparison so they can perform with more confidence and joy.

In this episode, we talk about navigating an unexpected career transition, discovering coaching, building an online business from the ground up, and finding an identity beyond performing.

Whether you're an artist exploring your next chapter or someone interested in coaching or entrepreneurship, Kirsten shares practical advice on choosing a niche, building confidence, marketing your business, and giving yourself permission to grow into a new career.

📍 In this episode, you'll learn

▸ How Kirsten transitioned from professional ballet dancer to coach

▸ How she discovered coaching during her career transition

▸ What it actually takes to build a successful coaching business

▸ Why choosing a niche is one of the biggest keys to success

▸ How to navigate the identity shift that comes with leaving the stage

▸ Why building a business takes patience, consistency, and the right mindset

This conversation is packed with practical advice for anyone navigating career change, building a business, or redefining who they are beyond the work they've always known.

If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Kirsten at: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/kirsten_theconfidentdancer/⁠

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/⁠⁠

👉  Recast and Rise website  ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Michelle DiTerlizzi spent years performing on some of the biggest stages in Las Vegas. She danced for Bette Midler, Lionel Richie, starred in Peep Show, worked as an aerialist, and finished her performing career with Criss Angel.

But after years of performing, her body was telling her it was time for something different.

In this episode, Michelle shares how she began building her next career while she was still on stage. From earning a business degree to shadowing managers backstage and taking on new responsibilities, she slowly started exploring what life beyond performing could look like.

She also talks about navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic, becoming a beginner again, and learning an entirely new industry from the ground up.

Today, Michelle is a Director of Operations leading teams, managing budgets, and overseeing entertainment experiences across multiple locations. Her story is a powerful reminder that your next career doesn't have to start after you leave the stage. It can start while you're still on it.

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📍 In this video, you'll learn

▸ How Michelle started building experience before leaving the stage

▸ Why networking played a major role in her transition

▸ How she handled being a beginner again in a completely new industry

▸ The mindset that helped her overcome imposter syndrome

▸ Skills performers already have that employers value

▸ Practical advice for artists considering a career change

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Whether you're actively planning your next chapter or simply exploring what's possible, Michelle's story is a reminder that the skills you developed as a performer can take you much further than you think.

If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Michelle  at: https://www.instagram.com/michelled3.14/

👉  Eve website  https://www.recastandrise.com/

🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Former Cirque du Soleil artist Dasha Sobelman spent years building the career she had dreamed about since childhood. From watching Cirque performances on VHS as a kid to performing in The Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas, she achieved the goal she had worked toward for decades. But when the show closed, she found herself facing a question many performers eventually encounter: who am I when I'm no longer performing?

In this episode, Dasha shares her transition from performer to digital marketer and content creator. She opens up about the emotional reality of leaving a career that shaped her identity, the pressure of maintaining a performing career while preparing for what comes next, and the surprising sense of freedom she discovered after stepping away from the stage.

This conversation is an honest look at career change, identity, and what it means to let go of a dream you've already achieved. Whether you're a performer, creative professional, or anyone navigating a major life transition, Dasha’s story offers reassurance that it's possible to honor one chapter of your life while building the next.

📍In this episode, you'll learn:

▸ What it feels like to walk away from a career you've dreamed about since childhood

▸ Why leaving performing can feel like a loss, even when you're ready for the next chapter

▸ The emotional process of separating your identity from your profession

▸ How Dasha’s prepared for a second career while still performing full-time with Cirque du Soleil

▸ The hidden physical and mental pressures that come with being a professional performer

▸ Why many artists struggle to say out loud that they're ready for something different

▸ The unexpected freedom that can come from no longer relying on your body as your career

▸ How to trust yourself through the uncertainty of a major career transition

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If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

And don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring stories and career tools for your next career change!

👉  Eve’s website: https://www.recastandrise.com/

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ 

https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Dasha at: https://www.instagram.com/dashasobelman/

🎧 LISTEN ON SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/1yzSIrIhf5FoQNFzbU1VgU?si=0c4c6f87ec1e4eb7

🎧 LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recast-and-rise-career-transition-stories-for-artists/id1841231998

Watch it on YouTube -> https://youtu.be/pdvBEvAKaNs

In this episode of Recast and Rise, I sit down with former Cirque du Soleil aerialist and performer Gelsey to talk about the part of career change no one really talks about the messy, uncertain transition in between.

After building a successful career across Broadway tours, cruise ships, stunt work, and her dream role in Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles Love, Gelsey was forced to rethink everything after a serious head injury ended her path as a stunt performer. What followed wasn’t a clear next step. It was years of questioning, burnout, identity shifts, and figuring out what life looks like outside of performing.

In this conversation, we talk about what it really takes to move on from a career you loved. From detaching your self-worth from your craft, to navigating job applications with no “traditional” experience, to redefining success on your own terms. Gelsey shares what it’s like to start over when you’re not fully ready, and how she’s building a new path in the corporate world without losing who she is.

If you’re an artist, performer, or creative thinking about what’s next, or currently in that uncomfortable in-between, this episode will make you feel seen, grounded, and a little less alone.

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📍 In this video, you'll learn:

▸ What the transition period actually feels like after a performing career, not just the outcome

▸ How a career-ending injury forced a complete identity shift

▸ Why performers often struggle with self-worth outside of what they do

▸ The reality of applying to “normal jobs” after a non-traditional career

▸ How to identify your non-negotiables when choosing your next path

▸ Why having hobbies and identity outside of performing matters more than you think

▸ What performers bring to the corporate world that most people don’t

▸ How to approach career change with more clarity, patience, and self-trust

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If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

FREE resources

👉A self-discovery workbook with 10 prompts to help you find what’s next

👉A Job search and Interview kit

👉  Recast and Rise website  ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/⁠

💥 Connect Gelsey https://www.instagram.com/gelseylaurie/

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Ashley Lafferty spent 14 years performing at Cirque du Soleil, living what many dancers would call the dream. From The Beatles LOVE to Michael Jackson ONE, dance was her identity, her routine, and her entire world for most of her life.

In this conversation, Ashley shares what it actually looks like to step away from a career that has defined you since childhood. She opens up about the emotional side of leaving performing, the quiet grief that comes with it, and how she knew it was time to move on even while still loving dance. Instead of waiting until the end, she started preparing early, going back to school during COVID and slowly building her next path while still performing.

Today, Ashley is an interior designer and project manager, blending creativity with structure in a completely new way. She walks us through how she made that transition, what surprised her about entering a new industry, and why real-world experience mattered more than anything else. This episode is honest, practical, and reassuring for anyone wondering what comes after performing.

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📍 *In this video, you'll learn*

▸ How Ashley prepared for her career transition while still performing at night

▸ What she specifically did during COVID to explore interior design and go back to school

▸ How she translated dancer skills like discipline, timing, and teamwork into a corporate role

▸ What the interview process looked like with zero experience in a new industry

▸ Why working as an assistant and making mistakes fast-tracked her learning more than school

▸ The real difference between interior design and project management (and how she does both)

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If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

And don’t forget to *SUBSCRIBE* for more inspiring stories and *CAREER TOOLS* for your next career change!

👉  *EVE’s website*⁠  https://www.recastandrise.com/

👋  *CONNECT WITH Eve on Instagram*⁠  https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/

⁠⁠💥  *CONNECT WITH Ashley*  at: https://www.instagram.com/ashleynicolle_lafferty/

🎧 *LISTEN ON SPOTIFY* https://open.spotify.com/show/1yzSIrIhf5FoQNFzbU1VgU?si=0c4c6f87ec1e4eb7

🎧 *LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recast-and-rise-career-transition-stories-for-artists/id1841231998

From 17 years performing in Cirque du Soleil to becoming a registered nurse, and a Senior claims manager later, Chantale’s story is a real look at what it takes to change careers while you’re still in it.

She didn’t have a clear plan from the start. She figured it out along the way, while performing full-time, raising two kids, and slowly working toward something completely different. This conversation gets into the reality of that process, the doubts, the timing, the unexpected turns, and what actually helped her move forward.

We also talk about what happens after the first transition, because her path didn’t stop there. From nursing to a claim manager role, Chantale shares what it’s like to start over more than once and adapt as life changes.

In this video, you'll learn

▸ What it really looks like to go back to school while still performing

▸ How she managed the schedule with work, school, and family

▸ Why feeling “not qualified” is more common than you think

▸ The skills she didn’t realize she had and how they helped her get hired

▸ What to do when your career path doesn’t go as planned

▸ Why staying open-minded can lead to better opportunities

If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect!

FREE resources

👉A self-discovery workbook with 10 prompts to help you find what’s next

👉A Job search and Interview kit

👉  Recast and Rise's website  ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠

👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/⁠

⁠⁠💥  Connect with Chantale: https://www.instagram.com/chantalevitale/

And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change!

👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.