Second Breaks

The key to launching a post-retirement career with minimal stress is to start considering and exploring opportunities before you pack up your office. This is one to listen to if you’re nearing retirement or beginning to consider possibilities beyond your current career.

Mary Beth Simon retired from her long corporate career in December 2018. As planned, she started her project management consulting company in early 2019. In this episode, Mary Beth shares what sparked the idea for her unique consulting practice, how she fined tuned that idea so that it aligns with her vision for her next chapter, and where she focused her energy as she got it off the ground.

Highlights of Episode 122

• How Mary Beth prepared for her post-retirement career while she was still at Vanguard
• The surprising areas where she felt challenged initially
• Why she felt sharing her initial ideas were important, even if she were not sure about them yet
• Letting go of attachments to old career identity
• What helped her the most during her transition

For the transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

It’s a common story to have a day job that pays the bills (and even one that you find is meaningful work) while wishing you could be doing something else instead. KC Karr shares how she balances practicalities with her creative pursuits and how creating space in her life for her side projects keep her close to her true passion.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

FreshBooks’ Matt Baker shares results of the 2019 Self-Employment Annual Survey. We talk about steps to minimize the risks of transitioning from a traditional 9-5 to a freelance career or self-employment. Plus, how to price your services with a win-win mindset, and how to address the obstacles that new freelancers and first-time business owners face.

Highlights of Episode 120

• The results of FreshBooks 2019 Annual Self-Employment Report
• Specific steps you can take to de-risk your transition to self-employment
• Effective ways to price your services
• The mindset for successfully transitioning to self-employment
• Processes to overcome initial obstacles faced by new business owners or first-time freelancers

For the transcript and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Zoha Abbas was let go during a recent round of layoffs at the advertising agency where she worked as a senior copywriter. Good thing that she had already been working on a side gig for three years. Though it was a bit earlier than her original plans, she took the opportunity to go all-in and turn her side project into her full-time gig. Zoha and I talked about how she found clarity around the kind of side business she wanted to grow, the first few steps she did to get off the ground (which by the way, included one thing I wished I had done and the thing I would do differently if I could do a Mulligan), and how she manages the inevitable fears and gremlin voices that chime in when she wants to do something courageous.

For the full transcrtip and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

You’re working hard to make your side hustle or freelancing career a success. So you’ll want to make sure you protect yourself, your investment, and your side project legally. Autumn Witt Boyd, Host of The Legal Roadmap podcast, joins Lou Blaser to cover the most pressing basic questions for someone starting out. Grab a notepad as you’ll want to take notes. Or head on over to the website for the show notes.

Highlights of Episode 118

• The single most important thing you have to do when starting a side business, or starting a freelancing/consulting career
• What to consider when starting a project with a colleague or a friend
• What you need to put in place if you’ve created a website, even if you’re not selling anything yet
• Why a contract is important even when you’re offering your services for free
• Do you tell your boss/employer about your side gig

 For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Leadership and career development coach Dr. Nayla Bahri researched disruption and career resilience by studying professionals who lost their jobs during the 2008 Recession. She discovered behaviors and habits that differentiated those who remained stuck versus those who were able to move forward and thrived. The best thing is that there’s nothing special about these behaviors. In this episode, we explore these practical activities that we can practice to strengthen our resilience muscle. Because as Nayla points out, the best time to think about these practices is when times are good.

Highlights of Episode 117

• The three situations that the people Nayla studied fell into post-recession
• The behaviors that differentiated people who remained stuck from those who were able to move forward and thrived
• Why resilience isn’t all about being positive or optimistic
• The inner and outer work that we can do strengthen our resilience muscle
• Why changing careers isn’t a requirement to bouncing back
• How experimentation helps and how we can benefit

 For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

There hasn’t been a new episode since mid-October. Did I fall off the face of the earth? Did I cancel the podcast? Here’s the real deal.

Starting a side hustle is exciting. But it can also be a bit nerve-wracking, especially if you’ve never done anything like it before. Wouldn’t it be great if you could start your project with a colleague? As they say, two heads are better than one, and you can push each other to take action on your plans. Karena Skibinski shares how she and her co-worker started a side-hustle and became business partners.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

A side hustle leveraging your core strength is a huge advantage because the learning curve for starting a business is going to take up your time and energy. Dr. Michelle Mazur began with a side project that allowed her to “play” in her favorite sandbox and which turned into a side consulting business in no time.

Highlights of Episode 114

• The side-project that started Michelle Mazur’s side hustle
• Some of the challenges she faced when transitioning from corporate employment to self-employment, including money-mindset blocks
• How she developed her approach to marketing and selling her services in a way that feels aligned with who she is
• Why developing your “three-word” message can help you create and initiate change

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast