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At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Ryan Deal who went from Actor to Account Executive for Expedient. Learn what career changes he made and how he got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now? 

In my previous career, I was an Actor. I worked semi-regularly in TV, Film and on Commercials.  During my time between acting jobs, I did side work in Entertainment Compliance (for television game shows) and also worked in restaurants to supplement my income.

Currently, I am an Account Executive for Expedient where I provide Infrastructure as a Service to businesses.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity?  Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

Yes there are two moments that always stand out.  As with most actors, I worked in restaurants and did other side jobs. I remember when I first moved to LA., I was waiting tables and was told by a customer that if I kept up my attitude I would go extremely far in life.  This always stuck with me- that I had talent with people.

Fast forward to February of 2015, I was working on the Steven Spielberg produced show starring Halle Berry in “Extant”.  I was a co-star with 10 lines with Halle and Goran Visnjic.  The show was in disarray, and I was called in to film my scene at 6 am.  After sitting around the set for over 12 hours, I finally filmed at 7 pm.  It was excruciating as any actor who is ready to work on a show of this caliber to just sit and wait for so long.  Once I filmed my scene, I was treated like an extra, with the director hardly even taking time to acknowledge my presence.  It was in this moment that I kept thinking back to the restaurant guest who had complimented me years earlier.  I knew in this moment that being an actor would never make me happy as I was starting a family and yearned for a more consistent career.  I also wondered with the talents I have what could I do in the “real world.” So we packed up our two bedroom apartment and moved East, to my wife’s home town of Columbus, Ohio.

Upon first coming to Columbus I had landed a job immediately in IT staffing which was a great job to reintroduce me into the professional world and out of the entertainment industry.  I enjoyed the people I worked with and really enjoyed helping people find jobs.  However it wasn’t a challenge and lacked the professional atmosphere that I wanted.

Then one day, I noticed Expedient on the Job boards.  Now you have to remember, I looked at job postings all day being that I was in the Staffing industry.  But this one had something different about it, so I thought, “why not apply.”  So I did, and I also wrote the CSO of the company Bryan Smith and also called the HR department directly.

After interviewing, I was determined to get this job. I could just tell it was an amazing company to work for with a great product. I had no reservations, I knew this was my job to have! And I got it!
What helped to prepare you for this career change?

To change my career was years of mental preparedness, I had to take a very deep look into my life and come up with goals that I wanted to attain.  I knew since a young child I wanted to be a successful actor, but I also have always had a deep urge to be a family man.  Once I mentally focused on the latter goal, the successful actor part didn’t matter as much.  It was more important to me to be a successful person with a challenging and rewarding career.  I knew I was talented, I knew I could succeed in anything I did, and trying to make it as an actor just wasn’t worth it anymore. And to be honest, it wasn’t necessarily what I wanted either.  I just wanted to be a successful, happy person who could have success in everything I did. I wasn’t as successful as I wanted to be as an actor, so I needed to focus on my talents and use them elsewhere, which is what prepared me to move away from LA and focus elsewhere.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change?  What are you doing to overcome them?

Being that my job is extremely technical, it has been a learning curve, so I try to self-teach myself as much as possible.  Also sometimes, I look back and miss the excitement and potential of booking that next great acting job.  However, I try to remind myself that I don’t miss the career of an actor, I more miss that time in my life where I could live by the seat of my pants and pursue it.  And to be honest I really don’t miss it, I am very happy where I am now with Expedient.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

Do IT.  Don’t wait for life to pass you by.  If you are a sales rep for an IT company and dream of being an actor, then do it.  Get acting classes where you currently live, get head shots, take classes, and try to work in the market you live in while you work at your current job.  If you decide you want to move to LA to make it big, just know that it is extremely difficult and competitive and it will take 100% of your every waking hour to work towards, but if you want it bad enough then do it!

The same can be said for someone transitioning out of acting into an IT career.  If you are contemplating doing something else or have other things in life besides just a far off dream, then make it a reality.  I think the biggest mistakes people make is they are too afraid to make a change and would prefer to live in their current job that they are unhappy with.  I think this is the worst mistake anyone can make.  Making a change is possible, if someone did it before you, then you can do it as well.

If you are unhappy where you are or just simply want something different, then do it!  If making that change just scares you too much, then change your mind set and know that anything is possible if you go for it. Yes I went for acting and in many ways I succeeded and in many ways I failed.  But I think the greatest success I ever had was realizing that for my overall happiness and to achieve the life goals I have for myself was to move on from that industry and into another.

I know so many people that are afraid to leave their current career and in speaking from my experience, I think it is scarier to get trapped in a career than to start a new one.  Take some time to self-reflect and look inwardly.  I feel a great exercise is to write out what you want on your tombstone, to better understand how you want your life to play out and want people to remember you by.  In doing this, it helps you better understand the best way to make your life goals come true and if that is by changing your career then by all means go for it!  Because if you set a life goal for yourself and everything you do is to achieve that goal, then it will be much clearer of what path you should take in your career.

Expedient is an infrastructure as a service, and they are family owned and operated by some of the smartest people in Technology.  You can check out their website and learn more about Ryan by viewing his LinkedIn profile.  He would be happy to talk to you about Expedient and the transitions he has made in his career.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Adrienne Yates Braxton who went from working in PR and Volunteer Recruitment for a nonprofit organization to owning her own bakery, Gimme Some Sugar. Learn what career changes she made and how she got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

For the better part of thirteen years I was in the hospitality world.  I was the Director of Catering Sales at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.  In this position, I managed the revenue for all catering and concessions that averaged 9.1 million dollars per year.  My team and I planned menus for events such as the Ohio Democratic and Republican Party state dinners, Cardinal Health, The Limited and Big Lots.  Prior to the convention center, I was the Public Relations and Volunteer Recruitment Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio.  In this position, I increased awareness in the community about the many mentoring programs that were offered for children in Franklin County. I left the hospitality community in July 2016, and I started my baking company in January 2017.  I am a small “boutique” baker that has some unique items such as Cinnamon Roll Cake, Sweet Potato Pound Cake and Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Fudge Brownies as well as old time favorites like Carrot Cake, Rum Cake and Triple Chocolate Cake.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity?  Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

I have been baking for a little over 13 years.  I started just doing it for coworkers each holiday season and it began to grow.  Soon I was baking over 30 cakes for friends and family during the Christmas season.  Because of my previous positions, I never had the time to do this full time.  Last year when I was downsized from my company. I started to think about it.  My husband, who is also my biggest cheerleader, kept encouraging me.  Over the holidays, with no job prospects in site, my husband said to me “You should just do it, you know your father would say the same thing”.  My father always told me “you want to be in a position where you work for yourself so you can call the shots”.  After a bit of prayer, I decided it was time and “Gimme Some Sugar” was born.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

Working in the food industry for 13 years, I have gained knowledge beyond what I ever thought imaginable.  I have had the undying support from my mother and my husband which has been invaluable.  I just needed to make the leap of faith.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change?  What are you doing to overcome them?

I think the biggest struggle was making the decision to do it.  There is always a little hesitation or fear when trying something new or a change is being made.  You start to second guess yourself … “Is this the right decision”, “what about my family”, “what if I don’t succeed”. But if you don’t step out on faith you will never know.  I told my husband that I was going to “jump” and he told me that he would catch me!

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

Just do it.  There is a quote by Walt Disney that reads “All of your dreams can come true, if you pursue them”

To learn more about Gimme Some Sugar and to view Adrienne’s sweet treats, visit her website. 

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Kim Emch who went from corporate training in the banking industry to starting her own non-profit organization, SON Ministries. Learn what career changes she made and how she got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

I spent the bulk of my career in the banking industry at Huntington. I worked my way to corporate trainer and loved being a corporate trainer and teaching adults. It thrilled me to watch the lightbulb go off when I could provide them with an understanding that helped them do their job better.

After my second child was born, I chose to take a season at home to raise my two children. My final corporate training position was in the commercial loan department which I understood but my heart did not go pitter patter about. I promised myself that when I came back to the work world I would teach something that I was passionate about.

In June of 2007, I started the Hilliard Free Lunch Summer Camp for Kids program. We served 2376 lunches that summer and recruited 250 volunteers. That has grown into an entire nonprofit called “Serving Our Neighbors (SON) Ministries” established March 2009. Year-round, we partner with children and families facing poverty in a suburban setting and help them take steps out of poverty while mobilizing the community to serve our neighbor. I’m the Founder and Executive Director with the staff of 6 employed year-round and 29 seasonal employees. We have taught 15 other communities how to do what we do to help families facing poverty who live in the suburban setting take steps out of poverty.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

Absolutely! After being home with my children for four years, I took a position working part time at my church connecting members to service when my youngest child was in preschool. On March 3 of 2007, I was at a Christian retreat and I prayed asking the Holy Spirit to light my heart on fire in a whole new way. I’ve been a Christian since middle school but I had never prayed like that. That evening I didn’t feel any different …the next day I didn’t feel any different …by Monday I went back to my life and forgot about it. However, 11 days later, a coworker showed me a Columbus Dispatch article telling me that every year she read an article regarding suburban poverty and every year she made a few phone calls. No one called her back, and she moved on with her life. This year, she said the entire time she was reading it, she saw my face in her mind. She was confident that I was supposed to read the article. The article explained how poverty in the US was moving to the first ring suburbs and that there were children who got a free or reduced lunch during the school year but went without it in the summer. It listed Hilliard, my town, where I live work and my children go to school. I’d never heard about this before (children in poverty in the suburbs or free summer lunch programs). I was shocked. I had absolutely no idea but I told her if she learned more I would be interested in what she found out. From that day till today my life has taken a 180° turn! Two weeks after that, I ended up calling the school district to ask just how many children are getting a free or reduced lunch in Hilliard city schools? The gentleman called me back saying good news Kim it’s only 14.7%, it’s 2158 children. The reality sunk in, these were children – not statistics – with faces and names, in my school district, Hilliard Ohio, who are facing poverty and receiving a free or reduced lunch in the school year but were going without in the summer. I remember sobbing at my wooden desk in my house where I was working part time for a Upper Arlington Lutheran Church (UALC). I felt God calling me in that moment to love, serve and feed the children facing poverty in my town (body, mind and spirit) and to bring the community with me to serve our neighbor. I can honestly say I’ve never looked back. I began with a part-time job at UALC, doing this full time on the side for free as a volunteer.

For the entire year of 2008, I went anywhere people would listen to me (small and large nonprofits) explaining what I was doing and asking if they would have a heart to take my ministry under their umbrella. I talked to nearly 100 people and they all said about the same thing ‘this is so unique – suburban poverty – we don’t know how you’re doing this – you need to start a nonprofit, you need a board and staff and when you’re ready I’ll help you’. That whole year the ministry was growing, and I was praying for wisdom. After talking to nearly 100 people over the course of 52 weeks who said nearly the exact same thing to me, I knew that’s what I was supposed to do. So in January 2009, I began the paperwork to start a nonprofit-something I never thought I would do. I’m not the kind of person who said “I want to run my own business”. I know lots of people do but I was never one of them. It was scary because in 2009 the country was going through a recession so it made absolutely no sense to start a nonprofit. But I knew that this is what God was calling me to do. Very quickly I felt affirmed. In 21 days we got our 501(c)(3) approval back from the IRS which is record timing. (I’m told it normally takes 6 to 12 months.)

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

Ironically, I think every single piece of education and job experience I had prior has led me exactly to this point. In college, I was a completely confused undecided major until they forced me to choose a major at the end of my sophomore year. I chose economics because it was easy for me and everyone else thought it was hard. I chose sociology because I was fascinated by it and public speaking because I love to do it. I use those three things as an Executive Director of a nonprofit every day! I volunteered and served with my local church since I was in middle school and every experience I had prepared me for leading this volunteer based nonprofit. Even my time in banking has helped me as I understand business income statements and balance sheets and the work world. In our nonprofit, we work with churches and businesses and civic organizations so all of my past experience helps me relate to all of those groups when I work with them on the other side.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

I think the biggest struggle is fear of the unknown. When I started this ministry, serving lunch in 2007, I had no idea it was going to turn into the founding and directing of a nonprofit. I’ve said many times if I had known that, I might have done some things differently. But then again I might not have done any of it at all – out of fear. So I guess it happened as it needed to happen.

Part of my job is to fundraise and seek donations for the work we do. I had no background in this area. I’ve come to learn that it’s not about the money it’s about the relationships and inviting people to be a part of something amazing. I’ve also had to overcome my self-talk telling me ‘what do you think you’re doing you don’t know how to do this!’ Because while that has been true at times, I am an eternal learner always willing to try new things. Also, the children and families that we serve do not have a voice. I have the honor to be their voice and to tell their stories and that gives me the courage to do things I’ve never done before, to ask boldly, to invite readily and to never give up.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

I would tell a person to follow your heart. Life is too short to do something you don’t love. Find a job that makes a difference, that you would literally pay someone to let you do. Ask yourself what’s your passion and what would you do for free. And find a way to do that to make a living. Be willing to adjust your living if that doesn’t pay as well. The fulfillment will be worth more than money ever could be worth.

You can learn more about SON Ministries by visiting the website and learn more about Kim’s career by visiting her LInkedin Page.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Christian Armstrong who went from the healthcare field focusing on geriatrics to Scrum Master with JP Morgan Chase. Learn what career changes he made and how he got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

My past career was in healthcare. I completed medical school and received a Masters of Health Administration in 2008 and ended up working in geriatrics. After a short time, I found that I was more interested in the technology aspects of healthcare and began working with a hospitalist group helping them build out their long-term care program. (Long term care is the part of healthcare that treats elderly patients in nursing homes.)

Wanting to gain the skills to continue building software, I went thru Tech Elevator. That ultimately led to my current role as a Scrum Master with JP Morgan Chase.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

I am always looking for new opportunities. I thrive on constant change and continuous learning. Technology gave me the opportunity to do just that. It’s constantly changing, shifting and there is always more to learn.

I knew I wanted to change direction after my last role as the CEO of a long-term care practice. After that role, I wanted to move on to something where I could focus more on technology and software development. Tech Elevator provided the opportunity to continue my career and transition to a great new role.

Pushing me to move forward was really my internal drive for change and a desire to learn something new. With the world changing and becoming so technologically focused, I really see the integration of healthcare and technology becoming the next major economic driver. By combining my healthcare background with technology interest, I wanted to position myself to be in the forefront of that change.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

My focus has shifted slowly over the last six years from healthcare minded to technology focused. When the opportunity presented itself to attend Tech Elevator, I was already in the mindset that I was ready to learn more about technology and software development and make a shift in my career path.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

I have found that the biggest hurdles have been internal. For example, going back to the “school” environment after so many years away was a shift. My family and I just had to recognize that it was only a short time and that balancing family and the program requirements would have to be a change in the short term to obtain a family balance that was more ideal in the long term. Restarting my career in a completely different environment than healthcare has required a shift in thinking. Fortunately, Tech Elevator does a great job of working with you to prepare to answer questions in your shift in career with prospective employers.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

GRIT! Maintain the grit and stick with what you started. For me, the most difficult time was towards the end of the Tech Elevator program. Projects were mounting, I was spending a ton of time job searching, and work life balance was thrown out the window. However, I heard three different people refer to “grit” within a couple of days. Then it clicked, I had to find the “grit” to stick it out. Fortunately, I did. Shortly after that, I received multiple job offers making it all worth it.

To learn more about Christian ,visit his LinkedIn page. You can also find additional information about the Coding Bootcamp he referenced at Tech Elevator.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Margie Miller who, after spending 20 years in the retail industry, became an independent agent with Aflac so she could spend more time with her family. Learn what career changes she made and how she got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

Previously I spent the last 20+ years working as a manager in the retail industry. I worked for Kroger for 8 years, Best Buy for 2 and Micro
Center prior to that. Currently I am an independent agent with Aflac for the past year.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

I knew I needed to get out of retail because I have degenerative disc disease but what really pushed me was when my 4-year-old grandson came to me and said “Nanna, why have you never come to my birthday?” He was quite earnest about the question, and it was like a lightning bolt for me. My husband and I have nine grandchildren, and I knew that I needed to be in a career that allowed me to focus on them….on my family. I still get emotional when thinking about his innocent statement and all the holidays, weekends and other events that I have missed with them. My mom had always been there to help me with my kids, and she never missed a birthday party. I want my grandchildren to be as close to me as my children were to their grandmother.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

I wasn’t really prepared for the career change but I have a very supportive family and a solid support system of friends and colleagues. It seems like I have been in Management and sales forever so I thought it would be a piece of cake. There is a load of difference between inside sales and outside sales but the consistency is that it’s all about people, and I am passionate about people and helping them. Aflac is a great product that really helps people when they are sick or hurt and can’t work. It is a product that I love and can really get behind.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

My biggest struggles have been in the prospecting and cold calling. I have been in the position where customers have come to me and now going out and finding them is much different than what I have done in the past. Other obstacles are the mindsets of individuals about sales people. The perception is not the best and when going into a businesses they are busy and don’t want to be bothered. I am passionate about people so I just spend time getting to know people and what their needs are. I am not out to make my clients insurance poor. I consult with them and marry them with the products that best fits their needs.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

Pick a career that you love! If you love what you do it’s not work. After that I would say make sure that you have a solid support system of family, friends, and colleagues. Most of all though is to love what you do, have a passion for it to sustain you when things are tough.

You can learn more about Maggie by visiting her website or by going to her LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook page.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Mark Stanifer who, after spending 20 years in the banking industry, started his own business Dare2Live Coaching, helping individuals find their life purpose. Learn what career changes he made and how he got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

The first part of my professional career was in banking, first with BankOne and then with JPMorganChase. Over a span of 20 years, I worked in consumer lending, commercial banking, asset and liability risk management, and mortgage banking. I was primarily within the finance and accounting specialty, helping the senior leaders understand the details of their business through the financials. I had a very successful run, and benefited significantly from my time there. However, my excitement about the work was declining and I wanted to go in a different direction; one where I could focus on helping people realize their full potential, in all areas of life.

I now run a business called Dare 2 Live Coaching, which does exactly that. Through individualized coaching, we discover client’s passions, help them clarify their purpose, and focus on defining priorities. The process facilitates more rapid progress toward realizing their goals, as well as leads to increased productivity and satisfaction. Ultimately, it results in the client living a more fulfilled life.

The first half of my career was a great experience and springboard for what I am doing now. This next chapter is where I get to live in alignment with my passion and purpose, by helping others do the same.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

The turning point for me came in 2015 when my role changed. While I had known for a few years that I wanted to do something different, it was during this last role when I realized the time had come. The best way to describe it is by using a sports analogy. I was involved in a trade—one which looked good on paper but ended up being a bad fit. It was a good learning experience, in many ways, but I knew I was not in the right role. It was demanding a great deal of time and energy, which didn’t leave much to explore other opportunities. Corporate America has not embraced the concept of a sabbatical, yet that’s what I really wanted. So, after much thought and prayer, I resigned and spent two months away from any “work.” This was exactly what I needed and proved to be the first step into a whole new adventure.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

I would love to say that I followed a “6 Steps to the Career You Love” program. But the reality is my path was more nuanced than that. There were, however, a couple very intentional things along the way which allowed me to make this bold move. First, my wife and I were on the same page. Without that, the risks would have significantly outweighed the rewards. Second, a few years before my transition we began saving specifically for a job change. At the time, we didn’t know what it would be, but now we do. And that extra savings has made the transition a lot easier, providing more runway for the business to get off the ground. Third, I was willing to take a risk to follow my passion. Being self-employed comes with a whole new set of risks and it isn’t right for everyone. For me, though, the risks from not changing were even greater. So I chose to take the leap into something new.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

Probably the biggest challenge was starting over in a new field. I was prepared for the shift to small business ownership. I expected that building a new business would take some time. Accounting and marketing knowledge is transferrable. But, as I often said in my prior corporate life, there is no shortcut for experience. I’ve certainly found that to be true in this new venture.

Having said that, many of the skills I developed during my banking days are very transferrable. Skills such as listening for understanding, awareness of what motivates people, leadership development, they all carry over into coaching. To grow in the technical aspects of coaching, I am pursuing certification through the International Coaches Federation (ICF), and the training I’ve received so far has been invaluable in helping me deliver an excellent experience to my clients.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

Probably the best piece of advice I can offer is borrowed from scuba diving—plan the dive and dive the plan. While I am not a diver, the advice is applicable to planning your career. Building a plan for what you want to accomplish and making the necessary preparations is the right first step. However, it’s not the same as actually taking the dive. So many people work on the plan, but never take the next step and get out of the boat. Remember, the plan is not the goal, the goal is to dive. Plan your dive, then dive your plan.

If you want to learn more about how Mark and how he helps people live where passion and purpose align, you can visit his website. If you are interested in receiving his regular blog updates, leave him a comment or email him at mark@dare2livecoaching.com. You can also connect with Mark on LinkedIn and Facebook.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Karen Evans who went from being a Legal Secretary to Photographer and Owner of Karen Evans Pictures. Learn what career changes she made and how she got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

I always worked in an office setting, first with the local newspaper and then followed by offices in various aspects of the law. I have been a full-time photographer since 2007 (having started my business in 2003).

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

Once I realized that photography was an avenue I wanted to pursue, and once that became a desire to start my own business, I knew that I wanted to be my own boss. I worked diligently at my day job while taking as many photography jobs as I could fit into what was left of my time, eventually saving a year’s salary so I could finally quit the day job. The actual catalyst, however, was attending a workshop where the very esteemed presenters were teaching about how they ran their businesses to success and realizing that I was doing the exact same things! After returning from the workshop, I mulled over the idea for a few days, and then turned in my resignation.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

Working as a legal secretary in a law firm and being given a lot of responsibility with client communications and having the opportunity to read through many many contracts over the years helped me, if nothing else, just by osmosis. I was also a voracious participant in what was then a new phenomenon – the online forum. There was one in particular devoted to the craft and business of photography, and I read and participated in it religiously. Being a professional photographer is a lot more than making pictures people want to buy; the business and marketing aspects of it consume a much larger portion of my time, so having those resources was invaluable in helping me make the leap from employee to business owner.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

As with any business where you have to sell yourself or something you create, there is a lot of rejection. Not everyone who inquires will hire, and learning to not take that personally was always a struggle. Also, as my style has evolved and my photography voice has strengthened, I’m much more confident in knowing and accepting that not everyone is the right fit.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

Save your money, do your research, and then just do it. I have seen many people struggle with wanting to do something but instead end up spending a big chunk of their lives doing only that – wanting, not doing. At some point, it’s best just to do it because then you’ll be forced to make it work. Unlike if you stay in your current job and do your passion on the side; you’ll always have that safety net but you’ll never know what it’s like to make it on your own. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when the rubber meets the road.

For a running stream of Karen’s current work, updated frequently, you may visit her blog or for a more permanent presentation of her work, visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook and LinkedIn.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Ryan Lunka who went from Consultant to VP of Product at nChannel. Learn what career changes he made and how he got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

I started off my career as a consultant, implementing Adobe’s enterprise solutions with Cardinal Solutions Group. This happened mostly by chance. I was actually hired to work on Microsoft SharePoint projects, but was asked to train up on the Adobe technology to fill a need at a client site. After starting down that path, I never went back.

When I started, Adobe’s enterprise technology strategy was centered around the PDF and a BPM solution called Adobe LiveCycle. They blended that solution with their Rich Internet Application development platform, called Adobe Flex. This allowed you to build web apps that ran in the Flash player. When the iPhone blocked Flash player, it really hindered the success of that solution.

However, at the same time, Adobe had begun acquiring digital marketing technology companies. One of those companies was Day Software, publishers of a really innovative Web Content Management system called CQ5. As the writing started to appear on the wall for the LiveCycle/Flex solution, I dove head first into Adobe’s new WCM and digital marketing solutions.

I moved to CITYTECH, another small consulting firm out of Chicago, to implement this Adobe marketing technology platform for clients. I worked on projects for companies like Fossil Group, Four Seasons, and Intel. I eventually moved from a technical implementation/programming role to more of a digital marketing strategy role, helping to shape business strategy around the enterprise marketing tech stack.

While I really liked working on the Adobe platform, what really excited me was the general discipline around marketing technology and the problems that needed solved around building out a company’s digital portfolio. So, when nChannel reached out, looking for a Director of Digital Marketing to do just that, I was interested. Learning that it was the opportunity to join a high-growth software startup company sealed the deal.

I spent a year and change implementing a full stack digital platform for nChannel, including reframing the use of their WCM, implementing Google Analytics and other measurement tools, defining the company’s digital content strategy, and starting the practice of website optimization using A/B testing tools. Our team increased our monthly inbound lead count by about 5x and created a huge site traffic increase that continues to grow today.

Last February, our CEO decided that it was time to redefine how nChannel builds software around being a “product” company, not just an “engineering” company. I was promoted to VP Product to lead that team, blending the user experience and analytics practices we implemented in digital marketing with the engineering disciplines I applied as an implementation consultant.

In that role, I lead the nChannel teams responsible for product management and design, software development, and customer implementations. My goal is to ensure all of those areas of our business work together in a way that creates an exceptional (and profitable for nChannel) customer experience.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

The biggest jump for me was the decision to leave consulting and join nChannel as Director of Digital Marketing. I had switched roles a number of times at both Cardinal Solutions and CITYTECH, but my entire career to that point had been defined as “consultant”. I had a lot of pride in that role, and really enjoyed being relied on as the expert, brought in to help a company be successful.

I also really enjoyed working with Adobe’s digital marketing technology. The LiveCycle/Flex solution was kind of cool, albeit not all that successful (in my opinion), but the combination of CQ5 with the other digital marketing solutions Adobe acquired was something special. It was fun to ride that wave from a pretty early point in the growth of that platform, and it gave me the opportunity to build a reputation in what at the time was a pretty niche area of expertise.

But, I always knew that I didn’t want to do consulting forever. I chose that as my first career phase to acquire a breadth of experiences and to work my way into a management position at a company. When nChannel’s recruiter reached out to me and after I met the people I’d be working with at nChannel, it started to look like the right thing to do.

I do remember the exact moment I decided to make the jump from consulting to nChannel. I was on a camping trip with my family. We were just hanging out around the campfire after a day of hiking. It was quiet, so I was thinking about the decision. I was nervous about taking on that much responsibility for a company, potentially failing many people. But, I kept hearing my dad’s voice telling me, “If there’s one person you should always bet on, it should be yourself.”

I came back from that camping trip and accepted the nChannel offer.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

There were a few things that helped me prepare for such a change…

While at CITYTECH I also attended graduate school in the Masters of Information Strategy, Systems, and Technology program at Muskingum University. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the content of that program had a huge positive impact on my career, really helping me prepare to make the switch from being a consultant to someone who helps shape the direction of a company. I highly recommend that program to anyone interested in technology and business. It’s like an MBA that’ll actually stand out on your resume.

I’m also a podcast junkie. At some point I heard an interview on the Harvard Business Review podcast about a hugely successful business person (who, exactly, slips my mind) who wrote out their future resume early in their career to use it as a map. It felt a little silly at the time, but I still have that future resume I wrote. My career trajectory looks an awful lot like it–maybe just a little faster than I expected.

Lastly, I think my experience as a consultant really prepared me. As a consultant, regardless of whether you are equipped to do so, you have to be the expert. You have to win the respect of the room and have the sometimes difficult conversations that get your client closer to success. It develops really positive personality traits for the people who can hang in that kind of environment.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

One of the biggest struggles–let’s say learning experiences–has been getting used to life working for a startup company. You don’t always have the budget, the time, or the people to accomplish what you want. You have to get creative. You have to be scrappy. And, you’ve got to have a lot of patience. It looks super cool on TV, but in reality there are a lot of days where you want to pull your hair out. Don’t get me wrong, we have a lot of fun at work and we all believe we are building something special. But, learning to deal with the chaos has been a chore.

One of the ways I’ve worked on handling this is to focus on mindfulness. I’ve experimented a bit with mindfulness meditation, but I’ve found just making sure to have a mindful state of mind as much as possible has worked better than formal meditation. I have a whiteboard in front of my desk on which I’ve written the words “brick by brick”. Every time I look up from my computer screen I’m reminded that every day might feel like a slog and like you’re making no progress. But, in days, weeks, months from now you’ll look back at all the bricks you’ve stacked, and think, “Wow, we really got a lot done.”

Then, there’s Johnnie Walker for the days that are especially challenging.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

I’m not sure I’m old or wise enough to give this advice, but here goes…

If it’s something that gives you that excited, but nervous feeling inside, then do it. Don’t avoid an opportunity because you’re afraid you can’t do it. You’ll either get it done and grow from it, or you won’t and you’ll still grow from it. Doing nothing will get you to exactly where you are now. Consequences be damned.

In the words of my dad… Bet on yourself.
Learn more about what nChannel is doing in the retail technology space on their website or on their blog. You can learn more about Ryan from his LinkedIn page, Twitter at @rlunka or Instagram at @funkalunka or on his personal blog.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Eva Bradshaw who went from retirement from The Ohio State University to the Regional Affiliate Manager for the National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT). Learn what career changes she made and how she got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

I had a 30-year career working for The Ohio State University in a variety of roles, mainly in Information Technology. While at Ohio State my experience included working for OSU Extension, both in Columbus and in Fulton County where I started my professional career at the same time that PC’s were being introduced in the county offices. As the newest employee, my colleagues expected me to know the new technology and I didn’t want to let them down, so I learned all I could about computers and never looked back.

The largest undertaking in my years at Ohio State was leading the merger of IT staff and networks for the College of Education and Human Ecology. We had to assemble our team and support the full college all while everyone was shifting roles and moving to new buildings. It felt like we were driving the bus while the tires were being changed, but it was certainly an exciting time.

Currently, I am a Regional Affiliate Manager for NCWIT, the National Center for Women & IT. In this role I support 16 affiliates, mainly state-wide volunteer teams to encourage young women to pursue computer science through an awards program for Aspirations in Computing. Basically, I’m paid to do something that I’ve been doing as a volunteer for most of my career; encourage more young women to work in IT.

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

Retiring from a full-time position at Ohio State opened the world to me. I had worked there for my entire professional career, and it became the filter for how I viewed the world. I needed to walk away from this employer to see the bigger picture and find another way to contribute to the profession.

NCWIT was established in 2004, with support from the National Science Foundation, with a mission to significantly increase girls’ and women’s meaningful participation in computing. I have been volunteering with the same basic goals as NCWIT for over 20 years and it is a dream come true to move into this as my job.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

Networking is key to knowing about openings and seeing possible new careers. Getting outside the day-to-day environment and meeting with other groups whose work is only tangentially related to yours can be very beneficial. At Ohio State, guest lecturers are common and making time to attend lectures and workshops with topics that might not seem outside your job description is a way to broaden your viewpoint and to see the filters that others use to interpret their world.

Today’s meet ups can fill that same role, and I think they can expand your world view and also build professional networks.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

There are times when I have to remember the organizational structure and how to work within it. I have a position that implements decisions made by others. Assuming a role that has less authority is both freeing and constraining. It’s been a welcome change to not have to manage the work of others and focus less on budgets and paperwork. However, the need to make sure that all I do is within the scope of the organization and valued by my managers is a balancing act. This position is virtual and being located at a distance from team members brings challenges and advantages. I love the commute from downstairs to my office upstairs and the flexibility of my schedule. Feeling isolated and less involved in the office discussions and daily discourse is a drawback. Connecting with local groups has allowed me to get out in the community and share the work I do with others as well as form a new network of like-minded professionals.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

Bloom where you are – this is something that I heard many years ago and I think it has meaning for me still. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity to volunteer or join a new group, jump into something and if it doesn’t exist yet, create the group you want to join. Find enjoyment in your daily work and share that sense of fun with your colleagues and staff.

You can learn more about Eva by visiting her LinkedIn page or through twitter at @bradshawe . Also learn more about the National Center for Women and IT and Eva suggests the following Blog for all of those who are passionate about gender equality in STEM.

At Painted Turtle Partners, we believe that every individual should be able to fully utilize their interests, skills and experience in a work setting that they will enjoy. In our weekly post, “Love Monday”, we will be highlighting individuals that have made a major career change and now love what they do. This week, you will gain insight from Rashmi Nemade who went from being a researcher with a Ph.D. in Molecular Developmental Biology to expanding her business by providing science and medical voice-over services. Learn what career changes she made and how she got there.

What was your past career(s) and what are you doing now?

In the idealism of youth, I had wanted to be a Biology professor to teach at the collegiate and graduate levels, so I embarked on getting a Ph.D.. During graduate school, I figured out that in the scientific world, teaching is secondary to research and that writing grants and papers is what keeps the whole system afloat. Although I enjoyed research, it got to be frustrating, and I knew that I did not want to constantly fight for funding through grants to be able to teach. So after receiving my Ph.D. in Molecular Developmental Biology and doing a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, I went into technical writing. For a while, I wrote for regulatory markets and learned a lot about that industry. When we moved to Columbus about 13 years ago, I wanted to start my own freelancing business. A big driver for that decision was that it allowed me to work from home while my kids were young. In 2004, BioMedText, Inc. became a biomedical writing/editing business incorporated in Ohio. Since then, I have been writing and editing grant proposals, technical papers, marketing materials, white papers, etc. for various academic and industry clients. Towards the end of 2015, I was looking for a change – something new and challenging, and I’ve always been interested in voice-overs, so I decided to pursue that path in earnest. I signed up for training with an experienced voice over coach and invested in that part of my business. Now, I have a home studio, demos online (www.nowyouhearme.com) and am up and running! I do science and medical voice-overs for e-learning videos, corporate marketing, documentaries and commercials. Since I enjoy writing/editing and can write copy for voice-over projects, my goal in 2017 is to re-brand my company under a communications umbrella offering writing, editing, and voice-over services. It’s the most exciting career change I’ve ever made!

Was there a point when you just knew that you wanted and needed to go for this new opportunity? Can you describe that moment? What pushed you to move forward?

In October of 2015, I decided to take a community evening class in Intro to Voice Over. It was the second time I had taken a class like this. The first time must have been in the early 2000’s, but the timing was not right for me to do anything serious with the information I had gained. When I took the class in 2015, it was just an exploratory interest. I didn’t go to the class with any idea that I would actually make a career change, but then I started thinking about how I had been writing/editing for a while and needed a change. Frankly, I was a little bored… As I was mulling this over and looking into how I could make this work, I had an ‘Aha’ moment! If I were in a traditional job, I would have had years of ongoing training or continuing education from my company. I didn’t have this advantage as a one-person business other than attending few science writers meetings here and there. It was time to change that, and I could do VO work in addition to writing! This way, I could still do everything I loved, but in the quantities that worked for me at any given time. Most importantly, I could still do this from home. I started to research options for training.

What helped to prepare you for this career change?

Really, just time… The timing had to be right with my family.

What have been the biggest struggles and/or hurdles that you have encountered with this change? What are you doing to overcome them?

The voiceover business is faster paced than writing, so projects are quick, and I have to market more frequently to get clients. Until I am established, I will have to spend more time marketing to get stable clients. As a scientist, marketing does not come naturally to me, but I’m learning. My writing business got off the ground by word of mouth, so I didn’t have to do a lot of traditional marketing. With creating a new brand, I have to learn how to market appropriately, efficiently, and get results more often. This is definitely out of my comfort zone. I’m taking marketing courses on Coursera and talking a lot to my friends who are in marketing fields. Another big challenge is having enough time to keep my writing projects going while doing all the work required to start in the VO field. It’s a lot, but fun!

If you were to offer one piece of advice to individuals that are contemplating making a major career change, what would it be?

If you feel it’s the right time and the right place, and the only thing holding you back are the limitations in your head, ask yourself what you can do overcome those mental blocks. Once you address those and honestly look for solutions, then there’s no reason to fear the change. Take the plunge! For me, I think this change was inevitable, but the timing had to be right.

To learn more about Rashmi and her writing services visit her LinkedIn Profile and to learn more about her voice over work, visit her website.