Success Stories

Some inspiring true stories to show what is possible - even in this economy.

How Emily satisfied her travel passion and got a raise at the same time

A recent client, we'll call her Emily, found her career and personal purpose by combining two of her loves. It is instructive on what is possible for you.

Emily was stuck in a well paying, but non-satisfying 9 to 5 job as a Psychology professional at a large state-run institution in NJ. She was also very involved with her Church Community, having served in Africa in the 1990's, travelling through several countries for her Church ministries for 3 years.

Emily absolutely loved travel, and there was never a conversation with her, where her passion for travel was not expressed.

She was truly fed up with her job. She enjoyed working with patients, but it just did not satisfy her to be stuck in an office all day, in a regimented Government institution.

She ordered my CareerPlan Pro program in July, and a week later, after completing the assessment portion, Define Your Career, she contacted me for her first coaching session to help her put her career purpose into action.

Once I got over my surprise that she wanted to leave a flexible, $70,000 a year job, I was able to understand how badly she wanted to transition out of her current career to be in a career where she and her family could be involved with travel.

We brainstormed for a half hour, and used a mix and match technique to come up with combinations of talents and passions that would work best.

I ended our conversation and told her to look at her Intentions before going to sleep, and let her subconscious work on them while she slept.

She was due to go to Florida for a family vacation the following week. It was one of those vacations where you sit in for a 2 hour time-share presentation in return for free 3 day stay at a resort. So we set an appointment to talk again in three weeks.

On her return from her vacation, she called me ecstatic and filled with joy. While in Florida, she had received an job offer from the time-share company to be in travel marketing! She was due to leave NJ in time to register the kids for school in Florida.

Last October she emailed me from Naples, Florida. She and her 2 children were happily enjoying their new life in Florida, and she was already planning for travel to 3 countries in South America next spring. And her income level actually had increased by about $10,000 per year. It was truly a win-win for her, she was able to escape her "cubicle hell" and do what she loved most for a living, pursue her passion for travel.

How Michael resolved his nursing career midlife career crisis

Another client, Michael, was in nursing for 21 years, working as LPN. He was at a point where he was undecided whether to go for his RN degree, so he could move up the ladder to higher pay and a chance at advancement to supervisor, or just finish out a few more years and retire.

He went through the Define Your Career self assessment program, only to verify for sure and for good, that nursing was his life's passion. This gave him peace of mind to enroll in the advanced nursing degree and brace himself for the tough board entrance exams. He is currently finishing his studies for his RN designation, and due to take his exam in early 2012.

The story of Graces Creations: how she turned her sewing hobby into $15,000 extra per year

A single mom in Ohio, struggling to make ends meet as a data entry clerk, went through CareerPlan Pro, but was frustrated about her results that showed she would enjoy a career caring for patients in the medical field.

She did not speak good English, having come from the Dominican Republic as an adult, and only had a High School diploma.

A college degree was impossible for her to manage at this point, and with a hungry teenager to take care of, she couldn't see a solution.

We spoke at length for 2 consults, where the discussion turned to what other skills or hobbies she enjoyed that she could leverage.

Turned out, since she didn't have a lot of money to go out, she would watch TV and sew her own clothes, including dresses, pants, blouses, pillows, curtains, tablecloths, etc.

She didn't think she could sell her clothes, but she thought she could do well with pillows and curtains, which were fast and easy. We hatched a plan for her to contact interior designers with her custom made curtains and pillows.

Within 2 months of laying out her Action Plan, she had as much business as she could handle, earning an average of $300 extra per week in her little side business, that she named Grace's Creations.

I haven't heard from Grace since last year, but I hope she is able to attain her dream of taking enlish classes and going to a Community college to be a medical assistant. If nothing else, she raised her standard of living by $15,000 a year doing something she enjoys and that is making many homes in Ohio a lot more beautiful.

How Charlie found his fortune in Costa Rica

Charlie was a partner in a successful construction business agent in Georgia, but wasn't enjoying himself in the "rat race" of the declining Atlanta area real estate development industry. He was also in the process of finalizing a divorce and just really needed a change.

He was at a point were he had was financially able to try something new without starving. After defining his career purpose and setting up goals in section 2 of CareerPlan Pro, he realized he enjoyed Real estate, and wanted to be in tropical weather.

He researched his possibilities, and is now successful - again - in Costa Rica in Real Estate sales in less than a year. He just emailed me to let me know he is also now happily engaged and planning on a new family.

You can do it too

These and other success stories like this give me tremendous personal satisfaction.

They also give me confidence that you, too, can reinvent yourself, pivot to a new career, or find additional value in yourself by identifying your optimal career purpose.

You never know what options will open up for you when you look for them. This is why one of my mottos is "millions are waiting for you."

It is never too soon or too late to try.