As a teenager, Andy Weir aspired to becoming a writer. “But I also wanted to eat regular meals and not live in a box in an alley. I was a happy little cubicle dweller.” But, in-between programming, he continued writing as a hobby and decided to self-publish to test the waters. With a positive response, he then published The Martian which became a bestseller and was adapted as a film starring Matt Damon. The resulting success enabled Weir to pursue writing full time. Artemis, his second novel and also a bestseller, is following its big brother to the big screen. Andy Weir fulfilled his long-held dream. Continue reading Andy Weir wrote his reinvention from software engineering to science fiction novels
Tag Archives: careers
From medicine to comedy was no reinvention laughing matter for Ken Jeong
Ken Jeong created and starred in the role of Dr. Ken, a sitcom that aired on ABC from 2015 to 2017. But, he wasn’t just playing doctor. Jeong was a real full-time practicing physician for years before shifting to focus primarily on acting and comedy. “Growing up, I only ever wanted to be a doctor. There was never a thought I’d go into acting,” Jeong told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jeong’s medical background includes pre-med at Duke, medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and residency at Oshsner Medical Center in New Orleans. During his 90-hour work weeks he found time to do standup every few months. He moved to LA to work at Kaiser Permanente, where he balanced treating patients with performing and auditioning. The rest is TV history.
It IS possible to find meaningful work, even later in life. It’s just a matter of how bad you want it, how much work you’re willing to put in, and how persistent you’re going to be to reach your goal. Create a treatment plan for your career reinvention.
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U2: a lesson in handling rejection letters
Whether you’re reinventing a new career or refueling your current one, how you handle rejection is a strong determiner of your success.
Steve McQueen’s road to “King of Cool” is the reinvention ride of a lifetime
Dyslexic and partially deaf due to a childhood ear infection, McQueen was also plagued by a stepfather who beat him so harshly that at age nine he left home to run with a street gang. He worked as a roughneck, a carnival barker, and a lumberjack but joined the Marines where he embraced the discipline. Continue reading Steve McQueen’s road to “King of Cool” is the reinvention ride of a lifetime
From airplane mechanic to world-renowned comedian: a lesson in reinvention
Alonzo Bodden went to Aviation High School to learn how to be an airplane mechanic and worked for Lockheed Martin and McDonnell Douglas before taking his passion for comedy airborne.
“I was teaching airplane mechanics when I realized it was more fun to make them laugh. I was laid off one more time and I never looked back.” Continue reading From airplane mechanic to world-renowned comedian: a lesson in reinvention
Gladys “Gladyator” Burrill personifies the secret sauce of reinvention: resilience
Gladys “Gladyator” Burrill was an aircraft pilot, a mountain climber, a hiker and a horseback rider but is most well-known for marathon running — at the spry age of 92!
She began to run marathons at 86 when her peers were retiring to Florida to sit on the beach and read. She relentlessly pushed her pace enabling her to run the full Honolulu Marathon at 92 in nine hours and 53 minutes proving that age really is just a number. Burrill was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for her achievement.
It IS possible to find meaningful work, even later in life. It’s just a matter of how bad you want it, how much work you’re willing to put in, and how persistent you’re going to be to reach your goal. What’s keeping you stuck in place?
“Age is only a number. People can be old at 40. It’s important to think positive and to dream.” Gladys Burrill
What does the music of meaningful work sound like?
“First, you have to want to then you have to pursue it. The only question was whether I was going to just do it for myself in my head or whether I was going to do it and share it with somebody else.” – Bill Withers Continue reading What does the music of meaningful work sound like?