Podcasts about faking normal your guide

In this episode, Marc explains how he — but not his website — got a mention in the New York Times, how he was glad to see family members after a long separation but was not glad to be acting out old roles, and how a negative Amazon review helped him reflect on the direction of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career.   Key Takeaways: [1:27] Marc welcomes you to Episode 133 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:56] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:15] Marc has released three chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. A fourth chapter will be released by the time this episode airs. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:36] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:47] Marc’s plan is to release the book in late-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:05] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you’d be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:15] Marc had planned to read a chapter of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career but decided to delay that a week so he could record this special episode. [3:27] This week, Marc talks about what he has learned in the previous couple of months from three different events he experienced. Marc hopes you will learn from this. [3:43] Marc welcomes you to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. When Marc woke up on the day he is recording this, he thought of three events over the last eight weeks that have shown him how much he has changed in his attitude and behavior. [4:18] Event 1. Marc was approached by Mark Miller who was writing an article for the New York Times on people who have had their retirement plans disrupted by being laid off. Marc gave Mark a couple of names from his Career Pivot Online Membership Community. You can learn about the community at CareerPivot.com/Community. [5:07] Mark selected Cleo Parker. Cleo was written up in the New York Times article, titled “Why Working Till Whenever Is a Risky Retirement Strategy.” Marc was really happy to see in the article from May 16 that Cleo got a lot of visibility including a photo of Cleo with her dogs in Livonia Michigan. [5:47] Cleo had expected to keep her job as a marketing analyst in the automotive industry well into her 60s but at 62 is on the job hunt instead. Her plans blew up in 2008 with the whole automotive industry crashing. Cleo was one of the early members of the Career Pivot Online Membership Community. [6:16] Over the last 10 years, Cleo bounced from job to job, mostly by contract. She has turned her life-long love of dogs into a business. As Cleo has written, what was really exciting was that the author, Mark Miller, included a link to her Dog Marketing Blog. [6:51] Cleo was pretty uncomfortable for being the poster child for the unemployed of our [Boomer] generation. This is similar to what Marc heard from Elizabeth White, who wrote the book 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life. Learn more about Elizabeth White in CareerPivot.com/episode-109. [7:12] Out of this article, Cleo has gotten a decent consulting gig of 20 to 30 hours. [7:33] Marc was pretty excited about the article. When Mark asked Marc how he wanted to describe him, he wrote that Marc Miller was a career consultant based out of Austin, Texas. Marc didn’t ask to include the link to his website. In the past, Marc would have really beaten himself up over that. This time, he said, “Oh, well … That’s fine.” [8:01] Marc has noticed that he is not as bothered by his mistakes anymore. A website link in the New York Times would be a very big deal for search engine optimization. He was thrilled that this is playing out for Cleo. [8:30] Event 2. When the article published on May 16, Marc sent an email to his brother and to his own son about being quoted in an article in the New York Times. His brother replied and invited Marc to his son’s wedding. Marc and his family have been estranged. [10:06] Marc and Mrs. Miller attended the wedding. Marc wants his sister-in-law, who listens to the Repurpose Your Career podcast to know they had a great time and it was an interesting experience. It was nice to see all the family, but New Jersey is not where Marc and Mrs. Miller want to be. [11:43] As much as Marc’s brother’s family are very wonderful people, Marc doesn’t want to go back to the United States all that much. [11:56] Marc grew up very learning-disabled. When he went to college, he graduated from Northwestern’s Engineering School in three-and-a-half years, never taking an English course. When Marc graduated from high school, he could barely read. [12:17] Like many Boomers, Marc became an ‘actor.’ He went to work for IBM and played roles in his jobs and changed himself to fit those roles. He made very good money but wore himself out and became someone he was not. [12:47] When Marc was with his brother’s family, he went back and forth from being his normal introverted self to being someone talking way too much at the dinner table. How Marc behaved at times at the wedding is not who Marc is. It is a learned behavior. The learned behaviors Marc used in his career have been emotionally damaging to himself. [13:52] It’s only now that Marc is learning that he doesn’t have to behave that way. He has choices. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and he is glad he went and he will not be repeating the trip frequently. Marc will go back for his 40th high school reunion, in October. He hopes not to slip into his old behaviors. [14:44] Event 3. When the Millers came back, Marc went back to his routines. He asked a few people to write reviews for his book. One person wrote a very, very negative review, which Marc shares here. [15:15] The review is titled, “Title misleading.” It turns out the reviewer assumed the book was about starting a business. The reviewer gave a synopsis, which Marc agrees with, but the reviewer was really looking for a different kind of book. [16:00] Marc’s response on reading it was, “Wow!” In the past, he would have beaten himself up over this review. [16:09] Marc is looking at refocusing the next edition of the book he is working on with his co-author Susan Lahey right now. The key piece to remember is that we are living in a time where things are changing rapidly. The rules for careers are changing rapidly. Healthcare in the U.S. is a huge problem for the Millers, which is why they are expats. [17:19] It is really hard to get anyone to write a review on Amazon, either good or bad. Most people simply will not do it. Marc read the review and saw that it fits in with where he is headed with this podcast and the website. In the second half of life, the rules are being rewritten. For a lot of us Boomers, this is really, really uncomfortable. [18:07] Marc sees the old guard in Washington trying to maintain the way things have been and it’s not working. The younger generation taking over are not like us who are over 60. See the three-part series “The Career Pivot Multi-generational Workplace Workshop” in Episode 111, Episode 112, and Episode 113. [18:42] This next edition will be more about how things have changed. Your life and career — which will last into our 80s — will look very different than it did 20 years ago. Work in your 70s and 80s will probably not be full-time employment. It may be multiple part-time jobs and freelancing. [19:36] That will be a big shakeup for many folks — not being an employee but possibly being self-employed. [19:46] Marc has reflected from these three events how much he has changed and how much his mindset has changed. Two years ago, Marc would not have believed he would be happily living in Mexico, and his wife would be incredibly happy in Mexico. [20:21] In spite of being well-paid, and being a good saver, Marc has always worried about money. Marc doesn’t worry about money, anymore. He is about to make a significant investment in the Career Pivot website. He wouldn’t have done that five years ago. [21:34] When negative things come in, like the three events Marc talked about, none of it bothers him anymore. He can make mistakes and move on. That is a huge shift for Marc. [22:01] Marc has built his world the way he wants it to be now, which is not how he was raised. They have gotten rid of pretty much everything they owned. Next year they plan to sell their car in the U.S. and go carless for a while. They make decisions based on their ideas, not on what society tells them to do. Marc’s roles are in mainly in the past. [22:54] The next edition of the book is meant to be more aspirational and get you to understand what is happening, what you need to do, and to get you to think and reflect. [23:09] Some people have asked Marc for generalized roadmaps to remake yourself. The answer is, he can’t give them that because we are all so different. Marc has done about 400 Career Pivot evaluations and he can tell you that people are really different. Many people cannot separate themselves from the actors they became in their careers. [23:56] This is the second time Marc recorded this episode. The first time, he went into way too much detail. Marc hopes you will see some of yourself in this episode. [24:40] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. A solo episode requires a lot of editing! Show notes can be found at CareerPivot.com/episode-133 with links to the New York Times article and Cleo’s Dog Marketing Blog. In the near future, you will hear about others in the Career Pivot Online Membership Community. [25:10] The Career Pivot Membership Community website has become a valuable resource for about 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is recruiting new members for the next cohort. [25:21] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [25:34] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are starting a group for bloggers, writers, authors, and publishers.[26:07] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [26:24] Please come back next week, when Marc will read the next pre-release chapter from the next edition of Repurpose Your Career. This chapter is called “Building on Weak Ties.” [26:35] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [26:39] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-133. [26:48] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Elizabeth White is an author and aging solutions advocate for older adults facing uncertain work and financial insecurity. Most recently, she served as a special advisor to the Executive Director of Senior Service America. Before joining SSA, she was the Chief Operating Officer of a mid-size nonprofit focused on improving economic conditions in Africa. She is also an entrepreneur, having co-founded and led a chain of decorative home stores in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. She began her career in international development at the World Bank. Ms. White earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master’s in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and a BS in Political Science from Oberlin College. A self-described Army brat, she grew up in various countries in Europe and North Africa. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her daughter and grandson. Elizabeth has a compelling story to tell that will resonate with many of you.   Key Takeaways: [1:04] Marc welcomes you to Episode 109 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. 2018 was a year of disruption and clarification for Marc personally and regarding where he wants to take his business and this podcast. Marc will be making some changes to Career Pivot and to the Repurpose Your Career podcast in the very near future. [1:43] In next week’s podcast, Marc will review the results of the 2018 Repurpose Your Career Podcast Survey and the changes he will be making. Almost 60 people provided their input. Marc says thank you. That is double the number of participants over the previous year. The downloads have also doubled or tripled. [2:04] This week, after this episode is published, Marc will publish a Career Pivot blog reader survey and discuss how Career Pivot will evolve in the coming year. If you actively read the Career Pivot blog, please take a moment and take the survey. [2:21] Marc is recording this intro on New Year’s Day, 2019. Marc and his wife have permanently relocated to Ajijic, Mexico. Their Austin condo has been rented. The Millers have greatly simplified their lives and drastically reduced their expenses, all while improving their mental and physical health. [2:48] Looking forward 18 months ago, this is not what the Millers would have expected. Marc will share more on that, next week. [3:00] This week, Marc has a great interview with Elizabeth White, author of Fifty-Five, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life. Marc shares her bio. [4:24] Marc will be publishing two separate book reviews of Elizabeth’s book in the coming weeks, written by two members of the Career Pivot Community. One, to be published on January 7, almost simultaneously with the podcast and the other will publish in a few weeks. The book’s official release date is January 8, 2019. [4:49] Marc especially loved Elizabeth White’s story about her relationship with Elijah, and how that relationship gave her perspective. Marc hopes you will enjoy this interview and pick up a copy of her book. [5:04] Marc welcomes Elizabeth White to the podcast and invites her to share her compelling story. [5:24] No one aspires to be the poster child for ‘Broke and Near-broke Boulevard.’ Elizabeth landed there, as many people do, through an event. For some it could be job loss, medical diagnosis, divorce, or something that sets a ‘before-X’ and ‘after-X’ mark in your life. [6:18] During the Great Recession, Elizabeth lost two really good consultancies within six months. Elizabeth was in her mid-fifties with a great employment and education background, but her phone never rang. She used to have a network that would let her hear about jobs before they posted but most of her network was retired. [7:30] Elizabeth wrote an essay describing what it felt like to land there, going from choice of careers to downward mobility. Weeks turned into months and months turned into years where she was getting little, short assignments, but nothing near earning what she was accustomed to earn. [8:08] Elizabeth started to notice that friends were going through the same experience and they talked with each other. The essay she wrote talked about what it was like to be part of the ‘formerly’ and ‘used to be.’ Elizabeth sent it around and it made its way onto the PBS Facebook page. Within three days it had 11K likes and 1K comments. [8:46] The comments were from people saying, this is my story, my husband's story or my daughter’s story. How come we’re not having this conversation? Elizabeth read every comment and she was astonished at the universal reach of her story. [9:08] Elizabeth had the background to look at the data. She was shocked at the magnitude of the retirement income crisis. We’re not talking about it. People sent her long emails messages with story after story of older people who felt like they had done everything right, got jettisoned from the workforce, and could not get back in. [10:05] Elizabeth met with some people who were in the D.C. area or were passing through. Some became friends. Elizabeth started to look more into what was happening to people. She couldn’t find the book that she wanted to read. She didn’t want a dense, scholarly tome but a story from somebody who was having this lived experience. [10:44] Elizabeth wrote her book in the model of standing at her back fence, talking to her neighbor about what it means to land here. She understood that the cavalry was not coming and there would be no big rescue to address these millions of people who landed there. [11:14] The median savings for near-retirees 55 to 64 is $15,000. The middle 40% of earners in that category have $60,000 saved. People talk about the longevity bonus, which is that people in good health in their early 60s have easily another 20 years of life. $15K to $60K doesn’t stretch to cover for 20 years. [12:10] Economist Teresa Ghilarducci says 40% of middle-class near-retirees are looking at poverty and near-poverty conditions in old age. These are not irresponsible ‘bad apples’ who’ve landed here. These are not the marginalized, chronic poor. These are people who are OK and are now looking at downward mobility. [12:59] Boomers do not have pensions. Boomers are in an ‘I don’t want you’ job market. Boomers are looking at escalating costs in housing and healthcare and facing $1.5 trillion in education debt. [13:24] So, why is all the conversation around retirement ‘happy talk’? We hear cool reinvention stories when the truth is that millions of people are trying to figure out how they are going to make ends connect to support themselves over the next 20 years. [14:03] Marc came up with ‘career pivot’ because you don’t go from being an engineer to a pastry chef. You make incremental changes. Marc formed his online community for everyone who feels alone in their circumstances. Boomers were raised not to talk about employment. When they graduated, if they couldn’t get a job, they were ‘screwups.’ [14:51] Elizabeth talks about ‘resilience circles’ as she mentions in her book. What saved her, during the worst part of it, was having a small group of people she could tell the truth to, and not fake normal. She had one friend with whom she would trade $300 back and forth when she or her friend had the need. [15:39] Elizabeth and her friend would play a game of ‘top this,’ comparing their money woes. The worst tale of woe won. Elizabeth appreciated having someone to listen to her difficulties. A group started meeting, not only to share stories but also to share information about community and agency resources. [17:04] A resilience circle helps you not to be alone. When you face burdens alone, you’ll get ‘full up’ of emotion. If you don’t have a circle to share it with first, that emotion will leak out of you in a job interview or a meeting about an opportunity and the person interviewing you will sense there is something there that they don’t want on their team. [18:01] The resilience circle allows you to vent and get some of your frustration and upset out of your system so you don’t leak it where it’s not appropriate to leak it. [18:21] Elizabeth suggests that if you are not comfortable announcing to your friendship circle that you are in this situation, look for a nearby library that could work with you to organize a community resilience circle. Or see if your church has a group that is getting out of debt, or setting financial goals together. [19:37] Elizabeth says, you’re going to have some bad days. You’re going to feel despair. You’re going to have some people that you thought were going to help you, not help you and it’s going to rock you. [20:01] When you’ve lost confidence, you’ll need someone to remind you who you are, what you know, and what you can bring. You’re not going to always be able to pull that out of yourself. In this period, when you are without a map and without a net, you are going to need old-school community. [20:47] Elizabeth has some great stories. She talks about her story of Elijah that she included in the book. She had coffee with him the day of this interview. She had seen him for years around town. He is always barefoot, except for flip-flops he wears when he goes into shops. He always wears cut-off jeans. [22:01] Elizabeth wanted to know his story. In a park she found him and they started a conversation. Elijah suggested they get together and Elizabeth was intrigued. She suggested The Potter’s House. What Elizabeth liked was his freedom from striving. He heard Elizabeth’s story about her rough stretch and gave her a ‘soft place to land.’ [23:52] Elizabeth and Elijah started meeting regularly. Elijah could ‘go off the grid’ in his ideas. Elizabeth will say, “Elijah, I can’t go with you there,’ and he accepts that. Mostly, he’s right there with her. [24:47] In a rough period, Elizabeth needed to borrow from him. She was telling her situation and he told her he was in a position to help. She borrowed $2,500, feeling a combination of gratitude and shame. Looking at him, he was not a guy who could help. [25:29] Her shame came from realizing that for most of her life, she had been in a position where she could help. She thought of the people she had looked at without seeing, such as a friend eating at a restaurant with her, not being able to afford more than a soup and a starter, putting $7 of gas in their SUV or going without a haircut. [26:35] Elizabeth thought of the times she could have easily picked up their meal and didn’t offer. [26:46] Elijah has Veteran’s benefits and he is not homeless but he lives very modestly and spends no money on clothes. He came to her mother’s family Christmas dinner in Bermuda shorts, a shirt, and sandals. He was welcomed there. Elizabeth meets him for a couple of hours close to once a month or six weeks. [29:07] Marc suggests that Elijah is one of the people who doesn’t judge Elizabeth and she doesn’t judge him. Marc talks about Making Stuff Up disorder. Elizabeth felt ‘seen,’ not for her credentials or her successes but for herself. [30:15] Elizabeth shares about the holiday season where there are expectations about things you would do, or donate to, or how much a dinner with friends will cost. It can be a minefield. It is exhausting to evaluate everything against its affordability. She visited a friend recently and they just sat together for six hours. She fell asleep on her couch. [32:00] Elizabeth had a green apple and her friend had some nut spread and a bottle of wine and they shared it and watched a movie. It was comforting for them to know each other’s ‘walk she’s on.’ Elizabeth has a few friends who are ‘right here’ where she is. They have become an extended resilience circle. [32:35] Every now and then you will not be included in something because everyone knows you cannot afford it. She doesn’t have words to describe how that feels. You don’t feel sorry for yourself and you don’t want them to feel sorry for you. Elizabeth lost her mother this year, so she is a little more sensitive to things.[34:27] Maybe you used to be able to cover an ice cream cone for your grandchild or take them to a movie but now you have to ask your son or daughter to pay for it; maybe you cannot help with your mother’s nursing home expenses. The ‘money piece’ is harder during the holiday season. [35:08] Marc frustrates people who want to know what to get him for Christmas. Nothing — he is done accumulating stuff! In moving to Mexico he just got rid of all of it! His self-worth is not related to the stuff he has. [35:44] In the second half of Elizabeth’s book she talks a lot about different ways of living in the second half of life, from health to living arrangements, to living more affordably into our nineties. Marc asks Elizabeth to share some thoughts. [36:08] While Elizabeth was writing, a friend, doing her hair, told her the book better not be a talkathon! She told her to include information and resources. Elizabeth wanted to make sure that this book was chock-a-block full of resources. [36:39] The biggest expenditure for most of us, after healthcare, is housing. After housing, many people can ‘extreme coupon it’ the rest of the way. So Elizabeth covers housing options, from tiny houses, co-housing, other shared housing, multi-generational housing, to moving to Mexico where they could live on their Social Security income. [37:45] Choosing housing is a process of determining your space needs. Can you keep up your current home or is it time to consider other options? A lot of Boomers are living by themselves and are isolated. Maybe, to make ends meet, more of us are going to have to start thinking about living together. [38:57] Elizabeth has included a lot of resources about home sharing, including security checks and credit checks. [39:55] In some ways, the book wrote itself. It was her conversations with lots of people who have landed where she’s landed, and how they improvised and figured it out. They shared their experiences of flourishing and floundering. Boomers are the first generation that will live this long lifespan, both healthy and active. [40:36] There are no rules, role models, or roadmaps, yet for how to make the money stretch. There are no policies or supportive networks, yet. We are figuring this out as we go along. What can we learn from each other? The government’s not doing a lot. [40:56] How are we, who are living this, making this work on housing, on income, on how we navigate with our friends and family? [41:08] Marc says, you are not going to do this alone. You are not alone. Yes, we are making this stuff up as we go along. We’re improvising. [41:25] Marc just finished reading Elizabeth’s book and there are some great stories in it. It officially comes out on January 8, 2019. It will be available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Elizabeth’s contact information is in the back of the book. She likes to hear from people. Also, reach Elizabeth at FakingNormal@Yahoo.com. [42:33] Through this writing process, Elizabeth has made some very good friends who reached out to her. Elizabeth has formed ‘a family’ and she wants you to form a family of support, as well. This book is a tool to help you do that. [43:07] Marc thanks Elizabeth for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc hopes you will consider getting her book and also passing it along to a friend. [43:31] Susan Lahey and Marc are working on the next edition of Repurpose Your Career, and Marc is looking for your help. Marc is forming a release team of readers who will get access to pre-release chapters of the book to provide feedback. [43:45] By the time this podcast episode is published, Marc will have released the first chapter to the release team. You can be part of this team by going to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam where you can sign up. [44:03] When you sign up, you’ll receive the pre-release versions of chapters when they become available. What Marc asks in return is that you provide feedback and be prepared to write a review on Amazon.com when the book is released. [44:17] Marc and Susan are adding around eight new chapters to the book and re-writing several others. Marc will release a new pre-release chapter on the podcast and to the team every few months. [44:34] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is now recruiting members for the next cohort. [44:46] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with special content. [45:19] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can also look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [45:48] Please come back next week, when Marc will review the podcast listeners’ survey and what he will be changing in the coming year. [46:01] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-109. [46:09] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates to this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

With a resume that includes a Harvard MBA, a position at the World Bank and a stint as an entrepreneur, Elizabeth White didn't expect to be unprepared for retirement. She also didn't expect to find so many people in her same position: broke, underemployed and part of America's retirement crisis. Her new book is called "55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life." The following is an edited transcript of her conversation with Marketplace's Amy Scott. Amy Scott: "Faking Normal" comes from your own experience with underemployment. What made you decide to write this book?Elizabeth White: I had a really cool career. Worked at the World Bank, was an entrepreneur. And then the 2008-2009 Great Recession hit. I went from a very good income to zero. At a point of just despair, I wrote an essay, and that essay described what it's like to land here. Since it's not yet really a national conversation, and all the stories we have on retirement are the beaming boomers clinking champagne glasses on a cruise, or they're eating cat food under a bridge. There's sort of no middle.Scott: But the middle you found was a lot of people like you who had been very successful and suddenly found that the job market wasn't working for them and they didn't have enough retirement savings. What did you find has led to this phenomenon? Was it a matter of individual failure to plan and to save or something systemic?White: We all could have saved more. And I always say that. So there's absolutely an individual aspect. But when there are tens of millions of people who have landed here, and you look at things like disappearing pensions, escalating cost of housing and health care. And I tell people if you rifle through my life, you'll see all kinds of dumb things I did, but we are not primarily here because of too many trips to Starbucks.Scott: And you mention in the book that it's much worse for women. We're expected to live longer and on less money. Even Social Security benefits are smaller for women, and especially for women of color. Why is that?White: We are often in and out of the workforce, taking care of children and taking care of parents, not getting the same kinds of advancement opportunities. This sort of inequality accumulates over a lifetime. So you have higher numbers of women, 65 and over, living in poverty or are destitute.Scott: You offer a lot of solutions in the book, but some of them might be a little bit hard to swallow for people who have had successful careers and may not want to apply for food stamps. But you write that only a third of seniors who qualify for food stamps actually apply. What are some of the surprising fixes that you found?White: I had to learn to get off my throne. And this is not easy when you've just been comfortable most of your adult life. So I tried to look around at opportunities that are out there, both in housing and income, and when it gets very dire, like food stamps. Because many of us are going to have to really take a hard look at how we live, and do we need a roommate? And altogether in the book I think I counted 125 online resources that I've identified.Scott: You wrote this viral essay, you had a really successful TED talk and now this book. How are you doing now?White: You know, it's still a bit feast or famine. But the light that I see at the end of the tunnel, I now don't think it's a train barreling down on me. It's not a path I would have chosen. But I feel like I'm on the path I'm supposed to be on.

Elizabeth Rabaey has had to take multiple pivots to get where she is today. It wasn’t just one step. Elizabeth is a ‘creative,’ with a love for details. She spent 25 years working for a Texas-based environmental engineering consulting company, providing project management, and technical assistance. During her last three years there, she transitioned to the marketing and business development side of the company, which enabled her to combine both her creative and technical skills to promote the company.   Elizabeth then changed careers, taking multiple steps and learning new skills at each position, eventually finding a job working for an international company as a marketing coordinator. Marc and Elizabeth discuss why she initiated her career pivots, where they took her, what she learned along the way, and how long it took to land a position that met her needs.   At the end of the interview, Elizabeth returns to the podcast to give a 2018 update on her career.   Key Takeaways: [1:28] Marc welcomes you to Episode 108 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [1:41] CareerPivot.com brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of lives and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources that are delivered to you, free of charge. [1:57] If you are enjoying this podcast, Marc asks you to share it with like-minded souls. Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media, or just tell your neighbors and colleagues. [2:13] This will be the last week you can take the 2018 Repurpose Your Career Podcast Survey. If you would be so kind, please go to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey (where you will be redirected to SurveyMonkey) to take the survey. Marc will publish the results in January 2019. Marc thanks you in advance for your participation. [2:39] This will be the last episode of 2018. Marc will not be publishing an episode on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. Marc will restart the podcast on January 7, 2019, with an interview of Elizabeth White, author of Fifty-Five, Unemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life. [3:03] This week will be an encore episode where Marc interviewed Elizabeth Rabaey. Elizabeth has made multiple pivots to go from an air and water environmental permitting specialist, to be a creative marketing type. After the replay of the episode, which originally aired in March of 2017, Marc will bring Elizabeth back to give you an update. [3:29] Marc welcomes Elizabeth to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [3:43] Elizabeth started working with Marc in 2012 to pivot her career journey. She is grateful for Marc’s mentorship to keep moving forward. It takes longer than you might think to make major changes, especially after being in one industry for a long time. [4:32] Elizabeth also had help from Jean LeFebvre of Panacheimages.com, an image consultant and others along the way. [4:40] Elizabeth’s first half of life included working for a year in St. Paul, MN, after college. The winter inspired her to move to Austin, where she worked for the state government for three years. Looking to private industry, she went to a small environmental engineering company and worked there for 23+ years. [5:15] Elizabeth had wonderful opportunities at that firm, and learned technical skills, like calculating air quality emissions, managing hazardous solid waste, planning around groundwater and stormwater, and more. She worked in many roles and learned new software. There was always something new and she had great mentors. [6:32] One day, Elizabeth felt that she wanted more, and she opened the door to looking for a different opportunity. [6:42] The spark for Elizabeth to make a change was that she felt like she had reached the end of what she wanted to do in that company. She also wanted to rein in her overtime and weekend hours to make room for volunteer activities, hobbies, or travel. [7:29] How did Elizabeth start looking for ‘that next thing?’ LinkedIn was an influence. Where did she meet Marc Miller, and how did he catch her attention? [8:39] At the Metropolitan Breakfast Club, Elizabeth met style and image consultant Jean LeFebvre. Used to T-shirts and shorts, Elizabeth needed a new image. Jean started by tossing out all Elizabeth’s clothes, and then she helped her select a business wardrobe. Jean LeFebvre has had remarkable success with several of Marc’s clients. [11:40] What did Elizabeth do to improve her networking skills? She has three opening questions to get a conversation going. Just get out, and do it! It’s necessary, and it takes practice. Do what you feel works for you. The Metropolitan Breakfast Club was a good place for Elizabeth to learn networking. [14:08] Elizabeth talks about her multiple job pivots. The first pivot came by way of a networking contact at a bigger firm, where she got a job and learned marketing and project management. Elizabeth stayed there for a year. Why did she go back to her former firm, and what did she learn? [19:04] Marc notes that Elizabeth worked with Vicki McCullough, of Sequitur Marketing, who markets to engineers. Elizabeth comments on the challenges of marketing to engineers and service companies. [20:45] Elizabeth explains how she found her current position on a job board and on their website. How did her five years of pivoting help her to get the job? What does she especially like about this job? How is it different from past roles? [23:21] The most interesting thing: her company has no office in Austin. There are three employees who work in Austin from home, including Elizabeth’s boss. Jobs are largely becoming location independent. Jobs do not have to be where you live. Elizabeth feels she will perhaps have one more job. For right now, it is a good place for her to be. [25:16] One skill Elizabeth has now that was not in her dreams of five years ago: her use of social media for marketing and branding. Another skill: collaborating with separated project team members, using text, and conference calls. Let go of “the way you’ve always done it,” so you can grow. [27:05] Elizabeth does all the graphics for Marc, and she is good. She has learned Canva and other apps. She is a closet ‘creative.’ She wants to learn the Adobe Creative Cloud and become somewhat of a graphic artist. Marc comments on her progress. [28:33] Elizabeth leaves some parting advice. Keep moving forward, and surround yourself with good people who push you to better things. Don’t let the bad things bring you down. [29:40] You can reach out and start a conversation with Elizabeth Rabaey on LinkedIn. If you send her a connection request, say you listened to her on this podcast. [30:28] Elizabeth started as a client of Marc’s. Then she became an intern and then a paid consultant. She’s not the same person she was when she got started! Marc thanks Elizabeth for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [31:06] Marc notes that episode was originally released in March of 2017. Next, hear from Elizabeth again about where she is now in her journey. [31:16] Marc welcomes Elizabeth back to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc invites Elizabeth to tell everybody what has happened these last 18 months. [31:36] Elizabeth is with the global heavy-duty mining equipment manufacturing company she described joining in the previous interview. She works on marketing projects supporting company offices in Canada and the U.S. She is on a team of three people. [32:12] Elizabeth does the national and regional trade show management. She coordinates and gathers all the equipment to be displayed at the show, as well as working with vendors to build and tear down the company booth. She gets everybody registered manages travel, and arranges company speakers for the conferences. [32:40] Elizabeth also produces printed marketing materials, designing the layout and writing the text. She has learned a lot and gained new skills through managing a lot of projects. It’s totally different from her earlier career. She works with a manager who gives her guidelines and boundaries and lets her go. That works very well for Elizabeth. [33:18] Her earlier job of air and water environmental permitting was primarily Texas-based. In her new job, she travels to Canada and Australia as well as the U.S. There’s always something new and different. She uses creativity to solve problems in campaigns. [34:30] Elizabeth markets things such as slurry pumps. A slurry pump is a big, heavy-duty pump used in a mining operation that moves slurry (water mixed with dirt, minerals, and mud) from one point to another. The material is usually very abrasive and so is the environment around the pump. Pumps need to withstand severe conditions. [35:08] Elizabeth has been stretched by this job. She has added InDesign to her skillset to print brochures. She has learned logistics and how to work with a variety of vendors to coordinate events. [36:23] Marc would like you to notice about Elizabeth — she is willing to learn and take chances. Four or five years ago, Elizabeth did not imagine anything close to the position she has now. She praises her manager and how they work together. [37:09] During trade show season, January through the middle of May, Elizabeth travels to trade shows, arranging vendors setting up the booth, attending the show, and tearing down the booth. She does two big shows in the U.S. and one big show in Canada. [37:51] In her permitting job, she traveled primarily in Texas. Now she gets to go to Montreal, Vancouver, Denver, Vegas and other places like that. [38:56] Marc thanks Elizabeth for updating on her pivot. Elizabeth says she is already looking ahead and keeping herself fresh for the next pivot opportunity. [39:38] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Marc has more encore episodes planned where he will bring back the guest at the end to update you on where they are now. [39:46] Susan Lahey and Marc are working on the next edition of Repurpose Your Career, and Marc is looking for your help. Marc is forming a release team of readers who will get access to pre-release chapters of the book to provide feedback. You can be part of this team by going to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam where you can sign up. [40:08] When you sign up, you’ll receive the pre-release versions of chapters when they become available. What Marc asks in return is that you provide feedback and be prepared to write a review on Amazon.com when the book is released. [40:22] Marc and Susan are adding around eight new chapters to the book and re-writing several others. Marc will release a new pre-release chapter on the podcast and to the team every four to six weeks. [40:52] If you have not already taken the 2018 Repurpose Your Career podcast survey, please do it now by going to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey and taking the podcast survey on SurveyMonkey.com. [40:57] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc will start recruiting for the next cohort in early January. [41:10] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with special content. [41:46] Marc hopes you have a joyous holiday season. Marc and Mrs. Miller will be celebrating the holidays in Ajijic, Mexico. [41:56] Check back on January 7th, for Marc’s interview of Elizabeth White, author of Fifty-Five, Unemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life. [42:07] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-108. [42:20] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates to this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot.

In this episode of the free, 20-minute Your Next Avenue podcast, Elizabeth White (a Next Avenue Influencer in Aging) offers smart, sometimes difficult, advice becoming both resilient and realistic if you’re out of work and over 50. The author of Fifty-Five, Unemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Lifetalks with Next Avenue’s Work & Purpose channel editor Richard Eisenberg about "getting off your throne," resilience circles and the "new normal" of work.