Learning How to Pivot

There are moments in life that make us pivot. I mean truly pivot. Moments and people that viscerally move you physically and emotionally down a different path. You never know when those moments and people are going to arrive in your life and when they do, they are such a gift.

Rewind my life back by 4 years. I am in an incredible company with a great job. A job most professionals would be thankful for, and thankful I was. I walked into a class with two former British actors teaching a room of corporate professionals how to be storytellers and how to engage an audience. His smile was infectious. His accent was the perfect shade of British, articulate, expressive, and funny. I never wanted to leave this class. I had a secret that no one else had, that I too was an actress and a storyteller but hadn’t used those skills in years. I waited for the perfect moment to reveal my secret by answering in a British accent. They both did a double take and we had a great laugh over the word “banana” (said in a British accent).   Over those 3 days, I felt at home. I was at home in my skin, in the work, and saw there was such a need to share all of my acting, voice and music experience with these corporate professionals. I started coaching them on their diction, pace, tone, and saw the results. I was helping people be better communicators!  I didn’t know how to pivot, but I knew that I had to.  

My friend introduced me to his partner, who helped me figure out how to pivot by envisioning the work I wanted, and then how to create it. We both had a passion for developing women, for acting, for coaching and for giving people the tools to create a life led with purpose. 

I have a job that I love. I am an Executive Coach. I am a Vocal Coach. I am helping women and men find their voices and their confidence. I am building leaders for the future. I am helping others figure out how to “pivot”.  I am coming from a place of truth, power, and empathy and I have never been happier.

I just recently found out that my friend with the infectious smile and perfect accent has since passed away.  I haven’t seen him in over 4 years but I will be forever grateful for his incredible influence he had on my life.

Say thank you to the people in your life who helped you pivot. You never know where you would be without them. Eternally grateful and humbled reflecting on that moment and what it meant to me. This post is dedicated to the memory of Tom Bruno-Magditch.