Proven Not Perfect
Proven Not Perfect
The Portfolio Career: Navigating Your Second Act with Purpose, My Conversation with HerCsuite Founder Natalie Benamou
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What happens when decades of corporate identity suddenly vanish? Natalie, founder of HerCSuite, reveals the rarely discussed "glass cliff" moment that follows leaving a high-powered career and how to transform this potential crisis into opportunity.
The traditional career ladder is being replaced by something far more interesting: the portfolio career. Rather than following a single track, today's professionals—especially women in the second half of their careers—are crafting multifaceted professional lives that align with their values, financial needs, and deeper purpose. Through HerCSuite's network and programs, Natalie guides women transitioning to board roles or entrepreneurship while helping them navigate the identity shifts that inevitably come with professional evolution.
Our conversation unpacks the five crucial steps to designing your next chapter: clarifying your values, determining your "freedom number," exploring your options, understanding your human design, and creating your roadmap. We discuss how the concept of pivoting has transformed from something requiring explanation on a resume to something employers now expect and value. Throughout, Natalie emphasizes that successful transitions aren't about deciding whether your new path is "better" than your old one—it's simply different, with its own unique opportunities for growth and fulfillment.
Whether you're contemplating your next move or supporting someone who is, this episode offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating today's non-linear professional landscape. As Natalie reminds us with her powerful mantra: "We make our own C-Suite." Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn or visit HerCSuite.com to continue your journey.
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I'd love to hear what you think!
Natalie, I'm not going to let a second go without saying let's get this going, lady, let's go, let's get this going. Natalie, you are the founder of multiple businesses, but you talk about her C-suite and I just want to start there Describe her C-Suite to us.
Speaker 2Thank you so much for having me on your show. It is such an honor. The honor and privilege is mine. I'm so excited Her C-Suite is focused on. It's a professional network and we offer courses and masterminds for women in the second half of their careers, in particular boards and entrepreneurs. So we help women land corporate board roles or start and grow their business.
Speaker 1Those two things. Maybe it's just recognizing that at some point we all will need to understand what does that next phase look like for us? Leader, woman leader says you know, I'm ready to pack that portion in and I'm ready to move to my next phase. What?
Speaker 2does that first conversation sound like Such a good question? I always start by listening. I think you are also a wonderful listener. So I just kind of start with where are you today and just kind of pause. And there's a cliff moment that people have when they leave their corporate life, and so we talk about that Because I experienced it myself when, I left my 29-year career in trade shows.
The Glass Cliff After Corporate Life
Speaker 2There's a day when you wake up and you're like I don't have any meetings on my calendar and it's a weird sensation because you're used to just hustling and going, and going and going and nonstop meetings, no bio breaks, no eating. You're just nonstop, right. Yes, and for all of us, when we leave that corporate role, there's the cliff, right.
Speaker 1You're just like okay, and no one talked about the cliff.
Speaker 2We heard about the glass ceiling no one talks about that glass cliff where you're like, okay, I'm looking down and I see down below me, but then there's this moment where and I talk about this in my recent book, where I had, I had a moment where I was seeing the rear view mirror bigger than my windshields because you identify, not you personally, but we identify with our career. We identify with our success, which I had tremendous success in my career and then you make a shift and now you're doing this new thing, Totally different for me, totally different, not at all what I was doing in my career, but then I kind of was like well, is it really that different? Maybe it's not as different as I think. However, there's that cliff moment and you start thinking, well, is that better than what I'm seeing in front? And the answer is no, it's different.
Speaker 1Wow.
Speaker 2And so it's-.
Speaker 1Natalie, that is actually not trivial a statement, right? It's not better, it's different, it's different, it's different. It's not better, it's different, it's different.
Speaker 2It's different. It's up to us to redefine and make that windshield as big as you can possibly imagine, and so it starts with understanding who we are, our values.
It's Not Better, It's Different
Speaker 1And can we change though? Because here's the thing who I was, you know 30 years ago, dial it back and who I am now? I guess it just depends on when you jump off of a certain track, and all that's changed around you.
Speaker 2And you know, the other thing is that you don't have to decide necessarily I have to leave my corporate role. People are feeling and this has been going on for five years I have to leave, I have to leave, I can't stay. But is it that you can't stay or is that you're just not aligned with where you are right now? But that doesn't mean there's not something else for you. You can stay in corporate, right. You can stay in that world, just different, different role. Or you can pursue boards or have a I call it a portfolio career, right. So you have slices, and how do you want your slices to look?
Speaker 1Wow.
Speaker 2Do you want half of your you know, 50% of your slice to be doing something that you find fulfilling doing philanthropy or doing something? Or maybe that you want that to be learning and being a curious learner, or gardening? What does that look like for you? Or I need to get another corporate role, because that's where I am with my trajectory. That's all good.
Speaker 2But you have to get it. You have to get in touch with what's important to you and this moment. And okay, how can I make that a limitless window? And you talked about the door and knowing when the knocking on the door and I say, doors close, windows open, it's up to us to fly through. We get those messages all the time.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2All the time and we just are like, oh, I'm not listening to that message, that I can't because, but no, I can't. We have to be open to that message. And too often we close or we close it Um. I'm a very you know um spiritual person. I believe messages come to me, and so if we just shut ourselves off, you miss out.
Speaker 1What you're saying, though, I'll be honest, is so very relevant not even for just that point in your career, when you're deciding, kind of what do I do next, but I would say you're tapping into a level of wisdom that is incredibly important for even the earlier career, mid-career and early senior leader leaders in corporate or just in career. I won't just say corporate, because it could be anything academia, it could be anything, but the point is, I think, that messaging of thinking about your existence as a professional in a portfolio mindset that really resonates for me these days. Tell me, does that resonate for you in total? Like, even if Natalie went all the way back to the beginning, would that be the one bit of wisdom that you'd want to take with you all the way back to the beginning?
From Linear Careers to Portfolio Thinking
Speaker 2You know it's so interesting. I think we grew up in a certain era where it was. We were told it was linear. And you're staying linear and maybe you'll do. I've been on nonprofit boards for a long time. Maybe you'll pursue your passion. I was on a animal rescue for many years, you know, president, founder, co-founder, staying the course, staying the course, like I'm all in on this and it's not linear anymore. And that's that portfolio piece, because now it's like people are doing fractional work, they're doing being on boards, they're doing consulting, they're advising. So we're in an era that wasn't available to us. I mean, I was with the, I had the princess, I had the blue princess phone, okay. I mean I was with the, I had the princess, I had the blue princess phone, okay.
Speaker 1So back then there was, you know with the cord and you would like wind it around.
Speaker 2Someone's listening to this, saying what are they talking about? There was a thing that GPT Princess phone cord closet. I bet there's people talking about it, right? So I mean, you know there were no computers when I grew up, so not until college. So I think you know time has changed so much.
Speaker 2So, saying portfolio, I still think it might've been in the era maybe that wasn't possible for me, but maybe mid career it could have been in the era. Maybe that wasn't possible for me, but maybe mid-career it could have been right when technology was coming in and there were other opportunities. But I was still so driven I, like you, got my MBA, thinking I was going to do it, for you know, I needed to understand corporate world is why I did it. For you know I was. I needed to understand corporate world is why I did it. And I always worked for privately held companies and I was like I need to kind of figure out what, what are these big companies actually thinking? So that was really my driver for it. But I think you know, looking now, the world is so different and people are talking about change, constant change, but there's also a lot of opportunity for making a pivot and you can make a pivot a lot. You know, before pivots were kind of looked at as like you can do one, that's right.
Speaker 2What's your one pivot?
Speaker 1That's right on and be able to explain it on your resume. You gotta explain it.
Speaker 2Remember that.
Speaker 1Now you gotta explain why you didn't pivot.
Speaker 2Yes, so her C-suite has gone through quite a few pivots. We started out women VP to C-suite. The idea is we're the result of the women we surround ourselves with. We can make our own seat at the table and our own board of advisors. That was the idea table and our own board of advisors. That was the idea. And now we do you know something different? Because we realized some of those women didn't even want to go to the C-suite anymore. They were like peace out.
Designing Your Next Chapter
Speaker 1I'm done, but. But you know what, though? Honestly, we got to talk about that because I think there's such agency in that. I think that we, to be in this system that says, like you said, a linear viewpoint of you do this for this amount of years, and then you go to this next thing, and then you go to this next thing, right. And I believe that, now more than ever, there is a no more to that philosophy. Right, and it's? Am I getting what I expect to get from whatever the thing is, and is that leading me to want to do something in another realm, or not? Right? So I don't know. How have you helped, yeah, folks that are considering this next phase of their pivot to take all the possibilities and narrow them into, maybe, what might be their true, their truest interest and desire?
Speaker 2You know it's interesting. I'm in the midst of doing a course actually Design your Next Chapter.
Speaker 1And it's perfect timing yeah.
Speaker 2And so I'll just describe to you the five segments, because these five segments really do lead you to your career path. So, if we think about the pie and how you get to that one point of pivot, where you're going to go, the first is that values piece we talked about earlier of like. I really need to understand what's important to me and what words do I like? Some of the women were saying you know freedom as one. That is a non-negotiable right which I love.
Speaker 2So, finding the words that represent to you the things that you're like. You know. These are the things that are important to me. And then the next is understanding and you'll appreciate this your numbers. What is your freedom? Financial number? What is your freedom number? Because it's different for everyone and it's good to plan earlier rather than and what was interesting in this course is that I work with women in the second half of their careers. I've been attracting women even before that point.
Speaker 2Because, like you said, you know any point. People are making pivots, they're trying to figure it out. So the third is is that piece of like, well, what can I do? What is open to me? What are my options? And the fourth, and this is the mind blowing thing, is human design. Wow, I don't know. Have you done human design? Have you done that? Tell us about it. So you give an expert, a human, and in this case I'm going to call her out Michelle Peacock. I love her. I gave her my date, my birth date and time. Okay, she takes this number and creates this plan of your life and who you are, and it is like you're like wait a second.
Speaker 2How did you know that I do these things? So that is like knowing yourself on a whole, like super level, and then you create your plan. So those are the five steps. But human design if your listeners have never thought of it, look it up. You can check it out at MyVibe. That's Michelle's where you can do it for free. She's got a free assessment, but it is really next level Curious yeah. Next level.
Speaker 2I'm telling you Knowing who, next level, yeah, next level, I'm telling you so when you get to know yourself personally. It's not like strength finders and no, this is personal. This is not about work. This is about you as a person and a human.
Speaker 1And your drivers and all the things yeah.
Speaker 2That's what that human design I'm drawing. You know doing pictures with my hands, but when you see it you'll understand. It shows you these like you know different parts of you that it's mind blowing.
Speaker 1Wow. So then someone goes to you and you sit down and you help them to unpack what their passion, where their passion lies, and I would imagine you also help them to get past that rear view focus, start focusing forward. Are there any physical things that play into this? Because I just tend to think about hold holistic, uh, our holistic selves in whatever we endeavor to do, and so what we're talking about to this point is the mind part, right, but what's actually happening with the body part, with the heart part too?
Speaker 2the heart part too. Well, I think it's. There's a combination. I don't get super deep in the mindfulness. I mean, we do talk about it, but it's it's. It's really about kind of surrounding yourself with the right people to, I find, as women, and me particular I don't know if I'm unique, but I really find that I, I love getting insights from other I, other women we were talking about this, like we talk, and you're like, oh my gosh, I love that, Tell me more. And so when you're surrounded by women that are curious, learners and interesting and want to help and lift you up, you really can move forward and make that, this big view right. It's when you're by yourself, in that cliff moment, and you're standing there and you're like I haven't heard one sound today. If it wasn't for my click, click, click, my typing, like I haven't heard any sound, I didn't get on the phone. I don't have any. You know I'm not listening to music right now, it's just quiet. That is a little, you know, kind of off.
Overcoming Fear and Finding Community
Speaker 1Because the world's going from nothing. The world is like everybody around you is loud.
Speaker 2I hear the birds. You're in the cone of silence and you're like okay, this is kind of interesting. And then you kind of grow to like it, but at first you're like what?
Speaker 1is this.
Speaker 2What is my calendar? I don't even understand how do I schedule a meeting. That literally happened to me, and I used to schedule my own meetings, but I don't know why I was having this whole thing.
Speaker 1So we all face those things. There are some, just some real good nuggets that you have for anyone any point in career that's thinking about the continuity of their decisions and the opportunity to pivot. What would be the sage advice that you would give to our multi-career ladder women as they think about pivots and they engage? Some of the nuggets that are coming from her C-suite.
Speaker 2I think the first thing is don't let fear be the thing that stops you.
Speaker 2One of my favorite quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt is do something that scares you every day and when we challenge ourselves, to step outside of our comfort zone and don't let the no voice, because we all have it. We all have the why you. Why do you think you could start a company? Why do you think people care? We can make up a thousand mean things to ourselves, so don't let that get in the way of being exploring what you're meant to do and be.
Speaker 1There you go. Wow, look, we're going to talk again.
Speaker 2I hope so I love it.
Speaker 1We're going to talk again. You're stuck with me. I'm a subscriber, I'm in it. You're going to talk again. You're stuck with me, I'm a subscriber, I'm in it, and you're amazing, and I know that someone, even if it's just one soul, is listening to this and it's landing exactly where they need.
Speaker 1I think what really impresses me coming from 2020 and a lot of the lessons learned, there is an assumption that people are not lonely. There's an assumption that people feel that they have access to networks and connections to help them to get through the necessary things that come with pivots, some that they chose and some that they didn't choose. These were all assumptions, right, and what we learned in 2020 coming out of that is that people were lonely, some people didn't have community and they didn't know where to go. So I'm super excited to amplify her C-suite and all the things that you're doing to address and to help elevate us all, and I know that you have some projects that we'll be hearing about soon as well that are going to take our health to a whole new level too. So y'all stay tuned, natalie. Where can they find you? Where can they just follow up and just kind of be right on the precipice of all the things that you're doing.
Speaker 2So good. Thank you so much. Linkedin is my favorite place. I'm on there every day, so LinkedIn, and then also HerseySweetcom. That would be the and it's HerseySweet. I know it's not HerkSweet. I know sometimes people think that it's HerseySweet because we make our own C-suite. So if you remember it like that you'll be good. So if you remember it like that, you'll be good.
Speaker 1Right on, sis. Thank you. We make our own C-suite. And if you didn't hear anything else, if you don't take anything else away, if you embed that in your heart, we make our own C-suite. I think it's going to unlock some truths for many of us. God bless you, lady, and I thank you for your time. Thank you so good.