From Corporate to Coach: Unleashing Your Career Potential with Scott Doyne

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here with Rachel Simon. This episode of Greater Perimeter Business Radio is brought to you by Connect the Dots Digital. When you’re ready to leverage LinkedIn to meet your business goals, go to Connect the Dots Dot digital. Welcome back. Rachel, how you been?

Rachel Simon: Hi, Lee. I like the new name I know. Good stuff.

Lee Kantor: Things are greater now.

Rachel Simon: Things are greater at the perimeter here. No, that’s very cool. I went to the greater Perimeter Chambers annual inaugural annual meeting, and it was awesome and packed and lots of energy.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, we were there. We did. It was a personal best for me. 15 interviews in 90 minutes.

Rachel Simon: Wow. That’s awesome. Yeah, I saw you kind of perched in the in the back nonstop. That’s good. Well, there were a lot of people there, and the speaker was awesome. I thought he was a great speaker. I got a lot out of it. So new name I love it. Great guest today. So I think we’ll have a fun conversation. All right. So I’m happy to welcome Scott Doyne to our show today. And he is a certified career coach and author. He facilitates workshops. He has a very cool story on his own career path. And so we’re going to have a good chat. So welcome.

Scott Doyne: Thanks Rachel and Lee. Great to be here.

Rachel Simon: So we always kick it off with tell us a little bit about you and what you do.

Scott Doyne: Uh, thanks. Yeah, I love that this is a local podcast because we can we can talk about, you know, words and terms that that we understand. The audience hopefully follows. I had a 20 year career with Turner Broadcasting and anybody in Atlanta. Now before ever, hopefully we’ll know the legacy that Ted left and I was super fortunate to be part of that. I studied sports management in college, wanted to work in sports and after working in production for a while, got an MBA at Emory at the Goizueta Business School, and then got my foot in the door at Turner Sports. And that started with an internship at NASCAR.com, right when the internet was exploding. And I just sort of stuck around and refused to leave. As I say, I got to run the NASCAR.com business, the NBA.com business, a product strategy team as direct to consumer was growing. And then the last team was research and analytics. And I learned a lot from that job, including about the struggles of the cable business. I got caught in those struggles a few years ago and was laid off. And as I was thinking about that possibility, ran into this career coaching thing, absolutely fell in love with it, started training, working towards certification before I was laid off. So I was very fortunate in that way to to feel prepared. And when it did happen, within a few months I launched my business, which has now been live for officially two years last week.

Rachel Simon: Ooh, congratulations.

Scott Doyne: So thank you. I really am still in love with it. It’s. I think it’s a calling. Working in sports was my first calling, and I got to do that. And I can’t believe I get to do a second calling where every day I get the chance to help people with their careers.

Rachel Simon: So while you were in your, uh, your roles at Turner, did you have opportunities to work with coaches, like what was your exposure to the coaching kind of community?

Scott Doyne: I did not. I had sent some of my staff to coaches, and I was aware of it, and I was doing tons of mentoring and talking to the leadership and development team internally. At one point, I was part of a pilot program for mentoring across the organization, and, um, they started talking about coaching and I fully did not understand the difference at the time. And so I was intrigued because they basically were telling me I couldn’t be a coach internally. I wasn’t trained or qualified yet, and I like a challenge. And so I started looking into what that might be. And so I think that was the the beginnings of those thoughts that something that I might be interested in. But I buried that for a couple of years, you know, went on with a lot of professional development, a lot of mentoring. I liked working with interns, so I was always into making the most of my team members and helping them become what they wanted to become. And even working in sports, I’d say the last 3 to 4 years, that became even more obvious to me that that was what was getting me out of bed in the morning, was helping my team members become their true selves, and I was less excited even, about going to the great sports events NBA All Star weekends or golfing or, um, you know, baseball games, whatever it was, I’d sort of done it, and it sounds incredibly spoiled. But that was my reality was I was more excited about the people side. And I think that coincided with, um, a session with an executive coach finally. And that was during this exploration period where I thought a layoff might be coming. And in that session, I got a lot of value out of it in terms of articulating something for myself I hadn’t been able to before. But then I also thought, I think I can do that. And so I started looking into it even more, and that’s when I really signed up for the training course and just kept going step by step further in that direction.

Rachel Simon: That’s very I mean, I love kind of hearing that story because a lot of people, a lot of professionals don’t know why coaching can be incredibly valuable in their career path. And, you know, there’s sometimes resistance to it. There’s lack of understanding, lack of exposure. But I do believe that everybody can benefit from some sort of professional coaching, whether you’re in seated in your role or you are kind of in career transition or whatever the case may be.

Scott Doyne: Yeah, I’m obviously there at this point. I’ve retained my own coach for sure. Um, the way I like to think about it, for folks that aren’t as familiar is it’s it’s like having a partner in the process and, you know, and the rest of your life, you might have a partner for, um, personal training, you might have a partner in your business, you might have a partner, um, and a team project at school and, and working with somebody else. Period. Gives you a greater chance of success working with somebody who’s a trained coach who, you know, I very much believe in the ICF code of ethics, which is I don’t tell people how to do things. I don’t tell them what to do. My job is to be the partner, ask the right questions in the right way, at the right time, so that they come to some of those conclusions themselves, which I think is is truly the path to empowerment, which was always my management style. And so I, I really try to create that environment where people gain more confidence in their own path. Um, but I have to be there to, to coach as best I can in that way.

Rachel Simon: Yeah, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you were making that transition, at least mentally from, okay, I have a corporate job, I’ve worked a corporate job forever. Now I’m going to make this leap into coaching. Were you? Um, how did you land on career coaching as the niche rather than, you know, leadership coaching or executive coaching or any of the other things that you’ve had kind of first hand experience doing?

Scott Doyne: 100%. Those were all in consideration. Um, I do still do some leadership and executive coaching. Executive coaching? I don’t love the term, to be honest. Because if you’re not an executive, are you just left out, right? And because I like working with people of all ages and all stages, um, that’s a little bit off for me. Um, leadership. I do claim to be a leadership coach for people that are in role that want to grow for emerging and executive leaders, but career to me, if I were to pick one designation captures it all. Um, whether it’s career transition, which I’ve fallen into a lot of because of so many layoffs in the last few years, um, doing a lot of transition coaching, but career overall really hits where my heart is. And I think because of my corporate career and variety of different roles and functions that I had, I think career is where I have the most to offer.

Lee Kantor: So how did you kind of build out that matrix to land there? What was kind of the process you went through to end up there?

Scott Doyne: Thank you for that. I researched a lot before I launched. I talked to 30 different coaches, took lots of notes. It’s such a giving community. I, I was lucky at Turner that it was a warm community, but the coaching community is like a thousand times even more warm. Very giving. And so I would ask about tools, pricing models, the designations, you know, what, what type of coach is out there. And then the ICF has a lot of research. So I looked at the research to see what what types of coaches are out there, what the compensation is, what the certification looks like. Uh, and so I think that was the external research is talking to actual coaches, doing the secondary research and then finding the intersection with my passion and skills. And that really led me to that career with great confidence.

Lee Kantor: So when that time came, you were like, okay, I’m going to be a career coach. What were then the first steps it took to launch that? Because now you’re not in an enterprise organization that has help desks and all kinds of infrastructure, it’s now you. So true.

Scott Doyne: So true.

Lee Kantor: That’s now running the show. You’re the one who’s, you know, making copies. You’re doing everything at that point. So that transition for a lot of folks, especially even in your situation, you said you’re in your career coaching. You talked about how it’s a lot of transition. So a person was laid off in an organization, and now you’re doing an entrepreneurial venture which is not the same animal like they you know, they’re both ways to make money, but they’re not doing it in the same way.

Scott Doyne: It’s remarkably different. And I’m still learning about that, learning about myself and how I feel about it, learning how to augment what I do. Um, I think what I fell back on, which was so, um, helpful was that I was in product management and business management and being in the entrepreneurial space, especially in digital sports media, for 20 years, we were launching, we were developing and launching and managing new businesses all the time. And so I don’t even know how many call it dozens of new product launches, new business launches. And there was a process to that. And so I took the process we used to use as a corporation and applied that to myself. So product management, um, very much based on the the MVP model, minimum viable product. So what is good enough to get to a launch where I can then get real consumer behavioral feedback. So by example, March 1st of of 23 I launch with LinkedIn only. I didn’t launch a website from the beginning. I didn’t have a logo yet, but for me it was what I considered to be enough to get to market. Get some feedback and then iterate more or less on a quarterly basis. And then I take a step back every year, gather my data, um, conduct surveys of my clients and prospects, look at the marketplace, come up with ideas, and have a strategy for the next year. So that iterative model is very much within me.

Scott Doyne: What was different and still continues to be a struggle is, is those coworkers doing it all myself? I don’t mind doing things all myself, and I have the versatility to pretend to be able to do lots of things, but sometimes that can be my worst enemy. That that is a wake up call that I continue to get. And so, uh, you know, accountant and lawyer was sort of obvious to me to compliment, you know, at the launch of the LLC and get everything sort of in order that way. Hiring somebody for the logo was really important for me because I don’t have those design skills. I played with I to try to figure out it just wasn’t enough. It wasn’t what I wanted to be professionally. And so I hired somebody for that. When I wrote my book, having a professional editor involved made it light years better than if I had just sort of published what I had. So there are certain things along the way that I have to remind myself like, oh no, no, you’re not actually great at that. And I was surrounded by people that were so I should know the difference. But I forget sometimes. And of course, as an entrepreneur, it’s your own money. And so deciding what to spend money on. And then the humility that comes with partnering with somebody on the right thing, I think that really is important.

Rachel Simon: Yeah, there’s a lot of having been doing this for nearly a decade. Uh, there’s so many misconceptions on entrepreneurism like, oh, it’s great. You just work when you want to work, you know? And it’s really like.

Lee Kantor: Be your own boss.

Rachel Simon: Be your own boss, right. So much flexibility. Um, but it’s the things like Every time you need to invest in something to help support your business, that’s money out of your pocket. It’s there’s a lot that goes into it. And I’ve seen the whole spectrum, right? I’ve seen from like the way you’ve done it, where people start small and kind of build their brand. I’ve seen other people who are launch their business and have a personal brand photo shoot, but they don’t even know what their brand is yet. So, you know, there’s no right way, wrong way. Everyone kind of does it their way. Um, but it is a it’s not for the weak. It’s not for the faint of heart. I will say.

Lee Kantor: Well, it’s like your assets are time and money. So if you have more time, then use that. If you have more money, then use that. Exactly. It’s your. It’s the trade offs.

Scott Doyne: Yeah. But in what direction. In what. What are you going to use the funding for I think continues to be a challenge.

Lee Kantor: Well that’s where prioritization and you know those kind of skills matter.

Rachel Simon: Yeah. And it I mean, it took me many, many years to be ready to invest in my business, like in, you know, coaching programs, mastermind programs to help with that. And I just wasn’t ready for many years. So it can be a scary investment to make when again, you are the one dependent upon your, your revenue. So, um, very you know, there’s so many I’m sure you talk about that with some of your clients because I’m sure some people are going into their own business. Um, you know, you have a specific like a focus on sort of that mid-career professional. So tell us a little bit about like, what are some of the unique challenges that the mid we call it midlife or mid-career. Um, that would be those of us, those Gen Xers out there. Sure, sure.

Scott Doyne: And you’d be surprised how many millennials consider themselves midlife okay in a way, and feel under crisis. Um, but I, I think what’s in common is the, the words I hear the most are stuck in lost. You know, I’m stuck. I’m lost. Um, as a coach, my my job is to sort of help them reframe that. If you are feeling stuck, how do you want to feel? If you are feeling lost, how do you want to feel? And so with one client, I remember, you know, who was feeling lost about we started about a year and a half ago together. You know, we developed something called the found scale. What what would found look like if you were a ten on that scale today? And so that that took a lot of trial and experimentation. Um, but I think that that was one commonality is they, they had ended up down a path that didn’t feel right. Some something’s off about it. It’s hard to sort of quantify that. But if if they’re frustrated, they at least raise their hand and say, oh, maybe a coach can help. And so we can talk through that of getting unstuck or finding yourself in a certain way.

Scott Doyne: So, um, we’d probably call that a pivot at some level. That’s probably, you know, that’s a really common term for it. Uh, the, the stuck part can also be like in a bad situation under a boss that doesn’t see my value in an environment that feels toxic. I hear that word a lot. And so, you know, the energy it takes to change your situation. I respect so much. At the end of the day, I had an involuntary departure. And that forcing function is a blessing in a way. Um, nobody wants to be laid off and it certainly doesn’t feel like a compliment. But for the people I’m coaching that are in role, it’s hard to find the time and the courage to commit to an exploration process, much less an application and interviewing process, which is very grueling these days, but at least to find some space to be open minded about what you might do next. That’s where a lot of my work tends to be, is helping people get out of their own head and remember some of those passion areas or interest areas that might still be realistic to pursue, even though you’ve been down this other path for so long.

Rachel Simon: Yeah, nothing’s worse than sort of that feeling of either boredom or burnout or that feeling. I mean, I know people who have, you know, been in there with their company for so many years and are looking at, okay, you know, at this point in my life, there’s maybe I want to work for like another ten years. Is there really a point in moving at this point, at this, at this stage, even though I’m not loving what I’m doing?

Scott Doyne: Right. Moving the three main variables of a job search to me are function, industry, geography. It’s part of a model I have called Figure it out Fig. and changing all three at the same time is talk about not for the faint of heart. That’s tough. Um, you know, in a way, I did the F and I, but I also am still holding on to my sports and media and tech experience, because that’s a lot of the people that I’m coaching. So if you pick one to maybe change at first, you know, which one might it be? And sometimes it’s not a drastic change that gets you into a better situation. It might just be the sector of the industry you’re in, or the subsector, or a slight deviation in function where you get into an organization or a department, or have colleagues that you feel like you’re just better around. Yeah. And so it doesn’t have to be drastic. You know, maybe a baby steps approach is okay.

Lee Kantor: So what would be an example of that. So like you say, a lot of your clients are, I guess, people in the industry or you were acquainted with in your previous life. Um, so they’re coming to you. And I would imagine, at least I hear a lot that people don’t quit jobs. They quit bosses. I’m sure that’s a motivator for is that the majority of the people that have a boss situation they’re not thrilled with, or is it more existential?

Scott Doyne: There’s a lot. But I’d say, you know, if we say quiet, quitting was sort of happening five years ago. Um, not as many people are leaving right now. They’re just sort of sucking it up and staying as the market moves, because it’s a tough time to enter the, you know, the job search. So that tough boss situation for me, you know, there’s been a developing development in side hustles that I think creates some of that emotional space for people to feel more fulfilled. Like, yes, maybe you have a day job where you’re not satisfied. And granted, some people don’t have time for anything else in their life. But if you can find a window of time within your role or outside of your role, where you can tap into some of that stuff that feels better, makes you feel better, you smile at the end of the day, um, that’s what I suggest or talk to them about.

Lee Kantor: So that’s the baby step.

Scott Doyne: That’s that could be a baby step. You know, I remember a time in my career where I wasn’t in the greatest boss situation. Um, and, uh, we ended up having a startup incubator out on the West coast. So it was called Turner Media Camp, and it was a phenomenal outlet for me outside of that day job, because I got to be with entrepreneurs and surrounded by their energy.

Lee Kantor: And optimism.

Scott Doyne: Oh my gosh, idealism even. Right? Um, where, you know, the role I was in in business operations or business development, a lot of it was, you know, what can’t we do? And those filters we put on us just because it’s part of the job. And they got me thinking about anything is possible again. Right? And so that created an attitude shift. It got me to the Bay area, which I love, you know, just sort of created a, you know, maybe took some air out of the balloon. And that to me is a at least a Band-Aid while you’re you’re maybe stuck in a situation that you can’t get out of.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, let’s start giving advice to folks that are listening. Say, so you’re at that. You’re in that kind of midlife crisis or a midlife career crisis. At least those thoughts are entering your head. What are some of the other than, you know, call you? Yeah. What are some of the things they some action they could be taking to at least start exploring or just seeing other, you know, instead of being locked in into woe is me. This is terrible. Like, how can they maybe expand their thinking a little?

Scott Doyne: I think I think journaling is the next best thing to coaching. And in between those two, it’s talking to other people in your life and just sort of getting it out verbally. So the journaling side, I did start on myself when I had my wake up call that something might be coming in terms of a layoff. I started a Google doc called My Next Chapter, and that was just a laundry list of possibilities. Some logical, some illogical.

Lee Kantor: So you’re just like a brain dump? Yeah.

Scott Doyne: Kind of. Yeah. Especially on worst days or or where I saw the, the, you know, the quarterly earnings come out from the company or I saw some research and I was like, oh, this is not going to go well, uh, or an acquisition was happening, which was a couple times in that last five years. Um, and so the journaling was helpful. Yes. To brain dump. Get it out of your way, get it out of your head, relieve some of that pressure. And that was the beginning of the process. But also on that list, I had a list of people’s names that I might talk to. And some of those were pre layoff off, and some were, um, t plus one. You know, if that day comes, who are the people I’m going to call that? You know, you don’t want to walk into new job interviews with angst and anger and resentment like it’s a terrible look when you’re going into the job interview process, if that’s where you’re going. And so, uh, the list of ideas and then the list of people, uh, and with those people, there’s an exercise in the book called Personal Board of Advisors. And it’s different types of people for different things. And some people would allude to this as mentors, which is fine.

Scott Doyne: It could be people in your life, it could be friends or family members. But there’s four types, you know, one’s more around tough love ones, more of your cheerleader ones, the lifelong friend. And like those different types. If you can think about making a list of some of those people I know asking for help is hard. Like that’s very real. I know it even more now as a coach, but if you’re willing to raise your hand and be vulnerable. Um, a lot can come your way that isn’t on your own, and I don’t fault people that have trouble with that. But I hope you know they have people to reach out to. If not, there are coaches that, like me, have a free, you know, 20 minute or 30 minute session that you might even be able to get something out of that. Um, there’s also nonprofits that do some coaching. So there are free ways of doing that. And there are other resources. You know, even besides my own book, there are resources out there. Um, you know, designing for life. Um, the ikigai book, I think is really good. There are resources, but I think journaling and talking to other people are probably my my two favorite.

Lee Kantor: Now, you know, people say that your network is your net worth. Do you see that kind of coming into play when people actually land jobs? It’s very easy to apply for jobs, but to actually get the job. Are you finding that’s done? Uh, maybe in more. Maybe it’s happening more often through. Maybe not your best friend, but that kind of that one plus one, you know, the. Yeah. The weaker tie.

Scott Doyne: That came up recently.

Lee Kantor: Yeah.

Rachel Simon: Those weak ties that comes that’s come up a lot lately that that concept of weak ties.

Scott Doyne: It’s, um, the way I’m thinking about it is the second ring. Yeah. So you’ve maybe got your first ring of friends and family members, mentors, advisors, and and those are more open ended conversations. You can be completely vulnerable. You can talk about your loss in the process, whatever you need to talk about to sort of get it out of your system. Those are not people that are judging you at the time. Once you talk to that ring, um, and formulate a hypothesis about what you might want to do, then you can be very targeted about who they might be able to introduce you to, or who else you might reach out to. That’s in that function industry. Geography. Uh, and so when once you get to that second ring. That’s a very targeted conversation of people that might be able to help you out. Um, and to answer your first part. Uh, networking is critical. And certainly in sports and media, you know, the industries I came from, it really is who you know, not what you know. And it’s sad to sort of say it that way because it means it’s not a meritocracy. Um, but, you know, I try to help my clients find their own way to go through that. One of the concepts I really like is called networking as a research project. You don’t have to ask for the job. That’s like the hardest ask you could possibly have. But if you can identify somebody you might learn from about which function or industry you could be interested in. Um, that’s just curiosity. And I learned a lot of this from managing a research team. It’s a lot of introverts on a research team, and they’re not going to know about this stuff the same way anybody else would. But if you introduce it as a research project. They love research, they love asking questions. And so that can be a more methodical way of getting to the point where there might be somebody that can help you land that internship or job.

Rachel Simon: Yeah. And you just never know. I mean, I talk about this all the time. I participated in this panel on Friday for an association, and it was on networking. And you know, what happens all too often is you have that person who’s been in their job for ten years, and they have let their network kind of sit there. They’re not actively out there talking to people, meeting for coffee, going to networking events, and then something happens where they either again are in a layoff situation or realize they need to make a change in their career and their network has to be like, reinvigorated, right? And it’s so much harder to have to Start it back up. Then if it’s just kind of humming in the background and you’re just just constantly just, you know, attending to it, tending to it all the time as opposed to when you need it because you do actually need it always.

Scott Doyne: I remember distinctly from 2008 when, when we had the financial crisis then and I had a couple of mentors out of work, and I asked them that question, you know, what would you do differently to be prepared? Because I knew it wasn’t performance related. These were all stars, rock stars, phenomenal at what they did. And yet they were out of work. And and they just said, always be networking. And I baked that into my brain that the good news is I like networking, but I can’t put that preference on others. You know, that is not everybody. And in the younger generation, it’s incredibly uncommon because they’ve grown up with digital, virtual social media live through the pandemic. And so finding their way through that, um, takes even more sort of nuance that feels organic to them doesn’t feel like bragging or self-promotion, and that’s okay. You know, at some point, I don’t even want to call it networking because it’s such a turnoff. But it is what it is. It’s just, can you make that your own and and take it step by step? It might be a multi-step process in that way. Not immediate.

Rachel Simon: It’s relationship management. It is. I mean, it’s all about relationships and just making sure that people don’t forget you. And again, there’s a million different opportunities to, you know, network doesn’t have to be a BNI meeting. It can be a, you know, coming to going to just an industry event, a lunch, sending a couple of messages on LinkedIn. I mean, it does not have to be overwhelming, but if people wait until they need it, it’s too late.

Lee Kantor: Well, because then it’s like you mentioned earlier, like you have that kind of aura of desperate, and no one wants that. Like you.

Scott Doyne: Could. Yeah. It is an odd thing about presenting yourself is confidence is contagious. And so, um, you know, people talk about the green badge a lot, uh, open to work and how people feel about that or the very controversial. It’s very controversial. Um, and I think it’s very individual, like, everything. Everything to me is super client centric and custom, you know, what is it you’re trying to accomplish? What are you comfortable with? Get them comfortable with their own process first versus mandating. I really am allergic to advice. Like I think that’s, you know, people give advice from a very warm place and we’re programed to do it because it feels helpful. Um, but I think, you know, it’s a band aid. And finding a way to let people find their own way is so much more empowering long term.

Rachel Simon: I agree. Yeah. And it’s interesting why that open to work banner on LinkedIn is is very polarizing. Some people are like, don’t ever use it. And then others are like, you’re putting yourself out there and asking, letting people know if people don’t know, they can’t help you.

Scott Doyne: Yeah. So I see a lot of gray in everything. I think that’s that’s, you know, helps me understand different types of people in different ways. Right. And then eventually I’ll have conviction about something and you’ll know.

Rachel Simon: I don’t have a strong feeling about that one way or the other. Like, I think it’s a very personal super position.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, we mentioned a little bit about the weak ties versus, I guess, like your first level connections. Why do you think that weak ties are more effective in maybe landing the job? Is it because you know, your friends know you, so they know you like the good, the bad, the ugly, and maybe they’re kind of self-selecting out for you because they know certain things where a weak ties like, oh, they’d say they can do this, or they’re like, throw their name in the hat. And that’s where the job happens.

Scott Doyne: I’ve talked to a couple of people about this recently, because I hadn’t thought about it much about why that second ring is is working. Um, the first ring, if they are close friends. Um, I don’t think it’s because they don’t believe in you necessarily. I think they might just be too close and don’t want to screw it up sometimes. Like, I want to believe it comes from a, you know, a heart filled place. But by the time you get to the second ring, um, it is more targeted because you’ve got a hypothesis about where you’re heading. And I think that focus is incredibly powerful. And it and it doesn’t have to be the thing you do for the rest of your life. I actually publish something today called how do you Maintain focus without FOMO? Because that’s a tough thing for people, especially with social media. And LinkedIn is no different. There’s just a lot of noise and people showing their best selves and so.

Rachel Simon: Or what they think is their best selves?

Scott Doyne: Absolutely. Isn’t that true? And so, you know, finding your your own hypothesis creates a focus and focus, as I’ve learned from every great marketer I’ve ever worked for, is the most powerful marketing tool. Because then you you have a segment of the audience or a person in your audience, and you can build your story crafted for that audience.

Rachel Simon: Yeah. No, it’s, um, it’s so like all of this, I think there’s so much to unpack with everything that you’re talking about, because it’s really how are we using all of these different tools and resources at our disposal? And I think, you know, my big takeaway is use do something right. Don’t just if you’re unhappy in your current role, you’re feeling stuck or lost. You don’t have to feel that way. There’s so many different things you can utilize in order to change your situation, because that just bleeds into every other aspect of your life.

Scott Doyne: I totally agree. I don’t have a ten step process. I have a four stage method, but in those stages there’s options for exercises. And um, the way I go about it is still question based. If you want to learn more about that space, what are some steps you might take to better understand if you’re a fit for it? And among that list, then which one do you think would be the most valuable next step for you to take? Then come with the time bound. These are all Smart goals. Come with a time bound. You know when is it realistic for you to take that step? What might help you take that step in terms of your organizational tools and process? What might distract you from accomplishing that? And how do we build a contingency plan for that? So it’s still Procedural, but question based.

Rachel Simon: Yeah. And Lee, to you know, your question on the weak ties, I think the way I look at it is that if my friend who knows me well makes an introduction to somebody in their organization, I’m, I’m vetted already.

Scott Doyne: It’s an endorsement.

Rachel Simon: I’m endorsed. And so I may not know that person, but they already have a thumb. Like I’ve got a thumbs up from them. And so that that’s where the first circle group can really benefit you. Because I agree, I think sometimes in close friendships it’s like you don’t want to you don’t want to overstep boundaries and sort of right mess anything up with your relationships. But you can happily make those introductions that could benefit people totally.

Scott Doyne: And if you’ve nurtured those relationships bilaterally over time, the willingness will be there. I want to also believe that all of us, if people reach out to us, would also be helpful because it feels good. I know I feel that way. Maybe I don’t do it for every single message I’ve ever gotten in my life, but if you can get that across to somebody who’s a little nervous about asking for help, realize that that might be the best part of that person’s day is it makes them feel good about helping somebody else.

Lee Kantor: Now, what’s the for your clients? What’s the thing that’s happening right before they call you? Is there some some trigger that usually leads to a better call?

Scott Doyne: Yeah. It’s layoff is the most obvious right.

Lee Kantor: So they’re they get a sense that it’s coming or they were told correct.

Scott Doyne: Either it’s just happened or they’re they’re nervous or scared that it might be coming that I call the get ready package. You know, some people just want to have that peace of mind that if it comes, they’ve got some stuff on the shelf ready that they can pull off then and be more prepared, like the Boy Scout method. They’re more prepared when it happens. The people it’s happened to already. Um, a lot of times, you know, even people I know that have been laid off from my former company, I’ll reach out just to be a warm ear. Um, let the venting happen. Uh, it needs to. And I respect that stage because there’s there’s such a variety of reactions to that step. Um, you know, most often it doesn’t feel good or feel great, and you need to sort of get some stuff off your chest. Some people do feel liberated and are ready to go. Some people are more ready than others. Um, but I think that’s the two steps. Either feeling because of something happening that they need to get ready or something has happened. Um, for people in internal roles, because I still do some of that leadership and executive coaching. Um, a lot of times that’s been a discussion with their manager. Um, they maybe have had a 360. Uh, or they’re, they’re stuck at senior director and aren’t sure how to get to VP. What is executive presence mean? So a lot of times, you know, they’ve gone through a review cycle and didn’t get promoted. I see that a lot.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, what’s the best way to connect with you and get Ahold of your book?

Scott Doyne: Um, LinkedIn for sure. I live there several hours a day, and then my website is doing services.com.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Rachel. Great show.

Rachel Simon: Good stuff. Um, so normally I give a tip. I’m going to give a little plug. Um, because we’re talking about networking. So one of the other things that I do is I am a cohost of LinkedIn local ATL events. So a LinkedIn local event is just an opportunity to meet your LinkedIn folks in person.

Lee Kantor: That’s right.

Rachel Simon: In real life. And so we have a happy hour on March 20th in Roswell at Voodoo Brewing. It’s free to attend. You get one drink ticket. You can learn more on LinkedIn, LinkedIn, local ATL is the company page or just go to my LinkedIn. I posted about it today, but particularly for maybe our Gen Z folks, it’s a lot easier to just talk to people with a cold beverage in hand and get some good introductions and a very sort of chill environment, and we’ve had a lot of fun at these events, so maybe people will come.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. All right. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work. We appreciate you.

Scott Doyne: Thank you both.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor for Rachel Simon. We will see you all next time on Greater Perimeter Business Radio.