Planning a Pivot
Sometimes a recalibration in your career doesn’t start with a leap – it’s sparked by a question. If you’re contemplating a shift into a new industry, a different type of role, or a move from big to small, ask:
What would it look like to be doing work that aligns with my best and highest use?
Fulfillment – not fleeting happiness – should be your guiding star.
Here, you’ll find ideas and strategies for how to think about risk, build momentum as a proactive contributor, and reshape your identity not by title, but by curiosity, capacity, and the value you create.
Businesses (particularly small businesses) aren’t looking for perfect resumes – they’re looking for people who can help build something that lasts.
Diagnosing When to Move On
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Is your restlessness just a rough patch – or a sign it’s time to pivot? Sarah George-Waterfield sits down with Nikki Galloway, Danny Gray, Joe Swanegan, and Tim Hanson to unpack how they recognized when “good enough” roles had stopped fitting, what questions clarified their next move, and why the best path forward isn’t always a bigger title or paycheck. From auditing to state government to private equity, their stories reveal a common thread: aligning your skills, values, and energy with the right culture beats chasing linear ladders every time.
Listen For …
Happiness vs. Fulfillment: Why fleeting mood ≠ long-term fit
The “jungle-gym” approach to career growth inside one company
A gut-check for whether you’re running from or running to a new role
How betting on future upside can mean taking less money today
Questions to diagnose culture misalignment before you leap
Timestamps
0:00 Intro — “Is It Time to Move On?”
0:58 Nikki Galloway — From State Auditor to PE: separating happiness from fulfillment; culture fit vs. role fit
8:08 Danny Gray — When excellence ≠ best use; shifting from audit → investing → finance inside the same firm
11:07 Joe Swanegan — Cup-filling vs. cup-draining work; learning to run toward opportunity, not away from fear
14:08 Tim Hanson — Defining success by passion, not pay; future-value thinking and why merit “eventually carries the day”
18:15 Closing Takeaways — Questions to test fit, energy, and culture before your next pivotResources & Links
Article: “Highest and Best Use” framework (Growth Partnerships and the Preservation of Fun)
Tim’s Newsletter: Unqualified Opinions
The Orbit Talent Network, Personality Test, & Roles: The Orbit
Transferable Soft Skills (AKA Hidden Superpowers)
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Hard skills get you in the door, but soft skills move you across it – and into entirely new rooms. In this episode Sarah George-Waterfield talks with Holly Grajera, Joe Swanegan, Nikki Galloway, and Tim Hanson about the “invisible” abilities – adaptability, self-awareness, cultural fluency, and room-reading – that let them hop industries, functions, and expectations without getting lost. From rewriting sorority recruitment overnight to swapping Capitol Hill for spreadsheets, they show how curiosity and people-sense beat perfect résumés every time.
Listen For …
Adaptability on fast-forward – graduating into COVID, remote work, and the AI boom
How self-awareness & sizing your presence can turn “too much” energy into instant rapport
Reading the feedback loops of a new culture and flexing from rigid to experimental
Why side-quests and saying “yes” before you’re ready build a uniquely versatile toolkit
Timestamps
0:00 Intro — Why Soft Skills Travel Further Than Hard Skills
0:53 Holly Grajera — Adaptability, rapid problem-solving, and the underrated ROI of being likable
3:55 Joe Swanegan — Interpersonal awareness, adjusting “how big” you show up, and letting credibility follow curiosity
9:44 Nikki Galloway — From rigid public service to flexible PE: spotting what’s rewarded and recalibrating fast
13:03 Tim Hanson — The zig-zag path: leveraging writing to enter finance, learning on the fly, wearing many hats
19:03 Closing Takeaways — Soft skills as a compass when the map keeps changingResources & Links
Book: Range by David Epstein — why generalists triumph in a specialized world
Tim’s Newsletter:Unqualified Opinions
The Orbit Talent Network, Personality Test, & Roles:The Orbit
Identity in Motion
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Job titles rarely keep up with how fast we – and the market – change. Bryce Murray, Anthony Alphin, and Brent Beshore unpack how to stay grounded when your role stretches beyond its label, why well-rounded people out-compete burnout culture, and how to build an organization where evolving identities are an asset, not a bug.
Listen For…
The “enjoy × good-at x what the company needs” Venn diagram for finding best & highest use
A common-layer trick for juggling multiple roles and functions
The question Brent asks every hire: “What are you optimizing for?”
A candid story about ego, exaggeration, and a spouse’s blunt feedback
Timestamps
0:00 Intro – Why the question “So what do you do?” is getting messy
1:16 Bryce – From academia to AI start-ups; mapping strengths vs. enjoyment; risk tolerance as fit
6:23 Anthony – Admitting what you don’t know, jumping into unmapped roles, finding a common layer across four service lines
13:19 Brent – Designing a firm that resists burnout and rewards growth; “What are you optimizing for?”
18:54 Wrap-up – Identity isn’t static; keep becoming
Resources
You’re Different (Unqualified Opinions) – On changing faster than others notice.
The Orbit Talent Network, Personality Test, & Roles:The Orbit
“My hope for you is that you’re always moving on and in more interesting and productive directions… If you’re getting transparent feedback and always seeking out your highest and best use, my experience is that you’ll achieve tremendous personal growth and that the world will catch up to reality eventually.”
— From Tim Hanson’s “You’re Different”