We can sometimes get caught up in defining ourselves by our jobs or companies where we work. Ana Wagner, Global Segment Director for PPD Industries shares her story of how going through two layoffs allowed her to step back, gain some useful perspective, and rethink how she chooses to define herself and her priorities in life. I'll also address a listener question about how long you should hang onto a job you dislike.

Taking a Step Back with Ana Wagner- CR65

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When was the last time you took some time off from work? I often feel this pressure to keep plowing ahead in my career, to not take detours, and to not slow down. However, taking a momentary pause during a job transition is often the only real opportunity you have to slow down, recalibrate, and reconsider where you want to take your career next.

HR professional Gisela Prunes Garcia shares her thoughts on the complexities of living and working in different countries, putting yourself out there before you're ready, and managing your internal thoughts during uncertain career transitions.

In episode 101 of the Career Relaunch® podcast, I also share some thoughts on the tension between professional achievement and periodic reflection during the Mental Fuel® segment.
Key Career Change Insights

 	* Returning to your home country after living elsewhere may not always fill you with the comfort you might expect from familiar surroundings and can instead leave you feeling confused about where you belong.
 	* Talking about your career when you’re working for an established, well-known company is much easier than discussing your transitions or messy periods in your professional trajectory.
 	* While uncomfortable, career transitions can be a very fertile ground to explore other interests and paths that you may have otherwise ignored or overlooked while being focused on climbing the corporate ladder.




Listener Challenge
During this episode's Mental Fuel® segment, I challenge you to periodically permit yourself to slow down, even if it’s just for a day, and allow yourself to have a bit of a metaphorical palate cleanser. During these momentary pauses, ask yourself:

 	* What's my level of satisfaction with where my career is headed right now?
 	* What action can I take to better align my work with my natural strengths and interests?
 	* Where would I like my life to be a year from now, both personally and professionally? 5 years from now?





Episode Chapters
00:00:00 Overview
00:01:07 Introduction
00:03:47 Discussion with Gisela Prunes Garcia
00:42:33 Mental Fuel
00:49:38 Listener Challenge
00:50:09 Wrap Up



About Gisela Prunes Garcia
Gisel Prunes Garcia is a Human Resources professional from Barcelona who lived in the United States for the past 12 years. Her career in corporate started in Barcelona at Sara Lee Corporation, a Fortune 500 company in consumer goods, where she worked for a few years until she decided to move to California in 2012. She went on to explore different industries while building up a new life and career in a new culture, in a second language with no network.

Her most recent experiences were with The Walt Disney Company in HR Production and Getty Images managing Creative and Editorial client groups. She specializes in finding opportunities that drive solutions to improve the employee experience and business results. Working in various industries and with highly creative folks allowed her to form unique perspectives and develop agility to analyze problems and find holistic and creative solutions.

Follow Gisela on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Enjoy This Episode? Please Let Us Know!

 	* Review: I’d also love for you to leave a positive review and rating for the podcast o...

Stepping Back with Gisela Prunes Garcia- CR101

Today marks our 100th episode of the Career Relaunch® podcast!. For the past seven years, we’ve shared the personal stories of people around the world who have reinvented their careers, and today, I'm thrilled to have Anne Tumlinson, CEO of ATI Advisory and founder of Daughterhood, join us again on the show.

Anne was the very first guest I interviewed for this show over seven years ago before it even launched, and today, we're going to talk about how her career and life have evolved since then. She'll share her reflections on her journey as a founder turned CEO, the complex dynamics of growing your own organization, and the impact changes in her personal life have had on her outlook on life, career, and her own perspectives.

During a special Mental Fuel® segment, I'll summarize my top takeaways from the nearly 100 guests I've featured on this show, including a montage of key highlights to help you understand the dynamics, challenges, and upside of changing career paths to pursue work you find truly meaningful.
Key Career Change Insights

 	* Consistently showing up is half the battle when embarking on any major career endeavor.
 	* Your unique collection of gifts, talents, skills, and interests can fuel you to do work you find truly meaningful. You just have to open yourself up to fully tapping into them.
 	* Even when you're building momentum and achieving "success," still questioning whether you're completely on the right track is normal.

Resources Mentioned

 	* In the book Great By Choice by Jim Collins, he describes the 20-mile-march concept.
 	* Past Career Relaunch® episodes mentioned:

 	* Creating Steady Progress with Anne Tumlinson- episode 3
 	* Deciding What Matters with Bruce Daisley- episode 26
 	* Giving Yourself Room to Explore with Audrey Lemargue- episode 9
 	* Embracing Uncertainty with Stephen Satterfield- episode 15
 	* Setting Realistic Expectations with Chinwe Oneaygoro- episode 59
 	* Creating a New Image with Deepak Shukla- episode 51
 	* Letting Go with Karen Hing- episode 52
 	* Doing What Excites You with Alex Trochut- episode 56
 	* Being Your Own #1 Fan with Sandeep Johal- episode 20
 	* Taking Care of Yourself with Erika Russi- episode 77






Listener Challenge
During this episode's Mental Fuel® segment, my challenge to you is to decide what choice you feel you could make for your career that you can be proud of. One that you’re confident you can look back on 10 years, 20 years from now, and not regret. What matters most to you right now during this chapter of your life and career? And what step will you take to honor this?




Episode Chapters

 	* 00:00:00 - Overview
 	* 00:01:07 - Introduction
 	* 00:04:53 - Chat with Anne Tumlinson<br ...

Embracing Change with Anne Tumlinson- CR100

Think for a moment about the original blueprint you once had for your career. What did you want to be when you grew up? How did you envision your life would look? And what has your actual experience been like?
If you're like most people I cross paths with, your career trajectory has been very different from what you imagined. Your ability to roll with the punches and absorb the shocks that inevitably come up along the way of any professional journey can make a huge difference to where you end up.
Broadway musical star turned web engineer Carla Stickler explains how she managed to balance multiple career endeavors while pivoting into a brand new industry on episode 99 of the Career Relaunch® podcast.

In the Mental Fuel® segment, I'll also explain how to embrace and manage the inevitable messiness of career transitions.
Key Career Change Insights

 	* Sometimes, you can just tell when you’re excelling and making the most of your strengths in your career. The more positive feedback you get from others, the more this reinforces the fact you’re on the right track.
 	* You never know when you’re going to turn a corner in your career. With enough patience and persistence, you may eventually have your big breakthrough.
 	* Think of your first job in a new sector as an opportunity to clarify exactly which aspects of this new work appeal to you and aligns best with your interests.
 	* When you’re considering opportunities that may feel like a reach, instead of just saying, “why me?” try saying, “why NOT me?”

Resources Mentioned

 	* Carla mentioned a couple of resources to help people learn coding including Freecodecamp.org, the Grace Hopper bootcamp, and the Flatiron School bootcamp that episode 77 guest Erika Russi joined.




Listener Challenge
During this episode's Mental Fuel® segment, I challenged you to identify one area in your career where your desire for the ideal set of circumstances may be resulting in procrastination and getting in the way of you starting the next chapter in your career. Are you still waiting or the perfect solution to come to you? Are you waiting until the moment when you feel completely ready to take a plunge into something new?

Try and accept that pivots are imperfect and imprecise. Acknowledge that there may be no perfect time to make your move. Understand you may never have 100% clarity on exactly what you want to do next. And understand that the biggest challenge is not tackling but rather accepting the uncertainty of it all. Rather than getting stuck in a state of inaction and paralysis, just do your best to just take one action that creates some progress in the face of this uncertainty.



Episode Chapters

 	* 00:00:00 - Overview
 	* 00:01:07 - Introduction
 	* 00:03:00 - Chat with Carla Stickler
 	* 00:45:44 - Mental Fuel
 	* 00:52:39 - Listener Challenge
 	* 00:53:14 - Wrap Up




About Carla Stickler, Broadway Star Turned Web Engineer
Carla Stickler is a Web Engineer at Spotify with over a decade of performing in musicals under her belt. She is best known for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway and has performed her own cabaret as a guest entertainer onboard Norwegian and Disney Cruise Lines. With a BFA in acting from NYU-Tisch and masters degree in theater education from NYU-Steinhardt, she was a voice teacher in New York City and made appearances...

Making Things Work with Carla Stickler- CR99

If you’re like most people I cross paths with out there, talking about your accomplishments or showcasing your achievements may not come that naturally to you. Communicating your successes can feel like you’re bragging or shamelessly self-promoting. Asking for what you want can feel intrusive or presumptuous. And just sharing your own accomplishments with others can feel awkward or forced.

At the same time, if you don’t advocate for yourself, you run the risk of disappearing into the background. If you don’t drive visibility for your work, no one may be aware of your accomplishments. And if you don’t ask for what you want, opportunities are unlikely to just fall into your lap.

In episode 98 of the Career Relaunch® podcast, Claudia Bruce-Quartey, a political scientist turned key account manager shares her thoughts on why making a career change often involves a leap of faith and why you have to be the one to advocate for what you want. I also share some thoughts on how I manage the delicate balance between modesty and self-advocacy during the Mental Fuel® segment.
Key Career Change Insights

 	* Focus on the things you can control, not those you cannot.
 	* Sometimes, you just have to take a leap of faith in your career and jump.
 	* The onus is on you to make yourself seen and heard in your career.




Listener Challenge
During this episode's Mental Fuel® segment, my challenge to you is to pick one aspect of your work that you feel deserves more support . . . and to advocate for it. Maybe it’s a project you feel deserves more visibility within your organization. Or an overdue promotion you feel is worth getting onto your manager’s radar. Or a piece of career news you’ve been keeping to yourself but want to share with your network.

Whatever it is, take ownership of your career and proactively promote it. If you don’t advocate for it, you can be sure others won’t either. And you might just be surprised how people respond.
Episode Chapters
00:00:00 Overview
00:01:07 Introduction
00:03:44 Discussion with Claudia Bruce-Quartey
00:42:38 Mental Fuel
00:48:45 Listener Challenge
00:49:25 Wrap Up



About Claudia Bruce-Quartey


Claudia Bruce-Quartey has followed a career path that's required self-advocacy throughout. Raised in Germany as a first-generation immigrant after her parents moved there from Ghana, Claudia eventually completed her Master’s Degree in Public Administration in France and most recently relocated to Switzerland.

Originally a political scientist with no knowledge of IT, Claudia’s now a Key Account Manager for the software company Red Hat. She also passionately works with underrepresented youth and female professionals to help them confidently speak about their accomplishments and ask for what they want in their careers.

With over 8 years of experience in the Swiss Tech industry, Claudia describes herself as an agent for transformation, on a mission to create equal representation and opportunities. She’s also the author of the book My Hair, My Choice, a book that encourages young children to understand that being unique and different is great.

Follow Claudia on LinkedIn and Instagram. Join her <a href="https://claudiabrucequartey.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?

Advocating For Yourself with Claudia Bruce-Quartey- CR98

When you're not happy with your job, deciding to make a career change may seem more straightforward. However, when things are going well, do you keep riding the wave or make the leap and try something new?

In episode 97 of the Career Relaunch® podcast, Aisling Drennan, a Riverdance Irish dancer turned artist shares her thoughts on shifting from an international stage to an art studio. We'll discuss the deeply personal choice of when to walk away from an established career, the inevitable challenges of starting anything new, and the importance of championing your own work. I also share some thoughts on when you can tell the time has come to move on during the Mental Fuel® segment.
Key Career Change Insights

 	* You can't know everything from the start. You have to figure it out along the way. It's about giving yourself time and accepting the inevitable mistakes along the way
 	* You can't be the champion of everything, but you have to be your own champion of your own work and ambition.
 	* 
If making a career change was easy, everyone would be doing it. You have to constantly ask yourself, is this what I want to do? If yes, you must find a way to make this work.
 	* Deciding exactly when to leave your job behind is a very personal choice. On the one hand, you could leave on a high note, knowing you may still have left to give and gain. On the other, you could leave after you feel like you’ve given everything you can, although it can result in dissatisfaction, burnout, and even resentment.
 	* Expect the early days to be tough. Starting is often the hardest phase when you’re embarking on a new career path. However, if you know you’re doing what you want to do, with enough hard work and tenacity, you’ll turn a corner.

Episode Chapters

	* 00:00:00 - Overview
	* 00:01:07 - Introduction
	* 00:03:05 - Discussion with Aisling Drennan
	* 00:45:54 - Mental Fuel
	* 00:51:10 - Listener Challenge
	* 00:51:43 - Wrap Up




Listener Challenge
During this episode's Mental Fuel® segment, I discussed how to decide whether the time has come to pursue another path in your career.

Consider whether you have: A) anything else to gain, B) more you could give, C) more you actually want to give.

The choice is ultimately yours. I just encourage you to not overextend yourself too much and to walk away once you feel that deep down, the time is right to move on.



About Aisling Drennan, Abstract Expressionist Painter


Aisling Drennan used to be a former professional Irish dancer with Riverdance, performing internationally for almost a decade with her sketchbook and paint box in her suitcase. Originally from County Clare, Ireland, she dedicated the earlier parts of her life touring around the world, and dancing professionally.

However, she eventually began a gradual, steady career transition into the world of art. She’s now a full-time, abstract expressionist painter, balancing her artistic endeavors with motherhood after the birth of her son in early 2022. Based in London, she now creates her artwork at Delta House Studios, where you can check out her paintings along with work from several other artists.

Most recently Aisling Drennan’s work was selected for The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art’s annua...

Taking a Step Back with Ana Wagner- CR65

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