“I have returned to being that driven and motivated woman I knew I was capable of being.”

When Melissa found us, she was genuinely confused about where to take her career next. She’d always considered herself motivated and professionally driven, the kind of person who’d never need a career coach, so landing in this spot felt uncomfortable in its own right.

Melissa had spent 15 years as an entrepreneur in the innovative farming industry, and she was finding it genuinely hard to figure out what came next. She had some general ideas, had read books like What Color Is Your Parachute, and had taken career-matching tests online, but none of it offered insight relative to her actual, complicated situation.

Deciding to Invest

Before committing her time, energy, and money to the Career Clarity Accelerator, Melissa’s biggest concern was whether she could justify the expense, and whether she’d be rushed through the process just to check a box. She was relieved to learn she could co-create a pace that actually worked with her life.

Once she committed, Melissa was ready for a clean slate and a completely different direction. But she got stuck on a real question: how do you translate skills from one field into something entirely unrelated? It felt daunting, like she might have to start from square one.

Finding Clarity in What She Wanted to Keep, and What She Didn’t

Through the Career Evolution Method™, we worked to leverage her past successes, skills, and specialties toward something bigger, and identified what she actually wanted to bring into her next role, as well as what she didn’t, even the things she happened to be good at.

In the Explore and Refine phase, we separated the idea of a possible career from what it would actually look like day to day. It became clear how much her values had shifted over the years, and that her next step needed to support real financial security and a genuine work/life balance.

With a clear picture of what she was naturally good at, we could also see what she’d need to build from here.

“Because Kori didn’t know me in my past professional life, she was able to offer really wise and unbiased insights. I have a solid foundation now and have returned to being that driven and motivated woman I knew I was capable of being.”

From Clarity to a New Field Entirely

With that clarity in hand, Melissa decided to go back to school for a Master’s degree in Cognitive Science in Education, a step toward her goal of working in product design to support diverse learners, something that genuinely mattered to her.

She applied to two Ivy League graduate programs and got into both, with funding. At the same time, she launched her own special education consultancy, using it to fill gaps in her technical skills, build professional connections, and create opportunities in her new field while she studied.

Closure, and a Clear Path Forward

Melissa found real closure and meaning in the value of her professional past, rather than needing to discard it.

“I needed to do this work in order to free up the mental and emotional bandwidth to figure out where I wanted to go next.”

She feels reconnected with her motivated self, and back on the path to work that’s successful, fulfilling, and well-paying.

Her Recommendation

“I would recommend this program for those looking to approach their career change creatively, even if what they’re looking to do isn’t exactly a creative field. Even more so if that’s the case: Kori understands how it all works and knows the rules but isn’t bound by them. If you’re in a career pivot looking to understand better what you do and don’t want to recreate in your next professional chapter, understand that Kori won’t have all the answers for you. Still, she will support you in understanding what it is you need and want to do, and without hesitation, I can say the program was a good investment.”

Common Questions

How do you translate your skills into a completely different industry?
Start by separating your skills from the industry you learned them in. Melissa’s ability to run a business, manage complexity, and lead people were never actually specific to farming, they transferred directly once she got clear on what she wanted to keep using and what she didn’t.

Is it too late to go back to school for a career change in your 30s or 40s?
Melissa applied to graduate school as part of a full career pivot after 15 years as an entrepreneur and was accepted into two Ivy League programs with funding. Clarity on why you’re doing it tends to matter more than timing.

Do online career quizzes and books actually help you figure out your next career?
They can offer a starting point, but they tend to fall short once your situation has real complexity to it. Melissa had already tried several before coaching and found that personalized, structured support was what actually moved her forward.

Ready to Find Your Own Clarity?

If Melissa’s story resonates with you, book a free Career Alignment Audit™ and let’s talk through what clarity could look like for your own next chapter.