Learn to Pivot in Your Career

Almost five years ago, my 20 year photography career came to an abrupt halt. I was in my early 40s, thriving creatively, producing some of the best work of my life when my dominant hand went numb. For the second time. After having carpal tunnel surgery. I knew it was bad. I met with all the doctors, did all the therapy, said all the prayers and looked into all the options - but in the end, the decision was very clear. It was time to retire from photography. At the age of 43, I was nowhere near prepared to make such a huge shift.

This wasn't just a "I'll go look for a different position ______" move in my career. This was a complete unraveling and rewriting of my professional existence. I was devastated because I loved what I did. To make matters even more complicated, I was told for a year I should avoid sitting at a desk or lifting more than 10 pounds as I focused on physical therapy and caring for my neck (the actual location from which the numbness originated). Everything I considered as an option fell under one of those categories.

This forced me to make scary and uncertain decisions for my life. I still had a family to care and provide for. Even more so, I wasn’t financially prepared to retire either. I also felt like I still had so much more to offer the world! I mentally sifted through the options that were available to me and landed on my current profession with Scout & Cellar: an opportunity to launch my own ecommerce business.

Here’s what got me there:

1. I took stock of the situation. Popular culture can trick us into thinking that once something fairly catastrophic happens in our lives, we have to immediately get ourselves out of that problem. If you sit too long, you’ll get stuck. I actually chose to do the opposite. I took stock in how I felt about what I’ve accomplished and how my work life had positively and negatively influenced the rest of my life. Looking back, I’m thankful that I used this time. I hear so many people say the wise old phrase of “what’s not dealt with now, will re-emerge.” We are taught that our work is a part of our identity, so when a huge part of your identity is snatched from you, it can be a blow to the ego.
2. I talked with other people in my community. Photography afforded me the opportunity to meet so many different people. You really get to see who is a part of your network and the core pillars of your community when you experience life changing events. Talking with my network allowed me to learn about new and innovative ways of reaching my goals. Heads up: there are a lot of really incredible opportunities out there! They don’t all require you to sit for 8 hours of the day. I had coffee and lunch dates with old and new friends to just simply chat. Creating space for others to feel seen breeds vulnerability for the both of you. Let people in on your plans and goals, and you’ll be surprised by how many people actually want to help.?
3. I reconfigured my life. Photography was an incredible profession. I also spent a lot of time working within someone else’s schedule and deadlines. Inevitably, this seeped its way into my personal life – dictating what I could and could not do with my own time. So, I wrote down how I wanted my life to look like moving forward. What does it look like to work to live, rather than live to work?

Scout & Cellar presented itself as the perfect answer to exactly what I needed. It continues to allow me to exercise my love of entrepreneurship, while being a storyteller for sustainable farmers and incredible winemakers. It gives me the chance to build into others launching their own businesses, coaching them on to success each step of the way. All the lessons I learned those 20 years owning my photography business are being put to use in different ways now as I help champion others through their entrepreneurial journeys.

No one ever wants to consider the “what if's" of worst case scenarios. I sure don't. I very much like to emphasize the positives and always believe the best will come. But more and more I am seeing friends and colleagues living out circumstances where having a Plan B or diversifying their income streams could have made things a bit more easy. Be prepared to pivot at any moment.

Do you want to learn more about Scout & Cellar? Schedule a quick call with me to find out how you can be a part of a growing community of brand ambassadors and sustainability advocates.