Given the uncertain state of the world, it's easy to rely on conventional thinking to: "play it safe, be content in a secure job, and take care of yourself." Another perspective: it's a great time to "take risks, be free, and follow your authentic career dreams to help others." In this blog you will hear the stories of 3 of my clients who reinvented their career identities in 2020. You'll see that these women did the deep dive work to discover with clarity and confidence how they can best serve others. Meet the gorgeous, powerful, soulful, and big-hearted: Jessica Zweig, Zuri Thompson, and Julianne Ishler. May their courage ignite and inspire your career dreams.
Jessica Zweig:
Founder + CEO, The Simply Be Agency
Her genius: Authentic branding, entrepreneurialism, and serving from the divine feminine.
Her career reinvention: Jessica is well-known as the Founder + CEO of her marketing + branding agency where she and her team serve VIP clients to grow their business platforms and revenue. She has received many accolades for this work such as The Stevie Award and a recent feature as one of Chicago's most notable entrepreneurs in Crain's Chicago Business. This year Jessica reinvented herself as an online business and branding teacher for emerging business owners. Just this week, Jessica launched The Simply Be Society, an inclusive, yet exclusive online community for mission-driven, inspired and authentic, entrepreneurs, creatives and leaders on the path to live her philosophy of SimplyBe-ing. And coming out in February 2021, you can read the book she wrote this year for emerging entrepreneurs Be: The No Bullshit Guide to Increasing Your Self Worth and Net Worth By Simply Being Yourself, now available for pre-order.
Where she will inspire your dreams: You can tune into Jessica 6 times a month on her show: The Simply Be Podcast. I highly recommend episode 76, where Jessica beautifully weaves the stories of herself and friends overcoming business struggles in 2020, and also speaks about her coaching work with me this year using the archetype of the Priestess to introduce peace into her business success measures.
Zuri Thompson:
Founder, The Doula Part
Her genius: Organizing community resources, feeding people, and operating from heart over ego.
Her career reinvention: This year Zuri combined two areas of her genius that had appeared separate. Zuri has 15+ years experience as a community organizer addressing food security, housing issues, and economic development. In recent years she became a mother of two and underwent training to help new moms as a post-partum doula. This year Zuri’s dream career path has become a reality. Through her organization, The Doula Part, Zuri has successfully raised and continues to raise funds to feed black moms in need of nourishment for themselves and their families. She is using her community organization skills to form win-win partnerships with community organizations, business leaders, and mission-driven individuals for initiatives like: #FeedingBlackMoms, a 2020 summer program that responded to the Covid-19 crisis and received double the expected financial support, and #TakeItOffMyPlate, which Zuri launched this fall at a community pop up event in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. Through programs like these, Zuri is living her dream to feed and nourish expecting moms and their families on a larger community scale with fresh, nutritious, lovingly prepared meals.
Where she will inspire your dreams: You can be inspired by Zuri and become a part of her community programs of giving and receiving by following her on Instagram. @TheDoulaPart is where you'll learn about everything Zuri is up to in the Chicagoland community including her upcoming thought leadership video series on how to do community engagement from heart instead of ego. @TakeItOffMyPlate is where you will learn about and can get involved with Zuri's work with her partners Clinetta Pinex and Mikesha "Mikey" Russell at pop up events this holiday season and beyond to help feed black moms and their families.
Julianne Ishler:
The Enneagram Empress
Her genius: Sage advising, Enneagram personality typing, and thoughtful communication.
Her career reinvention: Expanding from her corporate career in marketing and writing for businesses, Julianne now merges together her passion for creativity in business, her skills in powerful communication, and her love for the Enneagram personality test into an entrepreneurial venture. Julianne just launched a new signature service From Fear to Flow, a coaching service using your Enneagram type to help you creatives and entrepreneurs out there to break through personal blocks so that you can fulfill on your biggest creative visions. By the way, the Enneagram is the only personality test I love and suggest to clients. It is such a useful tool to know and understand yourself!
Where she will inspire your dreams: As a lover of the written form of communication, you can get on Julianne's email list to receive alerts about her informative and inspiring blogs. I highly recommend her recent blog - Your 5 Burning Questions About The Enneagram, Answered - to help you deepen your understanding of the Enneagram and how you can use it as a tool for career success. Also, to receive daily wisdom and inspirational insights on your Enneagram type, follow Julianne on Instagram at @TheEnneagramEmpress.
Your Next Steps to Reinvent Your Career
My clients did the soulful work this year to dig into their genius and most authentic career dreams to reinvent their career identities. They are role models for what is possible with determination, commitment, and support. Wherever you might be starting today on the path to uncovering your next career dream, the most important thing is that you start! To begin exploring how you might reinvent your career, here are 3 of my top resources that you can check out as your next steps:
Ebook: Unleash Your Genius: A Guidebook for fun, fulfillment, and flow at work - In this guidebook, you'll hear my wisdom on the career reinvention process gleaned from my own 2 major career shifts as well as my client success stories so that you can do what we have done: unleash your genius to create more fun, fulfillment and flow at work. This guidebook is designed to light your way by introducing you to the 3-part process I've identified to help you to Unleash Your Genius: (1) Examine, (2) Empower, and (3) Embody.
Article: Why You Should Get to Know and Focus on People's Unique Genius - In a recent in-depth interview, I spilled the beans about my spiritual awakening and about how spirituality has become my biggest success strategy. This Authority Magazine interview includes my backstory of: my experience as a lawyer and why I left, my self-discovery journey into my own heart, and a story that explains why I don't worry about money. Then I offer advice for you on methods to bridge spirituality + work such as: using prayer, meditation, and intention to bless work goals, leading with purpose to inspire team members, and getting to know people's genius to create business breakthroughs.
Meditation: Visioning the Clarity of Your Path - To assist in creating clarity of your career path, try this mindfulness practice known as "visioning" developed by Michael Bernard Beckwith. As you let go of thinking and become receptive to inner guidance from your higher self and higher power, you will receive wisdom about the highest path for your life. Expect to get answers through visions, feelings, words, and sensations. This practice is available free anytime anywhere on the Insight Timer meditation app guided by me and including vocals and sound healing musical tones by my client Serenity Mary.
If you're craving the most direct, personalized support possible for digging into your genius and clarifying your most authentic career path in service of helping others, you can explore private coaching with me as was the path for Jessica, Zuri, and Julianne. To examine if coaching is right for you, sign up for a free, no obligation 30 minute phone consultation with me. I'd be honored to talk with you and hear your career desires and concerns. Even more, if you know others who might want career change in the year ahead, share this blog through the social media links below because as each of us is empowered to reinvent our careers to work full-time inside our genius zones, together we make a better world!
About the Author
Hi I'm Gina Marotta, and as your business coach + spiritual guide, I can help you clarify and communicate your inner genius so that you do meaningful, impactful work you love. I believe deeply in personal freedom and our ability to transform our lives so that we can follow our dreams and destiny. I have reinvented my career identity twice: I began my career as an attorney advocating for constitutional rights inside the criminal justice system in some of Chicago's highest profile cases. I also served as the managing director for a national nonprofit organization giving teen girls in low-income communities greater career opportunities through access to higher education and mentorship. Recognized for my career of service, I have been named 50 Under 50 and among 100 Women Making a Difference. You will also find me quoted and interviewed often as a career expert in the media, featured in outlets like Thrive Global, The Huffington Post, and WGN Radio.