Overcomers Approach

Career joy, on your terms.

• Nichol Ellis-McGregor • Season 7 • Episode 6

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Your work shouldn’t drain the life you’re trying to build. In this candid, energizing conversation with veteran coach and therapist Rachel Speckman, we unpack how to find the “right room” for your talents and design a career that matches who you are now—not who you were five roles ago. Rachel draws on 15 years in brand marketing, a decade with startup founders, and clinical training to translate big ideas into small, doable moves that restore momentum.

We dig into her strategic overlap framework—where skills you enjoy, values that feel true, and topics that spark curiosity meet—and how that alignment becomes fuel. If you’ve felt the Sunday Scaries turn into an everyday soundtrack, we talk early burnout signals, the 0–100 happiness check, and a simple job audit that reveals why your calendar might be working against you. You’ll hear how to reverse-engineer your job search, interview the role back, and pitch yourself internally before you leap. Reputation matters, but integrity matters more: Rachel shows how to craft a crisp professional narrative that feels honest and helps people instantly understand the problem you solve.

Money and meaning can coexist when you plan the season you’re in. We walk through tradeoffs, how to set a “light at the end of the tunnel” if you must stay put, and why small, medium, and large pivots de-risk big change. We also explore “reason, season, lifetime” careers and Rachel’s fresh idea of “rewirement”—creating purpose and joy beyond traditional retirement. Along the way, you’ll hear practical prompts, mindset resets, and real examples you can apply this week: dial up what gives you energy, dial down what doesn’t, and align your story with your next step.

If this helped you see a better path, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a quick review telling us your next small move. Your future self will thank you.

More on Rachel and her services at the following links https://www.rachelspekman.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelspekman/

https://www.facebook.com/RachelSpekmanCareerConsulting

If this resonated, subscribe share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review on Overcomers Approach on Apple Podcasts so more overcomers can find us.

Thank you for listening!


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Thank you for listening!

SPEAKER_02:

Good day, everybody. This is Nicole Ellis McGregor, the founder of the Overcome Approach Podcast. This podcast was created to really support people who are who are stuck or in the midst of something, a challenge, but it really resonates with people who want to overcome whatever space they're in, whether it's career, personal, financial, physical, mental. The goal is that we have people who come from different walks of life, different experiences that really help people guide and navigate to the place that they really want to be, that they were purposed for. And I'm so happy that I have Rachel Speckman here. She's a veteran coach. She coaches professionals who may feel unfulfilled in their careers and want to know how they want to tap into their biggest and fullest potential. She has 15 years in marketing brands, 10 years helping people who are startup founders, five years as a therapist. She's helped hundreds of people to reinvent themselves in their careers, which is amazing. So she helps those high, those high performers that really want to tap into a holistic, it sounds like vision of where they want to go. They really want to be in their gifts and talents. And hey, why not make a good income while you're doing that? That does not hurt at all. That's amazing. That's special. And I'm so happy to have you here today, Rachel, to be on the podcast today. I know my listeners will really take something great from what you have to say. And thank you for being here today. Tell me a little bit of how you got into this space. It sounds like you have a unique background, but it sounds like it just works beautifully for what you do.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much for having me. And hello to all of the listeners. I hope that you feel inspired today and that we connect in the way that these podcasts allow us to. It's it's really an incredible platform. So thank you again for having me. I started my career as a teacher, and it's kind of funny. I always like to start with that because I feel so full circle. I'm back to teaching and it's in a much different way. It's one-on-one, it's through podcasting. The vehicle has changed because I started as a classroom teacher. I still actually teach a class at the at Brandeis University, not right near where I live. Um, on it's called Career Clarity and Mental Health. However, in terms of sort of the education, K to 12, that's where I started. Uh and I and I I pivoted from there because I realized I was burnt out of the classroom.

SPEAKER_02:

Understandable. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

I am constantly a person who is reinventing. Okay, what skills am I using here? Do they align with me? Oh, great, they do. How do I stay here for as long as possible? Oh, they don't. How do I bring in different parts of what I really enjoy doing here? The next place.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And this is what I work on with people, which is what I call the strategic overlap of three things, which is your skills that you enjoy using. Yes, the values that feel the right vibration to you, the right connection to you, and the things that you're naturally curious about.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that skills, values, and the things that you're naturally curious about. I really love that. And it you're really speaking to uh my listeners because a lot of people that I come in contact with, even some personal friends, they're in that space. Um, I actually have a friend who's an educator right now, and she's trying to figure out what this looks like for me because she I think she's ready to transition, but really not knowing what that looks like and where does it go? And she has extremely great leadership skills that I feel like it's it's the room is kind of confining her, and there are other people that are meant to really be really enriched by what she has to offer and maybe still have her foot in education as well. So I love the fact that you said you started out as an educator and that you pivot.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. Well, you just said something that I say all the time, which is we have to figure out what room we want to be in. And I mean room, like more metaphysical room we want to be in, who do we want to be networking with? What are we naturally excited about at like a dinner party? Or what just gets you excited? Oh, I want to understand how they're solving that problem. It could be hunger, food, I don't know, um, education, it could be how markets work. Yeah, and so for me, I was really curious about how does child program, how does programming for children actually work outside of the classroom?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And I ended up transitioning to a nonprofit that works with kids.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And all of a sudden I realized, oh my gosh, I love project management, I love operations, I was managing a team. I thought this is a whole nother way of teaching people again.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right.

SPEAKER_00:

And my skills were growing so tremendously at that time. Whereas in the classroom, I felt like I had kind of plateaued with the skills that I was cultivating. There's believe me, I have two kids. They're their teachers seem like every day, who knows, but they're beautifully like challenged. Like, I wish that could have been me as a teacher, and it just wasn't for whatever reason. I just wasn't in the right room at that time.

SPEAKER_02:

Understandable.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's a huge part of this, is getting to know yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes. I think, like you said, getting to know yourself, what is your identity? You know, like how do you identify? Because you want to know how to authentically show up in these spaces. Why do you think people they know this and they're in that spot, but they're stuck? Fear, whatever it is, what do you think is one of the biggest barriers that keeps people there?

SPEAKER_00:

Definitely fear, and the fear is multifaceted. I'm a I'm now I'm a therapist, we could talk about fear all day long, but the fear is the fear is failure, feel of fear of the unknown. Um, those are two primary fears. I would say there's a lot of giving yourself permission.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So when I when I made that change, and that was kind of a I help people with what I call a small, medium, and large pivot, and we could talk about what those are. That was sort of a relatively small to medium pivot because I was still working with children. I actually took a pay cut to do that, but I was so happy to be in that new room because I was like, wow, I can actually connect with nonprofit professionals, I can understand that impact has a whole nother meaning than the classic traditional school system. Um and so I think it was a it is a lot of permission giving to themselves. Let me try something new. Or as somebody said, let me try growing. Uh we were talking about you were saying you were doing some gardening. Let me grow this in my garden. Oh, that's this year. Let me grow this, not oh, I grew this and it never came up, but I'm gonna keep growing it forever.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Wow. I like the fact that you said we have to give ourselves permission, you know, permission to do it, and it's okay. And like you said, you can go, fear shows up in many different ways. Um, but two, I I I get a little concern is as we look at the you know, health statistics that really start sometimes stand in a space that's you're you've outgrown can impact you physically and sometimes mentally. What are some of the ways that you've uh or some of the ways that you understand that people may be impacted in those ways? I don't think people necessarily see it until they're like more into the burnout, but what are some of those warning signs before they start you know going into a really unhealthy space? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So from a physical perspective, it's anxiety, panic, very low mood when you think about work, yes, dread. I say Sunday scaries every day of the week.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And sort of just there's a there's a it could be death by a thousand cuts, it could be you're micromanaged and you don't do well with that. It could be I've been in a lot of teams that were very gossipy, that didn't serve me well. You know, there's a lot of things that could be going on that just don't sit right with you, and our bodies absorb what's going on.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, and take it insomnia, sorry, insomnia, headaches, nausea. I mean, I I've seen, especially as a therapist now, I've been trained in multiple medical settings. Yes, and I I really this is a this is kind of a qu a fact, but it's like basically very often when someone comes in for heart issues, sometimes it is heart issues, and very often it's anxiety. Wow, yes, and and again, I don't I that was I was working alongside a PCP, um, and basically people would come in and say, I'm having a heart attack, and it was like, actually, your heart is fine. You're having a lot of anxiety right now because of stress.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, and so those are some of the things that may show up if they're in a space that doesn't really serve them anymore, or they need to be servicing their skills and gifts and talents in another space. Um, how do you feel when people let's say they got 10, 15 years experience and they're like, oh, I don't want to get out here and compete with all these new things, and I may feel a little too seasoned now, like maybe I should just stay here and be comfortable because you know that's where I feel safe. Um, but they really are their gifts and talents can serve them in other spaces. Um, what do you think some of the steps that they could take, or what do they need to tell themselves if they're like, no, I'm here 15 years, let me just ride this out.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, listen, I I'm I'm a fan of if it's not broken, don't fix it. So if it's saving you, absolutely, you don't need to redo it, it's when it starts to drain you. It's when you say, you know what, this is this is unsustainable. And uh 50, I actually just met with somebody. She basically was recruited to a very senior position, and she's two months in and she says, I can't even do another day of this. I mean, and but she really wants to give it a year for her resume. Yes. Right. So then we have to say, okay, well, how can we protect everybody? If you're stuck, you need a light at the end of the tunnel. It's just light. We need that sense of hope. So to answer your question, let's let's kind of take that person who's middle of the line, fine enough. Great. Okay, well, then let's talk about how to make the quality of your life better. Well, what are you doing outside of work that energizes you? Because I do think very often people think, I'm unhappy at work, let me get a whole new job. And I would say, wait, first I would say, let's let's see if we can repurpose what you actually want to be doing at your current work.

SPEAKER_01:

That's good. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Because the easiest job to the easiest way to change is to make an internal change. Then you don't have to go interview somewhere else and all of that. Sometimes that's possible. Sometimes people are like, no, I want out of where I am. I can't stand it. It's corrupt, it's all these things.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, but I definitely, that's the first thing I work on with people is internally pitching themselves for a new opportunity, new opportunity.

SPEAKER_02:

I love the fact that you said that because I have been in that space before in my life where it's like, oh, I'm not happy here. Let me go and switch and change. And it was the same situation at a different space, but there was some internal work that needed to be done in order for me to really move in like my fullest potential. And then, like you said, and then looking at things outside of your job, that's your whole life, because work is a big part of your life, but there's other things that are connected to work that are gonna where you're gonna show up joy, peaceful, you know, really operating in the flow in your fullest potential. But if anything's off, then that's gonna affect no matter what environment you come in, come into. And I've also been in those spaces where no, this is not going to work. I want to live. Like, I don't think I could do another day. I've experienced that as well. And so, uh, but really as reflecting back on that, I I it I was like, what did I learn from how could I grow? And I was like, you know, I think during the interviewing process, I need to interview the job more versus me being interviewed. So, and so um really being allowed to do that. So I'm glad you said that because I think that resonates with a lot of people and really assess on that. I think people need to do a real assessment of what that looks like, right?

SPEAKER_00:

And when and when you think about interviewing the job, this is what I tell, this is what I like to work on, which is I call it reverse engineering your job search.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So reverse engineering, people are like, what does that mean? Of course, everybody wants to just be like, I want to do this and I don't want to do this. No, no, no. It's it's it's not that it's saying, here are the five, literally, everybody who's listening right now, if you're applying to jobs, you can look at the last five jobs you applied to, the last two jobs and circle the bullets of that job description that lift you up the most. Yes. Why?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, then we're starting to shape. Okay, wait, I really only want remote positions. Great. From now on, I'm not even going to apply to non-remote positions.

SPEAKER_01:

That's right. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Or I really want to work with this kind of mission, right? Then all it's like looking for a house or a car. You're like, I need this feature. We can do the same for our jobs.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right. That's right. And it brings clarity, you know, especially for those that may not operate in clarity at first. Um, I and I've been one of those people where I have the vision, I have the big picture. Oh, that's I could set it up. How am I gonna get there? Uh, I don't, you know, breaking that down. So that's something that I think some people definitely support. And that's a place that I've been in as well. And continue to grow and develop in that space of having that clarity. That's why it's good to have people such as yourself in those spaces because if you just don't have the clarity, you might have the big picture, but you need to really break some down things down and narrow something some things down of what you need. And you know, like you said, your curiosity, your skill set, really honing in on that. And I love that. What do you think for people who um they really they've done done the assessment, but they making that move? The world is big, but yet small, if that makes sense. So it's like we are our brand, and so sometimes we have to be strategic in how we move. You relationships are really important, um, and you don't want to impact your reputation as you might decide to make this shift. What do you think people need to do or be aware of when they think about those things? Because that's a that's a real concern.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it definitely is. It definitely is. And I want to actually circle back on something to your previous question before I answer this.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Because in you know, in a half an hour, there's so much we can cover. I want people to try to walk away with okay, if I'm gonna turn this off, and here's one thing I'm gonna do after this. Yes, and so I do ask everyone who does an intake with me, a complimentary intake. I will say, on a zero to one hundred, how happy are you at work right now?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And most people reach out to me or find me when they're at 20 to 40 percent happy. Okay, okay, yes, and then I will joke with them because I'm a jokey person. I'll say, Would you stay in a house that was 60% falling apart?

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Or stay in a car that was 60%, get in a car that was 80% falling apart. Of course not, right? It's not as simple as a car or a house because it's our work, it's our brand, it's all of these moving pieces. And it is okay, if we are gonna make progress, we're gonna go from 20% to 22% enjoyment.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

And 22 to 24 percent.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good.

SPEAKER_00:

So what is what is one thing today? Oh, you know you love leading that kind of meeting. Ask if you can lead it next week.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good. And ask if you can lead it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, exactly, taking that control back. And and of course, we can be strategic, but that is just one thing, you know. I I said we have to get better a little bit at a time and that and be really intentional with okay, I really enjoyed, you know, it's it's I say this about therapy and coaching. At the end of the day, it's dialing up the things that are going well and dialing down the things that aren't going as well. Yes, it's as simple and as complicated as that. So I just wanted to say that before I get to your next question.

SPEAKER_02:

I appreciate that. And I I like the fact that you broke it down in practical terms and you actually made the relationship to the house. Um, because I think that really brings even more clarity and people can really understand and take that in more, and then dialing in, you know, what's working and and and and and being acknowledging what's not working, and like you said, how to tamper that down. So I like that because some people need that in practical terms, and the way you broke it down in terms of the house, that is a real thing for people. So I appreciate that, you know, and and uh some it may go over people's heads, you know, if you if you said it in another way, that makes it very real.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you. I have an even more tactical thing I can recommend if that's okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Go right ahead.

SPEAKER_00:

Then we're gonna get to reputational management, um, because that's very important. So I love recommending that people do what's called a job audit for themselves right now.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So you can grab an Excel, open up an Excel, and say, Here are the five things that I do almost every day for my job.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And let's say it's writing, podcasting, admin, whatever. Next to it, I want you to write down the percent of time you're doing that throughout your day. Look at the last week.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's good.

SPEAKER_00:

And in the third column, I want you to write your percent enjoyment of that task.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good. That that brings definite clarity.

SPEAKER_00:

Then you can start to see, wait, I don't even like posting on LinkedIn, and I have to do that for 90% of my job.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

We all get on autopilot with the things, or our boss tells us we're good at it, or it's generating revenue. So you're like, I'm just gonna do more of that. Wait, do I even like and I'm not saying you have to make a change, but just that self-knowledge is really helpful.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. I love that. I love that clarity and really breaking it down and really understanding, you know, that because uh you it's easy to end up stuck if you don't even lay that out for yourself. So I appreciate that. That is amazing. Thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

It's like the pandemic forced us to do all of that, and now we have to be like, wait, wait, wait, nobody's forcing me, but I know something feels off or something feels great, and I want to do more of it. That's another thing. I help people all the time with every meeting I have with anybody. I always start with celebrations and wins.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that. Celebrations and wins start with that, and that starts it out on a high note, you know. Yes, yes, especially if we have to get to the hard parts. Let's let's start out with the wins. I think it changes the environment, probably changes your mindset a bit, you know. Um, and then even when we hit those challenges, then we could really be more open, I feel like, to solutions and possibilities because it's just a different space that you're in. It feels it's much better.

SPEAKER_00:

Those are those are the three parts of my work it's mindset, transformation, and accountability. That's really what we do. So, to the reputational question, yes, it's it's such a good one, and a lot of the work I do with people is on what they describe as their personal or professional narrative. Yes, and so because there's a lot of asymmetry I see with people. I was just meeting with someone this morning, he has a beautiful looking resume. Yes, he feels so um, what's the word? He just feels so broken in his career. He feels like he hasn't done enough, he hasn't it just there's such incongruence or asymmetry, I call it.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Some people have great symmetry. I did this and I feel great about some people have complete asymmetry. Yeah, and so we have to start getting aligned with wait, how do I actually manage what I do? How do I manage saying what I do? So this is what is the professional narrative, and very often the about section on a LinkedIn, and it's I do this that helps make this impact.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Nobody needs to know how, why, when you do it, at what cost. Mine is I help people leave soul sucking careers for soul aligned work, right? To still make a career, but what is it? I help systems operate more proficiently. People, we we are relational beings, and we are all tight on time and resources and all kinds. So we want to understand how how are you how are you solving a problem that I have.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good, yes. And I think, like you said, if we bring that into context, and I think we're able to express our narrative and personal professional narratives much better. So it doesn't sound so confusing, and then also it affirms for you what what you're doing. Like you said, his resume was outstanding, but sometimes I think we can get caught up in our heads, we can get caught up in a lot of movements that are going on around us in the social atmosphere, or if you see some colleagues doing this, and that could be a distortion too. I've met people, they really know how to be their biggest cheerleaders, and then when we connect, I'm like, wow, they're not doing that much, but they really know how to promote and cheerlead themselves. Great.

SPEAKER_00:

Wait a marketing, it's marketing. I mean, that's what it is, and but and also I think that sometimes if you're marketing yourself a certain way, but you're not feeling that great about it, it is gonna catch up with you.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes, yes, and that's that internal work, do you think?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, that's that internal work, and that's that symmetry piece. And so for everything that you're putting out there, or the you know, for me, it was like the keynotes that I was giving, and I was feeling a certain way internally, and this is how I ended up making a very large pivot to becoming a therapist, and that was only the last five years. But I was there's more about this on my website and a video that I do as a training, but I was really asymmetrically presenting myself. I was really giving off this vibe, but internally I was really struggling.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes, yes. And I and I love the fact that you said that because I think sometimes, especially in leadership positions, or if you move your state space with other leaders, and then I've had the opportunity to have relationships with some people, and to me, they are doing amazing things. And then when we have a conversation, there's there's something they may share with me in vulnerability, and I'm almost in shock. Like I can't even believe, believe this, but it's a real thing, and at the end of the day, we're human beings, you know, and I think we're all trying to hit it right or move into our fullest purpose and be authentic to who we are. Um, and so I I love the fact that you spoke to that transparently because it lets us know that we're really just all on this journey, and it doesn't matter what it may look like, but everybody has some eternal things that they're working on, you know. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and and as I said to you, I think earlier I have a seven-year-old, and and he's just sort of starting to compare himself to others a little bit, which is human nature. We do that. We see I was I'm a swimmer, I was a swimmer, so I'm always saying, How fast are they going? Right? How fast and then you realize, wait, every time I pick my head up and look that way, I'm not looking at myself.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right, that's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_00:

And I really try, it's so hard, it's so overcomer's approach, if you will, to say, How do I have a better time than I had yesterday? Okay. Or try the same time that I had yesterday. Like, how do I how do I be better than I was yesterday? Not better than that person, because I don't know, everybody puts their head on their pillow at the end of the day. And that is another big takeaway I would try to leave your audience with, which is if you are so busy managing your reputation for others and not feeling good that it's in line with your values, very often I do couples counseling, very often, couples issues, depression issues for ourselves, we're not living according to our values.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right. I snap, I have to snap to that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I'm a classroom, former classroom teacher, so I'm always snapping and I can do that little pound in therapy sessions and we got a pound again. Yes, celebrating our wins. Um that's really what it is. You're you know, you're you're and this I mean we really get into money and and people, you know, people have this. Of course, we we all need money to live, and we think, well, I made this in the last job, so I have to make that again.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I don't know, you've been unemployed for six months, you've been living tighter. You like you, you you're going to the gym, your life's in a whole different place, you're spending more time with your family. What what are your values right now?

SPEAKER_02:

That's right, right.

SPEAKER_00:

And just putting that on the table, just putting it on the table, and the ego goes on a journey, and it's definitely around money and salary and worth. And um, and that is what requires some like broader kind of like okay, what are the systems in place here? This is very social work and also individually.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So I work very closely with a financial planner as we're making these changes too, because you have this is financial work as well.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right. And I love the fact that you hit on that. I that's a big part of it. Like you said, this is financial work as well, and and then we have our own selves to take care of, families connected to that, our children are connected to that, we're creating legacy as well. Uh, we want to create sustainability. Uh, we're in a changing environment where we may not know what may happen in you know six months, but let's plan. Let's plan because we failed a plan, we plan to fail. Just that simple. And I love the fact that you said, uh, really, you know, what if you're gonna take a pay cut, what realistically can you do? Does it still align with your values? How does this work for our family? There's so many pieces that that interconnect with that. I love the fact that you said that because that's a big part of it as well. That's a big part of it.

SPEAKER_00:

It is, and and pay cut is also the financial piece. I mean, one of the big reasons I started this is I I am so fortunate to have had two wonderful working parents, they they were not in soul-aligned careers. They would come home at the end of the day very frustrated, burnt out. Yeah, they told me they had to do this because this was a lifestyle they had created.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

When my son was a year old, after I had a very long family planning journey, and I basically said, I don't, I don't want to be, I don't want to come home that drained at the end of the day for my kids. I just don't want to. And then I started working with a coach and said, Oh my, well, what aligns me, what gives me joy? Connecting with others, helping them back to that teaching piece. Yes, yeah, and that's how I actually ended up pivoting to becoming a therapist. I was in the corporate world, I was doing a very different path. I say this because I try. All you parents out there, you know, you we're all trying our best. Everyone's best, parent or no parent. And I try at the end of the day when I pick my kids up to say, um, oh, here's something really cool that happened at work today. Oh, I was on this podcast. Because then I'm modeling, work is fun.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Work is not, oh, I have to go to work.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. Yeah. I love that. I love that. And I like it resonate with me. Both my parents had one job their whole life. They retired from those jobs. Um, my mom, I don't know how she did it. She worked assembly at Honeywell for uh 20 something years. I my I couldn't do it. There's no way I could do it, but she did it. Did it. Uh, my father was a transit bus driver for 30 something years and loved every part the craziness, the people. He loved connecting with people. He was a comedian, he really cared for people. It worked for him. Um, and I my main concern with him was uh once uh we he kind of had to be pushed out of retirement, you know, because it was just time, but that brought him joy, so he's kind of repackaging what his life looks like now. And my mom, I just want her to have joy because I felt her work was so hard and laborous. These golden years need to be your joy, you need to be having fun. So I um I really resonate with that. I know we're closing in on the last couple of minutes. Yes, and I want to get a couple of questions in before we go. You say that careers are for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Can you explain that?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes, but I have to circle back to what you just said because I'm starting to offer a new product. I'm like testing it out, which is called rewirement. Okay, retirement. Okay, giving yourself purpose when you retire. Because usually I help people with purpose, I help people with joy, I help people with how do they make a good income, how do they market themselves while they're doing it. So I love what you said about your parents, and you're like, how do they keep their spark alive? And um reason, a season or a lifetime.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So when we start our careers or when we're at an inflection point, because most people find me in a transformation. Oh, I just had a child, oh, I just had my second child. This is not what I thought it would be at work, or I'm not supported, or my kids have special needs, something's going on.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, you've had this job for a reason. It was to get you this degree, it was to get you, you know, X, Y, and Z, this many years on your resume. Now let's think about is this the right season? For this job in your life. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

But evaluating, okay, that was the job. Because a lot, another reason people don't leave is they have loyalty to their company and their bosses. And I get that because I've had a lot, I have a lot of loyalty to what the places I've worked for. And I didn't want to leave for a long, oh my gosh, I gotta finish that program in two months. I gotta do this thing. And and and we, you know, so so you have your reasons for for staying. You have often you can outgrow a job. Yeah, that was that job for that reason or that season. I I'm okay to not have that be my lifetime job.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

And or I thought that was gonna be my lifetime job, and I realized quickly, oh, that job was just for a quick reason or a quick season.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

I was just talking to somebody, I said, How did you get into this line of work? He said, I took it as a contracting thing for six months, 30 years later. I'm still loving every moment of it.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's great. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And that was a recruiting thing. It was like he was working with a recruiter to get a new job, and the recruiter is like kind of classic recruiting, said, Oh, we think you'd be great at recruiting. You're so personable. Anyone like me? I'm just trying to have you get a new job. And he said, Oh, well, let me give it a try. And he loved it, right? So it's it's actually allowing our the reason season lifetime is sort of language for ourselves, yes, again, back to that permission seeking.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And in and and giving ourselves space to say, okay, um, actually, I like this a lot more than I thought I would, or actually, I don't like it at all. I gotta find a back door as quickly as possible.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

But really, it's about us driving the the bus for ourselves as an homage to your father, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes, yes. I love it. I love it. You know, I love my dad, has really impacted my life in a very good way. And I really honor him. So thank you. I really appreciate that. Um, I feel like this 30 minutes has been amazing, Rachel. I really appreciate it. We touched on a lot in these 30 minutes. I really feel like you brought clarity to what this looks like. People don't necessarily have to leave their jobs, but maybe it's a repackaging. Maybe it's looking at the holistic. Maybe you and your spouse or partner need to do some things that maybe work might look a little different if home was a little joyful or happier, bringing more clarity to home or aligning with our values. Um, and I like the fact that people have a second act, a third act. You know, what does that look like? What are we gonna do now? What, you know, what does retirement look like? How do you still have purpose and joy in your life? I think you hit on so many components and starting out as an educator, I really just laid a great foundation, you know, because I think from coming from that approach, um education is very empowering, but you have to know what that looks like and what does that look like for people individually. I like the fact that you bring practicality to this and you deal with it from a holistic level. And I love the fact, and then, you know, and if people want to get in touch with you, the fact that you can make money doing what you love. You it can be done, but maybe you need someone to help you now help you navigate that, help you walk through that, help you really bring out your skills and values and remind you um of what how great you are, just like you said with the resume, you know, like he may not have seen that, but there's so much greatness there and really knowing how to be your biggest cheerleader. Um, if people want to get in touch with you, Rachel, what where can they connect with you if they want to uh hire you as a life coach or just seek out some other services you may have, where can they go to for that? Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so my career coaching site is madeformorecoach.com.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh that's my firm, made for more coaching. It came from a client. I was coaching her. It used to be called Rachel Speckman Coaching, and now and I was like, oh, the name will come to me organically. And then it did. It did because these things happen organically when they're meant to, that when it's right on time. Um Rachel Speckman, S-P-E-K-M-A-N.com. And I do I do one time high, I call it the high stakes career audit.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Or we and I do ongoing coaching, of course.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. Thank you. That'll be in the description of the podcast. So I'll make sure that all my listeners have access to that. Rachel, I just want to thank you for this time that you took out for me today. I greatly, greatly appreciate the conversation. It was organic, fulfilling, and I feel like it's definitely education empowering for others as well, and include myself. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you.

unknown:

Well