COVID Closed the Stage and Opened a New Career with Kate Kayaian

The strangest career clue is not burnout, it's relief. When concert cellist Kate Kayaian watched her entire performance calendar vanish during COVID, she expected panic. What she felt instead was a weight lifted, and that single emotional moment forced a bigger question: if the “dream” disappears and you feel freer, what does that say about your identity?Kate grew up in a world where music was not a hobby but a calling. She had a community and a clear definition of success. In this episode, we unpack how achievement-based careers can become a locked-in professional identity, even when you are thriving on paper. She shares why she chose the freelance path over an orchestra job, how the lifestyle tradeoffs stacked up over time, and how ego can quietly shape what we chase. If you are a high achiever facing a career change, a midlife pivot, or an “I don’t want the next rung” moment, her story makes the emotional side of reinvention feel honest and navigable.We also get practical. Kate breaks down her “plateau and portal” framework, the ideas behind her book "Beyond Potential," and the steps she uses with clients to reassess old stories, redefine who they are beyond titles, and reignite momentum with a real roadmap. You will hear how she built the Virtual Summer Cello Festival, turned that into coaching and leadership programs, and why tiny experiments and one clear non-negotiable can be enough to start moving again.Kate is also a podcast host on her show, Tales From the Lane.If you are ready to explore identity reinvention, purpose, and life beyond expertise, subscribe, share this with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Send questions or commentsFor more information and insights from Beyond Expertise, visit https://podcast.ericdickmann.com/Be sure to check out Eric's other show, The Virtual CMO podcast.