From corporate banking to career transition coach & recruiter, meet Lori Wallace

What happens when life rips up your plan and hands you an unexpected invitation to start over?

In this episode of The Career Flipper, host Jenny Dempsey sits down with Lori Wallace, executive recruiter, mentor, and all‑around career‑flipping muse. We talk about the serendipitous way we met (spoiler: Jenny was pretending I worked at an art show) and her journey from corporate banking to a total physical and emotional breakdown that changed everything.

These days, we often hear stories about COVID being the turning point for career change but Lori takes us back to another moment that shook the world: 9/11. It was the catalyst that impacted her health, her career, and ultimately, the way she lives and works today.

In this conversation, Lori shares:

• How the events of 9/11 sent shockwaves through her health and career
• What it’s like to be laid off while on maternity leave
• The moment her body forced her to pause and completely reevaluate her life
• Why listening to your body’s signals during transition is non‑negotiable
• How career change can be one of the most misunderstood (and isolating) forms of modern trauma

If you’ve ever felt like the rug’s been pulled out from under you, stuck, scared, or unsure of what’s next, this one’s going to meet you right where you are.

Connect with Lori:
🌿 The Great Compassion
🌿 Career Ecology
🌿 LinkedIn

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🪑 And if you want to see my career flip furniture flips in real life, follow me at @sandiegofurnitureflipper

 

Submit your story:

Have a career flip story? Whether you’re in the messy middle or celebrating the other side, I’d love to hear it and maybe even feature you on the show. Submit your story here: thecareerflipper.com.

 

Want to support the show or work together?

 

Book me to speak about career change at your next event, collaborate through sponsorships or affiliates or got another idea? Drop me a note at [e-mail]

 

Bonus: If you’re in customer experience or building your own business, check out my online courses. Before I started flipping my life and furniture, I led CX teams and created training that’s helped over 12,000 students worldwide. Learn more at thecareerflipper.com/courses.

 

🎵 Music Credits

 

Season 1: Intro & outro music by Audionautix.com

Season 2: Original music by yours truly, Jenny Dempsey, recorded in my home studio

 

And hey, remember my favorite question: What’s the best that could happen? 💫