I'm noticing a trend among the women in my orbit - the "safe" path isn't cutting it anymore.
After years, sometimes decades, of playing it safe in their careers, I'm witnessing my coaching clients take risks - from army crawling their way through the ranks at unforgiving companies to courageously leaping into the unknowns of a career transition - these women are forces to be reckoned with.
The pandemic has given us all a renewed sense of urgency, because nothing is promised - even the "safe" path could slip out from under us, so why not be bold?
Is it time to find clarity on your terms, your priorities, and freedom from the shame that comes from feeling stuck or lost in your career?
Are you seeking alignment between your gifts and the impact you want to have on the world?
What I know is this...
Our careers can hold a deep invitation for richer fulfillment - where we can grow and expand into our truest versions, where we feel accomplished and satisfied by our contributions, acknowledged for our gifts, where we get to play, experiment, and shine.
Whether you’re getting that nudge for something new, you’re already exploring something new, OR you're deep into the nuts and bolts of a job search that’s not yet clicking, our work together can guide you through the change in front of you.
For a limited time, I'm opening my calendar up for Single Coaching Sessions - typically only available to prior clients, this virtual 60-minute one-time session is for you to get a quick hit of individualized support and motivation to find the confidence to focus on what’s important to YOU.
You can reserve your Single Coaching Session HERE.
Reach out today and let's take the next step on your path together.
The pandemic is becoming something we’re learning to navigate in the background of our lives.
The women in my orbit are beginning to step out of survival mode and realize…I want more from my career. I want to get to that next level in my organization. I want to walk away from that toxic culture. I want to work in a way that works for me.
Career Command was designed to help these women define who they are and what path they need to take to grow closer to their vision. Then with the support of their coach (that’s me!) and their new squad of 15 women, they take action to make their vision a reality.
You’re someone I know who could use this group program filled with other supportive women who are proactive about their careers.
But here’s the reason I know I can help you. It’s because I helped Laura tap into what she truly wanted in her career and helped her realize it was nothing like the rigid box of a vision she thought she had to settle for.
You see, when Laura started working with me, she was stuck at her job of 11 years and kept looking for THE ONE next path. She was at a very niche job and knew that she wouldn't find another version of that role. She felt really limited and stuck with her options--like there was only one way forward.
So she sought me out.
What I told Laura is the same thing I’m going to tell you. Which is that there is not ONE right path out there for you. There are MANY!
By first looking inward at your strengths, what you want to learn and the impact you want to have in your career – we can then figure out the right roles that connect to what you want and get clear on all the transferable skills that can be used to position you for those roles.
It all starts with what YOU WANT.
Yes, Laura was as shocked as you are. And it was that very thing that broke her free, allowing her to leave her job of 11 years and start a new job in a different industry.
In her own words...
“Gaining a true understanding of my superpowers and passions was instrumental to this next step - Rachel was instrumental in guiding me through that.”
If you’re feeling stuck. You don’t know what you’re good at anymore. Or you’ve lost the spark that used to light up your vision.
I can help you find your answers. Your vision. Your spark.
The Career Command Four-Month Shift will provide you with a clear career pathing framework to lead you through every step of your transition.
With Four-Month Shift you’ll get access to:
The Career Command Process: Video training and resources to help you shift your mindset, identify your superpowers, and create a solid networking and job search strategy.
Weekly Live Video Support Calls: Dig into the lessons and modules within the Career Command Process, share insights with your crew and get real-time feedback from me, your Career Coach, on where you may be feeling stuck (Thursdays at 12pm ET.)
One Private 1:1 Session with me and the option to purchase additional sessions at a discounted rate of $250.
Curated Career Pods: Connect with a group of like-minded women who will be your team, your supporters, and your accountability partners.
Resume & LinkedIn Audit: After reviewing resources on best practices for both your resume and LinkedIn profile, our team will provide you with customized feedback on how you can optimize both to maximize your search and your personal brand.
There are only a handful of spots left for this cohort of Career Command Four-Month Shift and registration closes on Sunday, April 3rd at 10 PM ET.
Do you want to feel energized and excited by all the new opportunities in your career, like Laura?
The women who have already joined this group are talented and creative…and hungry for a change, like you. I can’t wait to see you there!
Taking control of your career starts with a seemingly simple question: What are the five non-negotiables you need to make this next role or portfolio of projects feel meaningful, successful, energizing…on your terms?
A few months ago, my client was approached for an opportunity in an adjacent industry - one that had never been on her radar. So, using the list of non-negotiables we worked on together to make sure the role ticked all her boxes, she took the interview.
She was VERY passionate about the impact she could make with this work and the growth opportunities for her career. Plus - with her newfound confidence, she negotiated a $50k pay bump from her last role. No big deal.
This is why identifying your non-negotiables is central to the Career Command Process - because it is critical to setting the tone for your next career chapter.
If you’re ready to claim what you want in a meaningful, energizing career,
I can help you...
Find the inner clarity to understand your terms and what you want next.
Craft the authentic words to describe you, your experience and why you’re the right fit for this energizing role.
Take intentional action to strategically use the time you have, activate your network and go after that next role with a focused roadmap.
Let me help you take back control in your career.
Shift into finding work that works for you and the life you want to live.
Join me and your new squad of 15 driven, meaning-seeking women in my next cohort of Career Command: Four-Month Shift. Doors are now open - I’ll be sharing more widely next week so secure your spot now.
Join Career Command Now!
Plus - I have something free coming your way next week. Here’s a hint: It’s about the rules you’ve been following for your career. It’s about the way we often don’t question those rules. It’s a juicy topic that I KNOW will get you thinking and rethinking, because…it’s my job to get those wheels turning.
Every January and February, I work with clients to assess their current situation.
I ask the question, “How’s work working for you?”
The gut response is often…”I’m not sure...”
So we get more specific by answering the following questions - allowing my clients to get honest with themselves about what’s working, what’s not, and what actions they need to take next.
Growth:
Have you identified what you’d like to learn in your role?
And/or what would you like to learn in your career in general in the next year?
Are you on track to take on projects, attend workshops or participate in programs to help you get there?
What are your biggest obstacles to going after the growth you want?
What are you doing about those obstacles?
Energy:
What percentage of the time in your role are you feeling sparky, fully alive, in flow?
What are those things that make you feel sparky in your role?
Is there a way to do more of them or spend more time on them?
What are the things that are currently draining you in your role?
Is there a way to do less of them?
What would your work feel like if you could do more of the sparky things and less of draining tasks?
Life Fit:
Is your work aligned with your values?
What are your top life priorities right now? (Money you need to make, flexibility you need, etc.)?
Is your work in sync with your priorities?
Are you able to spend time with family and friends?
Do you have time for creative projects or the things that bring you joy?
Set aside some uninterrupted time to reflect on your own answers. And then, without judging any past decisions or current desires, ask yourself - how’s it really going? What grade would you give your current work situation? And if it’s a C or below…what do you want to do next?
Reach out to me at rachel@rachelbgarrett.com let me know what showed up for you and where you want to go from here!
Goodbye, January 2022!
I haven’t been this happy to release a month since March of 2020.
Emotions ran high. PTSD from early pandemic days loomed large. Decisions became impossible to make, to get right and to stand by.
I drew my energy and my peace from my new daily writing practice (I passed my one month anniversary!), my work helping more women identify and claim their career desires (we just wrapped an exciting 4-week group program), our family Wordle competition (That somehow my 10-year old is winning. I want 10-year old neural pathways!) and of course, you know me…my podcast addiction.
Here’s a round up of podcast episodes that are giving me the tools and the inspiration to keep moving forward and doing my best despite the big expectations I had for 2022.
The Happiness Lab: Stepping Off the Path of Anxiety
https://www.happinesslab.fm/2022-new-year-mini-season/stepping-off-the-path-of-anxiety
First of all, I recommend the entire 2022 mini season that dives into the tougher emotions we don’t like to recognize or talk about like anger, anxiety, grief. In this episode, Dr. Laurie Santos talks with Psychotherapist and meditation teacher Andrea Wachter about tools to acknowledge and quiet anxiety. Have a notebook handy for this one. I listened to it twice!
On Being: Pico Iyer and Elizabeth Gilbert - The Future of Hope 3
https://onbeing.org/programs/pico-iyer-and-elizabeth-gilbert-the-future-of-hope-3/
This is part of a 4-part series of conversations around hope and I’ve enjoyed all of them. Having experienced the loss of her partner, Raya Elias, in 2018 Liz Gilbert connects lessons of surrender she learned from this loss to similar insights during the pandemic. I always find wisdom in Liz’s vulnerable observations and clear words that capture our humanity.
Dare to Lead: The Great Awkward
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-great-awkward/
Brené always knows how to name the things none of us want to say. She and her sister Barrett discuss what “going back to the office” will look like and how inevitably it will be different than it ever was and we should expect it to be awkward AF.
PS. This was the last episode Brené released before announcing she would hold off on releasing episodes until further notice. While she didn’t say it, this is clearly in response to Spotify continuing to give a platform to Joe Rogan and others who are spreading misinformation. Way to use your expertise and power to make change and stand in your values, Brené!
CYG: Grief Companionship
https://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes/2021/10/29/grief-companionship
This conversation is from the fall of 2021, but I thought it was so relevant as so many people are grieving both the people they lost in the past two years and also all of the things we’ve missed out on because of this damn pandemic. We have so little language and conversation around grief and this episode provides really practical things you can do for your people who are suffering alone right now.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Wordle is a daily dose of delight, despair, and sometimes smugness
For those of you who didn’t think you could create a new daily habit…you were wrong! If you’re like me and you haven’t missed a day since you started playing…I see you. This is some Worldle Nerdery that will make you smile all the way through.
Enjoy this list and let me know some other favorites of yours that are getting you through!
Quietly listening and wordling,
Rachel
In my groups and 1:1 coaching, one self-shaming statement comes up over and over again…
I’m [insert any age from 20 to 100] and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
That’s typically followed by…
What’s wrong with me?
Why am I so behind?
What if I never figure it out?
Here’s today’s truth bomb:
You may never figure out what you want to be when you grow up.
Boom. I said that 🤷🏻♀️
That very statement implies there’s only one thing you’re meant to do! I call BS.
You may not have a “calling” AND you can still enjoy your work. You can learn and you can feel good about your career and your life.
So, if I told you, the lightning bolt may not hit you and that it feels more like a small spark that slowly grows and grows into a fiery, flickering flame anyway…
What would you do differently?
What would you experiment with?
What would you leave behind?
If you feel like you’re ready to figure out how to start paying attention to those itty bitty sparks already burning within you, reach out to schedule a 30-minute complimentary clarity call or CLICK HERE!
We discussed mindset shifting tools in my group coaching program this week. I like to dive into this topic early in the process because it’s often mental blocks that are keeping us stuck, rather than more tactical things like resumes and interview skills.
One of my favorites in this set of tools is forgiveness.
Identifying areas where you may be holding shame and offering up acknowledgment and compassion and forgiveness.
I often talk about how this shame showed up for me when I knew I wanted to make a change while in my marketing roles, but felt like I should stay in a safe, flexible role because I had two small children. I stayed in an “it’s fine” career for too long, even while I hungered for a change.
The truth is that this feeling of career shame wasn't new to me. I felt it even before I had a career.
College was not an easy time for me. I struggled to find my way. I transferred after two years, switched my major FIVE times and nearly took time off after my junior year. Finally, I decided to identify my easiest path to graduation and took it--rather than spending the time expanding my mind, learning, growing and challenging myself to think in new ways about what was possible for my future.
I held onto tremendous shame about this period of my life for many years.
Feeling like I squandered an opportunity.
Like I wasn’t smart enough or built for grad school.
Like I learned in pockets here and there, but don’t remember much.
After some deep work thinking about that kid I used to describe as flailing…
I now see her as a human who was grieving.
As you may remember, my parents died in a car accident when I was nearly 12 and while college came several years after this loss, I see now with adult eyes--I was in acute grief, untethered and in survival mode.
I did the best I could. So did all of the grownups surrounding me who were also grieving.
Would I do things differently with my own kids? Absolutely. I would love them where they are. I would advocate for their mental health needs knowing that achievement and credentials can wait. And that’s how I continue to re-parent that part of me.
I acknowledge her struggle. I show her forgiveness and compassion and love. I cheer her on for trying new things where she’s not an immediate expert. I remind her that lifelong learning is what keeps my mind active and alive. I can both fill in some of the gaps of what I may have missed and learn new skills that weren’t even invented at that time.
I can also be grateful that she/I prioritized putting one foot in front of the other in that tough moment. That I got the support I needed. That I was optimistic more would open up for me after graduation. And it did.
What shame are you holding onto in your career and in your life?
Where can you show that younger you some acceptance of her humanity? Some love? She’s ready and willing and very curious about what may come next.