So many of us stay in jobs that feel “safe” with the steady paycheck, the benefits, and the routine. But deep down, we know something’s missing.

I sit down with Juliana Londoño, a licensed mental health therapist and entrepreneur, to talk about why deserving to make a career change is different from asking whether you can or should.

In the season finale of Career Switch Podcast, Juliana and I dissect the most common reasons people put off pursuing a career switch—from financial fears to family obligations. We also dive into why self-worth and confidence are at the heart of believing you deserve to switch industries or professions.

We share our own experiences of leaving secure jobs, talk through how to navigate tough conversations with loved ones, and lay out some small, practical steps you can take to prepare for your own leap.

Episode Highlights:

• Wanting more fulfillment career-wise in your 40s and 50s

• Physical and mental signs you're unfulfilled at work

• Leaving a secure 9 to 5 job at any age

• Putting off a career change due to financial fears and family obligations

• Finding support outside of your family circle

• Why change is hard for us

• How to talk to your loved ones about wanting to make a career change

• When you can't answer your family's questions and concerns

• Managing fears of the unknown when changing careers

• Deserving is not the same as 'can' or 'should'

• Leaving a toxic work environment

• Small first steps to switching industries or professions

Find Juliana Londoño at:

Website: https://www.juliana-londono.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-londono18/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliana.londono_/

Want more advice? Check out these additional episodes:

Ep 55: The hidden blockers keeping you stuck

Ep 34: 3 signs it’s time for a career change

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We all know networking is a big part of making a career change. But does it feel like work to you? My guest today can help make it easier.

Karen Wickre is the author of Taking the Work Out of Networking. Karen has spent 30 years in tech as a writer, editor, and communications professional, and has been called “the best-connected Silicon Valley figure you’ve never heard of" because of her superpower—connecting people.

If you’re making a career change and dread the idea of networking, especially if you're an introvert, Karen offers a fresh perspective. In this episode, she shares practical strategies and mindset shifts to help you connect with others more naturally at in-person events, on LinkedIn, and within your current company.

Episode Highlights:

• Why networking feels like work for many of us, especially introverts

• Organic ways to network at in-person events, like conferences

• Knowing what works for you and what doesn't

• Low-key ways to follow up with people you've met

• Accessing your "brain trust" to change careers

• Small peer groups for career changers

• Reaching out to new people on LinkedIn so it's non-transactional

• The perfect amount of time to chat with someone new

• Embracing your quiet side and strengths

• Changing your mindset about networking to make it easier

• How to network within your company for new career paths

Find Karen Wickre at:

Website: https://karenwickre.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenwickre/

Book: Taking the Work Out of Networking: Your Guide to Making and Keeping Great Connections

Resources Mentioned:

Never Search Alone: https://www.neversearchalone.org/

Want more advice? Check out these additional episodes:

Ep 50: An inside track to a career change

Ep 24: Using your quiet strengths as an introvert to change careers

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Zayda Rivera is a Reiki Master who made her career change her own—by bringing together her teachings with her Puerto Rican heritage.

In this episode celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Zayda shares the calling she felt to take her career in a new direction after years of covering entertainment, politics, and breaking news as a professional writer. She opens up about the self-doubt she had about launching her spiritual business, Mindful Living with Z, and how she grew her clientele by infusing Puerto Rican indigenous traditions into her Reiki practice.

If you're second-guessing yourself about your career switch, Zayda's story can inspire you to take those first steps and believe in yourself along the way.

Episode Highlights:

• Answering a call to study Reiki

• Becoming a Reiki Master

• Finding initial clients

• Expanding into other spiritual content

• Growing up with a mix of religious and spiritual rituals

• The link between Reiki and Puerto Rican ancestral practices

• Fear and self-doubt about starting a spiritual business

• When your partner doesn't support your career change

• How to believe in yourself

• Growing a business without advertising

• Networking in the Reiki world

• Taking small steps that lead to big change when making a career change

Find Zayda Rivera at:

Website: https://www.mindfullivingwithz.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfullivingwithz

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindfullivingwithz

Book: Being Bruja: A Young Mystic’s Guide

Reiki Master 8-week Certification Course: https://www.mindfullivingwithz.com/fall-classes

Zayda’s Spiritual Content:

PS Juntos: https://www.popsugar.com/author/mindfulz

Parents Magazine: https://www.parents.com/zayda-rivera-8419597

Resources:

Learn more about Reiki: https://www.reiki.org/

The Reiki Association: https://www.reikiassociation.net/

International Association of Reiki Professionals: https://iarp.org/

More episodes for Hispanic Heritage Month:

Ep 41: Pursuing your passion at any age

Ep 33: Leaving corporate to lead a non-profit

Ep 14: How a passion project led to a career change

More episodes for starting a business:

Ep 37: Starting a business after corporate burnout

Ep 29: The ups and downs of building a business

Ep 6: Starting a woman-owned small business

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.