Click on the Image for a Cute Video of Telly doing Her Trick!
Because here’s the thing: you’re never too old to learn new tricks — or build a new career.
In 2025, I didn’t accidentally stumble into starting a podcast, launching the getCAREERcurious community, or teaching at UCCS College of Business. I chose all of it. But choosing something and growing into it are two very different things. And this year stretched me in ways that reminded me exactly what it feels like to be a beginner again — curious, a little awkward, and surprisingly energized by every skill I picked up along the way.
And if you’re a student or young professional sorting through your own career questions, I hope these reflections give you more than a window into my year. I hope they give you a way to think about your own path with clarity and confidence.
Because career exploration is not a straight line. It’s a series of choices, conversations, tests, and small leaps. This year, I found myself living the very lessons I try to teach.
What Mattered Most This Year
1. Stepping into the classroom
Teaching college students has been a dream of mine for years. I finally stepped into that role and taught my first full-term of digital marketing and social media. With most of my career rooted in marketing, I was excited to bring that passion into the classroom and share it with future marketers.
Here’s what surprised me. Teaching required me to be a beginner again. Even with decades in business strategy and marketing, this was new. And new can feel uncomfortable.
If you’re at the start of your career, I want you to know this. You never grow out of feeling new. You just learn to trust yourself and lean into your strengths. Trying something meaningful is always worth the stretch.
2. Launching the getCAREERcurious community
With the support of my children, I created a podcast to help young people get real insight into career paths. Not the glossy versions. The human ones.
Building something from scratch is equal parts exciting and intimidating. You wonder if anyone will care. You wonder if your voice matters. But the truth is this. If something keeps pulling at you, it deserves a chance to exist. And that’s the heart of this whole community — helping you explore career paths that feel right for you and actually make you excited for the future.
If you have an idea that lights you up, even a little, follow it. Let it teach you what it needs to become. Need inspo? Hit play on a 2025 episode — it might be your next breadcrumb forward.
3. Reconnecting and expanding my circle
This year, I made a conscious effort to reconnect with old friends and meet new people doing meaningful work. The impact was immediate. Conversations opened doors. Ideas grew stronger. And I remembered how much our paths are shaped by the people who walk with us.
For anyone exploring careers, here’s the real lesson. Networking is not collecting contacts. It is building relationships that feel genuine. Start there and the rest follows.
The Lesson I Did Not Expect
I entered the year as a teacher and a guide. I assumed I would be the one offering the advice. Instead, I learned just as much from the students in my classroom and the listeners tuning in.
Their curiosity, honesty, and questions shaped me more than I expected. They reminded me that young people today are navigating a world that moves faster than ever. They want real talk and real examples. They want clarity. They want connection.
Stepping into greater visibility was another surprise. Teaching and podcasting both required me to use my voice in a more open way. That can feel vulnerable. But it also deepened my conviction that career conversations matter. Not someday. Now.
What I’m Taking Into 2026
These are lessons I hope you take with you too.
- Lead with curiosity. It is far more powerful than certainty.
- Protect the work that energizes you. If something sparks interest or joy, make room for it.
- Nurture relationships that feel authentic. They will shape your growth more than any title ever could.
- Honor your voice. You do not need to be the loudest person in the room to have something meaningful to say.
- Build steadily, not urgently. Careers unfold one step at a time. Impact does too.
What I’m Leaving Behind
The idea that everything needs a perfect plan. It doesn’t. Start before you are fully ready.
Comparison. With any new venture, it is easy to look left and right. But what I am building with getCAREERcurious isn’t meant to match anyone else. It is built on collaboration and real stories. That is enough.
Self-doubt. The quiet voice that asks if anyone needs what you are creating. If you should be doing something else. If your work matters. This year answered those questions for me. Small moments of impact showed up again and again. So I am leaving self-doubt at the door.
Closing Thoughts
The pattern that emerged for me in 2025 was simple. Growth came from being willing to go first. To try. To learn. To ask better questions. To listen more deeply.
And if you are exploring what comes next for your own life, I want to remind you of this. You do not need all the answers. You just need the courage to take the next right step and let it shape you.
I am grateful for every student, listener, friend, and colleague who made this year meaningful. Thank you for being part of this community and this mission. 🫶💖
Want to get a jumpstart on your 2026?
Try the getCAREERcurious Compass Guide. It’s free, it’s fast, and it’ll tell you way more about yourself than TikTok ever will — minus the dancing teens and doomscrolling.
Because here’s the truth: if I can learn a whole set of new “tricks” this year — podcasting, teaching, building a community — then you can absolutely explore the ones your next chapter is nudging you toward. You’re not behind. You’re not late. You’re just one curious step away from a direction that fits you better than the one you’ve been forcing.
Let 2026 be the year you follow the spark instead of the pressure. 😉🌟
What is one insight you are carrying forward into 2026? I would love to hear it.
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