Intro: Welcome to The Career Change Podcast where you’ll discover the frank and practical advice and resources that are already proven to work in the real world when it comes to changing careers, or figuring out what business is right for you when you are a smart, but likely also stuck, overwhelmed or overthinking person in your mid 30s, your 40s to your mid50s.

I’m your host Rikke Hansen, a Career Change Advisor, entrepreneur, and former corporate HR professional with over 15 years experience of helping thousands of people just like you identify or create careers or businesses that are both meaningful and future proof. Welcome home!

Hey, it’s Rikke here and welcome to Episode 7, where we’ll talk about the fact that a lot of people, maybe even yourself included (especially if you’re in your mid 30s to mid 50s and you might have done the same thing for years as an employee) – Then you might right now be holding yourself back from making a big change in your career or from starting your own company.

Why?

Because you worry that you don’t have enough experience or enough relevant experience to do what you really want to do next.

So what I want to do in this particular episode is to challenge you to think about what you already have to offer in a way that’s going to empower you and make you think much bigger, and also make you feel a lot more in control of your transition.

Rather than feeling like you’re at the mercy of a bunch of gatekeepers, middlemen or job ad criteria tickers. Which might be how you’re feeling right now.

So let’s talk about how you can stop giving so much of your power away, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time until now being an employee. And you still think like one (which is very normal).

Even people who do something else often still think like an employee. And that’s what I really want to address.

In this episode, I want you to help think so much bigger and to feel so much more in control of the process.

One of the biggest gifts that you can give yourself IF you want to fast track and future proof your career transition – And this is whether you want to be an entrepreneur or not – Is to start thinking like an entrepreneur or small business owner, instead of continuing to think like an employee.

Thinking like an employee is really what I see is holding a lot of people back from making a big change.

Stop Thinking Like An Employee.

Start Thinking Like An Entrepreneur.

Here’s what I mean when I say “start thinking like an entrepreneur”:

I recommend that you leave behind that old school employee mindset, which sees the working world as a place where you need to fit yourself into predefined job boxes, job criteria, educational criteria and rules that have been set by people who were there before you.

And where you are at the mercy of gatekeepers or HR, or recruiters and other middlemen or middle women.

Where if you hope to move into something new, you hope they’ll pick or choose you.

So if you are feeling quite passive and powerless about the way you currently think about the transition process, then you very likely have an employee mindset (which is totally normal, by the way).

But let’s talk about another way of looking at the world of work that will empower you so much more, so you can make that transition that you really want to make.

What I recommend you do instead, right now, is to start adopting the mindset of an entrepreneur, or small business owner.

Note: If you don’t like the word “entrepreneur” because you find it too scary or intimidating, then just use the term “small business owner”, right?

Start thinking like an entrepreneur or start thinking like a small business owner who is part of what I like to call The Pick Yourself Economy (also what other people might call The Choose Yourself Economy), where you don’t wait until you are the perfect fit for predefined criteria or boxes.

Instead, right now, you choose, you pick yourself as the person who is going to do their own thing.

The Pick Yourself Economy.

Pick yourself as the person who is going to do their own thing.

And then seek out and go directly to the people, whether they’re clients or buyers, who “get” you and want and value the experience that you already have.

So you are able to monetize directly without waiting for anyone else’s permission to say that you were qualified or that you’re ready.

Choose yourself or pick yourself and then go directly to the clients you want. Whether that’s clients who want to buy your services or your products, or whether it’s people who can hire you directly.

Do You Worry About Gatekeepers?

Just take a moment and think about how many fears and how much energy and time you might be wasting right now worrying about the gatekeepers!

Versus actually taking power back and deciding you’re going to do your own thing, you’re going to start your own thing. And you’re going to bypass all of those gatekeepers and go straight to the people that you want to sell your thing to.

This is why – For people over 35, who want to change into something different – I always suggest at least considering entrepreneurship.

I’m not saying that’s the right thing for everyone, but increasingly, owning your own thing and not having to deal with gatekeepers when you want to make a transition gives you so much power back

And increasingly, you do not want your identity tied to a job or another company or profession, you want to run and own the platform, at least at some stage, in your career and in your life.

Be open minded.

I’ve got clients from all over the world and here’s something really interesting I’ve noticed – For some reason Americans tend to be a lot more open to the idea of entrepreneurship. Whereas people from Northern Europe, Europe and the UK, are more like “I’m not really sure I’m the entrepreneurial type!”

Let’s change that!

You don’t have to be somebody special to start your own business, or even be the “entrepreneurial type” – You just have to be really keen to do your own thing.

I’m saying this because I know there might be some Brits and Europeans listening thinking “Yeah, I’m not really sure about this entrepreneur thing. I’m nobody special!”

Again, you do NOT have to be anybody special to start your own company.

I’ll get off my my high horse, but I just wanted to say it because I know the word entrepreneur might turn some people off. Be open minded to what I have to tell you, or at least steal the ideas or the way of looking at it to help you make your own transition into something different easier and more powerful for you.

So back to the question:


How Do You Transition Into A New Career Or Start Your Business When You Don’t Feel Like You Have Enough Experience Or Enough Relevant Experience?


Like I said, maybe you think like this, because you’ve spent the majority of your career so far working in a different field?

And maybe you feel it’s not related to where you want to go next?

Does that mean you should just give up on your dreams?

Or is there some kind of intelligent, or more modern approach, that you could actually use to at least get started?

This is what the rest of this podcast episode will be all about.

So keep listening.
Don’t give up on your dreams just yet!

Now, if you’re new to this podcast or are new to me – I’ve been a career change advisor and entrepreneur for the last 15 years.

I’ve reached thousands of people globally. And I’ve also worked one on one with hundreds of people, in addition to working with many people through my online courses too.

Bu here’s something that might surprise you.

Here’s what I’ve found again, and again, through the work that I’ve done with real people just like you:

Most people already have enough experience to at least get started with their transition.

And like I said, this is especially the case if you are open to things like freelancing, starting your own business, and doing it on the side whilst you get the experience you need.

And of course, it goes without saying, you’re also open to things like things like ongoing, continuous, lifelong learning.

What’s really interesting is that out of the many, many clients I’ve worked with over the years, only a few of them ended up moving into something that they hadn’t done before in their career, or in their life, in some capacity.

The majority of them were actually already doing their “new thing” or part of their new thing somehow already, in some part of their life or work.

They might just have called it something else.

But they were already doing it.

It was a skill set or subject or thing that they were naturally drawn to, naturally good at.

Or they already had ideas or experiences around it – It was the kind of thing they couldn’t NOT do, no matter how hard they tried.

And I bet that might be the case for you as well.

What is it you cannot NOT do?

So the issue is often not whether you have enough experience or enough relevant experience.

The issue actually most often tends to be – And the mistake that most career changers make is – They don’t take the time. And they rarely get the professional advice to sit down and actually look at doing their translation piece.

The translation piece needed to show their future employer, their future client, how what they’ve done so far, is actually highly relevant to where they want to go next. I.e. Make your past relevant in the light of the future!

Do the translation piece.

Make your past relevant in the light of the future!

Most people treat their career up until he stage where they want to make a change or start their own business as some kind of sunk cost with nothing to build on or from.

That does never have to be the case!

I have never met a single client who did not have a past we could build upon or cast correctly in the light of where they wanted to go next.

You might right now be taking some of your biggest skills, experiences and wins, both inside and outside of work, for granted.

It’s hard for you to see just how valuable they are.


So in this episode I want to share 3 ways in which you can start thinking like an entrepreneur, about yourself and about what you already have to offer.

Try it out, be open minded.

With some of the exercise I’m going to take you through now – For some of my clients, it literally sparked the idea for their business. And for others, it made them realize they do not have to give all of their power away to gatekeepers or the CV bullies or the HR bullies, but that they could own part of the process and be the person to go in between.

I know from experience there are 3 areas that make a real difference when it comes to you thinking about what you might already have to offer.

And again, I’ll encourage you to think about maybe doing your own thing, be brave, right?

I know that if you’re listening to this, if you’re attracted to this kind of podcast and my style, there’s part of you that really wants to do your own thing, just own it ;)

I know from experience that there are three areas that make a real difference. So let’s talk about them.


#1 Can You Get Results And Solve Real Problems?

Can you you get results and solve real problems, whether that’s for yourself or for others?

Have you done it in a way that’s somehow related to where you want to go next? That’s the first thing we’ll talk about.

#2 Have You Already Got A Public Track Record Of Getting Results And Solving Problems?

Or are you willing to at least start building one, and then continue adding to that public track record? So it’s not just you saying how fab you are?

#3Are You Willing To Create And Own Your Virtual Breadcrumb Trail?

So you can control the conversation that’s happening when people Google you, as to what your work identity is? 

Those are the three steps, I’m going to walk you through step by step.

#1 Can You Get Results And Solve Real Problems?

Can you get things done?
Versus just paper pushing, and procrastination?

Can you create value?

Number 1 is really very straightforward. If you think about it, when it comes down to any job or any company, it’s all around solving problems and getting results, right.

There’s a clear before, and a clear after.

So if you think about your life, either outside of work or inside of work, related to the subject, the area want to move into next, what is the skill set, you’ve used the most, to actually get results or to solve problems?

What’s the skillset you’ve already used the most to get results or to solve problems?

Because here’s the deal, you naturally have a phenomenal skill set, a way of doing things, a way of looking at things that you will use again, and again, no matter what career or what profession you’re in!

What Is It You Cannot NOT Do?

If I were to plonk you down somewhere in the middle of nowhere, what is it you will still do no matter what?

For me, no matter where you plonk me down in the world, I will give advice.

You have an equivalent too!

And it might even be that you’ve already used this skill set in the arena you want to go into next, which tends to be a subject.

Don’t just focus on what you’ve done at work. That’s the employee mindset way of looking at it.

Whenever I start working with clients, one of the first things they get is a Career & Life Review Questionnaire.

Why? I’m not just interested in what they’ve done at work, I also look at what they’ve done outside of work in their life. Everything is relevant to who you are.

That’s also what I mean by moving away from the employee mindset.

Don’t just focus on what you’ve done at work, other things are relevant too!

Your spare time, your family – What you’ve done outside of work – All of you matters when it comes to figuring this out.

Now, here’s an advanced tip. It’s especially for those of you who are considering starting your own company, but who don’t think you have what it takes.

I want to go a little bit back to that kind of “Oh, who am I to start my own company? I’m nobody special!”

Let me ask you this:

How many blogs are you following right now?

Or how many brands or products are you buying?

…Because you love the story behind the brand?

That personal story, that before and after story, right?

Think about how you might right now be following a health blogger or a fitness blogger, for example, who wasn’t necessarily always in health or fitness, but they have this personal story of having a personal health or fitness or mental health issue. And then they solved it and they’ve got the solution.

And now, you’re like “I want some of that! I want what she’s having!”

Why?

It’s because they clearly showed you a before and after. In a way that’s relatable and that you relate to because they are a real person just like you.

And what have they now done with the before and after?

Turned it into a service or a product that they are monetizing – That they can offer you too!


This is really what I want you to think about in your own life.

Have you achieved a transformation, or solved a problem or created something for yourself that you can now offer to other people?

Or can you start doing it as a service or a prototype?


Why Not YOU?



Why not pick yourself, right?


Even if you’re like, “Oh, but that’s not related, necessarily, to where I’ve been before and what I’ve done before in my career.”

Well, hey, let me tell you something.

Did you know that in March 2012, the founder of lingerie brand Spanx, Sara Blakely, was named the world’s youngest self made billionaire by Forbes magazine?

Did you know Sara Blakely had NEVER worked in the lingerie industry before she started Spanx?

She used to be a fax machine sales person!

If you’re listening to this, I assume you know what a fax machine is, right? Hello Gen X ;)

If you don’t know what Spanx is, they’re an incredible lingerie line with knickers/pants that give you a six pack in one go.

She came up with the idea for this product because she had a problem herself.

She wanted to get underwear that would enable her to wear white jeans without worrying about her potbelly popping out or things looking bulky. She couldn’t find anything she liked on the market. So she snipped off the legs of a pair of tights, or pantyhose.



She solved her own problem.

And then she commercialised that, that solution, that product!

Nobody gave a flying fart about whether she worked in lingerie before!

Why? Because her story was so bloody good that she could buy the expertise to start the company for it.

If you’ve ever, ever tried a pair of Spanx shorts under a tight dress, you’ll know what I’m talking about!

I distinctly remember going to a friend’s wedding in Buenos Aires in Argentina wearing a really tight dress with Spanx underneath.

Did I care about the fact that Sara Blakely hadn’t spent years studying or spent years working in the area of lingerie before she actually launched this product?

No, she could have been a fax machine person for all that I cared – Her stuff made me feel like a million bucks with a perfect six pack!

Do you see where I’m going with this?

You do not have to have a lifelong track record.

If you have a product or a service or an experience that has a clear before and after – A transformation – Where there’s a problem solved, then that is enough justification.

Isn’t this powerful to think about?

Chrisse Rucker also comes to mind here – She had no background in what she is doing now.

Chrissie Rucker is the founder of The White Company. For those of you who might be outside of the UK, she’s sort of a mini Martha Stewart in a way (without the prison record!).

She used to be a journalist. She hadn’t worked in retail before. But when she moved in with a boyfriend, they decided they were just going to make everything white in their apartment because they had very different interior tastes. 

So she had to – at that stage – go to 20 different stores to get white things, you know, white towels, white furniture, white fabric, everything for the home.

She was like, why not just open 1 shop where everything you can buy is white, instead of having to go to 20 different shops!

Chrissie Rucker is now one of the biggest retail success stories in the UK.

She used to be a journalist, then she solved a problem in her own life, she found a solution.

She started offering that solution as a business and people were interested.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Ask yourself, where have you already had results in your own life, solving a problem for yourself?

And maybe you’ve already started doing it for others too?

This is where you start my friend.

Look at what you’re already really good at doing when it comes to problem solving, when it comes to getting results.

And then start pairing that with the subject or product area you want to move into – You can already do that now.

And remember, it doesn’t have to be retail – That’s just those two examples – Very few of my clients actually move into those areas – I just gave those two examples as they illustrate the point so incredibly well.

It could also be a service or a prototype that you want to start working with.

So that’s number #1.

A clear before and after.

That’s what people are interested in.

Can you solve the problem for them?

So many of my clients are so worried about “But who am I and what are they going to think about me!”

Here’s the deal – If you can solve a problem, get me a result, I do not give a flying fart about a lot of things about you!

I care about that you can help me!

Stop worrying so much about whether people going to find out that you might not have spent your entire career so far in the arena you want to move into next.

Actually, part of that makes you more interesting. Right?

Moving on.

#2 Have You Already Got A Public Track Record Of Getting Results And Solving Problems?

Or can you start creating one?

This is really, really important! You need to start creating, and keep building a public track record of testimonials and case studies. So it’s not just you talking about how great you are. And it’s not just you talking about the fact that you’ve got the relevant skill set. That you can solve problems provide solutions.

As soon as you can, I want you to start getting guinea pigs, getting clients, getting contracts, where you are starting doing “your new thing.”

Become Known For Doing Your Thing With Other People!

Getting the testimonials – Where other people are saying how great you are – Is so important.

Why?

Because it’s vital that you become known for doing your new thing with other people.

You can absolutely do this – Generally, the majority of my clients who start their own business, who start their career change, they do it on the side, while they still have a full time job.

So it’s absolutely possible, you just need to decide what your key priority is right now, and spend your time accordingly.

Even if it’s something that you only do a little bit initially, and then you add more time over time.

Whether that’s getting a contract, whether that’s getting clients on the side, to finish your product, your service, or that new expertise you want to gather and move into.


So make sure when you start working with these people, that you get their feedback, their testimonials and their case studies.

AND that you post these in public places like LinkedIn or Instagram or your own website for social proof!

If, for confidentiality reasons, you’re like “Oh, but I cannot do that. Because I don’t want my boss to find out!” Just do it under a brand or a company name to de-personalize it or set up a company and do it on behalf of that company. 

You don’t have to be a personal brand. A lot of my clients don’t want to be personal brands. And that’s absolutely fine. We just start a company where it’s more about the product, not about you.

So no worries, you’ve got no excuses ;)

Here’s the great deal:

Instead of dealing with gatekeepers and box tickers and middle men and middle women – Go straight to the people who want your thing!

Whether that’s the product or the service, make them have the experience, get them to endorse it = You own the platform, you own the product, you own the process.

Become known for doing your new thing with other people, and then post the public proof of experience!

That’s something that no matter what area you want to get into next, whether you want to start your company or change careers, you want to keep building this over time, that endorsement from a third party.

This is literally also how you start the credibility for your new thing.

Client Case Study

So one of my clients over the last year, Julia, she’s an amazing woman who had a really successful career in technology where she worked for a tech startup. But she also had a massive burnout. And she had real issues around pregnancy. 

She had a total burnout and thought she had to give up her entire career until she actually discovered strength training!

Now a lot of women are really afraid of strength training, because they think they’re going to bulk up. But Julia realized that if you didn’t spend too much time doing it and you did some very distinct exercises, then not only did you feel stronger, physically, and got you a lot more energy. But it also really bumped up your confidence in your career and in your business massively.

And she thought:

“I’ve really got something here. But I’m not a personal trainer yet, nor do I want to be known as that, but I do want to start a company around this.”

So we worked together on designing a unique business concept for her – A fitness and career programme – Where she is not actually the person doing the personal training, because that’s not where her strengths are. And that’s something you can easily hire out. But where she delivers and shares her expertise through a very specific programme that’s a mix of mindset, of strength training and everything she’s learned from being a high flying corporate woman whilst still having a career and a home life and confidence and then teaching that to people throughout a 12 week programme.

This was the early stages. And I was like – You’ve got to get people going through this programme – Both to get the real proof of concept and to experience yourself doing it – But also to – in the process – Get phenomenal before and after case studies and honest testimonials. So you can get that up on your website, on LinkedIn and everywhere.

And there you go, that is your business. It is you being known for doing your thing with other people in public!

Julia is incredibly gifted, she really knows her stuff. She consulted with some of the best in the fields of strength training, nutrition and psychology – Remember you don’t have to do everything yourself.

But guess why people were buying from her?

Because the people she was selling to were people who in their career right now might be going through burnout.

They’re ambitious, but they’re worried they’re going to sacrifice their health at the altar of / the expense of their careers. Julia knew that didn’t have to be the case, if you did her strategy, strength training, the mindset and all of that. So that’s what she’s selling.

And why do you think they liked her?

Because she has a clear before and after story!

And she knew exactly what they’re going through.

They trusted her because she had that experience – But had come over on the other side – BAM!

Also, I cannot even tell you how incredible the testimonials were that she got back halfway through the programme and after the programme. Imagine what that does for her business.

Are people going to go “Oh, but you used to work in technology, not this field?!”

Nope – This woman can get results – A clear before and after – For her clients.

And the fact that she didn’t actually spend the last 10 years as a personal trainer does not work against her.

The fact that she spent the last 10 years doing something completely different is actually part of the attraction- Because she’s chosen the right clientele!

Do you see how all of this can actually work?!

Plus, I also made sure there was a massive online component to her business. So no matter what’s happening in the world – Her business is still growing

That’s what I love – Designing these unique businesses for my clients.

But you see, you don’t have to do this alone.

Let your clients, let the public help you.

A lot of us – We’re not really good at selling ourselves.

Well – You do not have to sell yourself – Just get those testimonials – Make your clients help you do the heavy lifting!

Become known for doing your new thing with other people, and then post that public proof of experience.

We’ll talk about where now.

#3 Are You Willing To Create And Own Your Virtual Breadcrumb Trail?

Here’s what I mean by this:

If right now, if I were to Google you, what is the professional identity that comes up for you?

It might be your CV or your LinkedIn profile, that you probably haven’t updated to reflect where you want to go next – So you are kind of brand marked by what you’ve done up until now.

That is really what I want you to focus on changing.

And here’s the deal:

Platforms are your friends!

LinkedIn, Instagram etc – All those big platforms that might make you go “I don’t want to go there!” – They are your friends, they have SEO (search engine optimisation), they will show up when people google you!

So you want to make sure you optimize those platforms with your new identity!

This is so so important.

Here’s what I always say to my clients:

Remember – How you present yourself should not be a rehash of the past with the language that your employer or your industry chose for you.

The way you ought to present yourself online, whether that’s your LinkedIn profile, Instagram or YouTube channel, the way you present yourself should always be in the light of the future, with the lingo and with the relevant information the future buyers would expect from you.

Always present your past in the light of the future – Of where you want to go next!

So you, my friend, need to do the translation piece!

Don’t just rely on your CV or recruiting consultants and the few people you know.

Avoid the gatekeepers, avoid the companies who still have outdated thinking.

Own the online space – There is so much power in this!

Instead of thinking “I don’t want to do my LinkedIn profile!” or “I don’t want to do Instagram!”

Think about it – These platforms can really fast track and help you own the identity that comes up for you when people google your name.

You need to own that space! That virtual breadcrumb trail!

When I google your name, you need to own that space. And you can – That’s actually where platforms are really, really good.

Depending on where your future clients or employers hang out, choose the platform, the social platform they use the most and then start dominating that platform.



Whether that’s Instagram, LinkedIn articles, YouTube videos, wherever your product or your service buyers, wherever your new clients hang out – That’s where YOU go to get in front of them.

And then start talking about yourself with the new expertise and the new identity.

Share the testimonials, share the case studies, talk about your product, your service, share publicly, and virtually build that identity.

Create a virtual breadcrumb trail to establish your new professional identity publicly.

I know this can seem scary. If you’ve been an employee your entire life, you only have to sort of fly your flag every three to four years.

But you know what?! You’re listening to this podcast because you want something that’s a lot more exciting and feels like a lot more like you than what you have now – So own it!

Take your power back, create that virtual breadcrumb trail.

Here’s the deal. A lot of a lot of my clients are the more shy and introverted type.

Don’t worry – The internet was made for you introverts!

The internet, the virtual space, was made for introverts – You can do a lot of networking without even having to be seen.

You can even start a company and product, but you don’t even mention your name.

It doesn’t have to be about you – Just focus on the results and the transformation you offer – The before and after.

Just get started building that virtual breadcrumb trail, because here’s the thing, when people Google you, it’s the big platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram that come up.

Why? Because those massive platforms, they have SEO profiles that’ll be picked up on. When Google crawls through the internet, what it notices is those big platforms.

And I want to make sure that when I google you, you are on those platforms, talking about yourself with that new identity!

That’s absolutely possible.

Okay. I know this is really advanced stuff. But here’s the deal.

Listen back over this again and again, and just do it step by step.

You can do this – Just take one step at a time!

You’re not listening to this podcast, because you want fluffy stuff that everybody else are saying – You’re here because you want to move on in an intelligent manner. And faster, right?

A year from now, if you start today, you will have one year’s public, visible experience.

If you don’t start today, and if you don’t start over the next year, a year from now you’ll look back, and I can guarantee you’ll regret that you didn’t take action.

So go do it. Start where you can. All right?!

Start with these three things.


#1 Can you get results for yourself and others?

And can you prove the before and after?

Start doing that now!

What is it you’re already doing? What is it that you’re naturally already doing – That you cannot not do?


#2 Start building testimonials.

Start getting case studies, start getting public proof from other people that you can do this.

Become known for doing your new thing publicly.

#3 Start building a virtual breadcrumb trail.

So you can control what’s being said about you online and about your work identity.

That is really how this works. All right?

So get going with it.

And again, catch yourself when you start thinking like an employee, rather than an entrepreneur, like a business owner.

Action: Come Over To www.TheCareerChangePodcast.com & Sign Up For The Newsletter (you can use the form below!)

Reply to any of my emails and let me know what you want me to cover on this podcast.

What are the topics that are causing you the most trouble that you would like me to talk about on this podcast?

Click HERE to discover how to work with me, if you really want to fast track that transition.

Know this:

You can absolutely get started now.

You already have what it takes to at least get started.

If not, go get it, using the examples and strategies I’ve shared here.

See you over at www.TheCareerChangePodcast.com – Welcome home!