Turn Your Passion Into Profession: The Power Of A Career Pivot
Mar 20, 2025
Originally posted on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/03/18/turn-your-passion-into-profession-the-power-of-a-career-pivot/
“You don’t know people, you’ve never done this before. I don’t think it’s realistic. You can’t do it.”
How absolutely terrifying it was and, because I believed it, sad to be hit with the stark reality that the people you think will be your biggest fan from day one (not after you have established yourself) will be the ones who are critical and cynical.
That was the first lesson of my pivot: People will project from where they are, not from where you are. Let it go, move on.
I couldn’t explain exactly what I was going to do; I didn’t have the full plan or see the picture at that time. What I did know for sure was that I had this overwhelming feeling that a traditional corporate accounting job no longer motivated me. For years I thought I would end up in a senior-level role, earning good pay and calling it a day. I needed a career pivot.
Then alarm after alarm went off and I had to make peace with the fact that after nearly 20 years, there was little passion for the work anymore. What I wanted to feel in terms of fulfillment ceased to exist, and I wanted, actually needed, to close that fulfillment gap. But what else was there for a CPA to do other than corporate accounting or public accounting? Technology, obviously!
I had very brief requirements and definition of what success looked like on the heels of incorporating my company; I wanted to work from home so I could continue to support my kids, and I wanted to earn a six-figure salary. It felt very modest to me, which is why that initial negative comment struck, and stuck with, me so deeply. I wasn’t looking to build a company with $20 million in ARR or to be a globally recognized finance leader. I wanted to earn well, have flexibility and maintain the incredible bond I have with my now-teenage children.
Getting Started
It took me months to sign my first engagement—six months of sending LinkedIn messages and cold emails, trying my best to learn how to get the business and start to build a network. I had never thought about it before—I never needed to, so I was figuring out the formula. Thanks to all who answered my messages, which lacked clarity and direction in the beginning. Your interest inspired me to keep going even if nothing materialized. Lesson: Don’t be scared to try. You will learn what works and what doesn’t in pitching.
To start, you just need one chance. I wasn’t ready to start spending on marketing to get clients because I didn’t really know what my value proposition was yet. I did know that I was a CPA who worked at the intersection of accounting and tech—that was my niche. I turned to job boards and looked for available roles that fit the bill and applied under the condition that I would become a subcontractor. That did the trick. From there, I learned the ins and outs of building financial business systems and went on to gain clients from all over the globe through word of mouth, agency support and my website.
The first engagement was not the best, but it really allowed me to learn what works in the professional services industry. For that start, I will always be grateful.
The quick lessons: You don’t need a massive audience to start; you shouldn’t overwork for small dollars; content creation isn’t necessary; you don’t need a flashy online gimmick.
What you need is to home in on your expertise and be able to sell it. My “it”: accounting, process improvement, digital transformation and teaching.
How It’s Going
After seven years of running the firm and building financial systems, solving financial data migration challenges and building the financial literacy segment of my business, I realized I had continued to evolve and wanted to do something bold.
This CPA, after numerous webinars, panels, speaking engagements and media interviews, threw her hat in the ring of app development. (I feel like I just got rid of my Blackberry, and now I have the Empowering Value App in the App Store?) Surreal but now very real.
I had to learn over the years how to sell my value and refine my client pitching to close deals. That is how my business went from $0 to seven figures from my kitchen table as a 25+ year finance and business professional.
I went from no network to learning how to build meaningful relationships with some of the largest tech companies in the world and also with the incredible end users of the systems that I build every day. This resulted in me building my business and brand through referrals and word of mouth.
As for negotiations, I had never really had to do much of it in my previous career, but now I have become well seasoned in not only effectively negotiating my rate but also in negotiations with my vendors to ensure I maximize every dollar I invest in my business.
Careers don’t have to remain the same; your first idea doesn’t have to be “the” idea. Let it evolve as you do.
If you are ready to make your move, download the Empowering Value app for free, and work through the FREE guides:
- Shaping Your Professional Path
- Crafting A Resume That Tells A Story
- Starting Your Networking Journey
- +more to come
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