Reinventing Myself at 46 (and Never Looking Back)

What happens when reinvention unlocks parts of yourself you forgot existed? In this intimate episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the unexpected gifts that came from leaving corporate, the creative side I buried for decades, the writing that evolved into magazine columns and a book deal, and the coffee shop moment when I realized I never want to go back. I share how I rediscovered my joy of writing (from LinkedIn posts to Her World magazine to the front page of the national newspaper), the beauty pageant at 25 that planted the seed for democratizing knowledge, and why I built Lean In Singapore while still working my corporate job. Plus: the profound question my multiple-CEO mentor couldn't answer himself, how to pivot careers strategically when you feel misaligned, and why I have a death clock on my phone planning to live until 95. This is about uncovering who you actually are when you stop performing who you thought you should be. In this episode you'll find: [00:00] Rediscovering the joy of writing I buried for decades [02:00] The coffee shop moment: I don't want to go back to corporate [04:34] How a beauty pageant at 25 shaped my mission forever [05:48] The question my CEO mentor asked (but couldn't answer himself) [06:50] Why you should test your passion parallel to your corporate job [07:36] Feeling misaligned? How to pivot careers strategically [11:36] The African woman who wanted to cook: proof anyone can start [13:23] I have a death clock on my phone, here's why 📱 Follow RAW with Uma on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rawwithuma 📱 Follow Uma on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/uma__raw/ 💻 Connect with Uma on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/umathana Listen on: 🎧 Apple Podcast → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raw-with-uma/ 🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/1R7vwGXeHLcJLsX8HjOX4e?si=f11a165e6efd445d Got a Careerquake story or question about reinvention, side projects, or rediscovering creativity? Drop it in the comments—it may show up in a future episode. If this resonated, please subscribe and share it with someone who's quietly wondering what else is possible. #Careerquake #Reinvention #CorporateToEntrepreneur #CareerTransition #CareerChange