Curating Career Life Stories: How did I get here?

Join me for the career reflections of Lori Hanson, The Success Whisperer. Her journey starts in business wanting to be like her dad running a hospital and secretly wanting to know what earning a bonus feels like!

Her first roles are in HR in healthcare, shifting then to the insurance industry, another pivot into higher education & training, onto project management, and a stint in sales. All with loads of success -- ultimately preparing her to be an entrepreneur, coach and now “The Success Whisperer.”

Find out how she overcomes some significant bumps along the way -- a handful of layoffs, no-to-low self-esteem, an eating disorder, negative mindset issues around sales and money and racking up a pile of debt.

What’s served Lori best: “Going into pit bull mode! I’m incredibly determined, I just never, ever, ever, give up. Never giving up is a choice.”

Her words of wisdom “You have no limits! The only limits you have are in your head.”

Join me for the career reflections of Amanda HarNess, fractional COO & business growth "excelerator". Her journey starts as an occupational therapist, a transition to medical device sales, then discovering her true gift -- improving systems and operations.

Ultimately leading her to start her own consulting business as a fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) and business growth "excelerator" where she does serious work without being too serious.

What’s served Amanda best, two things: 1) being open for help; overcoming the mindset that when you open a business you should be good at everything; and 2) “once I’ve decided something, I’VE DECIDED!” I know how to push, persevere, and stay the course.

Her words of wisdom, she shares two sets that have impacted her: 1) “A small phrase – asking what if? The idea that the other side is possible if you challenge thoughts with what if”; and 2) three rules for life that she learned on the ski slope: “don’t panic; be tenacious; & party (celebrate!).

Join me for the career reflections of Shannon Saviers, VP Sand Cherry Associates. The daughter of an air force pilot, she travels the world growing up. Requiring her to move every two years, so to make friends as the newbie, she finds joining groups like theater, cheerleading and student council help break the ice.

Her career aspirations are all about getting into business which she excels at in college and her first HR roles. At the encouragement of a mentor early on, she decides to pursue a career in technology and promptly gets her master’s in information technology at a time when very few women are in the field.

Once again, she excels and continues to manifest new opportunities for herself. Ultimately leading her to start her own consulting practice. A next logical step and one she designs, but what she didn’t expect was the identity crisis that came with not being part of a bigger company. It’s a great learning experience causing her to come into her own.

What’s served Shannon best: “feeling comfortable around others, giving others grace and pulling my own experiences into solutions.”

Her words of wisdom: “I’m a big believer in being intentional, once I set my intentions -- I’m all in!”

Join me for the career reflections of Margot Zaher, life empowerment coach & author. A journey that starts with fulfilling her dream to live and work in Paris at a fortune 100 company. The ideal job, right? So why is she so unhappy, constantly doubting herself and feeling a lack of purpose?

At the urging of her mom, a recently certified hypnotherapist, she embarks on a personal development journey which includes two weeks of hypnotherapy. It works wonders on her self-esteem, right away she feels different and within three months she’s promoted.

But the bigger discovery, is that it ignited a new energy within her to want to help others with their personal development like she was helped. She gets certified in hypnotherapy, leading her down a new path where she meets a life coach. Totally inspired by this role, she now knows this is what she wants to be. She gets certified as a life coach, begins coaching and continues to add other certifications & techniques to her toolkit over the years.

What’s served Margot best: “My willingness to confront fear, become friends with fear, accepting that fear is a part of life instead of thinking something’s wrong because I’m scared. I think of it as an ally or friend, it’s just a sensation.”

Her words of wisdom: “a bit cliché she says, but she quotes Nike’s “Just Do It!” Whenever I doubt myself, I think “Just Do It!” – there aren’t really any wrong steps.”

Join me for the career reflections of Michelle Hoglan, visionary behind The Boob Report. The oldest of four, her independence and strong family commitments guide her journey. Working several part-time jobs in high school to earn money for the things she wants and then working full time jobs to support herself while attending college courses when she can afford them.

After several successful office management roles which include marketing responsibilities, she and her husband start their own marketing firm. These skills and her natural curiosity help her navigate and survive a breast cancer diagnosis. At the urging of her husband, a Facebook page that starts as a means to update friends and family about her journey, ultimately becomes The Boob Report. An online website report for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her goal is to make women feel empowered with knowledge and the courage to get through their journey with as much grace and ease as possible.

What’s served Michelle best: her ability to try and stay positive, acknowledging when things are crappy, but knowing that it’s going to get better if she just keeps moving forward, and that she can figure out what she can change to move forward.

Her words of wisdom are a quote from Brené Brown: “You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” Michelle tries to own her story every day!

Join me for the career reflections of Sarah Irizarry, marketing executive. Her journey is all about learning and growth, taking risks and really knowing her strengths and how she adds value.

Typically, the youngest, and only female in the room, she learns how important it is to know her value. Knowledge she gains from her MBA program and developing relationships with mentors that help her succeed through stretch opportunities.

What’s served Sarah best: Perseverance and curiosity, she likes to go beyond the obvious to find the right solutions. She’s found that while the first diagnosis of a situation is right, it usually is not the end, but the beginning.

Her words of wisdom: “When you’re in transition or stuck, don’t just look inside. We always have inner work to do but check with mentors on next steps and for encouragement. We’re not on an island, there’s so much knowledge outside of us that others hold.”

Join me for the career reflections of Candice Kingston, leadership and success coach. A journey that starts with a dream of being a teacher, but it’s swashed when her good friend and role model suggests she should do something else.

She decides on psychology for her major because of her interest in human beings, but then when faced with the jobs associated with psychology she’s not really interested in more school or listening to people’s problems. Just getting a job becomes her priority, she finds a sales job selling medical devices, which kicks off a career of jobs that aren’t a fit. Frustrated after being fired multiple times, she’s depressed, lacks confidence and direction so she decides to see a therapist, who quickly recognizes she doesn’t need therapy she needs a career coach. Which is exactly what she needed and where she discovers her genius and career fit – as a leadership & success coach!

What’s served Candice best: “Tenacity” but with a clarifying point that it is what is serving her best now, but it probably hurt her in the beginning of her career, because she never quit. She let others end her employment, even when she knew it wasn’t a right a fit.

Her words of wisdom: “It’s not rejection, it’s re-direction – keep going, you’ll figure it out.”

Join me for the career reflections of Ann Wagner, executive director of Ann Wagner Live. At age 7 she knew she wanted to be surgeon and mapped out a plan to accomplish that. However, her grades in pre-med didn’t support this plan so she needed a "Plan B".

First on the agenda was attending professional baseball umpire school and becoming an umpire, which she still enjoys calling games today. Recognizing the need to make a living, and a desire to stay in healthcare, she lands a sales role in healthcare which leads to a successful and lucrative career in sales. Almost two decades later, after overcoming serious health issues, she’s now reinventing herself and putting herself on-stage as a coach and speaker to help others overcome depression, anxiety, and self-limiting beliefs -- all inflictions she experienced and conquered.

What’s served Ann best is: persistence – getting through all the negative stuff and not giving up; moving forward, even when it’s all going wrong.

Her words of wisdom is a quote from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself: everyone else is already taken.” And she adds: “Be yourself, do what really drives you.”

Join me for the career reflections of Darren Kanthal, leadership coach. He grows up quick when he’s expected to take over his dad’s business just as he’s finishing up college. Great experience in the business world, but when another crisis hits, a house fire, he loses his home and the business.

He resets and starts down the corporate path, which is littered with great -- and mostly not so great experiences. After losing the job he really wants, he’s hit with an “ah ha moment” that he is the only constant in all the jobs and stories that didn’t work out. A real turning point for him, he starts reading books, hires a coach, decides to become a consultant, then ultimately finds coaching is his sweet spot.

What’s served Darren best? He credits his up bringing that taught him self-reliance and independence.

His words of wisdom, he’s got three: 1) from Richard Branson: “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”; 2) “Practice Positive Intelligence – accepting life, staying neutral, trying not to categorize or evaluate events as good or bad, everything could be a gift!”; and 3) “Rely on yourself, but don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it!”

Join me for the career reflections of Julie Ulstrup, founder & CEO of Julie Ulstrup Photography. Her journey starts following her love of photography, but then she abandons her dream to get a “real job”, one in sales that ultimately leads to twenty years in academia and career counseling.

Her love for photography continues to pull her, and with a leadership change at her school it’s the right time to explore going out on her own. She then finds an incredible mentor/coach who helps her launch her photography business and she couldn’t be happier! She even gets choked up talking about it!

What’s served Julie best is courage, following her heart into what she really knows & believes to be true.

Words of wisdom, she’s got two, one from her dad: “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no, so ask for what you want.” And for the second she quotes Marianne Williamson: “When we let our own light shine, we give others permission to do the same.”