My Career Pivot: From UX to OM

UX, or User Experience, simply refers to the interaction or relationship between a person and a product or service. After spending over 25 years as a professional UX Designer, I hit pause on my corporate career. While my passion to research and create compelling product user experiences gave me joy, I realized that I had a deeper calling.

I had already achieved many of my career goals, starting with receiving my Masters in Information and Computer Science. In my early professional life, I worked on innovative products with high-profile IT leaders such as Apple, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Sony. Like a nomad, I would go to where the opportunities would help me grow as a UX professional. As a UX designer, my ethnographic-researcher skills enabled me to clearly understand and implement thoughtful product solutions to solve specific human problems and create optimal experiences.

Over time, I turned my UX observational skills towards understanding the often dysfunctional team dynamics in corporations. I noticed patterns emerge where the stories were often the same. The characters had similar roles, their aspirations were similar, the products being produced were similar, and unfortunately, the overall individual experience was almost always inherently unhappy. Ultimately, I recognized that something was clearly broken in terms of how team contributors lacked opportunities and tools to professionally transform. The corporate structure was not set up to support dynamic or holistic personal growth, especially for women.

I believe that transformational shifts are sometimes necessary when you’ve hit a career plateau. These shifts are especially urgent if you have become complacent. Yet, with so many moving parts within organizations, conflicting agendas, and constant chaos, the needs of individuals seeking transformation is lost. From my own corporate experiences, in the trenches all the way up to leadership roles, I learned that my professional growth trajectory was my own responsibility.

Of course, add personal variables to the mix and these transformations become even more complicated. Over time, work-life balance was especially challenging as I got married, became a mother, and experienced the loss of a parent. Again, I found that the corporate structure was not set up to allow for transformational success throughout these life-changing events. In reaction, I found myself meditating more, as well as deeply exploring my desire for self-realization, liberation, and guidance to pivot my career.

While I soul-searched, I became aware that the universe had already set in motion my new path. I had been introduced to yoga and meditation at a very young age. My study of yoga progressed to earning a Vinyasa Yoga Certification. Later, my joy for motherhood inspired me to further specialize in kids yoga. Through synchronicity, the right opportunities and people arrived to inspire and guide me, including life coaches. Over the next few years, I continued investing time, money, and energy to assemble the tools I needed to make personal and professional transformations. I discovered that whether you’re just starting off in your career, or are a high-level executive who is seeking to transition, you should not be hesitant to ask for help. For me, a coach proved to be a safe and effective facilitator for much-needed transformations.

After these experiences, I realized that I was destined to become a coach myself! A coach that had experienced years of working in corporate cultures. A coach that understood the challenges of balancing work and personal life responsibilities. A coach that had a more empathetic and softer approach. A coach that led from a place of anchoring you in your inner stillness then self-inquiry. A coach that empowers and enables you to make decisions that resonate with your core values.

One of the best decisions of my life came when I committed to officially become a certified coach. I enrolled in the Liberate Certification Program, which is recognized as 1 of the 5 best online meditation training programs in the US. I had researched many meditation programs, but I was drawn to the balanced softer style that this program offers.

Pivoting my career has been a challenging but rewarding journey. While I still practice User Experience (UX) on many levels, I am excited to practice my coaching as the owner and founder of Omni Mindfulness (OM) – a safe and healing place for personal and professional transformations.

Below is a testimonial regarding my services from one of my first clients Rachèle DeMéo, M.A, M.Ed. - Founder & Instructor of Belle Terra Academy.

When I started receiving Peak Coaching from the talented and lovely Shilpa, I didn't know how or even if it would help my professional and personal life. From the very first session, I knew I would learn and grow through her. Since then, she's helped me tremendously to achieve professional goals I needed to figure out. She helped me identify what I truly needed to work on, with guidance on how to make transformations. She listened patiently for hours as I rambled on about my projects. She offered guidance and solutions. She taught me how to manage stress better, how to breathe properly, how to meditate effectively. She has been a huge contribution to my professional success. Many of her suggestions proved to work successfully. She also helped me in my personal life. As I navigated challenges, she helped me figure out what the underlying issues were and how to resolve them. She asks questions to best help each person in their own personal journey. She also provides suggestions that are very individual. She additionally gave me with a plethora of outside resources to help me in both with my professional and personal goals. I highly recommend taking coaching with Shilpa. You will come out of the experience more well-rounded, more focused with a clear and relaxed mind. I am extremely grateful to Shilpa for her outstanding coaching.

Interested in Transforming Your Life? Book a free Discovery Session with me.

This article originally appeared on the OmniMindfulness blog at https://omnimindfulness.com/from-ux-to-om/