The Career By Design Podcast with Stacey Back · Stacey Back

#54: How To Navigate Change And Transform Your Career

·12 min·1 clip

Stacey Back reveals how a decade-long cycle led her to overhaul her lifestyle and pivot her career.

This episode features career planning specialist and coach Stacey Back guiding listeners through practical steps for navigating a career crossroads. Host Stacey Back draws on her 17-plus years of experience helping high performers achieve their career goals. The episode is tailored for ambitious high achievers and senior leaders who have achieved success but are considering their next career level. Stacey recounts a personal turning point in 2017, prompted by noticing blooming jacaranda trees in her neighborhood. She realized she had lived in the area for a year without ever taking a leisurely stroll, highlighting a lack of work-life balance. This observation followed a decade of repeating a cycle that led to burnout and required significant lifestyle changes. She ultimately decided to close her business for two months to facilitate a major pivot. The episode frames seasonal change, like the transition from spring to summer in Australia, as a metaphor for career transformation. Stacey outlines a structured process for individuals who know they need a change but are unsure of the specifics or how to begin. She emphasizes developing clarity, confidence, and the right strategy to take ownership of one's career path. A key insight is that profound realizations often come from simple, everyday observations disrupting autopilot routines. The decision to close her business temporarily was a deliberate strategy to create space for reflection and overhaul. Stacey positions career change not as a reactive move but as a proactive design process aligned with one's desired lifestyle. The metaphor of the jacaranda bloom symbolizes both natural transition and the beauty that can emerge from periods of change. Her approach validates the feelings of successful professionals who sense a need for change despite outward achievement. The episode suggests that navigating a crossroads requires both internal reflection and practical, actionable steps. The tone is conversational, educational, and coaching-oriented, blending personal narrative with professional advice. The style is motivational and strategic, offering a clear framework within a relatable story. Senior leaders and high achievers feeling stuck or contemplating a pivot would find this episode directly relevant and actionable. Listeners seeking highly technical job-search advice or industry-specific analysis might find the content too broad or introspective.

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