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Mark Silverman and the Long, Fulfilling Life #138 Jul 29, 2019

Show notes

After 30 years advising, building, running, and investing in a variety of consumer and technology companies in emerging markets, Mark Silverman, CEO of Amava, is now focused on the unique needs of the 1.2 billion people moving beyond career and parenting. Our aging population is creating enormous challenges, but also fantastic opportunities to help people live longer, healthier, more content lives. Mark invites you to join him and support organizations (both for and not-for-profit) bringing innovative solutions to a population looking for social engagement and meaningful connections. Key Takeaways: [1:19] Marc welcomes you to Episode 138 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:49] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:09] Marc has released five chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:26] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. Marc plans to release the book in mid-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. [2:44] Marc has already recorded multiple podcast guest appearances. One is already out, where Marc was interviewed on the Not Old, Better Show podcast by Paul Vogelzang. Marc plans to have Paul on as a guest to tell his story. You will find a link to this podcast in the Show Notes at CareerPivot.com/episode-138. [3:12] Marc will be in Austin the week of September 22nd, the New Jersey area the week of September 29th, and D.C., the following week. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:25] Marc has two events planned in Austin, three in New Jersey, and is working on a few more. He doesn't have anything scheduled for the D.C. area, yet. Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give Marc some advice on venues or groups who'd be interested in hosting an event. [3:45] Next week, Marc will be reading the preview chapter from Repurpose Your Career: Playbook for Building Strategic Relationships. [3:53] This week, Marc interviews Mark Silverman of Amava.com. [4:01] Amava™'s mission statement is, "We want you to live a long, fulfilling life. We focus on social engagement because, according to research, it can be more important to wellness than genes, nutrition, or fitness routines. It's downright scary how dangerous it is to become isolated." [4:28] Marc welcomes Mark Silverman, the CEO of Amava, to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [4:45] Marc found out about Mark Silverman and Amava from a member of the Career Pivot Online Membership Community and thought he would like to have Mark on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [4:59] Mark shares the origin story of Amava. Mark and his Amava Co-Founder KP Naidu had started sharing their personal stories of friends and family. Mark had witnessed his grandfather and his father-in-law decline in health after disengaging. Mark had also witnessed the value of continuing engagement of his parents and their friends. [5:24] About a month after KP and Mark started their early conversations, they were at a meeting of local business and volunteer leaders discussing the concept of Amava. It was not yet a company. They met Claire, a successful physician who had retired, the prior year. [5:42] When they asked Claire how she was doing, she talked about the fun she had in the first six months of her retirement. After traveling and visiting family, she found herself with a lot of time on her hands and nothing meaningful to do. She found it difficult to find people to do things with. [6:44] Claire was only 62, and for the first time, she was struggling to find purpose and friendship. When Mark and KP told her more specifically about their plans for Amava, she immediately asked when she could join. That's when Mark and KP knew that this was a huge issue for so many people, even for successful people. [7:07] Whether people are struggling to get a positive start on their new post-career lives, or are just looking to find a few more meaningful activities, and people with whom to connect, Mark and KP realized this was something that they really wanted to pursue. [7:21] Marc recalls the beginnings of Sun City. It is not a new problem for retirees to find ways to engage in the community. [7:39] Mark points out that people are retiring earlier and living longer after retirement. How do you make 30 years of retired life meaningful? How do you stay active and connected? It is a massive and growing problem. Research from Stanford, Harvard, and others shows the significant negative impacts on health of disengagement and isolation. [8:26] When Mark and KP started researching Amava and the solution they proposed they found research that with as little as five hours a week of meaningful activity where you are connecting with other people, you can live a long, healthy life. [8:42] Marc has no plan to retire. He wants to work less at something he enjoys, and on his terms. Marc recalls his interview with Andrew Scott, co-author of The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity. Andrew had written an article on NextAvenue called "Is 75 the New 65? How the Definition of Aging is Changing". [9:07] Andrew proposed that the mortality rate for a 75-year-old today is the same as it was for a 65-year-old 20 years ago. We're going to live for a long time. [9:21] Amava helps their members find meaningful, socially-engaging things to do with their time. This is as important to longevity as eating right and exercising. [9:38] The Amava editorial team works with employers, non-profits, educational institutions, group travel organizations, and the members, to surface opportunities to earn, learn, give back, or achieve some other personal objective. [9:55] Amava also offers, from time to time, products and services that are designed to support their members' socially-active lifestyles. Many Amava members are primary caregivers of a loved one and are looking for advice and support.[10:08] Caregiving is the one purposeful activity that can increase isolation and loneliness. Amava seeks to help their members find balance through other flexible activities that meet their often-hectic schedules and also help them find support for their caregiving activities through Amava partners and members. [10:26] Amava has tens of thousands of members. A typical Amava user is somebody who has or is about to leave their full-time job or become an empty-nester. There is a balance of people retiring at a traditional retirement age and empty nesters who have left their careers early and have lost their sense of purpose with the children gone. [11:08] Among Amava members, age is less important than stage. People become empty-nesters and leave their careers at a broad range of ages. [11:30] Mark shares a story about a member who volunteers with Meals on Wheels in the Denver area and was looking for volunteers for an all-day activity. She asked Amava to post the opportunity. The result was finding several much-needed volunteers and creating new connections in her local community for herself and Meals on Wheels. [12:21] Mark shares the experience of an early Amava member empty-nester and former executive. She was looking for a flexible part-time position with a meaningful social component. The most important thing to her was staying active and staying social, more than the amount of money. [12:46] Amava suggested a number of local opportunities, both paid and volunteer. She ended up working part-time for a regional espresso shop that had a position in her community. She worked there for over a year and made a lot of connections. [13:11] A marketing executive grew tired of the daily grind and travel. Instead of a part-time position, she decided to open a small gathering place in her town, where people could connect with each other, and listen to local musicians while enjoying hand-crafted food. While she had challenges, it has become a big hit in the community. [13:45] Amava helped by bringing together experienced people who knew how to open a shop, and creating awareness in the community for her shop. She was a self-starter and didn't need a lot of help finding her "next." It was an incredibly rewarding experience early on for Amava. [14:19] Amava is looking at bringing people on who can help people set up their own businesses. A lot of people leaving their full-time careers look forward to controlling their own destinies and experience what it means to build something on their own, now that they have time and a little flexibility. [14:54] In the case of the marketing executive, she reached out to Amava, then started connecting with people in her community, online and in person. Amava's goal is to help people move from an online connection to experience connection with people in their local community that would support her and help her. [15:45] Amava members are spread out across the U.S., with maybe 1% of the members outside the U.S. Amava has not reached out internationally, so the international members found them by searching. Amava grows by about five to ten thousand new members a month. [16:14] Amava is engaging with employers and organizations to help them understand how to communicate with an aging population and to have hiring and management processes that support a workplace that is age-friendly and attractive to Amava members.[16:45] Many organizations use age-specific labels that can offend. Businesses are not prepared for how to handle over-qualified applicants who are no longer focused on building their career or making the most money possible but want to stay engaged. [17:09] If the interviewing and onboarding processes aren't handled appropriately, a lot of applicants can feel as if their years of experience make them less qualified for a less-skilled, lower-paying position, than overqualified for it, creating a bad experience for the employer or the brand. [18:03] To get involved, start at Amava.com and explore the types of opportunities. A lot of members start by exploring and opening their minds to the various possibilities. Some think that their only path is to do what they did in their career, but less of it. But skills can be used in different jobs, especially if you are flexible in the status or pay you receive. [18:52] Then, dive in deeper. Over time you will find various kinds of very specific opportunities in your local community, either developed by Amava or by others. Amava continues to reach out to communities where the members live. Amava has a concierge service to match people. So far, hundreds of people have taken advantage of it. [20:29] The basic platform, to search Amava and look for opportunities is free. Members can sign up for the newsletter and receive opportunity concepts twice a month by email. Some things on the site require a member profile, which starts with your email address and your location. Amava does not sell information and keeps it private. [21:04] In the future, there will be tiers of membership associated with folks that represent particular types of organizations and want to promote those organizations or services. At this time, the entire platform is available during this phase. [21:18] The ability for everyone to search for and get inspired to do things with their time for social engagement will always be free to Amava members. Their mission is to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to stuff in their community where they can connect with other people. That aspect will be funded by employers looking to hire. [21:56] What Amava is building is nothing less than the largest opportunity or experience marketplace for the post-career, post-parenting generation. At their rate of growth, within the next few years, they will have between five and ten million members and between half-a-million and a million opportunities directly targeting that population. [23:03] Amava is not looking to become a social platform for people to connect online. Their focus is connecting people in a particular stage of life with the real world. By 2030 there will be over one billion post-career people, so there is potential for growth. Their most important focus is on serving members and creating value for their needs. [24:05] Boomers want face-to-face or auditory communications. Marc tells Millennials in his Multi-Generational Workplace Workshop that if they have a Boomer boss, they need to go talk to the boss. Marc is pleased that Amava is intended for people to talk to one another. [24:35] Amava is looking to build an organization that is for its members and by its members. Over the next several years, they look to encourage large organizations, employers, and educational institutions to provide opportunities to connect with this member base and to encourage members to post their ideas and opportunities. [25:26] Mark hopes that everybody will join Amava and start to experience it. They invite your feedback. As they are early in their growth, they always want feedback, even critical feedback. They are very thoughtful about living a socially engaged life. [26:03] To reach out to Amava, just go to Amava.com. It's really easy to sign up for the newsletter. You simply put in your email address. You can explore from there. There are a number of support opportunities on the website. You can also write directly to Mark at Mark@Amava.com. [26:51] Marc thanks Mark for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [27:00] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Marc is excited about what Mark and his team are creating. Subscribe to their free service at Amava.com. [27:14] The Career Pivot Membership Community continues to help the approximately 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project to grow and thrive. The community has moved on to the next phase where community members who have experienced success share their successes and teach others. [27:32] This is a community where everyone is there to help everyone else out. Marc is recruiting members for the next cohort.[27:39] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [27:54] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [28:16] This Fall, they are moving out of the beta phase into full production. If you would like to have input on this project, please and sign up CareerPivot.com/Community. [28:30] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [28:49] Please come back next week, when Marc will read the preview chapter from Repurpose Your Career: Playbook for Building Strategic Relationships. [28:59] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [29:04] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-138. [29:12] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe t…

Full show notes at the publisher

Stephanie Brodt and the Virtual Assistant Life #137 Jul 22, 2019

Show notes

Stephanie Brodt, owner of Stephanie Brodt Virtual Executive Services left the corporate world after 20-plus years working as an executive assistant to work as a virtual assistant online. Now, as an author and coach, she teaches others how to leave the office and use their very own specific skills while working from their home or even while they travel. Stephanie's online course, titled, "Your 9 to 5 Exit Plan," is available at StephanieBrodt.com for those who wish to learn more about how to work with this type of freedom and flexibility. Stephanie is Marc's virtual assistant and she's launching a new course the same week this episode airs. Marc has no financial relationship with this course. He just wants to help Stephanie be successful with this new endeavor as she has been a great virtual assistant to Marc for well over a year. Key Takeaways: [1:29] Marc welcomes you to Episode 137 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:59] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:17] Marc has released five chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:34] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:46] Marc plans to release the book in late September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. in late September and in October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:02] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com. [3:07] Next week, Marc will interview Mark Silverman of Amava.com. [3:12] Amava™'s mission statement is, "We want you to live a long, fulfilling life. We focus on social engagement because, according to research, it can be more important to wellness than genes, nutrition or fitness routines. It's downright scary how dangerous it is to become isolated." [3:32] Marc had planned on playing Mark's interview this week but changed his mind. This week, Marc is interviewing Stephanie Brodt. Marc shares her biography. [4:43] Marc welcomes Stephanie to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Stephanie is Marc's virtual assistant (VA) and she is launching a new course on how to become a VA. Many Baby Boomers have never considered becoming a VA. [5:16] Stephanie has already talked to Marc's online membership community, so Marc wanted to bring her onto the podcast, too, to explain what a VA does. Stephanie is not a Boomer but is near the upper end of Generation X. [5:59] Stephanie started out of college as a receptionist for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. [6:010] Her bachelor's degree is in business management, but she always worked in the office as an executive assistant, administrative assistant, project manager, and general manager, all basically in positions where she assisted other people to be successful. Stephanie liked being behind the scenes, managing the details of projects. [6:36] Stephanie loves that work and has done it for 20-plus years for different organizations, mainly at institutions of higher education. [6:51] Today, Stephanie works virtually, from her home office or while traveling with her husband. She works as a VA, which has slowly gone into coaching other people how to take their office skills and use them virtually instead of at a physical location. She started by coaching her friends who were interested in working virtually. [7:31] Stephanie still keeps a few clients on hand that she works for as a VA, mixed in with the coaching. [7:44] A virtual assistant assists in whatever that business is doing, just as in an office — help your boss manage calendars, send out newsletters, help them with correspondence and customers. You may help them with data, bookkeeping, or accounting. Whatever you can do to assist them, you can do virtually, online. [8:22] Small business owners and medium-sized business owners may need help and not have a full-time employee to help them. A virtual assistant could do website management or blog editing. They could edit books. It could be anything that a company needs. [9:04] Stephanie edits Marc's blogs, sends emails, puts together Marc's podcast, and sometimes talks to Marc's clients. Marc put a request on LinkedIn that he was looking for a VA and Stephanie responded to it. When they first connected, Stephanie was living in Indiana. Now, she lives in Florida, where she and her husband moved to "semi-retire." [10:01] Marc and Stephanie have never met in person. That is how things are with most of her clients. Stephanie has had clients in Spain, the UK, Australia, and one in Colorado, U.S. Stephanie and Marc do video conferences online. [10:44] It was a slow process for Stephanie to go from the workplace to the virtual workplace. The more she did her job, the better she knew it. The older she got, the more freedom she wanted to have. She wanted to schedule her own time off. [11:22] When Stephanie was brought into her final corporate job, the company had no administrative staff and she was asked to create one. Stephanie brought on three assistants and taught them how to run an administrative team. As they became better, Stephanie was eventually told that the team could work without her and she was let go. [11:58] Stephanie was sad that the position was gone, but in the back of her mind, she didn't want to return to an office where she had to beg for her time off. She didn't enjoy the commute or the timeclock. So, she started looking for ways not to go back to an office. They had given her a severance amount, so she had a little cushion. [12:57] Stephanie and her husband agreed that she could use up the cushion, and if she hadn't figured out what to do after that, she would go back to an office. They cut back wherever they could and Stephanie started figuring it out. [13:17] Stephanie's job was to spend 40 hours a week figuring out what she could do. What she figured out was that she could do what she had always done: the tasks she had always done in an office. She could quickly convert that to working online for clients all around the world and work when she wanted. [13:58] She could work at home or while they traveled in the car. She could hook up her phone as a hotspot and work in the car as they drove from Indiana to Florida. Her clients never noticed it. She didn't have to ask anyone for anything. She could just do it. [14:21] The more Stephanie found out, the more she started doing it, the more passionate she became. People her age that have always known work in a physical location had no idea this work was available and how easy it is to step into it. [14:44] Stephanie became very adamant about telling people around her, when they would ask about it, that they could use their computer at home the same way they use it in an office, with just a few tricks and connecting programs added. [15:07] When she saw people being suffocated by the time and place restrictions of work, she was passionate about helping them do the same things she was doing. Besides coaching people how to be VAs, she keeps a few clients that she really enjoys working for herself, Marc being one of them. [15:49] Stephanie eventually chose a specific niche for her VA work. At first, Stephanie worked for companies that were in areas she had already worked in. She recommends staying in familiar territory to start. Once, she picked up a client who was an author and a life coach. [16:27] This client was producing things for her clients that resonated with Stephanie. Stephanie was so interested, she would have assisted this client for free. That led her to see that she enjoys that type of work more. Working on her terms allowed her to discover and choose what she liked best. [17:10] Stephanie started to look toward people who were authors, speakers, and life coaches, to study their mentality and way of looking at life. She started looking only for that type of work. She might take on others that approached her, or hire assistants to do the work for those clients. This started unexpectedly, from all the referrals she received. [18:06] To avoid disappointing the people who had sent her the referrals, Stephanie brought on assistants she managed and assured the quality of their work. Stephanie retains for herself the work for coaches, speakers, and authors. [18:33] Marc describes VA work to his clients like this: You work 80% of the time, you make 75% of what you used to make, and you get to fire clients you don't like. [19:08] Stephanie wants to really live every day, not just weekends, vacations, or holidays. She goes to lunch with friends, and does the work in a morning, evening or the next day. She also only picks clients she enjoys working with, who click with her. [20:04] You set up your business in a way that you do get to choose. Don't set up your business in a way that money is so tight you have to take every client, whether you work well together or not. [20:40] There are certain clients that are going to make you miserable but you get to make that choice. [20:53] Stephanie first thought that she would just do the work that she knew how to do and it would be very easy, and relaxing. She thought she wouldn't have to work as hard. [21:12] Stephanie feels like she has put more energy into it than she thought she would but she's passionate about what she does. The hours and the days seem to fly by. She's not watching a clock. Her work blends easily with her life. [21:35] Stephanie sets limits to her work time. She has family time and she meets a friend every week for a long lunch. But she doesn't forget her work at the end of the day She's always thinking of what she can make better and what she can do next. She looks forward to the challenges every day. It's much more than just a job; it's a real part of her. [22:55] Stephanie talks about the online course she is launching. She found that a lot of people her age who have worked in an office for many years have a lot of fears and doubts about working at home or wherever they want to work. They don't understand how that plays together. [23:30] Stephanie created a very simple course and teaches it the way she wishes someone had taught her, on how to take what you do right now and how to go find clients that want to hire you for those skills. [23:46] In her course, Stephanie walks you through how to write emails to prospective clients showing what you can do for them, how to follow up with those prospects, and how to create your profiles online so that someone looking for a VA or a project manager will see you and be drawn to you. [24:08] Stephanie teaches the very basic steps that get you from beginning to end as far as finding the clients and getting the money coming in. That's a big fear if you've had 20 years in an office with good pay, benefits, and security. To walk away from all of that is a scary, scary thing. [24:35] If you have a job now, you can start working through this course on the side and bringing on a few clients. You will charge more per hour than you were paid in an office, keeping in mind that you have to pay for your insurance. When you have enough clients on the side, you can seamlessly walk over and go on your own. [25:06] This course teaches you how to do that. You don't buy a lot of equipment, you don't have to create a website, and you don't have to put all this money into a business. To start, you just take what you know and you start telling other people about it and helping them out, and they pay you for it. It's as easy as that. [25:31] Stephanie sells the course to do at your own pace, when you want. Stephanie also does a private Facebook group for questions and answers in Live Q&As with her. It's a hand-holding process for how to get started until you're ready to leave the office. [25:51] Marc refers back to Episode 14 with Taylor Pearson, the author of The End of Jobs: Money, Meaning and Freedom Without the 9-to-5. Taylor Pearson calls this process stair-stepping your way out. [26:21] You can do as Stephanie did, having a little cushion to support her at first, or you can build it up on the side until you are confident in going on your own full-time. Stephanie is confident that if you have used those skills in the corporate world for several years, you can use them successfully in your own online business. [26:43] Companies are craving people who have done the work, who know how to show up and hit deadlines. It's hard to find that type of person. They need you. Stephanie wants to teach people how to get out there and do it. [27:05] Administrative assistant jobs in big corporations are going away but the work isn't going away. To solopreneurs, independent contractors, and small service firms who don't want to hire a full-time employee, this makes perfect sense. [27:34] Stephanie's course is on the home page at StephanieBrodt.com. Sign up for the webinar on Insider Secrets. That will also lead to the course. You can reach out to Stephanie by phone or email on her website. [29:06] Virtual Assistants are a relatively new concept in the last 10 years or so. Marc tells how he uses Stephanie's services. Because Marc gives deadlines to Stephanie, it forces him to get things on time to her. [30:17] Marc thanks Stephanie for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [30:26] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Being a virtual assistant is one of the ways you can gain freedom from the 'nine-to-five grind.' Stephanie enjoys both the job and the freedom it allows her to pursue her life dream. [30:41] The Career Pivot Membership Community continues to help the approximately 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project to grow and thrive. The community has moved on to the next phase where community members who have experienced success share their successes and teach others. [30:57] This is a community where everyone is there to help everyone else out. Marc is recruiting members for the next cohort.[31:05] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [31:19] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more.[31:41] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [32:00] Please come back next week, when Marc will interview Mark Silverman of Amava.com [32:06] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [32:10] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-137. [32:18] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or…

Full show notes at the publisher

Diane Mulcahy and the Gig Economy #136 Jul 15, 2019

Show notes

Diane Mulcahy is the author of the bestselling book, The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want. Diane created the first course on the Gig Economy, an MBA class she teaches at Babson College that was named by Forbes as one of the Top 10 most innovative business school classes in the country. Daine consults to companies about the gig economy, is a Forbes contributor, and speaks globally about the future of work. You can learn more about Diane's work at DianeMulcahycom. Key Takeaways: [1:37] Marc welcomes you to Episode 136 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [2:06] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:26] Marc has released five chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:41] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:52] Marc's plan is to release the book in late September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. in late September and in October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:13] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:23] Next week, Marc will interview Mark Silverman of Amava.com. [3:29] Amava™'s mission statement is, "We want you to live a long, fulfilling life. We focus on social engagement because, according to research, it can be more important to wellness than genes, nutrition or fitness routines. It's downright scary how dangerous it is to become isolated." [3:54] This week, Marc is interviewing Diane Mulcahy. Marc shares her bio.to the Repurpose Your Career Podcast. [4:43] Marc welcomes Diane to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc notes that most listeners are over 50, from the corporate world, with an employee mindset. One of the chapters in Diane's book tells of an opportunity mindset. [5:24] How you work affects how you think about things. The employee mindset is relatively passive and conformative. The mentality is to outsource your professional development and financial stability to an employer, taking whatever benefits somebody gives you; you are reactive. [6:16] When you work independently, in order to be successful, you really have to change to an opportunity mindset or an entrepreneurial mindset; you are proactive. It takes ownership and going out and getting what you want. You have to think about what you want to get out of your professional life, take the reins, and drive toward your goals. [7:25] The opportunity mindset is about choosing the type of work you want to do, the level at which you want to operate, the rates you want to charge, and your revenue targets, then going out and getting them. [7:46] Marc says even employees should drop the employee mindset. It doesn't make sense today. Employers expect employees to take care of their own training and professional development. [8:19] Diane agrees that even if you are an employee, you can really benefit from thinking about your mindset, and how you approach your work life and your professional life. You can bring an opportunity mindset to your work. If you don't find the benefits you want at your existing company, you can find a new opportunity at a different company. [9:17] Diane suggests thinking about where you fit on the spectrum between employee mindset and opportunity mindset. Whichever way you are leaning, how does it affect your opportunities and how your career is going? How might you want to move along that continuum in the future? [9:40] Marc had an employee mindset for a long time, and it took something to really shake him up to get him to change. Several people in Marc's online community now have portfolios of gigs; they would not have thought of that until Marc presented the idea to them that they didn't have to have a single job. They are all over 60. [10:26] Diane explains the pathway to a portfolio gig. First, take the pressure off. Not every gig has to pay. Gigs that don't pay can be valuable, too. They are easier to get. Volunteer gigs provide the opportunity to expand your network and develop new skills by doing. When you have finished that term, you have an actual portfolio to talk about. [12:44] It can be hard to figure out what you want to do if you have always had a corporate career. Gigs can be a nice, low-risk, low-commitment way to try things that you're curious about or interested in and see if they fit. Try an industry new to you. Diane uses the example of film. Volunteer at a film festival. Get involved. [14:00] For gigs that pay, consider whether you can hang up your own shingle and deploy your skills to a new client base. Ask yourself if there is a way to stay involved with past clients or colleagues from the corporate world, for projects, referrals, or consulting gigs. [15:32] There are now online platforms for just about every industry there is. Go online, bid on some projects, and create a portfolio of gigs. Search for platforms in the industry and the sector where you've worked. [16:13] Marc recalls the art walk he visited last summer in Mexico. There were 90 artists and most of them were 'gringos' over 60. Most of them had not started creating art before moving to Mexico. They almost invariably started learning how to do their paintings by watching YouTube videos. [16:49] Diane notes resources for taking classes on edX.org, mooc.org, coursera.org, LinkedIn Learning, and more. For anything you want to learn, you can find an online class. Some are free, some are low-cost; they are all on-demand from the convenience of wherever you are. It's an amazing opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills. [17:29] Marc tells everybody to listen to podcasts. "There's a podcast for everything." [17:51] To find gigs, first look toward your former employers and colleagues. You are a low-risk, known quantity to them with internal knowledge. Secondly, reach out to the broader network of people you have met over the years in work-related contexts or community situations. Ask for ideas for projects or consulting opportunities. [18:59] Thirdly, there are platforms popping up for every industry, every sector, and every skill set. Some fit small niches. Diane names a few: Upwork for a wide range of projects, Catalant matching consultants with companies, axiom for attorneys, toptal for software coders, and 99designs for graphic designers and marketers. [19:47] Look for a platform that targets our sector, industry and skill experience. [20:00] Diane created and teaches a class on the gig economy in the MBA program at Babson College in Boston. Diane gives her students an assignment to brainstorm a list of 10 potential side gigs that they could do to make money. Almost anyone can come up with a list of three to five. You have to stretch think of 10 gigs. Then they discuss them. [21:10] Talking about this list with someone else may spark new ideas based on what they thought of or they might suggest a gig for you that you hadn't imagined. Other people see us differently than we see ourselves. They may have a different perspective on our talents that we take for granted. [21:52] This is a really good exercise if you're in transition, or thinking about transitioning. Spend some time in a creative mindset to come up with new ideas. See where that leads. [22:08] Marc talks about MSU (Making Stuff Up) disorder. Marc says it's a very dark place when you're inside your own head and you don't know what you don't know. Talking to other people can give you new ideas. So much has changed in employment over the last five years. Marc has a friend starting a Fulfillment by Amazon business. [23:44] Technology has really augmented and expanded the opportunities that are available. A lot of people 'snowbird' someplace else in the winter. That used to make it challenging to work. Now if you create something online where you can work remotely, you can really take your work wherever you go. [24:33] Diane interviewed people for her book who had jobs as coaches, design consultants, and even a psychologist, all of whom were operating their business online. They interact with their clients through Skype, Zoom, or Webex. It's very freeing to be able to do that. [25:05] Daine's book has a chapter on facing fears by reducing risks. She directed the chapter more at people who are considering making the transition from a job to a portfolio career. If you have already transitioned, you have overcome that fear. But all of us have fears about the future. [25:50] Diane recommends taking your fear and "wrestle it to the ground." Put a name to it. What is the fear? Take that feeling of fear and articulate it for what it is. "I'm worried that I'm going to run out of money," for example. Then lay out the risks around that and think of specific acts you can take to mitigate the risks. [27:14] One risk is that you'll outlive your money. So, look at an investment. Another risk might be a big health problem. So, look at Long Term Care insurance. Or maybe change your living situation to a population center, with mass transit, deliveries, and health services close at hand. [28:15] Another risk might be the cost of living. Think about ways to earn additional income to supplement your retirement savings. [28:43] Diane recommends breaking down your big fears into specific actionable risks. Fears become a lot less scary when you break them down on paper. Then you can talk about them with other people who have already been retired for five or more years. Ask them how they dealt with these fears. Ask what else you should be thinking about. [29:51] Do the work yourself, to understand what your own fears and risks are. Then find ways to check and validate those fears and also create opportunities for action by discussing them with other people. It is calming and allows you to take control of your fears and manage them. This is an exercise that Diane's MBA students say is powerful. [30:37] Marc is a fan of Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.com. Darren did a podcast episode where he asked, "Why don't you figure out what's the really worst thing that can happen if you do this?" Usually, you'll find that the worst thing is not so bad. But if it is really bad, then you know you'll need to do something about it. [31:06] Diane says that most people do jump to the worst-case scenario when they're considering a specific action. It is helpful to assign probabilities to the likelihood of the fears coming to pass. Research and take action on reasonably likely scenarios to make sure they don't happen. Triage the risks. [32:29] Time management as a gig worker is a topic that people leaving a traditional job don't often think about. It is a real issue. [32:55] Diane talks about hiring a research assistant part-time to help while she was writing her book. The assistant came in at 9:00 and left at 6:00 because that was how she had always worked in her recent corporate job. It hadn't occurred to her that she could work a different schedule. [33:58] As you transition to working for yourself, think about time differently. Give yourself time to experiment with the structure of your day to see what works. In a full-time job, other people structure your time for you. You may never have learned the skill to structure your own time. Figure out when you do deep, concentration work best. [35:02] Figure out when you are the most energetic and able to interact with the outside world. When is the best time for you to do meetings and phone calls, as opposed to deep work? What breaks should you take during the day? Do you need to go to the gym and reboot for the rest of the day? [35:44] You also need to structure your weeks. Diane tries not to schedule anything after 3:00 on Fridays. She takes a couple of hours to reflect on the week, create a priority list for the next week, and go to a yoga class or do something that allows her to mentally wind down and transition to the weekend. [36:30] Experiment and find your own habits that work for your productivity. Reflect on what it was like to go from a really structured full-time job to having a lot of time and learning how to structure it. It's a challenge with a learning curve. It requires some compassion and kindness to yourself with a sense of learning and experimentation. [37:09] Marc largely does not work on Fridays. Friday morning, he blocks off for his hiking club. He doesn't work on Saturdays, but he does work on Sunday afternoons. This is a schedule that works for him. He uses a virtual assistant. She has deadlines, which helps Marc. [37:37] Diane agrees you don't have to be the hero and do everything yourself. A virtual assistant is a big help. It is good to build a team around you to keep you accountable and on track. Diane works with someone to do her monthly newsletter and keep her social media on track. Working with other people keeps Diane on time with deliverables. [38:29] As you leave your full-time job, consider whether you need that kind of outside accountability to get things done. That works really well for Diane, who is very deadline-oriented. Your team can be very part-time and still help you accomplish the goals that you want. [38:59] Marc is very horizontally-skilled. He knows how to do a lot of stuff. It took him so time to realize he didn't need to do all of it. He had to be willing to find people to do things he either didn't like to do or wasn't very good at doing. [39:27] Diane emphasizes the point and ties it to building a portfolio of gigs. When you are faced with finding your own work to do, how do you start? You can learn all the new media skills yourself, or you can work with someone who is an expert in them. Focus on what you like to do and what you are good at and interested in; outsource the rest. [41:09] Some people run into problems in keeping momentum when they work independently. You have to sustain the motivation and the momentum yourself. If you are working with other people, you have projects underway, you have a plan outlined, you have interim deliverables, with deadlines. It's a great way to maintain momentum. [42:08] Baby Boomers may not be used to building a team and hiring people to do things. Diane asks her students why shouldn't they hire someone to free up their time to do the things that they want to do and that they're good at doing? What is the highest and best use of your time? [42:50] By being a client, you are actually helping somebody else to build up their independent business and validating their skills and expertise and learning from them. Maybe you can refer them to other people you know. [43:26] You can reach Diane at DianeMulcahy.com and sign up for her monthly newsletter there, and for her question of the month to reflect on as you transition to working independently. Diane's book is available on her website or on Amazon. [44:13] Marc thanks Diane for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [4…

Full show notes at the publisher

Career Sherpa Hannah Morgan Teaches Online Networking #135 Jul 08, 2019

Show notes

Hannah Morgan, the Career Sherpa walks through the steps to build your online relationships and influence in a way that puts you in front of the people you want to meet to move forward in your career. Hannah covers the main platforms she uses and recommends, and how they differ in purpose, as well as their similarities. Listen in to learn the secrets of online networking, finding your tribe, and getting closer to the right opportunity for you. Key Takeaways: [1:22] Marc welcomes you to Episode 135 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:51] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:11] Marc has released four chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. A fifth chapter will be released this week. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:27] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:39] Marc's plan is to release the book in late-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [2:54] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:05] Next week, Marc will interview Diane Mulcahey, author of The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want. [3:19] This week, Marc discusses online networking with his good friend and colleague, Hannah Morgan, a.k.a. Career Sherpa. You will find Hannah at CareerSherpa.net. [3:34] Marc welcomes Hannah to the Repurpose Your Career Podcast. [4:25] Hannah and Marc met online. They have never met in person. [5:00] Online networking is networking through social media, blogs, or other online channels. Don't network when you need something. Network to build mutually beneficial relationships and have some fun with it. [5:58] Chris Brogan first described online networking in relation to finding your tribe, which is people that have something in common with you, a way of thinking, or a passion about a subject. Hannah says the fun is really in finding your tribe. [6:46] When Hannah started writing about 'job search,' she looked for other people writing about 'job search.' She found a couple of people writing blogs on it, before the days of social media. She commented on their blogs and began dialogs with them. She found other people they were affiliated with and made more connections. [7:21] From these new connections, Hannah learned about new technology and tools. She started a Twitter account. The most important message Hannah has about online networking is to find your tribe, talking about your interests. [7:41] Marc's definition of a tribe is those people who would probably say yes if you asked for a favor. Dunbar's Number says you can maintain about 150 real relationships. Marc has 7,000 LinkedIn connections. That is not his tribe. [8:18] Marc was doing some unemployment rate research for his book and he asked five people he knew would assist him. They are in is his tribe. He has a relationship with them. [8:54] Some of Marc's tribe he has met in person, like Teresa Ferguson of AustinUp and some he only knows online. Marc connects online with even the ones he has met. [9:52] Networking is like a job search. The first step is to identify your targets. Sarah connects with each member of her tribe on as many social media platforms as possible, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Those are the platforms where Sarah is active and she uses them for different purposes. [10:49] Sarah creates Twitter lists to keep people organized and to make her experience easier. All her marketing 'peeps' are on a marketing list. Her job search 'peeps' are on a job search list. Different platforms allow different strategies to keep your tribe top-of-mind. Take the effort to wish them a happy birthday or congratulate them. [12:44] Make a concerted effort to stay in touch with the people that are in your core tribe. Also, take a relationship to the next level with a phone call, or Skype or Zoom just to catch up. [13:45] Marc uses Facebook to stay connected with his Austin tribe; he also uses it to stay in touch with his local group, Gringos Ajijic & Lakeside. It works better for Marc than Google because people share their recommendations. Marc uses LinkedIn for personal stuff and Twitter for jobs lists. He posted about Twitter lists and targeted jobs. [16:08] If you are looking for a job in a targeted city, Hannah suggests starting with a tribe there by joining a local Facebook group. LinkedIn also has some groups by city. Join a group and look for the kind of news that's being shared relative to your targeted company or field. [17:28] Hannah is an introvert and seeks information before taking action. She spends time researching and becoming acclimated before she jumps in to do things. Look to see who is most active in your area of interest. Look for great networkers. They want to help you build your network. [18:35] Marc says MeetUp is a neglected platform. Marc looks at what meetings are going on in Austin and who is attending them. It will give names, which Marc uses to find email addresses on other platforms. [19:10] Tagging is a great way to stay top-of-mind. Each platform has a different method for tagging. Hannah gives an example of when to use tags in your posts on all three platforms. [20:57] Marc suggests looking for articles you think specific people would be interested in, and about once a week sharing an article with two or three people tagged in it for their feedback. [21:09] If you're looking in a remote location, subscribe to the local business journal. When something happens in that location you want to share, be very surgical about posting it and tagging one or two people you would like to impress at a target company. Don't tag 100 people. Tag three that could have the biggest impact on your career. [22:23] Marc walks into networking events with the goal of finding whom he can help, not how many people he can meet. He creates "good karma" by helping people. Similarly, you can find really good content and share it online, with a few to whom it would be really useful. Or use it to start a conversation. [23:04] Marc responds to LinkedIn connection requests by accepting them and then responding, "Hey, I accepted your connection request. How did you find me?" This starts a conversation. Asking good open-ended questions is a way to get a conversation going, either in person or online. [23:55] Commenting on posts among your tribe on LinkedIn is helpful, too. Leave a well-thought-out comment and ask an open-ended question. LinkedIn is all about building relationships by engaging with each other and share information. [25:42] Boomers sometimes have difficulty asking for help. Marc just turned 63. He wants to work into his 70s and he needs to build relationships to help him prepare for the next thing. Things are changing quickly. Hannah adds, this is one of the things we may not like to do, but that our career health requires. [26:55] Hannah recommends using hashtags to search for content, cities, occupations, and so forth, on LinkedIn. When you share content, use the appropriate hashtag that will let people interested in your content to find it easily. [28:18] A member of Marc's online community started searching for her target job title by hashtag and a lot of content popped up for her. Use hashtags both to search and to curate content. LinkedIn can suggest hashtags for your content. [29:21] The same hashtag that works on LinkedIn will also work on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Marc is not on Instagram! A lot of the Ajijic expats are older than Marc and they resist Facebook but Marc endorses it highly as a valuable resource. [30:16] Marc refers back to the Susan Joyce episode on personal SEO and privacy. Susan Joyce cautions to be careful what you talk about on Facebook because it will be searched by your target employers when you apply. Don't mix rants and professional content in the same account. [30:58] Hannah says it's okay to lurk on these platforms and check out what other people are saying. You don't have to share anything. Hannah says a lot of older people are using Instagram to share pictures and keep track of family members. [31:41] Marc now uses Facebook primarily to share his experiences and what he learns in Ajijic and to share photos. Marc wants to help others with it, and others can keep track of what Marc is doing. [33:10] Marc will use Facebook to share about his book tour coming up in September and October. [33:22] Hannah notes that according to Pew Research, the majority of people only log into LinkedIn once or twice a month, so it is unlikely they will see your share. Don't put all your eggs in the LinkedIn basket? Use a mix of platforms. [34:16] Marc recommends using the telephone. Gary O'Neal of Austin HR (Now Asure Software) told Marc that if you want to get to a recruiter call them. They get too much email and too much activity on LinkedIn.[35:08] Like any new routine or habit, it takes time to see the results you're looking for. Don't give up. Commit to 30 days to establish more online connections. You will get hooked. [35:55] You're digging a bunch of holes and planting seeds. And you don't know which ones are going to germinate. But you've got to give it time. Marc has a client who uses Sales Navigator to surgically identify people and companies who could hire him. He gets a good response rate from his personalized outreach messages. [37:29] When you have the intent of "good karma" — you're putting out helpful information and you want to help, and then go back and ask for a favor, you can't go wrong. [37:46] Marc thanks Hannah for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [38:00] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Hannah is a great resource for the whole job-seeking universe. Go to CareerSherpa.net to check out everything she offers. [38:11] The Career Pivot Membership Community continues to help the approximately 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project to grow and thrive. The community has moved on to the next phase where community members who have experienced success share their successes and teach others. [38:29] Gene presents to the community how he obtained his first consulting client through LinkedIn Sales Navigator and using the methods described in the book Getting Naked: A Business Fable about Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty, by Patrick Lencioni. This is a great book on consultative selling, even for introverts.[39:03] This is a community where everyone is there to help everyone else out. Marc is recruiting members for the next cohort.[39:09] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [39:24] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are starting a group for bloggers, writers, authors, and publishers.[39:57] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [40:15] Please come back next week, when Marc will interview Diane Mulcahey, author of The Gig Economy. [40:21] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [40:26] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-135. [40:34] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Full show notes at the publisher

Building on Weak Ties, a Chapter from the Third Edition of Repurpose Your Career #134 Jul 01, 2019

Show notes

The chapter, "Building on Weak Ties," from the upcoming third edition of Repurpose Your Career, introduces the principle of weak ties, or former colleagues and associates who are able to connect you to an expanded network of information and opportunities. Marc explains the theory of weak ties and gives practical advice on how to reintroduce yourself to your weak ties and enlist that help to find employment opportunities. Marc shares how a client, Steve was able to discover an invaluable network of his weak ties, and land a job, using only one-on-one contacting, starting with LinkedIn. Finally, Marc offers an action plan for cultivating your own weak ties. Listen in to learn how your weak ties can be your strongest assets. Key Takeaways: [1:14] Marc welcomes you to Episode 134 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:44] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:04] Marc has released four chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. A fifth chapter will be released in the coming weeks. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:24] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:35] Marc's plan is to release the book in late-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [2:52] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:02] Next week, Marc will discuss online networking with his good friend and colleague, Hannah Morgan, a.k.a. Career Sherpa. [3:15] This week, Marc reads the next preview chapter from Repurpose Your Career, "Building on Weak Ties." This chapter was supposed to be in the last edition but it got dropped in editing. From early comments from the Repurpose Your Career Review Team, this is proving to be a very impactful chapter. Marc hopes you enjoy it. [3:43] "Building on Weak Ties." People tend to make a very short list of who can help them in their job search; the same people they might ask to help them move — very close friends. That's a big mistake. [4:06] In 1973, Johns Hopkins sociologist, Mark Granovetter, wrote a paper called "The Strength of Weak Ties." Malcolm Gladwell brought this paper to the world's attention in his book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Granovetter was exploring the relationships we have with people we know slightly or by reputation. [4:29] Granovetter postulated that we might be more influenced by people with whom we have weak ties than those with whom we have strong ties. If your best friend buys bright orange shoes, you might think that's crazy. If you suddenly see people wearing bright orange shoes, your perspective might shift. You start to think it's a trend. [5:00] Granovetter was talking about the distribution of ideas but the same thing works with behavior. If your partner says your sense of humor is inappropriate, you might take offense. If someone you know slightly through business ties tells you the same thing, you will probably give the thought a lot more weight. [5:29] When you talk to those with whom you have strong ties, you don't give them your background. When you talk with those with you know less well, you are more explicit. You need to state exactly what you want and why. This can force you to articulate for yourself what you need. [6:00] A great explanation from the Changing Minds website says "In the familiarity of strong ties, we use simple, restrictive codes where much is implicit and taken for granted. In communicating through weak ties, we need more explicit elaborated codes for meaning to be fully communicated." Elaboration gives more scope for creativity. [6:27] Elaboration stimulates thought. Innovation becomes a likely result. The more weak ties we have, the more connected to the world we are. We are more likely to receive important information about ideas, threats, and opportunities in time to respond to them. [6:42] Our acquaintances' networks and our networks have a very small intersection. Our weak ties know people that we don't know. This makes them very valuable during a career move. Your weak ties are all the people you've ever worked with, volunteered with, belonged to organizations with, been neighbors with, or watched kids' sports with. [7:14] You might think you could never reach out to those people since they are virtual strangers. Marc was introduced to the concept of weak ties through the book Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, by Adam Grant. Grant writes about Granovetter's survey of professionals who had recently changed jobs. [7:43] Granovetter wrote that about 17% heard about the job from a strong tie. Their friends and trusted colleagues gave them plenty of leads. Surprisingly, people were more likely to benefit from weak ties. Almost 28% heard about the job from a weak tie. Strong ties provide bonds but weak ties serve as efficient bridges to new information. [8:10] Strong ties travel in the same circles and know the same opportunities as we do. Weak ties open new networks with new opportunities. [8:27] Everyone you've ever worked with or known has gone on to new jobs, made new friends, and created new business contacts. By this calculation your network is huge! For a variety of reasons, it is tough to ask weak ties for help. [8:58] Ask yourself, "What would I do if the shoe was on the other foot?" You can expect your weak ties to respond to you the way you would respond to them. [9:20] Be a giver. In the workplace, there are givers, takers, and matchers. Givers do prosper and takers don't. Givers look for opportunities to help. Marc explains how a giver is motivated. [9:59] Takers are always self-interested. They look for what they can get out of a relationship or exchange. Marc talks about a taker's motivation. These are not good sources of help. [10:21] Matchers will give if they can see a personal benefit arising from it. They don't want to give more than the other person or team. Marc explains the behavior of matchers. They will help you if they can see how you can help them back. They are the most common workplace type. [10:57] The lines between these styles are not "hard and fast.' You have probably worked with all three. You can spot the differences between these types at a networking event. Marc tells how to see it. [11:34] If you recognize yourself as a taker, now is a good time to assess and change your behavior. What is your mindset when you interact with people? Is it to make a friend, see if you can help, or to quickly run through all the ways this person could help you? If that's the way you're thinking, you probably haven't built many bridges. [11:55] Your first order of business might be to start looking for places to give. Volunteer. Answer questions on social media threads if you have expertise. Offer to mentor or assist former colleagues or acquaintances who can benefit from your knowledge base. [12:13] If you're a giver, it may be even more challenging for you to ask others for anything. It's actually easier to give than it is to be the one who needs help. You'd like people to respond to your giving. Many people are actually delighted to give back. [12:39] Marc shares the example of working with Steve, an introverted account manager. He was a "farmer" who was very good at cultivating relationships. Then his job was cut and he was scared. Marc used the Birkman Assessment and the Career Pivot evaluation process with Steve to analyze his needs and personality. [13:41] From the evaluation, they created a set of branding statements to work with. They reworked his LinkedIn profile focusing on the complex products he sold in his previous position. [13:56] Marc developed a set of open-ended questions Steve could use in any interview. He was then prepared to explain why the right company should hire him. [14:12] Using LinkedIn, Steve reached out to colleagues he had worked with over the past 20-plus years. It was incredibly difficult for him to admit he was unemployed at this stage. He learned that most of the people he reached out to had experienced unemployment in the last decade. [14:32] We are long past the time when others assume that being unemployed means there is something wrong with you. The more Steve reached out, the easier it got. Steve is a really nice guy and a giver. He had built a lot of bridges and burned none of them. People remembered him and were willing to help. [14:55] Marc tells how it works. Build a list of people you have worked with over the last 20 years. Divide the list into two: people who worked in the same function as you and people who worked in a different function. Find these weak ties using LinkedIn search. Use the current company or past company options to locate them. [15:20] For people who worked in the same function as you, see where they currently work. Did they change functional areas? If so, reach out and ask them how they did it. [15:36] For people who worked in a different function, what company or industry are they working in, now? If they changed industries, ask them how they did it. [15:47] Weak ties are easy to approach. Send them a personalized LinkedIn connection request that reminds them of your connection and why you are reaching out to former colleagues. Ask if they are willing to schedule a short phone call to see how they are doing and ask them to accept this invitation to connect. [16:14] This is the time to ask for AIR — Advice, Insights, and Recommendations. Marc shares sample questions. Ask if they will introduce you to someone at their company or another company. [16:34] Steve was amazed at how many weak ties were delighted to hear from him. He was more amazed at how many were willing to assist him in his job search. This greatly expanded his network and his visibility to companies and jobs. His weak ties proved to be invaluable. He found companies that needed his account management expertise. [16:58] Next, Steve started with his last employer and used the Similar Companies section on LinkedIn to find companies that were either direct competitors or in adjacent industries. After following this deliberate process, Steve found the perfect match through a weak tie at a company that supplied parts for his former employer. [17:23] This company needed a national account manager. The "courting process" of the interviewing went pretty quickly. It was only six weeks from the time he was introduced to the company to the time he received an offer. As an introvert, Steve had not attended any networking events. [17:45] Steve spent all his time reconnecting with weak ties and researching companies capable of hiring him. He did all his networking one-on-one via email and phone conversations. He leveraged his network to the fullest. His network was larger than he had believed. [18:07] Once Steve realized that just about everyone was willing to help, the whole process became a lot more comfortable. Marc had told Steve early on that this next job would come through a relationship and that he had no control over the timing. That is exactly what happened. [18:25] If you had a career of any duration, making use of weak ties, whether for ideas, encouragement, or connections, your extended network is probably a lot more powerful than you think. And when you talk to them, ask them if there is anything you can do to help them. [18:44] When you cultivate your giving tendencies all along the way, you can develop a reputation in your extended network of being a giver. It's also a nicer way to live. [18:55] Action Steps. Build a list of people you've worked with over the last 20 years. Begin to reach out to them over LinkedIn. Make sure you approach your search as a giver. If you haven't been a giver, look for opportunities to give. If you've been a giver, let someone else have the fun of giving, this time. [19:16] Used LinkedIn's Advanced People Search to find people in similar functions and similar companies to the one you're interested in. Send these contacts a short note to see if they're open to a call or coffee about positions in their company or industry. Ask for AIR. [19:35] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. The concept of weak ties is so critical to most of our future success. Marc hopes you will implement it throughout your career. [19:48] The Career Pivot Membership Community continues to help the approximately 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project to grow and thrive. The community has moved on to the next phase where community members who have experienced success share their successes and teach others. [20:06] Gene is presenting on how he obtained his first consulting client through LinkedIn Sales Navigator and using the methods described in the book Getting Naked: A Business Fable about Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty, by Patrick Lencioni. This is a great book on consultative selling, even for introverts.[20:40] This is a community where everyone is there to help everyone else out. Marc is recruiting members for the next cohort.[20:47] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [21:02] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are starting a group for bloggers, writers, authors, and publishers.[21:35] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [21:56 Please come back next week, when Marc will talk with Hannah Morgan on online networking. [22:04] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [22:09] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-134. [22:17] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Full show notes at the publisher

Marc's Lessons on Disappointment from Three Recent Events #133 Jun 24, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Marc explains how he — but not his website — got a mention in the New York Times, how he was glad to see family members after a long separation but was not glad to be acting out old roles, and how a negative Amazon review helped him reflect on the direction of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career.

Key Takeaways:

[1:27] Marc welcomes you to Episode 133 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge.

[1:56] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help.

[2:15] Marc has released three chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. A fourth chapter will be released by the time this episode airs. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam.

[2:36] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released.

[2:47] Marc's plan is to release the book in late-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners.

[3:05] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event.

[3:15] Marc had planned to read a chapter of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career but decided to delay that a week so he could record this special episode.

[3:27] This week, Marc talks about what he has learned in the previous couple of months from three different events he experienced. Marc hopes you will learn from this.

[3:43] Marc welcomes you to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. When Marc woke up on the day he is recording this, he thought of three events over the last eight weeks that have shown him how much he has changed in his attitude and behavior.

[4:18] Event 1. Marc was approached by Mark Miller who was writing an article for the New York Times on people who have had their retirement plans disrupted by being laid off. Marc gave Mark a couple of names from his Career Pivot Online Membership Community. You can learn about the community at CareerPivot.com/Community.

[5:07] Mark selected Cleo Parker. Cleo was written up in the New York Times article, titled "Why Working Till Whenever Is a Risky Retirement Strategy." Marc was really happy to see in the article from May 16 that Cleo got a lot of visibility including a photo of Cleo with her dogs in Livonia Michigan.

[5:47] Cleo had expected to keep her job as a marketing analyst in the automotive industry well into her 60s but at 62 is on the job hunt instead. Her plans blew up in 2008 with the whole automotive industry crashing. Cleo was one of the early members of the Career Pivot Online Membership Community.

[6:16] Over the last 10 years, Cleo bounced from job to job, mostly by contract. She has turned her life-long love of dogs into a business. As Cleo has written, what was really exciting was that the author, Mark Miller, included a link to her Dog Marketing Blog.

[6:51] Cleo was pretty uncomfortable for being the poster child for the unemployed of our [Boomer] generation. This is similar to what Marc heard from Elizabeth White, who wrote the book 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life. Learn more about Elizabeth White in CareerPivot.com/episode-109.

[7:12] Out of this article, Cleo has gotten a decent consulting gig of 20 to 30 hours.

[7:33] Marc was pretty excited about the article. When Mark asked Marc how he wanted to describe him, he wrote that Marc Miller was a career consultant based out of Austin, Texas. Marc didn't ask to include the link to his website. In the past, Marc would have really beaten himself up over that. This time, he said, "Oh, well … That's fine."

[8:01] Marc has noticed that he is not as bothered by his mistakes anymore. A website link in the New York Times would be a very big deal for search engine optimization. He was thrilled that this is playing out for Cleo.

[8:30] Event 2. When the article published on May 16, Marc sent an email to his brother and to his own son about being quoted in an article in the New York Times. His brother replied and invited Marc to his son's wedding. Marc and his family have been estranged. [10:06] Marc and Mrs. Miller attended the wedding. Marc wants his sister-in-law, who listens to the Repurpose Your Career podcast to know they had a great time and it was an interesting experience. It was nice to see all the family, but New Jersey is not where Marc and Mrs. Miller want to be.

[11:43] As much as Marc's brother's family are very wonderful people, Marc doesn't want to go back to the United States all that much.

[11:56] Marc grew up very learning-disabled. When he went to college, he graduated from Northwestern's Engineering School in three-and-a-half years, never taking an English course. When Marc graduated from high school, he could barely read.

[12:17] Like many Boomers, Marc became an 'actor.' He went to work for IBM and played roles in his jobs and changed himself to fit those roles. He made very good money but wore himself out and became someone he was not.

[12:47] When Marc was with his brother's family, he went back and forth from being his normal introverted self to being someone talking way too much at the dinner table. How Marc behaved at times at the wedding is not who Marc is. It is a learned behavior. The learned behaviors Marc used in his career have been emotionally damaging to himself.

[13:52] It's only now that Marc is learning that he doesn't have to behave that way. He has choices. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and he is glad he went and he will not be repeating the trip frequently. Marc will go back for his 40th high school reunion, in October. He hopes not to slip into his old behaviors.

[14:44] Event 3. When the Millers came back, Marc went back to his routines. He asked a few people to write reviews for his book. One person wrote a very, very negative review, which Marc shares here.

[15:15] The review is titled, "Title misleading." It turns out the reviewer assumed the book was about starting a business. The reviewer gave a synopsis, which Marc agrees with, but the reviewer was really looking for a different kind of book.

[16:00] Marc's response on reading it was, "Wow!" In the past, he would have beaten himself up over this review.

[16:09] Marc is looking at refocusing the next edition of the book he is working on with his co-author Susan Lahey right now. The key piece to remember is that we are living in a time where things are changing rapidly. The rules for careers are changing rapidly. Healthcare in the U.S. is a huge problem for the Millers, which is why they are expats.

[17:19] It is really hard to get anyone to write a review on Amazon, either good or bad. Most people simply will not do it. Marc read the review and saw that it fits in with where he is headed with this podcast and the website. In the second half of life, the rules are being rewritten. For a lot of us Boomers, this is really, really uncomfortable.

[18:07] Marc sees the old guard in Washington trying to maintain the way things have been and it's not working. The younger generation taking over are not like us who are over 60. See the three-part series "The Career Pivot Multi-generational Workplace Workshop" in Episode 111, Episode 112, and Episode 113.

[18:42] This next edition will be more about how things have changed. Your life and career — which will last into our 80s — will look very different than it did 20 years ago. Work in your 70s and 80s will probably not be full-time employment. It may be multiple part-time jobs and freelancing.

[19:36] That will be a big shakeup for many folks — not being an employee but possibly being self-employed.

[19:46] Marc has reflected from these three events how much he has changed and how much his mindset has changed. Two years ago, Marc would not have believed he would be happily living in Mexico, and his wife would be incredibly happy in Mexico.

[20:21] In spite of being well-paid, and being a good saver, Marc has always worried about money. Marc doesn't worry about money, anymore. He is about to make a significant investment in the Career Pivot website. He wouldn't have done that five years ago.

[21:34] When negative things come in, like the three events Marc talked about, none of it bothers him anymore. He can make mistakes and move on. That is a huge shift for Marc.

[22:01] Marc has built his world the way he wants it to be now, which is not how he was raised. They have gotten rid of pretty much everything they owned. Next year they plan to sell their car in the U.S. and go carless for a while. They make decisions based on their ideas, not on what society tells them to do. Marc's roles are in mainly in the past.

[22:54] The next edition of the book is meant to be more aspirational and get you to understand what is happening, what you need to do, and to get you to think and reflect.

[23:09] Some people have asked Marc for generalized roadmaps to remake yourself. The answer is, he can't give them that because we are all so different. Marc has done about 400 Career Pivot evaluations and he can tell you that people are really different. Many people cannot separate themselves from the actors they became in their careers.

[23:56] This is the second time Marc recorded this episode. The first time, he went into way too much detail. Marc hopes you will see some of yourself in this episode.

[24:40] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. A solo episode requires a lot of editing! Show notes can be found at CareerPivot.com/episode-133 with links to the New York Times article and Cleo's Dog Marketing Blog. In the near future, you will hear about others in the Career Pivot Online Membership Community.

[25:10] The Career Pivot Membership Community website has become a valuable resource for about 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is recruiting new members for the next cohort.

[25:21] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves.

[25:34] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are starting a group for bloggers, writers, authors, and publishers.[26:07] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter.

[26:24] Please come back next week, when Marc will read the next pre-release chapter from the next edition of Repurpose Your Career. This chapter is called "Building on Weak Ties."

[26:35] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast.

[26:39] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-133.

[26:48] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Susan Joyce of Job-Hunt.org on Personal SEO and Privacy #132 Jun 17, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Marc gives Susan Joyce the stage as she presents her webinar called "Personal SEO: Being Found and Protecting Your Privacy." This is a recording of the webinar Susan gave to the Career Pivot Online Membership Community, with important links included. Listen in for expert advice on managing your online presence in social media, getting the most visibility from your LinkedIn profile, standardizing your professional name across all media and print pieces, and targeting the job and company you want. Key Takeaways: [1:17] Marc welcomes you to Episode 132 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings this podcast to you; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:47] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:07] Marc has released three chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. If you would like to be part of the review team, please sign up at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:23] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:34] Marc's plan is to release the book in mid-to-late-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [2:51] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:01] Next week, Marc will release the next chapter of Repurpose Your Career, which will be called "Building on Weak Ties." [3:09] This week, Marc replay a webinar that Susan Joyce of Job-hunt.org fame gave to the Career Pivot Membership Community called "Personal SEO: Being Found and Protecting Your Privacy." This should give you a good sampling of the quality material available in the Career Pivot Community. Listen to the end to hear how to join. [3:36] Please see the slides for this webinar at CareerPivot.com/personal-seo or see the show notes and find links at CareerPivot.com/episode-132. [4:06] Marc welcomes everyone to the Community webinar call with Susan Joyce of Job-Hunt.org. The webinar is called "Personal SEO: Being Found and Protecting Privacy." [4:42] Susan introduces herself and begins. Job-hunt.org is her website and the hyphen is necessary to get to her site.[5:00] Susan says it is hard to be purely private, but there are things to do to protect your privacy while still making sure you are found by prospective employers and clients. [5:42] If you are currently employed, keep a low profile while looking for a job online. Susan calls it a stealth job search. You want to avoid a very uncomfortable discussion with your manager. [6:12] Susan is a veteran and learned in the military to know the enemy. To think of it from a marketing perspective, know your customer. Employers are very worried about the cost of a bad hire. That slows the process. A bad hire costs the employer more than double the salary of the employee, assuming the employee didn't do any damage. [7:06] Recruiters are measured on time-to-hire. Job postings don't work anymore. Less than 25% of applicants to a posting are qualified. Recruiters will systematically ignore candidates who apply multiple times to jobs for which they are not qualified. [8:28] Recruiters are also measured on the quality of the hire. The look for the best candidates and hope they will become the best employees. [8:39] The safest way to hire is through the employee referral program. Most of the Fortune 500 companies have employee referral programs and so do many smaller companies. Each employer has their own set of rules for the program. [9:17] Employers research candidates. They search Google and LinkedIn, looking for qualified candidates. When they have an applicant or a candidate, they research the facts on the application or resume. Employers assume the facts on your LinkedIn profile are correct because anyone can see your profile. [10:19] Susan gives a typical example of an employer starting a search for a candidate on LinkedIn. They will start with the job title and city. Make sure your job title and city are in your description. No one will search for "Experienced medical professional." They will search for "Pediatrician." Having the right keywords (search terms) is very important. [11:18] Once an employer has researched a candidate, they may contact the candidate. If they don't pay for LinkedIn's recruiter service, they may try InMail or email, but they really want a phone number so they can call right away and find out immediately if you're interested. [12:17] Of course, contact information in public is not a good thing. Fortunately, Google has provided a solution, Google Voice, which is free in the U.S. and Canada. You set up the number, pick the area code you want, and you have a choice of a few numbers. You can forward it to as many as six phones. It will also take a voicemail and email it to you. [13:29] Google Voice allows you to put a phone number out there without putting your real phone number out there. Marc notes that Google just added it to their Enterprise package. Susan highly recommends it. She uses it for her business. [14:45] With your relatively private contact information in place, you can start working on your online reputation management or personal Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Author Dick Bolles once told Susan that Google is the new resume. Whatever is out there associated with your name is part of your Google resume. [15:24] According to a CareerBuilder's survey from August 2018, 47% of employers are unlikely to interview a job candidate if they cannot find the candidate online. Don't try to be invisible online! The smartest approach is to manage the online visibility you have and emphasize the things you want to emphasize. [16:11] Employers want to confirm the facts on your resume. They also want to observe how you communicate, your knowledge, your skills, and your attitude. They can learn quite a bit through social media and other public visibility you have. They search to contact you. They may be searching for you or someone else like you who is qualified. [17:04] Your most important keywords are your name. If your resume says William J. Jones and your LinkedIn profile says Bill Jones, that's not a match. Susan is Susan P. Joyce, to differentiate herself from other Susan Joyces. Be consistent in using your name the same way on your LinkedIn profile and all your profiles and stationery. [18:33] On your resume and any applications you submit, include the URL for your LinkedIn profile. The vast majority of hiring managers will want to see your LinkedIn profile. [19:01] If you have a cranky side, don't put it online. Don't rant about sports, politics, religion, or anything else you want to rant about under your professional name. If you must rant, use a different name than the name you use for your professional visibility. [19:30] Susan shares a homework assignment: Defensive Googling. Search your name inside quotation marks and see what you find. You need to be near the top of the Google results. Watch out for anyone else with the same name. Susan tells of a man who had the same name as a deceased porn star. Add your middle name, if needed. [21:07] Susan recommends doing this on a regular basis as people with similar names may end up in the news for breaking the law. [21:21] You want to consistently use that professional version of your name. You want to maintain a positive presence for that name. The best information to go with that name is a job title. Like your name, your target job title and your current job title are very important keywords. [21:53] You control what LinkedIn tells the world about you. Recruiters depend on LinkedIn. The LinkedIn Recruiting Service is more than 50% of LinkedIn's income. Google trusts LinkedIn. Usually, your LinkedIn profile is on the first page of Google results. This may not be true for a relatively famous person if they have LinkedIn. [23:00] Marc reads a question from Matt, who wants to use his nickname on LinkedIn to appear more approachable. Susan answers to use the best version of your name and use the same version of your name everywhere. LinkedIn has a nickname field. [24:10] Matt also asks how different should alternate names be on non-career social media, such as Facebook? Susan says Facebook is a problem because close to 54% of recruiters will check what you put on Facebook. Susan suggests making sensitive topics private on your Facebook page.[24:43] For non-professional visibility, maybe use your first two initials, a nickname, or something that is different enough from your professional name so nobody would connect the two easily. [25:16] Susan shares a scenario: A recruiter has 10 qualified candidates but can only interview three of them. None were recommended. Three have good, complete LinkedIn profiles. Three have scanty LinkedIn profiles. Three only have Facebook visibility. (Susan recommends adding your resume to Facebook.) One has no online visibility. [26:13] You would interview the three with the complete LinkedIn profiles because you would have a better idea that they are qualified for the job. The others could be as qualified but they haven't made it clear. So, you go with the safe choice, the ones with the good LinkedIn profiles. [26:39] Marc reads a question from Brian: I've never had a Facebook account; is that suspect in today's culture? To a certain degree, Susan thinks that's smart. If you are an attorney, recruiters would be glad you don't have a Facebook account. If you are a social media specialist, they would want would be disappointed you didn't have one. [27:13] To a degree, it depends. Susan barely has Facebook, and she has it because she has to for her family. Brian replies that he is an attorney. Susan agrees it's not a bad idea for him to avoid Facebook. Susan's husband, an attorney, does not have a Facebook account. [28:15] Susan gives advice on finding your keywords. Don't use generic words. "Experienced marketing professional" is not good. Skip words like "professional" unless your field is professional development. Keywords are specific. They are the job titles employers will search for to fill that job, or they are requirements for that job. [29:03] If something has a standard well-known abbreviation, like PMP (Project Management Professional), or CPA, you don't have to type out the whole term, but it is a good idea to use both the full term and the abbreviation. Susan shares examples of unhelpful keywords she pulled from actual profiles. You have to be specific. [31:05] Susan breaks it down into three parts. The first part is the most difficult.[31:11] Part 1) You have to have a target job. Being flexible; avoiding being pigeonholed — these instincts don't work. A target job gives you keywords. Have target employers so you know what they call the job. Susan shares a case study. Use your current title, a slash, and your target title. Use all the keywords. [33:12] Have a professional online presence. LinkedIn covers it, but professional associations have directories where you can be listed. Look around and see what's relevant to your target job or employers. [33:56] Susan recommends having at least 20 target employers and possibly more. The idea is to know who you want to work for. It makes it easier to learn about them and network into them. You may know people there, or make connections there. It is essential for a successful job search. [34:41] Marc adds that having a target employer lets you see the exact title of the job you are targeting at that employer. Marc gives a client example. [35:14] Marc reads another question: What if you already have an established Facebook account? My creative life is very different from my business life, and Facebook only allows one account per person. Susan says recruiters want to see what you've done on Facebook, but it's OK if you don't have a Facebook account. [36:36] If you have a Facebook account that's in sync with what you want to do professionally, that's helpful. If you post "crazy things" on Facebook, it can hurt you. Be very careful with Facebook and if you want to use that for a different side of your life, then use a different version of your name there that is not your professional name. [37:12] Most social media platforms do not want you to have multiple profiles. [37:24] Part 2) You have to use the keywords recruiters use. Look at the job descriptions the target employer uses; what are the job titles? Look at the locations. If you want to relocate to a different state or city, use that as your official location. Use a Google Voice number with the area code for that location. [38:15] Recruiters are interested in skills and experience. The LinkedIn recruiter's service offers skills as one of the top sorting filters. It finds the skills in the Skills and Endorsement section. [38:41] Education, certifications, and licenses are all important. Depending on the field, past employers can be very important, especially if it was a major company.[39:00] Use the keywords carefully, with perfect spelling. Susan gives examples of unfortunate spelling that would not be caught by spell check. You could make an actual wrong word by misspelling the word you intended. Use the best grammar you can. It helps to print the pages and read them a few hours later to catch errors. [39:57] Use current terminology. If your MBA is in MIS, no one will look for you. Use the title IT. That's the current term. Do searches on your skills and certifications and look at what people are calling those jobs. Don't write Sr. if you mean Senior unless that's how the title is written of the job you are targeting. [41:22] Why be on LinkedIn? Invisibility doesn't guarantee privacy. It makes you look out-of-date. Recruiters who can't find you will assume you have changed your name or are hiding something. Or they may find someone else with your name. [42:19] Information aggregator sites take your information from Facebook, especially your birthdate. You may be better served to provide a completely different date for your Facebook account. When you search for your name, if there is not a lot of information about you online, you will see the aggregator listings. [44:39] Marc reads a question from Matt. Whitepages shows my age, and that is a concern because of ageism for people 45-plus. Susan says that's why you want a good LinkedIn profile, and Twitter, and Slideshare; make yourself visible so you push the aggregators off of the first page. Most people don't look to the second page of a search. [45:32] Write a Kindle book and publish it on Amazon. That will push things down, too. [45:55] 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn as their number one search engine. LinkedIn gives you a lot of space, compared to a resume. Use it all. It is your marketing portfolio. [46:21] The LinkedIn professional headline follows your name throughout LinkedIn. You want to have a really good sales pitch full of keywords there. Susan shows some usage examples full of terminology an employer would use. [47:06] Marc shares a LinkedIn hack published by Andy Foot…

Full show notes at the publisher

The Miller's Health Insurance and Healthcare Experiences in Mexico #131 Jun 10, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Marc talks about their health insurance and healthcare experiences in Mexico. He sets the stage by explaining why health insurance has been a thorn in his family's side for over 20 years, starting with Mrs. Miller developing an endocrine system tumor in the 1990s. She became uninsurable except through an employer's group health policy. As long as she was on a health plan, her treatment was very affordable. But their circumstances changed. Listen in, to hear of the insurance benefits the Millers found by becoming expats in Mexico. Key Takeaways: [1:35] Marc welcomes you to Episode 131 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings this podcast to you; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [2:07] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:29] Marc has released three chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. If you would like to be part of the review team, please sign up at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:44] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:55] Marc's plan is to release the book in mid-to-late-September and do a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:13] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:23] Next week, Marc will replay a webinar that Susan Joyce of Job-hunt.org fame gave to the Career Pivot Membership Community called Personal SEO: Being Found and Protecting Your Privacy. This should give you a good sampling of the quality material available in the Career Pivot Membership Community. List to the end for more. [3:53] This week, Marc had planned to give an update on their expat journey, about healthcare experiences, resident visas, and finance processes, but the healthcare experiences ended up being such a big piece, that this episode is all about health insurance and healthcare in Mexico.[4:16] Please see the show notes at CareerPivot.com/episode-131 with additional resources and videos, which are fairly considerable. [4:35] In this episode, Marc will talk about health insurance and healthcare in Mexico. He sets the stage by explaining some health problems of Mrs. Miller that led to her becoming uninsurable except for an employer group health plan. [5:16] In 2000, Marc left IBM and went to work for a successful tech startup. The Miller's have always lived frugally. They paid off the mortgage and their son's college education, so, in their mid-40s they were debt-free. They don't buy expensive cars and have always lived within their means. [5:53] Marc's timing in career pivots has been impeccable. He started at Agere, his first tech startup, in January of 2000 and rode out the Dotcom Bust recession. He started at Lifesize Communications, in December of 2007 and rode out the Great Recession. [6:16] Marc just turned 63, and his wife is 64. She will be 65 and eligible for Medicare at the end of the summer. Medicare is a big deal. [6:40] Health insurance has been a thorn in their side. When Marc works for himself, he can't buy health insurance for his wife. No one will insure her. When Marc left his last tech startup, at the beginning of 2011, they went on COBRA, paying about $1,100 a month. After 18 months, Marc enrolled his wife in the Texas Health Insurance Pool. [7:20] High-risk pools are not wonderful, in Marc's experience. There is a lot of bureaucracy and it is expensive. Marc got a private plan from BlueCross BlueShield of Central Texas. After the Affordable Care Act came out, the Millers both went on the Exchange, first Mrs. Miller, and then, Marc, when his plan was terminated. [8:05] That was OK until October of 2016 when Marc received a premium notice that their plan was going up 50% to $1,800 a month. That's when their journey into becoming expats started. [8:28] Marc knew when President Trump was elected and Republicans came into power that there would be chaos in the healthcare world. The Affordable Care Act is flawed; it is fixable but nobody wants to fix it. [8:44] 2017 was an interesting year for the Miller family. They went to San Miguel de Allende, where his wife developed what they later learned was anemia. They went to Ecuador, where his wife collapsed so they came home. They had been at 9,000 ft. Marc recorded CareerPivot.com/episode-29 from his wife's hospital room. [9:21] Mrs. Miller has been treated and the condition was resolved. In 2017, the Millers spent $25,000 on health insurance and healthcare and did not reach their deductible. In 2017, they took a policy from Central Health, the public health organization in Central Texas from Sendero Healthcare, for around $1,100 a month. [9:54] If the Millers had the same plan this year, they would be paying over $1,600 a month, or $19,000 in premiums for a $7,000 individual deductible and $10,000 family deductible policy. This sets the stage for why the Millers are expats. [10:20] In Mexico, you have a public side to healthcare and health insurance and a private side. In the U.S., you have insurance exchanges and employer plans, which are private plans. On the public side, you have Medicaid and Medicare. Most of us will end up in Medicare, but there are reasons to opt out. [10:59] In Mexico, on the public side, the two most common ones are IMSS, about which Marc has little information, and Seguro Popular, which stands for Popular Insurance. Seguro Popular is roughly the Medicaid of Mexico. As an expat with a resident visa, you can sign up for Seguro Popular. It is largely free. [11:38] Under Seguro Popular, you are required to go to public clinics, doctors, and hospitals. Your wait times will be significantly longer than if you have a private plan.[11:53] There are a lot of economic refugees in Mexico. The Washington Post had an article about the millions of Americans coming to Mexico. About two million from the U.S. are in Mexico; about nine million civilian Americans are outside the U.S. [12:19] Healthcare and health insurance are large reasons and major drivers for the migration. Expats living strictly on their Social Security usually sign up for Seguro Popular because it is inexpensive. You can buy private health insurance. Listen to CareerPivot.com/episode-115 where Marc interviewed Valerie Friesen about it. [12:58] Valerie Friesen is from Blue Angel Solutions. She sold the Millers separate private health insurance policies for Marc and his wife with a $5,000 deductible. The combined premiums for the year come to about $2,000. The carrier is VUMI, a U.S. company. The policies are catastrophic policies. Regular healthcare is inexpensive. [13:48] Marc tells about his wife's experience with an endocrinologist during their March–April 2018 trip. Being a retired R.N., Mrs. Miller has high expectations for her care. She was thrilled. She learned things that no other doctor had told her. She has been being treated since 1992. The appointment cost 700 Pesos (about $36). [15:09] The doctor sent Mrs. Miller to a hematologist for her anemia. The appointment was made for two days later. The hematologist spent an hour with her and told her things she had not heard from other doctors. Mrs. Miller also saw a dermatologist. Each of the three appointments was 700 Pesos. [15:54] Mrs. Miller also had bloodwork, and teeth cleaning. In total, the Millers spent $150 for healthcare. Marc has had his teeth cleaned twice, paying 600 Pesos (about $30). In the U.S., Marc paid up to $200 to have his teeth cleaned. [16:40] Expats can get confused dealing with Mexican healthcare. Marc recommends some videos about emergency room experiences: The Expats Mexico, Tangerine Travels First Visit, Tangerine Travels Second Visit, Retirement Before the Age of 59. [17:20] You are responsible to pay your bills at the time of service. Your medical records are yours. Mrs. Miller was emailed her results within three days. You are in charge of keeping your records. Marc shares a case study for a head injury for about $100 at a private clinic. It would have been less expensive at a public clinic. [18:40] There is pricing for locals, and sometimes tourist pricing, which is higher. You have to ask how much it will cost. Marc shares another case study where the patient forgot to bring her medicine. If you have medicine, bring it with you! Clinics may not have your prescription available. [19:43] Credit cards are not readily accepted in Mexico but they are accepted in the healthcare system. Even for hospitalization, you pay at the time of service, which may be $2,000 to $3,000, U.S., and then you file an insurance claim for reimbursement. Mexico is a cash society, so be prepared. [20:13] Getting medications is largely inexpensive, as long as what you have is common. Mrs. Miller takes a thyroid replacement medication that she cannot get in Mexico. The Millers will go back to the U.S. once a year and get a refill for a year's supply. Marc's research showed him that this is a typical solution. [21:13] This usually means you are getting the medication outside of your insurance. Marc's wife can get one of her medication in Mexico but at a hospital, not at a standard pharmacy. So she has been buying it in the U.S., as well. It costs her $400 or $500 for a year's worth. [21:54] The Millers will go back to Austin in September when Mrs. Miller becomes eligible for Medicare. You will need to get educated on Medicare. Marc explains Part A and Part B. If you do not sign up for Medicare at 65, or discontinue Medicare and re-enroll later, you will pay premium penalties,10% per year that you waited. [22:47] There are a lot of expats who never sign up for Medicare or who cancel it, thinking they will never go back to the U.S. They sign up for Seguro Popular, instead. Most expats eventually do go back to the U.S. The Millers will sign up for Medicare. [23:24] Mrs. Miller will also sign up for Social Security at age 65, even though it is about a year early. They looked at the numbers and decided it was a good decision. She will pay her Medicare out of her Social Security payment. [23:47] When you get older than 69, you cannot always apply for health insurance in Mexico, especially with a private health insurance company. There are many factors to research. The plan the Millers bought from VUMI at Blue Angel Solutions does not cover them in the U.S. It covers them everywhere else in the world. [24:27] A plan to cover the Millers in the U.S. would have tripled the cost. When the Millers go back to the U.S., they buy a temporary health insurance policy from VUMI. When this show airs, the Millers will be in New Jersey for a wedding. They are paying $167 for a policy to cover them for the five days they will be in the U.S. [25:06] When the Millers went to Austin for three weeks, earlier this year, they bought a similar policy for over $300. Mrs. Miller also bought a negotiated policy when she went back to the U.S. for a vaccination. [25:35] After Mrs. Miller enrolls on Medicare, her trips to the U.S. will be covered. [25:46] In Mexico, some expats are not rich but have enough money to retire on. They enroll in Medicare but do not buy Mexican insurance. They pay all their medical needs out of pocket. If something bad happens, they plan to go back to the U.S. for it to be covered by Medicare. [26:27] Some expats do not sign up for Medicare as it does not cover anything in Mexico and they never plan to go back to the U.S. [26:39] However, there is a hospital being built in the area that will take Medicare Advantage plans. In general, Medicare is only for the U.S. Some people living on Social Security cannot afford $135 a month for Medicare. [27:11] In CareerPivot.com/episode-119, Marc interviewed Queen Michele, who is in her mid-50s and she has no health insurance in Mexico. She is living on $1,100 a month, her teacher pension. Health care is very affordable and she's taking the chance of not needing anything big. [27:30] Other economic refugees sign up for Seguro Popular and the health care they get is very good quality, even better than they might get in the U.S. You do have to shop around for doctors. Many of the doctors are trained in the U.S. Many are trained at the medical school in Guadalajara. [28:24] There are several hospitals in Guadalajara. There is one small hospital in Ajijic. A bigger hospital nearby just opened. Being an hour outside of a major city is an advantage. There are plenty of English-speaking doctors in the area. Mrs. Miller's doctors are based in Guadalajara but come down to Ajijic every week or two weeks. [28:53] Mrs. Miller has been very pleased. Marc will go soon for his physical exam. Mexican Health insurance and healthcare have solved a lot of problems for the Millers. Marc will not move back to the U.S., if ever, before he is eligible for Medicare. [29:34] The healthcare system and the health insurance business is very broken in the U.S. right now. There is a proposal for Medicare at 50. CareerPivot.com has a link to a blog: "Could New Medicare At 50 Bill Save You Big Money?" This is not Medicare for All but would allow people to sign up for Medicare at 50 and pay the full cost. [30:06] In many cases this is a good median solution. A Medicare specialist recommended the article to Marc for the website. [30:38] If you have any questions for Marc, please leave a comment on the show notes page at CareerPivot.com/episode-131. You can also leave Marc a message at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. [30:59] It's not until you experience healthcare outside of the U.S. that you realize just how broken the U.S. healthcare system has become. Check out the show notes with the additional resources and videos you may find useful at CareerPivot.com/episode-131. [31:23] The Career Pivot Membership Community website has become a valuable resource for approximately 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is recruiting new members for the next cohort. [31:37] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [31:51] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are starting a group for bloggers, writers, authors, and publishers.[32:26] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [32:45] Please come back next week, when Marc gives you a taste of what's available within the Career Pivot Membership Community in an interview with Susan Joyce of Job-hunt.org fame about personal SEO, being found, and protecting your privacy. [33:02] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [33:08] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-131. [33:15] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get upd…

Full show notes at the publisher

Forbes Publisher and author Rich Karlgaard on Late Bloomers #130 Jun 03, 2019

Show notes

Rich Karlgaard is the publisher of Forbes Magazine and the author of Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement. He is also a lecturer, a pilot, and the author of four acclaimed previous books. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, Rich had a mediocre academic career at Stanford, which he got into by a fluke, and after graduating, worked as a dishwasher, night watchman, and typing temp, before finally finding the inner motivation and drive that ultimately led him to his current career trajectory. Key Takeaways: [1:13] Marc welcomes you to Episode 130 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings you this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:42] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:02] Marc has released the third chapter of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. If you would like to be part of the review team, please sign up at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:20] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:31] Marc's plan is to release the book in mid-September and do a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [2:48] Contact Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues, job clubs, or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:04] Next week, Marc will give an update on where he and his wife are in their expat journey. He will talk about their healthcare, the resident visas, finances, and more! [3:19] This week, Marc interviews Rich Karlgaard. Marc introduces Rich and welcomes him to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [4:26] Marc first saw Rich interviewed by Richard Eisenberg on NextAvenue. People in Marc's online community recommended Rich's book, because "We're all late bloomers." Marc asks about late bloomers and the background for writing the book. [4:54] Rich talks about slacking through Stanford, after transferring from a Junior College. He contrasts himself with his ambitious, and diligent roommates. One was working on the space shuttle program, but couldn't talk about it. [5:56] At age 25, Rich held jobs such as dishwasher, temp typist, and security guard. On the night shift, his professional counterpart was the rottweiler patrolling with him. A couple of months later, Steve Jobs, also age 25, took Apple public. Rich always related to the idea that he was a late bloomer. [6:35] We celebrate the early bloomer in popular culture but not late bloomers. Rich did a Google search for late bloomers and found Colonel Sanders, Ray Kroc, and Grandma Moses. Rich decided to write a book. There was no clinical definition of late bloomer, so he made one up. [7:32] The late bloomer starts coming into their own, fulfilling what they feel is their destiny, at a later-than-expected age. It is in context to their peers. Rich explains what it means to bloom. [8:25] Through a journey of challenging experimentation, you arrive at the intersection of your native gifts, your deepest passion, and your abiding purpose. With those three aspects in alignment, you begin to feel pulled toward some sense of who you were always meant to be. [9:04] Marc recalls that when he graduated from college, he followed the path his parents expected of him. He went to work for IBM. He played different roles through many transitions. Much later, he realized that all his weaving around got him to where he is today. Marc didn't bloom for quite a while. [9:33] Rich tells how he got into Stanford and why he wasn't ready for it. [10:03] As a security guard, Rich had time to read. He read the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, thrillers and literary novels, including Saul Bellow. He started learning what really great writing looked like. Later, he put all of that to work. [11:12] Marc remembers when he was on a journey of discovery that he applied later. [11:44] Rich talks about pulling experiences together and applying them to a passion and purpose, making use of your earlier interests in a new way. This can happen several times in your life, as you reinvent yourself according to new circumstances. In our later years, many of us want to have stood for something that transcends our life. [12:41] In 2017, Fortune Magazine asked CEOs from the Fortune Best Places to Work list, including Intuit and Genentech, what they valued most in employees. The answers included curiosity, deeper pattern recognition, leadership skills, management skills, resilience, courage, and compassion. [13:27] We expect companies to hire for high grades from elite universities. The best CEOs look for people with curiosity, courage, and resilience to keep growing. Oftentimes, the early bloomers stop growing, according to Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.[14:26] Late bloomers often have a growth mindset. The early bloomers, who are rewarded in their youth, often get to the point where they think they know enough. Later blooming skills turn out to be hugely valuable. Curiosity is the first step toward growth. Early bloomers trade their curiosity for focus to get high grades. [15:25] Marc notes that late bloomers often label themselves multipotentialites. They have lots of interests. They also tend to get bored easily. Their curiosity always drives them to learn that next thing. Rich says one becomes a better pruner of their interests as they go through life, and then focus later on, which is when they bloom. [16:07] Neuroscience says the brain is constantly pruning. Starting in our 30s, we lose rapid synaptic speed processing and some memory but we develop cognitive attributes that support management, leadership, executive, and communication skills and deeper insights. In our 60s, we start to develop additional attributes that support wisdom. [16:58] Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, says our grit keeps rising throughout our lives. We become much better selectors of where we're going to apply our grit. Rich brings it back to your native gifts, deepest passions, and abiding purpose. That's where to apply your grit. [17:54] We become better editors of our curiosity as we get older. [18:00] Is quitting a failure? Rich quotes Vince Lombardi. There are certain circumstances where you cannot quit. As a life strategy, train yourself not to quit when adversity comes your way. In other cases, quit at the right time. Rich cites Richard Branson and the Virgin Cola and Virgin Brides companies that he quit at the right times. [19:20] Rich talks about Intel quitting the memory chip business for the microprocessor business. Bob Noyce, Andy Grove, and Gordon Moore debated the decision. Bob Noyce thought you should never quit. Andy Grove foresaw the rise of the personal computer. Gordon Moore argued that a new owner would go into microprocessors. [21:15] You should never quit as the first response to adversity but at any time, there is always an optimal use of your time, treasure, talent, and purpose. If you cannot make them work optimally in your current circumstance, look for a new circumstance. A strategic retreat can be very successful. [22:12] Marc gives case studies of knowing the right timing from the Dot-Com Bust and the Great Recession. [22:47] Daniel J. Brown, author of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, published the book about poor Depression-era students and their success at the Olympics when he was 62. It was on the NYT bestseller list for 110 weeks. It was his third book but his first success. [23:40] Daniel J. Brown had quit high school because he was having what we now call anxiety attacks. He finished school by correspondence, working in the Berkeley University library. It was that there he discovered books. Had he stayed in high school, he would not have been in the Berkeley library. [24:29] Later, Daniel J. Brown entered law school, as his father wanted him to. He quit after three days, full of shame. Yet at age 62, he published one of the great non-fiction books of the last 10 years. [25:00] Marc notes that the decision to quit often turns out to be a very big decision and critical to later success. [25:16] Entrepreneurs, artists, and writers are on a different path. As a late bloomer, when you get off of the conveyor belt everyone else takes, you take responsibility for your own journey and figure it out. You may find some dead ends and have to turn back. [26:13] If you are on an unconventional path you risk that every time you quit you reinforce the feeling that you have not found the success you want. You may feel guilty about it. Quitting is just one tool in your tool belt. Use it when it makes sense. [26:43] What does re-potting yourself mean? Rich says your environment and people around you may not bring out the best you. Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking cited research that suggests some people are 'dandelions' and some are 'orchids.' [27:34] You can drop dandelions into any environment and they will thrive. Orchids can bloom only in certain circumstances. Rich talks about why he didn't thrive in Bismarck, ND. You need friends around you who encourage your development. [29:27] You might be in a job that does not take you to where the best of you can come out. You have to re-pot to find your ultimate destiny. [29:46] For new stuff to begin, you have to end stuff, according to Dr. Henry Cloud, author of Necessary Endings. We have to decide on our priorities. Do we feel what Oprah Winfrey calls our supreme destiny — what we were put on earth to do; the fulfillment of our gifts, passion, and sense of purpose? [30:31] If you feel that destiny, even in a small amount, you have to look at your environment to see if you are being supported. Successful re-potters have gotten a great lift by joining peer groups. [31:50] Marc's seven career transitions have been half-step career moves, with a relationship that took him across. 'Weak tie' connections know people you don't know. Rich says this is a good thing about support groups and recovery movements. [32:32] Rich calls the half-step idea 'adjacent spaces,' borrowing the term from management consulting. Rich shares a case study of an L.A. advertising copywriter who realized at age 50 that she was in a youth-obsessed industry. She re-potted to Vermont to do some serious writing and it worked well for her. [34:00] Rich gives advice about self-doubt in late bloomers. People who feel they haven't quite arrived at that place where they feel pulled by their destiny rather than pushed by outsiders have self-doubt. What do you do about it? A long-term strategy to deal with self-doubt is to wall it off from your self-worth. [35:20] You have inherent self-worth. You are here. You are not an accident. Learn how self-doubt can be useful to you. It shows up at the worst moment. What is it telling you? Do you need more preparation or a partner? Self-doubt is your annoying friend. Listen. [36:46] After you listen to self-doubt, use self-talk and self-compassion; frame your self-doubt in a different way. Instead of seeing yourself as nervous about something, see yourself as excited about it. It's the same adrenaline. Tell yourself you are going to learn something from this great opportunity. Look at self-doubt in a new way. [37:31] Marc talks about MSU (Make Stuff Up) Disorder springing from self-doubt. Be compassionate with yourself. You are your own harshest critic. [38:09] If you let your self-doubt infect your self-worth, you spiral downward. No one else can destroy your self-worth. Protect it from your self-doubt. Treat yourself like you would treat a vulnerable good friend. Don't attack yourself. [39:15] It helps to talk to yourself in the third person. "Why is [your name] feeling self-doubt. [Your name] should be feeling excitement about this opportunity!" [39:47] Go to RichKarlgaard.com to contact Rich. He would love to hear late bloomer challenges and successes. Rich is inspired by the people who achieve unconventionally, on an unconventional timetable, and by people who suddenly realized they had an opportunity to lean into who they were becoming, not who they once were. [40:50] Marc thanks Rich for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast and hopes you enjoyed this episode. Check out the book review written by David Jenkins and the NextAvenue interview with Rich. [41:26] Marc hopes you have noticed that he is interviewing a lot of prominent authors in 2019. When Marc and his wife returned from Mexico last Fall, Marc was surprised to find his mailbox full of books from major publishers who wanted a review of the book and an interview on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [41:51] When Marc learns of a good new book, he contacts the publicist and asks for free copies to share with his online community, who write the review, and Marc schedules an interview for the podcast. No one has said, "No." [42:09] If you find a book that inspires you, please email to Podcast@CareerPivot.com and tell Marc about the book and the author and why you were inspired. Marc will see if he can get the author on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Get involved! [42:32] The Career Pivot Community website has become a valuable resource for the 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is recruiting new members for the next cohort. [42:44] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [42:58] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction of this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are now starting a writers' group.[43:47] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [44:06] Please come back next week, when Marc gives an update on becoming an expat in Mexico. [44:12] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [44:16] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-130. [44:25] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Full show notes at the publisher

"Life as a Square Peg: Gets Tougher as You Age," a Chapter from the Third Edition of Repurpose Your Career #129 May 27, 2019

Show notes

The chapter, "Life as a Square Peg: Gets Tougher as You Age," from the upcoming third edition of Repurpose Your Career, addresses the challenges of working in a career or a workplace environment that does not fit well with your personality. Marc explains how to learn what type of work personality you have, and how to find the unique work environment and qualities that will fit you best, so you don't have to fit a square peg into a hole of the wrong shape for you. Key Takeaways: [1:04] Marc welcomes you to Episode 129 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings this podcast to you; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:33] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [1:54] Next week, Marc will interview Rich Karlgaard, who is the publisher of Forbes Magazine and the author of Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement. [2:12] This week, Marc will read a chapter from the third edition of Repurpose Your Career called "Life is a Square Peg: Gets Tougher As You Age." [2:25] This chapter, along with the two previously released chapters, is now available to the Repurpose Your Career review team. If you'd like to be part of that team, please go to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam and you'll receive new chapters as they become available. [2:48] Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book has been released. [2:57] Marc currently plans to release the book in mid-to-late September with both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:15] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you'd be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups that would be interested in hosting an event. [3:28] "Life is a Square Peg: Gets Tougher As You Age." You play a role at work. The closer that role is to your authentic self, the happier you are likely to be. We act on the job to fit into the culture. We behave as we believe our boss or team expects us to. [3:54] Many business cultures show little value for interest in the arts, expect employees to follow the rules, award employees for being extroverted, want you to check your emotions at the door, and value strong, engaged leadership. Some of these behaviors may differ from how you normally function. [4:17] When you're younger, it seems easier to be an actor at work. The older you get, the more exhausting it is to put on 'the show.' After decades of acting, you just want to be left alone to do what you do best. You don't want to pretend interest in things that aren't relevant to doing your job. You know your job better than your boss does. [5:01] This is especially hard when you're a square peg in a round hole. Some people are square pegs because their personality doesn't lend itself to the social dynamics of the workplace. That is Marc's situation. Marc is an introvert but he has to act the role of an extrovert. [5:24] Some people are square pegs because the culture of their industry doesn't fit them, like an engineer who is highly emotionally intelligent. Sometimes they came to a job from another country and everything about this culture requires them to act in a way that is different from how they grew up behaving. [5:44] Marc has been working with quite a few square pegs who do not fit into the traditional roles that organizations define. Some squeeze themselves into those roles and end up unhappy and unhealthy. Stress wreaks havoc on their health. [6:09] Personality Square Pegs: Marc, an introvert, used to be able to stay in character as an extrovert for a long time, in his 20s, 30s, and 40s. In his 50s, staying in character became exhausting. Periodically, Marc would be completely depleted, which was not how people knew him. He would take a long time to recharge, especially if drained. [6:41] Our society is biased toward extroverts. Extroverts make more money. They are taken more seriously as leaders. They are perceived as more competent. Susan Cain pointed out in Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking that many of our great thinkers and artists have been introverts. [7:03] That's only one kind of square peg. There are others. [7:08] Creatives: Creative people have a high interest in music, art, and literature. Many creatives have abandoned those interests because they can't fit into what our economy values or is willing to pay for. These people often express their creativity in colorful spreadsheets or attractive Powerpoint presentations. [7:32] Autonomous: Autonomous people don't like staying between the lines. They want the freedom to do it their way. They're good in chaotic situations where they get to make the rules. [7:44] High Empathy: People with high empathy treat people with kindness and caring and want their colleagues to treat them in the same way. Marc has worked in high-tech for most of his career. High-empathy people are not generally welcomed or considered the norm. [8:01] Low Authority: Low-authority people would prefer having a colleague to a boss. Trying to micro-manage them is not pretty. Their personality is largely incompatible with today's work environment. [8:18] Industry or Company Mismatch: The Project Manager. Marc had a client who was a top-flight IT project manager. Her boss would give her a project; she would run it for a year, then her boss would give her a new project just like it. This was a dream scenario for a lot of project managers, but not for her. [8:45] Unusual for her profession, she wanted to constantly learn new things and tackle new challenges to develop in her career. She talked to her boss who was surprised. He had been keeping her in her comfort zone. That was the last thing she wanted. [9:12] Musical Technologist: Marc has met multiple musical technologists. It's very common for engineers to have a high interest in music. Marc talked to "Ron," who works for a large hospital system. He evaluates systems and stays on top of all the technology the hospital implements. [9:36] Electronic Medical Records and related technology have accelerated the rate of change. Ron has a huge interest in music that he put aside for years. Ron can keep up with the technology but he doesn't want to. What was once fun is now a lot of work. He spent the last years caring for elderly parents. He is done fitting into the round hole. [10:23] The Creative Technologist: "Sam" wandered into technology a long time ago when he graduated from college. He has worked in IT departments of large companies and gotten pretty good at it. Now he's in IT security, a hot area, but he is sick of it. He is both mentally and physically tired. In his 50s, he no longer fits into the round hole. [11:01] He is physically fit and can do his job but he no longer wants to do it. Sam is highly creative and would love to marry his technical knowledge with some form of art. He is now exploring video options with virtual and augmented reality. Can he make a go of this and keep putting his children through college at the same time? [11:27] Cultural Dyslexia: These are people born in an indirect culture, such as India, China, Japan, but who spent their teenage years in a direct culture, such as the United States and Europe. They attend Western universities and acquire Western personality traits. They do not feel they belong in either their birth culture or their adopted culture. [12:00] We will see a lot more cultural dyslexia as people move around the world. Marc has seen cultural dyslexia cause people great angst as they try to fit in that round hole. [12:18] Square Pegs and Financial Requirements for the Second Half of Life: Marc was blessed that his first tech startup job left him debt-free in his late 40s. Marc had children in his late 20s. Many others waited to establish their careers before having children. Many in their 50s are putting children through college. [12:48] We have lived through two horrible recessions that decimated retirement savings and children's college savings. Many square pegs feel they have no choice but to stay in their ill-fitting niche. This is one reason Marc and his wife moved to Mexico. They enjoy a lower cost of living and a slower pace of life. [13:16] For many people, the task is to define and then find their own unique career hole. Marc shows his process for helping square pegs find their unique career hole. [13:28] Define Your Career Hole: Another way to put this is "Know thyself." You cannot target your ideal working environment unless you know what it is. You cannot find your unique career hole if you can't define it. Can you clearly articulate what your ideal working environment looks like? For 99% of you, the answer is no. [13:54] Reflect on when you've been happy in seven different areas in your career: Boss. When did you have a boss you really liked? What made that person a good boss? Team. When did you have a really great team? What was the makeup of that team? Value. When did you feel valued at work? What made you feel valued? [14:20] Structure. How much structure do you need at work? Who should create that structure? Variety. How much variety do you need in a day? Emotions. Do you need a supportive emotional environment at work? Activity. How much activity do you need? [14:40] You can use Marc's Career Reflection Worksheet to help with this. Once you have clearly defined when things were really good in the past, go back to times when things were really bad. [14:54] Marc uses the Birkman Assessment with his clients to pick out situations that highlight what causes them stress. Once you have identified those situations, you can determine how to avoid them. You can clearly identify the shape of that unique career hole. You can start the search, locating your unique career hole. [15:15] Now, you have figured out what kind of peg you are and what kind of career hole you need. Create a list of open-ended questions you will use to investigate the companies where you're thinking of working, to find out if they fit the bill. These questions will evolve, over time. Marc lists sample questions you might use. [15:48] Develop a set of questions for each of the seven areas above. [15:52] Next, target companies within your industry or profession that can hire you. You can dutifully use your questions to determine what companies have a unique career hole that matches your requirements. It will take a great deal of tenacity and patience. [16:11] For some square pegs, it means going to work for themselves. For others, it means working for small organizations that are willing to create unique career holes for you. Do you know the shape of your unique career hole? Are you ready to define it? [16:27] Find restorative niches. Marc appears to be an extrovert because he is a great public speaker. He can work a networking event with the best of them. He can meet and mingle with strangers with ease. When Marc is done, he is exhausted! [16:46] Marc's extrovert abilities did not develop overnight. In 22 years at IBM, he slowly became "a geek who could speak." He was paid more money to do this. By his late 30s and 40s, his back would spasm one or more times a year and down for a week or more. [17:07] Finally, Marc had a disk rupture and after taking three months off for bed rest, he kept going. Now that he is over 60, he has to be careful how much public speaking he does. Like other square pegs, Marc has to learn to take time to recover. [17:23] Recently, Marc presented a workshop in Dallas, on working for a multi-generational company. He drove for three hours from Austin to Dallas in the morning, listening to podcasts, gave the two-hour workshop, and drove three hours back again. The time in the car gave Marc a restorative niche. [17:44] Marc has to allow a lot of 'alone time' before and after being around people. If he does not, he is 'dead' for the rest of the day. As good as Marc is at being around people and presenting workshops, he is a square peg. 'Shoving himself' into that round hole is exhausting, especially now that he is older. [18:08] If you are a square peg, a restorative niche might be listening to your favorite music while you work, doing creative projects in your spare time, or connecting with people with a similar cultural background. You still need to do the work to find your right-shaped niche, but this will keep you sane while you do it. [18:31] Marc repeats his opening statement: In pretty much every job, you have to play a role, even if you work for yourself. You have to play a role with your customers or clients. The closer your role is to who you are, the happier you will be. [18:47] Action Steps: Are you a square peg? Write down what roles you have been playing throughout your career that you would like to stop playing, now. Write down some of your personal square peg attributes and how they could be useful in different jobs and businesses. How can you find a way to work around them, where necessary? [19:10] Write down some questions you can ask an employer that would help you see how well you and the organization's culture could fit. [19:18] Marc hopes you enjoyed this chapter. Marc is very much a square peg. Marc has never fit neatly in corporate roles. He has always forced himself to fit. When he hit his 50s, he found life to be exhausting. Marc now implements regular restorative niches whenever he does things that suck the life out of him, like being around a lot of people. [19:45] You will find a link to the Career Reflection Worksheet mentioned in the chapter in the Show Notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-129. [19:59] The Career Pivot Community website has become a valuable resource for the 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is preparing to recruit new members for the next cohort. [20:11] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you'll receive information about the community as it evolves. [20:25] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction of this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it's a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are now starting a writers' group. [20:59] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [21:19] Please come back next week, when Marc interviews Rich Karlgaard, who is the publisher of Forbes Magazine and the Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement. [21:35] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [21:40] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-129. [21:48] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Full show notes at the publisher

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