Do you know what is the main event that precipitated my journey of stepping into my purposeful work, the work I do now?
It’s my layoff from Yahoo! 12 years ago…
As shocked and scared as I was when it happened, I was also relieved…
…relieved to leave work that was not in alignment with my purpose anymore.
…relieved to not have to constantly adjust to tasks that were getting further outside my zones of genius and excellence.
…relieved from second-guessing myself and wondering if I was smart enough.
…relieved from being able to use only 40% of my core strengths at work and having to leave the others in the shadow, unexpressed, unseen, and unappreciated.
After taking the time to feel my feelings and take care of myself, I started to see the layoff as the opportunity I needed to finally actualize my dream…
…the dream that I had been contemplating for more than six years.
…the dream to do work that fully aligns with my true talents, passions, and purpose.
….the work I do now: helping high-achieving professionals, executives, and managers create purposeful work that reignites their passion and makes a difference.
A layoff can be a catalyst to step into your purpose, thework that truly matters to you.
It can be a blessing in disguise to give you the push to finally go for your dreams and to stop postponing them to “someday.’ Did you notice that “someday” is not a day on the calendar? If you wait for it to come, I will probably never will.
A catalyst for purposeful work, this is what it is for my client too. Successful Senior Director in Product Marketing, she just got laid off.
Only the day after she was laid off, she came up with a BRILLIANT business idea that is so aligned with her purpose and so perfect for her. She is thrilled and I am too.
Why did she come up with this idea with so much clarity and confidence?
…Because of all the preparatory work we have done together in the past few months to help her clarify her core drivers, values, strengths, personality type, true passions, and purpose. The essential work to excavate her true self, purpose, and talents, buried under decades of climbing the corporate ladder and what a successful career is supposed to look like.
This is why she can use this layoff as a stepping stone toward her dream career, instead of a setback.
As traumatic as a layoff can be, I know she will look back at it as the day that accelerated her journey toward her purposeful work. And she will be grateful for it, as I am for my own.
Of course, it is important to first honor and feel all the feelings, the shock, the fears, the grief, all of it, and get support around it. This is how you move through it, by feeling it first, before moving into what is next.
But what if your layoff–or any challenge you encounter–was actually a stepping stone in realigning your career and life with what matters most, instead of a setback? Or maybe a helping hand the Universe is sending you to reach your next dream? This is what it felt like for me.
(Note: Feel free to replace “layoff” with any challenge that is happening to you. The same questions apply. You can also forward this email to someone you know–friend, relative, spouse, or coworker–who got laid off and may need to hear this.)
What if this layoff was happening FOR you and not AGAINST you?
When you are ready, after honoring the feelings and getting support, I invite you to ponder these questions and find the truth in them for you.
If you need a supportive, empathic ear, I’m here. So don’t hesitate to reply and share with me.
I’ve been in your shoes. And, on top of the layoff, losing my working visa to stay in the US was not easy. I can tell you. In one day, I was losing my work, my livelihood, and I was close to losing my home too.
You are not alone.
Reach out.
I believe in you. I believe in your dreams. I believe in your purpose.
With love,
Isabelle
P.S. If you doubt whether you have a purpose, I can tell you this: every single person on earth has unique talents and a purpose to offer the world, I know it after working with hundreds of professionals, including people who doubted they had a purpose when they started working with me. I’m naturally gifted in helping you see what you cannot see in yourself. This is the gift I was given, so trust me, even if you don’t yet believe it, I believe it for you.
I just had a session with one of my clients who is British and currently lives in California. She is moving back to the UK in a few weeks to fulfill her vision of being closer to family and friends.
She spends the last few months of sheltering in place clarifying her vision for her dream career and lifestyle with my help, and now she is clear and making it a reality!
She is moving back to the UK and will be taking steps there to explore career and job opportunities in alignment with the plan I helped her flesh out.
This time of sheltering in place is a great opportunity to look at reevaluating the vision for your ideal career and lifestyle.
Are you taking advantage of it?
Watch the video below to find out why and how you can do it.
P.P.S. You love your work but know people—friends, spouse, relative, coworkers—who don’t? Share this email with them. I’d love to see how I can help them.
Don’t fool yourself, you choose even when you don’t take any action.
You just choose to postpone your happiness.
Be honest with yourself with what you are choosing.
Isabelle
P.S. If you decide 2020 is the year for you to take action and you need support discovering the career you absolutely love, you can apply to the “Find the Career You Absolutely Love” Complimentary Breakthrough Sessionand I’ll follow-up with you as soon as I receive your application. I’d love to help you get unstuck!
Feel free to share with people you know (spouse, friends, relatives, coworkers) who could benefit from it. I’ll be happy to see how I can support them in finding the career they love!
One of my favorite things to do is to lead workshops!
Well, I’m excited to lead FOUR workshops in San Francisco this Spring.
I’ll be facilitating my signature class Career Shift: Find Work You Love at General Assembly on these dates:
March 11
April 15
May 6
June 3
If you are local to the Bay Area,join me! I’d love to have you. 🙂
…..or share with people you know (relatives, coworkers, friends, etc) who may benefit from it.
If you are not local to the Bay but interested, let me
know. I can send you a recording of a webinar I did about this topic.
It’s not as in-depth, but it will give you a first start on the topic.
and if you want me to lead a workshop or a talk in your organization
or community, let me know. I love being of service by giving talks and
workshops and reaching more people that way, locally and
internationally. It can be done in English or in French 🙂
Are you expecting a big change in your career/life overnight?
Well, this is what my client Adam expected when he started working with me…
This is not how things played out for him… and for the better!
Following my guidance, using patience and listening to his own true voice, he ended up over time in the perfect work-life balance situation that matched everything he wanted, including releasing an album with his band!
Listen to his story in the video below.
Or jump right below the video to read his email and find his band on Spotify,
BEFORE
When Adam started working with me:
He was bored, unchallenged, and depressed in his work.
The long daily commute was killing him, as well as working at a desk from 9 to 5, and lacking the flexibility and freedom he was craving.
As a result, he could not spend as much quality time with his partner and kids, and could not develop his passion to play drums as much as he desired. He wanted to be part of a band, but could not carve out enough time because of his commute and work situation.
AFTER
Following my guidance through the Roadmap to the Career You Love program and listening to his own true voice, the perfect work/life situation progressively unfolded for him. Read his email below.
Hi Isabelle-
I thought I would take a minute to update you on my career since I went through your program last year. In short, I have made some subtle and not so subtle adjustments of my work role which has enabled a much better actualization of my true self!
My career “success story” is more subtle than other case studies but has worked wonderfully. I thought it would be good for you to have as a reference in the event others have a similar experience as mine. I think I was expecting a big change over night which is not how things played out but I ended up in a great work-life balance situation over time. Patience and listening to one’s true voice is the key!
I am still at the same company and working in the solar industry. I was able to transition my role to “Product Management” which actually plays wonderfully into my “Improviser” tendencies. It also does not involve managing people directly which I actually quite like because it facilitates my need to feel “free”. This is typical of product management roles where it involves collaborating (something I do well) with all parts of the organization but does not involve managing others peoples time. Better yet, I requested flexible hours (up to 50%) and work from home a majority of the time. The net result is having the security of a formal “job” but the flexibility of working for myself and dictating my own schedule.
My ability to negotiate this outcome was a direct result of the authentic-self work we did. I was very comfortable negotiation for this situation because I knew it would work better for me and so was able to convince my boss (the CEO) as well. But that’s not the best part….With my more flexible schedule I was invited to join a band. The universe delivered that one up right on cue!. My band has already recorded an album which is streaming on applemusic and spotify. We even did a little tour to Southern California a few weeks ago.
So, although I did not quit my corporate job and join the circus I was able to sculpt my career to what works best for me in a very non-traditional way.Simply knowing what I wanted and listening to my authentic self changed everything.
Thank you so much for your help. I hope this story will help someone else who may be struggling with what “success” looks like.
Best Wishes!
Adam Detrick
Here is his band: The Reverbivores. Adam is the guy on the right. You can find him on Spotify and Apple Music or use the link. Enjoy!
Are you ready to find your perfect work-life situation?
Or share this email with people you know (relatives, friends, co-workers) who could benefit from it.
To your brilliance,
Isabelle
P.S. What will it take for you to be a success story? — and if you are already a success story or on your way to one, please share with me. I want to hear and cheer you on!
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