Explore every episode of the podcast Work In Progress Podcast
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Julie Ciardi is a WIP: from Marketing to Boutique Owner, Podcast Host and Business Coach
12 May 2021
00:56:20
Julie's Career Change Vice President, Digital Sales Marketing & Private Digital Commerce, North America → Boutique owner → Podcast Host and Side Hustle Business Coach
Episode Timestamps 0:59 Introducing Julie 02:44 Did Julie knew she wanted to be her own boss 04:15 On how switching jobs is different now thanks to the Internet 07:57 On whether Julie’s skills lead to her leading people or was it her own decision 14:16 What did Julie do to change positions in her corporate job 17:31 Her reasons for leaving IBM 21:55 Julie’s process of transitioning her career 30:39 Julie’s life after starting her own business 37:22 Julie’s advice for people who don’t know how to start a side hustle 41:55 Advice for people starting their brand 44:08 Advice for moms who need a bit extra cash 49:34 Covid friendly side hustles 52:11 On network marketing 54:03 Thinks Julie wishes she knew before switching careers 55:17 Julie’s social links
About Julie Julie had a career transition from a former Fortune 500 marketing VP to business coach and a podcast host. Julie believes that there has never been a better time for women to create an additional income stream that is aligned to her passions and purpose on this planet
Naira Perez is a WIP: from Logistics and Supply Chain to Digital Marketing
28 Apr 2021
00:57:35
Naira's Career Change Naira's career trajectory took a turn when she switched from a logistics and supply chain management major to a digital marketing specialist; her curiosity in data has driven her to different places and now she uses that love and curiosity to help small to medium clients achieve their marketing goals.
Episode Timestamps 01:45 Introducing Naira 02:48 Naira’s decision to pursue something different than what she studied 04:44 How long has she been active in marketing 06:02 Naira’s first marketing job 07:31 Transitioning from direct response marketing to digital marketing 11:58 Differences between her old career and her new one 16:37 Coming to realise Naira wanted to be her own boss 18:10 Starting your own company VS switching to another one 19:48 Naira’s plan of starting her own business 24:23 The importance of having a mentor/someone to look up to 25:27 What the heck is social media advertising anyways? 28:55 Marketing on a shoestring budget 30:09 What kind of marketing services do people with varying budgets get? 33:38 Naira’s typical clientele 36:49 Naira’s advice to up and coming entrepreneurs with minimal following 40:20 Essential steps towards building a viable marketing campaign 44:56 Naira’s tips on how to identify and connect with your target audience 48:09 Highlights and lowpoints of Naira’s career journey 51:31 Naira’s vision for the future of her company 55:36 Naira’s social links
About Naira Naira has over two decades of marketing experience. She got her start in direct response advertising, building brands on TV before digital was even a thing. Her main areas of expertise include developing digital marketing strategies, identifying customer patterns and behaviors on and offline, and optimizing ROI through generating qualified leads, better processes, and effective planning and execution.
Episode Timestamps 01:09 Introducing Karen 02:37 Did Karen always know she’d steer into coaching 05:48 Karen’s first time speaking to a group 09:37 How she got started with event management 15:20 What where the first days on the job like 16:20 For how long did she work as an event manager 23:46 Karen’s thoughts and actions after quitting her job 27:17 Why did she choose to come to the Americas? 28:59 Karen talks about her trip 32:12 The Tony Robins event that kickstarted it all 34:07 Highlights of the event 37:52 Finding her first clients 39:14 Bringing up the fact with her parents and friends that she wants to quit her stable job 41:10 Memorable moments throughout her career journey 48:08 Details about her coaching gig 49:44 Closing words
Karen's Career Change From events manager to coaching
About Her Karen helps clients on their awakening path to create lasting change from the inside out, by cultivating self-approval from within. By going on an inward journey, Karen helps women to harness self-mastery, attune to their own unique light, and become the conscious creators of their lives. From this internal place, she helps clients take ownership of their lives and follow aligned action in order to create their own version of success whether in career, relationships or life. It’s not always easy work, but it is the most powerful work we can do.
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About Us We have more interviews on career change on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories!
Want to learn more about why we care about career transitions? Check out Why Work In Progress
Episode Timestamps 01:25 Guest Introduction 03:14 Experiences from her previous IT Helpdesk job 06:08 Realising an IT specialist job wasn’t for her 10:58 Explanation on what a sales force job is 14:39 Steps in transitioning from IT to sales 18:50 What does a sales force job entail/tools of the job 20:19 Departure from the previous company 24:06 How to look for a remote job/What to look out for? 29:20 How did everything lead up to her current situation 35:14 Current endeavours 38:21 Acknowledging the value in career coaching and self employment 40:36 Possible future ventures 42:25 Searching for a job mid-pandemic 45:53 Closing words
Kimberly's Career Change While working as an IT Helpdesk specialist, Kimberly was given an opportunity to integrate Salesforce into her work.
WIPp 034 Claire Sellers: From Education Start-Up Director to Transformation Coach
18 Nov 2020
00:45:15
Claire's Career Change Claire worked her way up over 8 years at an education startup to a senior leadership role in New York. Claire got the privilege of working at senior roles and got to try out remote work before it was common as today, but surprisingly, she was still unhappy. After taking a year to travel and work on her mindset, she realized "It's less about fixing issues but more about shifting as a person”. In the midst of getting offers to work as COOs, she realized that her true passion is to help other women reconnect with themselves and transform.
Some simple steps from Claire if you're feeling like you have blinders on and can't seem to find enjoyment in your work, start by writing down what makes you feel joy, proud, and grateful every day! It sounds like the simplest thing and almost cliche but it has been proven by research that counting your blessings is a proven way to make you happier.
What is something that surprised you about your career change? My path started unfolding for me with every step forward I took!
About Claire Claire is a transformational career coach who helps women reconnect to themselves so they can start doing work they love and living life on their terms. After over a decade in New York City, Claire found herself in a place that is probably familiar to many of you–STUCK. She had spent the better part of her professional career working long hours, climbing a corporate ladder, chasing titles and salary increases. Through a year-long journey around the world, she transformed her mindset and redesigned her life on her terms. Claire now lives in Mexico City and is the founder of Claire Sellers Coaching and creator of FreedomU, a four month transformational coaching journey for women ready to get off the hamster wheel and onto their sacred path of purpose and freedom.
Serena's Career Change Serena's career journey went from opera singing, non-profit fundraising to career coaching. Her goal is to help people solve the problem of "I need to leave my job, but I have no idea what to do next!"
What is something that surprised you about your career change? That even in the weirdest career pivots..there is always a through-line of your strengths.
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About Us We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories!
Want to learn more about why we care about career transitions? Check out Why Work In Progress
Episode Summary In this episode we share some useful resources if you are considering changing career. Some resources we personally go to for career transitions: 1. Podcasts
Quotes from NPR Life Kit episode "How to make a career change, from someone who has done it”:
The career is not a ladder anymore, that model no longer works for most industries. Rather, it’s more like a portfolio
You take your experiences with you to your next career
The Career Change maker podcast by Janine Esbrand
Jamie talks about career change tips, strategies and inspirational stories that can help you get unstuck and transition into work that you love. She has a “Career Clarity Academy” where she helps people find clarity in what they want to do and help them do it!
Episodes 89-93 Career Change Academy break down steps to career transition by day
2. Use the people in your life as resources: when Angela was exploring Product Management, she asked brother in law and talked to MBA classmates
Find people who are doing what you want to do and ask them how they got to where they are. Try this on LinkedIn and meet more people on Eventbrite
3. if you can identify an industry or specific role~
Do your research, don’t make assumptions about what the role’s day to day is like
Find people who are doing what you want to do and ask them how they got to where they are
4. Whether you know what you want to pivot to or not, virtual events are all over the internet. We use Eventbrite to find local events and if there are specific roles I'm interested in, there almost always is at least one online community on Facebook or LinkedIn
We are part of Women Who Code, Women In Product, and TEDX communities in the Bay Area
5. Mindset is EVERYTHING! Have an open mind, be super clear about your WHYs and what drives you even if money is not in the equation. You never know what your next opportunity is going to come up and if you have any ounce of doubt about networking, listen to our episode where we interviewed Britt Ramsey who turned a 2 week internship into a full time job!
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About Us We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories!
Want to learn more about why we care about career transitions? Check out Why Work In Progress
From Teacher to Podcast Agent, Frannie's goal is to help others maximize their personal brand through podcasting and digital marketing.
Aside from working as a teacher, she was also a school administrator, project manager and fitness instructor. When she was let go from her job in early 2020, she was able to turn things around using the skills and experiences she’s accumulated over the years.
Topics discussed - Everyone is a work in progress - How she got started in teaching - Her philosophy of “people before profit” - How she discovered she was good at customer service and sales - How she created a business that fits her skills and personality - She found her first client on the same week she was let go from her previous job - Writing her first book in three weeks - The importance of knowing your boundaries - Frannie’s brother got a date from being a guest on her podcast - The worst part is cold calling - Morning routine - Advice on asking open ended questions - We might be guests on Frannie’s future talk show - Advice on creating a pitch for yourself in the podcast space
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
WIPp 030 Happy One Year Old to Work In Progress Podcast
23 Sep 2020
00:24:57
Email: workinprogressblogs@gmail.com
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A year ago, we published our first episode. It was a short introduction to what we want to achieve with this podcast. A year later, we look back, reflect and plan ahead. So far, we've interviewed 28 amazing people who switched careers to be closer to what makes them more fulfilled. Among the careers they transitioned into, there are three major groups (characters are limited, the comprehensive list is on our blog:
Music used with permission. Credit: Happy, MBB https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
WIPp 029 Emily Padan: From Teacher to Business Owner
From Teacher to Business Owner, Emily's goal is to create sustainable businesses like Bloom Class and give families the opportunity to have supplemental education from the comfort and safety of their homes.
We talked about WHY she quit the career as teacher and what she plans to do in the future with her experience in businesses and teaching.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
From Mechanical Engineer to Data Scientist and Entrepreneur, Albert's goal is to help people reach a higher level of consciousness by means of AI.
With his unbeatable determination and positivity, Albert is making the switch from mechanical engineering to data science and entrepreneurship. He has just finished a year-long master program and is ready to get started. We learn in this episode why and how he decided to switch, and what he has in mind for the future.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
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From Clinical Therapist to Corporate Global Recruiter to Entrepreneur, Brittany's purpose is to use mindset strategies to help others discover their purpose and pivot into meaningful careers. In 2015, she left clinical therapy and she talked to us about what she learned along the way.
As a recruiter, she cannot stress enough the importance of networking "when you don't have to". In graduate school she took a two-week internship at a real estate developer company and when she met the President of Sales while getting coffee in the kitchen, she debated whether she should introduce herself and make a connection. Most people in the same situation would have passed on the opportunity because this was such a short internship in an unrelated field, but she thought, "I have nothing to lose from this. I'm going to talk to him!"
Brittany introduced herself and turned in her resume even though she wasn't expecting to hear back. Years later, while working as a clinical therapist, she got a call and was offered an unexpected role that she had no prior experience in. This is how Brittany got her foot in the door in recruiting. Today, she is a Talent Acquisition Manager at L'Oreal and an entrepreneur.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Kaylee Llewellyn is a WIP: from Product to Developer within the Tech industry
14 Apr 2021
00:51:04
Kaylee's Career Change Kaylee went from a less technical product role to an app-core developer role; her mission as a woman in tech is to share her story and help other women find their path in the tech industry.
Episode Timestamps 01:16 Introducing Kaylee 02:43 Has Kaylee always wanted to be a software engineer 03:45 Looking for a new job 04:53 The Grace Hopper Conference 07:26 Kaylee’s first internship offer 13:03 How far deep into her first job did Kaylee start looking for a new one 15:55 Landing a new job and leaving the old one 19:16 The interview process of an internally moving employee 21:05 Was Kaylee’s blog made before or after moving positions 23:23 Kaylee’s challenges as a new team member 25:00 Building relationships 27:24 Challenges of being 100% remote 30:52 Kaylee’s current job’s learning curve 32:23 Reaching out for help in a brand new environment 36:37 On experiencing self-doubt 38:21 Leveraging knowledge of other programming languages during interview 39:28 First step into learning a new programming language 40:21 Kaylee’s previous position in retrospect 41:47 Women are often presented with less technical tasks 43:09 Dealing with moving to a job you didn’t expect 44:23 Communicating with your manager your lack of satisfaction with your current role 45:23 On workspace buzzwords 46:56 Female representation in lead tech positions 48:49 Kaylee’s podcast 49:53 Kaylee’s social links
About Kaylee Kaylee is a software engineer working at a fintech company remotely from Vermont in a log cabin. She has a huge passion for diversity and inclusivity in STEM and her blog - Just a Coder Thing is dedicated to career tips and sharing her experience as a woman in tech.
Xenia's switch from Political Science to Artificial Intelligence started when she learned to code and automated her own job. In her case, boredom was a driver that pushed her into a new and unexpected career path. As she got more and more into it, she began to explore Artificial Intelligence and its applications. Currently she works in the field of Aging Research.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Malak worked as an engineer and project manager in Egypt and Dubai. She was disheartened by the culture and discrimination she experienced when she challenged the authority, she was punished for doing what she thought was right. Malak immigrated to Canada alone in search of a better life and decided to never return to corporate again. She doesn't see value in devoting most of time to a corporation that doesn't value you; time should be spent in bettering ourselves and others.
Today she teaches yoga/pilates with pre/postnatal specialty and her online store features activewear that proudly showcase Egyptian/Muslim culture and the Arabic language.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Vanessa recommends Yoga Alliance which is essentially a Yelp for yoga training programs. She recommends doing a lot of research before deciding on what is right for you. For yoga studios, she recommends Yoga Salt in Culver City, Los Angeles.
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Vanessa dived head first into the career in law because that's what she always wanted to do - to help people. But soon after she started working, she realized it wasn't what she had in mind.
In 2015, Vanessa moved from Brazil to United States to pursue a different career. Her journey took many turns and with the help of her coach, Vanessa started to believe that it is possible to find a career that allows her to stay true to her core values and make a living even through the current difficult time.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
When Ashley, her husband and kids moved from New York to Los Angeles, she thought she was just leaving work temporarily and she would return to it in no time. As it turned out, she ended up loving homeschooling her kids full time; and with the current pandemic, that is not going to change anytime soon.
What we realized from speaking with Ashley is how homeschooling and choosing careers share so much in common. Instead of giving her children spoon-fed information, she lets them explore and learn to find the answers on their own. Having a self-directed curriculum allows them to think independently and this is not at all different from the mindset necessary for a successful career - which has evolved from linear paths in the past, to the dynamic “work in progress” of today.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Neha did well in her advertising career - in the 4.5 years working there, she rose through the ranks and became a manager quickly. Her ambition fueled with a "can-do" attitude and "never say no" work ethic led her to excelling at the company of her dream and an eventual burnout.
In here own words, she was "burnt to a crisp."
Neha ignored all the warning signs from her body and mental health until her hair started falling out and she quit her job cold turkey. She didn't know what she wanted to do next, but she knew that it couldn't go on any longer. Neha took the next year to get back in touch with herself and in that process, learned what made her "Neha". And she knew that she wanted to help others find what makes them unique and help them pursue that life - both professionally and personally.
Neha said that she will not just help clients find the best career for them, she emphasizes that both career and personal life should be the pursuit.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Today we have the honor of speaking with a conductor who, for the first 15 years of her working life, was a principal soloist ballet dancer. She graced the stages at the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Staatsballett Berlin, Zürich Ballet and Estonian National Ballet while continuing her musical studies in parallel. She is the first female conductor who danced on stage and has in-depth knowledge of ballet musical pieces as well as the dance choreography themselves. It was indescribable how much passion and enthusiasm seeped through Maria's voice - stories of her growing up in Estonia, her upbringing in a culture of arts and discipline, and her mother's significant role in Maria's discovering her calling in music should not be missed.
If you appreciate art, passion, sense of humor and wholehearted candor, then you do not want to skip this conversation with Maria Seletskaja.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Today we have the honor of speaking with a fellow podcaster who is spreading amazing message on social media all over. Her name is Lauren Lee and if you haven't checked out her podcast, We Belong Here, you definitely need to. Aside from hosting a podcast, she is an English teacher turned coder who wants the world to know about the unconventional paths some people have taken to break into tech.
Lauren invited us to her podcast to talk about our experience because we share this same core value that she cares deeply about. For her, it is specifically the transition to tech because she went through a career change into tech not long ago. We love the different perspective she brings and hope you get inspired by her story.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Alora and Veronica switched from advertisement and fashion to entrepreneurship. Their mission is to support ethically made goods and empower women creators through their curated online marketplace. We learned why they switched from their previous careers and how they make their partnership work across the globe between Canada and Singapore!
Stay tuned for more interesting career change stories
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Our guest Jennifer strikes me as somebody who is well spoken, intelligent and a goal getter. There is no doubt that she excels at whatever she chooses to do. Perhaps being too good at what she did led her down a path that was not what she wanted to be on in the first place. In our conversation, we talked about how she achieved success by everybody else’s yardstick but her own — and how she put a stop to that and eventually found her own version of success and mission.
Here's how and why she made the switch.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Tony Martignetti is a WIP: from Finance to Leadership Coach, Podcast Host and Author
31 Mar 2021
00:45:20
Tony's Career Change Tony made a career transition from finance to leadership coaching; his goal is to guide leaders to climb mountains, feel more fulfilled, and lead with an inspired purpose
Episode Timestamps 01:15 Introducing Tony 02:39 Did Tony always know he would become a coach 07:22 Tony’s work in music therapy and his internships 09:37 Looking for his first job 14:04 How to approach colleagues in a new job 17:08 Tony’s past work experience in finance before switching from biotech 21:04 Tony’s consultation business 25:30 The straw that broke the camels back 31:00 Tony’s next steps after the realisation 32:49 Deciding to switch to coaching instead of applying at a new firm 33:50 Friends’ and family reactions 34:58 Getting started with his new coaching gig 36:56 Acquiring the first client 38:07 Tony’s book 39:17 Tony’s advice on how to identify if you’re stuck in an unfulfilling job 41:04 Tony’s podcast 44:06 Tony’s social links
About Tony Before he became a coach, he was a finance and strategy professional with experience working with some of the world's leading life sciences companies. Along his journey, he also managed small businesses and ran a financial consulting company. Today, Tony is the host of The Virtual Campfire podcast and is currently writing his first book, "Climbing the Right Mountain: Navigating the Journey to An Inspired Life."
Louise worked in Australia as a registered nurse. One day, she decides she wants a change — a big change. She leaves her job and books a flight to the UK, and in her own words “wings it”. Everything from where to live and what to do once she lands is undecided. Her adventure hits some rough patches as she navigates nursing career in a new country with a completely different system. It is not easy and she doesn’t know anybody. And yet she pulls through. A few months ago, she started working as a CrossFit trainer full time and soon she will launch an online nutrition coaching service.
Here's how and why she made the switch.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Eike grew up in Germany and had always been into nature, animals, and art. As a child, she remembers wanting to be a veterinary and help people understand cat behavior. In university, she studied Business and Administration and after graduating she worked as a financial broker at an international bank. Eike excelled at her job and moved to other roles and was given the responsibility to manage a team at a young age. However, she became increasingly unhappy with her work and decided that she needed a change.
She left her job in search of what she wanted to do next, but was clueless how to even get started. Luckily, while relocating temporarily to London with her husband, she found an organization called Career Shifters that offered a seminar on how to find the work you love. This was the turning point of her career search that made her realize that working with animals and art would be what she wanted to do next.
Since then, she went back to school for conservation & biology and has volunteered in several conservation projects across the globe. Among her favorite moments were elephant monitoring in Africa and meeting John Dransfield at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Soon she will finish her studies and we will follow her footsteps to see where she lands next.
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Today's episode is on how Rosie transitioned from working in corporate to her own career coaching business, Badass Careers. In the past, Rosie had a successful corporate career in Human Resources and a YouTube channel Not Even French (she is still active here).
Rosie grew up in New Zealand and soon after starting a career in Human Resources, she met her French boyfriend (now husband) and her world turned upside down. In a matter of 6 months, she decided to move to Paris to be with him — but that didn’t mean she went without a plan. She got into a master’s program which allowed her to advance her studies in HR and intern while being paid. After that she found roles in various sized companies from startups to big corporate giants like L’Oreal, all in the field of Human Resources. This is when she got excited at the prospect of starting a business online, which prompted her to start a YouTube channel “Not Even French” about two years ago. In mid 2019 she left L’Oreal to start Badass Careers, an online career coaching business that combined her passion in HR and expertise in running a successful YouTube channel. Currently her income is made 100% online and she is able to travel between France and New Zealand and have autonomy over her own schedule.
Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? How did she do it? What obstacles did she overcome in order to achieve a balanced lifestyle and maintain a good living standard? We go over all these, plus some networking tips and tricks for the networkers out there. So stay tuned!
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Today's episode is on how Amanda Armstrong transitioned from nonprofit to sales at a tech startup to her own career coaching business, Athari. For more than a decade, Amanda had been devoting her time to nonprofit organizations to causes she deeply believes in. What made her switch to what she does now?
Here's what we want you to know about Amanda:
First, she's made couple switches in her career journey. Amanda’s first career transition was from nonprofit to sales. Then she started a career coaching service that generated income on the side while she continued to work at her day job. In October of 2019 Amanda turned her coaching service full time.
Second of all, if you want to find impactful career that is aligned with your personal values and strengths, check out Amanda's coaching (https://www.instagram.com/athari.careercoaching/) or contact her at amanda@athari.ca
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We have more interviews on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories.
Today's episode is on how Masha Zvereva transitioned from social media manager and marketing expert to founder and digital nomad. You might already know her by the name "Coding Blonde", just like we did, but we came to realize that there is much more behind the message she created. In our conversation, we learned how Masha faced obstacles head on and forged a successful path with unmatched positivity and growth mindset. Tune in to hear Masha tell her own story!
This episode is about how Lauren transitioned from working in the restaurant and hospitality industry to creating custom ceramics full time.
Lauren graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics and Bachelor of Science in Arts Education so she has been working with clay since college. While pursuing her career in the Carribean she took a break from it . When she moved back, she started working in a studio again, but just part time for a couple of hours a week.
What encouraged Lauren to take the leap and start working in the studio full time? And how does she handle the transition so well? What about the finances? Tune in to find out!
I am so excited to share her story with you and I hope her story inspires you just like it did for me. Without further adieu, this is Lauren’s work in progress story!
Anne changed her career from social worker to front-end web developer and this is her work in progress story!
In the beginning of her career, Anne was a social worker and as time went on, she started to feel that there was something missing and she grew unhappy. Next she worked in telemarketing and customer service but was equally unsatisfied and she knew they were just not right for her. Until a cousin encouraged her to try a coding. She did some free online courses and really fell in love with how coding allowed her to create instead of following protocols. She liked it so much that she couldn’t wait to go back home from work to start coding. Her energy and passion for coding was infectious and I really enjoyed talking to her!
I hope her story inspires you to take a step towards a more fulfilling career. Good luck with your quest!
This is the part I of Stephanie's work in progress story. Stephanie switched her paths several times in the past: after she graduated with a biology degree, she taught English in Japan, got a Masters in Business & Science, and worked in Regulatory Affairs at a Gilead... all these were before she discovered the world of user experience designer (UX designer). We talked about how she chose science, how she felt about "starting over" and her boot camp experience. We found that she has very good intuition in what she wants and what is currently missing and that is a lesson worth learning for all of us!
Leo is a director of product at a Bay Area tech startup but he actually started as a management consultant in an entirely different industry. Over the course of his career, he worked in different roles, industries, and even countries! Why did he choose a Liberal Arts program in college despite being a techie at heart? Why did he decide to quit a good career? And how did he switch from management consulting to tech start ups? What was the transition like? So many questions and we have answers for you in this episode! We hope you enjoy Leo’s work in progress story just like we enjoyed talking to him.
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Aviva Levin is a WIP: from Teacher to Graduate Student and Podcast Host
17 Mar 2021
00:55:12
Aviva's Career Change Aviva pivoted from teaching to furthering her studies as a graduate student and a podcasting
Episode Timestamps 01:01 Introducing Aviva 04:30 Experiences working with kids and young adults 11:52 Aviva’s move from Canada to the States 15:21 A day in the life of a teacher 21:07 How long ago did she move and what was her life like getting there 23:44 How does being a student change her teachers’ perspective 26:48 Effects of long distance learning on young people 29:Aviva’s transition to podcasting 36:42 Interesting stories and lessons from Aviva’s podcast 42:09 Useful advice for people to improve their learning capabilities 46:04 Aviva’s regrets over the years 53:06 Aviva’s social links / Closing words
About Aviva Aviva used to be a teacher, and now she is a graduate student and a podcaster who shares innovative educators' successes and challenges from around the world
Today’s guest is Lucybloom, a yoga instructor based in Ireland who transitioned away from her makeup artist career when she realized that she was unhappy with the long working hours and the stressful lifestyle.
She started doing yoga as a way to manage stress and as she got more advanced she flew to India and got a yoga instructor certification. At the same time, a car accident on a rainy early morning comute to the film set made her realize that this is not something wanted to continue pursuing. She decreased hours doing makeup and started teaching yoga. Today she teaches yoga and co-owns a yoga retreat with her friend Alice. It is evident how at ease and in peace she feels with her her new path.
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What was it like starting your own business?
She didn’t have much money to begin with due to the nature of freelance work. In the beginning it was hard and it took a long time to build a client base, but she took the perspective that her job is to serve and help people; she knew by sticking to that ethos, she would be coming from the right place. “If you had smaller number in your classes, you [might] feel a bit disheartened but really that’s just your ego” and at the end of the day you need to put that aside because your job is to help people who show up at the class.
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When you switched to yoga, was there anything difficult about it?
No, “it felt easy and right, I felt at home. I just actually felt like I came home.”
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Work In Progress Question: what does your next career look like?
Writer. Writing is something that comes naturally to her and she’s always enjoyed writing.
Amy quit her pharmacist career when she realized she was hitting a development ceiling and she embarked on a journey to find out what she could do next. She joined a coding bootcamp and became an UX designer one year later. In this episode Amy shared with us how she realized her career needed a change, how she figured out if tech was for her, and how she networked post bootcamp. One thing Amy pointed out that we absolutely agreed with is that, there are many transferrable skills you take with you from the previous job to the next, even if it's going into a completely different industry and role. Currently Amy's role as a UX designer allows her to use the newly acquired coding knowledge to solve healthcare problems that she has always been passionate about.
WIPp 004 Goli Kalkhoran: Lawyer, Podcaster, Blogger, Business Owner
02 Oct 2019
00:33:33
Today’s guest is Goli, who quit her career in law when she realized it wasn’t for her and went through a year long journey to figure out what she wanted to do next. She went to meetup events to network with people from different industries and felt really drawn to the tech startup scene. At around the same time she needed to rent a photo booth for her son's first birthday, but the options are there are limited and expensive. And that's when she thought "maybe I can start a business doing just that!" And that was exactly what she did: she founded a photo booth company that grew into a business.
Fast forward to today, she currently owns a business, hosts a podcast and a blog. In this episode Goli shares with us the struggles she went through and the lessons along the wayAND we talked about what she might do next with her career.
In talking to her, we learned that quitting the job you didn't enjoy actually wasn't so scary, and that a more fulfilling life awaits after you leave behind what doesn't serve you and start anew.
WIPp 003 Avery Roth: Hedge Fund Analyst, Startup Founder, Career Change Coach
25 Sep 2019
00:50:46
In this episode, we want to inspire you to make career changes with Avery's story.
How did Avery switch from a hedge fund analyst to a founder and CEO of her own company and start a coaching business helping others with their career changes? We find out for you in this episode!
Avery is a living embodiment of making bold and strategic changes and it reflects in her career trajectory. Check out Avery's profile to learn what other changes she's made in the past and take a look at her website if you are curious about what her business offers!
After a stressful career in finance for about 7 years, Shawn burnt out and decided to exit. In our conversation he explains how he managed to change career from finance to tech and the lessons along the way. Get to know him more by following him on Twitter and his website. Among the many things he's known for online, our favorite is his Learn In Public essay.
WIPp 001 Dana & Angela: Introducing the Work In Progress Podcast
16 Sep 2019
00:02:12
Introducing the Work In Progress Podcast where Dana and Angela each briefly talks about their stories and why they are passionate about advocating for change. More interviews can be found on their blog and the series How They Did It.
Hillary Bennett is a WIP: from 9-to-5 Corporate to Mompreneur and Podcast Host
03 Mar 2021
00:40:07
Hillary's Career Change From a corporate 9-to-5 to a motivated mompreneur, Hillary helps mompreneurs grow their business without growing their to-do list.
Episode Timestamps 01:47 Introducing Hillary 06:54 Difficult moments during her previous line of work 07:57 Duration of her previous career 08:55 Deciding to leave her job 11:03 Assessing the core values of Hillary’s clients 15:16 Hillary’s shifting core value assessment 19:58 Ultimately deciding to leave her job and pursue a coaching career 23:48 Friends’ and family’s reactions 24:55 Overcoming the fear of not having a stable salary 27:25 Addressing her clients’ fears 29:21 Managing her new job and momhood 31:15 Does having strict boundaries help you be more productive 32:17 Hillary’s tips on juggling work and family 34:43 Hillary’s morning routine 35:49 GSD (Get Shit Done) hour 40:52 Things Hillary learned about being a mompreneur 42:16 Finding her first client 45:19 Comparing her work life before and after her career shift 46:43 Hillary’s social links
About Hillary Hillary always knew she wanted to help people grow. When she graduated, she joined an employee development team within the HR department; she found helping people realize their potentials to be fulfilling and meaningful. As she navigated changes in her own life - the birth of her children - she realized her priorities shifted and this led to the eventual departure from a corporate setting to starting her own business as a mother of two. Currently she provides training and consulting to business owners and leaders looking to increase the growth and revenue of their organization and develop a profitable online brand
Vanessa is a WIP: from Teacher to Travel Tech Professional and Side Hustles
17 Feb 2021
00:51:45
Vanessa's Career Change From teacher, project manager to travel tech professional and the creator of Wander Onwards.
Episode Timestamps 01:03 Introducing Vanessa 02:47 Reasons for moving abroad 04:52 What were the early days of living abroad like 08:58 Why decide to code 10:47 Finding her first client 12:09 How did Vanessa start learning code on her own 13:35 Was building websites enough to keep her afloat 15:56 Finding herself 19:56 Vanessa’s major turning point 22:19 Side hustles 24:00 How has the pandemic affected Vanessa’s business ventures 25:07 Vanessa’s project management experiences 27:02 What was the catalyst that enabled Vanessa’s transition 29:31 Vanessa’s predictions about her future 30:55 Time management 32:00 Tech-talk from a self-taught coder 34:31 Application/employment tips 37:10 PRO LINKEDIN SEO TIPS FROM VANESSA 100% GUARANTEED 39:53 Vanessa’s online services and products 46:14 Thoughts on LinkedIn 49:50 Vanessa’s social links
About Vanessa Vanessa M.W is a travel tech professional and the creator of the wealth & wanderlust platform, Wander Onwards. Vanessa is originally from Los Angeles, California, she is a proud Chicana, and she has been living abroad for the last 7 years. Today, she helps people build better lives inside the US and abroad through her ‘Move Abroad’ Master Class and financial literacy digital products. She currently lives in Europe with her German Husband and Italian cat, Xiao Huang.
Tega Edwin is a WIP: From Health Researcher to Professor & Career Coach
04 Feb 2021
01:13:56
Tega's Career Change From health researcher to professor and career coach, Tega helps women who are unhappy at work get clear about who they are so they can find a fulfilling career.
Episode Timestamps 01:12 Introducing Tega 03:26 What prompted Tega’s shift 05:45 When did Tega realise her previous job was unfulfilling 06:53 How long did it take for her to realise 07:18 Steps taken after coming to that conclusion 09:08 Was introspection helpful in making a decision 10:31 Is her counselling job for a specific age group 11:10 What came next after becoming a school councillor 18:54 Did Tega originally think counselling could sustain her financially 22:49 Have Tega’s clients ever found a more fitting job than what she proposed to them 24:18 Day to day activities as a professor and consultant 28:38 Finding her first client 31:02 Breaking down Tega’s consulting process 36:30 Consultation’s time-frame 38:15 THE FUN PART: Consulting Angela 51:24 THE FUN PART: Consulting Dana 1:08:38 Regrets/Things Tega wished she knew earlier 1:10:38 What can a client do if there’s interest in one of Tega’s services? 1:12:34 Tega’s social links 1:13:09 Closing words
About Tega Tega Edwin is a career counselor and coach who helps women who are unhappy at work get clear about who they are so they can find a fulfilling career and job search with confidence. Before starting her company – Her Career Doctor – she worked as a career counselor for one of the largest career services centers in the nation. In addition to her work as a career counselor, Tega currently uses her Ph.D. in Counselor Education as a professor to train future counselors in a large research university. Tega is a licensed professional counselor, a national certified counselor, and a certified salary negotiation facilitator.
Resources Blog post is here Where to find Tega Website, Instagram
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About Us We have more interviews on career change on our podcast! Head over there to check out more interesting stories!
Want to learn more about why we care about career transitions? Check out Why Work In Progress
Ana Tajder is a WIP: from Marketing Manager to Author, Journalist & Podcast Host
20 Jan 2021
00:55:02
Ana's Career Change Marketing to Author, Journalist, and Podcast Host
About Her Ana used to work in marketing until she experienced burn out from her job and HAD TO quit for the sake of her health. She grew up in an artistic family but wanted a more "stable" career so she always looked elsewhere when it comes to career options. It wasn't until she embraced her artistic side that she realized she was meant to do this and, in her own words, "doors opened everywhere" when she started writing.
Episode Timestamps 01:17 Introducing Ana 31:01 Son walks in during the interview 31:33 On experiencing self-doubt 32:50 How does Ana organize her thoughts into a book 36:16 Awards won by “Thank You Mama” podcast 37:14 How does Ana find guests for her podcast 38:06 On having guests from all over the world 39:10 Lessons Ana learned from her mama 45:22 How does Ana manage her work and time 50:04 Ana’s advice on creative writing 52:44 Ana’s social links 53:46 Closing words
Tatiana Marie is a WIP: from Computer Science Student to Artist
06 Jan 2021
00:47:38
Tatiana's Career Change Computer Science to Art
What is something that surprised you about your career change? "I'm surprised to actually be doing something creative. I never thought being an artist, much less selling apparel would ever be feasible. It's a lot simpler than I imagined it to be."
Episode Timestamps 01:00 Introducing Tatiana 03:44 Amazon FBA explanation 04:41 Costs relating to Amazon FBA 05:50 Amazon FBA vs Etsy 08:45 Discussing how owning a store is so different from what Tatiana studied 12:05 Time spent figuring out career switching 18:51 How did Tatiana’s CS degree help her with her current endeavours 20:59 Graduating/Starting a business mid-pandemic 24:42 Current state of business / Venturing into coaching 28:33 Friends and family’s attitude towards Tatiana’s focus shift 32:12 How can an artistically illiterate person start his own print shop 34:14 Highs and lows of Tatiana’s career transition 39:53 Next steps 42:20 Time spent managing an online shop 45:53 Tatiana’s social links 46:30 Closing words