From Big Tech to Big Purpose: Reinvention, Identity and Your Second Act | Colleen Pimentel

In this episode of Journey to Purpose, Pippa sits down with Colleen Pimentel — a former big tech leader turned purpose coach, speaker, and creator of the Second Act Playbook. Colleen spent 30 years in the tech industry, navigating more than ten reinventions within corporate life. By any measure, she was successful. But five years ago, something shifted. Her daughter left for college — and with her went a huge part of Colleen's identity. The question that emerged from that emptiness wasn't just what do I do next? It was who am I, really? What followed was a profound journey of self-discovery: learning to quiet the noise, listen inward, and build a life rooted in genuine purpose rather than external achievement. Colleen now helps others navigate their own second acts — with practical tools for identity, intention, and meaningful reinvention. In this warm and honest conversation, Pippa and Colleen explore:Colleen's 30 years in big tech — and why success alone wasn't enoughThe inflection point that changed everything: her daughter leaving for college and the identity crisis that followedWhy "greatness isn't a destination, it's a journey" — and what that really means in practiceThe Second Act Playbook: how to redefine your identity and rediscover your purposeWhy we stop listening to ourselves — and how to find that inner voice againStillness practices for lowering the noise in a busy, always-on worldColleen's daily journaling ritual: setting intentions, practising gratitude for the small thingsHow trusting your gut — even when it's inconvenient — changes everythingPippa also shares her own experience of ignoring a gut instinct early in her career, making this a beautifully candid two-way conversation about purpose, reinvention, and the courage it takes to truly start over.Connect with Colleen Pimentel: 🌐 colleenpimentel.comJourney to Purpose is a personal transformation podcast featuring real conversations about mindset, trauma recovery, self-worth, spiritual awakening, resilience, and finding your life’s purpose. New episodes every week. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Of0Na1qWovS8Aw2X2FU8M 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philippa.bagley/ 🌐 Website: https://philippabagley.com/ Subscribe and leave a review — it helps others find the show.About your hostPippa Bagley is a clinical hypnotherapist specialising in burnout and sleep, and the host of Journey to Purpose. Based in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, she is passionate about helping people reconnect with what truly matters — and build lives and careers that feel genuinely sustainable. Pippa is also studying for an MSc in the Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health at King’s College London. Find out more at philippabagley.com