A Bold Change of Career: On a Mission to Celebrate All of Life’s Events

Valery Guyot-Sionnest who embraced a bold change of career to become a Funeral PlannerValery Guyot-Sionnest

Valery Guyot-Sionnest had a successful and envied career in the world of luxury, from cosmetics to fashion to hospitality, as a Communications Director for leading groups such as Estée Lauder and Barrière. Today, she reinvents an industry that is as muted as it is essential, the last farewell to loved ones. Meet a remarkable person who embraced a bold change of career and made it her mission to be a precious ally to families when they need it most.

Why such a bold change of career?

I was born an organizer, this is what I do. I’ve taken care of all of life’s events, now I’m taking care of the last one. The decision was both linear and mission-driven. I have been a Communications Director most of my adult life. It’s a job that already existed. As a Funeral Planner, I am breaking new ground. I feel like a warrior and a missionary. This profession is known in the USA and in the Northern Europe countries, whereas it is quite new in France.

What motivated you?

First, I believe that a 50+ years old Director of Communication is irrelevant. Secondly, the human factor has guided me all my life. The last tribute to a person is fundamental. It is a one-time event. There is no possible rehearsal.

I embraced this new change of career with a sense of mission combined with business ambition. I had this idea for a long time. What makes one farewell ceremony different from another? People. Every human being is unique. Every last tribute has to be unique as well.

Most of us are afraid of death. In the Western world, when we lose someone, it is a disaster. I am aware that I am touching on a real taboo. During the pandemic, families could not attend funerals. I, therefore, organized video recordings of funeral ceremonies. It is a very delicate work, which requires two professional cameramen for a high-quality rendering. We have to respond to all situations and sometimes to very specific requests.

Faced with an inanimate being, empathy comes first, a deep concern for the person. It’s also a race against time. My job is to think quickly and take flawless action on very short notice. A wedding planner has six months to prepare. I have three days.
I take care of families of various faiths, sometimes multi-religions. I quickly understand the situation. I work without a safety net. At my age, it suits me well!

How did your change of career go?

I took 240 hours of training on topics including legal, religion, civil ceremonies, police, and cemetery regulations.

While I was taking the course, I kept running my communication agency. There were intense moments. One day I was in charge of a Muslim funeral. The same evening, I was organizing a lingerie catwalk show. It was challenging. In the funeral business, you have to be very flexible. I went looking for the right energy.

My goal was to be acknowledged by the profession. I started by setting up a company with partners, but it did not work, so I had to change the structure of my business. Today, I am backed by Funecap, the 2nd largest funeral group in France. I will continue to develop my partnership with the group, and expand my reach in Europe.

I have an exciting project, to develop a Funeral Planner module within the training academy, to share the concepts and the best practices with a new generation.

I am making a film about the construction of a chapel ordered by a family, in tribute to a loved one. Eighty professionals, representing seven different trades are at work. Again, the human factor is at the heart of this project and I am very proud to contribute.

I also work on more accessible concepts. Many people ask me for a “simple” ceremony. But this notion means something different for everyone. All lives are unique and deserve to be celebrated.

What did you learn about yourself?

I continue to learn from each family. These encounters give me 250% more life energy.

It’s a wonder. Living in service to others gives me a purpose. Should I have done it before? I don’t think so.

I’m not interested in retirement. My partner and I have raised eight children (four each). My professional life is humanly rich, infinite, and magnificent, even though the emotional load is sometimes heavy.

This career change did not change me. It improved me. I experienced my mother’s death with serenity and peace of mind. I am closer to my truth.

In my work, I am very attentive to the well-being of families. I am particularly attuned to children. I find solutions that are both creative and technical. I care for them. This goes through simple things: Did you sleep? Did you eat? I try to restore a daily routine for people who feel lost.

Your advice to those who want to embrace a second act?

When you get close to retirement age, you realize that you still have a lot to do. You have to go for it, and at the same time, adopt the strategy of taking small steps. During a change of career, you need perspective, empathy, and a business mind. In the beginning, I launched myself into a partnership which proved to be a bad experience. It didn’t stop me. I moved on quickly. I have a great energy that pushes me forward.

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Are you unhappy at work? Beware of the Sunk Cost Fallacy

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Are you unhappy at work? Be aware of the Sunk Cost FallacyAlexandra Humbel Coaching

If you are considering making a big decision, like changing jobs or embracing an entirely new industry or career, you better be aware of your decision-making process. What stands in the way of making educated choices and how can you debunk your own biases?

I had an aha moment when I discovered that what I had experienced myself, and observed in others for many years, had a name. Award-winning journalist David Mc Raney masterfully described the Sunk Cost Fallacy:

Misconception: You make rational decisions based on the future value of objects, investments, and experiences.

Truth: Your decisions are tainted by the emotional investments you accumulate, and the more you invest in something the harder it becomes to abandon it.

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman gave a fascinating insight on the topic. According to him and his colleague Amos Tversky, organisms that placed more urgency on avoiding threats than they did on maximizing opportunities were more likely to pass on their genes. Over time, the prospect of losses has become a more powerful motivator on your behaviour than the promise of gains.

According to Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the “pain of paying” arises whenever you must give up anything you own.

How does the Sunk Cost Fallacy impact your career decisions?

You, and possibly your parents, have invested in your education, giving you opportunities to start a career in an area of your choice. Since then, you have made your way in the corporate world to better jobs, better pay, more empowering positions. Or you may have created your own company, maybe several, and led them to growth. You had your share of successes and failures. The sum of time and effort you have put into your career has created the professional you are now, at this moment of time.

Even though you are not happy with what you experience at work now, the idea of giving up what you have built, year after year, is just unbearable. David Mc Raney gives this example:

“Have you ever gone to see a movie only to realize within 15 minutes or so you are watching one of the worst films ever made, but you sat through it anyway? You didn’t want to waste the money, so you slid back in your chair and suffered.”

Your career is not fiction and your investment is worth more than a movie ticket. But still, why are you staying? Are you paying a tribute to all the pain, time, and effort which resulted in this not-so-fulfilling position where you are now? How do you bypass the Sunk Cost Fallacy?

Awareness starts with small things

In your everyday life, you make dozens of micro-decisions, from what to buy for dinner to how to respond (or stay silent) when you disagree in a meeting. Become an avid observer of your decision-making process. I recently bought a suitcase, however, I was not 100% sure that it was the cabin size I wanted. I came home and realized that it was the wrong size, which hardly surprised me. I had completed the purchase at the end of an afternoon of shopping which was all but enjoyable, for various reasons, including that I did not find the things I wanted to buy. So I wanted to go back home with at least one useful item to justify my unsuccessful shopping afternoon. Our decisions patterns are pretty much the same for every instance of life. Get curious about your own bias.

There is no loss, only transformation

This is not an easy one, rather a big chunk of wisdom that takes a lifetime to digest. How does it relate to your career? Wherever you go, everything you have learned and achieved stays with you. Think of the value you will bring to a new environment, a new team, and a new project. This travels with you and continues to expand as you challenge yourself.

Zoom in: Transferable skills

This is something I invite my clients to explore thoroughly at some point. You think all your skills are described in your CV, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. At this point in your life, you deserve more than doing the things you know you can do. You want to focus on what you shine at, on the things that come to you so naturally and willingly, that you are in a flow and deliver your best work with the greatest impact. For more on this, read my post here.

Zoom out: The big picture

Questions about your next career move can become painfully obsessive, for a good reason. There is much at stake and you want to make educated choices, especially if you have to step beyond your comfort zone and take risks. At that point, I invite my clients to put aside, for a moment the career topic. This can sound counterintuitive, as this is the very reason why they hired me. It takes one session to understand that your real agenda is the life you want, including your health, how much time do you need for your family, for your personal wellbeing, how much money you need to sustain this life, what needs to change to put your project in motion, among others. Read more about the big picture in this article.

 

 

Sources
Mc Raney, D. “You Are Not So Smart” Book Depositary Link
Kahneman, D. “Thinking, Fast And Slow Book Depositary Link
Ariely, D. “Predictably Irrational” Book Depositary Link

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The Big Picture

The Big Picture - Alexandra Humbel at the Wynwood Walls in MiamiAlexandra Humbel

The Wynwood Walls, in the famous street art district of Miami, are a source of awe for me. I love to feel dwarfed and overwhelmed by these powerful pieces of mural art. My latest visit inspired me with a question: Are you watching the big picture in your life? Or only some fragments of it?

The big picture of your world is what you call reality. Because you have been taught that what you see, touch and feel at every moment is reality, the very idea that the person sitting next to you in the bus or at a concert has a different perception is weird. Aren’t you seeing the same buildings, feeling the same bumps on the road, hearing the same music? Nevertheless, your neighbour’s experience is vastly different from yours. Her values, her culture, the past and current circumstances of her life are telling a different story from the same material. Even you, are having a different perception today than you did a few years before. Do you remember how the building next to your childhood house looked high at the time, and how average it looks today? Like the child you use to be, your world is changing with you. This is why you need to update your big picture, embrace it as it is now because you don’t want to carry on old beliefs and outdated perceptions into your current and future life.  

The big picture of your achievements is much, much more than your CV. Slow down a moment and consider this: If someone was introducing you at a conference, and detailing all your achievements until now, all of them, what would she say? Your marathon running, your dedicated parenting, your sales targets outperforming, your engagement with ageing parents, your capacity to thrive in a new job, a new country or a new industry, your capacity to learn new competencies, your incredible taste at decorating a home, your resilience and courage facing disease, your priceless friendship… You know what value you are bringing to this world. Is this reflection an apology of self-satisfaction and idleness? Not even close. It is an invitation to consider, once in a while, how great and brave you are. Studies say we celebrate our successes for minutes and our failures for years. Does it ring a bell?

The big picture of your dreams is directly connected to the previous. While we worry about the things we did not do, did wrong, should do, or should not do, there is not much brain space left for our dreams to expand. Big dreams need big walls. You need space to explore them, embrace them, get inspired, get excited and eventually, driven to action. Once in the middle of the action, you may lose sight of the big picture while achieving smaller goals. One of my clients was feeling out of sync, whereas she just had achieved major progress in her ambitious project. Something was blocking her energy just before the finish line. We realized that she has lost sight of the bigger picture beyond the immediate goals. We built up a strategy to overcome the hurdle and accelerate the process by visualizing the next steps as if she was already there. 

And you, what does your big picture tell you?

 

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3 Leadership Lessons I Learnt From Working With Thierry Mugler

Alexandra Humbel - Career Transition CoachAlexandra Humbel

I have sometimes heard that people who change careers more than once are somewhat unstable or shallow. This is not true. While they are in a career, they are 100% engaged. This was me around 2000, immersed in a corporate career in the fashion industry that I thought I would never leave. The recent passing of the insanely talented and highly regretted Thierry Mugler reminded me of the time when I served as Director of Public Relations of the company he had created. A very intense period of my life, rich in learning, hurdles and inspiration. 

This picture shows me with an air of calm confidence, the kind of confidence Thierry Mugler wanted for his clients. As soon as you put on one of his perfectly cut jackets, supremely elegant with a sexy edge, you instantly felt your self-confidence boosted a notch higher. Well, that was the effect it had on me, and the many other women who vowed him something close to a cult. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

It was a promotion for me, my first job as the head of the most strategic department in a highly regarded fashion Maison in Paris. During these intense two years, I had a chance to hone my leadership skills in a complex and challenging environment. Here are a few insights I am happy to share:

1. About leading people who are more skilled than you

In my previous jobs, I was the uncontested expert in my area, and as such, I was able to hire junior persons that I trained to the job until they were able to handle projects with some autonomy. When I joined Thierry Mugler, I found a team of extremely skilled and independent professionals, who looked like they did not need me to tell them what to do. For the fashion week, they were able to organize perfectly choreographed fashion shows from A (early casting of models, negotiate the venue, hire logistics, technic, music, dressers, make-up and hair etc.) to Z (showtime, executed to perfection, with 100 persons backstage and, in the audience 250 prime journalists and TV crews from the entire world). They did this within the budget and, last but not least, with enough flexibility to serve a designer who requested frequent and sometimes drastic changes on short notice. I was impressed, for a reason. So, I did what I did best: I boosted the media coverage, offering more and better exposure to the brand while optimizing the international PR resources. But you don’t lead experts by becoming one of them. My role was to help them grow in their roles, feel valued, be attentive to their needs, help deal with conflicts, and stand for them to the higher leadership when necessary. 

2. Stay curious about change, especially if you don’t like it

As the company went through some drastic changes, I started to feel between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, the CEO counted on me to pass on the message and help the team accept and adapt. On the other hand, our work was deeply disrupted by changes that affected our performance directly. As we moved the offices and showrooms out of town to a new industrial location in the North of Paris, we were at risk to lose contact with journalists and stylists who picked up pieces from the collections for photoshoots in the magazines. While I was loyal to the leadership and willing to support executive decisions, I was discouraged by the caveats of the new situation and did a poor job at hiding my doubts. I was true to myself by not sugar-coating the story. Now, with more experience and perspective, I think I could have been curious a bit longer about the possible positive outcomes of these changes. My lesson here is that being right in the short term may not be the best choice. Rather leave the door open for possible further positive developments. Bringing this mindset to the table is not lying, it is allowing some time for settling, and empowering people to find creative solutions. 

3. Never underestimate the culture – but don’t fall for it

It was an incredible honour to work for a designer I admired and to get invited into his world. The beauty and inspiration were everywhere, from the iconic haute-couture creations to the whole futuristic environment. Thierry Mugler was a fascinating human, with so much culture, intelligence and artistic flair that journalists – always in a hurry- would forget time to spend more time with him. In spite of this privileged exposure,  I was not prepared for a Maison with such an incredibly strong culture, none of it was clearly articulated. It took me a while to uncover the do’s and don’ts, the somehow intricate communication patterns, the sophisticated support system around the designer, the subtle powers and counter-powers, and the working pattern of people driven by passion and urgency, in total disdain for standard working hours. I spent a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to adapt and fit in, but being the mother of two young children, this unpredictable way of life started to take a toll on my personal and family life. 

My takeaway from this time is a sense of gratitude for having a chance to “touch the stars”, the symbol of the perfume Angel by Thierry Mugler that I will cherish forever, and gratitude for the opportunity to push my limits and grow as a professional and a human.

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Bravo Romeo, The Mediterranean and Me

Benoit Runel Success Story - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel

When I talked to Benoit, I was counting on a video conference to make our conversation more lively. Given the limited reception, I had to content myself with a phone call. But this is a call I will never forget. Thinking about it, I can still hear the see’s chop and feel the Mediterranean breeze on my cheeks.

Benoit has been sailing the Mediterranean for 3 months. His trimaran Bravo Romeo (named after his initials) is at anchor, safely nestled in a bay of a small island of the Peloponnese. Which island? He is not sure. He knows he is safe here, alone on his boat, waiting for a weather window to open, so that he can sail about 48 hours the Ionian sea to Athens. From there, Benoit will pursue his route West across the Mediterranean into colder waters of the Atlantic, then up North to his destination Lorient, France. There, he will have some work done on the boat to be ready for the upcoming season.

Since we can’t see each other, I ask Benoit to describe the scene. He is sitting on his deck, facing a beautiful wild cliff. The water is crystal clear. The sunset is ridiculously gorgeous. Earlier today, he fiddled on the boat, read a book, chatted with his family over the phone, checked the weather report, and went for a long swim with his top-of-the-art diving fins. He is trim, tanned, he feels fantastic. He will have crisp fresh fish for dinner. What else? Benoit is not on vacation. He is working actually, or rather, enjoying fully the “why” of an all-but-obvious change of career. Ready to dive in with me?

What did you do before?

I was a leader in the media industry, with an entrepreneur mindset. I was an Executive Director in TV and production groups. I launched more than 12 TV channels. I created 3 companies that I sold. Lately, I was hired by a big media group with a mission to build teams, create content and make units profitable. Then, when I delivered that, new acquisitions happened, again and again. Every time, all the work had to be done again from scratch. In 8 years, I had 5 successive email addresses, without technically changing jobs. I am OK with hard work, I was always fully engaged, and I truly loved being part of these professional adventures. At some point though, it became clear that I was dedicating my life to creating value for shareholders, but I was not actually building anything for myself. When I reached 50 years old, I realized could not do this any longer, even for hefty salaries. I was also aware that, in my age group, it would be difficult to find a new job if I had to. It was brutal, but a salutary wake-up call. I decided to take my destiny in hands.

What triggered the change?

I have been sailing all my life, as a hobby, becoming an instructor at the age of 17, and performing in many competitions. As an amateur skipper, I took family and friends to Corsica, Greece, and other destinations. I thought: “the clock is ticking. Today I can do it, physically and mentally. Make my hobby my work. Earn my autonomy through a job I am passionate about”. I took a year to test the waters, study the market, assess the demand. And to answer questions: Is this what I want to do? Do I enjoy it?

How did it go?

I decided to go full speed and invest.
I got some serious training. I Joined the Royal Yachting Association training at Blue Sailing graduated as a professional skipper.
I bought a boat. I have become a mechanic for maintenance and small repairs. I learn something new every day.
I pay for my professional insurance. I am a company owner in many ways.
Now I feel “in the jaw of launch”. There is no way back.

What did you learn about yourself?

This new adventure put me in a state of fierce challenge, as when I was 30.
At this age, I had a well-paid executive job in the N°1 French media group. The CEO came to my office and asked: Do you want to launch a new TV channel? I said yes, without experience, and before I knew it, I was in charge. At the time I had this fearless confidence, which may have been somewhat carelessness too. Usually, after 50 years old, you are more prudent. You become risk-averse. Instead of that, I am buying a boat. Bam. Now I am experiencing this rage to win again, and it feels good.

What were the hurdles?

I wish I had got more expert advice when I bought my boat. I did not anticipate some problems that I had to fix afterward. If I meet someone in a similar situation, I will offer my competence to help her make educated decisions.
I also find it hard to be away from my family for long periods of time. We communicate a lot, but still, it may be the most difficult aspect of my new life.
And I am uncertain: Will my business be successful in the long term?

Who are you now?

When I sail, my decision takes its full meaning. The wind, the sea spay, setting sail, I knew all of this. But knowing that I am sailing my own boat, which is also my business, I shout for joy, I sing out loud. The reward is proportionate to the effort. I don’t have any regret. I love the adventure. Even though I wish I had done some things differently, like buying my boat, I don’t look back. I adjust my business plan, and I am getting ready during the winter for the beginning of the season in March 2022. I have found again this mindset, which is 100 times better than feeling obsolete and vulnerable in the corporate environment.

Your advice to people who want to change careers?

After a lifetime of challenges, when your career has to shift, you have lost your ability to fight, when you need it most. Nobody is prepared. You must be ready to fail. My choice is to take this risk.
If I fail, it will not harm me.
Because I am grateful for having tried. When I turn 70, I will not say “I could have done it, but I did not”. I am 200% aligned with myself.

Do you want to know more about Benoît Runel? Check his website here.

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Career Transitioning: 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier (Part 2)

Career Transition: 10 Things I Wish I'd Known Earlier - By Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

This is Part II of my previous article about what I have learned, having experienced three career transitions and helped numerous professionals play a successful second act of life. I hope you enjoy the read. 

6. 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, friends, and family members may sense an unavowable pang of jealousy at your renewed aliveness. Don’t take it personally, don’t be impressed. 

7. 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, sure enough, 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 most enticing your vision is, the better. As the genius dream architect Walt Disney said: “If you can dream it, you can do it”.

8. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity

How many times this week did you hear yourself say “She is so lucky, to get this job” or, about yourself “I was lucky to meet this person”. By default, we tend to attribute good things happening unexpectedly to luck, whatever this word means. Abundant scientific literature shows that lucky people have their own way to attract luck, in doing two things: They put all the chances on their side, and they open their senses 360° to allow happy coincidence to happen. If you want to share a fantastic business idea with a very searched after person, you may want to make sure this idea has value for the person, refine and rehearse your pitch until it is irresistible, get all the intel you can about where this person may be hanging out, and keep in mind that if your idea is truly great, it will find its way to the real world. With or without this person. 

9. 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. 

10. You will never look back

Maybe the most important thing I which I had known 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 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 transition.

If you missed part 1 of this article, you can read it here.

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Career Transitioning: 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier (Part 1)

Career Transitioning - Things I wish I'd known earlier - by Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

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 a half dozen points aimed at helping professionals get on the fast lane. I ended up with twice as many points, and the kind of long article I, myself, have a hard time digesting. Hence the decision to stick to 10 essential points, dispatched in 2 posts. This is Part I, I hope you enjoy the read. Part II is available here.

10 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier About Career Transitioning.

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.

 

Continue reading part 2 of this post

 

*Aviva “How do we live” Report, 2021

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3 Common Reasons Why Your Career Transitioning Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It)

3 Common Reasons Why Your Career Transitioning Isn't WorkingAlexandra Humbel

Congratulations! You have decided to take charge of your future. You have what it takes to engage and thrive in a new professional development. So why are you feeling stuck and discouraged? Why is your project not coming to fruition? What happened to your once-unstoppable motivation? In this article, I discuss three common reasons why your career transition may not go as planned and what you can do to get back on track.

1. You lack flexibility

We never give enough praise to the virtue of having a plan and, well, actually sticking to it. I am a big fan of planning, don’t get me wrong. I just know that real life is what happens while we obsess over completing our plans. Especially in a period of career transition, several things can happen. You will meet resistance. Ask yourself, is this a hurdle you can bypass, or is it a major no-go sign? If so, what does it tell you?

Life is what happens while we are making plans. Did something major happen in your life? Maybe your partner found a unicorn job in a different country. Maybe you are disappointed by a lead that looked promising but fell through. Maybe a baby is born. You may need surgery that will immobilise you for several weeks. Or you receive an unexpected proposition to partner in a startup…

Whatever the circumstances, the way to negotiate your next step is to go with the flow without losing sight of your ultimate goals. One of the first things I do with my clients is to mine their values. I help them shine a light on what is most important to them and to envision the life they want, a fulfilling life that includes a career they love.

Once you get clear on your ultimate vision, you are more prone to accept sudden changes and turn them into opportunities, which may come from unexpected sources. When you stand in your values, you increase your capacity to adapt, make the best of each situation, and evaluate offers with clarity and purpose. In following your WHY, you become healthily unattached to the HOW. 

Do you feel like you are currently lacking clarity and direction? Then download my free Compass Coordinates Workbook. It’s a great starting point to help you get back on track.

2. You are lonely

It is not easy to acknowledge when we feel lonely. Especially if you are blessed with a partner, a family, and a bunch of good friends. You have made the bold decision to change careers, you have shared it with the people who are important to you, and received their support. Nevertheless, your journey to change your career can be a lonely one. The daily tête-à-tête with your computer screen is all but romantic. Motivation is a resource that has a limited lifespan. Discipline works until it fades and gives in to anxiety…

It is time, dear brave career transitioner, to change the dynamic and get help from people who understand what it is you are doing. A vast range of free or inexpensive options are available to you: Join peer groups locally (oh the joy of meeting in person again!) and online. Forums, industry experts, discussions, entrepreneur associations, alumni, mastermind, or other peer support groups. Are you enrolled in a training program?  Connect with your co-students and create a support group with them.

The core message here is, find your tribe and engage! The positive effects are many:

  • You gain perspective and advice from peers
  • You become an educated resource for others who value your expertise
  • You will fuel your self-confidence
  • You enlarge your network through meaningful exchanges
  • You get back to your project with fresh eyes and renewed energy

If you are on LinkedIn or Facebook, feel free to connect with me. I would love to follow your journey into a career you love!

3. You are in a 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 a 360°, non-judgemental assessment of your situation at this moment. Including revisiting your objectives to see if you are still aligned with everything you decided at some point in the past. Acknowledge your achievements. You have come a long way, so give yourself credit.

Now assess your current situation. What is stopping you? Are you in a perspective where you believe you have only black and white choices or no choice at all? One of my clients tortured herself to decide if she would quit her corporate job in order to find a more fulfilling career, or stay and stagnate. She ended up keeping her job (now fueled with renewed energy, knowing it is temporary) and pursued not one, but two professional opportunities, corporate and free-lance. As she signed her first paying clients, fresh and exciting perspectives started to show up. Self-compassion is about giving yourself a break. At this point in your life, you don’t have to prove that you are an overachiever. Try to be a better achiever instead, the kind of achiever who values their physical and emotional health at the same level as their professional success?

What do you think is holding you back from transitioning into a fulfilling second act of life? I have made it my mission to help talented executives and high-achievers transition into a more meaningful, fulfilling career. If you would like to have a chat about your plans, book a complimentary discovery coversation with me.

It’s time to break through any obstacles and make it happen!

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4 Common Misconceptions About Career Transitioning

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CAREER TRANSITIONINGAlexandra Humbel

Have you been repeatedly inspired by the stories of friends, colleagues, people on social or in the media, who changed careers in their fifties and started something vastly different? Have you wondered, even for a minute, 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 thing may well be the first step: Overcoming your pre-conceived ideas about what it takes to follow your inner North Star, and start a meaningful second act of life.

Here are four common misconceptions about career transitioning that I often hear from clients before we start working together.

1. I am too old

Misconceptions about age are extremely interesting because ageing is a taboo. It becomes even hairier when you realize that you are now officially part of the “senior” or “older” workforce. At this point, the only visible perspective for your future is retirement. If this is not what you want, and if you consider changing career instead, I can hear you asking: “How old shall I be when I succeed in my new job?” the short answer is “The same as if you dwell in the status quo”.  We age anyway, this is a fact of life. The even shorter answer is: You have choices. You always do. Starting a new career that makes your heart sing every morning might come with a different lifestyle, where you divide your time between work and leisure. According to the latest Aegon research on retirement, older professionals do not want the traditional ‘cliff edge’ retirement – they want an easier transition towards a work-life balance which better suits their needs.

2. I will need a lot of training

This is also a misconception, and here is why. Once you are crystal clear about what you want to do (which might require some time and help), it becomes a matter of execution. If you need to add competence to your skillset, you will proceed, promptly. One of my clients transitioned from CEO in the media industry to skipper, cruising clients in the Mediterranean in a luxury sailing boat. While he had been a savvy sailor in the past, he needed to pass a professional skipper degree. It took him six months of commitment and he graduated with honors. Motivation is at the core of the decision to get training. As Brave Start observed in a recent survey,

“The drive to learn is undiminished but comes with the self-awareness and perspective that comes with age” ¹

Are you struggling to find clarity? A great place to start is by downloading my free Compass Coordinates Workbook, which will help you cut out the noise and get a clear direction for where you need to go next.

3. I will lose my status

Yes, you will. The misconception is about what you make of it, and what you get in lieu of your status-quo. When was the last time you re-visited your conception of success? What is really important to you? What do you want other people to see in you? To say about you? What is the impact you want to have? Do you want to use your sterling experience in a meaningful way? Is there an entrepreneurial dream that is waiting to be brought to life? There is no right or wrong answers to these questions, but it may be time to re-align your actions with your values. Business cards are old-fashioned and unsustainable anyway. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Once you are on your way to your second act, a new status will emerge, together with a new version of yourself.

4. I will be financially vulnerable

If you ask yourself questions about your finances, you are point on. Money is key in the equation of a potential career change, and you want to be clear about the consequences. To start with, you want to have a 360° view to make an educated decision. This exploration is essential, as we tend, by default, to cling to standards that are no longer aligned with what we really want. Make a thorough assessment of your needs, and those of your family. You may be ready to downsize your home, move, or simplify your life. Doing a job you love has its own pay-offs, that may make you happily give up the toys you enjoyed at some point. Or, on the contrary, financial success is centrally important to you. Different moments of your life involve different priorities. An evaluation of your assets and pension fund is necessary to determine what you have and what you need to earn, in order to live the life you want.

Have you created false beliefs that are preventing you from living your dream life? What stories have you been telling yourself that are holding you back from taking a leap and transitioning into the next stage of your life? If you are looking for someone to guide you, who can provide you with an objective view and the tools that will allow you to transition gracefully into the second stage of your life, I would love to have a chat with you. Click here to schedule your free discovery conversation today.

 

¹ Unlocking the Value of an ageing working force, 2021

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The Barefoot Boss

Ed Kushins

Every month, 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.

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