Tag Archive for: Alexandra Humbel Coaching

The Rise of the Renaissance Career: Why Multi-Skilled Professionals Have the Advantage

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Unleashing the Renaissance: Thriving as a Multi-Talented Professional - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

If you excel in more than one discipline, you may not be scattered. You may be a Renaissance professional.

In my coaching practice, I have the privilege of working with highly talented individuals who possess expertise in diverse domains. They are accomplished in one field — sometimes two or three — and yet often question whether their multiplicity is an asset or a liability. Does this resonate with you?

The Renaissance period in Europe was marked by extraordinary cultural and intellectual breakthroughs

Think of Leonardo da Vinci — painter, scientist, engineer, inventor. Michelangelo — sculptor, painter, architect. Galileo Galilei — physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher. Their multidimensional expertise did not dilute their genius. It amplified it. Their ability to connect disciplines fueled innovation.

Today, the term “Renaissance professional” applies more broadly to individuals who integrate expertise across multiple domains. They may be corporate leaders with artistic practices, engineers who write, entrepreneurs who teach, executives who coach, scientists who build businesses. Their strength lies not in dispersion, but in integration.

Renaissance professionals embody lifelong learning, adaptability, and intellectual curiosity. They demonstrate that mastery in one area can enrich and elevate performance in another. They do not simply accumulate skills — they connect them.

Why do we see more Renaissance profiles among experienced professionals?

Because over time, careers layer skills upon skills. Technical competence, leadership experience, strategic thinking, communication, negotiation, mentoring, governance. Some skills remain dormant for years. Others evolve. But none disappear. Even forgotten capabilities can resurface in unexpected ways when a new project demands them.

Renaissance professionals are also naturally curious. They gravitate toward learning — sailing, accounting, cooking, Mandarin, artificial intelligence, philosophy, design. Curiosity is not a hobby. It is a structural trait.

In From Strength to Strength, Arthur C. Brooks describes “crystallized intelligence” as the accumulation of knowledge, experience, and wisdom developed over time. It includes verbal ability, pattern recognition, judgment, and the capacity to synthesize information. This form of intelligence is particularly powerful in later career stages — and it is the foundation of the Renaissance advantage.

Why is being a Renaissance professional a blessing?

Because reinvention becomes richer.

When reconsidering your professional life, you may discover that you have more options than you initially imagined. You may not want one linear job anymore. You may want a portfolio life: advisory roles, teaching, consulting, creative work, entrepreneurship — two or three streams that reflect different parts of your identity.

This path, however, requires strategic thinking.

Financial clarity matters. Multiple revenue streams can create flexibility, but they also generate administrative complexity and tax considerations. Freedom requires structure.

Time discipline is key. Each activity deserves focus and excellence. Without clear boundaries, diversity can become dilution.

Personal branding matters. The professional world often values specialization and may mistrust multi-skilled individuals. You must articulate your narrative clearly. Not “I do many things,” but “Here is how my diverse expertise creates unique value.” Integration, not accumulation, is your differentiator.

There is also an emotional dimension. Renaissance professionals sometimes struggle with identity. “Am I legitimate if I don’t fit into one box?” The answer is yes — provided your choices are intentional and aligned. Multiplicity demands coherence.

When well integrated, multidimensional profiles bring extraordinary benefits to organizations and ecosystems. They cross-fertilize ideas. They see patterns others miss. They connect silos. They innovate not by invention alone, but by synthesis.

Being a Renaissance professional is about connecting what you know in ways others cannot.

If you recognize yourself here, perhaps your task is not to narrow down, but to design your integration with clarity and confidence. Your multidimensionality may not be a distraction from your path — it may be the path itself.

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Self-Confidence Is Overrated: What Truly Drives Bold Career Move

The Self-Confidence Paradox - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

In the space of personal growth — especially when it relates to women — the expression self-confidence is omnipresent. Or rather, the lack of it. The need for more of it. The pursuit of it.

The Self-Confidence Paradox

And yet, many of the women I work with are high achievers. Brilliant. Respected. Proven. They lead teams, close complex deals, run companies, manage demanding environments — and still, they confess quietly: “I wish I were more self-confident.”

One of them, whom I’ll call Katie, once told me: “I am good at what I do. I kick ass. So why do I struggle? Why don’t I take credit, once and for all, for my achievements?”

Redefining What Self-Confidence Really Means

Instead of trying to “build” her confidence, we slowed down and became curious about what self-confidence actually meant to her. How did she recognize it in her body? What did it allow her to do? How did it influence her decisions? What expanded when she felt it? We also explored what was happening when she didn’t feel confident. What was the fear underneath? What felt at risk? What would become possible if confidence were no longer an issue?

The Shift: From Emotion to Clarity

Something shifted. Self-confidence stopped being a magical emotional state she had to reach before acting. It lost its power as a prerequisite. What emerged instead was deeper and more stable: a stronger connection to her values, her ambition, and the impact she genuinely wanted to create. From there, confidence was no longer something to chase — it became a by-product.

On that foundation, she was able to build clear strategies and access her inner resources intentionally. She stopped waiting to feel confident before making decisions. She acted from clarity rather than from emotional certainty. In the end, self-confidence became almost irrelevant — a middleman she no longer needed.

She chose the faster route.

And you? Are you craving more self-confidence? Or are you ready to explore what truly sits beneath it?

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The Mental Trap That Keeps You in a Job You’ve Outgrown

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

If you are unhappy at work, you may be considering a major decision — changing jobs, moving into a new industry, or even reinventing your career altogether.

Yet this possibility often comes with fear and hesitation.

You may catch yourself thinking: What if I regret it?
At least I know what I have.
I may not like it, but it’s familiar.

So what stands in the way of making a clear, informed choice?
And how can you begin to recognize — and challenge — your own internal biases?

The invisible force behind your hesitation

Award-winning journalist David McRaney describes the Sunk Cost Fallacy with striking simplicity:

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

Truth: Your decisions are shaped by emotional investments — and the more you have invested, the harder it becomes to walk away.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky offered a perspective based on biology and evolution: Organisms that prioritized avoiding threats over maximizing opportunities were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Over time, this instinct became deeply wired in us.

As a result, the fear of loss often outweighs the promise of gain — even when the gain could lead to a better life.

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely adds another layer with what he calls the “pain of paying”: the discomfort we experience whenever we must give up something we already own.

How the Sunk Cost Fallacy shapes your career choices

You — and possibly your parents — invested in your education so you could start a career in a field of your choosing.

Since then, you have progressed through roles with increasing responsibility, recognition, and financial reward. Or perhaps you created your own business — maybe more than one — and navigated growth, setbacks, risks, and achievements.

All the time, energy, and emotion you have poured into your career have shaped the professional you are today.

So even if your work no longer brings satisfaction, the idea of walking away from what you have built year after year can feel unbearable.

And yet — why are you staying?

Are you honoring your past investments, or remaining loyal to the effort it took to arrive at a place that no longer fulfills you?

Becoming aware of how your decision process

Awareness often starts with small things.

Every day, you make countless micro-decisions — what to eat for dinner, how to react in a meeting, whether to speak up or stay silent. Begin observing how you make those choices.

David McRaney offers a telling example:

“Have you ever gone to see a movie only to realize within fifteen minutes that it’s one of the worst films ever made — but you sat through it anyway? You didn’t want to waste the money, so you stayed and suffered.”

Your career is not a movie. And your investment is worth far more than a ticket.

Holding on to the status quo simply because you have already paid the price will not move you toward what could be.

What is — versus what could be

Questions around career change can quickly become obsessive. There is much at stake, and the desire to make the “right” decision can feel overwhelming.

At this point, I invite you to step back from the career question itself. This may sound counterintuitive, but stay with me.

Your real agenda is not your job.
It is the life you want to live.

A life that includes your health.
The time you want for your family.
Your personal well-being.
The level of income you need to sustain it.

Only from this wider perspective can clarity emerge — about what needs to remain, and what is ready to change.

There is no loss — only transformation

You may believe that all your value is written on your CV.
It isn’t. What appears there is only the visible part of who you are.

At this stage of life, you deserve more than repeating what you already know how to do. You deserve to focus on what you truly excel at — the activities that feel natural, energizing, and meaningful.

Wherever you go, everything you have learned goes with you.

Your experience travels.
Your insight deepens.
Your value does not disappear — it transforms.

And sometimes, what feels like loss is simply the doorway to something more aligned waiting to open.

 

 

 

 

 

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

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A Second Act at Sea: How One Executive Chose Purpose Over Security After 50

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.

 

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

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.

 

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

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 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

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