The Start of my Design Resumes Career Reinvention

On December 12, 2009, I made a decision that changed my life. It was that night 10 years ago that I said goodbye to my last non-profit contract, Wausau Whitewater, and chose to hone in on my true love – helping people on their career journeys and career reinventions!

What a career reinvention it has been!

In 10 years, Design Resumes went from a localized, primarily Wausau-based business to a business reaching across the nation and around the world showing others how a career reinvention can take them to the next level.

Technology created opportunities I could only dream about 10 years ago. On a daily basis, I coach and write with clients who join me on Zoom calls. Some seek their next role, a promotion to Director, Vice President, or CEO. Others seek to change their career path, a career reinvention of their own. Perhaps they are bored with the career they held, maybe the opportunities in that field dried up, or maybe they just have a strong desire to do something totally different.

Identifying what you want to do and doing it is hard

If I stepped back in time, I am not sure at what moment I realized it was time for my own career reinvention. I remember recognizing how often I was feeling less than fulfilled. There were moments for about a year when I was incredibly sad at events and in retrospect I think I knew I was saying goodbye even though I wasn’t even thinking about it at the time.

I am not sure why I didn’t make a move sooner. I have even wondered why I didn’t look for a different conventional job that certainly would have been more financially rewarding. It took me a long time to realize I should have made that move 10 or more years earlier. The non-profit work that I did with the two contracts kept me perpetually moving from one project to another. I don’t think I gave alternatives a thought.

Perhaps I was waiting for technology to take me in the right direction to expand my business. The way I operate my business is very different than other resume writers and career professionals.

I love the interpersonal delivery system that I created using Zoom. While Skype was around when I started my career reinvention, Zoom has taken it to the next level.

I didn’t do my career reinvention alone

When I did decide to say goodbye to my old work life, I researched marketing and marketing coaches. I was happier on Twitter in those years, finding many marketing personalities. One particularly stood out as I read his content. Then he disappeared from Twitter and I had to figure out how to find him again. When I did, with much trepidation, I contacted Jim Connolly in the UK and asked him to coach my small business. I had learned so much from his blog posts that I wanted to be able to use his services.

Marketing was foreign to me; certainly, content marketing, social media, and reaching larger audiences outside of Wausau was all new. I didn’t understand pricing philosophies or client acquisition either. I felt like I was in a deep information dive, redesigning my whole business outlook. I invested in Jim’s coaching for three years.

Initially, I was very busy writing new content. I amassed 1190+ articles I wrote in the 10+ years. Perhaps I will break the 1200 mark this year yet just to start a new goal in 2020. 

My career reinvention evolved in the past 10 years.

In 2016, one of my former clients, Karen Illes of Marketing Roadmaps, became my marketing consultant. Her approach was different than Jim’s but very helpful. We took a more analytical approach to find out what was working and opportunities for the future.

It was Karen’s push that caused me to look for help updating my website. Ultimately, Raul Colon and his team at Limonade took over and became an essential business partner, reworking my website.

These changes made 2019 the most successful year of my business. I don’t know what the next 10 years will bring but the foundation is laid. I look forward to building on what I have learned to help the next career explorers on their journey.

If you are ready to explore your own career reinvention and journey, I would be happy to be your guide. Learn more here.