The Pivot Effect - How burnout, a pandemic, and a song about self-doubt led to a second career in leadership coaching.

In this episode of The Pivot Effect, hosts Teri Zipper and Susan Richards welcome guest Amy Gerhartz, Founder & Lead Coach of A Higher Way Of Living, as they talk through what it actually looks like to leave a career you built from scratch - and why the hardest part of starting over is often convincing yourself you belong in the new space. Amy highlights the specific fears that came up when she transitioned into coaching and speaking, including the worry that people would write her off as "just a musician," and how she worked through them. Now, with a deliberate plan to blend both careers under her own name, give up her apartment, and head back on the road, Amy's story is a case study in what it looks like to build a life on your own terms without waiting until it all makes sense. Key points covered include: ↪️ Amy describes how touring burnout crept in gradually over five years before the pandemic made the decision for her, and why she believes even the work you love will wear you down without intentional breaks. ↪️ She gets specific about imposter syndrome in a second career, including the fear of not being taken seriously and the choice to keep her two careers completely separate until she felt secure enough to merge them. ↪️ Patience is the skill she credits most to her pivots, and she makes a direct case for why moving too fast through early career stages would have cost her the depth she has now. ↪️ Amy shares the details behind her current decision to give up her apartment and tour indefinitely, including how she planned it financially and why a strong support network is what made it feel stable rather than reckless. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Susan Richards  Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Amy Gerhartz LinkedIn The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined Instagram | LinkedIn