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A promotion can look perfect on paper and still feel wrong in your gut. That moment is where we start, with Theresa Gutierrez choosing sustainability over HR and Felicia MacDonald stepping from a large corporation into leadership at a very small e-commerce company. Their stories point to the same truth: a career transition gets easier to navigate when you stop chasing someone else’s ladder and start defining what you actually want.

We walk through the career planning questions I come back to again and again when people are job searching, facing layoffs, or simply ready for a new chapter: What does success look like for me? What skills or strengths do I want to use? What experiences am I craving that I’m not getting right now? From there, we talk about how to turn a “messy map” into real momentum through experimentation, transferable skills, and the confidence that comes from taking one smart risk at a time.

We also get practical about leadership and change management: building a support team that will both check you and cheer you on, thinking clearly about total compensation, and redefining failure as data you can use. Even a role that doesn’t work out can strengthen your foundation through new capabilities, new relationships, and sharper clarity about what you want next.

If you’re considering a pivot, listen along, then share this with someone who needs a nudge. Subscribe for more leadership and career growth conversations, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Listen to Theresa's Episode: https://www.shortstorylongpod.com/2402280/episodes/16425455-theresa-s-story-her-career-transition-to-sustainability

Listen to Felicia's Episode: https://www.shortstorylongpod.com/2402280/episodes/19075647-lessons-from-leading-large-v-small-teams-felicia-macdonald-s-story

Connect with Beki on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/BekiFraser
Learn more about her coaching: TheIntrovertedSkeptic.com

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Short Story Long is produced by Crowned Culture Media LLC