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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. 
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Now displaying: December, 2018
Dec 17, 2018

Elizabeth Rabaey has had to take multiple pivots to get where she is today. It wasn’t just one step. Elizabeth is a ‘creative,’ with a love for details. She spent 25 years working for a Texas-based environmental engineering consulting company, providing project management, and technical assistance. During her last three years there, she transitioned to the marketing and business development side of the company, which enabled her to combine both her creative and technical skills to promote the company.

 

Elizabeth then changed careers, taking multiple steps and learning new skills at each position, eventually finding a job working for an international company as a marketing coordinator. Marc and Elizabeth discuss why she initiated her career pivots, where they took her, what she learned along the way, and how long it took to land a position that met her needs.

 

At the end of the interview, Elizabeth returns to the podcast to give a 2018 update on her career.

 

Key Takeaways:

[1:28] Marc welcomes you to Episode 108 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast.

[1:41] CareerPivot.com brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of lives and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources that are delivered to you, free of charge.

[1:57] If you are enjoying this podcast, Marc asks you to share it with like-minded souls. Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media, or just tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[2:13] This will be the last week you can take the 2018 Repurpose Your Career Podcast Survey. If you would be so kind, please go to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey (where you will be redirected to SurveyMonkey) to take the survey. Marc will publish the results in January 2019. Marc thanks you in advance for your participation.

[2:39] This will be the last episode of 2018. Marc will not be publishing an episode on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. Marc will restart the podcast on January 7, 2019, with an interview of Elizabeth White, author of Fifty-Five, Unemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life.

[3:03] This week will be an encore episode where Marc interviewed Elizabeth Rabaey. Elizabeth has made multiple pivots to go from an air and water environmental permitting specialist, to be a creative marketing type. After the replay of the episode, which originally aired in March of 2017, Marc will bring Elizabeth back to give you an update.

[3:29] Marc welcomes Elizabeth to the Repurpose Your Career podcast.

[3:43] Elizabeth started working with Marc in 2012 to pivot her career journey. She is grateful for Marc’s mentorship to keep moving forward. It takes longer than you might think to make major changes, especially after being in one industry for a long time.

[4:32] Elizabeth also had help from Jean LeFebvre of Panacheimages.com, an image consultant and others along the way.

[4:40] Elizabeth’s first half of life included working for a year in St. Paul, MN, after college. The winter inspired her to move to Austin, where she worked for the state government for three years. Looking to private industry, she went to a small environmental engineering company and worked there for 23+ years.

[5:15] Elizabeth had wonderful opportunities at that firm, and learned technical skills, like calculating air quality emissions, managing hazardous solid waste, planning around groundwater and stormwater, and more. She worked in many roles and learned new software. There was always something new and she had great mentors.

[6:32] One day, Elizabeth felt that she wanted more, and she opened the door to looking for a different opportunity.

[6:42] The spark for Elizabeth to make a change was that she felt like she had reached the end of what she wanted to do in that company. She also wanted to rein in her overtime and weekend hours to make room for volunteer activities, hobbies, or travel.

[7:29] How did Elizabeth start looking for ‘that next thing?’ LinkedIn was an influence. Where did she meet Marc Miller, and how did he catch her attention?

[8:39] At the Metropolitan Breakfast Club, Elizabeth met style and image consultant Jean LeFebvre. Used to T-shirts and shorts, Elizabeth needed a new image. Jean started by tossing out all Elizabeth’s clothes, and then she helped her select a business wardrobe. Jean LeFebvre has had remarkable success with several of Marc’s clients.

[11:40] What did Elizabeth do to improve her networking skills? She has three opening questions to get a conversation going. Just get out, and do it! It’s necessary, and it takes practice. Do what you feel works for you. The Metropolitan Breakfast Club was a good place for Elizabeth to learn networking.

[14:08] Elizabeth talks about her multiple job pivots. The first pivot came by way of a networking contact at a bigger firm, where she got a job and learned marketing and project management. Elizabeth stayed there for a year. Why did she go back to her former firm, and what did she learn?

[19:04] Marc notes that Elizabeth worked with Vicki McCullough, of Sequitur Marketing, who markets to engineers. Elizabeth comments on the challenges of marketing to engineers and service companies.

[20:45] Elizabeth explains how she found her current position on a job board and on their website. How did her five years of pivoting help her to get the job? What does she especially like about this job? How is it different from past roles?

[23:21] The most interesting thing: her company has no office in Austin. There are three employees who work in Austin from home, including Elizabeth’s boss. Jobs are largely becoming location independent. Jobs do not have to be where you live. Elizabeth feels she will perhaps have one more job. For right now, it is a good place for her to be.

[25:16] One skill Elizabeth has now that was not in her dreams of five years ago: her use of social media for marketing and branding. Another skill: collaborating with separated project team members, using text, and conference calls. Let go of “the way you’ve always done it,” so you can grow.

[27:05] Elizabeth does all the graphics for Marc, and she is good. She has learned Canva and other apps. She is a closet ‘creative.’ She wants to learn the Adobe Creative Cloud and become somewhat of a graphic artist. Marc comments on her progress.

[28:33] Elizabeth leaves some parting advice. Keep moving forward, and surround yourself with good people who push you to better things. Don’t let the bad things bring you down.

[29:40] You can reach out and start a conversation with Elizabeth Rabaey on LinkedIn. If you send her a connection request, say you listened to her on this podcast.

[30:28] Elizabeth started as a client of Marc’s. Then she became an intern and then a paid consultant. She’s not the same person she was when she got started! Marc thanks Elizabeth for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast.

[31:06] Marc notes that episode was originally released in March of 2017. Next, hear from Elizabeth again about where she is now in her journey.

[31:16] Marc welcomes Elizabeth back to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc invites Elizabeth to tell everybody what has happened these last 18 months.

[31:36] Elizabeth is with the global heavy-duty mining equipment manufacturing company she described joining in the previous interview. She works on marketing projects supporting company offices in Canada and the U.S. She is on a team of three people.

[32:12] Elizabeth does the national and regional trade show management. She coordinates and gathers all the equipment to be displayed at the show, as well as working with vendors to build and tear down the company booth. She gets everybody registered manages travel, and arranges company speakers for the conferences.

[32:40] Elizabeth also produces printed marketing materials, designing the layout and writing the text. She has learned a lot and gained new skills through managing a lot of projects. It’s totally different from her earlier career. She works with a manager who gives her guidelines and boundaries and lets her go. That works very well for Elizabeth.

[33:18] Her earlier job of air and water environmental permitting was primarily Texas-based. In her new job, she travels to Canada and Australia as well as the U.S. There’s always something new and different. She uses creativity to solve problems in campaigns.

[34:30] Elizabeth markets things such as slurry pumps. A slurry pump is a big, heavy-duty pump used in a mining operation that moves slurry (water mixed with dirt, minerals, and mud) from one point to another. The material is usually very abrasive and so is the environment around the pump. Pumps need to withstand severe conditions.

[35:08] Elizabeth has been stretched by this job. She has added InDesign to her skillset to print brochures. She has learned logistics and how to work with a variety of vendors to coordinate events.

[36:23] Marc would like you to notice about Elizabeth — she is willing to learn and take chances. Four or five years ago, Elizabeth did not imagine anything close to the position she has now. She praises her manager and how they work together.

[37:09] During trade show season, January through the middle of May, Elizabeth travels to trade shows, arranging vendors setting up the booth, attending the show, and tearing down the booth. She does two big shows in the U.S. and one big show in Canada.

[37:51] In her permitting job, she traveled primarily in Texas. Now she gets to go to Montreal, Vancouver, Denver, Vegas and other places like that.

[38:56] Marc thanks Elizabeth for updating on her pivot. Elizabeth says she is already looking ahead and keeping herself fresh for the next pivot opportunity.

[39:38] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Marc has more encore episodes planned where he will bring back the guest at the end to update you on where they are now.

[39:46] Susan Lahey and Marc are working on the next edition of Repurpose Your Career, and Marc is looking for your help. Marc is forming a release team of readers who will get access to pre-release chapters of the book to provide feedback. You can be part of this team by going to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam where you can sign up.

[40:08] When you sign up, you’ll receive the pre-release versions of chapters when they become available. What Marc asks in return is that you provide feedback and be prepared to write a review on Amazon.com when the book is released.

[40:22] Marc and Susan are adding around eight new chapters to the book and re-writing several others. Marc will release a new pre-release chapter on the podcast and to the team every four to six weeks.

[40:52] If you have not already taken the 2018 Repurpose Your Career podcast survey, please do it now by going to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey and taking the podcast survey on SurveyMonkey.com.

[40:57] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc will start recruiting for the next cohort in early January.

[41:10] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with special content.

[41:46] Marc hopes you have a joyous holiday season. Marc and Mrs. Miller will be celebrating the holidays in Ajijic, Mexico.

[41:56] Check back on January 7th, for Marc’s interview of Elizabeth White, author of Fifty-Five, Unemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life.

[42:07] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-108.

[42:20] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates to this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot.

Dec 10, 2018

In this episode, Marc and Lynn discuss her book, Quitting by Design and discuss the advantages to quitting a job you don’t fit, some of the fears associated with quitting, how to prepare logically to meet the fears and move beyond them, and what you can learn from a job you hate and from leaving that job. Listen in for more ideas for your next career pivot or ‘quit.’

 

Key Takeaways:

[:58] Marc welcomes you to Episode 107 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast.

[1:11] CareerPivot.com brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of lives and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources that are delivered to you, free of charge.

[1:30] If you are enjoying this podcast, Marc asks you to share it with like-minded souls. Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, and the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, Overcast app, TuneIn, Spotify app, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, or just tell your neighbors and colleagues.

[1:51] We are coming to the end of the 2018 Repurpose Your Career Podcast Survey. Over 40 people have taken the survey. Marc will probably leave it up for another week.

[2:05] In order to improve the show, Marc needs to know something about you — how you listen to the show; if you read the show notes; what kinds of episodes are your favorites.

[2:15] Marc asks if you would kindly go to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey (where you will be redirected to SurveyMonkey) to take the survey. Marc will publish the results very likely in January. As Marc records this in Matehuala, Mexico, on the way back to Ajijic, he has surpassed 40 survey participants. He thanks you in advance for doing this.

[2:49] Next week, Marc will share an encore episode where he interviewed Elizabeth Rabaey. Elizabeth has made multiple pivots to go from an air and water environmental permitting specialist, to be a creative marketing type.

[3:05] This week, Marc interviews Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, who is a quitting evangelist. She helps people quit strategically, through her book, Quitting by Design, and her podcast, Quit Happens.

[3:23] Marc welcomes Dr. Lynn Marie Morski to the Repurpose Your Career podcast.
[4:04] Lynn explains the differences between quitting and failing.

[4:41] Quitting strategically puts you in an empowered position. It is better than hoping for the best in a job where you are not performing until suddenly you get fired without any plans for what comes next.

[5:11] Unless you are independently wealthy, plan your next move. Marc has quit jobs. Once he was laid off, at his request. One of Marc’s favorite books is Necessary Endings, by Dr. Henry Cloud. In order for new things to start, we have to end things.

[6:04] Your body will tell you when it’s time to quit. When your body starts giving you signals, such as anxiety, insomnia, or a discontented feeling, you start to have chronic pain, or you start getting really irritable with your co-workers, loved ones, or friends, those are all signs that something is out of alignment and needs to be changed.

[6:49] Sometimes when people feel this way, they start adding things. It may be that you need to subtract something that isn’t working for you, not add something else.

[6:56] A therapist may point out to you the things that are not working for you. Sometimes another view can help us see what is not obvious to ourselves.

[8:11] Marc tells of times a therapist has helped him make a career change. It comes down to finding out what is creating the situation that is not working for you.

[8:32] There are fears around quitting. Lynn separates them into esoteric and logistical fears. If you wonder what about all the time and money you’ve wasted pursuing your career, overcome your fear by seeing the ‘sunk cost fallacy.’ Having put money into something is no reason to stay in it.

[9:37] If you were willing to spend time and money pursuing something you don’t want, the money you spent is gone, anyway. Don’t you owe it to yourself to find something you enjoy doing? Lynn talks about her medical school loans. She invested a lot in herself to follow a specific path.

[10:29] Lynn finished her Sports Medicine fellowship in 2009 and realized during that year that she didn’t love it. She decided what she did not want in her career. She chose to quit having a pager, quit prescribing, and quit working nights and weekends, sitting on the sidelines. She chose to do VA compensation and pension exams.

[13:24] Going through this process helped Lynn realize how to help other people who can’t make a dramatic ‘quit.’ To completely quit medicine is a lot bigger deal than to quit having specific aspects in a medical job.

[13:40] Marc notes that quitting is only bad if you haven’t learned something. He shares an experience from his IBM days. He quit from one position he hated in less than a year but he still uses what he learned from that year in his current practice. He’s glad he did it but enough of it was enough.

[14:50] People may fear that they have wasted whatever time they spent in a job they quit. The only way you can find out what you want to do is by experimenting. Not all those experiments are going to be slam-dunks. If you learn from it, it was not wasted.

[15:23] If Marc hated his IBM job and then took the same job at a competitor, yes, he would have wasted that time because he wouldn’t have learned from it. If you take an experience and learn what you do like, and what you don’t like, then it’s not a waste.

[15:40] Marc admits that multiple times in his career he has relapsed by going back to something he had done earlier, and not learning from the first time what he wanted to avoid. He says you have to learn from your mistakes, and not forget what you’ve learned!

[16:20] Besides the fears of sunk costs and wasted jobs, people may fear what other people may think. That is the least problem because nothing of what people think about you is nearly as important as what you think about yourself. What you experience is more real to you than what someone else may or may not be thinking.

[18:37] Marc recalls the episode with Jennifer Winter, who was head of sponsorship for Turner Broadcasting Sports. She did not like sports. People told her she had the greatest job ever, but it was not for her. Quitting is OK even if others don’t understand or support your decision.

[19:53] When somebody says something disapproving, it takes five seconds of your day. Contrast that with the 40 hours a week you have to put into the job. How does that balance out?

[20:45] If a person can’t quit and needs the money coming in. Strategically quitting is the answer. You want to up-level your life, not end up on the street. Lynn says to save up a nest egg or emergency fund, start a side hustle and work at it until it can take over as your main job, or start interviewing while you are still at the job you’re quitting.

[22:00] If you have to leave the job and you haven’t found a replacement job, find ways to live on half of your income and cut back on expenses so you can prepare for some time between jobs or finding a job with less earning potential than you had before.

[22:28] Marc recommends listeners to go back two episodes to listen to Susan Joyce of Job-Hunt.org. Susan talks about proactive vs. reactive job search. Marc reminds listeners he is moving to Mexico to be able to live on a third of the cost of living in Austin. This reduction in his cost of living allows Marc a huge amount of freedom.

[23:03] Marc also recommends you not to listen to what others tell you. Get the facts for yourself.

[23:14] You can find Lynn’s book or reach Lynn for coaching at QuittingByDesign.com. Also, you can contact Lynn on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at QuittingByDesign.

[23:44] Marc thanks Dr. Lynn Marie Morski for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode — it might inspire you to be a quitter!

[23:56] Susan Lahey and Marc are working on the next edition of Repurpose Your Career, and Marc is looking for your help. Marc is forming a release team of readers who will get access to pre-release chapters of the book to provide feedback. You can be part of this team by going to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam where you can sign up.

[24:19] When you sign up, you’ll receive the pre-release version of chapters when they become available. What Marc asks in return is for you to provide feedback and be prepared to write a review on Amazon.com when the book is released.

[24:34] Marc and Susan are adding around eight new chapters to the book and re-writing several others. Marc’s goal is to have a chapter on the podcast and to the team every four to six weeks in the coming months. Marc may start a private Facebook group for the team to discuss their thoughts.

[24:58] Please go to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey and take the 2018 Repurpose Your Career podcast survey on SurveyMonkey.com. Marc thanks the listeners who have already participated and taken the survey.

[25:19] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc will start recruiting soon for the next cohort.  

[25:33] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with special content.

[26:13] Check back next week, when Marc interviews Elizabeth Rabaey, in an encore episode.

[26:32] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates of this podcast and all the other happenings at CareerPivot. You can also subscribe on podcast sites.

Dec 3, 2018

In this episode, Marc recounts the details of traveling back to the U.S. from Mexico without a guide other than Google Maps. They clean out the condo and prepare it for rental. They sell what they don’t want to keep, store what they do, and give the remainder to the Salvation Army. Marc shares the health benefits he and his wife have experienced through walking more and eating healthier and the financial benefits of a more affordable healthcare system including health insurance at a fraction of the cost of the ACA programs. Marc describes the trip back to Austin and why you don’t drive at night in Mexico!

 

Key Takeaways:

[1:11] Marc welcomes you to Episode 106 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast.

[1:22] CareerPivot.com brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of lives and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources that are delivered to you, free of charge.

[1:40] If you are enjoying this podcast, Marc asks you to share it with like-minded souls. Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, and the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, Overcast app, TuneIn, Spotify app, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, or just tell your neighbors and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more he can help.

[2:07] Marc has released the 2018 Repurpose Your Career Podcast Survey. Marc thanks listeners who have already taken the survey.

[2:15] In order to improve the show, Marc needs to know something about you — how you listen to the show; if you read the show notes; what kinds of episodes are your favorites.

[2:25] Marc asks if you would kindly go to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey (where you will be redirected to SurveyMonkey) to take the survey. Marc will publish the results in a couple of months. In the last week of November, Marc has 35 survey participants, so far. He thanks you in advance for doing this survey for the podcast.

[2:50] Next week, Marc will interview Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, who is a quitting evangelist. She helps people quit strategically, through her book, Quitting by Design, and her podcast, Quit Happens.

[3:06] This week, Marc takes you on the next steps in becoming an expat in Mexico. Marc and his wife have returned to Austin for six weeks, where they are cleaning out their condo and preparing for their return trip to become semi-permanent residents of Mexico.

[3:24] Marc tells of their plan to clean out the condo, apply for visas at the Mexican Embassy in Laredo, get route advice from Juan Pablo (J.P.), get a new car battery, bring cats to the vet, get inn reservations, and use Google Maps for their first solo trip back.

[5:15] Mexican highways include several roads in various directions with the same number. Google Maps was invaluable for directions.

[5:37] The Millers left on a Tuesday, to avoid trucks that are usually released on Mondays. Going North is very different from going South, primarily because of security checkpoints.

[6:04] The Mexican countryside is “drop-dead gorgeous.” Marc wants to take a lot more pictures on their way back down. As they started toward Matehuala there was fairly minimal truck traffic for a good distance.

[6:32] Once the truck traffic picked up, there were stretches with one car for every 10 trucks. Marc found a truck going the speed they wanted and followed it for hundreds of miles, as J.P. had suggested.

[7:08] On Day One, the Millers ran into one security checkpoint but they were not stopping anyone. The first day was pretty uneventful. They had brought all the food they needed to eat on the trip, so their only stops were for bathroom breaks.

[7:33] At the end of Day One, the Millers stayed at the Las Palmas Midway Inn in Matehuala. It is a 1950s style motor inn. Many expats stay there because it is pet-friendly. It was almost full when Marc made the reservation, a week ahead of the trip. This is when all the snowbirds start coming down.

[8:11] This time, the cats were a whole lot more comfortable traveling. They were fine at the inn and in the car. The first day was easy. The Millers stopped at the Matehuala Walmart and bought a few things. The hotel restaurant was actually very, very good.

[8:46] On Day Two Marc and his wife started out at 7:30, and boy, did they see trucks! Trucks and more trucks. They went through multiple security checkpoints. One of the major ones actually backed up things for an hour. They were in bumper-to-bumper traffic for an hour as they diverted all trucks off to be searched.

[9:16] When the Millers got up to the checkpoint, cars were funneled to the left and were waved through. The car in front of the Millers was a high-powered car driven by a Mexican, and the security officers pulled it over to inspect.

[9:37] There was also a fruta stop to check for fruit. Marc knew enough Spanish to be able to answer no when the officer asked if they had any fruit in the car.

[9:53] Marc and his wife drove all the way up to Nuevo Laredo, to cross at the Laredo border crossing. First, they had to stop at the Banjercito where they surrendered the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for their car and received back the $400 deposit they paid for their car. If you miss this, you will be barred from bringing a car back to Mexico.

[10:55] Marc pulled into the wrong side of the Banjercito booth, and they directed him to turn around and approach on the correct side. They peeled the sticker off and informed the Millers the deposit would be refunded to the Millers’ credit card in three or four days.

[11:14] Next was the Immigration (IMM) Office where they took the Millers’ tourist visa (FMM) card. Next would be the U.S. Customs on the other side of the border.

[11:37] The Millers had all the paperwork for the cats, as they were supposed to have. That was good because Customs did check their cats.

[11:49] These are highly-crossed borders, and closing them is a huge inconvenience for business and locals who go across the borders to work. The Millers crossed at about 5:00 p.m. after a 45-minute wait. They made it to a La Quinta in Laredo, where they stayed the night.

[12:37] The next morning, the Millers drove the nice, easy three-to-four trip home.

[12:53] The Millers discovered when they got back to Austin that Marc had lost 15 pounds and his wife had lost 20. In Mexico, other than drives to Guadalajara, they hadn’t put 20 miles on the car. They walked everywhere. If they had something big to bring back, like a sack of kitty litter, they brought a little hand truck to carry it.

[12:38] Another reason for the weight loss is that Mexican food has no added sugar and salt. Every kind of food the Millers ate tasted better. Local fruits and vegetables, and local baked goods tasted so good.

[14:36] Marc’s blood pressure is back to normal and still improving. Marc is now back at his college graduation weight at age 62 — 170 pounds at just under 6'4". He hasn’t been this healthy in years.

[15:05] Marc also noticed how much constant noise there is in Austin from machinery and traffic, contrasted with Ajijic. The pace of life is booming in Austin, and Marc finds he doesn’t like it anymore. Austin has changed dramatically in the 40 years the Millers have lived there.

[15:38] It used to be a sleepy little university town with state government. “It ain’t that no more.”

[15:44] Marc is healthier than he has been in years. His wife has more stamina than she’s had in years. Marc cannot say what the last four months have done for their health. They are looking forward to going back.

[15:58] The Miller’s first concern in Austin was what to do with all their stuff. They rented a 5'x10' room at a small storage facility for about $70 per month. Their goal had been to get rid of everything but — not quite everything. They’re storing a few things they are not sure they want to discard and things they will bring down to Ajijic on their next trip.

[16:33] The Millers will leave their bikes for now and bring them down on their next trip. They also have a really nice king-sized bed they will store, just in case they come back to stay. Items they wanted no more, they put up on their local condo Facebook group and on Marc’s regular Facebook page, saying no reasonable offer will be turned down.

[17:16] The Millers started selling things for $30 to $50. Whatever is leftover that the Millers do not want, the Salvation Army Austin will have come and picked up by the time this episode is released.

[17:35] Marc lists the repairs that were needed before renting the condo — new dishwasher, new seals in the toilet, new knobs for the range, some painting, and general maintenance.

[18:31] The Millers went through all their paper photos. They got rid of a lot of them and took the rest to a camera shop to be scanned. They will still keep the scanned photos in paper form as well.

[18:48] One of their biggest problems was moving George, their 45-year-old ponytail palm. George is nearly 10 feet tall and 500 pounds and was on the third floor. The condo manager found three guys to move the tree and it was an ordeal. They had to take it out of the pot, which was heavy in itself. They gave the tree to a former neighbor.

[19:55] They changed their correspondence address to that of an old family friend they’ve known for over 40 years. They are applying for health insurance. Marc has been approved and Lotus Miller is waiting for approval. Marc tells the premium and deductible for his own policy for a year, which will be much less than his monthly ACA premium.

[20:55] Lotus’s policy will be a little more than Marc’s and is going through the approval process, now.

[21:05] The Millers have just prepared their 2015 Subaru Outback with new tires and a full-size spare. They had to install a lockable Yakima roof rack for the spare, for about $500.

[22:15] Marc tells of going through a fog thicker than any he had driven through in his life. The temperature dropped 30°F immediately, and the low-pressure gauge for the tires popped on. Now Marc is getting an electric tire pump to keep in the vehicle.

[23:21] Within 10 days of crossing the border, the cats must go to the vet with all the paperwork needed.

[23:36] Marc will get a temporary resident visa for himself. Lotus will get a permanent resident visa for herself. You can’t bring a car in on a permanent visa! The car is in Marc’s name. Their marriage certificate shows a different name for Lotus.

[24:18] Lotus changed her first name about 10 years ago. The name on their wedding license needs to be certified by the Mexican government. After The Millers get their marriage license certified by the Mexican government, Marc will get a permanent visa and they will get rid of the car. The Mexican government does not like American cars.

[25:01] By the time this episode is released on Monday, the Millers will have stopped at the Mexican Embassy in Laredo to process the visa applications. They will cross the border, go to the IMM office very early and leave for Ajijic on Tuesday morning, making it a two-day trip.

[25:36] The key piece is — you do not drive at night in Mexico! You do not! There is livestock on the road, even the toll roads. There are also speed bumps that come up fast that you don’t see at night. Marc will leave Laredo with a full tank of gas. Gas is well over $4.00 in Mexico. The only stops will be for bathroom breaks.

[27:01] The Millers are excited to go back. Marc is happy to leave Austin. The stress of getting everything ready and turning it over to the property manager has been really difficult.

[27:33] Marc and his wife will be coming back to Austin in early March, as Marc has a speaking gig then in Central Texas. The car is also due for registration in April and a car inspection. Marc shares some travel plans for that time.

[28:12] Marc hopes you get a feel for this being an amazing experience and a healthy experience. Having spent five months in Mexico, their 2018 spending expenses are way, way down, probably 60% to two-thirds of 2017’s expenses. They have not lived a frugal lifestyle in Ajijic, Mexico.

[29:04] Marc hopes you learned something from this episode! If you have any questions, please go to the Show Notes at CareerPivot.com/Episode-106 and put some comments. Marc will be happy to answer your questions. A lot of people have been following the Millers on this journey, including some visits to see them in Ajijic!

[29:36] Susan Lahey and Marc are working on the next edition of Repurpose Your Career, and they are looking for your help. Marc is forming a release team of readers who will get access to pre-release chapters of the book to provide feedback. You can be part of this team by going to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam where you can sign up.

[29:58] When you sign up, you’ll receive the pre-release version of chapters when they become available. What Marc asks in return is for you to provide feedback and be prepared to write a review on Amazon when the book is released.

[30:17] Marc and Susan are adding around eight new chapters to the book and re-writing several others. Marc’s goal is to have a chapter on the podcast and to the team every four to six weeks in the coming months. Marc may start a private Facebook group for the team to discuss their thoughts. A PDF of Chapter 1 will be released soon.

[31:03] Please go to CareerPivot.com/podcast-survey and take the 2018 Repurpose Your Career podcast survey on SurveyMonkey.com. Marc thanks the listeners who have already participated and taken the survey.

[31:21] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for around 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc will start recruiting in mid-December for the next cohort to begin in early January.  

[31:38] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with special content.

[41:51] Marc will do a session, probably in early January, where he will be interviewing some of the members of the community about what they’re getting out of it. This is an evolving community ranging in age from the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties.

[32:14] Check back next week, when Marc interviews Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, author of Quitting by Design.

[32:48] If you would like to connect with Marc on LinkedIn, please go to LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller and just say you were listening to this podcast and you would like to connect.

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