What do you want to be when you grow up?

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. 
— Anonymous

Hi Audie,

I hope you and your families are continuing to enjoy your Summer. It’s hard to believe Labor Day is literally days away! As I often say — if the days go any faster, we’re all going to get whiplash!

This month’s newsletter addresses the age-old question of “What do I want to be when I grow up?” -- in particular, the gently nagging, fork-in-the-road feeling many professionals experience after 15, 20 or 30+ years of doing what they initially set out to do after college and realizing their chosen line of work is no longer fulfilling or exciting to them.  

I’d love to hear from you! Reply to this email and let me know how this month’s newsletter resonates with you.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful and safe Labor Day holiday weekend.

Warm regards,

P.S. I invite you to share my newsletter with anyone you feel could benefit from receiving valuable content and insights specific to mid- to senior-level executive job seekers/career changers. 

P.P.S. To learn more about Your Call To Action, LLC and how I help my clients go from being frustrated and struggling with their search, stuck in a toxic work environment or ready to take their career to the next level to feeling excited, valued and re-energized at work (and in their life) again, take a look around my website.

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

Our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. — M. Scott Peck

How do you feel when your alarm clock goes off on Monday mornings?

Do you still enjoy your line of work as much as you did 5, 10 or 15 years ago? What’s changed?

Are you feeling valued and challenged at your current company? Are there clear avenues for advancement in a realistic period of time?

When you’re having an off day at work, what are some of the recurring dreams or desires you have as it relates to your livelihood? Is there something you’ve been wanting to do or try, but you’re not sure how to make it happen?

Have you been feeling unfulfilled in your work for some time and want to make a positive or bigger difference in the world (or in others’ lives)?

I truly believe most people experience these unsettling feelings at some point in their career, yet a small percentage of people actually do anything about it. Whether one’s not comfortable with change, afraid of the unknown, or they’re not really sure what they would want to do that would bring more joy and fulfillment in their life, they’d rather stay in a safe, yet unchallenging or toxic, job and live out their working lives until retirement. Except …

Times have definitely changed! Unlike our parents’ or grandparents’ days where jobs were secure, companies were loyal to their employees, and people stayed at one company their whole career, unless you are an owner of a business where you have complete control over your destiny, no position is 100% secure these days.

Corporate restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, and well-known long-standing companies going out of business have been commonplace for the past 10-20+ years, although over the past 18 months, an inordinate number of bright, capable and extremely talented leaders have, unfortunately, been impacted.  

In today’s business climate, it’s no longer ‘if’ you’ll be affected by a corporate restructuring, but ‘when’.

In addition to ensuring your LinkedIn profile is up to date, it’s important to remain open as opportunities present themselves. Similarly, applying effective interviewing strategies geared toward mid- to senior-level executives, nailing your messaging, and being well-prepared for interviews is critical to showcasing your expertise, accomplishments and fit for the role and the value you’ll provide the hiring company will enable you to stand out among other candidates and move forward in the interview process and receive an offer.  

It is not as much about who you used to be, as it is about
who you choose to be. — Sanhita Baruah

As jolting as downsizing can be — or if you’re still employed and the realization that what you’re doing is no longer fulfilling or challenging — it can also be very empowering! I’ve long been a believer that change is good especially when you take time to pause and think about what did you like, what was no longer a good fit, and what does the life and work you’d like to have moving forward look like? 

Be clear about the size and scope of your next opportunity and stay focused:

• If you’re looking to work for another company, what type of company or environment meets your needs? What industries interest you? What type of lifestyle do you want (i.e. less travel, work from home or hybrid, etc.), etc.?
  
  
• If you’re considering launching your own business, what are you passionate about? How can you combine your passions with your talents and expertise? What is your ‘why’? What additional education or certification might you need to set yourself up for success? Do you have the financial safety net to go at least 6 months without bringing an income in?

I am not a product of my circumstances.
I am a product of my decisions. — Stephen Covey

Over the past 6+ years, I have coached hundreds of mid- to senior-level executives who have either been downsized or have reached a point in their current role and company where they don’t see advancement opportunities opening up in their timeline or they’re tired of the emotional and physical stress of working in a toxic environment. 

Using my proven and proprietary framework that I created and fine-tuned over several decades, I help my clients identify what they’d like to do next and then coach, guide and support them throughout their job search campaign. This includes:

• Updating and strengthening their resume, LinkedIn profile and messaging, 
• Effectively executing proven job search strategies that will help them stand out and get noticed, securing interviews and confidently moving through the interview process with a variety of companies and receiving/negotiating their offers,
• Helping them confidently start at their new company with proven onboarding tips, strategies and a 90-day plan to ensure they ramp up quickly and have some quick wins. 
• Throughout it all, I’m there to provide support, empathy, positivity, interviewing practice, to strategize and brainstorm, answer questions, help through the inevitable ups and downs of their search, and so much more.

Without question, clients who embrace this transition period with curiosity, open-mindedness, and from a place of possibility tend to be more open to coaching and executing the strategies and tips they learn throughout our time together and achieve the results they’re seeking. 

I pride myself in having worked at wonderful companies throughout my career and in roles in which I felt challenged; however, with changes in senior leadership, managers and/or company culture due to mergers/acquisitions, at some point, I found myself looking for a better environment or advancement opportunities my current employer couldn’t fulfill. As I reflect on each time I was in job search mode (my choice 98% of the time) along with the two times I was downsized, I can confidently say I landed in a much better place each time. 

I consistently hear the same from the vast majority of my clients. They count their blessings for the exciting new position they have (or business they launched) that’s more aligned with who they are NOW and the lifestyle they want to lead. Better yet, as I hear from my clients months later, many have shared they have improved relationships, less stress and a new lease on life due to the change they made.

The best way to predict the future is to create it. — Abraham Lincoln

The vast majority of my executive-level clients seek employment opportunities at other organizations. Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen an increasing trend in the number of clients who have sought my coaching, mentoring and support in launching their own consulting or coaching business or have decided to become a franchise owner. 

I love working with executives who are looking to make a change that’s aligned with where they are now in their life and career, and where this next step will lead them in 5, 10 or 20+ years from now.

The future depends on what you do today. — Mahatma Gandhi

If you, or any mid- to senior-level executive you know, are looking to make a change and are thinking “What do I want to be when I grow up?”, please reach out to me for a complimentary strategy call. 

If you are a mid- to senior-level executive and motivated to find your next opportunity (or know someone who is), I'd love to speak with you to better understand your situation, what you're looking to do, and see how I can be of help.

Book your complimentary 40-minute Strategy Session here.

One of the foundations of effective leadership is the ability to set and maintain healthy boundaries. When we don't have this practice in our wheelhouse, we end up with lower results, less respect and a heck of a lot of stress. To lead an organization from an empowered stance takes courage and honesty but releases creative energy.

Janet Schieferdecker, of Choice Point Leadership, created Empowered Boundaries, a 5-week online peer coaching course for senior managers to address this issue. The course was born from her experience during 20 years of coaching senior leaders. Janet has an MBA and was a manager in a large multinational before embarking on her coaching career. Her material is grounded in both practical business experience and a rich personal development skillset. She also teaches this course live and in-person with the help of horses.

To learn more, please visit her website or send her an email at [email protected]

Prior to launching Your Call To Action, LLC in 2015, Audie spent over 30 years in technology sales and sales leadership roles working with C-Level and other key stakeholders at Fortune 1000 companies utilizing a consultative and value-based approach to addressing her clients' needs.

Due to the evolving nature of the technology industry, it was common to change companies due to M&A, new leadership coming in and bringing their own team, corporate restructurings, or as a way to advance one's career. Audie became very proficient — and successful — in landing multiple offers each time, and was frequently complimented on how she stood out (in a good way!) from other candidates throughout the interview process.

She leverages her business acumen, consultative and value-based approach to sales, and professional coach training (ICF Certified) in working with clients and delivering her proven methodology, strategies and tips for successfully landing a new position (after all, one needs to sell oneself, right?).

Audie is intuitive, nurturing, and compassionate yet firm—all of the qualities you should want in a coach. She is your accountability partner with a focus on helping you get real results ... and you’ll also have fun along the way!

Want to learn more? Click here to book a Complimentary Strategy Session.