Her Sweet Spot Was There All Along
A true story for those thinking about (or already in) retirement.
🟢 She had a career most people would envy.
Kate spent decades in healthcare, with a subspecialty in mammography. She worked her way up to a senior role, taught surgeons in the operating room and helped get life-saving equipment approved by the FDA. She was excellent at what she did.
But it was draining the life out of her.
She told me she’d come home at 10PM, 50 emails were waiting for her and she found her dogs licking an empty bowl. That was the moment she realized something has to change.
When her company was unexpectedly sold and everyone else was in shock, Kate said it felt like the best day of her life.
🧭 Here’s what I’ve discovered, working with people through transitions like this:
Being good at something and loving something are not the same thing. We spend so much of our working lives developing skills in areas the job demands and we can get good at things that don’t actually fill our cup.
Kate knew this because while she was doing all of that important healthcare work, she was also leading trekking groups to Nepal twice a year. Her face glowed as she told me how amazing it was to take people somewhere completely new and connecting strangers to a world they’d never seen. She loved telling stories and creating amazing experiences for people.
That was what filled her cup!
🌱 The question isn’t just what are you good at.
It’s the harder one: what brings you joy and gives you energy?
In my book, I use a tool called the Life Design Sweet Spot which is inspired and adapted from the Japanese term ikigai. I’ll be honest, the original concept is a lot richer than what I use here but this version of it works really well in practice. It asks four questions: what are you skilled at, what do you love doing, what does the world need, and where can you actually help? I’m always surprised by what comes up when my clients work through it!
When I was listening to Kate, I could fill in the circles as she talked.
She’s skilled at teaching and training, and honestly, her stories about guiding surgeons and oncologists through complex procedures was fascinating. But what I’ve learned over time is this:
Being good at something isn’t the same as loving it.
What Kate also happens to be good at is guiding, storytelling, creating immersive experiences and connecting with people in real, physical spaces. Those are the things that actually light her up!
Today, Kate is semi-retired and she gives tours at a bourbon barrel factory in Kentucky. She’s also building a small business to help others learn how to guide people into meaningful, memorable experiences.
She didn’t plan it exactly this way but when you look at her four circles? It all makes sense!
💡 You don’t have to figure it out all at once.
Kate’s story didn’t go in a straight line. There were years in Brussels, a stint in Alaska, time in California, and eventually a move to Kentucky bourbon country. Each chapter taught her more about what she needed, and even more important, what she didn’t.
That’s how the Sweet Spot usually works.
At this stage of our lives, we’re skilled at many things but it’s worth doing some digging and identify how many of those things actually energize you and feel fulfilling. Only then can you see how that aligns with where you can make a difference.
Kate’s sister went to Ireland, watched a woman knitting, came home and took lessons. Now she teaches knitting and is loving it! Another friend retired from academia and discovered she was a gifted potter. Neither one planned it that way, they both just stayed curious and said YES!
That willingness is everything.
✍️ Something to sit with this week:
Think about something you do, or used to do, or have always been quietly curious about trying. It doesn’t have to be a big business idea and it doesn’t have to be practical.
What is it?
If you’re thinking about what your next chapter could look like, I’d love to help. You can download the Life Design Sweet Spot worksheet.
Know someone who is figuring out what comes next? Feel free to send this their way. Sometimes a story is the best place to start, right?
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