“I am my first client… I am my biggest success story.”
Have you ever known someone who had a health crisis that caused them to re-evaluate their career and life direction?
I had the chance to interview Karen Sammer on her literally life-saving transition, and it was a truly inspiring story. Karen went from a high-pressure corporate role to building a thriving health coaching practice—sparked by two major health wake-up calls and sustained by a clear mission.
“I lost 135 pounds… I lost the equivalent of an adult human.”
Some key insights that emerged from our discussion:
Even when we know that we should make a change,
we often get stuck until an external force pushes us.
“I was raising two teenagers and my life was threatened. My cancer was aggressive and recurrence risk felt high. My lifestyle likely contributed to disease risk. I lost my mother at 16 and didn’t want that to be my children’s story.”
My own case was not nearly so dramatic: it was finding out that my company was merging into our parent, and there would no longer be a Chief Actuary role when that was complete. (You can read about my own journey here.)
Is it better to move away from something or toward something?
“Toward is more compelling—carrot vs. stick. In my case it was both: leaving what didn’t fit and moving toward what mattered. You don’t need all ducks in a row—make reasonable choices.”
Running away can create blinders. In the interview, I shared a story of a friend who took a job for relocation reasons, then quit quickly when he saw it wasn’t what he wanted. (You can hear that at minute 24 of the interview.)
Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently?
“I would have done it earlier if I’d known. Corporate life can be toxic and competitive. I’m collaborative, not competitive. Annual “accomplishments” write-ups were hard; I didn’t embellish. If I’d known in my 50s what I know now, I’d have shifted sooner.”
I think this is a pretty common refrain – after a transition, particularly a successful one, we often wonder why we didn’t do it sooner.
A simple example is hip replacement. My wife has had both done. She did everything she could to avoid and delay the first surgery, until the discomfort finally got unbearable. The next day after it was done, she was up and walking without pain. Yes, there was a recovery period, but the quality of life differential was amazing.
There’s so much more we got into during the interview, including some Q & A with the audience we invited to join us. To watch the recording, go here.
- What career or life transition have YOU been putting off?
- What’s one baby step you could take towards either making the transition or determining if it makes sense?
Hey John, the way you shared this transition felt honest and deeply human. It’s clear this wasn’t just a career move, but was more about protecting life, health, and wholeness. That takes courage.
Thanks, Florence, and spot on. It takes courage, and is also what makes it work.
I have read Karen Sammer’s story here on the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Very inspiring. For myself I can’t think of anything to change career wise. I’ve been a waitress, sten and a nurse. I am not defined by any of those. I have already been retired for 10 years. Last year losing my hearing and my mother almost at the same time was traumatic. It changed the way I see life and things. I was fortunate I’ve recovered some of my hearing and doing well with hearing aids.
Lily: That’s so hard. I’m glad the hearing aids are working for you.
So true; after a successful transition, the question “why didn’t I do this sooner?” seems almost universal. Insightful interview and a great prompt for reflection.
Tamara: It really is. Even if the initial transition doesn’t work out, going through it, learning from it, and moving on is still better to have done sooner.