Second Breaks

In this episode, I share 5 things I’ve learned from one year of podcasting, some behind-the-scenes that contributed to this podcast, and my thoughts on the future of this podcast. Thank you for being here. I so appreciate that you’ve made the Second Breaks Podcast part of your week. I don’t take that for granted. I know how busy you are and to be able to reach you like this is such an honor. 5 Tak...

"I live in beautiful chaos. To me, I feel like the step that I took back in May, the verdict on that is still out. We don’t know if this has been the best right decision just yet. A lot of that is up to me and what I do. We’re still in the middle of it."  —Dave Pidgeon   Highlights of Episode 52: Why Dave Pidgeon left a “family legacy” career How a hobby turned into a new professional and career o...

I’m joined this week by brand storyteller and communications strategist, Kay Fabella . Kay helps businesses around the world bring their brands to life, so they can meaningfully connect with their clients and meet their business goals. Highlights of Episode 51 Why we need to pay attention to the stories we tell ourselves Common fears that people face when thinking about making a pivot The truth ab...

Topics Covered in Episode 50 Why we need to approach our careers differently What it takes to successfully navigate the changing work landscape The key change that happens when you adopt a career owner’s mindset Why continuous learning is even more important now The difference between a career path and a career horizon How to remain relevant and always marketable Get full access to Shaping Life at...

"Whether it’s coaching or getting an accountability partner, you still have to go back and do the work. The work is yours to do." —Allison Lockett Highlights of Episode 49 What is an accountability group and what it’s not What makes for a good accountability partner How to structure accountability meetings Frequency, timing, and length How to ask someone to be your accountability partner Get full...

Highlights of Episode 48 What MBTI is and what it’s not What natural preference means Why it’s not bad to act out of our natural preferences How understanding the team’s MBTI type can help improve team dynamics Why we may test differently at different times of our lives Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe

Paivi Eerola had spent her entire life studying and working in IT. With a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, she spent her first professional years teaching other IT professionals. After a while, she moved to programming and later, to project management of large-scale IT integrations, and then to selling enterprise-level IT solutions. And as if all that wasn’t enough, she also went back to s...

Topics Covered in Episode 46 The four main reasons driving the change in the workplace The challenge AND the opportunity behind each of these change drivers How to spot these factors ahead of time so you don’t get caught off guard Why we need to be paying attention now more than ever What your new career strategy should include Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe

The number of people working from home, either full-time or part-time, has been on the rise and this trend is only expected to continue. For telecommuters — or really any time we work outside the office — we need to pay attention to the kinds of tools we use, the ease of setting up, and how we access them wherever we are. If you’re thinking about working from home, doing some kind of freelance pro...

Key Takeaways from Episode 44: Take the time to discover your strengths and skills Pay attention to everyday clues that point to your key differentiator Identify the role or career path that can best leverage those skills and make you shine Look for external models to help you design your path, but don’t be pressured to fit the mold    Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subs...

Highlights of Episode 43 Why Adda Birnir believes learning technical skills positions you for career growth in the new economy The only qualification you need to learn digital and technical skills Adda’s path to entrepreneurship Adda’s advice for aspiring freelancers and business owners based on her experience How Adda and her team ensured that Skillcrush met their client’s real needs Get full acc...

Highlights of Episode 42 How Shannon Paris addressed and handled the loss of her dream job The importance of being intentional about who you spend time with and have conversations with during a career transition period Shannon’s approach to networking and how it doesn’t have to be awkward What Shannon paid attention to during interviews that pointed her to key strengths and assets How being open t...

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re exploring one of the most common assumptions there is out there about what happens to women’s ambitions and career aspirations when they become mothers. My guest, Jennifer Hargreaves, has first-hand experience and in this episode, she shares how this prevailing assumption limited her options at the company where she was employed at the time she be...

Highlights of Episode 40 How Nicole Lewis-Keeber discovered her new career path while leveraging her background and training Where do issues with our relationship with money come from Impact of having a scarcity mindset How to recognize symptoms of money mindset blocks How to address money mindset blocks    Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe

Topics Discussed in Episode 39 Definition of terms: Career Move, Career Pivot, Career Change 3 Reasons Why Making a Career Pivot is Now a Must-Have Skill 4 Types of Career Pivots Degrees of Pivots Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe

Highlights of Episode 38 How sharing her career goals with others and asking for help opened doors for Aenslee Tanner The benefits of asking for feedback, especially when you’re not getting the results you want What personal branding is and why it’s important to consider this when making any kind of career move The challenges that surprised Aenslee when she made the leap to entrepreneurship Things...

Highlights of Episode 37 Why Jessica Barnak left her first job and how she started a photography business What led to her closing the photography studio and starting an interior design business The key action step she took each time she started a new career direction that helped her quickly gain traction Designing a business around life priorities and time constraints What helped her during the mo...

Highlights of Episode 36 Lydia Lee’s career journey, the moment she realized she had to change direction, and how she made it happen What helped her the most during the transition How she addressed the “money” topic, a common challenge for people looking to make a leap to entrepreneurship How she reframed fear so that it doesn’t paralyze, but instead instigates learning Her advice on where to star...

Highlights of Episode 35 What’s Blockchain Technology, what’s cryptocurrency, and the difference between the two Bitcoin, Dash, LiteCoin, Ethereum et al Where to buy cryptocurrencies Where to use cryptocurrencies How to approach investing in cryptocurrencies What’s with the crypto valuation swings? Is this stable?    Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe

Topics Discussed in Episode 34 How Ashlie Kennedy prepared for this career change by focusing on the numbers What pushed her to act on her store plans sooner than she planned What helped her the most during times of self-doubt and bouts of second-guessing herself The things that she’s learning now as a solo-store proprietor Prioritization, learning how to say ‘no’, and taking things one step at a...

Topics Discussed in Episode 33 Why Alice Karolina Smith initially left design school even though it was her first love and how she found her way back to it The process she and her mother followed to decide her next steps How career limbo felt like for her, what was difficult about it and how she helped herself during those years How to get out of career limbo and indecision What she learned about...

Highlights of Episode 32 Why creating S-M-A-R-T goals doesn’t automatically make meaningful or resonant goals The secret to holding on and maintaining the commitment and motivation to work on your goals thru-out the year The reason why we set goals to begin with What it means when you set too many goals The problem with the mandatory annual-goal setting process at work and how to make it work for...

As promised in the very first episode of this podcast, I will, from time to time, provide an update on my career reinvention. I figured, year-end is one of the better times in the year to do this.   Get full access to Shaping Life at loublaser.substack.com/subscribe

Topics Discussed in Episode 30 Lacy Boggs’ career journey, from the woman who wanted to make it big in the film industry to becoming a business owner How she created opportunities for herself by trusting her skills and strengths A surprising skill that she discovered while killing time at a job she hated The realities of freelance writing How the blogging industry looks today Two main ways you can...

Topics discussed in Episode 29 What is coaching and how is it different from talk therapy Why and when you might need a coach How to find out if you’re ready for coaching How much time you should invest in a coaching relationship What’s missing from traditional career assessments Tajan’s recommended 3 steps for figuring out your calling Why removing ourselves from the daily grind is an important s...