In this episode of "People in Transition", I welcome Marcia Wall, a Career Success Coach, career counselor, trainer, and author who has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate change, discover their strengths, and achieve professional success. Through her strengths - based and holistic coaching approach, Marcia helps job seekers and career changers build confidence, identify opportunities, and move forward with purpose and joy.

During our conversation, Marcia shares valuable insights for anyone navigating a career transition, including:

• Why a growth mindset and hope are essential for making progress during coaching and career transitions.
• Why your job search is a journey, not a destination, and how embracing the process can reduce frustration and create new opportunities.
• How to combat imposter syndrome by focusing on the evidence of your accomplishments, strengths, and past successes.
• How tools like Marcia's Best Self Reflection Exercise, SkillsScan, and Gallup StrengthsFinder can help identify transferable skills and uncover new career possibilities.
• Why job seekers often make the mistake of focusing only on themselves instead of understanding an employer's needs and challenges.
• Why you don't have to be perfect to move forward - and why remembering your past successes can help build confidence for what's next.

Connect with Marcia Wall:

mwall1000@gmail.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mwall1000

www.careercounselingconnection.com/louisiana/new-orleans/career-counseling/marcia-wall

If you're navigating a career change, job search, or professional transition, this episode offers practical advice, encouragement, and actionable insights to help you move forward with confidence.

After listening, please share the episode with your colleagues, friends, and professional network. Your next opportunity - or someone else's - may begin with a single conversation.

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Few people talk openly about what happens when a successful career ends and the identity built around it suddenly disappears. In this episode of People in Transition, I sit down with Geoff Curtis, a former Chief Communications Officer with nearly three decades of leadership experience in healthcare, biotech, and corporate affairs.

After the acquisition of the company where he served on the executive team, Geoff faced a challenge many accomplished professionals experience but rarely discuss: who are you when the title and career that defined you are gone?

That experience inspired his book, Embracing Your Own Purgatory, a candid exploration of identity loss, transition, purpose, and reinvention. Rather than offering a neatly packaged success story, Geoff shares lessons learned while navigating the uncertainty between who he was and who he is becoming. His honesty and insights make this conversation especially relevant for anyone facing career disruption, retirement, burnout, or a major life transition.

In our conversation, Geoff discusses:

• Why he chose the word “purgatory” and the value of becoming comfortable being “unfinished”
• The emotional signs of major transitions and how to recognize them
• Why constant busyness can mask deeper issues
• What he means by “You can’t outwork the identity loss problem”
• How celebrating a quick comeback can sometimes send the wrong message
• Why “presence” became one of the hidden costs of career success
• How achievement, self-worth, purpose, and identity become intertwined—and what happens when that connection is disrupted

Connect with Geoff Curtis:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreycurtis
Email: geoffcurtis1@gmail.com
Book: Embracing Your Own Purgatory

Thank you for listening to People in Transition. If this conversation resonates with you, please share it with others navigating change. I also welcome your thoughts, reactions, and questions. Your feedback helps continue the conversation and support others facing similar transitions.

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This week on “People in Transition”, I had the pleasure of speaking with John Gates, and what a fascinating conversation it was.

John brings a unique perspective to salary negotiation and career transitions. As a former Head of Global Recruiting for multiple Fortune 300 and Fortune 500 organizations, he has spent decades sitting on the hiring side of the table, leading talent acquisition functions for major companies including Marathon Oil, Peabody Energy, ITT, and Asante. Today, he leverages that insider knowledge as a compensation negotiation coach, helping executives and professionals secure stronger compensation packages while preserving positive relationships with employers. He is also the author of the international best-selling book Act Your Wage and founder of Salary Coach Academy, where he teaches practical, low-risk strategies that help candidates confidently navigate compensation discussions.

What makes John’s approach so compelling is that it challenges much of the conventional wisdom surrounding salary negotiations. Rather than relying on aggressive tactics or ultimatums, he teaches candidates how to negotiate thoughtfully, strategically, and effectively—often resulting in significantly better outcomes while strengthening their standing with prospective employers.

During our conversation, we explored several of the most important - and misunderstood - aspects of compensation negotiations, including:

• Why do highly accomplished professionals often struggle to negotiate their compensation effectively?
• The fears that hold candidates back and how those fears can quietly undermine their earning potential.
• The smartest and safest ways to answer the inevitable question: “What are your salary expectations?”
• How candidates can use leverage appropriately and professionally throughout the job search process.
• The concept of memetic desire and how it can influence an employer’s perception of a candidate.
• Why the popular advice to “know your worth and demand it” can sometimes work against job seekers during negotiations.

These topics - and many more - are discussed in this insightful episode with John. Whether you are actively searching for your next opportunity, preparing for a promotion, or simply want to understand how compensation decisions are really made, this conversation offers practical guidance that could have a meaningful impact on your career and lifetime earnings.

To learn more about John Gates, visit his LinkedIn profile or explore Salary Coach Academy at salarycoachacademy.com.

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