63. One Year On: Rebuilding After Career Disruption and Launching a Business with Beeta Tahmassebi

In the third episode of the "One Year On" series, Beeta Tahmassebi shares her journey from 25-year organizational leader to first-time entrepreneur. After leaving her role amid widespread sector upheaval and USAID's shutdown, Beeta founded Illuminate, a consulting firm and learning center built on urgency, resilience, and community. In this conversation with Maria, she reveals the realities of launching a business during crisis, the "100 calls" strategy that shaped her path, navigating consultant rates in a constrained market, balancing hope with countless rejections, and learning to find energy in uncertainty. Beeta offers practical advice for evaluators considering independent consulting, discusses AI adoption in evaluation work, and reflects on recreating professional community after institutional loss. Whether you're navigating career disruption, building an independent practice, or simply trying to find your footing in a transformed field, this episode delivers honest insights and actionable strategies for moving forward when the ground shifts beneath you.