Info

Repurpose Your Career | Career Pivot | Careers for the 2nd Half of Life | Career Change | Baby Boomer

Repurpose Your Career podcast brought to you by Career Pivot is a podcast for those of us in the 2nd half of life to come together to discuss how repurpose our careers for the 21st century.  Come listen to career experts give you proven strategies, listen to people like you tell their stories about how they repurposed their careers and finally get your questions answered.   Your host, Marc Miller, has made six career pivots over the last 30 years. He understands this is not about jumping out of the frying pan into a fire but rather to create a plan where you make clear actionable steps or pivots to a better future career. 
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Repurpose Your Career | Career Pivot | Careers for the 2nd Half of Life | Career Change | Baby Boomer
2023
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: April, 2018
Apr 30, 2018

In this episode, Marc works with his friend and fellow podcaster Mark Anthony Dyson to answer the questions on the minds of listeners of both their shows. Along the way, they share stories about themselves and others.

 

Key Takeaways:

[:48] Marc welcomes you to episode 76 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. Please subscribe, share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[1:18] Next week, Marc teams up with Joe Harper, the Executive Director of The Texas State Small Business Development Center. The episode will be the audio portion of a webinar they did together for the Career Pivot community on how to use your Small Business Development Center — a free, hidden gem in many U.S. communities.

[2:02] This week’s show is the Q&A episode, with Mark Anthony Dyson of the Voice of Jobseekers podcast. Together, Marc and Mark answer listener questions. To get your question on a show click on the Contact Me button at CareerPivot.com or use the voicemail tab on the right side to record your question to play on the show.

[2:36] Marc welcomes Mark Anthony Dyson. Both host’s shows made the Mac’s List Top Career Podcasts list. They discuss Marc’s episode with Alexander Buschek and Marc’s pivots that led to CareerPivot.com.

[4:59] Q1: How do you break out of a job search rut?I’ve been on the job hunt for more than a year. I felt like I’ve tried everything with various resume formats, networking, industry associations, cold-calling and Toastmasters and I’ve had three final interviews with no offers. Would love your input, James from Akron.

[5:37] A1: Mark answers this question. The listener’s name is not a traditional American name. There may be bias involved. Mark also knows this listener never followed up after his interviews. Mark coaches people always to follow up with a thank you. Even send a card. Mark gives an example.

[8:43] Marc says, "be a polite pest."

[8:59] Marc shares an example of one client who was put through eight hours of interviewing without a lunch break and then was told two of the interviewers thought he couldn’t keep up. The interviewer liked him, though, and put him in line for a different position. If you don’t ask, no one will tell you.

[10:48] Give gift cards also to ones who give you referrals. You want to be memorable.

[11:10] Q2: I’m under a lot of stress at work. At the same time, I’m looking for a new job and not getting anywhere. I’m thinking of quitting, getting healthy, and striking out on my job search. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions?

[11:30] A2: This client came to Marc a year-and-a-half ago. She was seriously stressed and threatening to bring charges against her boss for bullying. Marc suggested she go on disability leave. With a psychiatrist, she worked for three months on her mental health.

[12:14] When she came back, she was in a lot better shape than when she left. She also had learned what her boss’s triggering points were. She had learned methods for releasing her own stress and she took breaks to exercise. She’s getting close to finding that next job.

[13:20] Marc has had a couple of different client’s who’ve been able to go out on Disability and really focus on their health while maintaining their insurance benefits. Mark stresses getting the support of HR, especially if they know your manager has a tendency to drive people out because of his ways.

[14:44] Mark tells of a situation with the largest law office in the world, that he left because of horrific stress. Tell your spouse before you leave, though.

[18:23] Q3: I worked for a family business for so many years. So many jobs want references that aren’t family members. How do I reconcile no having references?

[21:12] A3: Mark gives examples of ways to leverage your management experience and good people for references you have had contact with over the years for the work you have done in a family business.

[23:37] Q4: I’m working on updating my LinkedIn profile and looking at the profiles of others who have jobs like mine. They all look so different. I’m confused on how to go about updating my LinkedIn profile. Can you give me some hints or guidelines?

[23:59] A4: There is no right way to write a LinkedIn profile. Think first, “What message do I want to deliver?” Do you want the kind of job you have now, or are you looking for something very different? Think about your hero image, your backdrop image, and your current job title, as well as of jobs you have had in the past.

[27:42] Marc discusses Alexander Buschek and how he moved in media towards digital transformation. Lean toward the career you want. Marc talks about one of the members of his online community and how he’s pruning his old connections and growing new ones in his preferred field.

[30:42] Mark tells how he has researched optimum job titles through Google. Make it a relevant title for the future, not for today, or for the past. Don’t say MSDOS programmer.

[32:14] Mark explains a hack to find titles through a Google search targeted toward LinkedIn. Marc has changed his title from Senior Training Manager to Senior Learning and Development Manager. That’s the trending title.

[34:29] Listen to Mark’s The Voice of JobSeekers, twice a month.

[36:26] Marc invites you to check back next week to hear Joe Harper talk about how to leverage your Small Business Development Center.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

The Texas State Small Business Development Center

Mark Anthony Dyson

The Voice of Jobseekers

Alexander Buschek

Susan P. Joyce
Job-hunt.org

TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon.

Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help.

CareerPivot.com/Episode-76 Show Notes for this episode.

Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast.

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to

CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com.

Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me

You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast.

To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes

To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android

Careerpivot.com

Apr 23, 2018

In this episode, Marc interviews Dr. Joel Dobbs. Dr. Dobbs is an experienced life sciences executive, with over thirty years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He has served in a variety of senior leadership roles in information technology, as well as general management, clinical research, regulatory affairs, post-marketing surveillance, academia, and consulting. Dr. Dobbs has served as a member of top-tier executive teams of dynamic organizations, in startup, rapid-growth, turn-around, merger, integration, and change phases.

 

He currently serves as the Executive-in-Residence at the University of Alabama Birmingham's Collat School of Business, where he also directs the school's office of innovation and entrepreneurship, teaches, and works with entrepreneurs within the UAB environment and the greater Birmingham business community to help them develop and grow their business. He is also the CEO of the Compass Talent Management Group, LLC, a consulting firm that assists organizations with the identification and development of key talent with designing organization strategies and structures to maximize their ability to compete in the business world of today and tomorrow. Marc and Joel discuss several topics, including Joel’s intentionally varied first half of his life, some of the triggers that started his pursuit of goals for the second half of his life, and how giving back through mentoring, from his extensive experience, is so gratifying.

 

Key Takeaways:

[:54] Marc welcomes you to episode 75 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. 75 episodes make a year-and-a-half. Marc invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[1:39] Next week, Marc will team up with Mark Anthony Dyson of The Voice of Jobseekers podcast for a Q&A episode to answer some listener questions.

[1:52] This week’s episode is from the archives. It is an encore interview of Dr. Joel Dobbs. Dr. Dobbs was Marc’s first interview with a person who had made a career pivot in the second half of life. It was one of the best stories because Dr. Dobbs planned out his transition. Marc hopes you enjoy this episode!

[2:15] Marc welcomes Dr. Joel Dobbs.

[2:40] Joel majored in Chemistry, went to pharmacy school, and got a doctorate. He followed a purposefully varied career path, in three phases, until he retired five years ago. He was with GlaxoSmithKline when it was just Glaxo. In his time there it went from a startup to $3.5 billion a year. He helped the various business units develop.
[6:34] Another company recruited him and he spent the last 15 years of his career as a CIO —  a completely unplanned path — until he retired five years ago. That was the first half of his career. Marc calls this a portfolio career or “a lot of different stuff.”

[7:44] Today Joel is a business school professor at UAB Collat School of Business. He also runs a leadership consulting business, teaching from the multitude of mistakes he has made over the first half of his life. He finds it tremendously gratifying.

[9:16] In his late 40s, Joel started considering his life’s impact. Around 50, he read Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, by Bob Buford, and it set his path.

[11:11] The halftime of your life is a period to ask: how do I turn the second half of my life into one that leverages my success, but focuses on significance?

[11:42] Joel began really thinking about what did he want to do next? Was his ladder of success leaning against the wrong building?

[13:52] Joel was very interested in his company’s offer of a voluntary retirement when they extended it to executives. He talks about consulting work he did, and other companies that recruited him. He wrote the job description for one of them. He also attended The Halftime Institute, which changed his view of life.

[16:00] Joel put together in a notebook his plan for the second half of his life. He looked for opportunities to test concepts about working.

[21:16] Marc comments on how Joel drove his career agenda. He knew when to move on and he left, always with the goal in mind.

[22:03] If you know what you want to do, and you're able to answer that clearly, concisely, and decisively, you'd be surprised how often you get to do that.

[22:19] Spend time thinking about the perfect life and writing it down. That very act sensitizes you to opportunity.

[22:54] When Joel checked his ‘perfect life’ list after years, how much had he achieved?

[24:45] Intentional achievement takes clarity. Usually, clarity does not come overnight.

[26:50] Marc’s final thoughts: Dr. Dobbs was very purposeful in planning out his second half of life.

[28:11] Marc invites you to check back next week when Mark Anthony Dyson and Marc answer listener questions.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Mark Anthony Dyson

The Voice of Jobseekers

GlaxoSmithKline

Stevens Institute of Technology

UAB Collat School of Business.

The Halftime Institute

Joel H. Dobbs

Joel.Dobbs@iCloud.com

Personal Branding for Baby Boomers: What It Is, How to Manage It, and Why It's No Longer Optional, by Marc Miller.

Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, by Bob Buford

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon.

Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help.

CareerPivot.com/Episode-75 Show Notes for this episode.

Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast.

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to

CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com.

Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me

You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast.

To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes

To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android

Careerpivot.com

Apr 16, 2018

In this episode, Marc narrates the challenges of relocating abroad and securing the resources for safe and healthy living for his family while running his business full-time.

 

Key Takeaways:

[:49] Marc welcomes you to episode 74 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast and invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[1:23] Next week, Marc goes to the archives for an encore interview of Dr. Joel Dobbs. Dr. Dobbs was Marc’s first interview with a person who had made a career pivot in the second half of life. It was one of the best stories because Dr. Dobbs planned out his transition. With so many new listeners, 99% of the audience will not have heard it.

[1:58] This week, Marc discusses issues of being an introvert and how they relate to his current experiences in Mexico. A lot of Marc’s experiences in Mexico directly relate to challenges we all face in managing our careers in the second half of life. Marc is recording in Mexico a few days before returning from his month-long exploration.

[2:26] Marc and his wife arrived in Ajijic, Mexico on March 14. They had arranged to rent a one-bedroom garage apartment for about $825 for four weeks. The apartment was small but adequate and the technology was fine. They are four blocks from the main square and a block-and-a-half from the lake. Gustavo, their host, has been wonderful.

[3:21] The apartment was right next door to Gustavo’s mother’s house, where his sister takes care of their elderly mother. It’s a great way to experience Mexico. Marc wanted to explore what it was like to live in Mexico, not vacation there.

[4:05] They started their investigation to find necessary resources, including chiropractors, a dentist, a barber, an endocrinologist, and health insurance. Marc lists the resources they found. They fulfilled everything on their list except for securing healthcare. The agent they found never followed up with them. They still have options.

[6:37] When the Millers arrived on a Wednesday morning, the first thing they did was go to the Wednesday farmers’ market. The market was large and a few blocks from their apartment. They also found two other markets close at hand. It took a few days to find all the stores they wanted and their favorite restaurants.

[8:09] It is easy to eat healthy in Mexico with plentiful and inexpensive fruits and vegetables.

[8:57] It took about a week to get settled in. That first week Marc didn’t want to search. He was learning Spanish. His introversion started to kick in. Too much talking to people wears on Marc, especially to non-English speakers. He found it easier to speak face-to-face though, instead of on the phone.

 

[10:19] Marc explains how he will use technology in Mexico. On his first trip, he found the DSL connection wasn’t very good. This time the socket where his DSL modem was plugged in lost electricity, but when he plugged into another socket it was good. There are fewer available sockets on walls.

[12:27] Electricity in Ajijic is not as reliable as most in the U.S. expect it to be. Marc talks about his international AT&T mobile phone plan, and the reliability of service. In the first couple of weeks his calls dropped but in the next couple of weeks, they stayed connected.

[12:58] Voice and data quality are good. Marc’s next destination may not have the same service, with 3G service.

[13:28] Marc tells about how a Church had generators on hand for their Passion Play, and the electricity went out less than an hour before the program.

[14:57] It took Marc about 10 days to settle in while continuing to run his business. Then they started exploring. They walked about eight miles a day. They rented a car from a local agency for two weeks, but they didn’t use it that much. After two weeks Marc hadn’t found his resources yet.

[16:50] Eventually, under pressure of time, Marc stopped putting it off and started making contacts.

[17:24] In the first two weeks Marc and his wife hit all the open air markets.Marc describes the markets and what they sell. Some cater to locals, and some to “gringos.” They rode bikes to the farther market. Marc, being 6’4”, didn’t find the right-sized bike. Transportation is inexpensive. A lot of expats do without a car and prefer to walk.

[20:13] After two weeks, Marc was still procrastinating. He decided not to call people but to go down to their offices to visit them. He visited a dentist, clinics, chiropractors, and started getting traction on getting things done.

[21:27] There are restaurants that support the expat community and there are restaurants for the local community, as well as the street vendors. Do not eat raw fruit, but bring it home and soak it in an iodine bath for about 15 minutes before eating it. It takes a while for your body to get used to the local bacteria.

[23:27] Marc said once he got started his research, he made real progress. After three weeks he started thinking about home.

[24:40] Marc and his wife are starting to plan their next trip, to stay for three months. They will drive from Austin on a three-day journey. They have hired a driver to take them from Laredo to Ajijic. They will take their cats with them and rent a one-bedroom house for about $600 a month, out of town.

[25:22] Marc says he got a lot of advice from others to hire a driver who knows the area. It costs about $500 for the driver. Their driver supports the expat community with this service.

[26:38] Marc has found a rhythm to running his business from Mexico. He is able to set boundaries on himself to prevent himself from working too much. Mexico is gorgeous; the people are great and family-oriented and friendly.

[27:45] Sounds in Ajijic are so different. Windows stay open day and night. There is no road noise at night, just dead silence. There is no heating or air conditioning. Marc wakes up to birds singing and the sounds of horses on the cobblestone streets.

[29:12] Marc went to the Chapala marketplace just to experience the sounds and the smells. It is very different from Austin.

[29:33] If you have any questions about Marc’s experiences, please make a comment on the Show Notes. Maybe Marc will write a book about it.

[29:51] You cannot just bring a car into Mexico. You need a temporary import permit. You can only bring a car manufactured in a NAFTA country. You have to take it back out. You need Mexico car insurance while there.

[30:38] Bringing the cats is part of the experimentation. There are lots of pet stores that cater to expats.

[30:59] Marc hopes you enjoyed this. He took his anxieties about being an introvert and worked around them.

[32:38] Check back next week for Marc’s interview with Joel Dobbs.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Facebook

Chapala.com webboard

Pablo’s Grocery store in Ajijic

AT&T mobile phone service

San Antonio Tlayacapa Jalisco Mexico

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. The book is selling 150 to 200 copies a month, so thank you to readers!

Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help.

CareerPivot.com/Episode-74 Show Notes for this episode.

Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast.

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to

CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com.

Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me

You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast.

To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes

To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android

Careerpivot.com

Apr 9, 2018

In this episode, Marc is the guest, and answers a variety of career questions by Richard Eisenberg on Next Avenue. Richard asks Marc about his pivots, his advice for potential first-time pivoters, and his future plans.

 

Key Takeaways:

[1:06] Marc welcomes you to episode 73 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast and invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[1:36] Next week, Marc will discuss some issues of being an introvert and a square peg and how they relate to his current experiences in Mexico. A lot of Marc’s experiences in Mexico directly relate to some of the challenges we all face in managing our careers in the second half of life.

[1:55] This week, Marc plays an interview from the Next Avenue podcast. NextAvenue.org is the PBS website for the Baby Boomer generation, where grownups keep growing. Marc was interviewed on episode 3 about making career pivots after 50.

[2:15] Richard Eisenberg of Next Avenue introduces Marc Miller and asks Marc what a career pivot is. Marc talks about the need to maintain an income into the sixties. Marc is on his seventh career. He calls changing careers by half steps pivoting. In each new change he has carried something forward from an earlier job, including a relationship.

[3:18] The idea is to make incremental changes to get to where you want. It’s much easier to make planned incremental changes. It’s really difficult to maintain that smoothness of income when you make radical changes. Most of us like incremental changes.

[4:00] Marc talks about his pivots, starting at IBM in the late 1970s. He lists the variety of jobs he held at IBM. He left IBM in 2000 to work for a successful tech startup. Meanwhile, he was still consulting, and could go back to IBM if he wanted.

[5:04] Richard comments that having a Plan B is a good idea for most people, in case the career pivot doesn’t work out as planned. Marc made three or four pivots within IBM.

[5:22] On July 11, 2002, Marc had a near-fatal bicycle accident. In his recovery time he made the decision to go teach high school math. He considered that training engineers for 20 years in 40 countries had prepared him to teach math in an inner-city high school. After two years teaching two years, he needed to move on to another pivot.

[6:16] After teaching, Marc felt lost. He wanted to do nonprofit fundraising. He ended up at the Jewish Community Center of Austin. What he learned was he can’t work for a nonprofit.

[7:04] Marc went back to a tech startup in December of 2007. It was financially a good decision but personally a bad decision. He also served on the board of Launchpad Job Club. In 2009 he saw many people wiped out by the Great Recession, while his tech startup was fine. That’s when Marc started his research on career pivots.

[7:46] Marc talks about his experiences with career pivoting. When he started CareerPivot it took him 18 months to stop waking up in the night worried about income. He kept reminding himself that being an entrepreneur is a marathon, not a sprint.

[8:32] Marc discusses “Why Three Career Failures Were Good for Me,” a column he contributed to Next Avenue. Boomers were raised believing that failure was not an option. Millennials embrace failure, as long as they learn something from every failure.

[9:12] Richard asks how to plan a career pivot. Marc says to first know thyself. Start talking to trusted advisors about what you think you might want to do. Get feedback from others about who you are and what you’re good at. Check with work associates and personal friends. There will be some words that will surprise you.

[11:35] What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when they try to switch fields in the second half of life? Marc gives an example.

[12:44] What if your current field is a disaster area? You are branded in your career both by your business acumen and by your industry. Career pivots come primarily by repurposing one of those areas. Marc discusses episode 20 for an example.

[14:04] Figure out what your transferable skills are. Make incremental steps, using your network of support.

[15:30] Marc explains weak ties and cultivating your tribe. People who know you socially also know people you don’t know. Ask for referrals. Marc mentions your kids’ friends parents. Marc shares a case study where a client landed a new job at age 59 through an old work associate after being laid off.

[16:44] Marc describes your tribe as being up to 150 people that you can go to and expect a positive result when you ask for a favor. Make it an easy favor. If you want something, you need to ask for it.

[17:28] Marc advises how to get the most from LinkedIn and other social media. You want to construct your LinkedIn profile so you are found. The more people you connect to, the better. Facebook lets people know how you are doing.

[18:59] Marc and his wife are planning to move out of Austin, Texas to Mexico. He is being very methodical in his planning. He explains how he is doing it. Relocation and pivoting are inter-related. Marc is moving his business to an online model.

[20:34] Marc talks about his partnership with NextAvenue.org, and invites you to visit their site and listen to their podcast.

[46:03] Marc’s final thoughts: Look at yourself. Make sure you really know who you are. Get out of your own head. Work with a coach, spouse, or friend.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Your Next Avenue Podcast

IBM

Jewish Community Center Austin

Launchpad Job Club

Why Three Career Failures Were Good for Me

Repurpose Your Career/Episode 20 with Elizabeth Rabaey

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon.

Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help.

CareerPivot.com/Episode-73 Show Notes for this episode.

Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast.

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to

CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com.

Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me

You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast.

To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes

To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android

Careerpivot.com

Apr 2, 2018

Alexander Buschek has been an IT professional for many years. He is passionate about digital transformation and the opportunities it will give businesses — especially SMBs. He is convinced that every business has to embrace digital transformation in one way or another, in order to survive. The sooner a business starts its digital transformation, the better. To support this process, spread awareness, and share experiences, he started a digital transformation blog. Today he is the CIO of Cherry GmbH, well known for their excellent keyboards and MX switches, who hired him because of his profound knowledge of digital transformation and digitalization. Until January 2018, he was the CDO and CIO of Braunschweiger Flammenfilter GmbH, an international valve manufacturing company that employs more than 500 people in several locations worldwide. His main responsibility was the overall digitalization and IT development for the entire PROTEGO® Group. Before joining PROTEGO®, he worked as an entrepreneur consulting SMBs about their IT strategies, providing external project management and overseeing various IT projects, including ERP and CAD implementation and migration. Working with many SMBs gave him a deep understanding of this market.




Key Takeaways:

[1:18] Marc welcomes you to Episode 72 and invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[1:47] This week, Marc interviews Alexander Buschek, who is the poster child for someone who completely rebranded himself to become a digital transformation thought leader.

[2:00] Last week was the monthly Q&A episode. If you’d like to submit a question to be answered on this podcast, just go to CareerPivot.com, and click on the Contact Me link to submit a question by email, or click on the Send Voicemail tab on the right side of the screen to submit your question by voice. Marc will play your question in the episode.

[2:27] Next week’s episode will be Marc’s interview on the Next Avenue podcast. NextAvenue.org is the PBS website for the Baby Boomer generation. Marc was interviewed on Episode 3 about making career pivots.

[2:44] Marc reads Alexander’s bio.

[4:30] Marc introduces Alexander. Alexander talks about looking for a new job before working with Marc. He sent applications everywhere and didn’t get answers. He also had a difficult bio, being self-employed for more than 24 years, then became the CIO of one of his customers. He decided he needed help and he found Marc.

[5:34] Marc started Alexander through the rebranding process. Alexander shares the roadmap he followed.

[5:45] The first step was the Birkman assessment to find out who he was, what were his strengths and weaknesses. He learned new things about himself. Marc encouraged him to have a blog, videos, and write a book. He’s still working on the book.

[6:38] The roadmap was getting to know himself and writing a white paper, as a preliminary for the blog. Then he started writing the blog and became the thought leader in digital transformation. Then his visibility started. People asked him to speak at conferences, which was a great experience for him.

[7:13] Marc frequently told Alexander to be bold. At first, Alexander didn’t see himself as bold. Then he found out he was. He was not reluctant to speak up and do the things he thought were necessary.

[8:03] Marc was blown away by Alexander’s resume. Alexander didn’t see himself as a hot commodity, however. He had to learn to understand his achievements and tell people about his experience.

[9:16] Alexander’s white paper was about cloud technology. In Germany, many were reluctant to even look into it. So he thought, at least he needed to look into it. He figured out that cloud technology is the future.

[10:31] Alexander used Dragon Naturally Speaking to write. You just talk and you see it written in Word. It was very helpful.

[11:55] While Alexander was networking as the CIO of Protego he approached Autodesk to ask if CAD systems could be based in the cloud. Autodesk invited him to look at how it was being used at the time, including Fusion 360. After talking with a manager there, they invited him to be part of a panel discussion in Berlin.

[13:15] The panel was on digital transformation, in English. Alexander used it for his blog with great success. Personal branding is making sure people get the impression of you that you want them to have.

[14:13] After being on the Financial Times panel, Alexander started writing his blog posts. He spoke at another event for Autodesk. It snowballed from there.

[15:29] Alexander spent the Christmas holidays in 2016 shooting videos about digital transformation, based on his conference presentations. Headhunters started to approach him. He expanded his LinkedIn network significantly.

[17:18] Doing videos helped Alexander’s presentation skills a lot.

[18:49] Making a video requires one hour or more of effort for every minute of finished video.

[20:14] Alexander is proudest of getting his new job that is challenging. He is proud that he was asked, rather than sending in his application. He branded himself doing what he loved to do and showing his expertise, with the goal of getting a new job.

[21:17] Alexander was passionate about digital transformation. His previous job had given him no opportunity in that area. It is present or will be present in every company. Alexander became an expert on it after a lot of work. There is no way around hard work with a lot of discipline.

[22:21] Alexander credits Marc with inspiring him to push forward, not just because he needed a job but because he loved the field.

[22:23] Digital transformation is so present these days, but so few people understand it.

[23:37] The first positive feedback from Alexander’s white paper was very helpful. Marc gave Alexander small steps to do one at a time that really kept him going. The next step is to write the book.

[25:25] Alexander’s advice: you can do it, however, you need to be patient and put a lot of effort into it. With the effort comes the success. Be bold. Get some advice and get a jobs coach. Reading a book alone does not usually provide the motivation. Be patient.

[28:08] Alexander looked off into the future and positioned himself in a niche with SMBs.

[29:13] Marc hopes Alexander has inspired listeners to be bold!

[30:05] Alexander first contacted Marc by LinkedIn after reading Personal Branding for Baby Boomers: What It Is, How to Manage It, and Why It's No Longer Optional. When he contacted Marc he had 70 LinkedIn contacts; today he has 1,200 or so.

[30:29] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Alexander proves that with dedication and hard work you can create a professional brand that will get you where you want to go.

[32:08] Check back next week for Marc’s interview on NextAvenue.org.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Your Next Avenue Podcast

Birkman Assessment

Infor ERP Systems

AutoDesk Inventor

Autodesk

Fusion 360

Financial Times

Agile

DigitalTransformationBlog.com

Alex@Buschek.info

Personal Branding for Baby Boomers: What It Is, How to Manage It, and Why It's No Longer Optional, by Marc Miller

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon.

Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Beta groups will be brought in 10 at a time. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help.

CareerPivot.com/Episode-72 Show Notes for this episode.

Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast.

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to

CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com.

Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me

You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast.

To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes

To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android

Careerpivot.com

1