Episode #44: How to Get Unstuck in Your Career
How to Get Unstuck in Your Career Episode Recap
Feeling stuck in your career is more common than many might think. In a recent episode of the Two Marketing Moms Podcast, we had the opportunity to sit down with Carli Sidoti, a seasoned brand marketing strategist who shared her personal journey and insights on breaking free from career stagnation. Carli, who bravely transitioned from being a VP at an advertising agency to starting her own consulting business, sheds light on this often-unspoken subject, offering hope and practical advice for many professionals out there.
The Reality of Feeling Stuck
A staggering 60% of employees report feeling emotionally detached at work, with another 21% disengaged, according to a 2022 State of the Global Workplace Report. These figures highlight a profound sense of job dissatisfaction and a critical need for solutions to help individuals find fulfillment and purpose in their careers. Carli emphasizes that feeling stuck can manifest in various ways, from questioning one’s career trajectory to grappling with the decision between salary and job satisfaction.
Carli’s Personal Journey
Carli’s own story is one of ambition, questioning, and ultimately, transformation. After nearly two decades in the fast-paced world of advertising, the shifting dynamics at her workplace led her to reassess her long-held goal of becoming a partner at an ad agency. It was this period of self-reflection and the realization that she had lost her usual energy and motivation that marked the beginning of her journey to getting unstuck.
Five Ways to Get Unstuck in Your Career
Drawing from her experience, Carli shares five invaluable strategies for those feeling trapped in their professional lives:
- Acknowledge Your Feelings: Recognize that feeling stuck is a signal from your mind and body that something needs to change. It’s the first step towards transformation.
- Engage in Self-Reflection: Understand what specifically makes you feel stuck. Is it the lack of growth, unfulfilling tasks, or perhaps the work environment itself?
- Seek External Feedback: Talk to colleagues, mentors, or a career coach. External perspectives can offer insights and solutions you might not have considered.
- Upskill and Learn: Carli highlights the importance of continuous learning. Refreshing your skills or acquiring new ones can open up different career paths.
- Consider a Coach: Carli credits her breakthrough to working with a career coach, who helped her navigate her feelings, assess her options, and take actionable steps towards her new career journey.
The Role of Community and Support
Carli’s story underscores the power of community and the role of support systems in overcoming career hurdles. Her turning point came when she engaged with a career coach, a decision that catalyzed her path forward. This support network, combined with internal reflection and a willingness to seek and embrace change, can guide anyone feeling stuck towards a more rewarding career path.
A Message of Hope and Empowerment
For marketing professionals feeling the weight of stagnation, Carli Sidoti’s experience serves as a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of self-awareness, courage, and the right support. Whether you’re questioning your career direction, feeling undervalued, or simply in need of a change, remember that it’s possible to regain control and steer your career in a direction that aligns with your passions and goals.
Carli’s journey from feeling lost and unmotivated to rediscovering her spark and taking the leap towards entrepreneurship is more than inspiring. It’s a call to action for anyone who finds themselves in a similar position. If you’re ready to get unstuck in your career, remember that the path forward might not be easy, but with determination, the right mindset, and support, a fulfilling career is within your reach.
If Carli’s insights resonate with you and you’re looking to make significant changes in your career, remember you’re not alone. Enlist the help of a career coach, engage with your professional network, and take that bold step towards a more fulfilling professional life.
How to Get Unstuck in Your Career Episode Transcript
Kelly Callahan-Poe
Today’s guest is Carli Sidoti. Carly is a brand marketing strategist who recently made the bold move to leave her job as a VP at an advertising agency to start her own consulting business, and account executive at heart. She’s passionate about building relationships and helping others succeed. Whether it be her small business clients or other mid-career professionals. She is also a single mother to nine-year-old Rocco. Welcome, Carli.
Carli Sidoti
Thank you for having me, Kelly. So happy to be here.
Kelly
I’m really excited about this topic. Because as we talked about earlier, it’s kind of the doldrums of winter. And a lot of us are kind of feeling this way, whether they’re stuck in their job, or they’re stuck in their career, it’s kind of a bad time to be stuck inside as well. And so, let’s dig in to talk about how to get unstuck in your career. I did a little research to learn about this concept and to kind of take a measure of what employee satisfaction numbers were and I found from Gallup, there was a 2022 State of the Global Workplace Report(Note: Numbers reported in podcast are from 2022 Report, here is 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report) that said that 60% of people reportedly feel emotionally detached at work.
Carli
I believe it. I mean, not just because we’re in Cleveland over here in the winter. But it’s just a lot of people are feeling burnt out.
Kelly
90% were miserable, and about 21% surveyed, that employees are just nodding, not engaged at work. And so that’s just, that’s a lot.
Carli
It’s kind of sad, but also for some of your listeners out there. Maybe they know that they’re not alone, you know, we’re kind of all feeling it somehow.
Kelly
That’s true. I mean, I just had this conversation with my own team today, sometimes you just you feel stuck based on the tasks that you’re doing. And there’s ways that you can change that. So, what is being stuck in your career mean? Not necessarily your job, but your career, mean to you?
Carli
So, I think that’s a good question, can I think it could be different for each person, but you might be stuck. If you ask yourself, for instance, what am I doing here? Where am I going? Oh, you’re not really sure of your career trajectory. So sometimes that those questions pop up in your head, or you’re just not feeling fulfilled at work, maybe that means you’re stuck in some way. Or if you’ve been at your current position for a long time, maybe you got uncomfortable or scared to take change or take that risk. So, you convinced yourself you know what, I’m just going to write it out, I’m fine, things will change, things will get better. Maybe there are other instances where you really can’t turn down a high salary for a lower paying job. So, a lot of times, when I was feeling stuck, I was thinking, Am I going to sacrifice a high paying job to have fun and flexibility? Or do I want that higher paying job and have that rigid, rigid schedule. So, some of those things you might be arguing in your head with, but then lastly, maybe your skills are out of date, and you need to get some continuous learning, you just don’t know that next step to take.
Kelly
So, you have a personal story where you felt stuck, can you tell us a little bit about your story and how you how you got out of it?
Carli
So, I for almost 20 years, I’ve worked at an ad agency solely at full-service ad agencies. And I loved the environment, it was very path fast pace. And I was I had these ambitions, to one day be a partner of an ad agency that was just kind of my career trajectory, what I had in mind, so started working my way up position over position, thinking, this is my career path. This is what I’m going to do, but due to some changes in the organization, and leadership, like most places, most organ organizations, I thought to myself, Is this really what I want to do? Do I really want to stick around here and be a partner in my good fit for this? And that’s when I started to question myself and I felt stuck because like, I told myself, I was going to be a partner. Now I’m not going to be a partner. I will Why am I changing my mind? So that’s kind of where I ended up feeling stuck.
Kelly
And then what did you do to get unstuck?
Carli
So, the moment that I realized I was unstuck was when I started to lose that pep and that motivation, and I thought, Alright, this isn’t Carli anymore. I’m not fun and energetic. And I was losing some of that that vibe. And I think some other people noticed it, too. So, what I did to get unstuck was I did a lot of soul searching, I kind of questions myself my career, what I wanted to do, and eventually decided to get a career coach to get me out of this rut.
Kelly
How did the career coach help you?
Carli
She’s fantastic. So luckily, Aneta Kuzma who is actually a guest on one of your shows, she’s wonderful. I had met her years back in meditation group, she hosts meditation. And she also does business career consulting, and I had called her and said, I need help. And what the coach does, I felt for me, it was very helpful, she gave me the framework that I needed to get out of the rut, it was super, super simple for me as an account service person, you give me a list, I’m going to cross off each task and get it done. So, she held me accountable, she gave me that the list I needed to do. And I think that was really what pulled me out of it.
Kelly
I love Aneta and she’s helped me as well with my own out in the past. I highly recommend that podcast on burnout on our channel. So, what specific strategies or actions did you take to get out of your career?
Carli
So, what I did was meditation — that was one thing just to kind of get your mind, right, because really, it’s, it’s a mental exercise in a way you have to kind of be grounded and where you are and where you want to be. So, the soul searching, like I said, I talk to my partner a lot also, just to kind of have somebody to bounce ideas off of and think, What should I do you know, what different scenarios what can we afford financially, you know, how are we going to do this together. So having that that partnership was huge and having someone to speak to. And then also again, like the career coach was really the utilitarian portion of Alright, now, here’s what you got to do. You have to do it, and I held myself to it.
Kelly
So, someone that makes you feel accountable?
Carli
Exactly — accountable. And really, you’re the one doing all the work. I was doing all the work. I just needed somebody to tell me what to do. How to do it.
Kelly
How did this impact your personal life in your in your well-being? Because I mean, that’s not easy when you’re making a transition and deciding, gosh, this is the path that I thought I was on and I really may be on a different path.
Carli
I felt a lot on edge. I’m sure a lot of people could feel it also, who are close to me, my family, my coworkers, you know, sometimes I would be a little snippy not that I mean to, but it’s kind of like burnout in a way you’re just like. So that’s kind of how I felt I was also, I wasn’t really as present at home as I wanted to be. And I knew that that was something I needed to fix. And as I was going through some exercises with my business coach, she too said, you know, what do you want to change? What can you live with? What can you not live with, and I don’t want to be burnt out, I want to be present, I want to be with my son more. And it just was it wasn’t fair. So, I was mentally and physically drained. And knew I needed to take action if I wanted to be healthy and happy.
Kelly
And so, you know, talk a little bit about what you mean, you went you started your own business is what you ultimately did. Can you talk about that transition?
Carli
Yeah, it was it was very, very much a pie in the sky idea. As far as I’m not going to be a consultant I wanted to be consulted eventually, when I grew up. So, like I said, I wanted to be a partner in my agency. It was my goal. And my long-term goal, I thought, I want to be a marketing consultant. But maybe when I’m 60 or something, well, I’m about to be 40 This next month, and I thought why Wait, why am I going to wait this long? If this is something that if partner being a partner isn’t part of my plan anymore? Why don’t I just skip all that and fast forward to being a consultant now what do I have to lose? And that’s again, where the business coach kind of helped come in handy to think you know, why not and surely challenging yourself. But that transition was it was so much fun because I realized my full potential and also it was, it was energizing thinking there’s so much more I can offer. I get to do this on my own and start my own thing. So, I encourage the listeners too if there’s something that that you want to try don’t wait, like why not? You got nothing to lose. So, you literally left your job. Yes, yes it all in the transit risk to start your One thing Yeah, yeah. And it wasn’t really part of this short-term plan. Like it was supposed to be long term. And even with Annetta, we kind of teased it out to be like maybe in six months, we’ll still dabble in consulting and see how it plays out. Three months into the process, I was like, I’m ready to launch. Like, I want to have my own business now.
Kelly
And how do you feel about it now?
Carli
I love it. It’s great. The flexibility, networking, meeting new people, and, and I’m just a small brand marketing consultant, but I work with local businesses and, and they really need help, and really just being able to work with my own clients and on my schedule. It’s really something I think that was perfect for me.
Kelly
I love that. Well, what advice would you give to others who are currently feeling stuck in their own careers?,
Carli
I first tell them that, that it’s okay, if you feel unstuck, but you know, when it’s time to make that move, you kind of feel it, you feel it in your gut. So, I would say listen to the science that the universe gives you listen to your gut, and just know that you’re fully capable, I think you can do it. So, give yourself some grace. And give yourself a little bit of courage because I think everybody can do it. And things will fall into place. I’m a huge believer of things will happen for a reason. But I do have five tips that I could share with the audience of how to get them out of their career rut. Great. Okay, so I’ll go through them in a little bit more detail, but the five are ones that your goals. Okay, two, we’re going to talk about the you factor. Three, establish your non negotiables for her Sue growth opportunities, and five take action. So, I think about this as my title aligns with my experience and what my career coach walked through with me, but could be very valuable to others who are stuck in their career. Alright, so let’s start with set your goals. So, for everybody who’s listening, I think that this is a great place to start a fun exercise. You can journalists write it down. Where do you want to be in five years? So where would you want to be in five years? Kelly, what do you think?
Kelly
I want to be on the West Coast, closer to one of my children who is in college? I’m not sure yet. I mean, there’s a lot of things that I’ve been thinking about. I’m going to be an empty nester in two and a half years, so my life will change significantly. So, I’ve been definitely pondering it.
Carli
And it could be a little scary, but also excited.
Kelly
I think there’s a little bit of excitement there. I have to admit. You’re in a different phase of life, right? You’re not even in high school, yet. You’re kid is not even in junior high. So, when you get there, it’s just every phase is different. But when you get to the empty nest phase, it’s a little bit mind blowing.
Carli
But also to then there’s more opportunities, and it doesn’t when I tell people to set your goals, it doesn’t have to be professional goals. It could also be personal goals, you know, leave those then because they’re supposed to go hand in hand. Yeah. But when you do think about what you want to do in five years, think about who you know, what are my aspirations? Maybe what’s my ideal job description? What do I want to be doing to make money, and that can kind of help just get the wheels spinning in some in your head, okay, this is the path I might want to go down. And then something that that I learned was, I want to say, this is from Amy Porterfield, who I listen to her podcast, also, she has a book, she’s been great and helping me take the risk. The book that I read was called Two Week’s Notice. And it was great and doing my transition. So, I encourage that to some of your listeners, if they want to listen to that. But we talked about or she had talked about “your why”. And using that as your North Star. So, when I was reading her book, or listening to her podcast, she said, you know, what, what is your why, and use that if you’re ever second guessing yourself? So, for example, why do I want to make this change? Why do I want to change my career, I wrote that I want to be more fulfilled, and my personal and professional life, utilize my full potential. I want to explore and experience more and be present at home. So, it’s a lot but it’s personal and professional. And that’s what I constantly have to remind myself.
Kelly
Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of the reason why we started this podcast, Is it really this whole idea of the yin and yang between work and life? And I think we came to the conclusion that there’s never going to be a perfect balance, and that you’re constantly kind of moving back and forth between the yin and yang. It will always be in flux. Sometimes you have to prioritize family life, and sometimes there might be priorities at work that you have to handle and so there’s just there’s a lot to think about there.
Carli
And the Ying Yang, that’s you’re the logo, the podcast, so good. So, the second tip that I like to give is the “you factor”. And this, again, is something that I that I took from Amy Porterfield that I practice, and it’s talking about you and who you are, and really evaluating your skill set, understanding what your strengths are, what are you passionate about? What do you bring to the table? So, it kind of thinking about, like, branding yourself, you know, if you were brands, what, how would you sell yourself? So those are some of the questions that I would encourage people to ask themselves, you know, again, jot it down in the journal. And it’s also a good confidence booster, because when you start to think of all the things, you’re good at, maybe that will kind of help build your build your courage to take that next step or get out of the rat. So that’s another reason why I tell people like this is going to be great for trying to get yourself out of the ruts. But it is important for you to know what skills you have and what you can bring to the table. Because let your manager know that let your supervisor know that maybe as a reminder, but having that open dialogue and conversation with a manager, or peers saying it out loud, they also will recognize it a little bit more and recognize you as okay, this is somebody who is valuable, and they’re on my radar, I need to make sure I help them. So don’t be afraid to reach out to people and let people know how you’re feeling. And then you also know like, if they have any feedback, you’ll know how maybe you can change yourself or be better to understand what you can bring to the table.
Kelly
Got it.
Carli
Okay, the next one, number three, establish your non-negotiables. And this is what I worked on with my career coach. And I thought that it was great, because it was a way to really set the framework of what Job would I accept if I got offered a job or you know, what I want to incorporate into my career. So, I would say reflect on your current situation where at whatever position you are, and ask yourself, why are you stuck? Is it maybe because you’re not getting an opportunity at work? Or you’re not challenged? Is it a fear? So, understand that that cause to figure out, you know, how you can work around it. And one of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is, am I truly fulfilled in my work? Because I feel like if you are fulfilled and helps you mentally, mentally, and that is affecting your well-being overall, how you are as a mother, a worker, a friend, a neighbor. So that’s something huge and I think that there was a quote, Kelly that you had said to me, that was really fun. “Are you in the right church, but the wrong pew?”
Kelly
Cary Hatch said that in the previous in a previous podcast. What I like about that is “right church wrong pew” means you’re in the right career, you’re just in the right place. But if you’re on the wrong church, that’s a different problem. Right? And in our case, were you in the wrong church, or the wrong pew? I think that you were a little bit in the wrong church, because of the agency path. And you switch to managing clients on your own. So, that’s important to learn about yourself.
Carli
And that’s a great a great way to think about it. And people can think about that too. Because, you know, I even questioned should I go to nursing school? Should I be a nurse? I mean, so far away from advertising. But there was a point where I was like, I don’t even know if I’m supposed to be in advertising anymore.
Kelly
I’ve done that, too. I thought I was going to be an interior designer.
Carli
And everything behind you looks lovely.
Kelly
But, I am in the right church.
Carli
Thinking about what’s important to you, and in working in career is going to be good when you’re establishing your non-negotiables. And for women, having children is the biggest change in our careers. Many of us want to work and be there for our kids. So, any written are the remote opportunities that are going to be available. So, you have a flexible work schedule, or is your job sharing. So those are other things that us as women are kind of trying to get is that flexibility for our children on our family.
Kelly
And it’s nice that, you know, in the post COVID world, things have started to change or as when my kids were born 18-19 years ago, there was not a lot of opportunity for working from home, but now it’s more accepted. So, I’m grateful for that for the other women coming up the ladder, or jungle gym as it may be that they have the opportunity to be able to work from home.
Carli
That’s a great point for kids. Yeah, it’s a great point and being able for us to be flexible, if we do have to go back into the office and work more, you know, how is that going to look for us? I, I’m fortunate enough to that I work out of my office. So, I have the flexibility to get my son off the bus every day, except for today, there was a little issue. But either way, either way, if I had to be in the office every day, that would be so stressful, but I would figure out a way to make it work and but I would establish that as a non-negotiable because that’s just how I am now. That’s your priority. But all the items of your non-negotiable list should be realistic. But and what’s fun about the exercises that you get to define it, so I had so much fun putting into my putting together my non negotiables, because it was like I was putting together my own job description, in terms. The fourth tip is pursuing growth opportunities. And I’d ask a lot of people who are listening right now, if they if they’re making continuous learning a priority. Because it’s for personal and professional development. So, it’s not a bad thing to feel comfortable on your job. But the same routine, you may have missed an opportunity to develop somewhere or advance with it within your company. So, if it’s something like a project management certification, or being Google Analytics certified, not only does that look good to your employer, but it could look good on your resume. And you can feel good knowing like I have way more knowledge now than I did somewhere else.
Kelly
The best way is start reading, I’m a big reader. So, these are two books that I’ve read that I need to do a book review of for the #Williams Whittle Media Club and do book reviews and recommendations and they’re all business-related books, and I have a stack on my on my nightstand that’s this big. So, I’m always reading something. But I feel like you know, especially in marketing and advertising, we need to learn about consumer behavior, we need to understand motivating factors. And so, there’s so much out there that we can learn from and I think reading books is a great way to do it, as well as attending webinars, Ted Talks, all that sort of stuff.
Carli
Absolutely podcasts, when you’re driving into the office, when you’re going for walks just that continuous learning is helpful, and it makes you more valuable. But it should also reignite your passion for work and whatever it is that you want to do. Yeah. And also, if you want to do something attainable, I suggest to people joining a board, volunteering, maybe even mentor somebody, I do a lot of mentoring for Ohio State’s PRSA program, and it’s, 30 minutes a month, check in with a student. But that stuff makes me feel good. And I’m also trying to help out a fellow Ohio State, PR students, that’s great. Get them to the next level. Now, last but not least, take action. So now it’s time to execute. So, the first step of breaking out of this rut is the willingness to take risks. So having that courage, being accountable, saying You know what, I’m going to do it. So mentally prepare yourself to take the action. And like I mentioned, many times can consider investing in a business coach, or even have a friend, your supervisor, write out a career path plan for you, whatever you need to do, or go online and have AI generate a list of how do I get out of a rut?
Kelly
No, it’s true, you could do it.
Carli
Anything can help if you don’t want to invest, but I do encourage having in the investment because you’re going to be willing to work that harder because you’re paying for it. Yeah. And, you know, if you’re met with fear, it’s totally normal. I would say that fear is a sign that you’re challenged, you’re challenging yourself in a positive way. And you’re making progress. So, if you want to write a pro and con list of staying my career versus changing my career, do it and just run it by a friend and says What should I do? I don’t know what to do. That could be something for you to do. I say stick to the process. It won’t be easy, but the risk is worth the reward. So, if you’re not sure you got this, think about the YOU factor and you guys will be good.
Kelly
You shared with me that one of your goals was to be on one podcast a month. Check!
Carli
And also, this is my first podcast ever. So, thank you very much, Kelly. I’m so honored.
Kelly
This will start you on a on a good streak for this year. Well, if people want to learn a little bit more about you or connect with you, how can they do that?
Carli
Yes, thank you for asking. I have a website. It is called buttonedup.consulting and that’s where you’ll find everything about me if you want to know my Tetra map signed by what else do I have on there? My Myer’s Briggs, every single personality…
Kelly
What I love about you is just seeing all that on your website – and thinking oh, this person, she’s my people.
Carli
We have to know everything about ourselves. But you can also find me on LinkedIn, and again buttoned up. consulting. I’m also on Instagram and YouTube. I need to post a little bit more there, but I’m working on it and reach out if you ever want to talk or network.
Kelly
I’ll post those in the notes of the podcast and thank you for your time today.
Carli
Thanks so much, Kelly. Appreciate it. Take care.
