What was going on in your business & life when you began to work with Megan?

I found myself at a critical crossroads late in my career, having been out of the workforce for a few years due to health and family issues. I am somewhat of a generalist., I've had a diverse career in different sectors and roles, and haven't climbed a ladder in a particular field to become a deep subject matter expert. Hence the challenge of determining where I could best contribute in this next phase of my career.

As someone who had spent over 30 years in various roles - from strategic planning at a Fortune 100  company to leadership roles in corporate and private foundations  - I felt lost about my professional identity. I realized I had focused my identity on my work roles, and had less clarity around my value proposition as an individual and professional. The combination of health and family challenges, uncertainty around future income, and an unclear career direction had me feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to move forward. I’m passionate about nature and our planet, and wanted to work in a purposeful role in climate, but didn’t have recent experience in the sector.

I struggled with articulating my value proposition. When people asked me what my expertise was, I was unsure what to say, despite having extensive experience in project management, strategic planning, and organizational and operational leadership. I was also feeling like I needed to convince someone to hire me rather than seeing myself as having valuable skills to offer. I knew I was competing with people who had much deeper expertise in specific areas, and needed to find a way to position my broad background as a strength.

What hesitation or concerns did you have about working with Megan?

I was initially introduced to Megan through an online climate workshop she led. It was clear how much thought and preparation Megan had put into the session, and I loved how she engaged the participants in the large group and in breakout groups throughout the session. I had a short 1:1 conversation with Megan following the session and through ongoing communication decided to give her VIP Day a try. She had a great framework for the day, and I felt confident it would help me get grounded and identify how to move forward. I didn’t have any hesitation or concerns about working with Megan.

What specific results have you achieved?

The work I did with Megan was both inspiring and a great catalyst for me. It is a work in process and something that I will continue to hone over time.

Through our work together, I achieved several key results.

First, I developed a clear understanding of my unique strength as a "convener" and "catalyst." During our purpose exploration exercise, I realized that my ability to bring a group of people together to accomplish something - to collaborate together on a challenge and forge a path ahead – is one of my superpowers, among others we discussed.

Second, I created my own innovative values map that integrated my core values of character, mindset, vision/strategy, community, curiosity, leadership, resilience, and execution/rigour. I felt like the traditional pie charts and shields didn't speak to me in terms of how values connect, and what it means for how you live them or take action on a daily basis. So I chose a unique metaphor for my values map that incorporated movement along a journey that reflects how I see the journey of my life.

Third, I implemented a structured approach to networking and job searching, including reaching out to people from my professional network and developing specific talking points for networking conversations and events. While I was aware of the value of planting seeds, our work together reinforced for me the importance of planting one seed a day, every day – Megan’s metaphor for consistent external-facing actions that can lead to opportunities. That part of the process can be especially challenging, but I’m learning that it is also the most rewarding and inspiring part of the process.

What did you like most about working with Megan?

Megan is delightful to work with! She is smart, perceptive and a great listener. She is also very responsive and works hard to address your concerns, issues and priorities. The VIP Day went by quickly, and I found myself wishing we could continue working together. I loved the structured approach she had for the day, and felt like I got a wealth of information, tools and resources from our work together.

What was the biggest thing that you took away from working with Megan?

I identified two major takeaways from my VIP Day experience:

The biggest realization I had was that this work is much more holistic than just finding another career opportunity.  It's really about how you design, manage, and live your life, with your career being one piece of that.  I felt like this work gave me permission to think holistically and explore my full self, not just my career goals.

The second breakthrough was around clarity of my value proposition. The value proposition sentences that Megan helped me develop were incredibly helpful for me to spend time on - to think about how to craft the one that really speaks to me and best represents who I am. It's helping me articulate my superpower, so that when people ask me what my superpower is, I have an answer that feels good - clear, concise and accurately representative. I also gained crucial insight about taking imperfect action rather than waiting for complete clarity. One of the phrases Megan taught me that really stuck with me was: “clarity comes from engagement, not from thought.” I learned that it's okay not to have all the answers and to just reach out for information - to not worry so much about how I present myself or how I answer the question of what I'm looking for. This has been a big shift in helping me be more comfortable reaching out to others as part of my career journey.

What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t worked with Megan?

I had a pattern of wanting certainty before taking action, and trying to figure things out in my own head before reaching out to others. I learned that it actually works the reverse way. Megan’s frameworks helped spur me to action and made it easier for me to move forward - avoiding the potential for spinning my wheels and analysis paralysis. Also, my tendency toward humility and self-doubt meant I was not good at tooting my own horn about my accomplishments in my leadership roles. Having a clear framework for understanding and articulating my worth helped me to recognize the value of my contributions and capabilities and target appropriate opportunities.

The transformation I experienced – from feeling lost and overwhelmed to having clear direction, actionable strategies, and renewed confidence in my value – showed me the power of taking time for deep self-reflection and strategic life planning during career transitions. I went from hoping someone would be willing to hire me to understanding that I'm looking for a mutual fit where I can bring real value to an organization that aligns with my vision for making a difference in the world.

Who would you recommend to work with Megan?

I would recommend Megan to anyone looking to get clarity about their path forward in life and their career, and those seeking tools and resources to help navigate that path. In our busy lives and world, pausing to focus and consider one’s path ahead is invaluable.