PBNN Series: E13583 – MIDLIFE PIVOT
April 22, 2025
Steve Harper and Michelle Cutler discuss the importance of finding opportunities in life’s challenges. Michelle, a storytelling and screenwriting coach, emphasizes the need to redefine oneself after significant changes, such as job loss or relationship endings. She advises quick adaptation and continuous engagement in new activities to stay employable and relevant. Michelle shares strategies like writing a 25-word self-description and maintaining a gratitude journal. Steve highlights the disposability of modern products and the need for personal resilience. They also touch on the importance of self-reflection and the value of relationships, suggesting that proactive engagement can lead to new opportunities and personal growth.
When Life Recalculates: Finding Opportunity in Unwelcome Change
Change rarely arrives with a bow on top. Jobs get cut, plans derail, relationships end, health shifts. Your first reaction might be shock (or panic). But with a few mental “recalculation” moves, those detours can open paths you never considered.
Here’s a practical, compassionate playbook—drawn from storytelling coach and screenwriter Michelle Cutler’s client work and lived experience—for spotting opportunity inside upheaval.
1) Rewire first: feel it, then pivot
- Name the loss. Give yourself space to process. Then set a short window: process quickly, pivot deliberately.
- Expect the ego sting. Even company-wide layoffs feel personal. It’s human. Don’t let that story calcify.
- Adopt the GPS mindset. Old route closed? We’re recalculating—not quitting.
2) Undefine to refine
- “Unskill” to upskill. Let go of skills or labels that no longer serve your next chapter to make room for the ones that do.
- Apply for the future you. Read job descriptions 3–5 years ahead of where you were aimed. What resonates? What gaps can you close now?
- Write your 25-word power bio. If your role vanished tomorrow, how would you define your value in 25 words? (Do this before you need it.)
Tip: Swap “I was responsible for…” with verbs that show impact: built, led, scaled, repaired, launched, simplified, taught, rescued, automated, clarified.
3) Stay engaged (employment is one form—engagement is the goal)
- Keep moving. Volunteer, mentor, consult, take a course, run a small project. Motion breeds options.
- Refresh your language. Industry vocabulary shifts. Update your LinkedIn, portfolio, and pitch with today’s terms—truthfully.
- Audit your routines. Remote or in-office, ask: What am I great at? What takes me 20% of the time for 80% of the result? Lead with that.
4) Opportunity = intention + action
- Morning check-in: What good can I do today?
- Weekly reset: What did I learn? Who did I help? What felt energizing? What’s one bold ask I’ll make this week?
- Take the chance now. Don’t put opportunities “in a box until a quieter time.” Quieter times rarely announce themselves.
5) Your narrative matters (on the job… and off)
- Resume/LinkedIn: Quantify. Show before → during → after. Use keywords, but keep it human.
- Dating profile, too? Yep. If you’re re-entering the relationship world, story still wins. Ask a trusted friend to reflect your best traits back to you—then write from there.
- Personal brand ≠ permanent brand. Products, companies, even institutions evolve. So can you.
6) A simple 7-day reboot plan
- Day 1: Draft your 25-word power bio. Post it (privately to yourself) where you’ll see it.
- Day 2: List 10 achievements with verbs + outcomes. Keep it scrappy.
- Day 3: Identify three roles you’d want in 3–5 years. Circle shared skills.
- Day 4: Close one gap (course, tutorial, micro-project).
- Day 5: Reconnect with five humans (value first: share a resource, offer help).
- Day 6: Update one platform (LinkedIn/about page) to reflect the future you.
- Day 7: Ship something small (post, pitch, portfolio tweak, application).
The takeaway
When the rug gets pulled, it’s tempting to stare at the floor. Look up. Detours are data. They force clarity, invite boldness, and—if you stay engaged—often accelerate you toward a version of yourself you wouldn’t have applied for yet.
If you want help rewriting your professional (or personal) story—tightening your 25-word bio, refreshing your resume/LinkedIn, or shaping a pivot plan—Michelle Cutler offers focused coaching sessions that turn “now what?” into a clear next move.
