Reinvention By Design

What happens when the career you've spent 30 years building suddenly no longer needs you?

For many senior leaders, leaving corporate isn't simply about finding another role. It's about letting go of the title, structure, status and sense of relevance that can quietly become part of who you are.

In this episode of Reinvention by Design, I sit down with Melissa Schmidiger, former Global Head of Employer Brand Marketing at Credit Suisse and founder of Bravo Darlings, for a candid conversation about leaving corporate life whole – not diminished – and building what comes next.

Melissa shares the very real sense of "unprocessed grief" she experienced after the UBS–Credit Suisse merger, when years of being asked for her judgement and approval were suddenly replaced by silence.

But her reinvention actually began before she left. Her husband noticed that after coaching colleagues through difficult restructures, she had a completely different energy. Melissa listened to that signal, trained as a coach while still employed and began testing another path.

Together, we explore:

✅ Why your values – not your job title – should anchor your identity

✅ How to recognise the work that strengthens rather than drains you

✅ Leading through a health crisis and why sometimes the best thing a leader can do is step back so others can step up

✅ The hidden grief of leaving corporate – and why you need to process what's ended before moving forward

✅ Why senior corporate success doesn't automatically prepare you for entrepreneurship: "There was a machine behind me. And now, I am that machine."

✅ Why progress beats perfection when building something new

✅ Why community, structure and accountability matter when the corporate infrastructure disappears

✅ Melissa's Bold Shift Framework for recognising when you've outgrown an environment and navigating what comes next

And one of Melissa's simplest but most powerful lessons:

Clarity comes before courage.

If you're successful on paper but quietly wondering whether the career you've built still fits the person you're becoming, this conversation is for you.

Your greatest security is no longer your job. It's your ability to reinvent.

🎙 About Reinvention by Design

Hosted by Karen Holland, Reinvention by Design is for corporate leaders and high performers who want to future-proof their careers, income and identity. Each episode explores the real stories, decisions and practical strategies behind successful reinvention.

👍 If this episode resonated, please like, subscribe and share it with someone considering their own next chapter.

#ReinventionByDesign #CareerReinvention #ExecutiveLeadership #FutureOfWork #CareerTransition #Leadership #Entrepreneurship

What if the biggest thing holding your career back isn't a lack of experience... but a lack of courage?

Most leaders don't struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because uncertainty makes even the smartest people hesitate.

In today's AI-driven world, waiting for certainty may be the biggest career risk of all.

In this episode of Reinvention by Design, I sit down with Dr. Margie Warrell - best-selling author of The Courage Gap, former Senior Partner at Korn Ferry, and advisor to leaders at NASA, Google, Amazon and the U.S. Special Operations Command - to explore what it takes to lead with courage in an unpredictable world.

Together, we explore why fear often hides behind successful leadership, how perfectionism quietly limits growth, and why courage—not certainty—is becoming one of the defining leadership capabilities of the AI era.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why the best leaders don't wait for certainty—they make the decision, then make the decision right.
• The hidden cost of playing it safe through Dr. Margie's powerful concept of The Timidity Tax.
• Why fear often disguises itself as over-control, perfectionism and "performative certainty."
• Practical strategies to build courage and make better decisions.
• How to overcome self-doubt and take the next courageous step.
• Why your future success depends less on having all the answers—and more on your willingness to learn, adapt and act.

Whether you're leading an organisation, navigating a career transition, building a business or simply asking yourself "What's next?", this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, courage and growth.

Because in an unpredictable world, your greatest competitive advantage isn't certainty.

It's your ability to learn, adapt and reinvent.

About Reinvention by Design

Reinvention by Design is the podcast for senior leaders and high performers who want to future-proof their careers, leadership and opportunities in a world being reshaped by AI.

Each episode features candid conversations with global CEOs, board directors and thought leaders, sharing practical insights to help you stay relevant and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who'll benefit from it.

Connect with Dr. Margie Warrell

Book: https://margiewarrell.com/thecouragegap/

Website: https://margiewarrell.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margiewarrell/

Connect with Karen Holland

Podcast: https://karenhollandreinventionbydesign.riverside.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenholland-cmo/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReinventionbyDesignKaren

What happens when the title you've worked 25 years to earn suddenly disappears?

After leading multi-billion-dollar businesses across Asia as Vice President and General Manager at VMware, Uma Thana Balasingam experienced what she calls a 'careerquake'.

Redundancy forced her to confront questions few executives are prepared for:

• Who am I without my title?
• How do I build confidence again?
• How do I become visible?
• Can entrepreneurship really replace corporate success?

Today Uma has reinvented herself as entrepreneur, CEO, LinkedIn Top Voice and one of Asia's leading advocates for women in leadership.

In this episode we explore:

• The hidden grief after redundancy

• Entrepreneurship after corporate

• Why visibility is now career insurance

• The biggest mistake women make on LinkedIn

• Authentic personal branding

• Reinvention after 45

• Why "ugly and scrappy gets money"

Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, navigating a careerquake, considering entrepreneurship or wondering what comes next, this conversation will change how you think about reinvention.

What really stops people from reinventing themselves?

Most people think it's a lack of skills, money, opportunities or confidence. According to Paul Becque, it's something much deeper: self-identity.

In this episode of Reinvention by Design, I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, mindset coach and former television executive Paul Becque to explore the psychology behind successful reinvention.

Paul's journey has been anything but ordinary. After a difficult childhood in which he was repeatedly told he would amount to nothing, he went on to become the youngest cruise director at sea, worked in Hollywood, rose to Head of Channel in UK television, built multiple businesses and now helps others navigate major life and career transitions.

Together we explore:

• Why most people stay stuck even when they desperately want change

• The role self-identity plays in career reinvention
• Why fear is often your brain trying to protect you
• The "Four Ps" that influence behaviour and decision making
• Why people wait until they are forced to change
• How mentors can accelerate transformation
• The difference between information and transformation in the age of AI
• The power of micro-steps when building a new future
• Why mindset matters more than skillset or tools

00:00 Navigating Fear and Identity in Entrepreneurship
02:56 Paul Beck's Journey of Reinvention
07:10 The Power of Mindset and Self-Identity
13:00 Transitioning from Cruise Director to TV Presenter
18:46 The Shift to Entrepreneurship and Coaching
25:48 The Evolution of Planning and Action
31:04 Understanding the Four P's of the Brain
37:29 The Role of Mentorship in Personal Growth
45:32 Micro Steps for Corporate Leaders' Reinvention

Whether you're considering a new career, starting a business, evolving your leadership for a future shaped by AI, or simply looking to create more options in your life, this conversation offers practical insights into how lasting change really happens.

Paul's message is simple but powerful: lasting change doesn't begin with a new job, a new business or a new strategy. It begins with changing who you believe you can become.

Because reinvention isn't just about changing what you do.

It's about changing who you are.

#ReinventionByDesign #CareerReinvention #Leadership #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #FutureOfWork #Entrepreneurship #AI #Coaching #SuccessMindset

AI is creating one of the biggest shifts marketing has seen in decades.

For some leaders, it will accelerate their impact. For others, it will quietly expose gaps.

In this episode, Liza Adams - Founder of GrowthPath Partners, AI advisor & GTM Strategist and former Silicon Valley marketing leader - shares why this moment is not just about technology, but about reinvention.

After a 25-year corporate career, Liza was forced to rethink her own path following an acquisition. What followed was a complete reinvention - one that now puts her at the centre of how CMOs and marketing teams are evolving in the age of AI.

00:00 Evolving Roles in Marketing and AI Integration
02:23 The Journey of Reinvention
06:11 Navigating Career Transitions and Identity
10:21 The Power of AI as a Teammate
16:09 Embracing Change and Overcoming Fear
21:20 The Role of CMOs in the Age of AI
26:21 Successful Change Management in Organizations
32:29 AI as a Complementary Force in Marketing
35:47 Strategies for Quick Momentum in Marketing
39:07 The Future of Marketing Roles and Upskilling

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why AI is less about tools - and more about mindset and leadership
• How marketing roles are being reshaped in real time
• What marketers can do to upskill and reskill
• How to think about AI as a strategic partner, not just execution support
• Why this moment could be the biggest opportunity for reinvention in your career.

If you’re leading a marketing organisation, or thinking about what comes next, his episode will challenge how you see AI, your role, and your future.

You can find out more about Liza Adams and her GrowthPath Partners AI Advisory and GTM Strategy services via her Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizaadams/

In this powerful episode of Reinvention by Design, Karen Holland sits down with Jingjin Liu, former senior executive in the automobile industry turned serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and Co-Founder of the Elevate Group, to explore what it really takes to reinvent your life and career.

From leaving China at 15 to building a high-powered corporate career in Germany … to walking away and starting again as an entrepreneur, Jingjin’s story is a masterclass in identity, courage and intentional reinvention.

In a world shaped by AI disruption, career uncertainty and shifting definitions of success, this conversation goes beyond inspiration, it gives you practical insights to take action.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “nobody’s coming” is the mindset shift that changes everything
• How to build a career advantage from being different
• The importance of choosing the right environment to thrive
• Why most professionals don’t know their financial runway - and why it matters
• How to build powerful networks intentionally (even if you hate networking)
• The truth about self-doubt, even at the highest levels of success
• Why clarity - not confidence - is the first step to reinvention.

💡 This episode is for you if:

• You feel successful… but not fulfilled
• You’re thinking about what’s next in your career
• You want to build income, options and identity beyond a single role
• You’re navigating change, uncertainty or AI disruption.

This isn’t about abandoning your career.
It’s about building something more resilient, intentional and future-proof.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders reinventing how they work, earn and live.

What if reinvention wasn’t something you waited for — but something you designed?

In the first episode of Reinvention by Design, I sit down with Maya Hari — former VP at Twitter, climate tech CEO, board director, and now co-founder of Genie Health — to explore how leaders can intentionally evolve, stay relevant and build meaningful impact in an AI-driven world.

This conversation is packed with insights on:
• Future-proofing your career in the age of AI
• Building multiple streams of value, influence and impact
• Why leaders now need to “learn by doing”
• The rise of the “100 Year Life” and multiple career reinventions
• Designing your next chapter before someone else designs it for you.

One quote that stayed with me:

“I reserve the right to change my mind.”

A powerful reminder that growth, curiosity and reinvention are lifelong advantages.

If you’re thinking more intentionally about your future, your relevance, or what comes next — this episode is for you.