In Episode 2 of our I Used to Be Somebody podcast, Carl talks with best-selling novelist Moira McGarvey Black. Right away her energy and joy for life are apparent. It’s all about changing careers without fear no matter how old you are—and never looking back.
After a lucrative sales career with Conde Nast in NYC, (working for GQ, Allure, Lucky, etc.) she jumped on board a division called Conde.net. The Internet was new and she recognized it as a game-changer, becoming their National Sales Director. Moira then pivoted, becoming an executive recruiter so she could work from home when her children were young. She tells Carl a secret to her success has always been to make choices that serve your purpose.
Ten years later, McGarvey Black decided to pursue her passion and a new career as a writer. She had always loved writing and had been writing for herself. She would write, show her husband and then put it away in a drawer. Moira eventually realized she could just go for it. Three best-selling novels later, (psychological thrillers about searching for the real truth), Moira’s fourth novel is a romantic comedy—more proof about her drive to do new things. She is working on fifth and sixth novels now.
3 key takeaways from Episode 2 with Moira McGarvey Black:
Keep your goals realistic and attainable. If you are 65 years old, becoming a Bolshoi ballerina would not be realistic. Think about what talents and skills you have honed throughout the years that could be an advantage in some new way.
Whenever you try something new, expect rejection and then keep going. Moira still has the 177 rejection letter she received when trying to publish her first book. “The ones who succeed are the ones who don’t give up.”
Pay attention to the “whispers.” (From the Maya Angelou quote “Let choice whisper in your ear and love murmur in your heart. Be ready. Here comes life.”)
Moira puts it best: “I just want to keep going and doing new things!” This is exactly what living the good life in (un)retirement is all about.
For the full interview, listen to I Used to be Somebody, episode #2 with Moira McGarvey Black. For listening details go to our website!
To learn more about Moira, visit her website!
Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the I Used to Be Somebody weekly blog.
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Carl recently interviewed the great Joe Pulizzi on our I Used to Be Somebody podcast. Joe is full of great ideas and has been jotting them down in his journal for decades. Here’s the thing with Joe… he actually accomplishes those dream goals.
Joe left his day job in publishing in 2006 and armed with a plan and his wife Pam’s steadfast encouragement, he launched the Content Marketing Institute. With the Internet taking over every aspect of modern business Joe realized the marketing model of the future was all about brands creating all kinds of great content to attract audiences. His Content Marketing World events attracted thousands of attendees wanting to learn more.
Back then, Joe wrote down in his journal that he wanted to sell this company in less than ten years for at least $15 million. In reality, he sold the company in 2015 for $17.9 million. Talk about making your own luck!
On the podcast, Carl and Joe talked about what life was like after he sold. Joe said he was really panicked for a while, didn’t know what to do next, what he should be doing. He was only 47 and didn’t want to retire, exactly.
Here are 3 key takeaways from Joe’s journey of selling his company to a successful (un)retirement:
Take some time and DO NOTHING. Joe took a 12-month sabbatical, in which he shut down social media, spent quality time with family and travelled the world.
You will have other goals now and they will be very different. If you’ve been driving hard in your work life for 30-40 years, it’s hard to suddenly slow down. Creating a work life with more fun and less grind takes practice. After writing 6 business books on marketing, Joe took some time and wrote a best-selling mystery thriller, The Will to Die.
Recognize that you have some real time and resources now to make an impact on the world. Joe and his wife founded the Orange Effect Foundation, to raise funds for kids who need speech therapy, many with autism. Speech therapy changed his son’s life, and now the Orange Effect helps other families in profound ways.
Think of (un)retirement as an adventure. Don’t add stress to your life if it’s not perfectly planned out yet. The key is to take some time, identify what you want to do and then go for it!!!
For the full interview, listen to I Used to be Somebody, Episode #1 with Joe Pulizzi. For listening details go to our website!
To learn more about Joe, visit his website!
Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the I Used to Be Somebody weekly blog.