What happens when your body starts telling you the truth before your career does?

In this deeply honest and grounding conversation, Christine Perfetti sits down with Roberta Dombrowski, a coach, meditation teacher, and former VP of UX Research, to talk about reinvention, intuition, motherhood, and the courage it takes to leave behind a version of success that no longer fits.

Roberta shares her own journey from senior leadership in tech to coaching women through identity shifts, including the painful, nonlinear middle: layoffs, self-doubt, postpartum depression, and the temptation to return to what once felt safe.

Christine and Roberta explore:

• Why so many high-achieving women hit a wake-up call in mid-career
• How listening to your nervous system can change everything
• The myth of “blowing up your career” to reinvent
• Why motherhood and caregiving complicate (but also clarify) career transitions
• How to move away from “shoulds” and toward what’s actually aligned
• What to do when fear, uncertainty, and grief show up along the way

This episode is for women who look capable on the outside but feel misaligned on the inside and are ready to slow down, tune in, and take the next right step. Episode Notes: Listen to Roberta's podcast, In Her Words Roberta's company, Learn Mindfully

Six months ago, UX leader and educator Amanda Stockwell said yes to a cup of coffee, never imagining that one conversation would lead her into founding a nonprofit, joining a social enterprise accelerator, and reshaping her entire career path.

In this inspiring episode, Amanda returns to The Reimagining Lab to share what she’s learned in the messy middle of building The Seed List, a nonprofit designed to create equitable internship pathways for students entering the tech and startup world.

We explore:

• What the messy middle really feels like
• Why her UX research career uniquely prepared her for nonprofit leadership
• The power of a little naïveté when starting something new
• Redefining success when the external markers don’t match the impact
• How community, connection, and authentic networks open unexpected doors
• Why taking the smallest step, showing up, saying yes, often becomes the big turning point

Amanda’s story is a reminder that reinvention doesn’t require certainty. It requires alignment, courage, curiosity, and a willingness to walk through the “yellow door” when life shows you a path you never expected.

Artist and UX strategist Angela Craven joins Christine to explore how creativity can help us navigate grief, reinvention, and the unpredictable seasons of midlife. From painting in New York to leading UX strategy to rediscovering her art after personal loss, Angela shares how she learned to live with harmony instead of chasing balance.

Christine and Angela discuss:

• How art becomes a healing force in times of change
• Why “balance” is a myth and “harmony” is the real goal
• The power of making a talisman to anchor your next chapter
• How embracing the beautiful mess of life opens us to meaning and connection

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, listen to your creative voice, and reimagine your life as an evolving work of art. Resources & Links

• Angela Craven Art: angelacravenart.com
• The Art of Being Workshop: artofbeingexperience.com
• Follow Angela on Instagram: @angelacravenart