Career Switch Podcast: Expert advice for your career change

57: Turning your hobby into your next career

When friends began offering to pay him for his photos, Anthony Randazzo started thinking his hobby could become more than just a creative outlet. In 2012, Anthony made the bold decision to leave behind his Wall Street law career after he realized it wasn't for him. Eventually, he made the switch from corporate attorney to professional photographer. In this throwback episode, Anthony shares how he turned a hobby into a career, the doubts and resistance he faced along the way, and the practical lessons he learned about running his business, 1028 Photography.If you’ve ever wondered whether your hobby could become your next career, this conversation will give you the inspiration—and the real-world advice—you need.Episode Highlights:• Growing up with limited career options• Discovering your profession isn't a good fit• Deciding to leave a "dream job"• Facing initial shock from family and friends • Transitioning out of law• How to get good at photography • Researching what it means to be a professional photographer• Handling doubts about starting a business • Getting your first paid gig• Growing through word of mouth• Setting up a business• Learning how to market your business• Making it through the pandemic• Learning how to deal with clients (customer service)• Anthony's advice if you're thinking about breaking out on your ownFind Anthony Randazzo at:Website: www.1028photo.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/1028photoFacebook: www.facebook.com/1028photoResources Mentioned:Professional Photographers of America: www.ppa.comOther photography associations: https://csus.libguides.com/photography/associationsWant more advice? Check out these additional episodes:Ep 37: Starting a business after corporate burnoutEp 29: The ups and downs of building a businessEp 6: Starting a woman-owned small businessMusic 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.

56: Temping your way to a new career (over age 60)

When her longtime boss passed away in 2022, Lisa Pollione found herself at a crossroads with her career—in her 60s. In this episode, Lisa shares how she reinvented her professional life after two decades as a trusted chief of staff and executive assistant to a pharmaceutical advertising executive.Lisa recalls the actions she took: signing up with temp agencies, exploring new paths, and staying open to opportunities. After trying out a few different roles as a temp, she’s now thriving in a new career as a compliance officer.If you're wondering, "what's next for me?", maybe temping is the way to go. Lisa offers honesty, humor, and practical advice for all career changers, especially those over 60.Episode Highlights:• Having a stressful job as the right hand to a busy executive• Facing a crossroads after losing a longtime employer• Why temp agencies can help you explore different paths• Learning new skills while working as a temp• Taking on responsibilities beyond the job description • Why being proactive and flexible wins out over credentials  • What to look for in company culture before committing full-time• What to tell temp agencies when you’re not sure what you wantResources:Top 10 U.S. Temp Staffing Firms:Manpower: https://www.manpower.com/Kelly: https://www.kellyservices.com/Robert Half: https://www.roberthalf.com/us/enAdecco: https://www.adecco.com/en-usRandstad: https://www.randstadusa.com/Express Employment Professionals: https://www.expresspros.com/Aerotek: https://www.aerotek.com/enPeopleReady: https://www.peopleready.com/MRINetwork: https://mrinetwork.com/Staffmark: https://staffmark.com/More temp agencies:2025 America's Best Temp Staffing Firms by Forbes MagazineWant more advice? Check out these additional episodes: Ep 4: Aged out: Making a career switch at over 50Ep 16: Breaking into a new industry in your 50sEp 18: The pros and cons of being a full-time authorEp 21: From side hustle to a new careerEp 23: How being bilingual helps your new careerEp 32: How to make a career change after 50Ep 41: Pursuing your passion at any ageEp 48: Tuning into your younger selfMusic 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.

55: The hidden blockers keeping you stuck

Do you want to make a career change, but you feel stuck? Do you keep procrastinating, thinking you’ll get started next week, month, or year? Here to get you going is executive coach and leadership consultant Ellen Whitlock Baker. As the founder and CEO of EWB Coaching, Ellen helps midlife professionals reclaim who they are and what they want to do next in their careers.In this episode, Ellen shares why it’s so hard to get started even when you know it’s time for a change. She reveals how you can identify those conscious and unconscious blockers that are keeping you from switching to a new career and the tiny, low-risk steps you can take to start anyway—even if you’re scared, unsure, or don’t have a plan yet.Episode Highlights:• Why it's hard to get started with a career change• Your biological wiring that resists change• Perfectionism and other common blockers that keep you stuck• How your upbringing and past work experiences influence your thinking• Taking action even when you don't feel ready• Small "experiments" to investigate new career paths• Reframing failure as learning• Using AI to generate insights for possible next stepsFind Ellen Whitlock Baker at:Website: https://ewbcoaching.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwhitlockbaker/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenwbcoachingPodcast: The Hard at Work PodcastStart Anyway Workshop on 9/18/25: https://ewbcoaching.com/startanywayDiscount code for 15% off: SWITCH25Resources Mentioned: Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow LaheyWorking Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia IbarraWant more advice? Check out these additional episodes:Ep 34: 3 signs it’s time for a career changeEp 19: Here’s why you’re procrastinating about your career changeEp 7: Lost with what career change to make?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.

54: Paving your way in a new field (like AI)

Jim Fina made his career switch in the late 90s when new media was becoming more mainstream and integrating itself into our daily lives. Jim, a textbook editor at Scholastic, gradually transitioned into project management at a time when it was relatively new in tech. Jim's experience from 20-plus years ago mirrors where we are today with artificial intelligence. Just like the web in the 90s, AI is quickly going mainstream and reshaping how we live and work. In this episode, Jim shares how he paved his way in a new field and how you can do the same in AI or any other growing industry. Episode Highlights:• Exploring new media after a layoff• Telling colleagues you're interested in other areas• Defining a role when it's still new in an industry• How to switch into a field that's still being defined, like AI• The skills you need to get your foot in the door• Working through comparing yourself to others • Do certifications help?• The one thing every interview question boils down to• What a hiring manager really wants to hear from you in an interview• How to answer a question if you don't know that answer• Using a layoff to get out of a rut• Making a career switch in multiple stepsResources Mentioned:  What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. BollesWant more advice? Check out these additional episodes:Ep 38: How to transition from corporate to non-profitEp 16: Breaking into a new industry in your 50sMusic 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.

53: A pep talk for your career change

If you need a pep talk today, this episode is for you! Wherever you are in your career change journey, my guest has you covered with practical tools and soulful guidance.Robyn Moreno is a spiritual coach and author of Get Rooted. In this episode, Robyn shares how you can manage those fears and doubts that often come up with making a career switch—by tapping into your intuition and staying in the present. Robyn also reveals the four pillars you can always count on to stay grounded and motivated to keep going with your career change.Episode Highlights:• What it means to get rooted• Feeling unrooted where you are• Acknowledging your inner voice (or “ser”) that guides you toward change• Accepting the newness of switching industries or professions• Networking in a whole new way • How to reframe your past experience as fuel for your next chapter• Four pillars to handle the ups and downs of a career change• The concept of "susto" and how unprocessed work trauma can hold you back• Trusting and valuing yourself as you transition into a new field   Find Robyn Moreno at:Website: https://www.robynmoreno.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robynnmoreno/Book: Get RootedNeed more encouragement? Check out these additional episodes:Ep 52: Figuring it out as you goEp 43: Trying to change careers nowMusic 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.