WEBVTT 00:00:07.980 --> 00:00:11.119 Welcome to her comeback! I'm so glad you're back 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:14.339 with me. This is where 50 isn't your finish line. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:17.399 It is your starting point. The starting point 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:20.120 of everything you want your life to be. The person 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.410 that you are meant to be. I'm your host, Michelle 00:00:23.410 --> 00:00:27.109 Thompson, and we are proving that your best chapter 00:00:27.109 --> 00:00:30.370 may just be the one you haven't written yet. 00:00:31.109 --> 00:00:34.030 We'll continue each episode featuring honest 00:00:34.030 --> 00:00:36.770 conversation with women who have stopped going 00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:39.369 at it alone and have found their way to fulfillment, 00:00:39.829 --> 00:00:43.149 joy, and purpose in their second act. You'll 00:00:43.149 --> 00:00:45.729 hear about their struggles, their breakthroughs, 00:00:45.729 --> 00:00:48.770 and the practical steps that they took to create 00:00:48.770 --> 00:00:52.520 lives that they actually love. This podcast will 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.140 show you how other women have made their comeback 00:00:55.140 --> 00:01:01.039 and how you can too. Welcome back. Hi, good day 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:04.180 everyone. Welcome to her comeback. I am so happy 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:08.140 to have with me today my guest Denise Quinn. 00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:12.340 Denise, welcome. How are you? I'm great, Michelle. 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:17.329 How are you today? I'm doing well so you are 00:01:17.329 --> 00:01:21.750 a career transition coach right tell us about 00:01:21.750 --> 00:01:26.069 yourself. Sure so i work with candidates that 00:01:26.069 --> 00:01:29.439 have either recently gotten laid off. And they're 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.640 looking for their next career stop, whether that's 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:35.280 a new job, opening a business, it could be an 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.760 active retirement transition. And then I also 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:42.900 work with individuals that are currently working, 00:01:43.019 --> 00:01:45.480 but they're looking to make some kind of career 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:48.790 change, whether it's within. their own company, 00:01:48.890 --> 00:01:53.489 whether it's leaving, maybe again opening a business 00:01:53.489 --> 00:01:57.969 or thinking about retiring and so basically working 00:01:57.969 --> 00:02:02.069 with mostly mid -career professionals that are 00:02:02.069 --> 00:02:04.069 looking to make some kind of career transition. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.680 Great, now I know you weren't always in this 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:12.599 particular business or industry. You've experienced 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:16.379 some transformations in your journey and our 00:02:16.379 --> 00:02:19.319 stories are similar in the sense that we both 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:22.039 have backgrounds in project management and then 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:25.479 now we both are in coaching and we live in the 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:29.139 same neighborhood and we have some really great 00:02:29.139 --> 00:02:32.360 similarities. Tell us a little bit more about 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:35.770 a pivotal moment when you realized that you needed 00:02:35.770 --> 00:02:38.789 to leave your corporate environment and reinvent 00:02:38.789 --> 00:02:42.430 yourself. Sure. So I've been through two layoffs 00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:46.199 myself. My first layoff was after being with 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.219 the company for 20 years. It's easy to look back 00:02:49.219 --> 00:02:51.419 now and say, wow, that was the best thing that 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:54.120 happened to me. But it really was because that 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:57.120 got me thinking about what I wanted to be when 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.939 I grew up. I've always been very spiritual and 00:02:59.939 --> 00:03:03.479 I look at opportunities to say, OK, do I need 00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:07.060 to make a shift in my life? So that first layoff 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:11.259 in about 2016, 2017 really encouraged me to get 00:03:11.259 --> 00:03:14.319 my coaching certificate. I always love of the 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:17.439 people part of my job. I was a coach and mentor 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:20.360 at my previous job. I worked with a lot of young 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:23.099 people on their resumes and networking and interviewing. 00:03:23.539 --> 00:03:25.879 And they wanted to see where I could take that. 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:29.919 So that was my first step. Life goes on, went 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:33.240 back to work. My husband and I relocated to Florida, 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:36.039 you know, illnesses, death, all that kind of 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:38.340 stuff. I ended up going back into a corporate 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:42.009 environment. and not even a year later i got 00:03:42.009 --> 00:03:45.530 laid off again which again looking back was a 00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:48.150 great experience i cried and then i was like 00:03:48.150 --> 00:03:51.310 okay this is it and that's when i made the decision 00:03:51.310 --> 00:03:54.370 that i was done with corporate and at that point 00:03:54.370 --> 00:03:57.210 it was a lot of conversation with my husband 00:03:57.210 --> 00:03:59.849 and a lot of soul searching to find my next step 00:03:59.849 --> 00:04:04.830 so what were the doubts that you had about this 00:04:04.830 --> 00:04:08.080 do -over start over in midlife Can you walk us 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:11.800 through some of that thinking? Sure. Unfortunately, 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:15.039 it always comes down to money. My husband and 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:16.920 I, we moved from the East Coast of Florida to 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:19.480 the West Coast. We had just bought a house together. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.500 He was looking for his next job because he had 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:26.300 taken a sabbatical. And when you work in a corporate 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:28.560 environment, the money is good, the benefits 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:32.100 are good. I was carrying the benefits. And so 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:35.459 I had to really think about financially what 00:04:35.459 --> 00:04:39.060 a change could look like. What could the impact 00:04:39.060 --> 00:04:42.120 on my relationship with my husband look like 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:44.500 the flexibility? I didn't want to be in the car 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:46.819 for three hours a day like I was up in Jersey. 00:04:47.300 --> 00:04:51.019 So it was just a lot of thinking and strategizing 00:04:51.019 --> 00:04:53.699 and planning at that point. But that's what I 00:04:53.699 --> 00:04:56.980 did in my work life. So it was natural for me 00:04:56.980 --> 00:05:01.879 to switch and focus on myself. Oh, great. Now 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:04.800 did when you made this decision that people around 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:09.240 you supported or were there any skeptics? My 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:11.560 husband was probably the biggest skeptic because 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:14.800 it was going to impact how we live the most. 00:05:14.899 --> 00:05:17.680 It's been trusting when you As a woman, when 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:20.480 you think about making a transition like that, 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:23.980 most women are more supportive of it because 00:05:23.980 --> 00:05:27.740 they understand where you're at. When I think 00:05:27.740 --> 00:05:31.620 back to my family and friends, I have very supportive 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:34.759 friends. I have a tribe around me. A lot of my 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:37.939 friends are also my mentors. And so I was able 00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:40.800 to bounce things off of them. I was able to ask 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:43.980 questions. I have two friends that are entrepreneurs. 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:47.750 So I had a good group of people around me that 00:05:47.750 --> 00:05:50.430 were very supportive and gave me great advice. 00:05:50.910 --> 00:05:54.350 So from that perspective, it wasn't that hard. 00:05:54.529 --> 00:05:59.790 I did go back to work, but in higher ed. So the 00:05:59.790 --> 00:06:02.050 first part of my transition was a full -time 00:06:02.050 --> 00:06:06.379 job, but it was in coaching. And so I made baby 00:06:06.379 --> 00:06:09.920 steps to get to where I am now. I knew it wasn't 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:11.639 going to be corporate. I knew it wasn't going 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:13.720 to be project management. And I just happened 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:17.500 to find a great coaching job at a local university. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:22.699 Oh, that's wonderful. So how long you've described 00:06:22.699 --> 00:06:25.519 the journey from getting that first spark, that 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.759 first idea to actually making the leap. What 00:06:28.759 --> 00:06:31.160 was the time period that you're talking about 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:35.529 here? Probably a solid six to seven years. Okay. 00:06:35.689 --> 00:06:38.980 And I got my coaching certificate. I did, it 00:06:38.980 --> 00:06:42.300 was a year long process. And so I was being coached. 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:45.300 I was coaching. I worked for a nonprofit for 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:47.920 a number of years doing career transition coaching. 00:06:48.339 --> 00:06:52.079 So in that time period, I did a lot of coaching. 00:06:52.540 --> 00:06:55.579 My university job that I was at for about four 00:06:55.579 --> 00:06:59.160 years, I was a full time coach and trainer and 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:03.019 adjunct. And so I didn't transition out of a 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:06.540 full time job until last October. And that's 00:07:06.540 --> 00:07:09.860 when I made the big jump. Wow. Good for you. 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:13.779 Can you share a moment during the transition 00:07:13.779 --> 00:07:16.480 where you was like, Oh my God, what have I done? 00:07:16.939 --> 00:07:19.680 What did I just get myself into? Have you ever 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.560 had any moment like that? Oh, yes. So when I 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:25.980 decided to leave my full -time job and I was 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:28.639 carrying the benefits, there was a lot of that 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:31.879 stress. My husband is very supportive. He would 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:35.220 never say no to me, but I knew he wasn't really 00:07:35.220 --> 00:07:38.379 thrilled with it. And so I made the commitment 00:07:38.379 --> 00:07:41.600 to join a coaching company, a career transition 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:47.160 company. And about four weeks in, I had a breakdown. 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:51.930 I was having challenges with my technology and 00:07:51.930 --> 00:07:55.269 i wasn't getting enough clients and my paychecks 00:07:55.269 --> 00:07:58.389 were minuscule. And i was like i think i just 00:07:58.389 --> 00:08:01.970 made a really big mistake because i gave up and 00:08:01.970 --> 00:08:04.209 it wasn't a great salary but it was still a salary 00:08:04.209 --> 00:08:08.069 with benefits and i did have a probably three 00:08:08.069 --> 00:08:13.449 day panic. I think i made a mistake but i always 00:08:13.449 --> 00:08:15.629 believe like we have to give ourselves if we 00:08:15.629 --> 00:08:18.319 can. two to three months to really work through 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:21.879 it. And once I talked to my mentors and really 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:24.699 did some soul searching, I knew that that was 00:08:24.699 --> 00:08:27.240 a test for me. It was like, OK, if you can get 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:30.379 through this feeling, you're going to be OK. 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:34.019 And I just jumped back in, gave myself the three 00:08:34.019 --> 00:08:36.840 months. I had a plan B if I needed to, which 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:39.320 was to go back to work, but I didn't need to 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:41.299 do that. And so I've been hitting the ground 00:08:41.299 --> 00:08:43.659 running and I am just so thrilled with where 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:48.200 I'm at right now. During that time, can you think, 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:52.220 was there something specific that gave you that 00:08:52.220 --> 00:08:54.799 stick -to -it -iveness, if you will, to just 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:57.759 keep at it? Can you identify what it was that 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.960 just made you, I'm not going to quit. Was there 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:04.019 anything specific that - It was the joy. Like 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:06.779 I knew, and people say this, what do you want 00:09:06.779 --> 00:09:08.759 to do? I want to help people, right? We all say 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:10.779 that, especially coaches, we want to help people. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:14.590 And I knew that was my pack. I knew that I needed 00:09:14.590 --> 00:09:17.389 to work with people one -on -one or small groups 00:09:17.389 --> 00:09:21.070 because I could really help them. And it was 00:09:21.070 --> 00:09:23.769 the joy of that. And when I weighed the pros 00:09:23.769 --> 00:09:27.809 and cons of going back to work versus being an 00:09:27.809 --> 00:09:30.250 entrepreneur or working for myself, that type 00:09:30.250 --> 00:09:33.950 of stuff, I knew deep down that's what excited 00:09:33.950 --> 00:09:37.250 me. And so even though I had those three days 00:09:37.250 --> 00:09:40.850 of dread, That went away and I love waking up 00:09:40.850 --> 00:09:43.309 every morning and getting on calls with candidates 00:09:43.309 --> 00:09:46.210 and working with clients and seeing their success. 00:09:46.690 --> 00:09:49.809 It was, I think, an internal joy and the fire 00:09:49.809 --> 00:09:52.309 that was burning, even though it dimmed, it was 00:09:52.309 --> 00:09:54.330 still there. I wanted to take advantage of that 00:09:54.330 --> 00:09:57.889 and give myself a chance. Awesome. And I know 00:09:57.889 --> 00:10:00.370 now you're so glad you did, right? Absolutely. 00:10:00.370 --> 00:10:03.929 I am in the best situation right now. Wonderful. 00:10:04.549 --> 00:10:08.750 As you describe this transformation and How has 00:10:08.750 --> 00:10:11.909 that changed how you show up as a coach for other 00:10:11.909 --> 00:10:17.049 women going through these type transitions? I 00:10:17.049 --> 00:10:20.129 think when other women hear my story, they realize 00:10:20.129 --> 00:10:23.110 that they're not alone in their thoughts. They're 00:10:23.110 --> 00:10:25.929 not alone in how they're feeling. They know that 00:10:25.929 --> 00:10:29.690 it can be done. One of the things I think that 00:10:29.690 --> 00:10:32.330 makes me a good coach is I'm pretty blunt and 00:10:32.330 --> 00:10:35.690 I'm pretty straightforward. And so if somebody 00:10:35.690 --> 00:10:37.750 said, well, I'm going to quit my job tomorrow 00:10:37.750 --> 00:10:39.570 and do this and do this. I'm going to be like, 00:10:39.649 --> 00:10:42.049 time out. Let's put a strategy together. And 00:10:42.049 --> 00:10:44.470 that's the project management piece of it. It 00:10:44.470 --> 00:10:47.470 would be great to quit your job and then think 00:10:47.470 --> 00:10:49.070 you're going to have a hundred clients coming 00:10:49.070 --> 00:10:51.309 in and you're making six figures. And it's not 00:10:51.309 --> 00:10:55.809 that easy. Mine was almost a six year transition. 00:10:56.230 --> 00:10:59.370 I'm still building my private business, but I 00:10:59.370 --> 00:11:01.629 have what I call a portfolio career. So I have 00:11:01.629 --> 00:11:05.379 a part -time job. I have my. clients it's always 00:11:05.379 --> 00:11:08.740 evolving and I think it's important that I can 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:13.580 tell my story and then meet women where they 00:11:13.580 --> 00:11:17.179 are and say okay so now you know my story let's 00:11:17.179 --> 00:11:20.919 create your story and make sure that we're taking 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:24.159 care of those needs the financial the mental 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:27.220 the family whatever it is that's in your life 00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:32.809 that you need that you're responsible for. What 00:11:32.809 --> 00:11:36.409 did you gain in this, in making this change that 00:11:36.409 --> 00:11:38.710 you could have never had if you would have stayed 00:11:38.710 --> 00:11:40.309 in corporate, if you would have stayed where 00:11:40.309 --> 00:11:45.210 you were? I think it's controlling my destiny. 00:11:45.590 --> 00:11:48.230 It's being my own boss. And I have a leadership 00:11:48.230 --> 00:11:50.570 team that I report into and I have rules and 00:11:50.570 --> 00:11:53.669 regulations, but at the end of the day, I run 00:11:53.669 --> 00:11:57.710 my client meetings myself. I am their one -on 00:11:57.710 --> 00:12:00.870 -one coach. So I get to manage that. I get to. 00:12:01.129 --> 00:12:03.629 meet people where they are and get them to where 00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:06.570 they need to be without being told what to do. 00:12:07.029 --> 00:12:11.070 And so I just I have so much more freedom in 00:12:11.070 --> 00:12:14.129 my personal life and my spiritual life in my 00:12:14.129 --> 00:12:18.450 work life now that I can help people I can decide 00:12:18.450 --> 00:12:20.870 who I want to help and I can help them how I 00:12:20.870 --> 00:12:25.210 think and how they want to be helped. Great. 00:12:26.009 --> 00:12:31.940 So what mine set shifts help women reclaim confidence 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:37.039 in a job market that often overlooks mature professionals. 00:12:37.299 --> 00:12:40.620 We're competing against millennials or Gen Z. 00:12:40.820 --> 00:12:43.860 So what do you see there in terms of mindset? 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.899 From a mindset perspective, I think it's around 00:12:47.899 --> 00:12:50.559 knowing your worth and knowing your value. And 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:53.320 so when I'm working with clients, Most clients 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:55.059 will come to me and say, I need a new resume 00:12:55.059 --> 00:12:56.980 and LinkedIn profile. And then we start digging 00:12:56.980 --> 00:13:00.679 into it. And I say, what's your value? What do 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.200 you bring to an employer? What do you bring to 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.639 your team? Because that's what we need to hold 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:09.500 on to. And sometimes we don't know. What we do 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:13.259 or how good we are and so really thinking about 00:13:13.259 --> 00:13:16.799 why is my boss paying me for this work what changes 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:21.159 have I made what am I contributing to the workforce 00:13:21.159 --> 00:13:24.080 because once you understand and appreciate your 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:27.799 values and your skills. Then you can start to 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:31.299 really reframe situations I do a lot of reframing 00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:33.379 with clients and say okay let's look at that 00:13:33.379 --> 00:13:35.809 a different way. Because it's not always about 00:13:35.809 --> 00:13:38.649 us. Sometimes it's about other people, and we 00:13:38.649 --> 00:13:41.649 just have to rise above that. And the more confident 00:13:41.649 --> 00:13:44.769 we are in what we bring to the table, I think 00:13:44.769 --> 00:13:48.610 that easier it becomes to manage through the 00:13:48.610 --> 00:13:53.950 stresses of today's environment. So should women 00:13:53.950 --> 00:13:58.570 at midlife over 50 include all their experience 00:13:58.570 --> 00:14:01.490 on their resume, or is there a better approach? 00:14:02.029 --> 00:14:06.230 It really depends. And so when we think about 00:14:06.230 --> 00:14:08.769 women that are thinking about career transition, 00:14:08.889 --> 00:14:12.590 thinking about resumes and LinkedIn, even though 00:14:12.590 --> 00:14:16.090 those documents are talking about their past 00:14:16.090 --> 00:14:19.990 experiences, we want to write that with a future 00:14:19.990 --> 00:14:24.250 outlook. And so if you did something in your 00:14:24.250 --> 00:14:27.009 20s that relates to what you want to do going 00:14:27.009 --> 00:14:29.129 forward, then we should put it on your resume. 00:14:29.149 --> 00:14:32.000 We might not put dates on it. But we want to 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.960 show that, you know, 15, 20 years ago, you did 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:38.799 that. And so it really is individualized based 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:43.200 on what the goal of the woman is. And those documents 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:45.779 are marketing documents. And so we want to look 00:14:45.779 --> 00:14:50.919 at it with a marketing eye for the future. What 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:55.500 are some of the biggest mistakes you see on either 00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:59.179 LinkedIn profiles or resumes for experienced 00:14:59.179 --> 00:15:04.190 professionals? Usually, it's very operational. 00:15:04.690 --> 00:15:09.870 I answer phones, I complete forms, very operational 00:15:09.870 --> 00:15:13.830 day -to -day tasks, as opposed to, what did you 00:15:13.830 --> 00:15:16.870 accomplish? Well, I managed this project and 00:15:16.870 --> 00:15:21.000 saved this much money. I am a tax attorney and 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:25.100 I've done this many cases and solved this issue. 00:15:25.299 --> 00:15:28.220 It's really about what have you accomplished, 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.480 not that day -to -day operational stuff. It's 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:33.919 what can you do for me? That's what an employer 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:37.700 is looking for. And so through coaching, we... 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:41.480 We coach people to really think about wow i've 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:44.279 accomplished a lot in my job and these are the 00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:46.720 things i want to accomplish in a new company 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:53.980 or in a new role. So in interviews thinking about 00:15:53.980 --> 00:15:56.519 the interview process i'm thinking about some 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:59.500 of those questions there when they're really 00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:02.600 asking like how old are you are are you too old 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:05.460 there's some kind of an underlying hint of that. 00:16:05.690 --> 00:16:08.850 How should women respond when they hear those 00:16:08.850 --> 00:16:12.250 things? I think there's two pieces to that. So 00:16:12.250 --> 00:16:15.529 I, I believe when we are on an interview, we're 00:16:15.529 --> 00:16:18.669 interviewing the company. And so if we're getting 00:16:18.669 --> 00:16:22.570 that vibe that the hiring manager or the team 00:16:22.570 --> 00:16:26.230 is looking to discount me because of my age, 00:16:26.809 --> 00:16:28.269 then I probably don't want to work there anywhere. 00:16:28.490 --> 00:16:32.509 So I'm not going to get too crazy over the interview 00:16:32.509 --> 00:16:34.929 because why would you want to work for a company 00:16:34.929 --> 00:16:38.649 like that? With that being said, I think, again, 00:16:38.710 --> 00:16:41.549 it's really important for women to talk about 00:16:41.549 --> 00:16:44.190 their accomplishments as it relates to the job, 00:16:44.549 --> 00:16:47.610 to show that they can take feedback, that they're 00:16:47.610 --> 00:16:51.549 flexible, that they can mentor. And so there 00:16:51.549 --> 00:16:54.429 might be questions like, tell me about a time 00:16:54.429 --> 00:16:56.830 you received feedback that you didn't agree with. 00:16:57.169 --> 00:16:59.710 They're trying to figure out whether you're open 00:16:59.710 --> 00:17:02.730 to feedback and change. Tell me about a time 00:17:02.730 --> 00:17:06.490 you disagreed with something your boss told you 00:17:06.490 --> 00:17:09.630 to do. Again, the hiring manager is looking for, 00:17:10.049 --> 00:17:12.390 are you flexible? Are you going to do what I 00:17:12.390 --> 00:17:15.650 want you to do? Or are you so locked in to the 00:17:15.650 --> 00:17:18.930 old ways of doing things that you're not trainable 00:17:18.930 --> 00:17:22.289 and I can't work with you? Sometimes we're interviewing 00:17:22.289 --> 00:17:25.160 with people that are much younger than us. And 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:27.839 so we have to be really careful that we don't 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:30.700 come out or come across as being smarter than 00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:34.059 the interviewer. And I'm not saying dumb it down. 00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:37.119 I'm not at all. You don't want to start talking 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:38.799 to the interviewer about how you worked with 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:41.240 the C -suite when you're working with somebody 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:43.819 that probably doesn't see the C -suite. Or you 00:17:43.819 --> 00:17:46.099 don't want to talk about strategy if it's more 00:17:46.099 --> 00:17:49.339 an operational role. So you really have to understand 00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:53.059 the role and then put your source stories together 00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:57.740 or your accomplishments in a way that you show 00:17:57.740 --> 00:18:00.519 that you will support and work well with that 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:04.200 hiring manager and team. So it's a thing of really 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:06.720 knowing your audience, right? Absolutely. And 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:09.859 I think there may be a soft skill with that, 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:13.440 right? There's kind of some discretion that you 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:16.319 need to kind of know that, okay, for this audience, 00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:19.660 pivot this way and then another audience another 00:18:19.660 --> 00:18:23.660 way. And that's the great reading body language 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:26.480 especially women women are really good at listening 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:28.940 and they're good at body language they're good 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:32.259 at reading the room they've got empathy for people 00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:37.079 and i think we discount those skills. And a corporate 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:39.319 environment but i think that's the advantage 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:43.380 that we have in a workforce and interview specifically 00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:46.500 i can tell if i'm hitting the market interview 00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:50.509 or if i just lost the interviewer or. If I don't 00:18:50.509 --> 00:18:52.549 want the job, then I don't care. I'm just going 00:18:52.549 --> 00:18:55.609 to survive the interview and then say thanks 00:18:55.609 --> 00:18:57.730 for interviewing me. I'm moving on to something 00:18:57.730 --> 00:19:02.789 else. So what do you think about how women can 00:19:02.789 --> 00:19:06.029 leverage their professional networks? And maybe 00:19:06.029 --> 00:19:08.910 they've spent years at just one industry or one 00:19:08.910 --> 00:19:11.170 company. How do you think those networks come 00:19:11.170 --> 00:19:16.869 in? In today's job environment, networking is 00:19:16.869 --> 00:19:20.910 so critical. We know that most people will land 00:19:20.910 --> 00:19:23.289 their job through their network. And so women 00:19:23.289 --> 00:19:27.009 that have strong networks should really put a 00:19:27.009 --> 00:19:30.230 strategy together to manage that network, even 00:19:30.230 --> 00:19:32.890 before they start thinking about making a change. 00:19:33.430 --> 00:19:35.950 So check in, let's have coffee, let's have a 00:19:35.950 --> 00:19:39.559 virtual coffee. How's the family? understanding 00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:42.240 different times of the year. Hey, your birthday 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:44.339 popped up on LinkedIn. Just wanted to say happy 00:19:44.339 --> 00:19:48.039 birthday. It's really critical to nurture those 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:51.259 networks because you don't want to start engaging 00:19:51.259 --> 00:19:54.259 because you need something from them. And so 00:19:54.259 --> 00:19:58.049 nurturing them and then. also thinking about 00:19:58.049 --> 00:20:00.509 how you expand that network. So if you're thinking 00:20:00.509 --> 00:20:03.190 about making a change, does somebody in your 00:20:03.190 --> 00:20:06.210 network know somebody in the industry or company 00:20:06.210 --> 00:20:08.589 where you want to make the change to? Can they 00:20:08.589 --> 00:20:11.880 do an introduction? That's probably the biggest 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:15.559 thing women don't do well is we put our heads 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.799 down at our job and we don't network. We don't 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:22.359 learn about culture. We aren't engaging with 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:24.339 people. We aren't adding people to LinkedIn. 00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:27.339 We're not following up. And those skills are 00:20:27.339 --> 00:20:31.160 so critical. And then you talked about professional 00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:33.900 network. Don't overlook your personal network, 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:36.799 your neighbors, your friends, your family members, 00:20:37.259 --> 00:20:39.579 the people you meet in yoga class, right? The 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:42.940 people you might meet at a happy hour or a party. 00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:46.380 Those folks can be just as helpful or even more 00:20:46.380 --> 00:20:49.900 helpful than your professional network. Very 00:20:49.900 --> 00:20:53.220 good advice. That's so true. And I know for me 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:56.619 personally, starting my own business, it was 00:20:56.619 --> 00:20:59.160 exactly what you're saying, reaching out to people, 00:20:59.299 --> 00:21:02.259 trying to make that contact and asking them for 00:21:02.259 --> 00:21:04.960 feedback. Hey, I'm thinking about doing this. 00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:07.480 I'm doing some coaching and do you know anything 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:09.519 about it? Have you know somebody in business? 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:12.660 Just asking them for feedback so that, I don't 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:15.579 know, it's like you're connecting in some way 00:21:15.579 --> 00:21:18.380 with them, like bringing them in and making yourself 00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:20.509 a little bit vulnerable to you because, you know, 00:21:20.589 --> 00:21:22.990 they could come back with some nice things or 00:21:22.990 --> 00:21:25.710 maybe not nice. You don't know. And plus, then 00:21:25.710 --> 00:21:29.009 you're also on top of mind. One of my clients 00:21:29.009 --> 00:21:32.930 specifically came to me through somebody I met 00:21:32.930 --> 00:21:35.769 when I was at the university. We connected on 00:21:35.769 --> 00:21:39.430 LinkedIn. We check in once in a while. Somebody 00:21:39.430 --> 00:21:41.509 called her and said, hey, do you need a coach 00:21:41.509 --> 00:21:44.910 for somebody I know? And it was like three dimensions 00:21:44.910 --> 00:21:48.410 of networking, but I ended up getting multiple 00:21:48.410 --> 00:21:54.529 clients just by that one person who. I stumbled 00:21:54.529 --> 00:21:58.430 upon, like we had some connections and so I cherish 00:21:58.430 --> 00:22:00.650 that relationship. I respect it. We check in 00:22:00.650 --> 00:22:03.369 once in a while, but I would have never thought 00:22:03.369 --> 00:22:06.869 when I met her a couple of years ago that she 00:22:06.869 --> 00:22:10.069 would be so instrumental in my private coaching 00:22:10.069 --> 00:22:13.170 business. And my private coaching business has 00:22:13.170 --> 00:22:16.359 been all word of mouth at this point. It's important 00:22:16.359 --> 00:22:19.519 to me to maintain my network, make sure that 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:21.500 I'm top of mind of people. And when somebody 00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:23.880 says, Oh, I need a resume. I'm thinking about 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:26.579 leaving my job. I'm the first person that pops 00:22:26.579 --> 00:22:30.019 into their mind. It's relationship building, 00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:32.640 right? It's all about building relationships. 00:22:32.859 --> 00:22:37.839 So important. Yes. Um, so if someone is feeling 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:41.400 stuck or overwhelmed about what's my next career 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:44.380 move, what's the first thing you suggest to them? 00:22:45.700 --> 00:22:49.720 Besides calling me, let's say start journaling, 00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:52.900 start writing down. I always say to my clients, 00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:55.880 if you, if I had a magic wand and said, you could 00:22:55.880 --> 00:22:59.500 do anything, regardless of money, training, certification, 00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:02.680 whatever, what is it you want to do and start 00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:06.000 to think about that. And then the next thing 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:12.150 is use and play with AI. AI has become a really 00:23:12.150 --> 00:23:16.769 good tool. You can engage with AI and say, I'm 00:23:16.769 --> 00:23:19.869 a 50 year old woman with this kind of background 00:23:19.869 --> 00:23:25.269 and I'm looking to get into this industry or 00:23:25.269 --> 00:23:28.230 I'm looking to shift into this. What are some 00:23:28.230 --> 00:23:30.690 steps I need to take? And then start engaging 00:23:30.690 --> 00:23:34.819 with the tool. It's really good to do that research 00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:37.920 and really think about what could the future 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:41.319 look like for you. And then engage with somebody 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:44.839 talk to people network build those relationships 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:48.299 if you need the formality of coaching you need 00:23:48.299 --> 00:23:51.539 help with your resume need help with the marketing 00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:55.200 aspect you need to say okay. I've done some research. 00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:58.000 I think I know what I want to do. Now I put the 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:00.940 strategy together, then work with our career 00:24:00.940 --> 00:24:04.059 transition coach or a life coach or somebody 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:08.119 that can help you really put that plan together, 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:14.200 challenge you, holds you accountable. So what 00:24:14.200 --> 00:24:16.859 would you say for the woman is in this space 00:24:16.859 --> 00:24:19.480 and they choose to work with a career transition 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:22.380 coach versus that woman who, okay, they're in 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:25.359 the same space, but. They go at it alone. They're 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:27.599 just trying to figure it out. What would you 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:31.220 say, based on just years of the people that you've 00:24:31.220 --> 00:24:34.039 known, the difference in where they end up? Do 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:38.700 you have any thoughts about that? We are one 00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:43.410 of our worst critics. And so we are critical 00:24:43.410 --> 00:24:46.670 of ourselves we underestimate our value we underestimate 00:24:46.670 --> 00:24:50.730 our skill set. We can't get out of our own way 00:24:50.730 --> 00:24:53.630 because we are constantly putting up roadblocks 00:24:53.630 --> 00:24:56.430 for ourselves and so when you work with a coach 00:24:56.430 --> 00:25:00.250 that coach. Can really challenge you to say okay 00:25:00.250 --> 00:25:03.589 michelle i know you're better than that what's 00:25:03.589 --> 00:25:05.369 the three things you accomplished in the past 00:25:05.369 --> 00:25:09.750 year. What is it you wanna do. OK, what prevents 00:25:09.750 --> 00:25:12.569 you from doing it tomorrow? And so a coach is 00:25:12.569 --> 00:25:15.390 going to start asking questions and really challenge 00:25:15.390 --> 00:25:17.849 those assumptions that are holding you back. 00:25:18.490 --> 00:25:21.490 A coach can also, and this is where it's less 00:25:21.490 --> 00:25:23.890 coaching, a little more consulting, but really 00:25:23.890 --> 00:25:27.130 talk to you about, have you looked at this? Have 00:25:27.130 --> 00:25:29.670 you researched this? Let's take a look at your 00:25:29.670 --> 00:25:33.009 resume. I'm in a very unique position because 00:25:33.009 --> 00:25:36.309 I am a certified coach, so I can definitely do 00:25:36.309 --> 00:25:39.569 the coaching piece. But as a career transition 00:25:39.569 --> 00:25:43.569 coach, I also am part consultant because I will 00:25:43.569 --> 00:25:46.990 help you look at your resume and really get it 00:25:46.990 --> 00:25:48.990 to the point that's going to be successful for 00:25:48.990 --> 00:25:52.049 you as you're applying. Look and analyze your 00:25:52.049 --> 00:25:54.589 LinkedIn so that more people are reaching out 00:25:54.589 --> 00:25:57.250 to you. Teach you how to use LinkedIn so you're 00:25:57.250 --> 00:26:00.430 rising to the top. And so there is the coaching 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:02.829 piece to build you up and then the consulting 00:26:02.829 --> 00:26:05.730 piece to help put all of that stuff in play. 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:08.819 and help you build that strategy for success, 00:26:08.819 --> 00:26:10.839 because sometimes we can't get out of our own 00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:15.140 ways. Oh, so true. And for myself, this experience 00:26:15.140 --> 00:26:17.859 for me this last year and building a business, 00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:21.019 if I wouldn't have had a coach working with a 00:26:21.019 --> 00:26:24.099 coach, helping me as a coach to work through 00:26:24.099 --> 00:26:26.559 some of this stuff, because even when we know 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:29.259 coaching and and we have the tools and skill 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:32.980 sets to help other people. We still need a coach 00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:35.460 because we can't see our own blind spots just 00:26:35.460 --> 00:26:37.940 because we're good at assisting others. We still 00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:40.599 need that help for ourselves from someone else 00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:43.660 that outside looking in and everything you said 00:26:43.660 --> 00:26:46.099 about we can't see the blocks. We don't get where 00:26:46.099 --> 00:26:49.079 we're getting tripped up. Is there anything else 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:51.759 that you'd like to share with the audience, whether 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:54.440 about they're going through a career transition 00:26:54.440 --> 00:26:58.660 or just anything about midlife and women? Anything 00:26:58.660 --> 00:27:00.759 else that you would like to share that we haven't 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:04.539 really touched on yet? I would just end with 00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:08.289 career transitions don't have to be quick. and 00:27:08.289 --> 00:27:11.230 they don't have to be linear. Sometimes there's 00:27:11.230 --> 00:27:14.009 ebbs and flows. Sometimes you go in a direction 00:27:14.009 --> 00:27:16.490 and then realize you need to shift a little bit. 00:27:16.869 --> 00:27:20.069 Sometimes like for me, it was multiple stages 00:27:20.069 --> 00:27:23.690 to get me to where I am. But if you're thinking 00:27:23.690 --> 00:27:26.410 about it, that's the good first step, right? 00:27:26.410 --> 00:27:29.029 Then the research and starting to put timing 00:27:29.029 --> 00:27:31.750 around it. Is there a class I need to take? Is 00:27:31.750 --> 00:27:35.049 there some volunteering I need to do? Is there 00:27:35.049 --> 00:27:38.720 a networking group I should join? baby steps, 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:41.579 even though they feel like I'm not moving quick 00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:44.720 enough, will get you one step closer. And so 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:47.099 I think it's important for people to realize 00:27:47.099 --> 00:27:51.099 that it doesn't happen overnight. It's not easy, 00:27:51.380 --> 00:27:54.819 but it can absolutely be done. And that's where 00:27:54.819 --> 00:27:57.740 coaching can come in and really help and say, 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:01.720 you can do this. Let's figure out what that looks 00:28:01.720 --> 00:28:04.059 like, whether it's a three month transition. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:07.440 or this is what I want to do when I hit 60, or 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:10.279 this is my retirement career. Each one of us 00:28:10.279 --> 00:28:13.299 is unique and so our strategy and our plan is 00:28:13.299 --> 00:28:16.579 going to be different, but a little bit of action 00:28:16.579 --> 00:28:19.160 actually will go a long way towards reaching 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:22.829 your goals. Oh, I love that. It's so true. And 00:28:22.829 --> 00:28:26.049 what I know for myself, any transformation that 00:28:26.049 --> 00:28:28.509 I have in my life, whether it's with job, career, 00:28:29.009 --> 00:28:31.970 or many other areas, it all starts with just 00:28:31.970 --> 00:28:34.970 a single step, right? It's just that first step. 00:28:35.170 --> 00:28:38.109 Big stuff doesn't happen overnight. It's just 00:28:38.109 --> 00:28:41.170 little steps that get you there. It's really 00:28:41.170 --> 00:28:44.309 amazing. So Denise, anyone that wants to contact 00:28:44.309 --> 00:28:46.569 you, what's the best way for them to get in touch? 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:49.640 The easiest way probably is to connect with me 00:28:49.640 --> 00:28:52.079 on LinkedIn, but if you don't have a LinkedIn 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:56.440 account, you can email me at dmqcoaching at iCloud 00:28:56.440 --> 00:29:01.150 .com. offer free consultations. I never take 00:29:01.150 --> 00:29:04.410 on a client until I've had the ability to have 00:29:04.410 --> 00:29:07.829 at least a brief 15, 20 minute conversation to 00:29:07.829 --> 00:29:10.369 make sure that we're a good fit because I may 00:29:10.369 --> 00:29:13.130 not be the right person, depending on what the 00:29:13.130 --> 00:29:16.450 needs are. Wonderful. Thank you so much, Denise. 00:29:16.509 --> 00:29:19.690 I really appreciate your time and feedback and 00:29:19.690 --> 00:29:22.369 wisdom. And I think our viewers will love it 00:29:22.369 --> 00:29:26.190 as well. So I wish you continued success in your 00:29:26.190 --> 00:29:29.069 journey and everything. that you're working on 00:29:29.069 --> 00:29:31.349 and the life that you're creating for yourself 00:29:31.349 --> 00:29:33.890 today. I wish you all the best. Great. Thanks 00:29:33.890 --> 00:29:35.549 Michelle. Thanks for giving me this opportunity 00:29:35.549 --> 00:29:37.569 to have this conversation with you and good luck 00:29:37.569 --> 00:29:40.049 to you too with your business. All right. Thank 00:29:40.049 --> 00:29:44.319 you so much. Thank you so much for spending time 00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:47.319 with me today. I am truly grateful that you chose 00:29:47.319 --> 00:29:49.859 to listen in and I hope that this conversation 00:29:49.859 --> 00:29:52.539 sparked something meaningful for you. Please 00:29:52.539 --> 00:29:55.420 take a moment to subscribe, leave a review. It 00:29:55.420 --> 00:29:57.660 helps other women to find us who need to hear 00:29:57.660 --> 00:30:00.799 these stories too. And if you know someone who 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:03.480 is ready for their own comeback, share this episode 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:06.220 with them. I'd love to connect with you beyond 00:30:06.220 --> 00:30:10.500 the podcast. Visit me at hercomebackpodcast .com. 00:30:10.589 --> 00:30:14.609 That's HerComebackPodcast .com to learn more 00:30:14.609 --> 00:30:17.230 about how we can work together. I have a gift 00:30:17.230 --> 00:30:21.329 for you. Get your free copy today of five powerful 00:30:21.329 --> 00:30:25.130 shifts to reclaim your life. Remember, your comeback 00:30:25.130 --> 00:30:27.950 story is waiting to be written. The question 00:30:27.950 --> 00:30:31.349 isn't, can I transform my life? The question 00:30:31.349 --> 00:30:41.559 is, are you ready? Let's go. My legs up in my 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:41.799 tongue