Lawyer-turned-Hypnotist, Nancy Loven

I am a certified clinical hypnotist with a private practice in Larchmont, New York (25 minutes north of New York City). I worked as a litigation attorney for eight years and just never felt fulfilled by what I did. Four years ago, I used hypnosis to quit smoking and after that, I started seeing a hypnotist regularly for various issues. Over time, I began to realize that I, too, wanted to use hypnosis to help people heal and I obtained the necessary training and education to become a Certified Hypnotist. Most recently, I became a certified Hypnobirthing Childbirth Educator and a Certified Hypnofertility Specialist.

Although it sounds trite, the thing I most love about being a hypnotist is how I am able to help people. People come to me with all kinds of problems, and I am able to provide my clients with a new perspective on how they can use hypnosis to heal themselves -- I am simply a guide in this process. People walk out of my office refreshed, happy and ready to take on the world!

I am most proud of helping women with fertility problems, especially those who were told that they would never be able to conceive a baby. I tell them, "NEVER say never." Profound success is often possible simply by working at the level of the sub-conscious mind and removing blocks to fertility. I am also proud of helping people to rid themselves of negative habits and phobias that have often plagued them for years -- for example, I had one client who stopped biting his nails after having done so for 40 years! I have helped many, many people to quit smoking for good and to lose extra weight.

The greatest career advice I have been given is the same as the best advice I can give: no matter what, follow your heart -- do what you love. When you act according to your higher purpose, when you consciously follow the path that is right for you -- only good things can come from that. I left a high-paying, secure career as an attorney to follow my heart into the hypnosis field -- and I now look forward to each and every client, each and every day. There is no better feeling than doing what you KNOW you were born to do.

Kerri Kimball, Financial Advisor

Kerri Kimball

Education: B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

Job title and employer: FINANCIAL ADVISOR, ELEMENT FINANCIAL GROUP

What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?

My job is to help successful people to identify and achieve their financial goals. When I was 33, I had my first experience working with a financial advisor. I’d never expected to be single in my 30’s and hadn’t done anything to prepare myself for making my own financial decisions about buying a home, saving for retirement, or protecting my assets. Working with an advisor opened my eyes to the world of personal finance and I felt amazingly empowered. I had been working in advertising agencies for 12 years and was ready for a change and I was so moved by my experience that I decided to make this my new career. I could see that there are thousands of women out there like me who need advice but haven’t known that they could ask, or who they could trust to really listen to them. I’ve been in this field for 4 years now and I feel so lucky.

What do you like about your current career?

I love that I get to make a difference in the lives of my clients. When I can show them that they can afford that bigger home or that they can retire 5 years sooner than they thought, the look on their faces is priceless. It’s especially rewarding when I can help a client leave a legacy behind to family or charity. I also love that it’s my job to meet new people all the time. I’m out at social events 2 to 3 times a week getting to know people, building my network of resources, and growing my business.

If you were to start over again from college and still end up at the same job you’re currently at, what steps would you take differently?

I wouldn’t do anything differently. Each unique experience I’ve had – from reviewing expense reports to negotiating client contracts to taking a sabbatical to hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp – has taught me the skills I need to be successful.

What barriers have you overcome to get to your present position today, and what lessons have you learned from your mistakes?

When I left corporate America to start my financial advisory practice, I had to start over and learn a new industry from scratch. Buddhists have a distinction called “beginner’s mind” that I referred back to often: a state of mind that is free of preconceptions and expectations, full of curiosity and wonder. Early on, there were many times where my lack of experience was extremely frustrating and I had to take a deep breath and say to myself, “ok, this is interesting”. I didn’t get a lot of lucky breaks, but I was incredibly tenacious and would not give up. It’s important to keep going even if you get a No or you miss your target. After the last No there is always a Yes.

What’s the greatest career advice you have ever been given? What advice do you bestow on others?

Someone recently told me “Do what you love because you’ll spend a significant portion of your life doing it.” Do what you love, or at least what you like a lot, and remember that 90% of that is your attitude. Be grateful for all the terrific things that your job or business provides to you, whether it be creativity, financial security, travel, or just great people to work with every day. As women in today’s business environment, we are so fortunate to have relative equality with men. But we still have a long way to go before we reach full equality. Don’t ever sell yourself short or compromise your values. Seek out good mentors who are looking out for your best interests, and take time to be a mentor yourself.

Jennifer Beckmann, Founder of Cancer Nerd and MBA student

Jennifer Beckmann

Education: A.B. with Honors, Brown University (2002) – double concentration in Archaeology and Art History; MBA, University of Cambridge (2009)

1. What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?

Well, I am in between livings right now. I spent five years in New York City after graduating from college both working and volunteering at various non-profit organizations, including the American Museum of Natural History. I am also a big advocate for colon cancer research and patient support, having lost my stepdad to the disease in 2004. In January 2008, I moved to London and have taken time off before starting my MBA in September. This has been a richly introspective time for me, in which I have done a lot of reading and a lot of writing. My blog Cancer Nerd focuses on my personal quest to learn as much as I can about cancer so that, post-MBA, I can lead an organization working to eradicate it.

2. What are three of the most interesting things you have done or that have happened to you, career-wise or other?

Career-wise, I have to say the most interesting job I held was as an educator for the Moveable Museum Program at AMNH. The position included driving a 37-foot Winnebago around NYC, visiting kids at schools who otherwise would not likely visit the Museum. That job increased my confidence and made me realize I like working directly with people, having that direct impact.

Otherwise, one of the best experiences of my life was leading the NYC chapter of the Colon Cancer Alliance, an advocacy group made up of survivors, caregivers, and others touched by this very preventable disease. Getting to know these amazing volunteers – including a few women who had been diagnosed in their 20s! – was beyond inspiring.

Oh, and I was an archaeologist for awhile! That was fun!

3. What do you like about your current career?

Honestly, I could be very happy blogging all day! I have found it very empowering to share my thoughts on cancer and what I learn from my reading with others. I started Cancer Nerd to keep myself on task, so that I would feel responsible for my self-assigned reading and be productive during this time off – or, as I refer to it, my “independent study time.” Blogging has helped me face the idea of cancer with less fear and more moxie – which will be increasingly invaluable to me in the years to come. I am excited to get my MBA and re-enter the professional world as well. I would love to help a cancer organization with its marketing or programming – any way I can have a direct impact on people and help them cope with this horrible disease.

4. What career successes are you most proud of having achieved?

My proudest moments have been as a volunteer for colon cancer awareness and prevention. Leading the NYC chapter of the Colon Cancer Alliance – indeed, turning it into the organization’s model chapter – was incredibly rewarding. I have also participated in the Colon Cancer Challenge for the last five years, and have been in the top three fundraisers each year. I am very proud of the fact that following my passions led me to the University of Cambridge and also to Cancer Nerd!

5. What training and education have you completed and what did you take away from these experiences?

My undergraduate degree was actually in Archaeology and Art History, and I spent a year out of college as an archaeologist. Although I am no longer digging in the dirt for a living, being able to fulfill my childhood Indiana Jones fantasies was very empowering for me, and set the tone for my atypical but passion-fueled career path.

6. How do you spend your time outside of work?

Back in New York, I spent a lot of time as a volunteer – I probably volunteered for as many hours a week as I worked! Here in London I do my “independent study” reading and writing all day and split my free time between my boyfriend, my trainer, and exploring this delightful (if often overcast) city. I have also started tapping into my long-abandoned artistic side, creating mosaics. I loved studying mosaics as an Archaeology student and it has been fun having a little time to make them myself!

7. In what ways are you making a difference in other people’s lives?

Ask them! No, seriously, I hope that my blog’s readership continues to increase. Cancer is not going to go away any time soon. If we can’t obliterate the disease, we should obliterate the fear surrounding it. The more informed we are about the choices we can make in our lives to lessen our chances of getting cancer and also the choices we can make if we get it anyway, the less of a hold this disease will have over us. We all have moments where we are overcome with fear. But knowledge is power. I hope that through Cancer Nerd, my readers will feel a little more empowered against the foe that is cancer.

8. If you were to start over again from college and still end up at the same job you’re currently at, what steps would you take differently?

I certainly have had countless moments over the years when I wished I had taken a more traditional professional path and, ahem, made a little more money. But I know if I had taken some high-paying gig, I would not have been true to myself. Not to mention the fact that I wouldn’t have had time to explore my true passions. So while it won’t be easy to enter into an expensive graduate program with no savings, no sponsor, and a big ol’ loan on my shoulders, I also feel that I will get more out of the program because I know what I want out of my professional life.

9. What accomplishments – both professionally and personally – do you hope to have achieved 20 years from now?

This sounds like one of my MBA application essay questions! As I said on my application (and kudos to Cambridge for accepting me anyway), my top priority in life is to raise a happy, healthy family with my happy, healthy future husband in our happy, healthy marriage. Everything else is secondary: career, money, worldwide fame, all of it! That being said, I hope to be known as a driving force in the cancer advocacy world. If a few more people can stand up to this disease with a little more confidence, courage, and hope because of me, I will have done something good indeed.

Katherine Shappley of Microsoft

Katherine Shappley

Education: BA, English Literature, University of Mississippi & Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism, London School of Journalism

Job title and employer: Account Executive, Microsoft

1. What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?

I had a friend at a company called Quigo, who introduced me to some of the people she worked with. I ended up interviewing for a sales position with no experience, but they took me on because of my life experience, I think. Having travelled around the world teaching business English for 4 years, I was able to spin my experience as “selling English to a busy executive crowd”. Once I started working for Quigo, I established myself there and began working my network. I ended up at MSFT because of those connections and my track record at Quigo.

2. What are three of the most interesting things you have done or that have happened to you, career-wise or other?

Traveling around the world in my 20s was by far the best thing I’ve ever done. It set me up for success in ways that I couldn’t have foreseen when I got back home. Getting a job is not always about fitting the exact job description and experience requirements. I was very lucky that the people I’ve interviewed with found a lot of value in my experiences abroad.

I moved to London to study Journalism after my traveling. I ended up getting a job at a magazine house, where they agreed to apply for my work permit. The permit application was eventually rejected, and I ended up having to leave the country. If this had not happened, I would not have moved to New York, nor would I be where I am today in my career. Lesson: Always be open to challenges and new opportunities, even if they seem tough at the time. The more you can turn challenging experiences into something positive, the more successful you’ll be.

Working in the online space at Microsoft is extremely interesting. No two days are the same, and the landscape is constantly shifting. Technology is getting better every second, and the way that we think about digital marketing is also evolving. This helps to keep everything fresh and interesting.

3. What do you like about your current career?

There are a lot of great things about working in online sales at Microsoft. First of all, MSFT has some of the best benefits around. I just got back from our global conference in Atlanta, where we not only learned about the future vision of the company, but they also had spectacular events, like the renting out Six Flags for us at the end of the meeting! Day to day, I love sales because I’m constantly meeting people and interacting with highly intelligent teams. Part of my job is entertaining my clients, and I’m also very passionate about that.

4. How does your career use your skills and what projects are you working on that best demonstrate them?

I’m very outgoing and love meeting new people. I am also highly detail-oriented. I have a lot of clients, so it’s imperative that I’m organized and focused on the right priorities. I’m currently getting ready for a meeting with a new team, where we’ll present MSFT’s vision for search marketing specifically. I’m also organizing this meeting around a lunch, so I’m busy hammering out the logistical details there.

5. What career successes are you most proud of having achieved?

I’ve won two awards at Microsoft which I’m particularly proud of. The first is called the JACK award, which stands for Judgement, Accountability, Customer-Focus, and Know-How. This is an award presented based on peer feedback, so it means a lot to me that my colleagues would take the time to nominate me. Also, I won a trip to Maui last year, as one of MSFT’s highest revenue attainers globally. It was great!

6. What training and education have you completed and what did you take away from these experiences?

I have a BA in English Literature and a British diploma in Journalism. Both of these accreditations have helped me in my written and oral communication skills, which are imperative to my job. I’ve also taken a lot of training at Microsoft, in areas such as presentation skills, negotiations, and how to effectively speak to your customers. This on the job training is another great benefit of working at MSFT and has helped my grow in my career.

7. How do you spend your time outside of work?

I recently completed a photography course, so I’m often out and about in NYC taking photos of anything and everything. In addition to that, I love hanging out with friends and going to live music concerts. I try to see at least 1-2 shows a week!

8. In what ways are you making a difference in other people’s lives?

I hope that I’m making it easier for people to do business with my team. If you don’t start with good communication and strong relationships, working with people in business can be downright awful. I also work for a company that places a high value on community service and charity. Every year, MSFT matches all of my charitable donations dollar for dollar, so hopefully I’ve been able to create something positive for people in that way.

9. If you have children, how do you find the work/family balance?
   
   N/a However, I think it’s really important to hammer out a company’s policy on work/life/family balance. This is something you should always ask in an interview.

10. If you were to start over again from college and still end up at the same job you’re currently at, what steps would you take differently?

None, I’ve absolutely loved every minute of what I’ve done. The key for me is the diverse range of experiences which I’ve been lucky enough to have in my career chapters.

11. What barriers have you overcome to get to your present position today, and what lessons have you learned from your mistakes?

One of my biggest challenges has always been controlling my emotions. I have a lot of passion for life, and that can be a positive and negative thing, since passion can manifest itself in different ways. I have worked very hard to not take things personally and keep my emotions in check during difficult business situations. That really comes mostly from experience.

12. What’s the greatest career advice you have ever been given? What advice do you bestow on others?

Stay positive, and take advantage of challenges! If you can successfully mitigate a challenge, you will gain infinite respect among your colleagues and build confidence in yourself. Get involved! You’ll never get ahead if you don’t put yourself out there.

13. What accomplishments – both professionally and personally – do you hope to have achieved 20 years from now?

I’d love to get to a place financially where I can open a photography studio for fun!