From Personal Loss to Professional Purpose

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From Personal Loss to Professional Purpose

The story of why I do what I do isn't just about my own career transition – it's about family, loss, and a deep understanding of how devastating career displacement can be in today's rapidly changing professional landscape.

I never imagined that my path to becoming a career coach would be paved by tragedy. For years, I thrived in corporate technology sales, moving between management roles and serving as an Enterprise Account Executive in healthcare SAAS companies. I was living the corporate success story, or so I thought.

Then came August 2023, when my younger brother Kirk reached out for help. After 19 successful years as a Technical Sales Representative and Solutions Engineer at the same major computer company where we both had worked, he had been laid off. His request seemed simple enough – just help with updating his LinkedIn profile and resume.

But what started as a casual conversation between siblings revealed a harsh truth about today's professional landscape. Despite Kirk's two decades of dedicated expertise, he found himself completely unprepared for the modern job market. While he had excelled in his role for 19 years, the world of professional networking, social media, virtual landscape within the job search had transformed dramatically around him. He did not have a required process or strategy for success.

The weight of this realization, coupled with the unforgiving nature of today's job market, proved overwhelming. Kirk fell into a deep depression; obtaining prescriptions without proper therapeutic support or monitoring. In October 2023, caught in the limbo between feeling too young to retire yet believing himself too old to start over, my brother made an unthinkable choice. He took his own life, leaving us stunned and heartbroken, having never fully grasped the depths of his despair.

Life wasn't done teaching me about career displacement, 3 months later, in January 2024, I too faced my own layoff, finding myself in the same turbulent waters Kirk had struggled to navigate. But instead of letting it defeat me, I chose to transform our shared tragedy into purpose. I have transitioned and continue to transform as a Certified Professional Career Coach.?

I am focused on helping those mid to latter-stage professionals find success in their own job search journey by providing them with customized and clear processes around all aspects of the job search...

• Skills and Digital Proficiency
• Professional and Personal Branding
• Networking Correctly and Painlessly
• Application and Interviewing Strategies and Practice?

… and all along the way, strong emotional and mindset support.

We're living through what many call a "white collar recession," accelerated by the pandemic and technological advancement. This perfect storm of hoarding professionals during the pandemic has now left countless seasoned professionals feeling lost and undervalued in a job market that has fundamentally shifted beneath their feet. I've witnessed firsthand how this displacement can impact not just careers, but lives themselves.

This is why my career coaching extends far beyond updating resumes and LinkedIn profiles. Every client I work with represents an opportunity to honor Kirk's memory by providing the guidance and support he desperately needed but couldn't find. My approach addresses both the practical challenges of career transition and the emotional toll it takes on professional identity and self-worth.

My mission is deeply personal: to ensure no other professional ever feels as lost or hopeless as my brother did. When I work with clients, I'm not just helping them find their next job – I'm helping them preserve their dignity and rediscover their value in today's rapidly evolving workplace.

Together, we can transform career transitions from periods of crisis into opportunities for renewal and growth. Because this isn't just about career coaching – it's about saving lives, one professional journey at a time and creating a fantastic Next Chapter in your Career!

I am cheering for you-

Big hugs,

Lori

Want more insights?

??Reach directly to me for a clarity call.? I can help.? I want to help.?

??Join me and others on a FREE webinar on Jan. 23, 2025 at 5pm Eastern.? Register here and you will also receive a Daily Job Search Power Planner.