What’s Next?
By Jacque Genovese
After years working in a fulfilling and successful career in healthcare marketing, I found myself one day thinking about what else was out there that I might also enjoy doing. I had accumulated valuable management experience over the years that I felt would benefit me in other industries. It took me a few years of contemplating the idea of walking away to do something else; I knew the decision would be life changing.
”When the time felt right, I wrapped that security blanket of knowledge and experience around me and, at the young age of 65, I took a leap of faith and walked away from a job I loved doing, that paid very well, and ventured out into the unknown.”
The first couple of months after leaving my demanding job felt amazing. I had plenty of time to research new opportunities and take an inventory of jobs I was interested in doing, and those I categorized as “No Thank You” jobs. I love learning about new things and that is what I enjoyed most about my previous career. No day was ever the same. I plugged those must-haves into my job search. Meanwhile, my friends were determined to support me in what seemed to them as a hasty departure from reality. I thought otherwise. I was experiencing a reawakening and I didn’t want to let that opportunity pass me by.
One day, as if the Goddess of Careers had heard my inner thoughts, I got a call from a long-time friend about a job. Well, not just any friend. This lovely person had worked for me at one time early on in her career and had gone on to own a very successful branding and marketing agency. She had a client her company was working with and asked if I wanted to help her team. Of course, I jumped at the idea as it sounded fun. Besides, my business suits, heels, and strategic-thinking brain had been on hiatus longer than I could remember throughout my entire career!
Fast forward to today – 4 years later – that job my friend offered me turned out to be everything and more than I was looking for on my new journey. I love the “full circle of life” opportunity that I have been given, working for my dear friend, Christine, and with a great team of colleagues. I couldn’t have imagined the diverse clients that I would get to work with when
I said “Yes” that day, but this job has brought me so much joy and personal gratification knowing that I am helping businesses tell their stories. Plus, I’m wearing another hat at work – Executive Editor, and I love how it looks on me!
I feel like I was in the right place at the right time for this to happen. My advice: if you want to make a change, at any age, don’t be afraid to take that leap. Even though it was scary at first, it gave me a new- found sense of strength and purpose, and I’m loving where I landed.