Page 30 - The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

failed career, how much I resented my husband…and then I would hit the snooze
button. Not once, but over and over again.

In the beginning, it wasn’t a big deal, but as is the case with any bad habit, as
time went on, it snowballed into a much bigger problem that impacted my entire
day. By the time I finally got up, the kids had missed the bus and I felt like I was
failing at life. I spent most of my days tired, running late, and feeling totally
overwhelmed.

I don’t even know how it started—I just remember feeling so defeated all the
time. My professional life was in the gutter. Over the past 12 years, I had changed
careers so many times that I was developing multiple personalities. After graduating
from law school, I started my career as a public defender for the Legal Aid Criminal
Defense Society in NYC. Then I met my husband Chris and we got married and
moved to Boston so that he could pursue his MBA. In Boston, I worked crazy
hours for a large law firm and was miserable all the time.

When our daughter was born, I used my maternity leave to look for a new job
and landed in the Boston startup scene. I worked for several tech startups during
those years. It was fun and I learned a lot but I never felt like tech was the right
career for me.

I hired a coach to help me figure out “what to do with my life.” Working with a
coach led me to want to become one. So, like a lot of people, I worked during the
day, focused on the kids when I got home, and then I studied at night to get the
certification I needed. Eventually, I launched a coaching business. I loved it, and I
would probably still be doing it if the media had not called.

My media career began as a fluke: Inc. magazine published an article featuring
my coaching business and an executive at CNBC saw it and called. That one call led
to lots of meetings. After months of tryouts, I landed a “development deal” with
ABC and a call-in radio show on Sirius.