I was never the type of person to wind up in a 9-to-5 C-suite job. (Sorry, mom.)
Photo: Vero Kherian Photography
I’ve spent nearly forty years in the arts world, working as a professional mezzo-soprano, communications manager for a small arts nonprofit, and as a freelance arts marketing and publicity copywriter, among other things. (Yeah, that’s me, in full diva drag—well, except maybe for the boots…let’s just say I was feeling particularly sassy that day.)
I’ve had the joy of working closely with some of the greatest musicians and conductors ever to grace a concert stage (I’m happy to name-drop if you really want me to), and had so many incredible musical experiences, both here in the San Francisco Bay Area and all over the world. I’ve sung everywhere…from Carnegie Hall to a brewpub. I was part of recordings and productions that won Grammys and Emmys. I loved the creative aspects of my work and the collaboration with my wonderful and incredibly talented colleagues.
But, after so many years of working so hard to be ‘successful’ (without any real idea of what success on my own terms might look like), I felt severely burned out and stuck in a life that no longer felt like mine. So I began to explore the idea of pivoting into something new. While I wanted to feel like I was making a difference and helping people, I also wanted to do so in a way that felt authentic, and I knew that a corporate job wasn’t it.
This went on for years. I sent out resumes, networked, tried multiple avenues to find something I could do to support myself that I could actually look forward to getting up in the morning to do, but just couldn’t seem to get anywhere.
Eventually, one day I just surrendered.
(Actually, not to put too fine a point on it, I had a tantrum.)
I threw up my arms in frustration and snapped, “OK, Universe, I give up. I’ve tried pushing, and hustling, and did everything I was supposed to do, and it’s not working…so, fine. You tell me what I’m supposed to do next!”
And instead of going right back into ‘busy’ mode, I pouted, folded my arms, and…waited.
A few days later, out of the blue, a colleague was telling me about a coach training program she was considering, stopped mid-sentence, blinked, looked me in the eye, and said, “You know?…I think you should do this coaching thing. You’d be brilliant at it.”
I didn’t even know what a life coach did.
Still, I realized that this had to be some sort of guidance, and that I wasn’t likely to get any other (or better) from the universe, since I had asked. So, like following a trail of breadcrumbs, I took one step after the next, trusting my intuition and my internal compass to lead me in the right direction. The first thing I did was to interview other life coaches to ask them about their work and, while their ‘niches’ were all very different, I noticed they all had one thing in common…
…they were happy. They LOVED what they did, and felt like they were truly helping people make profound and positive change in their lives, in a way I had never been able to feel as a performing artist. That was more than enough for me: I became certified as a life coach, and have never looked back.
(Oh, I still sing, every now and again. But the boots were donated to the thrift store a while ago. Sadly.)
So, believe me when I say that, if you’re feeling stuck, and unsure what to do next, I GET IT. I’ve been there. And whether you work with me, or someone else…or even if you find your own way to your ‘North Star’, please know that a better, happier, more fulfilling life is possible.