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From Spotify Exec to Solo Founder – Career Pivot | Courtney Reimer, Sounds Great Strategy, Ep. 8

You spent 20+ years building real expertise — the kind you can’t fake — and now you’re staring down a layoff, a restructure, or just a quiet voice asking if this is really it. What if the skills you’ve spent two decades building are the exact foundation you need for something that’s finally yours?

ABOUT GUEST: Courtney Reimer is the founder and principal strategist at Sounds Great, a podcast strategy company, and the host of the podcast Talking the Talk. After two decades as a senior executive at Spotify, Audible, MTV, and Discovery — including executive producing Archetypes with Meghan Markle — she was laid off and started her own business. In this conversation she walks through the real mechanics of a midlife career change: the “you’re not your job” reframe from her husband, the moment she realized her expertise was worth paying for, the under-pricing trap, and why being 52 is an asset rather than a liability.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

  • [00:09:59]How Courtney decided to bet on herself and start consulting after a layoff
  • [00:11:03]The signal that tells you your 20 years of expertise is worth paying for
  • [00:14:06]The five-word mantra her husband gave her:“You’re not your job”
  • [00:26:08]The practical and financial considerations of starting your own business
  • [00:28:33]How to set your consulting rates when you’re starting out
  • [00:31:17]Why 52 is a credibility marker, not a liability, in a midlife career change

GUEST OFFER:

Sounds Great — Launch Podcast Accelerator — to find out more, email Courtney at: courtney@soundsgreatstrategy.com

Website: https://www.soundsgreatstrategy.com

Podcast: Talking the talk

Additional Guest References

SPONSOR: Roots & Bloom — follow on Instagram

Mention Her Intentional Reset for 20% off code of plant purchase.

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About the Show:

Her Intentional Reset is a midlife podcast for women navigating career change — honest, deep-dive conversations about career pivots, second acts, and reinvention with women who’ve actually lived it. This women’s empowerment podcast speaks to women in 30’s, 40, women over 50, Gen X women, working moms, empty nesters, and corporate women dealing with burnout — women redefining success and finding their why after a layoff, a career wall, or the moment work just stopped feeling right. Each episode traces a real transition story: the catalyst for change behind it, whether that’s a layoff story, career burnout, or hitting a wall; the steps and timeline behind how she actually made the change — quitting a corporate job, leaving corporate America, starting over professionally, and/or going from employee to entrepreneur; and an inside look at her industry along the way.

The conversations also get into the practical side most career-change content skips: transferable skills, upskilling and reskilling in midlife, starting a business with no experience, and career change without a degree. And because money is always part of the story, guests talk financial planning for a career change — paying yourself first, building a financial runway and safety net, income gaps, self-employed health insurance, saving for retirement while self-employed, and the money mindset it takes to trade a paycheck for financial freedom in midlife.

Guests share the career pivot lessons learned, the advice for career changers, and what they wish they’d known before quitting — then close out with a Rapid Round covering the real-life stuff: family recipes, book and show recommendations, a life motto, and a wellness or self-care tip for midlife women, because women are often each other’s best guides and teachers. It’s never too late to make a change, follow your intuition, and listen to that quiet voice — every episode leaves listeners feeling inspired and empowered to explore their own career pivot, second act, or next chapter, on their own terms. New episodes of this career change podcast and midlife podcast for women release biweekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Transcript
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