From Survival to Service

Some people talk about reinvention in big, polished phrases. Others live it quietly, steadily, in the way they respond to the real-life challenges that disrupt everything familiar.In this episode of The Reinvention By Design Podcast, I had a conversation with Dawn Marcotte, CPRC — an author, Certified Professional Retirement Coach, autism mom, marathon runner, and someone who has had to rebuild more than once.Dawn said something that stayed with me:“When I face a problem, I research, figure it out for myself… and then I write a book to help someone else going through the same thing.”There’s no performance in that. No branding language. Just a grounded, practical approach to resilience: learn what you need to survive then turn around and leave a path for the next person.A Life Built Through Starting OverDawn’s story isn’t one linear path of progress. It’s a life marked by multiple restarts:* Parenting a child on the autism spectrum while navigating systems that weren’t built for families like hers.* Losing jobs and having to find her footing again.* Watching her husband lose his job multiple times and rebuilding as a family.* Moving through the uncertainty of a global pandemic while still choosing forward motion.* Becoming a Certified Professional Retirement Coach and shifting her work to help others prepare not just financially — but emotionally — for identity transition.Most people would call that a lot. Dawn simply calls it life.Writing as a Form of ServiceWhat sets Dawn apart isn’t just her resilience; it’s what she does with it.She doesn’t write from theory or from a distance. She writes from lived experience. When something knocks her down, she researches, rebuilds, and then creates something that others can use as a resource.She isn’t trying to be a guru. She’s trying to be useful, and that intention comes through clearly in every story she shares.A Different Conversation About RetirementOne of the most powerful parts of our conversation was Dawn’s perspective on retirement. We tend to speak about retirement in financial terms — savings, planning, investments. But Dawn works with the other side of retirement, the emotional and identity shift that can catch people off guard.When the title goes away, when the role is no longer there — who are you now?That’s the work Dawn is doing: helping people prepare for that moment before it arrives.She mentioned during our conversation that any listener who reaches out and includes the name of the podcast will receive her new book at 50% off — a simple, generous gesture that reflects her desire to make support accessible.Quiet StrengthThis episode isn’t about dramatic transformation or flashy reinvention. It’s about the quiet strength of someone who keeps showing up for her life, one challenge at a time, and then makes it easier for someone else to do the same.🎙 The full conversation with Dawn Marcotte, CPRC is now available on all podcast platforms.Connect with Dawn Marcotte, CPRCTo learn more about Dawn’s work or explore her resources on navigating life transitions and the emotional side of retirement, you can connect with her here:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-m-marcotte/* Filling the Blank Page: How to Build a Retirement of Passion and Purpose - available on Amazon Get full access to Reinvention by Design at jennycotten.substack.com/subscribe