Moms Talk Q&A: Reinventing Your Career

A few weeks ago, I read about Sigrid Olsen’s “journey of reinvention.” Olsen, as many know, was a clothing designer whose comfortable but stylish, brightly colored apparel was very popular.  When she sold her line of clothing to Liz Claiborne in 1999, along with it went the rights to her brand. Less than ten years later, Olsen’s line of clothing was eliminated, and she found herself without a career.  The article went on to describe Olsen’s choices following this setback. They included moving, embracing artistic endeavors such as painting, ceramics and card design, opening a boutique, and, finally, joining with her stepsister to conduct retreats for women undergoing life-changing events.

Hitting the proverbial end of the road certainly demands the crafting of a new plan.

But what about women who choose to interrupt, alter, or redefine their careers? How do they decide to take on something entirely new and different? 

I didn’t have to go far to find women who have made this transformation.  Susan Pinsky, an Acton mother of three daughters, has reinvented her professional career with great success. A comparative literature major who worked as a foreign language book importer following college, Susan is now a professional organizer with two books to her credit. She’s been hired by a pharmaceutical company to speak to physicians about advising ADHD patients around organization. When asked how this vocational change came about, Susan described her natural affinity for organizing and the satisfaction that comes from others valuing this skill. “I was always the informal go-to person when a friend or relative needed a project done. It was satisfying, being able to create order out of chaos.”  Soon Susan was receiving calls from people who wanted to pay her.  Hands-on work with clients grew her business and led to a local publisher commissioning her to write both Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder and The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution.

Donna McGavick is another Acton mom who is working in a field unrelated to her original occupation.  Mother to two boys, she was formerly employed by a treasury bond dealer.  Donna is now a certified personal fitness trainer with both individual clients and a contingent of female “Boot Camp” regulars who attend classes at her home exercise studio. Describing this evolution, Donna said, “The seed was planted years earlier by a friend. We used to go to the gym together at 5:00 a.m.”  The friend got her trainer’s license five years before Donna did, but didn’t hesitate to offer encouragement when Donna expressed interest in doing the same.  When asked about the reason for her success, Donna said, “So many people are trying to stay in shape. I offer a fun group, with funky music. My ‘girls’ keep coming back.”  Donna, like Susan, routinely receives calls from folks interested in her services.

There are other local mothers who are entrepreneurs.  Among them are Amanda Sullivan of Village Art Workshop in West Acton and Rebecca Szetela of Create! ® Sewing Studio.  All of these women seem to have one thing in common: they heeded the principle, “Do what you love and the money will follow,” and achieved excellent results.

Are you a mom who has reinvented her career? Did you do it out of necessity or by choice?  Do you know someone else who did? What do you think is the key to achieving this goal? Join the discussion by leaving a comment below.