Doug Brown, Author at Doug Brown

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The Midlife Shift: Don’t Fall for the Myth That Midlife Has to Be a Crisis

April 6, 2022 Doug Brown Health & Wellness / Innovation, Your Career

It’s that time again – midlife. Don’t panic! This is just a natural time to re-evaluate what you’ve been doing and to decide what you want to do, on purpose for the next 15 years.

I’ve been researching this and apparently, there’s this shift that happens when you’re in your 40s and 50s, and I’ve seen it with my friends and clients. Especially when you set your course and made huge investments in yourself in your twenties.

After all, what did we really know in our 20’s? We were just figuring out who we were and what we wanted. Now, in our 40’s, 50’s, (and even 60s), we’ve got the opportunity to apply our knowledge, skills, abilities – and wisdom – in new ways.

It’s daunting to consider altering what you’ve established. Especially when you haven’t done it before. And you don’t have a strategy in place. And making a significant blunder isn’t an option for you. You’ve come too far.

I’ve done it for myself a dozen times over the last 25 years, and I’ve assisted many others in doing so – therefore I’m something of an authority. During the process, I picked up a lot of information on what works and what doesn’t.

Making a change in your profession takes many forms. Some professionals must make minor adjustments and develop new routines to discover what they desire. Others like their jobs, but want to shift where they work or who they work with.

And then there are those that want to try something completely new, such as switching industries or starting their own business.

No matter what situation you’re in, I’ve found 6 distinct phases of career change apply. Permission, Discovery, Investigation, Evaluation, Implementation, and Integration. If you’d like to know more about each one then click the link in the comments to get the free guide.

Midlife Career Myths

There are so many myths around midlife – and midlife career change – that it’s hard to decide where to start.

So here are a (first) few of my favorites and why they are B.S. …

1. You’re too old to change.

This myth is perpetuated by those who fear change. Many highly successful people changed careers after 30, 40, or 50. One example is Ray Kroc who didn’t meet Mac McDonald until he was 50. Your years of experience and wisdom can open doors to more opportunities than you can imagine.

2. You invested all of this money and time in your current career – don’t throw it away.

Your success in one field doesn’t somehow preclude you from making a change. And making a change isn’t “throwing away” what you’ve built, and it certainly isn’t some sort of admission that it was a mistake. The truth is that all that you’ve become can be the springboard to something new.

3. You’re being selfish – you should be grateful for what you have.

You deserve to do work that is challenging and fulfilling. Being grateful for what you have doesn’t mean that you should ignore things that aren’t working. You spend more than a third of your life at your job. It isn’t greedy to want to dedicate that time to something enjoyable where you are doing your best work.

4. There’s just too much risk.

There is no risk, zero, to investigating what changes to your company or your career might increase your satisfaction. The real risk is not conducting the investigation. Now, you’ll want a framework so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel – and a guide for the journey so you don’t fall victim to SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome). And when you have those things and do the work, you’ll be in a position to make an intelligent risk/reward decision.

Myth Busting …

What myths would you like busted about midlife shifts in your company or career?

Comment and let’s bust some more myths.

When everything feels like a chore | Overcoming midcareer malaise

March 29, 2022 Doug Brown Career Advice, Midcareer Shift

Midlife career malaise is real. Even for really successful executives and professionals.

You might recognize it as feeling generally uncomfortable or uneasy – in a way that’s difficult to define.

And at midlife, we’re already losing our illusion of immortality. We see that opportunities aren’t endless and that time is finite. It’s perfectly natural to search for excitement and more meaning.

And that was before the Pandemic and the “Great Resignation”

A recent study found that three out of four professionals surveyed said the Pandemic has altered their career plans.

49% said that the Pandemic has caused them to reflect on what they wanted from their career, or employer, prompting them to look for other job opportunities.

I’m kind of surprised it’s only 49%

Thinking deeply about what you really want out of your career, and for your life, is a natural and healthy part of midlife.

It’s also pretty intimidating. Even when you’re feeling dissatisfied and uncomfortable where you are. Especially when you’ve invested so much time and energy establishing yourself as a professional or building a business.

So the natural reaction is to suppress feelings of apathy and lost purpose and that ‘autopilot’ mode. And bury yourself in your work. Hoping the feelings will pass and that you’ll somehow get your mojo back.

Then another January comes around and the feelings come back, again. You’re a year older and you repeat the cycle.

There is a better way.

I’ve learned that pushing down feelings of discomfort doesn’t make them go away. In fact, researchers have found that bottling up emotions had an adverse effect on your body and your mind.

The constructive way to deal with these feelings is to acknowledge them, discover the underlying cause, and create a productive response. And that’s pretty hard to do when you’re so close to the subject.

Here’s the good news.

You’ve got more options than you think.

And you don’t have to abandon what you’ve created to fly to the island and open a margarita stand.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Don’t fall into the trap of slogging through to retirement in the hopes that you’ll find satisfaction.

Give yourself the gift of some thinking time to reflect on what’s really working well for you – and what’s driving you up the wall. Write it out longhand.

Because it’s only when you confront and name a challenge that you can start to solve it.

What are your Top 3 opportunities?

What if you made just one of them happen?

What’s stopping you?

Leave a comment below and let’s get over that thing holding you back.

Scott Ashton’s Experience with Coach Doug Brown

March 10, 2022 Doug Brown Client Story

Scott had just purchased his first company after a successful career in engineering and sales. He came to me by referral because he wanted to make sure he was successful in his first business owner/CEO role – where everything was on the line. I’m so grateful he decided to share his story in this video.

In our year together Scott grew his business by more than 30% while separating it from the seller’s business, relocating the company, and upgrading his team.

“… I think that’s a direct result of how we managed this process together. And the … the sessions that we had and how I think about the business, how I think about the team. I think the results are, are very tangible …” – Scott Ashton

Scott is another example of the kind of smart, driven, and purpose-driven executive who makes my role as an executive coach so satisfying. He was fully committed to our work – even when it make him uncomfortable – and that’s when it was most valuable to him.

I’m proud to have Scott in my family of coaching clients and to have him as a friend.

Are you trying to transition into a new role – or transform yourself or your organization?

If you’d like to discover whether you’ve got what it takes – and whether we’re a fit go ahead and click below to apply for a free, no-obligation strategy conversation. I only have a few spots available each month – so don’t delay.
https://summitsuccess.typeform.com/calldoug

[00:00:00] Doug Brown: So, Scott, just kind of starting out, how would you describe how things were going before we started our work together and what got you to the point where you said I need some help?

[00:00:11] Scott Ashton: Well, it was chaos. That’s the only succinct way to put it, we had just bought the company in May of 2020 which was in the middle of COVID. My wife and I were in two different states across the country. So, I was down here in Florida, and she was up in Connecticut working on the financial transition and manning the rest of the family and manning the house up in Connecticut.

And I was down here, we had just taken over the company and trying to get to know the business, the customers, the employees, and we were trying to do all of this simultaneously, separated by 1200 miles. So, it was pretty frantic, and it was a pretty frenetic pace, and it still is, but for the first six months, it was pretty chaotic. We started working together in August and my thoughts around that were that I had always wanted to work with an Executive Coach, I have always believed that there’s value in that coaching regimen and having some accountability to somebody who is on your side.

And so, I had always wanted to do that. And at this point, now that we own the business the stakes were higher because it was our money, it was our employees that we were responsible for and there were a lot of unknowns and unknown known knowns. And so, through a recommendation through a friend of mine, Paul, I reached out and he just said, you know, why do you need us now? Why now? The stakes were higher, and that was the reason why I knew that I needed to have somebody on my side who was providing a little bit of a combination of insight, butt kicking, just listening and some really solid advice to help me, protect me in some ways, protect me from myself.

[00:02:05] Doug Brown: So fast forward to where you are now, about what, 10 months later?

[00:02:09] Scott: Yeah.

[00:02:09] Doug Brown: How is life different than it was back in those days?

[00:02:13] Scott: Well, it’s still pretty fast paced, but that’s the nature of owning a business, but it is much less chaotic. A lot of the lessons that we discussed through the course of the entire engagement, you know, have really kind of stuck with me as, as what might my Branding Coach calls micro scripts. These slow down, , , that goes through my head and it must go through my head 10 or 12 times a day. and not just when I’m driving to work, you know, through the course of the day, whenever we’re dealing with an issue or I’m dealing with an employee it’s slowed down.

The other thing that, , you know, in terms of a transformation is we talked a lot about managing energy and that is also something that is in my mind all, if not like just continuously through many times throughout the day, , in terms of how I manage my energy, my mental energy, , and just conserving my financial energy.

Just conserving that energy throughout the day and shedding things that use energy without providing any value. And I’ve had to do that a couple of times with major things that were, that were consuming a major amount of energy without a lot of return, where I think before our engagement, I would have tried to hang on to that.

For a lot of reasons of ego, some insecurity about giving something up, , you know, feeling bad about walking away from something and, , during, and after our engagement, I look at that and say, well, you know, , my energy level has to come first. And so I’ve been able to shed a couple of things that were no longer really value added and that’s added tremendously to my ability to be able to manage and focus on the company.

[00:04:04] Doug Brown: So, what kind of transformation did that allow you to make for your staff and in your business, where was your business then and where is it now?

[00:04:13] Scott Ashton: Well, I may have been driving a dominant tornado, so that played itself out quite a bit during the initial transformation. Just from the nature of my personality and the situation, another micro-script that we talked about frequently was using pressure versus force and the difference between the two in terms of leadership style and what not.

And you know that’s been another, I think, big transformation in terms of how I lead and really stepping back and letting the company operate rather than succumbing to my nature which is to jump in with both feet, both hands and take center stage and kind of crowd everybody else out.

So, I think there’s a lot less of that, which again has helped me conserve my energy which has been pretty powerful and allowed me to focus on the things that only I can do in the business, you know, major relationships whether it be external, internal, I’m thinking about the organization at a different level rather than what’s happening today, thinking about it long-term.

So that’s been a positive improvement and I think it set me up for success as we move from the transition of the business from separating it out from a much larger organization to creating a stand alone company, which I have today, but that was a pretty hectic transition because we had to unplug every system that we had, which was provided for by the former parent.

And we had to create it from scratch so that was a pretty hectic transformation and transition that we had to make now that that’s behind us, all of the lessons that we talked about really come into play because I think if I had reverted to my instincts it would have been far less successful.

[00:06:09] Doug Brown: And along the way, you had to make some pretty significant staffing adjustments too, right!

[00:06:15] Scott Ashton: Yeah. And, and that’s always difficult because there are people who make the journey with you and people who can’t make the journey and, you know, that’s where the accountability comes in because on the one hand your instinct is okay, well, let’s just get this done. And, you know, so on the one hand, it’s good to have somebody on the reins saying, let’s think this through let’s take a measured approach at this. And then once you get past that point, now let’s execute. And there were times where through the course of our discussions over many months, there was a little bit of the former and a little bit of the latter and some of the advice was, well, it’s not going to get any better, so let’s just deal with it right now.

Others were, let’s hold off and think this through and maybe there’s another solution. And we were able to do both of those I think to the overall benefit of the company.

[00:07:15] Doug Brown: Terrific. What measurable improvements can you look at over the last eight months as a result of our work together?

[00:07:23] Scott Ashton: Well, the business has grown. I mean, we’ve grown our business somewhere between 30 and 40% in the middle of all of the chaos of moving, relocating the company and changing our personnel and just taking over the ownership and having to get up to speed on the company. We’ve grown the company substantially.

So, you know, I think that’s a direct result of how we managed this process together. And the sessions that we had and how I think about the business, how I think about the team. I think the results are very tangible and, I didn’t keep it a secret from my team that we were having our sessions.

And so they also saw the difference and the ideas that I would come back with after a session or just generally how we approach problems. So, there were a lot of different tangible, both financial and just kind of cultural results that I think really helped the business.

[00:08:26] Doug Brown: So as now coming through all that, being in a much better place, how do you feel that’s really helped kind of your overall life?

[00:08:34] Scott Ashton: It settled me down a little bit, that’s probably the biggest thing is it’s settled me down. You know, work-life balance as an entrepreneur is never good, especially when your spouse is working with you in the business but you know we’re very happy down here, we’re happy with the business. And you know, again, managing my energy has been… has helped me say no to some things that I really wanted to do and just weren’t good areas for me to focus on.

So, staying focused I think has actually helped me a lot in terms of just work life balance and not being such a frantic freak all the time.

[00:09:17] Doug Brown: Okay. What was one unexpected benefit or bonus that you got from our work together that you might not have thought of when we got started?

[00:09:26] Scott Ashton: A lot of people that I talk to whether it’s on podcasts or that they keep a day journal and I don’t. And so, I think I’ve missed out on a lot of things because I don’t have those records to go back to and being able to go back through our notes through our discussions and, and kind of relive the journey has been a really pleasant surprise because I go back and I keep very detailed notes of our discussions and, the pre-work and what not.

And I look back to where we were when we started and where my head was and I often… as I was writing up the pre- work, initially I felt like I was whining and… but I look back, you know, it really has been a… it’s been a fun amazing journey. And I think that was, that was one of the kind of, well, that was one of the little Easter eggs, if you will, of working together was having that documentation trail, almost like a journal about what the transformation has been and some of the things that we’ve gone through.

And honestly, some of those things that I haven’t dealt with that I still need to deal with, but they are much less critical than I thought they were at the time. And that gets back to slowing down and, you know, thinking about the things that I should be slowing down on and the things that I should be accelerating.

[00:10:54] Doug Brown: So, what would you say to, if you had a friend or a colleague who is thinking about working with me, what would you describe that? Like and what would you say to them?

[00:11:05] Scott Ashton: Well, first I would say to do it you know, the relationship is great. Just being able to send a quick email to somebody who really understands what you’re going through and what the dynamics of whatever the situation that you’re dealing with is very, very helpful.

It also helps and Doug, you’ve done a great job helping kind of frame what my… what the issues are at any particular point in time. So that’s been very helpful. The other thing, just from my own, how I like to think is I tend to think much more unstructured, well, something in some respects I do.

And there were many times where we kind of set off on one path and I would set off on this stream of consciousness where there was some really just insightful nugget that you know, it was almost transformational and the ability to do that and to have somebody to bounce those ideas off is very, very powerful.

And you can’t do that. You have to be unstructured in a structured environment. I think that was really a wonderful thing, to be able to have that structure to allow me to be unstructured. And I think you were flexible enough to let me kind of follow those trails and create those insights, which I thought was fantastic.

[00:12:34] Doug Brown: Well, I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Any final thoughts you wanted to share on our little journey?

[00:12:43] Scott Ashton: Yeah, you’ve got to come into coaching with an open mind and you’ve got to be willing to be a little or a lot vulnerable, which is very difficult.

I’ve always not really been all that self-reflective, so initially it was a little bit of a challenge but after that we got comfortable very, very quickly with each other and developed that rapport. And it quickly became one of the most valuable things that I was doing with my time.

And so, I highly recommend anybody considering using Doug to absolutely go ahead and do it.

[00:13:22] Doug Brown: Okay. Thanks, Scott. I really appreciate your time.

How to Escape the Debate Loop

February 25, 2022 Doug Brown Management, Mindset and Mental Health, Productivity, Time Management

The Endless Loop is a set of instructions that lacks a functional exit so it repeats indefinitely until it is terminated by some external action or force. The term comes from the computer programming world.

It’s also the thing that sabotages professional careers and businesses.

The endless debate loop happens when you find yourself debating which step(s) to take to improve your professional and personal life – but you’re not exploring them.

The unchecked debate loop can take on a life of its own as your active imagination creates stories about why exploring options is a bad idea, too hard, too complicated, or that you might not like what discover. Or that maybe you will like what you discover and then have to make a choice?

I’ve seen so many successful professionals and business owners who’ve come to regret getting caught in the debate loop. Like Harry, who had a successful dental practice. His internal debate loop around retirement lasted nearly 10 years until time and the market left him with few choices.

Here’s how to escape your endless loops.

First, name it. Call it what it is. When you give it a name you give your brain the ability to think clearly about it and figure out how to solve it.

Second, write down what you hope to accomplish. You’re probably debating how to get someplace, but not where you want to go. Getting clear on the destination will help you set waypoints to achieve. The route comes after you set the destination.

Third, pick just one of the options you are debating and give yourself the assignment to investigate it – just as you would if you were assessing a case or a new project for someone else. Pick a defined date to report out what you’ve found – even if it isn’t complete.

Finally, stop trying to do this by yourself. I’ve escaped multiple debate loops because I had the right coach at my side. They helped me learn to ask better questions, evaluate results, make better choices and avoid regressing back to debate loops.

What’s one debate loop you’d love to escape?

More Time Won’t Solve These Problems

February 9, 2022 Doug Brown Career Advice, Career Management, Strategy, Time Management

I’ve been teaching time management strategies to lawyers for more than 20 years.

Most attorneys come to our CLEs for tips and strategies – many of which they’ve heard before – like time-blocking, scheduling the whole appointment, turning off notifications, and working in block time.

But all the best tips in the world aren’t going to solve the underlying problems that cause the time to get away from nearly everyone.

So let’s look behind the curtain at the real issues. You’re going to have to address those if you want to get better at “time management” so you can ultimately find happiness and satisfaction in your work.

The deeper issues fall neatly into 6 categories:

Attitude and Mindset around time, change, and getting stuff done.
Strategy and Planning.
Setting Priorities
Scheduling
Focusing
Delegating

Ready for the quiz?

Use the attached self-assessment to grade yourself in each category. And then pick a single area to work on each month – one at a time.
Take Your Free Self-Assessment

Work on the underlying issues and you’ll be on your way to giving yourself the time freedom you crave.

Have a great rest of the week.

Oh, and if you’d like a free to debrief session on your self-assessment just
Click Here and we’ll set it up. But don’t wait. I’ve only got a few of these sessions available this month and you don’t want to miss yours.

Avoid the #1 Career Limiting Move – Even If You Work for Yourself

February 9, 2022 Doug Brown Career Advice

Neuroscience shows that our brains treat failure and uncertainty the same way.

That is, they feel the same to us. This is why many people would rather avoid change because the feelings are really uncomfortable.

Research also shows that fear of change is one of the single most career-limiting moves you can make.

By the time you reach “midlife” – however you define it – you have a lot invested in building your career. You’ve created habits and routines to provide many types of certainty – financially, emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.

That doesn’t mean that you’re particularly satisfied or happy. Just that you are certain.

Thinking about making a change – whether it is within your field or to an entirely new area – triggers lots of FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt), like:

Will I be able to support my family?

What if I’m not qualified to do something else, or not good at it?
How will my partner/kids/parents/friends feel if I make a change?
What if I make a change and decide I made a mistake?

And I get it. I’ve lived through this myself, multiple times. It’s scary.

But I was determined not to let FUD keep me from finding career satisfaction.

I knew I had to get comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with change. Heck, more than comfortable, I had to master it.

I got curious. I researched and experimented and found the formulas that work for me – and that unlocked a career I couldn’t have imagined.

Researching what a change might be like and how to do it does not commit you to make a change.

The knowledge gained will give you the insights you need to make an intentional decision and avoid the career-limiting move.

Don’t let fear of change hold you back. Find out exactly what to do so you don’t have to wonder “What If”.
I’m getting ready to launch a program to get you going.

Click here to be included when it’s ready: https://summitsuccess.lpages.co/whatif22

How to Escape the Endless Loop

February 5, 2022 Doug Brown Career Advice

It’s also the thing that sabotages professional careers and businesses.

The endless debate loop happens when you find yourself debating which step(s) to take to improve your professional and personal life – but you’re not exploring them.

The unchecked debate loop can take on a life of its own as your active imagination creates stories about why exploring options is a bad idea, too hard, too complicated, or that you might not like what you discover. Or that maybe you will like what you discover and then have to make a choice?

Here’s how to escape your endless loops.

First, name it. Call it what it is. When you give it a name you give your brain the ability to think clearly about it and figure out how to solve it.

What’s one debate loop you’d love to escape?

Oh, and if you’d like help with your escape just reach out and let’s talk. Go here to set it up. https://summitsuccess.typeform.com/calldoug

“… but my skills aren’t transferrable to anything else”

February 2, 2022 Doug Brown Career Management, Midcareer Shift, Strategy

Dave was miserable in his law practice. Sure, he was making lots of money – and on the outside, everything seemed ok. But on the inside everything was way harder than it should have been.

He used to wonder what it would be like to do something else.

But now in his early 50s, he felt like it was just too late to make a change.

And besides, the thought “my skills aren’t really transferrable to anything else”.

This is one of the many comfortable lies that lawyers – and other professionals – tell themselves to justify continuing on a path that they decided on 30 years ago. Even though they are unhappy, unfulfilled, and apathetic about work they once enjoyed.

Here’s the truth: Mid-career lawyers have countless transferrable skills that are in high demand. They just can’t see them because they are too close to it.

I know this is the truth because I made the transition from lawyer to corporate life – and quite a few more. I’ve seen firsthand how “lawyer-skills” are a huge advantage in business.

Skills like communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, and attention to detail. Not to mention that lawyers are some of the best-trained learners I’ve ever met.

And if you’re not a lawyer you still have the same kinds of transferable skills that come with so many years of experience in your chosen field.

So if you – or someone you love – are stuck in this uncomfortable lie it’s time to stop it.

Just stop perpetuating the lie.

You have valuable, transferrable skills. And it is absolutely not too late.

If you are not fully satisfied with your career then take it upon yourself to make it better.

I can help.

I know how hard it is to even give yourself permission to engage in the inquiry.

And once you’ve done that, you’ll need a guide to help you see things clearly.

When you do, your eyes will open to the world that could be yours.

And then you get to make an informed decision about your future – and not rely on a decision made by your 20-year-old self.

So, what’s it going to be?

Take the first step today. Follow this link and I’ll help you give yourself permission … and show you how you can start making it happen right now: https://summitsuccess.typeform.com/calldoug

Comfortable Lies that Keep You Trapped

February 1, 2022 Doug Brown Productivity, Strategy

Beware the comfortable lies that keep you from living the life you deserve. Lies like: “It’s just too late for me”, or “I don’t have any transferrable skills”.

The biggest lie of all is that you have to figure it all out yourself. As if there is some trophy for going it alone. That’s just not how it works.

The good news is that there is a path to follow that works for your unique situation.

I’ll show you how.

Click here so you don’t miss out

Busting Midlife Career Myths-2

January 31, 2022 Doug Brown Midcareer Shift

Let’s keep busting midlife career myths …

So here are another few of my favorites and why they are B.S. …

1. To find real satisfaction you’ll need to change careers.

So many professionals are dissatisfied – but they are not sure why. They think the answer is to do a hard pivot to a totally new thing. That might be true for some. But I’ve seen professionals’ job satisfaction skyrocket with relatively minor shifts in mindset and operations. If you are not completely satisfied with your career don’t start by believing you need to start all over. Get curious about what’s bothering you – and use your critical thinking skills to really unpack it so you see what’s going on.

2. There isn’t enough time – you’re a short-timer

Wrong. Even entrepreneurs who start a new business often look to build it and sell it off within 5 years. You’ve got 15+ years left. Use your wisdom to build what you’ve always dreamed of building. You’ve got everything you need.

3. You’re being selfish – you should be grateful for what you have.

4. You’re stuck in your ways or you are an “established personality”

Yes, you’ve discovered ways of doing things that work for you – and you’ve got a track record of getting results. Since when is that a bad thing? If you’ve gotten this far then you’ve demonstrated that you are resilient and can adapt to changing conditions. And you have the judgment and experience to know when a change will make a difference, and how to make it stick.

Myth Busting …

What myths would you like busted about midlife shifts in your company or career?

Just direct message me and share it with me. . And I’ll bust it in a future message.

Onward!

-Doug

Lerato

The Midlife Shift: Don’t Fall for the Myth That Midlife Has to Be a Crisis

When everything feels like a chore | Overcoming midcareer malaise

Scott Ashton’s Experience with Coach Doug Brown

How to Escape the Debate Loop

More Time Won’t Solve These Problems

Avoid the #1 Career Limiting Move – Even If You Work for Yourself

How to Escape the Endless Loop

“… but my skills aren’t transferrable to anything else”

Comfortable Lies that Keep You Trapped

Busting Midlife Career Myths-2

Featured Workshop & Keynote Presentation

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