Growing A New Life

Eileen Hugelier

Lack of institutional loyalty, by both employers and employees, means that most of us constantly churn through different notions for professional reinvention. As a hobbyist gardener, and as the growing season looms, I found the The Wall Street Journal profile of Eileen Hugelier, who "now spends her days designing, planting, pruning and tending gardens around her leafy hometown of Farmington Hills, Michigan, particularly inspiring.  "At 60, she's the owner of Roots & Shoots Gardening, which she founded in 2002."  If the notion of creating a new model for working life that includes a built-in, annual sabbatical is compelling, read on.

"In all likelihood, Ms. Hugelier would still be working in an office if she hadn't been laid off in 2001. She spent 32 years working in a variety of office-management roles for a manufacturing company in Detroit that ended up filing for bankruptcy. 'I was one of the last to be laid off, but it was still a shock," Ms. Hugelier says. 'It felt like a death in the family to see the company go under.'  Shock soon gave way to practicality—a need to pay the mortgage and medical insurance. An avid gardener and (to keep reading)

Plan C: From Trial Lawyer To Sound Engineer.

At the height of the recession, Studio 360 interviewed scores of people transitioning from one career to another. When Mark Solomon lost his job as a trial lawyer, he decided to create a new career for himself as a sound engineer and designer.  Listen below as he describes his journey to self-reliance, starting with his "Aha!" moment about the sound of the movie WALL-E.

Listen here.

No More 9 to 5

Former Investment Banker, Christine Marchuska

At the height of the recession, Studio 360 interviewed scores of people transitioning from one career to another.  Many used the opportunity to follow their dreams.  Two former financial industry workers took the uninvited opportunity to reinvent themselves. Christine Marchuska, lived a real-life Up In The Air moment, getting pink-slipped in the conference room at her investment banking firm and immediately ushered off the premises.  Out but definitely now down, Marchuska went on to launch a thriving eco-friendly clothing line.  And Michael Terry, armed with a University of Pennsylvania MBA, became a full time comedian after years of work at Morgan Stanley.  Listen to more of their story here.

From Desktop to Stovetop

Thinking about reinventing yourself?  This Studio360 radio essay about  Marc Matsumoto's journey from being a tech industry marketing executive who, "basically lived at the company seven days a week, often until as late as 3:00 in the morning" to the founder of a website, No Recipes, might be just the inspiration you've been looking for.  Matsumoto's enthusiasm as he roams the earth seeking out good company, novel ideas, and delicious food to inspire his next kitchen adventure is contagious. Interested in experimenting with some fresh cooking?  Try an easy chicken teriyaki.  You never know where it might lead you.