Archive for year: 2021

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If You’re Considering a Career Change, Read This First

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If you’re standing at the edge of a career change, you’re likely feeling a mix of excitement and quiet fear. Something in you knows it’s time — and yet everything familiar is pulling you back.

Career transitions rarely fail because of a lack of talent or courage. They stall because of invisible beliefs, inherited rules, and well-intentioned voices that make change feel irresponsible, unrealistic, or selfish.

Before you take your next step, pause to see more clearly. These reflections are the things I wish more people knew before embarking on a new professional chapter. They won’t tell you what to do, but they may help you trust why you’re doing it.

1. The only approval you need is yours

Beautifully expressed by Amanda Gorman, the need for approval is one of the most common hurdles that may stop you in your momentum. The minute you share bold, ambitious dreams for yourself, you will see a number of red flags raised around you. Well-intentioned, loving people in your life will instantly reject the idea that you may get lost in ambitious and risky projects. They want you safe, and the status quo is largely safer than… anything else. Red flags will come from all directions. Colleagues or friends may sense an unavowable pang of jealousy at your renewed aliveness. Don’t take it personally, it’s about them, not you. 

2. Big dreams don’t make you a dreamer

The biggest red flag, though, is in yourself. It is cultural. People with dreams are dreamers. Dreamers are no achievers. This idea was drilled in your subconscious at an early stage, and you will find it on your way to a new career. Don’t buy the simplification. Rather, engage in honest exploration: What is really important to you? What does your future, the one you crave, look like, taste like? What is your own definition of success, from now on? Does it encompass every aspect of your life? Does it bring value to you and the people around you? What would be the markers of your future success? The more aware you are of what you really want and why, the more enticing your vision is, the better. As the genius dream architect Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it”.

3. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity

How many times lately have you heard yourself say something like, “She was lucky to get this job”? By default, we tend to attribute positive, unexpected events to luck — whatever that word really means. Yet abundant scientific literature suggests that “lucky” people have their own way of attracting luck. They do so in two essential ways: they put as many chances as possible on their side, and they keep their senses wide open to allow meaningful coincidences to occur.

If you want to share a strong business idea with a highly sought-after person, for instance, you may want to make sure your idea truly brings value to them. You refine it, rehearse your pitch until it becomes clear and compelling, gather as much insight as possible about where and how this person might be accessible — and then you let go. Because if your idea is genuinely good, it will find its way into the world. With or without that person.

4. It is so cool to go back to school

A current cause of stress for career transitioners is the necessity to get extra training. Will you be able to learn as fast as you used to? Is your brain capable of memorizing new knowledge? How awkward will it feel to sit on a school bench at your age? What will your ex-colleagues think? How will you cope with homework, supervision, and exams?  Most likely, all of these fears will materialize. Yes, you will feel intellectually rusted. Yes, you will have to deploy your best efforts to catch up. Yes, it will feel awkward sometimes. Yes, some well-intentioned peer will ask what the hell do you expect, getting back to school at your age. And yes, homework sucks. But the reward is invaluable. Your decision to be a student again is a gift you offer to yourself and an investment in your future. The process is fun too. Learning has its own way to pump up your spirit and upgrade your self-image. 

5. You will never look back

Maybe the most important thing I have learned is that there is no way back. More accurately, there is no desire to go back to square one. You are a creature of movement, like all living creatures in this world. The journey towards a fulfilling second act of life is both bumpy and interesting. We talked about the inner reward of learning, and learning comes in many different ways. Questioning the status quo makes you more alive. Taking bold moves towards work and life that you love triggers renewed energy. And keep in mind that you might well become a source of inspiration for other people’s own journey into their own second act.

 

Career Transition After 40: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier

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My mentor suggested that I write a post about the things I wish I had known earlier about career transition. I liked the idea and, based on my personal journey as well as my experience as a coach, I started with five essential points aimed at helping professionals get on the fast lane. 

1. You are not alone

Studies show that an increasing number of experienced professionals are undertaking a career change, and even more are considering it. Three-fifths of UK workers (60%) intend to make changes to their careers as a result of the Covid outbreak, an increase of seven percentage points since July 2020 (53%).*

So why does it feel weird and lonely? It is because nothing prepared you to handle one or several career changes in your life. Society tends to assign you a role, tied to a life cycle: In your junior years, you prove your competence. As you are getting experienced, you excel in your field. And then, what? You retire. While there is nothing wrong with linear career paths, it does not work for everyone. Probably not for you, if you are reading these lines. 

2. Your skills are transferable – All of them

My clients who crave a new career are taken aback by the thought that their expertise might be lost when they change jobs. It is natural to take pride in those skills you have mastered over time. The good news is, you take everything with you on the journey.  Those skills will manifest in creative ways, coming in handy to serve your goals while you are expanding in your new project. Interestingly, ancient or dormant skills will show up and prove valuable to handle new situations. Your brain creates new circuits while tapping into resources you did not remember you had. And this is particularly refreshing. 

 

3. It is OK to be lost in transition

Describing career transitions as uncomfortable is an understatement. More accurately: Everything which made you feel grounded in social status is gone. Welcome to unchartered territories, where nobody is waiting for you with your name on a sign. No driver, no limousine. It requires courage to leave the familiar in order to become a new version of yourself. Uncomfortable, scared, and excited all together, highs and lows are in order. But, as Maya Angelou said: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” The butterfly is you.

4. Money and time are no excuses

“I will do a job I really love when I have enough time, or money” (or both). 

Does that sound familiar? Of course, these two factors are critical components of a decision, and critical metrics to monitor all along the way. Controlling your time and financial resources through a career transition will be essential to succeed. Be aware that the conservative, risk-averse part of you will always show up with these massive excuses that are the lack of (or the fear of lack of) time and or money. Or both. It is your call to let these fears be the master of you.

5. Nature is in constant change and so are you

“Nothing is absolute, everything changes, everything moves, everything evolves, everything flies and goes away”.

These lines written by the fascinating artist Frida Kahlo can be interpreted as words of regret and melancholy. Or, from another perspective, as the constant evolution of all things that allow rebirth, re-invention, possibilities, relief, reboot, rejuvenation, and creation. When looking back at your career, you may take pride in what you have achieved, and, simultaneously, realize that this pattern is no longer fulfilling you. You can cherish your past achievements and look forward to what you are going to do next. This is not a lack of consistency in your choices. It is about the inherent nature of all of us, to thrive in movement or shrink in stagnation.

 

 

 

*Aviva “How do we live” Report, 2021

3 Reasons why your Career Transition is Stalling (And How to Get Back on Tracks)

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Congratulations — you’ve decided to take charge of your future.

You have the experience, the skills, and the desire to move toward a new professional chapter. So why does everything suddenly feel harder than expected? Why are you feeling stuck, discouraged, or drained? What happened to the motivation that once felt unstoppable?

Career transitions rarely unfold in a straight line. In this article, I explore three common reasons why a career change can stall — and how to regain momentum.

1. Do you lack flexibility?

We rarely give enough credit to the power of having a plan — and sticking to it. I am a big believer in planning. That said, real life has a tendency to interfere.

Especially during a career transition, unexpected events are inevitable. Resistance shows up. Doors close. Opportunities shift. The key question becomes:
Is this a temporary hurdle — or a signal to reassess direction?

Life doesn’t pause while we redesign our careers.

Perhaps your partner receives an unexpected job offer abroad.
A promising lead falls through.
A baby arrives.
Health issues demand attention.
Or an unforeseen opportunity suddenly appears.

Whatever the situation, the challenge is to adapt without losing sight of your deeper intention.

When you are clear on your values — what truly matters to you — flexibility becomes easier. Your vision acts as a compass. You may adjust the route, but you don’t lose direction.

When you stay anchored in your why, you become less attached to the how. And this is often where new, unexpected opportunities emerge.

2. Are you feeling lonely?

Career transitions can be surprisingly lonely — even when your life is full.

You may have a supportive partner, family, and friends. You’ve shared your plans and received encouragement. Yet day after day, you find yourself alone with your laptop, navigating uncertainty and self-doubt.

Motivation has a limited lifespan. Discipline eventually gives way to anxiety.

This is normal — and it’s also a sign that you shouldn’t do this alone.

What helps enormously is connecting with people who understand what you are trying to build. Peer groups, professional communities, alumni networks, entrepreneur circles, training cohorts, mastermind groups — both online and in person — can radically shift your energy.

When you find your tribe:

  • You gain perspective and feedback

  • You exchange expertise and feel useful again

  • Your confidence grows through connection

  • Your network expands organically

  • You return to your project with renewed clarity

Career transitions thrive in community. Isolation weakens momentum.

3. Are you stuck in a mental pit?

You started out like a champion, tackling the first steps of your transition like the kick-ass professional you are. Then things started to slow down, hurdles began to accumulate, and your energy started lacking. Self-doubt and guilt are center-stage, draining your emotions and clouding your skies. Positive thinking doesn’t help when the fear of failure is running the show.

The first truth to keep in mind: A career transition always takes more time than expected. Resistance is what you meet most, starting with your own human inclination to cling to the status quo. A change of perspective is needed.

The prescription? Radical honesty and self-compassion. Radical honesty means taking a 360° look at your current reality — without judgment. Revisiting earlier decisions. Checking whether your goals still reflect who you are today. Acknowledging how far you’ve already come.

Self-compassion means recognizing that at this stage of life, you no longer need to prove that you can overachieve. You already did.

Now the invitation is to become a better achiever — one who values emotional and physical health as much as professional success.

Sometimes progress doesn’t mean choosing between “all or nothing.” It means creating transitional phases, parallel paths, or temporary arrangements that restore energy and open space for clarity.

A Final Thought

Career transitions are not linear. They are deeply human processes — shaped by values, identity, fear, desire, and timing. If your transition feels slow or confusing, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It may simply mean you’re in the middle of redefining your second act.

Reinventing Your Career After 50: What Most People Get Wrong

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Have you been repeatedly inspired by the stories of friends, colleagues, or people you follow online who changed careers in their fifties and started something entirely different? Have you wondered, even for a moment, how exciting it would be to follow their example?

Then this article is for you.

In all honesty, nobody ever said it was easy. It never is. But the most difficult step may well be the very first one: overcoming your preconceived ideas about what it takes to follow your inner North Star and begin a meaningful second act of life.

Over the years, I have noticed that the same beliefs come back again and again when professionals start considering a career transition later in life. Here are four of the most common misconceptions I hear before the real work begins.

1. I am too old

Misconceptions about age are particularly powerful because ageing itself remains a taboo. Things become even more uncomfortable the day you realise you are now officially part of the “senior” or “older” workforce. At that point, the only visible horizon seems to be retirement.

If that is not what you want — if the idea of stepping out at a given date makes your stomach tighten — you may find yourself asking: “How old will I be when I finally succeed in a new career?”

The short answer is simple: the same age you will be if you stay exactly where you are.

We age anyway. That is a fact of life.

The better answer is this: you have choices. You always do. A new professional chapter may come with a different lifestyle, one where work and personal life are combined in a way that feels more humane and more aligned with who you are today. Research confirms this shift. According to Aegon’s studies on retirement, many experienced professionals no longer want the traditional “cliff-edge” retirement, but rather a gradual transition toward a rhythm that better suits their evolving needs.

2. I will need a lot of training

This belief is also widespread — and often exaggerated.

Once you are truly clear about what you want to do, the rest becomes execution. If additional skills are required, you will acquire them. Motivation plays a far greater role than age ever could.

One of my clients transitioned from being a CEO in the media industry to becoming a professional skipper, sailing clients across the Mediterranean on a luxury boat. While he had been an experienced sailor for years, he needed a formal certification. He committed fully, trained for six months, and graduated with honours.

The desire to learn does not fade with time. On the contrary, as the Brave Starts survey highlights, the drive to learn remains strong — enriched by the perspective, discernment, and self-awareness that come with experience.

3. I will lose my status

Yes, you probably will. And that can feel unsettling.

But the more important question is not what you lose — it is what you gain instead.

When was the last time you revisited your definition of success? What truly matters to you now? What do you want people to see in you? What impact do you want to have?

Perhaps you want to use your experience in a more meaningful way. Perhaps an entrepreneurial idea has been quietly waiting for permission to exist. There are no right or wrong answers here — only an invitation to realign your actions with your values.

Business cards and titles lose their power quickly when they no longer reflect who you are becoming. As you step into your second act, a new form of status naturally emerges — one rooted less in hierarchy and more in coherence, contribution, and freedom.

4. I will be financially vulnerable

If financial concerns are part of your reflection, you are asking the right questions.

Money matters. A career transition must be approached with clarity, not wishful thinking. You need a full-picture view in order to make an informed decision — one that considers both your needs and those of your family.

This exploration is essential because many of us unconsciously cling to financial standards that no longer match what we truly want. You may discover that you are ready to simplify, downsize, relocate, or redesign your lifestyle. Doing work that feels meaningful often comes with rewards that go far beyond salary, sometimes making it easier to let go of things that once mattered more.

Different phases of life bring different priorities. Reviewing your assets, income expectations, and pension planning helps you understand what you already have — and what you actually need — to support the life you want to live.

 

¹ Unlocking the Value of an ageing working force, 2021

Ed Kushins

Reinventing Work After 50: A Conversation About Purpose, Freedom, and Longevity

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Meet an inspiring ground-breaker and achiever, a leader who is changing the culture around age, work, and living a purposeful second act of life.

Ed Kushins is an ex-US Navy submarine officer, entrepreneur, startup investor, social innovator, sharing economy trail-blazer, people connector, avid traveler, and good life lover.  Please join me for a fascinating conversation on a sunny Californian beach with my ex-boss, mentor, and friend, a man who makes his most strategic decisions barefoot in the sand.

How did your 50’s look professionally?

In my 50’s I was running two businesses in parallel. One was a family scrap metal recycling business, Fairway Salvage, that I subsequently built from 2 to 55 employees. I had a partner on board, which allowed me to run the company without spending too much time on it.

The other one started more as a hobby than a business but ended up becoming much larger. I had been on a home exchange vacation with my family and came back enthusiastic about the concept. The owner of that company declined my offer of some free marketing advice, so I started my own company in competition. The game-changer was taking the service from paper to digital, making HomeExchange one of the first online communities in the nascent sharing economy.  In 2006, the romantic comedy “The Holiday” propelled home exchange into the spotlight. The success of the movie was a booster for the company, which started to become profitable.  The same year, I sold Fairway Salvage to focus on HomeExchange.

From day one, I ran the company from my home near the beach in Southern California, never from an “office”. It was a conscious decision that when building the Team, I recruited Reps, Customer Service, and even my Partners exclusively from our community of Members. I figured they would be satisfied users who could relate personal experiences and would know everything about the home exchange process with almost no training.

To help our 60+ Team members (who all worked remotely around the world) bond together, I invited them every year with their families to a half-work, half-vacation retreat somewhere fun, usually on the beach… Evian, Croatia, Greece, Biarritz, Hermosa Beach, Myrtle Beach, Mt. Tremblant, Taormina, and more! With the input of my Team and partners, HomeExchange continued to grow until we sold it to a competitor in 2017.

When you sold HomeExchange you were hitting 70. What was next for you?

I was happily retired for 6 months, then a new idea kicked in. I am a networking guy, I’m always looking for ways to connect people. My new website, VacationPropertyPartners.com, connects two families to partner to split the cost and enjoy the benefits of a vacation home. We “hold their hands” until they buy the vacation home together.
Besides VacationPropertyPartners, I make myself available to help business owners with their marketing strategies. I am an active member of the Rotary, where I contribute to 3 to 4 projects. As an ex-Navy officer, I am part of an initiative that helps veterans re-enter civilian life. I am also active in an investors’ group focusing on startups.

Do your professional engagements support other aspects of your life?

Totally. I’ve made a conscious effort to not only keep a balance between the time and energy devoted to the professional and personal areas of my life but to use each of them to enhance the other. Terry and I love to travel and I actually chose to concentrate on HomeExchange because it allowed me to create more opportunities to do so for business and pleasure. For me, learning, meeting people from around the world, building a successful business around a product, culture, team, and members that I believe in, have all been incredibly satisfying.

Along the way, I’ve developed some habits and rules I try to follow:

  • Keep my work, personal life, and health in balance.
  • Prioritize my tasks so I know what I want/need to do each day/week/month/year. Sometimes “Go to the beach” is on the list. It’s OK to get away from the computer for a while.
  • Appreciate my customers and try to keep them happy.

I’ve got 5 long-term priorities… “The journey of 1000 miles”  that I’m taking the first steps on:

  1. Appreciate my wife and always try to make her happy
  2. Do what I can to stay healthy
  3. Launch my new website, VacationPropertyPartners.com
  4. Write (or dictate) a memoir
  5. Finish my long-in-process (only 35 years) book about the personal decision-making process. Becoming aware of how you make personal and professional decisions, however big or small, is a super-power.

What is your definition of success and how would you evaluate your success on a scale from 1 to 5?

Definitely 5/5. My insight into how and why I’ve made the choices I’ve made allows me to accept and feel comfortable with what I’ve done.  I accept the result of choices and actions that I’ve made along the way, given my expectations of the risks and rewards, as well as the work, time, effort, and sometimes money I’ve followed through with.

Life is good. Every night I go to bed grateful and excited for another day.

Embracing the Mid-Life Riser: Redefining Success in the Second Act of Your Career - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

Beyond the Retirement Cliff: Reimagining Work After 50

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Studies show that, long before our 50th birthday, we want to work differently. If conditions are met, we are happy to work longer, even beyond the official retirement age.  For most of us, the retirement cliff does not work anymore.

The Retirement Paradox

For some, the perspective of retirement is attractive. It gives hope for a better, more relaxed future, with plenty of time to do the things they love. So why do you feel a tingle in your stomach from the perspective of being “out” at a given date? As a skilled professional, are you a product with an expiration date? Do your competencies vanish at sixty-something? Does your appetite to contribute dry out the day you have covered the legal number of quarters? The truth is, there is an abyss between how people see and feel themselves, and the mandatory path they are herded into.

The Grey Zone After 50

Another damaging effect of the standard retirement age is that, if you happen to be in the labor market after 50, you enter an undescribed grey zone. Just a few years earlier, you were a searched-for, high-potential professional. You worked your ass off to improve your skills and climb the ladder. But for some reason, you are starting to hear things like “too expensive”, “lack of technology skills” and all sorts of polite variations of “too old”. The rich CV that you hold like a trophy is becoming a burden. You catch yourself shortening the “Education” and Early jobs” sections. You avoid putting dates in front of milestones, especially the ones from the past century.

Between Burnout and Retirement, There Must Be Another Way

It does not have to be this way. Between a full-time, highly competitive rat race, and a life of leisure, there has to be something that works for you. This something is not published as a job opening. It requires some serious work to figure out what your next step is, and the sooner the better. Seniority at work and experience of life are blessings. But in the perspective of creating something entirely new and highly subjective, these assets can stand in your way.

When Past Success Stops Being the Right Compass

Beliefs and motivations that have helped you get to a point of success may not be that useful to create a fulfilling second act. Some parts of yourself have been extended and nurtured to get you where you are. Some parts, on the contrary, have been ignored. Now is the time to acknowledge them. Now is the time to activate these talents and evaluate a more integrative new life project. Maybe you crave meaningful work, maybe you want more impact in your engagement. And likely, you value your health, you are more aware of your personal needs and you long for and a better work-life balance.

Redefining Success in the Second Act

“Think big” is a concept to re-visit with an open mind. “big” is not the opposite of “small” but the opposite of “conventional, one-size-fits-all, black-and-white, finished”. Opportunities for an unconventional, fulfilling second act of life are out there, invisible to the eyes which have not been opened, yet. And this is great news because the world needs your experience and your talent.

Are you ready to become a mid-life riser?

Alexandra Humbel
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