October 15, 2025 • 29 mins
Ready for a career change? Join host NaRon Tillman and HR expert Carlee Wolfe as they reveal the truth about modern job hunting and career transitions. Discover proven strategies to overcome ghost jobs, master career pivots, and build communities that accelerate your professional growth.
Carlee brings years of HR leadership experience, adaptive sports involvement, and community building expertise to share actionable career advice. Learn how to develop foundational skills, create authentic professional connections, and break through barriers limiting your career advancement.
Whether you're searching for job search tips, considering a major career change, or need a career coach perspective on building your professional network, this episode delivers transformational insights for walking in victory through any career transition.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction: The Wild World of Job Hunting
00:08 Embracing Change and Transformation
01:35 Meet Carly: A Journey of Career Pivots
05:01 The Importance of Community and Volunteering
14:03 Navigating the Digital Age and AI
17:18 Overcoming Barriers and Building Skills
27:38 Conclusion: Keep Moving Forward
Carlee's Imformation
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carleeawolfe
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/walk-in-victory--4078479/support.
🎧 Thanks for listening to Walk In Victory with NaRon Tillman!
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today.
✨ Sponsored by Cozy Earth – Elevate your rest with luxury bedding. Use code VICTORY1 for 40% off at cozyearth.com.
🔗 Stay connected:
Carlee brings years of HR leadership experience, adaptive sports involvement, and community building expertise to share actionable career advice. Learn how to develop foundational skills, create authentic professional connections, and break through barriers limiting your career advancement.
Whether you're searching for job search tips, considering a major career change, or need a career coach perspective on building your professional network, this episode delivers transformational insights for walking in victory through any career transition.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction: The Wild World of Job Hunting
00:08 Embracing Change and Transformation
01:35 Meet Carly: A Journey of Career Pivots
05:01 The Importance of Community and Volunteering
14:03 Navigating the Digital Age and AI
17:18 Overcoming Barriers and Building Skills
27:38 Conclusion: Keep Moving Forward
Carlee's Imformation
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carleeawolfe
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/walk-in-victory--4078479/support.
🎧 Thanks for listening to Walk In Victory with NaRon Tillman!
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today.
✨ Sponsored by Cozy Earth – Elevate your rest with luxury bedding. Use code VICTORY1 for 40% off at cozyearth.com.
🔗 Stay connected:
- 🌍 Website: walkinvictory.me
- 💼 LinkedIn: NaRon Tillman
- 📸 Instagram: @walkinvictorypodcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
People are applying to ghost jobs, the companies are getting
(00:03):
ghost applicants, Like it's just kind of like a wild
world out there, and so that can be like really
disheartening and frustrating.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
There comes a time in all of our careers, whether
we're entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, high executives, employees, that we have to
decide how we will make changes. Challenges will come, but
changes are often necessary. And because we consider ourselves to
(00:29):
be creatures of habit, we feel as if transformation is
so difficult and we go out kicking and screaming I've
done it, and we beat ourselves up, and then we
get to the other side of it because we don't
know what's on the other side of these deep pivots,
these hard interruptions, and we're like, wow, that didn't happen.
(00:52):
Then this wouldn't happen ever been there. This is what
our conversation is going to be about today, How to
prepare yourself mentally for for heard pivots and transformations, but
not only that, understanding that sometimes they're necessary. It won't
be the situation throwing you reasons that you pivot. It'll
(01:14):
be you consciously making a decision on making this you turn,
changing careers, jumping from a bad business, building a new business,
moving out of one's take to another. Whatever life is
thrown at you. We're going to help give you some
tools that you can navigate through better. My name is
(01:36):
Noron Tillman. This is Walking Victory and we sit you
at the feet of the masters to give you conversations
to help you involve your life. And today's master is Carly.
How are you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I'm excited to be here, so thanks so much for
having me.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Now, thank you so much for coming. When you hear
transformation or pivoting, what's the first things that come to
your mind?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
New possibilities. That's the first thing that came to my mind.
But then I think the second thing that came to
my mind was everything you said, right, a little bit
of maybe a little bit of fear, maybe a little
bit of excitement, maybe.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
A little bit of what could it be? But yeah,
that was my first my first reaction.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So you've had a wide range of different career paths
and that actually gives you the wisdom to have this conversation.
Tell our audience a little bit about what it is
that you have encountered in your journey and why you
(02:42):
think that having these conversations are important.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So I've spent my career in HR doing leadership development
and org effectiveness, so that kind of shapes out of
leadership development, how people perform at work, engagement, culture, all
these kinds of things. And I've done that in four
and nonprofit, and I've also done consulting. And I'd say
in the years that I've been working, my big pivots
(03:07):
with career have really also have not just been in
job opportunities sort of like moving within that space, but
also the life moves that have come with that. I've
in a lot of different cities, and those pivots and
turns are big and there they weren't taken lightly with
me and making those career moves. And so if anyone's
ever moved in their lives, they know what this looks like,
(03:29):
which is you're uprooting your community, You're starting all over.
Maybe this is also why people have it moved, because
like how do I even begin and what do I do?
So I think that's a big part of my pivot
and turn journey. The other part of it is, you know,
you mentioned like different facets of my career. I've also
spent twenty years coaching volleyball. I've done that in all
(03:50):
shapes and sizes and different age groups and in different
types of facilities right indoor, outdoor.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Beach, all the all the above, and today I still.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Work in the volleyball community. I work with sitting volleyball,
which is an adaptive sport, and so it's the best
way to describe it. It's in the at least where I
support is in the pipelines on the way to the
national team. And if you're not in the sports lingo
that really is for athletes that go to the Paralympics.
And if you don't know what that is, that's my
other fun fact that I'll leave you with, which is
I recommend googling or youtubing sitting volleyball that you can
(04:23):
look up the latest Paris Paralympics. So, and that's just
another moment of a pivot. I got into that because
someone asked if I wanted a coach. I didn't know
what I was doing. In fact, I had very little
to do with volleyball there than recreation growing up. But
they gave me an opportunity. I was like, I guess,
you know, I'll do it. And they're like, well, help you.
I was like, okay, And if you talk about a
scary move where you don't know what you're doing, like
(04:43):
try staring a bunch of like fifteen year olds and
eyes and basically saying you don't.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Know what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
They probably know more about the sport than you do.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And I got into it.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
But listen, it's still something I do today, and I'm
very involved, you know, in the community and still like
I said, supporting sitting volleyball. So that's that's a big
part of me and my pivots. And and the other
one is, you know, I mentioned moving. I live in Baltimore,
Maryland right now, and I'm really involved in the community
and I take what I do in my HR world
(05:11):
and bring that into Baltimore. So I work for the
City of Baltimore and the Workforce Development Board, also serve
on nonprofit boards. So all that to say, right, our
careers can look very different. They can build on one another.
I think there's also a part of career development and.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Pivoting that sort of.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I don't know if aging like fine wine is a thing,
because I don't think you like pivot or like do
anything abrupt ones things are aging, So maybe like that's
not the right We need like a version of that
that works, because I think there's pieces that when we
think about careers in life, it builds on each other.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Right, we learned from.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Our past, and we also use what we've learned to
hopefully propel us as we move forward. So long answer
to your question, but I think it's because it's it's
enriching and it's a lot, and it's it's not anything small,
and it's it's it's it's my life.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
And you know, I'm going that you are transparent. You know,
most people have a problem with sharing and and you
know how difficult things are. We always hear the stories
about you know, the overcome. Oh yeah, and I just
did this and I just you know the infomerciy all
you got to do is send ten dollars and then
(06:19):
you get the stuff in the box and it's not
nothing like this.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So that's almost what happens in these podcast interviews. That
people don't like to be vulnerable, and one of the
things that we prot ourselves in its pushing those questions
not to draw to people's pain, but so that the
listener can understand that everyone has a journey, and everyone's
(06:46):
journey is going to have ups, downs, bends, termed circles
and all of those things. And it's it's the value
that we learn while we're on that journey. So now
you're podcasting, and this is another part of your journey,
right you're podcasting. Yeah, you're going out and you're telling
your story. What provokes you to want to do that?
(07:07):
What provokes you to say, you know what, I want?
I have something to share and I want to be
able to share it.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah, I think it's two things. One is careers.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
I think that people making career moves can be really difficult.
And like you said, when you're looking around, sometimes you
see like the shiny object, like the completion of someone's
career or the moment they're in, but there's so much
that sits behind that and getting there, And I think
right now it's really really difficult. Like there's a lot
of disruptions in work AI for example, I think there's
(07:38):
a lot of brokenness when you look at like recruiting,
right people are applying.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
To ghost jobs.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Companies are getting ghost applicants. Like it's just kind of
like a wild world out there, and so that can
be like really disheartening and frustrating. And I talk to people,
I mean, I'm sure we all have friends that are
applying or looking for jobs and can speak to this,
and it can put ourselves in it, like literally in question, right,
like am I good enough for these things? So for me,
that's part of the messaging that I wanted to get
out and talk about, which is continue to pursue the
(08:04):
things that matter to you, that are important to your values,
that are important to where you want to move in
life and in your career. You know, it's not easy,
and you know you and I are talking about some
of that today, but it's it's worth it in the end,
because we spend so much time at work.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
The other thing that.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I've been enjoying talking about in podcasts is also like
the power of community.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Right.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
We spend so much of our time at work, and
one sometimes it works not always like holistically fulfilling, like
in terms of impact and where we want to you know,
see like our craft go to work, and so I
think there are opportunities in our communities to serve, to.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Grow and develop.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
If that's something you want to kind of interact with
with your like you know, day to day career, and
I think those things are important. So for me, how
that's translated as things like volunteer work. You know, we
talked about my sitting volley ball experience.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I work with.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Adaptive athletes adaptive sports here in Baltimore. So I've been
able to carry that through into my community. You help
you heard me ment? And like a nonprofit board work,
I think that's another avenue people can go down. And
by the way, I think nonprofit board work a lot
of people are interested in this. They don't know how
to get started. Nonprofits are looking for great talent, they
don't know how to find them, and so I think
(09:13):
that that's another This becomes that platform to have that conversation.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
The doors.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
There's so many doors, right, how do we find the
door that fits for us? And don't let the noise
around us put in question what we are so as
individuals able to bring to our lives by just you know,
taking one step of discovery of curiosity and and and
keep moving.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So let's let's let's look at that, the board work
and community building. And I think it's important now, especially
as we are being forced into this whole digital this
digital age that's not going to go anywhere. It's only
going to enhance, it's going to be faster. But a
lot of people are not in that world. So people
(10:02):
still need that sense of community. And you earlier mentioned
one of your pivots was moving. How are you able
to move from one city to another and then still
find your lane in community? Give us a couple of secrets,
and someone may be listening, and they may not even
move from a community, but they may be interested in
(10:23):
building community and they just need a couple of tips
on what was one of the first things that you did,
Yeah to the new place.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Well love how you put it. If someone may not
be moving, but there might be something in there. Because
I think.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Community is all around us. And you know you asked
me about moving.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
I think that's big community because everything changes. You need
new doctors, you need a new grocery store, you need
new friends. I mean, think of the stuff that you
do in your life. You need someone to cut your hair, like,
there's everything. Community is just totally blown up. So I
think a move puts all of that on just like
hyper drive, and it it can feel overwhelming because you're
(11:02):
like where do I begin? But I do think community
sits in other places. It sits where we work, it
sits where we volunteer, it's literally next door to us.
And so I think the first tip, or the first
maybe reflection would be a better way to put that
out there is starting with the connecting with the things
that are closest to you. You know, I was talking
(11:22):
to a friend a few weeks ago about this topic actually,
and she said, you know, we're in a really tough time.
People are trying to figure things out, whether it's their career,
whether it's their life. You know, there's just a lot
going on in the world. And she's like, especially in
the United States, like we don't even spend time just
getting to know our neighbor next door across the street
if they need something or they just need a hello.
(11:44):
And so community is as.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Simple as that.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
But I think it's also let's use a different category,
which could be work. Right, Who are the people that
we work around?
Speaker 3 (11:53):
We spend a lot of time with these folks.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
I'm not suggesting you need to be the best friends
with everyone, but where can you start to find like
some common interests?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Right?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Is it a sport that you both enjoy, Is it
a food that you both enjoy and how do you
connect on those things because it brings an enriching experience
to your day in one being able to get to
know someone, but too maybe it expands your horizons.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Like let's just go with food.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
You find that person that you enjoy that also enjoys food.
You're like, where'd you eat this weekend? Boom, you just
found a new restaurant, right, something you can connect with.
Then you follow that through line. You go to a
new restaurant, you try a new food, You want to
try that food again, you go to another place. Right,
It sort of you start to see where your web grows.
To me, that is also web of community, the places
that we intersect with other humans and interests. So that's
(12:38):
the other thing I would share, which is how do
you just kind of connect on simple things and start
with that.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
It's often hard to think about building a relationship, especially
as adults. As we get older, it becomes harder and
harder because we don't have the communities aren't shared as
much as when you're younger, and so start with something
small and give yourself, give yourself time.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Right, it takes time to build that really relationship. The
last thing I'll share.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Maybe an extension of that is in taking time and
giving yourself grace. When you go to an example like moving,
I think you just got to give yourself even more
of that.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Feel overwhelming.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
I think every move I've ever had, have been excited
about it, and I've cried like in like I don't
a month too, like what did I do? But I
have to Now I've moved enough that I have to
remind myself like it will come right. There will come
a time where the corner turns, But I have to
take one step at a time.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Right.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I have to say hi to that neighbor, say hi
to them again. I have to go out to lunch
with that person at work. Then I have to grab
a coffee, and then I have to do like an
over the cube chat like hey, how's your weekend? I
have to go to that sports program down the road
road that looked really cool, Like I want to go
check out pickleball? What are they got going on over there?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Right? These are the things.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
So maybe I'll sumize with start with the things that
you enjoy and where connections can happen naturally. Start small,
give yourself credit and space, and continue to explore and
things will will grow over time.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
You also mentioned and I think that this is something
important and I really want us to really focus in
on this topic because people are afraid of work, they
are afraid of AI and you bring a wealth of
hr experience and and you're seeing and I'm pretty sure
you're hearing of Yeah, if you can give one or
(14:24):
two antidotes to help calm the monkey mind of people,
because there's still employment opportunities out there, are any there
for sure?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
For sure?
Speaker 1 (14:36):
So here's what I would say. And I talk to
people a lot about this a lot. In fact, I
just did a presentation this week on this. The humanness
of work still remains really really important. Right when you
think about, let's go to customer service, like the engagement,
the experiences that people have are are key. I think
about maybe you go to your local rec center. Right,
(14:56):
You're not going to just like sort of like blindly
check in and scan and just show up, right, you
want to. You're you're there to connect. You're there to
maybe work out with someone or maybe to have an instructor. Right,
those are places and things just to bring like the
human experience. In I think human experience also translates to innovation,
new ideas, looking at patterns and and creating and so
(15:21):
all of those things I think exist in many, many jobs.
And so I think a couple a couple of thoughts
maybe to offer out there, which would be one, how
are you sort of moving with with changes? Because I
do think AI isn't integrated in whatever we do. You
could say I don't want to get into AI, but
the reality is if you google anything to take your
on a right and it's been there for a long
(15:43):
long time. It's just we're at a point where we're
maybe at a skill of what of the term using
like augmentation, Right, I can use a tool to help
support me in delivering a result, and that at work,
that's that's kind of where we're at. Right, I'm going
to use a tool to maybe make things more efficient,
maybe go deeper, help make things, you know, quicker, And
(16:03):
so I would encourage people to just kind of dip
their toe.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I use the phrase AI curious. Be AI curious.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Right, you don't have to be the person out on
the podcast talking about it. You don't have to you know,
give up your data or you know, push where you're
not comfortable, but get in there because it is changing,
and we're not We're not going back right this is
this is one of those periods in life where I
don't there won't be an unwiring of this. The other
reprieve I think is so much is changing, and so
(16:31):
much as a disruptive back to something we started with
earlier around being curious and having pivots. I think being
be open to that. Right for those where their jobs
might change a little bit or change a lot, how
are you already starting to think about maybe what like
that next step is for you, because you have valuable
skills and experience, and you have I'm going to bring
it back that humanness that just AI can't cover.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Right.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
AI doesn't have empathy. AI doesn't build relationships, build community.
Humans do and those things main critical. So maybe it
goes back to where we started, which is being open
to that pivot and know that you have a lot
to bring to the table in your continued career journey.
So those are maybe just a couple of things to
start with, and I think it's it's important, it's important
(17:17):
to reflect on those.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Soh your position in like in what you're doing Baltimore,
as you know, one of the HR leaders in in
your community, How how do you go about assisting people
when they come, like, what is your role there and
how how how does that translate in both what we're
talking about community building and giving people a sense of
(17:41):
assurance that everything is going to really be okay. We've
all had to search for work and seeing I couldn't
find it, it's does it seem to be shut in?
And so but you you've gotten good at being able
to calm people down, and so what what is your
role and how do you see what it is that
you bring to the world that in that area.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So you know, you asked me specifically about Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I'm both in our community and the workforce Development Board
for the city, and I also serve on nonprofit boards.
And I think in both cases the questions that we're
asking in those forums is how do we help the
people of Baltimore like prepare and build skill sets that
enable them to get jobs. And so I think that
sits really at the intersection of your question from now,
from this and from before, which is how are in
(18:32):
our cases about people in Baltimore. But for our listeners,
it's themselves. How are you thinking about what's next for you?
How are you continuing to build those skills, and how
are you using those.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Skills to move you forward in your career path.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I know that that sounds so foundational, and perhaps this
is the part in transformation that we can hold on
to to say, the building blocks of career moves are
still there. What is at the end of that path
is what's changed a little bit different. So I think
those are the questions that we're asking as we're thinking
about Baltimore. I think the other thing that we're asking
about is what also gets in the way, right, and
(19:09):
so within the city, like there are a lot of
barriers for people for job accessibility, transportation, family, like what
sort of caretick are you at home?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
What are the responsibilities do you have?
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Like right, sort of like basic life things that we
all all navigate and are even greater when you think
about like a metropolitan area like Baltimore. And so I
bring this up because at scale, right, we're asking like,
how do we remove some of those bearers, how do
we help support people through that? In my work in Perscholis,
in that nonprofit board, they literally provide wrap around services.
(19:43):
They have like different financing options. They have ways for
people to prepare for interviews.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
They have suits and.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Tailoring that you can to go to your interviews, Like
all of these things that really help people move forward.
I share that because that's kind of what's happening in
the city or in the organizations. But if I think
about listeners and like, well, then why does that apply
to me? I think it comes back to the question
of if you're looking to pivot and you're thinking about
the future of your career, I think it's also important
to say, like, what could get what could get in
(20:12):
the way of my success? Here? Is it something like transportation?
Is it something like time? Is it accessibility to tools
and resources like AI? And then start to ask like
how do I work through those?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Right?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Who are the people that are my network that can
support me? What are you free programming in the case
of like skill development that I can get to. How
do I tap into network like leveraging things like LinkedIn
to find folks that can help support you. Right, I'm
just naming a few things, but I think it's important
to name the barriers because when we name the barriers,
we can start breaking them down. It's not gonna happen overnight.
(20:46):
But if we start to explore and to plan for,
that's when we also facilitate more success for ourselves.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
So that's kind of what we're.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Doing in the community here in Baltimore and how we're
at least for my small purview of the work workforce.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
But hopefully that helps translate and that.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
And what you're saying can actually if you close your
eyes and pick the city, it's every city. Those are
the same barriers. Those are the barriers that we faced
not only living in food deserts in some of those areas,
having poorest transportation availability, and those are built in excuses.
(21:27):
You know, I had to retrain my mind to get
out of those built in excuse mechanisms. It's like always
raining outside, I'm gonna stay home today or train the bus. Yeah. So,
but those are things that need to be discussed because
those are barriers that that we can overcome. In end user,
(21:52):
the person that we're discussing, those are real fears for them. Yeah,
we can't discount those fears. But someone who who doesn't
have those feels, who've never lived through those, they're gonna
be like, what do you mean is raining outside you
couldn't make it.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yeah, yeah, well, and that's why you know, it's it's
a question of like what are your barriers, what are
your things that could get in the way, Because to
your points, for someone you know, literally transportation and getting somewhere,
that's a barrier, whereas for someone else it might be
I don't know how to rewrite my resume.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
I've just never thought about it before, or.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Maybe someone else is like, hey, I'm I'm I'm the
main financial person in my family. I can't afford to
be looking for another job because then I'm like taking
time away from my job right now, and I don't
want to put.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Myself at risk.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
These are just a few other things, but I think
everyone has a version of a barrier, even I's the barrier.
Credit could just also be like I don't know what
I'm doing next, right, so like let's just like run.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
The run the spectrum.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
And and to your point, I think it's important to
name it. I think it's important to recognize it, and
I do want to clarify I don't I don't, which
is just also to say, like there is also recognition
that some of these things are really difficult, right, and
it's not like this is this podcast is I like,
pull up your bootstraps moment and you got this. It's
really also is to acknowledge like there are some things there,
(23:17):
and I want to add there are resources of people
in communities right that can support and so maybe the
follow on question, in addition to what are the barriers,
what are the things that I can tap into that
might help start breaking these things down one day at
a time.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Because we're talking about right here, and I think this
is very important. Me being a mindfulness coach is transforming
thoughts and you know, transforming thought processes, transforming habits is
something that's really really difficult, and when you're in the workforce,
people don't have time to coach you up. Some some
entrepreneurs are not. But there are communities, such as what
(23:56):
you do in Baltimore. I'm pretty sure there's communities where
they are there for that purpose to help you get
back on track. In fact, I'm developing an AI agent
which will be out later this year called the Pathway
Back Agent, and it's doing this very thing. This very
thing that we're talking about has resume writing in their resources, tools,
(24:21):
by zip code, all of those things. But we're going
to have millions of people who has not been working
back in the workforce within the next year, year and
a half. Yeah, and that's a real thing. And for
someone for someone, as you said, up in those skills,
(24:43):
and that's going to be the last question to leave
you with. For someone who hasn't been in the workforce,
doesn't have a resume, that's a scary thing and like
it's not going to happen, but it's going to happen.
What are some of the skill sets that you guys
are telling people that they should upgrade right now?
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Mmm, I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Something from a we call it our community conversation here
in Baltimore. We hosted a dialogue around and actually around
a lot of these topics that we're kicking around, and
this very theme came up. So skills, skills that are
that are being discussed that are critical. So one just
some I'll call them foundational skills, right, showing up and
I'll call it like doing what you're doing, what you say,
(25:26):
say you're going to do, follow through commitment, right. I
know in some cases you're said and done. But I
think these are the things that really not just our
you know, baseline, but if you do them consistent can
be differentiators, so I would start there. I think another
one is, you know, depending on role. So I'll say
this maybe is a little dependent on role as some
of those interpersonal skills, right, being able to connect with
(25:49):
people at a foundational level. Right, just things like if
you enter an interview feeling confident, confident and comfortable around,
like hey, just even expressing like who you are and
what you have to offer, all the way up to
you know, building your pitch and leaning in on the skills.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Right.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
It depends on kind of where you're at that career space.
But I think you're talking about like point of entry.
And then I think the last one is like honing.
It is honing your skills. It could be something as
simple as I know how to connect with people well,
and that's why I'm gonna be good at this job
all the way up to most complex of you know,
I have fifteen twenty years of like these skill sets
(26:27):
that I'm bringing in the table. But I think spending
time with yourself around like what am I good at?
Speaker 3 (26:31):
What have I been doing even if I haven't been.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
In the workforce, Right, there's things you're doing in life
that can be transferable. And by the way, if you
don't know the answers these questions yourselves, this is where
it starts to go to Like let me ask friends, family, like, Hey,
I'm thinking about getting into the workforce. I'm really struggling
with where to begin, Like what do you see in
me that you think I could like bring to the world,
Like what do you think is my gift? So I
think those might be some ways to begin. So it's
(26:56):
you know, core around do what you say and be
able to commit, have some of those like basic kind
of like interpersonal skills, and then understand who you are
and what you can bring to the workforce so that
you can showcase those when you're interviewing and when you're
showing up on day one. I'm gonna underscore all of this,
which is I think what you heard me say throughout that,
which is tapping into your resourcing. And I know there's
(27:20):
different everyone has different access to different resources, but know
that there's folks out there, there's programs out there people
tap into that can help help along the way. So yeah,
be curious, be confident, go forth right.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
We're all in it. We're all just trying to figure
it out.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Thank you so much. This has been a refreshing conversation
and I think a much needed conversation because although usually
I'm talking to coaches or entrepreneurs, and there's still people
that may not go that path, that path is not
for everyone. And to have a conversation just showing the
person that is that may be listening and just afraid
(28:00):
to get back out there that it's possible. So I
really really appreciate you going on podcast and being a
coach in that area and giving people a sense of hope,
because that's what's really needed right now when America.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Absolutely, well, I appreciate the opportunity to connect, and I'll
also offer if people do you want to connect with me,
I'm on LinkedIn. I always offer to continue to have
these conversations because I do think we need networks and
we need people and sometimes we just need to think
out loud and ask a few more questions.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
So happy to offer that.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
But I agree with you in the bigger scheme of things,
we're in the middle of one big, one big workforce pivot.
But we can all we can all get there together,
you know, keep with your community, keep curious, and be
yourself right and and keep moving, keep moving forward. So
I wish all your listeners the best, and I certainly
really appreciate the time to out of the dialogue.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
There you have it, everybody, I told you we sit
you at the feet of the masters. Listen. We don't
actually for cash, aps, vemos, apple payes, are any of
those things. Stay with the great But our gift to
you is these conversations. But what we do ACCES is
that you follow our guest and colligues on LinkedIn and
go and follow and get these tips. If you have
any questions, let them know where you come from and
(29:14):
that you like, subscribe and share. Also leave a comment.
Those comments are vital to the growth of the podcast
because it helps these conversations get to the ears of
people that need to hear them. Don't walk with your
head down, don't walk make any excuses. You're part of
the Walking Victory Family. Colleaus now has joined the family,
and together we walk in victory and enjoyed the rest
(29:38):
of the your day.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Peace,
People are applying to ghost jobs, the companies are getting
(00:03):
ghost applicants, Like it's just kind of like a wild
world out there, and so that can be like really
disheartening and frustrating.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
There comes a time in all of our careers, whether
we're entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, high executives, employees, that we have to
decide how we will make changes. Challenges will come, but
changes are often necessary. And because we consider ourselves to
(00:29):
be creatures of habit, we feel as if transformation is
so difficult and we go out kicking and screaming I've
done it, and we beat ourselves up, and then we
get to the other side of it because we don't
know what's on the other side of these deep pivots,
these hard interruptions, and we're like, wow, that didn't happen.
(00:52):
Then this wouldn't happen ever been there. This is what
our conversation is going to be about today, How to
prepare yourself mentally for for heard pivots and transformations, but
not only that, understanding that sometimes they're necessary. It won't
be the situation throwing you reasons that you pivot. It'll
(01:14):
be you consciously making a decision on making this you turn,
changing careers, jumping from a bad business, building a new business,
moving out of one's take to another. Whatever life is
thrown at you. We're going to help give you some
tools that you can navigate through better. My name is
(01:36):
Noron Tillman. This is Walking Victory and we sit you
at the feet of the masters to give you conversations
to help you involve your life. And today's master is Carly.
How are you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I'm excited to be here, so thanks so much for
having me.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Now, thank you so much for coming. When you hear
transformation or pivoting, what's the first things that come to
your mind?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
New possibilities. That's the first thing that came to my mind.
But then I think the second thing that came to
my mind was everything you said, right, a little bit
of maybe a little bit of fear, maybe a little
bit of excitement, maybe.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
A little bit of what could it be? But yeah,
that was my first my first reaction.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So you've had a wide range of different career paths
and that actually gives you the wisdom to have this conversation.
Tell our audience a little bit about what it is
that you have encountered in your journey and why you
(02:42):
think that having these conversations are important.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So I've spent my career in HR doing leadership development
and org effectiveness, so that kind of shapes out of
leadership development, how people perform at work, engagement, culture, all
these kinds of things. And I've done that in four
and nonprofit, and I've also done consulting. And I'd say
in the years that I've been working, my big pivots
(03:07):
with career have really also have not just been in
job opportunities sort of like moving within that space, but
also the life moves that have come with that. I've
in a lot of different cities, and those pivots and
turns are big and there they weren't taken lightly with
me and making those career moves. And so if anyone's
ever moved in their lives, they know what this looks like,
(03:29):
which is you're uprooting your community, You're starting all over.
Maybe this is also why people have it moved, because
like how do I even begin and what do I do?
So I think that's a big part of my pivot
and turn journey. The other part of it is, you know,
you mentioned like different facets of my career. I've also
spent twenty years coaching volleyball. I've done that in all
(03:50):
shapes and sizes and different age groups and in different
types of facilities right indoor, outdoor.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Beach, all the all the above, and today I still.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Work in the volleyball community. I work with sitting volleyball,
which is an adaptive sport, and so it's the best
way to describe it. It's in the at least where I
support is in the pipelines on the way to the
national team. And if you're not in the sports lingo
that really is for athletes that go to the Paralympics.
And if you don't know what that is, that's my
other fun fact that I'll leave you with, which is
I recommend googling or youtubing sitting volleyball that you can
(04:23):
look up the latest Paris Paralympics. So, and that's just
another moment of a pivot. I got into that because
someone asked if I wanted a coach. I didn't know
what I was doing. In fact, I had very little
to do with volleyball there than recreation growing up. But
they gave me an opportunity. I was like, I guess,
you know, I'll do it. And they're like, well, help you.
I was like, okay, And if you talk about a
scary move where you don't know what you're doing, like
(04:43):
try staring a bunch of like fifteen year olds and
eyes and basically saying you don't.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Know what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
They probably know more about the sport than you do.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And I got into it.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
But listen, it's still something I do today, and I'm
very involved, you know, in the community and still like
I said, supporting sitting volleyball. So that's that's a big
part of me and my pivots. And and the other
one is, you know, I mentioned moving. I live in Baltimore,
Maryland right now, and I'm really involved in the community
and I take what I do in my HR world
(05:11):
and bring that into Baltimore. So I work for the
City of Baltimore and the Workforce Development Board, also serve
on nonprofit boards. So all that to say, right, our
careers can look very different. They can build on one another.
I think there's also a part of career development and.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Pivoting that sort of.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I don't know if aging like fine wine is a thing,
because I don't think you like pivot or like do
anything abrupt ones things are aging, So maybe like that's
not the right We need like a version of that
that works, because I think there's pieces that when we
think about careers in life, it builds on each other.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Right, we learned from.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Our past, and we also use what we've learned to
hopefully propel us as we move forward. So long answer
to your question, but I think it's because it's it's
enriching and it's a lot, and it's it's not anything small,
and it's it's it's it's my life.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
And you know, I'm going that you are transparent. You know,
most people have a problem with sharing and and you
know how difficult things are. We always hear the stories
about you know, the overcome. Oh yeah, and I just
did this and I just you know the infomerciy all
you got to do is send ten dollars and then
(06:19):
you get the stuff in the box and it's not
nothing like this.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So that's almost what happens in these podcast interviews. That
people don't like to be vulnerable, and one of the
things that we prot ourselves in its pushing those questions
not to draw to people's pain, but so that the
listener can understand that everyone has a journey, and everyone's
(06:46):
journey is going to have ups, downs, bends, termed circles
and all of those things. And it's it's the value
that we learn while we're on that journey. So now
you're podcasting, and this is another part of your journey,
right you're podcasting. Yeah, you're going out and you're telling
your story. What provokes you to want to do that?
(07:07):
What provokes you to say, you know what, I want?
I have something to share and I want to be
able to share it.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah, I think it's two things. One is careers.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
I think that people making career moves can be really difficult.
And like you said, when you're looking around, sometimes you
see like the shiny object, like the completion of someone's
career or the moment they're in, but there's so much
that sits behind that and getting there, And I think
right now it's really really difficult. Like there's a lot
of disruptions in work AI for example, I think there's
(07:38):
a lot of brokenness when you look at like recruiting,
right people are applying.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
To ghost jobs.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Companies are getting ghost applicants. Like it's just kind of
like a wild world out there, and so that can
be like really disheartening and frustrating. And I talk to people,
I mean, I'm sure we all have friends that are
applying or looking for jobs and can speak to this,
and it can put ourselves in it, like literally in question, right,
like am I good enough for these things? So for me,
that's part of the messaging that I wanted to get
out and talk about, which is continue to pursue the
(08:04):
things that matter to you, that are important to your values,
that are important to where you want to move in
life and in your career. You know, it's not easy,
and you know you and I are talking about some
of that today, but it's it's worth it in the end,
because we spend so much time at work.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
The other thing that.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I've been enjoying talking about in podcasts is also like
the power of community.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Right.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
We spend so much of our time at work, and
one sometimes it works not always like holistically fulfilling, like
in terms of impact and where we want to you know,
see like our craft go to work, and so I
think there are opportunities in our communities to serve, to.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Grow and develop.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
If that's something you want to kind of interact with
with your like you know, day to day career, and
I think those things are important. So for me, how
that's translated as things like volunteer work. You know, we
talked about my sitting volley ball experience.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I work with.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Adaptive athletes adaptive sports here in Baltimore. So I've been
able to carry that through into my community. You help
you heard me ment? And like a nonprofit board work,
I think that's another avenue people can go down. And
by the way, I think nonprofit board work a lot
of people are interested in this. They don't know how
to get started. Nonprofits are looking for great talent, they
don't know how to find them, and so I think
(09:13):
that that's another This becomes that platform to have that conversation.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
The doors.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
There's so many doors, right, how do we find the
door that fits for us? And don't let the noise
around us put in question what we are so as
individuals able to bring to our lives by just you know,
taking one step of discovery of curiosity and and and
keep moving.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So let's let's let's look at that, the board work
and community building. And I think it's important now, especially
as we are being forced into this whole digital this
digital age that's not going to go anywhere. It's only
going to enhance, it's going to be faster. But a
lot of people are not in that world. So people
(10:02):
still need that sense of community. And you earlier mentioned
one of your pivots was moving. How are you able
to move from one city to another and then still
find your lane in community? Give us a couple of secrets,
and someone may be listening, and they may not even
move from a community, but they may be interested in
(10:23):
building community and they just need a couple of tips
on what was one of the first things that you did,
Yeah to the new place.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Well love how you put it. If someone may not
be moving, but there might be something in there. Because
I think.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Community is all around us. And you know you asked
me about moving.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
I think that's big community because everything changes. You need
new doctors, you need a new grocery store, you need
new friends. I mean, think of the stuff that you
do in your life. You need someone to cut your hair, like,
there's everything. Community is just totally blown up. So I
think a move puts all of that on just like
hyper drive, and it it can feel overwhelming because you're
(11:02):
like where do I begin? But I do think community
sits in other places. It sits where we work, it
sits where we volunteer, it's literally next door to us.
And so I think the first tip, or the first
maybe reflection would be a better way to put that
out there is starting with the connecting with the things
that are closest to you. You know, I was talking
(11:22):
to a friend a few weeks ago about this topic actually,
and she said, you know, we're in a really tough time.
People are trying to figure things out, whether it's their career,
whether it's their life. You know, there's just a lot
going on in the world. And she's like, especially in
the United States, like we don't even spend time just
getting to know our neighbor next door across the street
if they need something or they just need a hello.
(11:44):
And so community is as.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Simple as that.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
But I think it's also let's use a different category,
which could be work. Right, Who are the people that
we work around?
Speaker 3 (11:53):
We spend a lot of time with these folks.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
I'm not suggesting you need to be the best friends
with everyone, but where can you start to find like
some common interests?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Right?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Is it a sport that you both enjoy, Is it
a food that you both enjoy and how do you
connect on those things because it brings an enriching experience
to your day in one being able to get to
know someone, but too maybe it expands your horizons.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Like let's just go with food.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
You find that person that you enjoy that also enjoys food.
You're like, where'd you eat this weekend? Boom, you just
found a new restaurant, right, something you can connect with.
Then you follow that through line. You go to a
new restaurant, you try a new food, You want to
try that food again, you go to another place. Right,
It sort of you start to see where your web grows.
To me, that is also web of community, the places
that we intersect with other humans and interests. So that's
(12:38):
the other thing I would share, which is how do
you just kind of connect on simple things and start
with that.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
It's often hard to think about building a relationship, especially
as adults. As we get older, it becomes harder and
harder because we don't have the communities aren't shared as
much as when you're younger, and so start with something
small and give yourself, give yourself time.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Right, it takes time to build that really relationship. The
last thing I'll share.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Maybe an extension of that is in taking time and
giving yourself grace. When you go to an example like moving,
I think you just got to give yourself even more
of that.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Feel overwhelming.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
I think every move I've ever had, have been excited
about it, and I've cried like in like I don't
a month too, like what did I do? But I
have to Now I've moved enough that I have to
remind myself like it will come right. There will come
a time where the corner turns, But I have to
take one step at a time.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Right.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I have to say hi to that neighbor, say hi
to them again. I have to go out to lunch
with that person at work. Then I have to grab
a coffee, and then I have to do like an
over the cube chat like hey, how's your weekend? I
have to go to that sports program down the road
road that looked really cool, Like I want to go
check out pickleball? What are they got going on over there?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Right? These are the things.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
So maybe I'll sumize with start with the things that
you enjoy and where connections can happen naturally. Start small,
give yourself credit and space, and continue to explore and
things will will grow over time.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
You also mentioned and I think that this is something
important and I really want us to really focus in
on this topic because people are afraid of work, they
are afraid of AI and you bring a wealth of
hr experience and and you're seeing and I'm pretty sure
you're hearing of Yeah, if you can give one or
(14:24):
two antidotes to help calm the monkey mind of people,
because there's still employment opportunities out there, are any there
for sure?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
For sure?
Speaker 1 (14:36):
So here's what I would say. And I talk to
people a lot about this a lot. In fact, I
just did a presentation this week on this. The humanness
of work still remains really really important. Right when you
think about, let's go to customer service, like the engagement,
the experiences that people have are are key. I think
about maybe you go to your local rec center. Right,
(14:56):
You're not going to just like sort of like blindly
check in and scan and just show up, right, you
want to. You're you're there to connect. You're there to
maybe work out with someone or maybe to have an instructor. Right,
those are places and things just to bring like the
human experience. In I think human experience also translates to innovation,
new ideas, looking at patterns and and creating and so
(15:21):
all of those things I think exist in many, many jobs.
And so I think a couple a couple of thoughts
maybe to offer out there, which would be one, how
are you sort of moving with with changes? Because I
do think AI isn't integrated in whatever we do. You
could say I don't want to get into AI, but
the reality is if you google anything to take your
on a right and it's been there for a long
(15:43):
long time. It's just we're at a point where we're
maybe at a skill of what of the term using
like augmentation, Right, I can use a tool to help
support me in delivering a result, and that at work,
that's that's kind of where we're at. Right, I'm going
to use a tool to maybe make things more efficient,
maybe go deeper, help make things, you know, quicker, And
(16:03):
so I would encourage people to just kind of dip
their toe.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I use the phrase AI curious. Be AI curious.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Right, you don't have to be the person out on
the podcast talking about it. You don't have to you know,
give up your data or you know, push where you're
not comfortable, but get in there because it is changing,
and we're not We're not going back right this is
this is one of those periods in life where I
don't there won't be an unwiring of this. The other
reprieve I think is so much is changing, and so
(16:31):
much as a disruptive back to something we started with
earlier around being curious and having pivots. I think being
be open to that. Right for those where their jobs
might change a little bit or change a lot, how
are you already starting to think about maybe what like
that next step is for you, because you have valuable
skills and experience, and you have I'm going to bring
it back that humanness that just AI can't cover.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Right.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
AI doesn't have empathy. AI doesn't build relationships, build community.
Humans do and those things main critical. So maybe it
goes back to where we started, which is being open
to that pivot and know that you have a lot
to bring to the table in your continued career journey.
So those are maybe just a couple of things to
start with, and I think it's it's important, it's important
(17:17):
to reflect on those.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Soh your position in like in what you're doing Baltimore,
as you know, one of the HR leaders in in
your community, How how do you go about assisting people
when they come, like, what is your role there and
how how how does that translate in both what we're
talking about community building and giving people a sense of
(17:41):
assurance that everything is going to really be okay. We've
all had to search for work and seeing I couldn't
find it, it's does it seem to be shut in?
And so but you you've gotten good at being able
to calm people down, and so what what is your
role and how do you see what it is that
you bring to the world that in that area.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So you know, you asked me specifically about Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I'm both in our community and the workforce Development Board
for the city, and I also serve on nonprofit boards.
And I think in both cases the questions that we're
asking in those forums is how do we help the
people of Baltimore like prepare and build skill sets that
enable them to get jobs. And so I think that
sits really at the intersection of your question from now,
from this and from before, which is how are in
(18:32):
our cases about people in Baltimore. But for our listeners,
it's themselves. How are you thinking about what's next for you?
How are you continuing to build those skills, and how
are you using those.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Skills to move you forward in your career path.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I know that that sounds so foundational, and perhaps this
is the part in transformation that we can hold on
to to say, the building blocks of career moves are
still there. What is at the end of that path
is what's changed a little bit different. So I think
those are the questions that we're asking as we're thinking
about Baltimore. I think the other thing that we're asking
about is what also gets in the way, right, and
(19:09):
so within the city, like there are a lot of
barriers for people for job accessibility, transportation, family, like what
sort of caretick are you at home?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
What are the responsibilities do you have?
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Like right, sort of like basic life things that we
all all navigate and are even greater when you think
about like a metropolitan area like Baltimore. And so I
bring this up because at scale, right, we're asking like,
how do we remove some of those bearers, how do
we help support people through that? In my work in Perscholis,
in that nonprofit board, they literally provide wrap around services.
(19:43):
They have like different financing options. They have ways for
people to prepare for interviews.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
They have suits and.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Tailoring that you can to go to your interviews, Like
all of these things that really help people move forward.
I share that because that's kind of what's happening in
the city or in the organizations. But if I think
about listeners and like, well, then why does that apply
to me? I think it comes back to the question
of if you're looking to pivot and you're thinking about
the future of your career, I think it's also important
to say, like, what could get what could get in
(20:12):
the way of my success? Here? Is it something like transportation?
Is it something like time? Is it accessibility to tools
and resources like AI? And then start to ask like
how do I work through those?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Right?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Who are the people that are my network that can
support me? What are you free programming in the case
of like skill development that I can get to. How
do I tap into network like leveraging things like LinkedIn
to find folks that can help support you. Right, I'm
just naming a few things, but I think it's important
to name the barriers because when we name the barriers,
we can start breaking them down. It's not gonna happen overnight.
(20:46):
But if we start to explore and to plan for,
that's when we also facilitate more success for ourselves.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
So that's kind of what we're.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Doing in the community here in Baltimore and how we're
at least for my small purview of the work workforce.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
But hopefully that helps translate and that.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
And what you're saying can actually if you close your
eyes and pick the city, it's every city. Those are
the same barriers. Those are the barriers that we faced
not only living in food deserts in some of those areas,
having poorest transportation availability, and those are built in excuses.
(21:27):
You know, I had to retrain my mind to get
out of those built in excuse mechanisms. It's like always
raining outside, I'm gonna stay home today or train the bus. Yeah. So,
but those are things that need to be discussed because
those are barriers that that we can overcome. In end user,
(21:52):
the person that we're discussing, those are real fears for them. Yeah,
we can't discount those fears. But someone who who doesn't
have those feels, who've never lived through those, they're gonna
be like, what do you mean is raining outside you
couldn't make it.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yeah, yeah, well, and that's why you know, it's it's
a question of like what are your barriers, what are
your things that could get in the way, Because to
your points, for someone you know, literally transportation and getting somewhere,
that's a barrier, whereas for someone else it might be
I don't know how to rewrite my resume.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
I've just never thought about it before, or.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Maybe someone else is like, hey, I'm I'm I'm the
main financial person in my family. I can't afford to
be looking for another job because then I'm like taking
time away from my job right now, and I don't
want to put.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Myself at risk.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
These are just a few other things, but I think
everyone has a version of a barrier, even I's the barrier.
Credit could just also be like I don't know what
I'm doing next, right, so like let's just like run.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
The run the spectrum.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
And and to your point, I think it's important to
name it. I think it's important to recognize it, and
I do want to clarify I don't I don't, which
is just also to say, like there is also recognition
that some of these things are really difficult, right, and
it's not like this is this podcast is I like,
pull up your bootstraps moment and you got this. It's
really also is to acknowledge like there are some things there,
(23:17):
and I want to add there are resources of people
in communities right that can support and so maybe the
follow on question, in addition to what are the barriers,
what are the things that I can tap into that
might help start breaking these things down one day at
a time.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Because we're talking about right here, and I think this
is very important. Me being a mindfulness coach is transforming
thoughts and you know, transforming thought processes, transforming habits is
something that's really really difficult, and when you're in the workforce,
people don't have time to coach you up. Some some
entrepreneurs are not. But there are communities, such as what
(23:56):
you do in Baltimore. I'm pretty sure there's communities where
they are there for that purpose to help you get
back on track. In fact, I'm developing an AI agent
which will be out later this year called the Pathway
Back Agent, and it's doing this very thing. This very
thing that we're talking about has resume writing in their resources, tools,
(24:21):
by zip code, all of those things. But we're going
to have millions of people who has not been working
back in the workforce within the next year, year and
a half. Yeah, and that's a real thing. And for
someone for someone, as you said, up in those skills,
(24:43):
and that's going to be the last question to leave
you with. For someone who hasn't been in the workforce,
doesn't have a resume, that's a scary thing and like
it's not going to happen, but it's going to happen.
What are some of the skill sets that you guys
are telling people that they should upgrade right now?
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Mmm, I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Something from a we call it our community conversation here
in Baltimore. We hosted a dialogue around and actually around
a lot of these topics that we're kicking around, and
this very theme came up. So skills, skills that are
that are being discussed that are critical. So one just
some I'll call them foundational skills, right, showing up and
I'll call it like doing what you're doing, what you say,
(25:26):
say you're going to do, follow through commitment, right. I
know in some cases you're said and done. But I
think these are the things that really not just our
you know, baseline, but if you do them consistent can
be differentiators, so I would start there. I think another
one is, you know, depending on role. So I'll say
this maybe is a little dependent on role as some
of those interpersonal skills, right, being able to connect with
(25:49):
people at a foundational level. Right, just things like if
you enter an interview feeling confident, confident and comfortable around,
like hey, just even expressing like who you are and
what you have to offer, all the way up to
you know, building your pitch and leaning in on the skills.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Right.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
It depends on kind of where you're at that career space.
But I think you're talking about like point of entry.
And then I think the last one is like honing.
It is honing your skills. It could be something as
simple as I know how to connect with people well,
and that's why I'm gonna be good at this job
all the way up to most complex of you know,
I have fifteen twenty years of like these skill sets
(26:27):
that I'm bringing in the table. But I think spending
time with yourself around like what am I good at?
Speaker 3 (26:31):
What have I been doing even if I haven't been.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
In the workforce, Right, there's things you're doing in life
that can be transferable. And by the way, if you
don't know the answers these questions yourselves, this is where
it starts to go to Like let me ask friends, family, like, Hey,
I'm thinking about getting into the workforce. I'm really struggling
with where to begin, Like what do you see in
me that you think I could like bring to the world,
Like what do you think is my gift? So I
think those might be some ways to begin. So it's
(26:56):
you know, core around do what you say and be
able to commit, have some of those like basic kind
of like interpersonal skills, and then understand who you are
and what you can bring to the workforce so that
you can showcase those when you're interviewing and when you're
showing up on day one. I'm gonna underscore all of this,
which is I think what you heard me say throughout that,
which is tapping into your resourcing. And I know there's
(27:20):
different everyone has different access to different resources, but know
that there's folks out there, there's programs out there people
tap into that can help help along the way. So yeah,
be curious, be confident, go forth right.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
We're all in it. We're all just trying to figure
it out.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Thank you so much. This has been a refreshing conversation
and I think a much needed conversation because although usually
I'm talking to coaches or entrepreneurs, and there's still people
that may not go that path, that path is not
for everyone. And to have a conversation just showing the
person that is that may be listening and just afraid
(28:00):
to get back out there that it's possible. So I
really really appreciate you going on podcast and being a
coach in that area and giving people a sense of hope,
because that's what's really needed right now when America.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Absolutely, well, I appreciate the opportunity to connect, and I'll
also offer if people do you want to connect with me,
I'm on LinkedIn. I always offer to continue to have
these conversations because I do think we need networks and
we need people and sometimes we just need to think
out loud and ask a few more questions.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
So happy to offer that.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
But I agree with you in the bigger scheme of things,
we're in the middle of one big, one big workforce pivot.
But we can all we can all get there together,
you know, keep with your community, keep curious, and be
yourself right and and keep moving, keep moving forward. So
I wish all your listeners the best, and I certainly
really appreciate the time to out of the dialogue.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
There you have it, everybody, I told you we sit
you at the feet of the masters. Listen. We don't
actually for cash, aps, vemos, apple payes, are any of
those things. Stay with the great But our gift to
you is these conversations. But what we do ACCES is
that you follow our guest and colligues on LinkedIn and
go and follow and get these tips. If you have
any questions, let them know where you come from and
(29:14):
that you like, subscribe and share. Also leave a comment.
Those comments are vital to the growth of the podcast
because it helps these conversations get to the ears of
people that need to hear them. Don't walk with your
head down, don't walk make any excuses. You're part of
the Walking Victory Family. Colleaus now has joined the family,
and together we walk in victory and enjoyed the rest
(29:38):
of the your day.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Peace,
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