The Career Pivot Podcast with Fexingo: Changing Industries, Switching Roles, and Mid-Career Moves

Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'skills bet' — consciously placing 10-20% of your professional time into a skill that hasn't yet peaked in demand but you believe will within three years. They examine the 2025 LinkedIn Workforce Report showing that job transitions into AI-related roles grew 38% year-over-year, but also look at the cautionary tale of 2018 blockchain developers who bet too ea...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'career contract' — a written agreement between you and your future self that sets clear terms for a pivot. They break down the template, using the example of Maria, a supply chain manager who transitioned into climate tech in 2025. Lucas walks through the three clauses: the 'why now' statement, the non-negotiable...

Episode 52 of The Career Pivot Podcast explores how to change industries or roles without sacrificing your salary. Lucas and Luna break down why a lateral move can actually increase your long-term earning potential, using the case of a senior marketing manager who moved into product management at a mid-sized tech firm. They discuss negotiating tactics like anchoring on total compensation, not just...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a career vision board can help you clarify your next move when switching industries or roles. They break down the specific mechanics—not just the Pinterest version, but a structured, strategic approach using categories like skills, network, lifestyle, and income targets. Lucas shares a real-world example from a former marketin...

Ever wonder how a single coffee chat can unlock an entire new career path? In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down the art of the informational interview — not as a networking chore, but as a research tool that can give you insider knowledge, referrals, and even job offers. They walk through a real case: a mid-career marketer named Sarah who used 12 targeted informat...

Ever feel like you need six new skills just to apply for a different role? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'skills acquisition sprint' — a focused 90-day plan to learn one high-leverage skill that can unlock a career pivot. They break down the approach used by a former teacher who learned basic SQL and data visualization in three months, then landed a junior analyst role a...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the power of maintaining a living skills inventory log — a dynamic document where you track every project, tool, and capability you build in real time. They walk through the story of a graphic designer who pivoted into product management by capturing her daily work on design sprints, user testing, and stakeholder presentations. Lu...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'skills ecosystem' as a framework for career changers. Instead of focusing on a single new skill or a linear path, they discuss how to identify clusters of interrelated skills that can amplify each other. Lucas explains the idea using the example of a marketing manager who transitioned into a product management ro...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, hosts Lucas and Luna explore a radical approach to career transitions: replacing the traditional reverse-chronological resume with a skills portfolio. Lucas shares the story of a former teacher named Maria who successfully pivoted into a data analytics role at a mid-sized tech company by presenting concrete projects instead of listing past job titles. T...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how building a mentorship network — not just finding one mentor — can transform a mid-career move. Using the example of a marketing manager who pivoted into product management by assembling five mentors across different industries, they break down why a single mentor often falls short and how to cultivate a diverse set of advisors...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into the stretch assignment as a low-risk, high-impact way to change industries or roles. They unpack a real case: a marketing manager at Procter & Gamble who volunteered to lead a cross-functional data analytics project, then leveraged that experience to land a product manager role at a fintech startup. Lucas explains the 'three C's...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the power of the functional resume for career changers. They discuss how to shift focus from chronological job history to transferable skills, using the example of a marketing manager pivoting to product management. Lucas explains the risks and rewards of this format, when to use it versus a hybrid resume, and how recruiters actua...

Lucas and Luna explore the role of a career transition coach in mid-career pivots. They discuss the difference between a coach and a therapist, when to hire one, and how to vet candidates. Luna shares her experience with a coach who helped her navigate a shift from marketing to product management, including the specific exercise of creating a 'career thesis.' Lucas breaks down the typical cost ran...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a skills audit can unlock your next career move. They walk through a real example: a marketing manager named Priya who used a skills audit to transition from a traditional advertising role into a product marketing role at a SaaS company, increasing her salary by 35 percent. Lucas explains the three-step framework for conductin...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive career pivot strategy: finding a mentor who is younger, junior, or from a completely different background than you. They unpack the concept of 'reverse mentoring' — a practice where senior professionals learn from more junior colleagues, often on topics like digital fluency, emerging tech, social media, or gener...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a portfolio of projects, rather than a single job title, can unlock career mobility. They use the case of a mid-career marketing manager who built three distinct mini-projects—a newsletter, a freelance UX audit, and a volunteer data analysis—to successfully pivot into a product management role at a midsize tech firm. The hosts...

Lucas and Luna explore how a side hustle can be a low-risk way to test a new career path before you fully commit. They dig into the story of a former accountant who turned her weekend baking into a full-time food business, and break down the numbers: how much time and money it took to validate the idea, and the moment she knew it was time to quit her day job. Along the way, they discuss the red fl...

Episode 37 of The Career Pivot Podcast explores the concept of a personal board of directors—a small group of trusted advisors who guide your career moves. Lucas and Luna break down how to recruit mentors from different industries, set meeting cadences, and avoid common pitfalls like groupthink or over-reliance on one person. They share a concrete example from Sarah, a marketing manager who pivote...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore using a career sabbatical as a strategic pivot tool. They zero in on the case of a marketing director who took a three-month unpaid sabbatical to transition into product management. They break down the financial planning required, how to frame the gap in interviews, and why sabbaticals can actually accelerate a pivot rather than s...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a career lattice—moving sideways or diagonally instead of climbing a traditional ladder. They break down why the lattice model is more resilient in 2026's job market, using the example of a marketing manager who pivoted into product management at a mid-size SaaS company without a pay cut. The hosts discuss how to id...

Lucas and Luna explore how a side project can be the bridge to a career pivot, using the real story of a former accountant who built a open-source data visualization tool—now used by thousands—to land a product manager role at a major tech company. They break down the three-step framework: identify a market gap, build a minimum viable project, and leverage it in interviews. Lucas shares data from...

Lucas and Luna explore how mid-career professionals can use freelance consulting as a low-risk bridge to a full career pivot. They discuss the case of a former marketing director at a Fortune 500 company who built a niche consulting practice in B2B content strategy over 18 months, then transitioned to a VP role at a SaaS startup. The episode covers how to structure initial client engagements, pric...

In this episode of The Career Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a career pivot can unlock geographic freedom — the ability to live and work from anywhere. They dive into the story of a marketing manager named Sarah who pivoted from a corporate role to become a location-independent digital marketing consultant. Lucas breaks down the three-step framework she used: assessing transferable skil...

Episode 31 of The Career Pivot Podcast tackles one of the trickiest career transitions: moving from an individual contributor to a first-time people manager, especially when you have zero direct reports on your resume. Lucas walks through a concrete case: a senior data analyst at a regional bank who successfully landed a team lead role at a fintech startup by leveraging 'shadow management' — runni...

When you pivot careers, you often face a pay cut or a lateral move. But Lucas and Luna argue that negotiation is still possible—you just have to use different leverage. In this episode, they break down a specific case: a marketing manager pivoting to product management who secured a 15% raise despite zero direct experience. They discuss how to value non-traditional skills, benchmark against adjace...