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Something we have learned after recording nearly 150 episodes of Embrace the Squiggle, is that getting fired or laid off can be the BEST things that can happen to someone. Especially for high achievers who would never leave unless somebody pushed us out the door. Colleen welcomes Ella Wood to discuss her pivot from pursuing law to sales and entrepreneurship. It all started when she was fired from a legal assistant role which ended up being the best thing that could have happened. Her company New World Sales operates as a sales training program and staffing agency, helping people launch remote high-ticket sales careers through e-learning and and recruitment. Connect with Ella: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-wood-85b0101b2/ Instagram @‌ellajade_wood  New World Sales: http://www.nwsales.org TikTok @‌ellajaydeee Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with your hosts Colleen DelVecchio: LinkedInAshleigh Beadle: LinkedInSubscribe and review Know someone who'd love this episode? Share it with them. If you haven't left a review yet, it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

Having your role eliminated at 55 is not ideal. Just when you want the stable paycheck and lifestyle, you are thrown back in AND get to experience ageism, On Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen speaks with Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer about navigating major career disruptions and finding direction when a long-climbed corporate “ladder” disappears. Cynthia recounts a 30-year corporate career (including 13 years in C-suite roles) spanning commercial real estate, HR leadership, and healthcare, shaped early by a pivotal mentor and sponsor. She describes two defining detours: a breast cancer diagnosis at 40 that prompted reprioritization, and losing her role at 55 during a CEO transition, which pushed her into entrepreneurship built from steps she’d already taken while co-writing Now, Near, Next: A Practical Guide for Mid-Career Women to Move from Professional Serendipity to Intentional Advancement.  Connect with Dr. Cynthia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcynthiabentzenmercer/ http://www.dr-cynthia.com https://linktr.ee/drcynthiabentzenmercer Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with your hosts Colleen DelVecchio: LinkedInAshleigh Beadle: LinkedInSubscribe and review Know someone who'd love this episode? Share it with them. If you haven't left a review yet, it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

The purpose of HR is to protect the company. So when you are working in HR and recruiting, you are on the side of the company, not the candidate. For a while, that worked for Carrie, but a serendipitous layoff led her to discover her true calling.  Getting laid off sucks… but it also tends to be the start of something great! After recording over 100 episodes of Embrace the Squiggle, we have heard a few stories where experiencing a layoff leads to something great. And this episode is no exception. Carrie Christiano, CPRW, CPCC is a certified career coach, resume writer, and AI job search strategist who helps professionals harness tools like ChatGPT to elevate their careers with confidence. A former recruiter for Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Cisco, and LexisNexis, Carrie brings insider expertise and a practical, empowering approach to every session Carrie was laid off from recruiting at a time when companies weren’t hiring, which made being an unemployed recruiter especially interesting. A referral led her to a consulting role helping people navigate career transition. What she thought would be a temporary stopgap turned into the part of my career she loved most: helping people find the value in their own stories and teaching the unwritten rules of job search!  Connect with Carrie:  on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriechristiano/ Empower Career Studio: http://www.empowercareerstudio.com Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with your hosts Colleen DelVecchio: LinkedInAshleigh Beadle: LinkedInSubscribe and review Know someone who'd love this episode? Share it with them. If you haven't left a review yet, it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

Changing the culture of a company is easier said than done. HR leaders may start out thinking they can do it all: hire people, lead retention, deal with everyones issues, AND change culture. But then you realize that HR is a fast paced job dealing with a new issue every day. So changing the culture gets put the the back burner… how do we change that? This episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Adriana Vaccaro, founder of Culture Redesigned, joines us. Adriana built a career in HR from recruiting to VP of Human Resources. Adriana defines culture as how people “act, react, and interact.” https://www.cultureredesigned.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianavaccaro/ Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with your hosts Colleen DelVecchio: LinkedInAshleigh Beadle: LinkedInSubscribe and review Know someone who'd love this episode? Share it with them. If you haven't left a review yet, it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

Have you ever been in a room where your manager suggested a new strategy, and everyone just agreed? And you didn’t agree. But you weren’t sure how to raise your opinion when everyone else was silent. This episode is all about how to bring up and engage in useful discourse. Colleen welcomes Kristine Frost, a labor and employment attorney with 25+ years in automotive manufacturing who negotiated with the UAW, led acquisitions and global teams, and now runs Shattered Glass Advisory. Frost shares her expertise as someone who worked for years as the only woman in the room, and the only person to disagree. She also talks about her squiggly career pivoting from pre-med to law, rejecting patent law and law firm life, and moving into HR to make impact. Connect with Kristine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kfroesq  Shattered Glass: https://shatteredglassadvisory.com/ Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone who'd love this one? Share it their way. And if you haven't left a review yet — it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

Schools spend most of their time on academic skills, but the social and emotional skills that carry us through adult life often get left behind. Why don't schools prioritize social-emotional learning (SEL), and what would change if they did? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Lorea Martinez Perez, a former special education teacher, former Columbia University Teachers College faculty member, and creator of the HEART in Mind methodology. She holds a PhD in quality and innovation in education and is the author of Teaching with Heart in Mind. In this episode: Why social-emotional skills matter more in adult life than schools acknowledgeHow Lorea's path shaped her mission, from teaching Spanish to North African immigrant women in Spain as a teen, to interning in Nicaragua, to special education in the Bay AreaWhat it was like to learn a faster-paced U.S. school system and English alongside her studentsHow the Heart in Mind method brings social-emotional learning into the classroomConnect with Dr. Lorea Martinez Perez Website: loreamartinez.comYouTube: Heart in MindLinkedIn: Lorea MartinezInstagram: @‌drloreamartinezFacebook: Lorea Martinez SELWork with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with your hosts Colleen DelVecchio: LinkedInAshleigh Beadle: LinkedInSubscribe and review Know someone who'd love this episode? Share it with them. If you haven't left a review yet, it helps more people find the show 🎙️

You have been putting off asking for a raise for months (maybe even years). Today is the day that changes! Colleen and Ashleigh know that squigglers have some excellent skills, but one thing that often scares us all is asking for more money. So this episode with Jamie Lee is here to help you get promoted and better paid without office politics. We discuss starting raise/promotion conversations at least six months before budget cycles, building informal stakeholder relationships, tracking accomplishments, and communicating impact and future value while addressing internalized misogyny and “tiara syndrome.” Work with Jamie Lee: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/ Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone who'd love this one? Share it their way. And if you haven't left a review yet — it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

Want to get a new job? You need a network. Want to hire someone great? You need a network. Want to make friends in your new city? You need a network. You know this is true… but you are still dragging your feet on actually doing it because its just not really your thing! You dread networking events and hate conference happy hours. This episode is for you! Colleen and Ashleigh are natural connectors and ready to share all of the tips for how to turn networking into a good word! Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone who'd love this one? Share it their way. And if you haven't left a review yet — it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

Most of us have been to the bank. But how many of us actually know what's happening behind the scenes or what it means to build an entire career there? Courtney Huxley started as a bank teller and squiggled her way through the world of banking to her current role in business development at a Co-Op Bank. In this episode, she breaks down something most people never think to ask: what's the actual difference between a big bank and a community bank and why does it matter for you? Whether you're a small business owner, a first-time borrower, or just someone who wants their money to do more good locally, this conversation will change how you think about where you bank. Beyond the banking insights, Courtney's career story is one for anyone who's built a life by going deeper into one world rather than jumping between many. Her squiggle happened within an industry and it's a reminder that career growth doesn't always mean starting over. Sometimes it means finding new angles in familiar territory. About Courtney Huxley Courtney is a business development professional at Greenfield Co-Op Bank with a squiggly career spanning nearly every corner of the banking world. 💼 LinkedIn 🏦 Greenfield Co-Op Bank 🧘 Yoga of the Valley 📱 Instagram @courtney_elizabeth_huxley Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone who'd love this one? Share it their way. And if you haven't left a review yet it helps more people find the show. 🎙️

What does a Pediatric ICU nurse and a med spa owner have in common? More than you'd think — and it's all one squiggly career. Alyssa D'Arcy went from caring for critically ill children to building her own aesthetics practice, and the thread connecting it all is the same: a deep commitment to helping people feel their best. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on what aesthetic medicine actually looks like when it's done right — and it's far from the Instagram trends and quick-fix culture most people associate with it. Colleen and Ashleigh dig into the real conversation around aesthetic medicine: the stigma, the safety questions, and the shift toward full-body wellness that includes hormones, women's health, and longer, more intentional consultations. Alyssa breaks down how to vet a provider, why credentials matter more than a social media following.  Whether you're curious about aesthetics, navigating your own career squiggle, or just want to hear from someone doing things differently — this one's worth your time. Connect with Alyssa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-d-arcy-5a0799b6/ Follow ALDA: https://www.instagram.com/aldaaesthetics Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone navigating a redundancy or career transition? Send them this episode. And if you haven't left a review yet, it helps more people find the show when they need it most. 🎙️

Getting laid off once is hard. Getting laid off twice in the same year? That is the type of squiggle none of us expect. Jane Ferré has been there, and she didn't just survive it, she used the first redundancy to get through the second one faster, with more clarity and less panic. With over 20 years in senior HR roles at Disney, British Airways, and LEON Restaurants, Jane has sat on both sides of the recruitment table. She knows what happens behind closed doors when companies restructure, and she knows exactly how much it takes to get back up when it happens to you. In this episode, Jane shares the practical advice nobody gives you when you're handed that letter and how to not take it personally (easier said than done), how to work out how long your money will last, and why creating physical space away from home to think clearly is key. If you've been laid off or made redundant, are worried it could happen, or are supporting someone going through it — this episode is the conversation you need. About Jane Ferre Jane is a career transition coach with 20+ years in senior HR roles including Head of Leadership Development and Head of Talent at British Airways. She now works with HR Directors to provide private outplacement coaching for senior leaders — helping organisations exit their people with speed, dignity, and grace. 🌐 janeferre.com 💼 LinkedIn 📘 Facebook Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone navigating a redundancy or career transition? Send them this episode. And if you haven't left a review yet — it helps more people find the show when they need it most. 🎙️

We’ve all felt it, that moment when the place your living, the team you’re in, the routine you follow starts to feel limiting. OR an amazing opportunity presents itself. And all of the sudden you have to enter a new chapter and squiggle to the next stage! Some new chapters have been happening for the Embrace the Squiggle team and we thought it good to discuss how we are managing the squiggles. Ashleigh has moved to North Carolina for an exciting career move. Colleen is onboarding a new and very special employee to Maxady. Listen to this one for some advice on navigating change and for some personal updates from us. Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone navigating a redundancy or career transition? Send them this episode. And if you haven't left a review yet — it helps more people find the show when they need it most. 🎙️

All it takes to pivot is one person who believes in you and the confidence to know your skills travel with you. If you've had 12 jobs in 8 years, moved cities, crossed industries, or found yourself starting over more than once, you're not unfocused. You're a squiggler! And Juliana Naranjo Pereira is proof that a portfolio of wildly different experiences is your greatest asset. Juliana's career has taken her from advertising to luxury fashion PR (Gucci, Burberry, Tiffany & Co.) to founding a wellness venture to serving as a Global CMO and she'll be the first to admit she didn't always know exactly what she was doing. What she did know was that her skills were transferable, and that all she needed was someone willing to give her a foot in the door. In this episode, she and Colleen dig into what it really takes to make a bold pivot: owning what you don't know, identifying what you do, and finding the advocates who can see your potential before you do. About Juliana Naranjo Pereira 💼 LinkedIn 🌐 jnpereira.com 📱 @‌houseofpivots on Facebook & Instagram Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedInSubscribe & Leave a Review Know someone navigating a redundancy or career transition? Send them this episode. And if you haven't left a review yet — it helps more people find the show when they need it most. 🎙️

If you have been on the job market lately, you know that its tough out there. The advice that worked three years ago? It's not cutting it anymore. In this episode, Colleen sits down with Allison Levin, a career coach and former HR professional who has been on both sides of the hiring table. She's here to tell you exactly what job seekers are getting wrong right now. From where you're looking (hint: everyone is on the same three job boards) to how you're showing up in interviews, this episode is a breakdown of what actually moves the needle in today's market. You'll walk away knowing which niche job boards and communities are worth your time, how to tap your network without it feeling awkward, and how to nail the questions that trip most candidates up. Plus, some interview horror stories that will make you feel a lot better about your own experiences. If you're job hunting, know someone who is, or just want to be prepared for when the time comes, don't skip this one! Connect with Allison: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-careerwave/ Check out Career Wave Coaching: https://www.careerwavecoaching.com/ Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedIn

We’ve all either done it or been under it: micromanagement. When your boss just doesn’t trust you to do the work, so micromanages your every last step. I think we can all agree, there is nothing worse! In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Ashleigh discuss how managers and leaders often get in the way of work through micromanagement and excessive meetings. This management 'style' erodes trust, makes employees feel inadequate, and causes disengagement. They share examples including a middle manager stuck in 37 hours of meetings per week due to an “includer” boss, and how COVID-era visibility concerns drove unnecessary check-ins. Colleen reflects on her own habit of “jumping on bombs” to prevent team failure, leading to burnout and limiting employee growth. Work with Maxady Ready for your next step? Maxady helps you find the role that fits your skills, your life, and your squiggle. Connect with Your Hosts Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedInAshleigh Beadle → LinkedIn