Career Pauses Aren’t Gaps: Returning to Engineering After 12 Years at Home
Returning to work after a career break? Here’s what stay-at-home moms get told: the years home don’t count, you’ll come back at a lower title, and you should take whatever salary is offered. Leah Tilstra rejected all three — and walked back into engineering at Abbott with a senior title and a sign-on bonus after […]
From Spotify Exec to Solo Founder – Career Pivot | Courtney Reimer
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 […]
The Career Wakeup Call You Can’t Keep Ignoring: the Whisper, the Knock, the Frying Pan
The universe doesn’t always shout — sometimes it whispers for years before it knocks. And if you keep ignoring the knock, eventually it hits you over the head with a frying pan — and for Molly, that frying pan had a name: layoff. ABOUT GUEST: If you’re a woman in your 40s or 50s sitting […]
From Invisible to Iconic: One Mom’s Color Awakening | Marissa Ray
There is a moment when something finally feels like you — not the version of you that carpools and manages spreadsheets, but the version that has been waiting. Marissa found hers in a color drape. She didn’t blow up her life — she built a new one, slowly, intentionally, one client at a time, and […]
Second Act Career: Corporate HR to Solo Founder | Carol Thompson
You’ve spent years inside corporate America watching how the game is played — what gets negotiated behind closed doors, what’s actually in that separation agreement, and what your employer is hoping you never think to ask. Carol Thompson spent 12 years as a corporate HR director before walking away to build her own consulting practice […]
From Accountant to Author: Ruby Raynes’ Inspiring Journey – Midlife Career Change
Ruby Raynes shares her extraordinary journey as both an accountant and a romance author in this engaging episode. Remarkably, she composed her third book, “Jasper,” while battling breast cancer, demonstrating her resilience and dedication to her craft. In our conversation, Ruby illuminates the significance of her writing not only as a personal outlet but also […]
Navigating a Passion-Led Career Change with Hailey Smith
A passion-led career change does not transpire instantaneously; rather, it is a gradual unfolding of deliberate actions and reflections. Hailey Smith’s journey exemplifies this principle, as she transitioned from an essential worker to the founder of Simply Creative, a thriving art studio in Minneapolis. Throughout our discussion, we delve into the pivotal 2AM moment that […]
Heart-Head Alignment: How She Left Accounting to Own a Gym | Tina Hegna, Burn Boot Camp Maple Grove MN
She always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur. She just needed something worth building. Tina Hegna spent over a decade in corporate accounting — not because she’d given up on that dream, but because the right application hadn’t found her yet. Then she walked into a Burn Boot Camp class as a member, and […]
When your hobby becomes your calling – Navigating a Passion-Led Career Change with Hailey Smith
A passion-led career change does not transpire instantaneously; rather, it is a gradual unfolding of deliberate actions and reflections. Hailey Smith’s journey exemplifies this principle, as she transitioned from an essential worker to the founder of Simply Creative, a thriving art studio in Minneapolis. Throughout our discussion, we delve into the pivotal 2AM moment that […]
Midlife Career Change: Use Existing Skills to Land Your Dream Role – Joanna Ehresman
A midlife career change can feel like trading everything you’ve built for a leap into the unknown — especially when you’re starting over in a field that doesn’t know your name yet. If you’re a woman over 40 staring down a layoff, a restless feeling, or a career that no longer fits, the question isn’t […]