1. What made this experience significant for you?  
2. What did you do to cause the change to have a positive outcome?  
3. How did you know it was the appropriate time to make the change?  
4. How would you suggest someone prepare to make such an experience more expeditious or effortless (to simplify their process)?   
5. Has this impacted your beliefs about future changes and if so how?  
6. What did you use as a support for your transition process?

  CAREER TRANSITION (employee to entrepreneur)

"Anything is possible if the timing is right...it depends on if you're compelled in your soul."

  - Kate Bennett

1. Had reached the ceiling at my job and felt I was crashing into it.  Wasn't getting back what I was putting in any more. Was good at what I was doing and people thought I was too. Yet job no longer held the charm, achieving, proving myself- none of that left. Couldn't change the culture of the company. No room for the creative and I wanted that.  My job was demanding every part of me.   Trying to do my music and job would have affected my work availability and been too much responsibility.  Great to have been paid for a job I'd enjoyed, but it wasn't enough.  Made the choice to promote my music.

2. Realized I'd gained great job discipline and business skills I could apply to my entrepreneurial work. It's harder for those without that background.

3. My mom's death made me see my own life before me and ask myself how much time do I have and how do I want to live my life. Emotionally it was something I always wanted to do and many different directions were pointing the way to tell me to do it. It was an obvious direction, but a leap. If I didn't do it now, I wouldn't have been able to. I'd been involved in musical workshops and performing and if I hadn't been doing that prior to my chance to change I might not have felt I'd have done my musical homework, getting the competence and confidence back. I was doing it for the love of it, not for any other reason initially. Security can be a noose if it's only about that and there are times when you need it, like raising a child, but there are times when you realize it's not as important as taking a risk.

4. Have some kind of savings or other form of income to sustain you for a period of time. You're not going to make the kind you used to make right away, if ever. It takes sometimes a couple of years to make some money. Put some savings away or if you have a partner to help sustain you through that transition period, talk with them. Also, when you're getting out there you have to be prepared to identify yourself and demonstrate your abilities to people so they would know why to hire you.

5. Anything is possible if the timing is right. I encounter the fear factor with people who may not be able to make the change right now, but can set their life up to make a future change. They may have to make other adjustments, live somewhere less expensive or whatever, but it depends on if you're compelled in your soul.   

6. My husband and I even handled a new house purchase, so I stayed at my job till this was settled and then we agreed he'd provide the main income while I got more situated.

- Kate Bennett, Singer/Songwriter

"I've always been a risk taker.   I've always had this sense I could do something."

- John Wolitarsky

1. I sat back and thought what industry can I get in that doesn't have huge ups and downs. There are always cities and work to be done. We provide civil engineering design and construction management to municipal agencies. I met my partner, Sam, when I was working in the private sector before that and doing similar work. We ended up commuting to work and eventually discussed going out on our own. We're different and compliment each other. We're both 50% owners.

2. While we were working for company 1 we were building up company 2. Our boss didn't have an issue with it. To take it to the next level we had to decide about working for ourselves. We worked out contracting issues with an attorney, settled our accounts, did the inventory, yet ultimately it was a gut decision. We had an opportunity to grow and six months guaranteed income. We didn't have as much to loose as to gain. We didn't want to be 65 looking back at an opportunity we didn't take.  

3. Ultimately it's like getting married or having a kid, there is no perfect time. We didn't have a year's money in the bank and the person you marry is never perfect.  

4. Feel the water out ahead of time and play what if scenarios with clients and contacts. I'm thinking of X, would you hire me in that case? Check out the problems. Ultimately it comes down to money and you need to have some cushion so there's not a stress factor. If you're so worried about the money, you won't be able to create anything.

5. The interesting thing is we took the initial step to get something going and situations and doors opened that we couldn't have planned for.     

6. My wife was a great support. Others are important to run it by who've been there and will propose or raise issues to help you formulate a game plan with minimal holes.  

“Not everyone is cut out to be independent. Be realistic about your knowledge and skills, will other people pay for that? I’d always been someone who could go out and do things on my own. You have to know. Know about this so you can determine if you can survive without the infrastructure you’re accustomed to…Be willing to assess your nature and the demands on your life.” – Jan Spencley

1. Had been with a large organization in a secure position for 25 years. It was taking a big risk, especially with the income factor, to go out on my own as a consultant. It was true, at least 25% of my time I had to be marketing myself, which I didn’t like. Would I fail? You don’t know for sure. Just cause you’re good at what you do doesn’t mean others will pay you enough to make it worthwhile.

2. My employer kept asking me to stay, so I agreed to stay under contract back with the university I’d worked for. It gave me a sense of security because I had my first client and it would look good for my portfolio and the fact that it was my ex-employer.

3. I knew I was very, very good at what I did. I knew a lot about an area that most people didn’t, from the $50,000 level to down-in-the-dirt with healthcare. I had a lot of faith in my own ability and was well known across the country. I anticipated my first client would come from the university system. I’d become well known as an expert. I had the faith that even though I didn’t want to keep working in this environment I knew others knew me and I could tap those sources.

4. First, make the decision to do it or not. Not everyone is cut out to be independent. Be realistic about your knowledge and skills, will other people pay for that? I’d always been someone who could go out and do things on my own. You have to know. Know about this so you can determine if you can survive without the infrastructure you’re accustomed to. Research. People out there wanted my time so I knew I was marketable. You have to have a realistic assessment and do the math to see if your finances can handle the change. If most people can only pay a couple of hundred bucks for your services how many people do you have to go through to make it more? If you’re no good at networking then you’ll never make it. You have to have a lot of passion for what you do. Be willing to assess your nature and the demands on your life. I have a relationship with a lot of my clients and invest in some of their projects, people who sat across the table with me in earlier negotiations who decided they wanted me on their side. I’m straight and a good sales person. I have to believe in myself and sell myself.

5. I have faith I’m not going to go leap into something, but I’ve had the freedom of looking at other opportunities.

6. I talked to my contacts. I talked with others who might want to use my services. I had connections within my industry and they said they have business that comes up and this is how much we’d pay you. Leveraging other relationships. I ask who else has contacts if I don’t have success finding clients. I’m a big believer in partnership. Everybody doesn’t know you have a track record, so you have to work with others to show them.

- Jan Spencley, Health Care Specialist