The Career Butterfly

Latest Episodes:

Life Doesn't Come with a Magic 8 Ball Apr 22, 2019

Show notes

I had a Magic 8 Ball when I was a kid. Over and over, I'd ask it questions only to get answers like, "Reply Hazy. Try Again Later." I often wonder what life would be like if we each got our own Magic 8 Ball - and the answers were real. As it turns out, that "Reply Hazy" answer may have been accurate.

I shared some of my story when I launched this podcast, but sometimes life is too complicated to fit neatly into an introductory episode of a podcast.

Yes, I spent about a dozen years in high-tech and, yes, I returned to work about a dozen years later. I loved my career and wanted to return to meaningful work.

What I didn't share was what was going on in my family and financial pressures I was also feeling at that time. My husband was sick and I knew it. He was a physician and should have known it, but was in deep denial. Despite repeated ER visits after his heart stopped and monthly chemo treatments for auto-immune hives, he maintained the incredibly rigorous schedule of a cardiologist. Denial is a powerful drug.

But, at some point, reality is even more powerful.

In this episode you'll hear:

how I prepared and saved for years in anticipation of the end of my husband's career even when he wouldn't acknowledge it
when my husband finally decided to scale back for his health - and then left his career entirely 4 days later
why my passion for writing was never going to be my long term career plan
where I was in my return to work journey when his career ended
about the realities of the American health care system, including an 11-month gap between COBRA and Medicare
why I believe medical disability coverage is critical, but also not always what you expect

I absolutely returned to work because I wanted to. But my timing and my choices were also driven by financial realities. As mothers, we are filled with wisdom and resilience that helps us through our parenting journey. But there's also a lot of uncertainty in life.

We don't get a Magic 8 ball that maps out the future, but we can take steps to make sure we're ready for anything life throws our way. And now you know the rest of my story.

Don't Dress for the Rear View Mirror Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

Erin Keam, wardrobe consultant and founder of The Happy Wardrobe, works with women in transition and helps their wardrobes reflect their personal style. She also encourages women to dress not only for the woman they are today, but also the woman they are becoming.

In this episode, you'll hear:

The process that Erin goes through to come up with Unique Style Statements that range from "Intimate Artisan Mermaid" to "The Lady, The Lion, and the Wardrobe"
Why you should toss your jeans if they don't make your butt look cute!
What to do with those aspirational clothes that you one day plan to fit again
What a capsule wardrobe is and how it can simplify getting dressed every day
How she helped a client reboot her wardrobe with 4 professional outfits purchased on an $80 trip to Goodwill
Why getting dressed needs to be a mindset and how The Happy Wardrobe Method gets you there
How to bring the attention up to your beautiful face when you're speaking or taking headshots

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The 45-Year-Old Intern Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

Today, Anne Pillsbury works as a coach helping women in transition, but she too is a career pauser. She was a mom of 4 kids with a 16 year gap on her resume when her family needed her to return to work. It took a lot of effort, but she landed at a tech startup that she loved in a reasonably short time. How did she do it?

First, she set her intention. You'll want to hear her powerful story about an index card and manifesting your destiny.

Second, she networked like crazy.

Third, she asked for exactly what she wanted. Even after she'd been told no. She asked for a chance. But she offered to work for free in return. They said yes.

In this episode you'll also hear:

How a windy, difficult paddleboarding adventure eventually showed her she was on the wrong career path
Why she wishes she left her job earlier
How she exceeded her business launch goals with a Friends and Family letter
Why setting your top priorities is important to avoid feeling exhausted, depleted, and overwhelmed.
An example of what a coaching relationship might look like including the length and format. And why you need to be motivated to change to make it work.
Why you shouldn't go back to school when you're still figuring out what you want to do.
Why Anne, who is a coach, works with her own coach

Mentioned in this episode:

Anne Pillsbury Coaching

Designing your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

Facing the Unexpected Apr 01, 2019

Show notes

Caitlein Ryan has one of the best educational backgrounds possible to be a mother of four kids. She has a PhD in Theater with an emphasis on Education and Social Justice - and isn't drama, education, and fairness basically a summary of parenting??

Through some intentional choices, Caitlein was able to pursue a meaningful career even as she and her spouse started a family. As the family grew, Caitlein also discovered that her two oldest children had medical conditions that required significant attention. She chose to step away from her career and set a plan to be the best stay-at-home-mom ever.

All was going well until her family experienced a shocking job loss six years into Caitlein's career pause. It led them on an unexpected journey, including a business venture in the cannabis industry just as it was legalized in Washington State.

In this podcast you'll hear:

Why Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Seattle were 3 great cities for Caitlein's passion for children's theater.
How Caitlein found the perfect job, outside of her chosen career, that offered free child care, close access to her preschooler, and a chance to meaningfully contribute to her body of work.
The truth about stay-at-home-moms who do it all: sometimes they need an extra set of hands to make it all work. Caitlein shares how having a nanny, during a time of financial freedom for her family, allowed her to be there for all her kids' most important needs, medical and otherwise.
How she became a Tier 3 cannabis farmer who now serves on the board of the Cannabis Alliance.
How she succinctly explains her involvement in the marijuana industry to her kids - and why it's not right for their young brains.
About Caitlein's struggle to find an authentic 41-year-old voice on social media in an industry that skews much younger.

You can find more out about the Ready Pause Go community on our website, private Facebook community or Instagram.

Stop Apologizing for your Pause! Mar 25, 2019

Show notes

Lora Poepping worked in corporate HR departments for years, but considered the help she gave friends and family in finding jobs to be more a favor than a career until a friend suggested she turn it into a business. Fortunately, Lora gave it some thought and realized that starting her own business could really fill her soul.

Today, she runs Plum Seattle as a successful and thriving career coaching and HR consulting business. Lora can easily relate with her clients as she's been in their shoes – she's been laid off, she's paused her career, she's had high self-esteem and low self-esteem. More than anything, she wants career pausers to seek the support they need to achieve their goals and know that they deserve it.

Mentioned in this episode:

How Lora became the first part-time employee in Microsoft's HR department
The difference between men and women when it comes to investing in themselves
Specific advice on what to say to busy former colleagues when you're looking to connect
The importance of classification and clarity in your discussions
Why Lora doesn't believe in networking
Rock-star stories and why you need 5 of them in your back pocket
Why you should read job postings in your industry even if you aren't currently looking

You can find Lora on LinkedIn or at Plum Seattle

Keep up with Ready Pause Go every day on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Taking the Leap from Backyard Gardener to Florist Mar 18, 2019

Show notes

Lori Poliski has always grown flowers in her backyard garden. Although she never charged for her services, over the years, she created beautiful wedding flower arrangements for friends and family. In this episode, she shares how she jumped at the opportunity for her first paying gig when her life was finally in the right place to pursue this dream.

Although she briefly worked as a florist when she was young, Lori spent most of her early career working in journalism and high-tech marketing. She stepped away to focus on building a family, but planned a career pivot towards teaching.

That plan was never realized when she became immersed in the complicated medical journeys of her children, both of whom were born prematurely. Her oldest child was born with a cleft lip and palate, while the youngest developed hydrocephalus within his first month of life. Fifteen years and fifteen major surgeries later, Lori is one resilient mama.

Today, she has two thriving teenagers. She has also raised $1.5M for the Hydrocephalus Association and, along with her husband, is a Co-Founder of the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network. She runs her new business Flori as a gardener/florist and is looking ahead to offering studio workshops, as well as finding a way to weave sustainable business practices and social justice causes into her industry.

Passion + Purpose Mar 11, 2019

Show notes

A decade after Yasmin Ali left her high-tech career, she built a new business that brought together her work experience, her extensive education, the resiliency she learned from parenting, and a passion for a specific community. She created Skillspire, a coding academy, to provide technical training for underrepresented populations. She's passionate about getting all career pausers including stay-at-home parents, veterans, and refugees back to their full potential and showing them a clear path back to meaningful, financially secure careers.

I Am the 43% Mar 04, 2019

Show notes

Ever feel like you're all alone on this journey? You're not! 43% of women take a career pause. Ever wonder why returning from a career pause is so hard? This week we take a deep dive into the numbers to find out how many take a pause, how long a pause lasts, and how it impacts us, our families, and society as a whole.

Lessons from a Quitter Feb 25, 2019

Show notes

Goli Kalkhoran was a successful lawyer, but after several years finally admitted that the profession wasn't right for her. Although she intended to return to her career after her first maternity leave, she followed her intuition down a different path. Along the way, she started Usie Booth, a company that offers a portable photobooth for parties and events. Today, she is the mom of two young children, runs her business, and supports other professionals on the same journey. Leaving a big career can be a radical shift so she launched the podcast Lessons from a Quitter to interview other people who've had the courage to walk away and pursue their true passions.

Fitting Kids Into Your Career: 3 Conversations You Need to Have Feb 18, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Angela Chien visits today to share her thoughts on the medical issues surrounding a woman's career pause. She dishes on everything from birth control to infertility to maternity leave. She also shares the 3 conversations she thinks everyone should be having before, during, and after a career pause.

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