Career Change: What People Don’t Talk About

As I’m approaching my 2.5 year anniversary of “taking the plunge” and changing careers, I’m settling into a different phase of my career transition. The first phase is always fresh and new, people are curious and excited to learn about what you are doing, and you are excited (and anxious) about taking the steps to figure it out. I remember as I was contemplating leaving Amazon back in early 2019, the content I would seek out (podcasts, books, etc.) were all geared towards motivation. People who had successfully made switches would say things like “don’t have regrets” or “seize the opportunity.” There are so many great quotes and inspiring stories that would fire me up — I can do this! First of all, that is 100% right — you can do this, and regardless of what happens, I would argue the amount you learn, grow, and develop in the course of chasing a new dream or career will serve you well. That said, as I was gearing up to make the change, I read almost nothing about what people’s actual experiences are day to day after they choose to go for it. Now that I’ve settled a bit, I felt it was a good time to reflect and share openly about my experiences, emotions, and challenges over the last 2+ years. While I am feeling great and fulfilled in my new venture, I’m also aware I’ve gone through one of the most challenging periods of my life (in a pandemic no less!).

First, a quick primer on my story: I spent ~13 years working in business and technology (close to 10 of those in various roles at Amazon). Like most people, I worked hard, putting in long hours and picking up greater roles and responsibilities during my tenure. About halfway through my time at Amazon, my daughter was born (who is now 7). At that point, I was going on a few runs here and there for a little bit of exercise, but most of my life was dedicated to work. I was also not paying attention to how I was fueling myself every day — most of my intake was made up of highly processed foods and eaten in a rush. As a starting point, like most people, I decided to seek help from a personal trainer. I joined an amazing community of people and coaches at Seattle Strength & Performance (SSP), went through a health transformation over the next few years losing ~100 lbs of body fat mass, gaining muscle, and became so inspired by my own experience and the idea of helping others that I decided to leave the business/tech world and start a career in health & fitness back in June 2019. I started by forming my own personal training business. I then moved to be a coach at the gym I first started at (SSP) where I also took on a GM role, and in August 2020, I decided to go full steam ahead and pursue what I left Amazon to do: open my own gym. Now I run that business every day, coaching our members, and managing and developing my own team.

Through this journey, I’ve synthesized my daily experiences into three main takeaways which I wanted to share with you. I don’t believe the daily experience of career transition gets enough air time — my hope is my own insights and experiences serve to help you, whether you’re already pursuing a new career or in the process of contemplating it.

Eyes wide open: you’re moving from “mastery” to novice —spending well over a decade in one field, I developed a comfortable level of understanding in my work. This didn’t mean I wasn’t always continuing to learn and get better, but I generally had a base understanding of the underlying mechanics related to how to do my job, how the industry worked, and what the expectations were. I had spent time learning, growing, and adapting. When I decided to leave, the experience was like falling out of the sky and slamming straight to a hard concrete landing. You realize you’re starting over from the bottom (BTW — Drake, thanks for writing my anthem — HA). That feeling of going from “I know what I’m doing” to “I have no idea what I’m doing” is incredibly jarring. My anxiety hit all time highs. I second-guessed my decision every day for the first few months. I counteracted this feeling by trying to speed up my level of proficiency and mastery. I started putting in endless hours and getting “reps” — working with people, consulting mentors, reading, and completing a boatload of continuing education. I was, in essence, trying to build up to a similar level of comfort I had in business and tech but in a third of the time. Was this the “healthiest” thing to do? I have no clue and I think it depends on the individual. For me, taking action always helps me feel better. That said, however you choose to deal with the experience, my recommendation is to (1) know and be prepared that you’ll feel uncomfortable and unsettled for an extended period of time, and (2) be kind to yourself- let yourself feel your emotions, ask for help when you need it, and celebrate the small wins. It’s impossible to change your situation in a day. Instead, just focus on taking one step closer towards your goals.

Stay true to your vision and be authentic to yourself — you’ll start out with a vision, and that vision will carry you a long time — it will serve as your inspiration and your “why.” It’ll remind you why you’re making the sacrifices you are and propel you forward each day. Then, BAM! A crossroads. Your vision will be challenged. It could be something small, but it will force you to re-evaluate. A couple examples that happened to me: (1) right before I was about to leave Amazon, I received a very competitive job offer from another tech company. I had initially turned down their interest because a) I had a vision for my next step, and b) they wanted me to move to California (which I did not want to do). However, they backed off on the move, and I re-entered the conversation, flying down for a full day of interviews in California, and ultimately receiving an offer. I remember speaking to the recruiter and freezing. Here was a great offer, but I knew deep down I didn’t want it, and it was tough for me to articulate to the recruiter why — maybe because I didn’t quite believe myself or maybe I was embarassed. I asked for some time but then eventually declined. In that moment, I knew I had just doubled down on what was important to me in my next step. (2) Right as I had found the right space for the gym and was looking to sign a lease, COVID hit. I knew gyms would suffer, and I thought about “waiting it out” and putting a hold on my plans. Thank goodness I didn’t. I probably would have never opened. ;) I don’t say this to mean don’t be adaptable to changes and opportunities, but I do think there is tremendous value in staying stubborn in your vision. It will inevitably be challenged — and those moments are truly the ones that define your experience.

The dang process: focus on it, celebrate it, and try to enjoy it — Excitement. Uncertainty. Anxiety. This is the rollercoaster. Man, it is not easy sometimes. There are days I go from full jubilation one day to horrible anxiety the next. Full disclosure — I probably think about the future too much. I’m relentless in trying to achieve goals, and when I achieve them, I might do a small dance, but then I move the goalpost further. Repeat cycle. I’m trying to be better about enjoying the every day and the act of building. Especially as an entrepeneur, I find this perspective to be critical. I’m (thankfully) stubborn enough with just a little chip on my shoulder that I want to “prove” something to myself, which helps me battle anxiety and discomfort. However, it doesn’t make it any easier. The key (and I’m still working on this every day) is to try and find some joy in the daily process, celebrate the small milestones, find what fuels you every day, and ask yourself if what you did today is moving you closer to your goals. If the answer’s yes, you’re doing it right. Stay the course.