Laura Simms and I have been traveling parallel Pivot paths for a while now — nearly a decade of tracking each other’s work, but finally for the first time speaking live, 1:1! Of course we hit it off as fast friends, as we discuss ageism, passion vs. purpose, and working through insecurities when navigating career pivots.
Laura is an expert in meaningful work who challenges conventional wisdom by asking people to ditch their passions and start with purpose. She’s the creator of Your Career Homecoming, a celebrated career change program that helps people discover the meaningful work that’s right for them.
Laura’s colorful career history includes a history degree, an MFA in acting, getting fired from a dream project, quitting multiple jobs (including one after the first day), teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and a successful career as an actor where she worked on network television, performed in every state on the Eastern seaboard, received multiple callbacks from Cirque du Soleil, and shared a sound booth with Sandra Oh. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and son, where she loves walking in the woods and trying to find the best whiskey cocktail in town.
Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/149.
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Topic Covered
What is a career homecoming?
Navigating ageism
The identify shift that accompanies big career changes - who will I be without this?
Boomer Blueprint and the myths of "hard" work
Passion vs Purpose
Releasing the “you are a brand” obsession
Why you shouldn’t necessarily take time off while career pivoting to “figure things out”
Powerful reflection exercise: journaling on the question, "What matters most?"
How Laura thinks about planning for the year ahead
Resources Mentioned
Laura on the web: Your Career Homecoming
Facebook: Meaningful Career
Instagram: @yourcareerhomecoming
Articles:
Books:
Related Pivot Podcasts:
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