Repurpose Your Career | Career Pivot | Careers for the 2nd Half of Life | Career Change

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A Career Change from a Dying Industry to a Growth Industry. With Jennifer Winter. #028 May 15, 2017

Show notes

Jennifer Winter has always understood the importance of seeing the big picture, while always focusing on the small details. Doing both well enabled her to grow, along with Turner Broadcasting. She began her career in print publishing before moving to sports, where she coordinated sponsorships in every sport the network broadcast — NBA basketball, Major league baseball, NFL football, PGA golf, NASCAR, figure skating, and more.

After 21 years at Turner, and after rising to the position of Vice President of Sports Sponsorship and Marketing, Winter transitioned back to her home city of Austin, where she has brought the same skill to her role of Director of Programming for Texture Media. Her role is to ensure that the company has both the strategy and resources in place to grow and succeed. As she has done throughout her professional life, she is helping shape the creative vision of her company, while at the same time, ensuring that it has the plan and the resources necessary to execute that vision on time and on budget.

Key Takeaways:

[3:36] Jennifer is an introvert, and full of regrets that she didn't make changes to her life sooner, but she is happy to be home in Austin, and to be working towards acceptance of her professional position.

[4:21] Jennifer wants to make sure she doesn't repeat the mistake of working for years in a job she didn't like.

[5:00] Jennifer describes her career path during the first half of life, and how she spent 21 year at Turner Broadcasting, finally in Turner Sports, doing a job she never imagined.

[7:07] Jennifer explains her time at Turner. She hated sports, and all her time was spent at sporting events, and with on-air talent. People told her everyday that she had a dream job, but it wasn't her dream to work 24/7 on sports. She kept asking herself why she hadn't moved to entertainment, or news.

[8:50] Jennifer got to know Charles Barkley, and other great athletes, which was great, but not enough of a reason to stay. However, she stayed, unhappily, for 21 years.

[9:42] While Jennifer was at Turner, she had great friends, but was miserable. She was risk averse, and didn't do anything to change. In 2013 Turner started talking about layoffs, and Jennifer thought about making a change, but still didn't do anything about it. Then she got the notice that her position had been eliminated, and she was badly hurt!

[11:22] In a typical layoff, Turner went through and laid off the 20-plus year employees who were making good money. That's what prompted the change. Jennifer was risk averse, and when it happened, her feelings were hurt, because she took it personally. They gave her a generous severance package. The family moved back to Austin.

[13:14] Even though a layoff is impersonal, and everyone is replaceable, it feels very personal. Jennifer had felt like a part of Turner, and wondered how they could do it without her!

[15:10] Jennifer is now working for Texture Media, LLC, in Austin. It's a website all about wavy, curly, coily hair, and Jennifer is the Director of Programming, overseeing the development of video and photo content. She started as a contractor, and then became a full-time employee after a year.

[16:01] Jennifer talks about searching for a job after settling her family. Her television skills didn't seem likely to transfer to the digital city that Austin has become. After joining Women Communicators of Austin, she gained confidence, and reached out to Marc.

[18:10] At that time, Jennifer had applied for a CSM position at TextureMedia. A phone interview showed she didn't have the right experience for that job, but the interviewer told her there might be something coming up that she would be good for, and to follow back. So after four months they met for coffee (although Jennifer doesn't drink it).

[19:20] They had an honest conversation about what they were looking for, what Jennifer's background was, and where she was in life. The next day she got an offer to help them produce client videos as a contractor. The idea made Jennifer nervous. She had no idea how to discuss compensation. Marc helped her determine a good rate.

[20:58] Jennifer started at 30 hours a week, to have flexibility to pick her children up from school, and look for full-time work. However, she didn't stop at 30 hours. She kept her Turner mentality and got things done, whatever time it took. She started to burn out. Marc told her to track hours and get paid overtime. They weren't happy, but they did it.

[23:39] Jennifer is still challenged by the differences between broadcast media and digital media, even though they are both video content. The way people consume content is different. All the language around it, and how it is measured, are different. Keeping up with changes is challenging.

[25:27] Jennifer had the industry expertise, but she had to update her skills around digital media and platforms. Jennifer knows how to get creative people to behave themselves.

[27:17] Jennifer leaves this advice: Working with Marc has been huge, and she still calls him all the time with questions. She suggests staying involved with small networking groups, as she did with the Women Communicators. It helped her come out of her shell, and find others like her, with the same concerns, and hopes.

[30:00] Marc's notes: Jennifer was institutionalized at Turner, and that made it difficult to leave on her own. She was angry when they let her go, but she knew it was for the best. She would not transition to a new job in a new town by applying to job postings online.

[30:27] Jennifer reached out for help, which she found at WCA, and with Marc. She was first hired as a contractor, which was a good way to 'date' the company. However it was new territory, and it was terrifying. She had been in a dying business — broadcasting — but she was frozen and did nothing about it. Does any of that sound familiar?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey

Marc is taking on new clients. Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me or call at 512-693-9132, and leave a message with your email address. Marc will respond with a link to his calendar, to find a time to talk.

Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast

Jennifer on LinkedIn: Jennifer H. Winter

Texture Media, LLC (NaturallyCurly.com)

Women Communicators of Austin

Launch Pad Job Club

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The Unconscious Biases We All Have, and How to Work with Them, With Mark Anthony Dyson. #027 May 08, 2017

Show notes

Mark Anthony Dyson is Marc's expert guest in this episode. Mark is The Voice of Job Seekers, career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. He helps the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and underappreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. Marc knows Mark from the hosting of his great The Voice of Job Seekers podcast, one of the few career-related podcasts that I listen to.

Marc and Mark discuss the social impact of unconscious bias, and how the older job seeker may be affected. While unconscious bias is a fact, you can prepare to handle it by not accepting the perceptions that as an older worker, you lack energy, are not a good fit, or won't be able to keep up. Mark discusses trends in legal issues related to ageism, and how building relationships, embracing technology, and networking with professionals can help the older job seeker navigate the unconscious biases of hiring managers.

Listen in for behaviors to avoid, and attitudes to adopt, to stay relevant in the workplace.

Key Takeaways:

[3:21] Mark talks about his family, his grown sons, and moving forward into the second half of marriage to what he and his wife want to do. He is studying unconscious bias as it relates to job seekers. Mark enjoys music, personal training, and family life.

[5:00] Mark discusses unconscious bias, referencing the work of Dr. Derald Sue. In simple terms, it is a non-aware unpremeditated assumption about different ethnicities, age groups, genders, and so on. Mark says the assumptions are usually insulting or degrading. Microaggressions are statements or actions based on the biases.

[6:40] Telling a person older than you that they look good for their age is not a compliment. It is a microaggression. Microaggressions do not make people feel valued. Everyone has unconscious bias, and it comes out in different ways.

[7:53] Marc shares an example of his last boss's unconscious bias. Mark also gives an example for a client he had coached. The interviewer said they were concerned that the pace of this place was pretty fast, and that the candidate might not keep up (based on their age).

[8:54] Marc considers biases that came from his upbringing in an all-white town. Mark discusses how unconscious age bias affects older job seekers. One bias is that an older person's skillset may be outdated, or less relevant. Employers talk about "fit," without being precise about their bias, and laws do not fully protect aged workers.

[10:54] Gut instinct is relied on in hiring decisions. This includes bias. If merit hiring were implemented in many more companies, unconscious bias would be minimized. The Illinois State Attorney sent a notice to major job boards regarding ageism on their online forms. NPR ran a good article about ageism in hiring.

[12:50] Mark discusses how to deal with ageism. Satchel Paige pitched in the major leagues when he was near 60. George Blanda played football near 50. Don't accept the perceptions of hiring managers.

[14:44] We're seeing people work a lot longer. Mark wrote on CareerPivot.com about 8 ways older workers invite age bias on social media. On social sites, do not complain about work, or post things that do not show professionalism. Use digital photos, not scanned pictures. Don't mention aches and pains. Forget making political statements.

[19:33] One of Marc's readers responded to Mark's post, worried that bias was going to be used against him no matter what he did, and he had an edgy tone in the remarks. Mark says, if you make curmudgeonly comments, you flag that you may not fit in well.

[22:00] Marc noticed an unconscious bias when he was teaching a class of 90% Hispanic youth high school math. He felt like he did not fit there. Most of them had probation officers, which added to his bias, although they were not bad kids.

[23:17] Older workers also make assumptions about Millennials. Mark was a substitute teacher in his 40s, and he found the older teachers to be wiser, even though he enjoyed the younger teachers. In some cultures, older people are considered wise. In America, younger people take the torch from older people, even before they want to pass it.

[25:10] Older workers need to build relationships, earn respect, learn new technologies, and network in professional organizations.

[26:05] Marc talks about working with younger engineers, and dressing and acting like them, to be peer accepted, even though he was really the peer of their manager. They would confide in him. He purposely worked those relationships.

[28:25] Mark's closing remarks: some people don't think unconscious bias exists, or that it matters. Always consider: How can I have a respectful conversation with this person about their bias or about my bias? Be proactive, if you want to build a relationship. Once we are aware of our biases, we've taken the first step. Then, see how bias hurts people.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Call Marc at 512-693-9132 and leave a message and email address.

TheVoiceOfJobseekers.com

Twitter: @MADyson

LinkedIn: Mark Anthony Dyson

Facebook: Mark Anthony Dyson

Instagram: MarkADyson

Dr. Derald Wing Sue

Adecco Staffing

Illinois Attorney General Notice on Age Discrimination on Job Boards

NPR Article on Ageism in Hiring

"8 Ways Older Job Seekers Invite Age Unconscious Bias on Social Media," by Marc Anthony Dyson

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey (April 17, 2017)

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Give this podcast a review and subscribe! If you're not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Late in Life Graduate Degree Questions #026 May 01, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc answers career pivot job search questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. Listen, to pivot your career in the second half of life!

Key Takeaways:

[2:05] Elizabeth shares her story, and how Marc has helped guide her to her latest pivot, which has worked out well. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020.

[2:50] Q1: I am in my 50s. Faced with divorce, I panicked and went to graduate school. I owe $11K on my school loan with two more years to go. I will have a child in college next year. I don't want to take debt with me into retirement. I am working part-time in my field of study. What is Marc's honest opinion, should I quit school, or continue?

[4:01] A1: Ask yourself, will this Master's degree make you educated, or employable? You need to know before any Master's program. Ask the college to show you alumni like you in age, background, and experience, that have come out of the program with a job.

[5:11] You have sunk $11K into this. Do you hold onto a bad investment, or get out? Go with your gut, after you find out if it is a good program for you. Your child's college cannot take up your career and retirement. Let them get a two-year community college certificate, get a job, and go back later for a four-year degree. Things have changed.

[9:41] Q2: After being downsized, I went back to graduate school, earned a Master's degree in nonprofit management. I took a year off to care for a family member. Now I get almost no response to my resume. I am 65 years old, have long and varied experience, and strong skills. What should I do?

[10:23] A2: Why did you get this degree? (It looked good.) Where are you applying? (Job boards for nonprofits). You have no experience at nonprofits. Target what you want to do, and pick a nonprofit where the cause is important to you. Do your homework, and also pull up their Form 990 from Guidestar.org. Do they have money to pay you?

[13:40] Marc got his nonprofit job by walking into a conference, and targeting five nonprofits. He met with five executive directors. He got the job at the nonprofit, without ever applying for a job. In a nonprofit, relationships are the key.

[14:56] Q3: I have just moved back to the U.S. from Africa. I have a PhD in linguistics and have spent the last decade translating the Bible into different languages, which was very fulfilling. I am lost about what to do next. What do you think?

[15:19] A: This is a needle in a haystack. Marc gave this client a method to find the needle. He said to look at the top ten schools for linguistics PhDs, and look for graduates on LinkedIn, and find out what they are doing. This was a mission-driven individual, so I said to look for mission-oriented keywords. What can they tell you?

[16:43] Marc tells of another client who, after working in nonprofits, went to a Ruby on Rails programming bootcamp, and now has a government contractor offer, for which they need a top-secret security clearance, which takes nine months to a year.

[19:31] Now that Marc's latest book, Repurpose Your Career, A Practical Guide to the 2nd Half of Life, is out, he has time to work with you! Go to CareerPivot.com and click on the Contact Me button, or go to the speaker pipe and leave Marc a voice message. Marc says, Let's talk! You can also ask a question he can answer on the show!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com AudibleTrial.com/RepurposeYourCareer/

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Episode 020 Elizabeth Rabaey

Arizona State Global Pathways Institute

Guidestar.org

Ruby on Rails Bootcamp

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Mark Miller with Susan Lahey

Marc's Books and How He Wrote Them #025 Apr 24, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc discusses his new book, Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, now available on Amazon; and the paths he took to write it and the two books that preceded it. Marc starts by describing his departing the corporate world and starting a blog, how the blog led to a white paper, a website, and then a book, and how wrote two more books, earning additional credibility at each step. Marc explains the art of self-publishing, and what you can expect in writing your book.

Key Takeaways:

[1:42] Marc left his last corporate job in January, 2011, and in June he started a blog, called the My Career for My Life blog, with two, three, and then four posts a week. It took Marc months to find his voice and learn his readers' interests. He listened to learn.

[2:16] In late 2011, Marc hired Susan Lahey, who interviewed him, and wrote the white paper, Don't Retire, Even If You Can, a Baby Boomer Manifesto. The CareerPivot.com website launched in February 2012, along with the white paper. Using the white paper and the blog, Susan wrote the book, looking to author Gudjon Bergmann for title ideas.

[3:04] Having a title, Marc next needed a cover. He started with graphic artists, but he didn't get their technical questions. He was introduced to MamiSerwaa Amoakohene, who took Marc through a branding process, and helped him choose graphics suited to his audience.

[4:07] Susan drew from the white paper, and the blog posts which were most popular. Writing a blog will tell you, by feedback, the topics people want to read. Marc hired a college student to edit, which led to a minor skirmish between creatives; then they crowdsourced reviews. The common criticism was all the stories were from Marc's life.

[5:23] Marc used CreateSpace to publish the paperback, and KDP to publish the Kindle version. They released them about the first of January. They found three typos in the paperback, and fixed them to release the Kindle version. The only marketing was a book signing at BookPeople. There was a glitch in swapped covers, but Amazon fixed it!

[6:52] Marc did a giveaway of the Kindle version, to get a mailing list for his next book. Marc has a relationship at NextAvenue, that led to an article picked up by Forbes, for invaluable credibility. Marc planned the next edition for 2015, but it didn't work out.

[8:14] In 2014 Marc had a VO client record audio; Marc edited the audio, and put it on ACX.com — now Audible.com. His main expense was time. There have been 100 audios sold, and 2,500 books, in four years. What was gained was credibility, not much income. The credibility led to guest blogging in 2014 on Personal Branding Blog.

[10:35] The blog forced Marc to write more on personal branding. Of the blogs, they put the five most popular into a white paper, and it was incredibly well-received, by AARP. They added more posts, and turned it into an ebook. Marc lost a lot of time and momentum creating it, from co-authors walking away from it.

[12:29] In early 2016 Marc started making the pivot to focus on the 2nd half of life. He wrote the blog post, "Careers in the 2nd Half of Life." It was very popular. That made him think of a second edition focused on the 2nd half of life, and asked MamiSerwaa for cover suggestions. They retained the walking element, with changes, to differentiate.

[13:30] Marc started working with Susan in 2016, giving her 8-10 of the most popular blog posts to roll them into 4-5 chapters. Then Marc dictated client stories to Susan that she could fit into the old version to add depth. The book was completed toward the end of 2016, and Marc reached out to well-known authors to review it for quotes.

[15:00] Marc asked Susan to pick a professional editor she wanted to edit the book. It worked out much better for all. With the new draft, Marc sent a Review PDF to 100 people, to for quotes. He expects to get 50 to 70 reviews. He has five reviews so far. He also set up pre-ordering on Amazon Advantage. That led to 30 preorders.

[17:31] As with the first book, Marc used CreateSpace and KDP to create and publish the books. Amazon customer support was amazing every time Marc needed help. [18:30] Marc launched the Kindle version on April 18, at $.99, to encourage reviewers to buy the book, and be a verified Amazon purchaser. On the second day, 50 copies have been sold so far, and it's rolling out smoothly. If you want reviews, Marc says, you need to ask people to review it on Amazon. They generally won't think of that on their own. [19:20] Marc's blog allowed him to find material that people wanted to read, and most of the book came from his most-read blog posts. Marc credits Susan on the cover, and both Susan and MamiSerwaa on the Amazon listing. It costs nothing to give credit, and it creates loyalty. A book is a credibility-builder, second to none.

Mentioned in This Episode:

CareerPivot.com/blog

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey

The Author's Blueprint: Successfully Write a Non-Fiction Book, Conquer Procrastination and Never Get Writer's Block Again, by Gudjon Bergmann

Personal Branding blog

Personal Branding for Baby Boomers: What It Is, How to Manage It, and Why It's No Longer Optional!, by Marc Miller

Careerpivot.com/2016/careers-2nd-half-life

Advantage.amazon.com

Ericvanderhope.com/how-to-set-up-pre-orders-on-amazon-for-print-books

A Career Change, From Sales to Propellers. With  Mike Martin. #024 Apr 17, 2017

Show notes

Mike Martin made a career pivot after 30 years in industrial sales, first as a volunteer instructor and substitute teacher. Mike realized that instructing had a very fulfilling feel to it. Night college courses in teaching seemed the next logical step. This eventually became full-time aviation school at a college in Killeen, Texas, then two years of rail operations, instructing train operators on the new light rail extensions on the Harris County Metro line.

Wanting very much to use his pilot experience and passion for aviation, Mike joined Dart Drones in 2016 as a commercial drone pilot instructor. Dart is growing, and Mike is also helping Dart develop specialized curriculum aimed at target industries, and he even got to write a blog piece on the FAA knowledge test given to pilot candidates. Mike is very happy now, and says he has found a good place, and the future looks bright. Dart Drones has been on Shark Tank. Please see the link below.

Key Takeaways:

[:56] Marc reads a listener review from M11395 on iTunes, and invites listeners to write their own reviews.

[3:16] Mike's early influence was wanting to do anything big, noisy, and loud, and usually something moving. He wavered between train engineer and pilot. He took flying lessons as a teen, hoping to fly commercially, but that didn't happen.

[4:22] Mike went into industrial sales after a series of warehouse jobs that paid for his flying lessons. He found he was good with parts. His cousin suggested he should sell parts, instead of warehousing them. He opened a dialog with the CEO of a parts company he respected, and was offered a job in their electrical parts company.

[6:13] In the late 80's, purchasing became automated, competition was tougher, decision makers became hard to reach, and commissions were cut. When expenses reached income, it was time for a new career. Mike enjoyed his time in sales, until it was no longer sustainable. He wishes he had focused more on aviation.

[7:49] Mike's present employer, Dart Drones of Scranton, Penn., was represented on Shark Tank by CEO Abby Speicher. She got $300K from Mark Cuban for 10% of the company. She will use it to build the curriculum into more specialized areas, such as fire departments, and search and rescue.

[8:22] Besides training classes with Dart Drones, Mike also has an agreement with another company, Drone Ascent, for on-call commercial assignments as an operator.

[9:14] Mike's first pivot came at a moment of clarity doing volunteer work at a school science olympiad, teaching the students meteorology. That led him to substitute teaching, and he went back to school for a certificate — during a big teacher layoff. He applied his certificate towards a bachelor's degree in aviation, and worked at an airport.

[12:42] Lacking flight hours, Mike looked at other transportation, and found an opening for train operators in Houston, passed the test, and aced the interview. He was hired, and sent to train operator school. Then he tested and burned in trains, and trained rail operators for two years on the new lines, until they opened, before returning to Austin.

[16:42] Mike found a lot of activity in the drone industry, and found a place there, training people for FAA drone operator registration. These are drones weighing more than 250 grams, and less than 50 lbs.

[17:23] Mike learned from trains, that he could take on something big, with great responsibility involved, and train someone new, in a matter of hours, to running it up and down the line in a competent way.

[19:16] Mike's pivots were all about piloting, which applied to driving a train. He took his piloting skills and applied them to the rail industry, and then added his training skills, and applied them with his pilot skills, to the drone industry.

[20:20] Mike needed flying hours to fly drones and train others on a prosumer drone. So he bought a drone and put in 25 hours. He got the job at Dart Drones, after impressing the CEO by talking about the science olympiad, and the need for more females in technology.

[23:01] Mike gives his advice to listeners. Don't give up your dreams. One avenue might not be your thing, but you might find another avenue, like the training part of drones.

[25:34] Marc's Notes: Mike is a really interesting guy, and his journey has taken a lot of twists and turns. Mike is very persistent, and has a very supportive spouse. Do not discount either of those attributes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Mike's email: MPM660@gmail.com

DartDrones on Shark Tank Article on TechCrunch

Mike Martin's post about driving on the Houston Metro Line

The Future of Happiness, With Amy Blankson. #023 Apr 10, 2017

Show notes

Amy Blankson is Marc's guest in this episode. Amy has become one of the world's leading experts on the connection between positive psychology and technology. She is the only person to be named a point of light by two presidents, President George Bush, Sr., and President Bill Clinton, for creating a movement to activate positive cultural change. A sought-after speaker and consultant, Amy has now worked with organizations like Google, NASA, The U.S. Army, and the XPRIZE Foundation, to help foster a sense of well-being in the digital era. Amy received her BA from Harvard, and MBA from Yale School of Management. Most recently she was a featured professor at Oprah's Happiness course. Amy is the co-author, with Shawn Achor, of award-winning children's book, Ripple's Effect, and the mother of three girls who remind her on a daily basis why it's so important to create a happier future for all.

Marc and Amy discuss Amy's family background in psychology, positive psychology, and happiness, and focus on her new book, The Future of Happiness, 5 Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era. They cover several questions about the effects of technology today, near future, and the three personas related to technology.

Listen in for tips on making technology a positive tool for good in your life.

Key Takeaways:

[3:09] Amy recalls a childhood scuffle, in which her brother, Shawn Achor, to forestall her imminent outraged outburst, convinced her she was a unicorn. By diverting her attention from his injustice, he turned her anger into awe. Amy was raised in a family of psychologists, and is anxious to share what she has learned about happiness.

[4:43] Amy starts her book with three questions: Where are we heading? Would we be better off without tech? What will happiness look like? Amy explains why she chose those questions. Her book came out of her experiences with her company, Goodthink, a positive psychology consulting firm.

[6:43] When Pandora's box was opened, evil and pestilence were released, and the one thing left in the bottom of the box was hope. We have some really powerful tools that have been unleashed. Things can be used for bad or for good. As a society, we need to think about how can we use technology to its best and highest purposes.

[7:55] Technology helps us live longer; it can supply 3D printed organs to replace failing ones. Children born without a hand can have a 3D printed one within a week for under $30.00. Technology helps us manage our finances, and frees us up for more quality family time.

[8:19] We also have technology that is so distracting that the human attention span has dropped below that of a goldfish, to under 8 seconds. What do we do about that now, to change the trajectory for the future, so our technology is not distracting but propels us forward?

[10:02] Research shows that happiness and technology can be balanced. Technology is only a means to the end. We have to train the operators to use things better. Amy refers to the when, where, why, and how of using technology. It depends on intentionality.

[11:05] Are you using technology to connect, or to journal, or are you using it to check out, so you don't have to talk to your spouse? Start your day by writing down your tech intention. You are 42% more likely to achieve your written goals. Be accountable to your intentions. The technology will not do that for you.

[13:04] What about solitaire on your iPad! Check your time. Don't fall off the "happiness cliff." Games can turn from a diversion into a fixation. Some games and puzzles, like Sudoku, can help prevent dementia.

[15:49] Who are the embracers, the accepters, and the resisters? Amy says that people define themselves by their attitude toward technology. When you embrace your persona, you can set your course how you will make technology work for you. You may like some technology, such as medical equipment, but not smart phones.

[18:34] Amy is doing some original research around the connection between your tech persona, and some of the stressors that you feel. What does she find about resisters and stress? To reduce stress, try to see technology more as a challenge than a threat.

[19:47] Tunnel vision and confirmation bias can lead you astray, when you are first introduced to a new technology. Amy says a positive and engaged brain activates dopamine in your system, and activates the learning centers in your brain, which enables you to see new possibilities. Keep an open mind, and it will be easier to use.

[21:30] Tech is not a toxin, it is a tool we need to learn to wield effectively. Research shows that a tech detox does not bring happiness. If you keep setting happiness at the end of an event, you eventually push it over the cognitive horizon. Approach technology with happiness and a growth mindset, and that will mold how you use the technology.

[24:11] Amy discusses the positive use of Fitbit and other wellness tools, and relates them to her father's medical concerns. Technology can be used as tools for happiness for years to come. They will become more user-friendly in years to come.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Twitter: @AmyBlankson

GoodthinkInc.com

FutureofHappiness.com

FutureofHappiness.com/story

The Future of Happiness: 5 Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era, by Amy Blankson

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey (April 17, 2017)

The Components of Making a Career Pivot #022 Apr 03, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc discusses what you repurpose when you make a career pivot, and he examines the pivots of three clients to illustrate what he means. Marc starts by reading a review on iTunes, and then discusses the three career pivot examples. More information about each client example will be found in Episodes #020, #024, and #028.

Key Takeaways:

[:56] Marc takes this episode to examine the components of a career pivot, and what you are repurposing. He does this by reviewing the late-career pivots of three clients.

[1:15] Marc thanks everyone who has left a review on iTunes of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. On this episode he reads a listener review from iTunes user Unpobregato, who calls the podcast a lifeline. You can read the review on iTunes.

[2:26] In preparing a career pivot, you have two things you can repurpose: your existing skills, or your industry knowledge. The examples on this episode did one or the other. [3:01] Example 1: Elizabeth Rabaey was interviewed in Episode #020. Elizabeth went from environmental engineering air and water permitting, to marketing in a mining construction equipment company, making multiple pivots.

[3:21] Example 2: Mike Martin is on Marc's blog. In Mike's first pivot, he went from industrial sales to driving trains for the Houston Metro Line, and being a trainer for them, as they launched the Red Line.

[3:45] Example 3: Jennifer will be on a future podcast. Jennifer went from handling sponsorships for live sporting events for a major broadcaster, to a project manager for an agency that deals with curly hair, and has moved from broadcast to digital media.

[4:36] Episode #020 is Elizabeth's story. Elizabeth had a political science and journalism degree, and went to an engineering firm. She was detail-oriented. Years later, she wanted something different. Elizabeth left, but returned to do business development and marketing, which were new skills for her. She repurposed her industry knowledge.

[5:57] Marketing for them was painful, but Elizabeth gained valuable skills. A few months ago, she took a job with a mining equipment company. She now coordinates marketing events and conferences, and writes social media. She got the job because she knew equipment. What she's doing now is not at all what she did before.

[6:58] Mike will be on Episode #024. Mike spent many years in industrial sales. After a layoff, he wandered around, considering teaching. He had an associate's degree in aviation technology. He could have gone back for a bachelor's degree in aviation. He is a pilot. With some thought, he decided to apply to drive trains.

[8:09] Houston Metro Authority was rolling out their Red Line. Mike's pilot skills and mindset made him a good candidate to drive a train. He tested the line, and also trained other drivers. Mike repurposed his existing skills. However, the commute was hard, and after a couple of years, he came back to Austin to train drone pilots. [9:48] Jennifer will be on Episode #028. Jennifer is a Gen Xer. She spent 20 years at a major broadcast company. She handled the NBA, NASCAR, and everyone loved her job. She, however, hated it; especially dealing with sponsors. She got laid off, moved to Austin, and met Marc, and he evaluated her. [11:15] She had very good project management abilities, especially to manage creatives. She landed at a digital media company, dealing with curly hair. She repurposed her project management skills, and being able to deal with creatives. She started as a contractor, part-time. She "dated" to get the job. [13:14] Elizabeth repurposed her industry knowledge, to get a job to learn knew skills. Jennifer repurposed her project management skills, to learn digital media. Both of these will likely continue to transition. Mike repurposed his skills to get jobs where he learned new knowledge. He made two pivots, to driving trains, and being a drone pilot.

Mentioned in This Episode:

CareerPivot.com/episode-22

CareerPivot.com/blog

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

To Get What You Need You Must Know What You Need. #021 Mar 27, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc shares the chapter, "To Get What You Need You Must Know What You Need" from his upcoming book, Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, currently available for pre-order in March, and available on Amazon, in April, 2017.

Key Takeaways:

[:57] Marc starts this episode by thanking you listeners for your reviews. Repurpose Your Career now has a Five Star rating! Marc shares one review, and will share one review per episode, for the next few weeks. If you haven't left your review, Marc has instructions for how to do it, linked below.

[2:50] If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. When you're tired of wandering, figure out what you want to be. What do you want out of life, and what role does your job play in that? It's not just about pay, perqs, or a nice boss, but about your underlying needs that you may never recognize. Take an assessment to see.

[3:40] Marc tells how one woman was surprised at her need for status — to be aligned with key decision makers. When she didn't have that, she felt frustrated. Many need to be in charge of their own schedules. Not getting what you need isn't always as obvious as having an abusive boss or poor working conditions, but it can frustrate you.

[4:32] Rewards — One of the top reasons we change jobs is because we don't feel valued. Most people want and need to feel rewarded for doing good work. Marc explores the various forms rewards can take. Marc learned he needs a pat on the back from his customers. When he was a high school math teacher, that was not to be had!

[5:50] Marc had a client who was increasingly depressed, because he praised others often, and he expected his boss to tell him when he was doing well. When he heard nothing, he feared he was in trouble, about to be fired, or not thought of highly. (He was excelling.) Marc suggested he talk to his boss, who was glad to know of his concern.

[6:47] Most managers want to know how to manage better, and they really can't figure out all their different employees feedback styles. Some clients don't push for compensation, and this can lead to pay inequity.

[7:10] Marc's client's boss gave bonuses, but not raises. Marc's client wanted an increased paycheck! Some are best rewarded with time off. Others crave challenging projects; the chance to learn new skills. For some in nonprofits, or the military, the best reward is a mission that resonates with them. What kinds of rewards do you need?

[7:47] Freedom — The ability to take a two-hour client lunch without explaining it to anybody, go to a doctor's appointment, or take a Friday afternoon off, and make it up Saturday morning. Or, freedom to use your imagination in creating products and solutions, or freedom to wear jeans, or work from home, or to speak your mind.

[8:15] Marc categorizes three freedoms: freedom from micromanagement, freedom to be creative and individualistic in your approach, and freedom from structure and rules. Most professionals want the freedom to do their job, and let everyone else get out of the way, as long as their results meet or exceed expectations.

[8:59] Freedom is increasingly important to employees. New, flatter hierarchies make it possible for employees to design their own jobs, as long as the work gets done. If you could create your own job description, in terms of freedom, what would it include?

[9:17] Respect and emotional support — Everybody needs to be respected. Everyone has different expectations and needs for communication with others. How do we select the job with the emotional support that suits us? Strategic networking is one tool to use to experience different work environments.

[10:37] Variety — One of the key happiness factors at work is how much variety you have. Marc tells of a woman who almost took a job with none of the features she wanted, and some she did not want. Marc asked her, did she really want that job? She did not. She changed her focus. Another client always needed chaos to clean up.

[15:47] Do you want a lot of variety? Look at these questions: Are you more or less productive when you have lots of things going on? At what point does multi-tasking become stressful to you? What happens when you are interrupted frequently? Think about the perfect culture for you, based on your positive experiences. Ask for that.

[17:14] Action Steps: Reflect back to the job that made you feel most rewarded. What did you receive that made you feel good? Write down what you need, including intangibles like freedom, respect, physical activity, and variety. Write down the kind of culture you prefer to work in: small or large company, established, or startup.

[17:45] Highlights to consider: Did you see yourself in that chapter? Work through the Action Steps. You will find it worthwhile. Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Audible.com Get a free audiobook download and free 30-day trial.

CareerPivot.com

CareerPivot.com/blog

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, by Marc Miller with Susan Lahey, available in the middle of April, 2017

A New Career Change, Years in the Making. With  Elizabeth Rabaey. #020 Mar 20, 2017

Show notes

Elizabeth Rabaey has had to take multiple pivots to get where she is today. It wasn't just one step. Elizabeth is a creative, with a love for details. She spent 25 years working for a Texas-based environmental engineering consulting company, providing project management, and technical assistance on many innovative engineering projects. During the last three years, she transitioned to the marketing and business development side of the company, which enabled her to combine both her creative and technical skills to promote the company. Recently Elizebeth found a new job working for an international company as a marketing coordinator. She provides her marketing, content development, and social media support for the North American division of her company, that sells equipment, products and services to the mining industry. She's taken multiple steps, and in each one along the way, she's learned something, and gained new skills. Marc and Elizabeth discuss several topics, including why she initiated her career pivots, where they took her, what she learned along the way, how long it took, and how she finally landed a position that meets her needs.

Key Takeaways:

[3:06] Elizabeth talks about working with Marc for five years to pivot her career journey. It takes longer than you might think to make major changes.

[4:15] Elizabeth's first half of life included working for a year in St. Paul, MN, after college. Weather inspired her to move to Austin, where she worked for the state government for three years. Looking to private industry, she went to a small environmental engineering company, and worked there for 23+ years.

[4:53] Elizabeth had wonderful opportunities, and learned technical skills, like calculating air quality emissions, managing hazardous solid waste, planning around groundwater and stormwater, and more. She worked in many roles, and learned new software. There was always something new, and she had great mentors.

[6:07] One day, Elizabeth felt that she wanted more, and she opened the door to looking for a different opportunity. She felt like she had reached the end of what she wanted to do in that company. She also wanted to rein in her overtime and weekend hours, to make room for travel or volunteer activities.

[7:05] Where did Elizabeth start looking for direction? Where did she meet Marc Miller, and how did he catch her attention?

[8:14] At the Metropolitan Breakfast Club, Elizabeth met style and image consultant Jean LeFebvre. Used to T-shirts and shorts, Elizabeth needed a new image. Jean started by tossing out all Elizabeth's clothes, and then she helped her select a business wardrobe. Jean LeFebvre has had remarkable success with many of Marc's clients.

[11:17] What did Elizabeth do to improve her networking skills? She has three opening questions to get the conversation going. Just get out, and do it! It's necessary, and it takes practice. Do what you feel works for you. The Metropolitan Breakfast Club was a good place for Elizabeth to learn networking.

[13:43] Elizabeth talks about her job pivots. The first pivot came by way of a network contact at a bigger firm, where she got a job, and learned marketing and project management. How did she go back to her former firm, and what did she learn this time? Why did Elizabeth find it hard to market for engineers, and to guide them in marketing?

[20:20] How did Elizabeth find her current position? How did her five years of pivoting help her to get the job? What does she especially like about this job? How is it different from past roles?

[22:57] The most interesting thing: her company has no office in Austin. There are three employees who work in Austin from home, including Elizabeth's boss. Jobs are largely becoming location independent. Jobs do not have to be where you live. Elizabeth feels it is a good place for her to be.

[24:51] One skill Elizabeth has now that was not in her dreams of five years ago: her application of social media for marketing and branding. Another skill: collaborating with separated project team members, using text, and conference calls. Let go of "the way you've always done it," so you can grow. Elizabeth has learned to be a creative.

[30:44] Marc's notes: It took a long time for Elizabeth to leave the environmental engineering world. She needed to maintain an income. It had to be done incrementally. Getting out would not be quick or easy. She nudged the firm forward in marketing for three years as she grew. She was very persistent, but leaned on a lot of people to help.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Elizabeth on LinkedIn: Elizabeth Rabaey

Elizabeth on Twitter: @2ndAct4Me

Metropolitan Breakfast Club

Jean LeFebvre, Panacheimages.com

Vicki McCullough, Sequitur Marketing

Boomer Reinvention, With John Tarnoff. #019 Mar 13, 2017

Show notes

John Tarnoff is Marc's guest in this episode. John is a reinvention career coach, speaker and author who helps his fellow baby boomers transition to meaningful and sustainable careers beyond traditional retirement. Fired 39% of the time in his colorful career as a Los Angeles-based film producer, studio executive, and tech entrepreneur, he currently co-runs a graduate management program for a top university. In 2012, he developed the Boomer Reinvention Coaching Program, to help his generation stay active, engaged, relevant, and solvent. He is the author of Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50.

Marc and John discuss the twists in John's career, before he pivoted to career coach and author. They share experiences and give advice to Baby Boomers looking to prepare for or to find a job for the second half of life. Listen in for an enthusiastic boost!

Key Takeaways:

[1:49] People ask John why he wrote this book! John is a guy who's been fired a lot. He came late to the game, as part of a significant reinvention that happened the year he lost a business, at age 50.

[2:46] A former film studio production executive, he founded a tech company that failed when the bubble burst in 2001. He didn't want to go back to the studios, and had no idea what to do. He felt there was something out there; he would have to figure out what! He went back to school for a psychology degree, to find tools for his next career.

[4:02] He went back to the industry in a different capacity, at Dreamworks Animation, with a focus on people. That led to his reinvention practice. He knew he couldn't afford to retire, and that he was not alone. The economy was not going to come back. John wanted to help his generation lift themselves up by their bootstraps.

[6:17] Going back to school to figure out who you are is a job skill that is new in this generation. Mindfulness training and personal growth are looked at as business tools. In a fast-paced world, we need to be lifelong learners.

[8:43] The primary goal of the book is empowerment. John wants his readers to know that this is something they can do. Reinvention is within your reach. There are tools you can use. John provides steps and strategies, with a package of options to use.

[11:46] John turned the tables on a client by asking if they were applying their advice for their customers to themselves. Apply the principles you use in your business, on yourself. Your new career is likely unknown to you, because you're not thinking of how to port your abilities into a new career. Expand your reach horizontally.

[16:15] How long did it take Marc to get past the panic of not having a paycheck? It's scary when you realize you are cut off from a paycheck, and you think you will never work again. "If you're going through hell, keep going." — Winston Churchill.

[17:29] There's no time like today to start going, especially if you are still employed. Now is the time to start thinking about this eventual pivot, this reinvention, to that next second act career. Few have enough to retire.

[18:02] Episode 3, Joel Dobbs; Ep. 7, Mike O'Krent; and Ep. 11, Vicki McCullough are interviews with people who have successfully pivoted. Each one started with an idea, but didn't proceed, then got an extra push from a second event, and finally, found that it turned out differently than they planned, so they had to adapt to the flow.

[19:27] John presents a five-part methodology in the book. These steps help you create the future by reconciling the past, and putting it to rest to go forward. The paradigm shift is that the job is already inside you. John walks through the steps. The steps involve introspection, writing, and external input from others. This job will be your last big shot.

[25:32] It's all about the network. It's really all about developing relationships with people. Online, LinkedIn are great ways to do this, when added to your 'in real life' relationships, where you meet people. 85% of jobs are filled through referrals.

[26:52] This is achievable. Start now. There is so much support out there for you, if you are thinking about changing your career around. Be proud of who you are and how old you are. Play down the age bias. Be proud of your experience, but be humble and open to new ways of doing things, to becoming part of a multi-generation job force.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Website: JohnTarnoff.com

Website: Boomer Reinvention

Twitter: @JohnTarnoff

Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50, by John Tarnoff

Dreamworks Animation

Sequitur Marketing

IBM

For other episodes in the Pivot Interviews Series, listen to Episode 3, Episode 7, and Episode 11.