13 Career Goals that Led to Unexpected Yet Valuable Life Lessons

Once I removed the goals of money, prestige, or recognition by others, I was able to pursue a more holistic career that took me away from my original path. This change didn't happen overnight but because I set some clear goals, values, and priorities, I found myself making micro-decisions and larger ones, that guided me toward doing what I think is my duty in life. Some of the fundamental lessons I learned from this mindset change are found in how I wish to design my life. It helped me to care less about the opinions of others, focus on being grateful for what I have, and not chase after wanting more and more. These are some of the main questions I address when coaching people: "How do you wish to design your life?" and "What are your values and priorities that drive you to live a better life." This approach is not meant as a quick fix, but with a clear vision and path ahead, it will develop a lifestyle that is more in accordance with who you are.

The career goal that I pursued that I am extremely grateful for, that is different from the path I had planned my entire life, was becoming a keynote speaker/business coach. I always wanted to be a football player ever since I went to college, and I also wanted to be an investment banker when I left college and work on Wall Street. After my NFL career, I ended up getting into construction. After I filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2013 due to my ego and arrogance, I ended up getting into keynote speaking in September 2013. It was never something I planned ever in my entire life, but after hitting rock bottom in September 2013, I made the decision to pursue keynote speaking at that time, and I am so grateful that I did.

The most valuable lesson that I learned, and I still am learning from being a keynote speaker, is never ever give up under any circumstances. Keynote speaking has really made me much more resilient, gritty, and disciplined. Not getting a paid speaking job for the first 2.5 years of our business taught me how to keep pushing and keep going, even through extreme hardships and difficulties. So again, I am so grateful that I ended up pursuing keynote speaking/business coaching, and the lessons that I have learned from this new career have truly changed my life for the better.

One career goal I'm incredibly grateful I pursued was completing my certification in horticulture. Originally, my plan was to stick with the practical side of gardening, focusing on lawn mowing and basic plant care. But as I worked more closely with clients and saw the unique challenges they faced, such as struggling with plant diseases, creating sustainable garden designs, or reviving neglected landscapes, I realized I needed a deeper theoretical understanding to truly offer expert-level solutions. This led me to take a step back and commit to formal education in horticulture, which expanded my knowledge and transformed my career. With over 15 years of experience now, I can confidently tackle a wide range of complex gardening issues, from designing thriving edible gardens to restoring soil health. It's this combination of practical experience and advanced education that has allowed me to offer a service that stands out in the industry.

The valuable lesson I learned is that stepping outside your initial plan can lead to incredible growth. Pursuing horticultural certification wasn't just about gaining technical knowledge; it also helped me develop a more creative and problem-solving approach to gardening. For example, I recently helped a client completely redesign their outdoor space into a low-maintenance, water-wise garden that also serves as a haven for native wildlife. It's projects like these that remind me how important it is to be adaptable and to continue learning. My qualifications, paired with years of hands-on experience, have allowed me to not only meet but exceed client expectations, turning challenges into opportunities for innovation and success.

One of the career goals I'm deeply grateful I pursued was launching my own telecommunications company after being discharged from the U.S. Army. Initially, my plan was to build a long-term career within the military, specializing in telecommunications, but my injury forced me to pivot. Instead of seeing it as a setback, I chose to leverage the skills and discipline I had developed during my service and apply them to the private sector. Starting my business wasn't easy, but my training in telecommunications, paired with the resilience and problem-solving mindset I gained from the army, gave me a foundation to succeed. Within a few years, the company grew to 30 employees and generated millions of dollars in revenue. AT&T, the leading telecommunications provider in the U.S., even recognized my success in their publications, which was a moment of great pride for me.

What I learned through this experience is the importance of adaptability and the power of leveraging transferable skills. My MBA in finance also played a pivotal role, helping me to structure the business strategically and ensure profitability. Later, when friends and business owners approached me for advice, I realized I had a talent for identifying inefficiencies and creating actionable solutions to drive growth. This led me to pivot again into business coaching, a career I hadn't planned for but one that allowed me to make an even greater impact. That initial goal of running my own company taught me the importance of vision, persistence, and the ability to see opportunity in the unexpected. It's this journey that has enabled me to coach hundreds of entrepreneurs globally, turn around struggling businesses, and empower others to achieve their own version of success.

Taking the Leap

During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were forced to reevaluate our paths. For me, it became the perfect moment to take a chance on myself and start my own videography business in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It wasn't an easy decision; leaving behind the security of a steady job to venture into entrepreneurship felt risky. Yet, my passion for filmmaking and storytelling fueled my resolve. I'm grateful for making that leap because it's led to a career that's both fulfilling and challenging in the best ways.

The Entrepreneurial Journey

Starting a small business taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continued growth. Running a videography business isn't just about capturing beautiful footage-it's about building trust with clients, understanding their vision, and delivering a final product that exceeds expectations. I've learned to embrace challenges as opportunities to grow professionally and personally.

Owning my own business has given me the freedom to focus on what truly matters: my family, my craft, and my community. Instead of working to make someone else's dream come true, I'm building something that's mine, brick by brick.

Lessons Learned

Adaptability Is Key: The pandemic taught me that flexibility isn't optional. From adjusting to remote consultations to learning new techniques to stay competitive, adaptability has been essential to my success.

Value of Community: Halifax is a vibrant city with a strong sense of community. By networking with local businesses and clients, I've found support and collaboration that have propelled my business forward.

Persistence Pays Off: The road hasn't always been smooth. There have been late nights, financial worries, and moments of doubt. But every project completed and every satisfied client has reinforced my belief in what I'm doing.

Final Thoughts

Taking the leap to start my videography business was a decision that changed my life. It's been a journey filled with challenges, but also immense rewards. I'm proud to call Halifax my home and to contribute to its vibrant community through my work. If you're considering starting your own business or pursuing a creative passion, my advice is simple: bet on yourself. The lessons you'll learn along the way are worth it.

When Corey and I took over Careers in Government from her parents in 2010, my primary goal was simply to modernize the platform. The website looked like it was stuck in the "You've Got Mail" era (laughs), and I knew we needed to bring it into the 21st century to stay relevant. But what I didn't anticipate was how that initial goal would evolve into a much broader mission. As we dug into the challenges facing government recruitment, we realized the real opportunity was to completely reimagine how agencies connect with job seekers. It wasn't just about updating the technology; it was about transforming the entire talent acquisition process. That insight shifted our focus from being a traditional job board to becoming a full-service recruitment marketing partner. Pursuing that expanded goal has led us down paths I never would have predicted. We've built a community of over 300 government thought leaders, launched social media campaigns reaching 2,000-3,000 monthly visitors, and developed deep expertise in areas like employer branding and targeted advertising. As a result, we've been able to drive the cost-per-application down to under $1 while building relationships that average 5-10 years. Looking back, I'm grateful that I allowed my initial goal to evolve based on what we were learning. If we had stayed narrowly focused on just modernizing the website, we would have missed out on the opportunity to make a real impact in government HR. We've been able to help agencies navigate the "Silver Tsunami" of retiring baby boomers and connect with a new generation of mission-driven talent. My advice to anyone pursuing a career goal is to stay open to how that goal might expand or change as you gain new insights. Sometimes the most valuable opportunities come from following an unexpected path. Embrace the pivot points, because that's where the real growth and innovation happens. Your end destination might look different than what you initially envisioned, but the journey will equip you with skills and experiences you never could have planned for.

One of the most significant career goals I'm grateful I pursued was taking on the director role at Collins Place Physio in 2013. At the time, my focus was on delivering exceptional physical therapy care and building my clinical expertise, but stepping into this position forced me to embrace the business side of healthcare. Managing a team and overseeing the operations of a busy clinic was a steep learning curve, but it ultimately shaped my vision for The Alignment Studio. Over the years, I realized that many of the challenges patients faced, such as recurring injuries, postural issues, and chronic pain, could not always be resolved with physical therapy alone. This insight inspired me to take a more integrated approach, leading to the creation of a multidisciplinary clinic that offers physical therapy, Pilates, podiatry, massage, and nutritional support under one roof. Without stepping into that leadership role and confronting the operational challenges, I might never have developed the business acumen or broader perspective required to launch The Alignment Studio.

The experience also taught me the value of collaboration and continuous learning. My background as a physical therapist, combined with years of working with elite athletes and attending international sporting events like the Judo World Championships, gave me a strong foundation in clinical care. However, running Collins Place Physio expanded my skill set in ways I had not anticipated. I learned how to build and lead a multidisciplinary team, implement systems to streamline patient care, and develop programs that addressed not just pain relief but long-term physical wellness. Today, seeing the positive impact of this approach on our clients reinforces the importance of embracing challenges, even when they take you down an unplanned path. It has been a rewarding journey, both personally and professionally.

Starting as a makeup artist, I never imagined transitioning into e-commerce, but building Doll Smash taught me the power of adaptability. Success doesn't always follow the path you envision-it evolves as you embrace opportunities that align with your passions and strengths. My advice: stay open to change and trust your instincts. Every unexpected twist can sharpen your skills, reveal hidden talents, and guide you toward a purpose you didn't even know was yours.

Even though entrepreneurship wasn't originally in my plan, I'm glad I pursued it as a professional objective. I was able to gain significant experiences such as learning how to manage risk, develop resilience, and guide teams through uncertainty by starting my own business, which diverted me from a standard corporate trajectory. I learned how to solve problems, make decisions under pressure, and how important it is to build solid relationships along the road. Even though the journey was difficult, in the end, it provided me with a sense of fulfillment and purpose that was more in line with my goals, showing me that taking advantage of unanticipated opportunities is frequently the key to success.

One career goal I'm particularly grateful I pursued was transitioning from traditional PR and branding services to building digital products for entrepreneurs. Initially, I planned to focus solely on providing PR services to businesses, but I saw an opportunity to expand by offering resources like templates, planners, and guides-products that could empower entrepreneurs to succeed independently. This shift led me to create tools that help businesses scale, which I hadn't anticipated but found incredibly fulfilling. The most valuable lesson I gained is the importance of diversifying your offerings and being bold when pivoting when you spot an opportunity. It was a journey of embracing innovation and being open to learning new skills in digital marketing and product creation, which ultimately allowed me to reach a wider audience and help entrepreneurs beyond just one-on-one services.

I followed my dream of founding an event-booking platform that was going to revolutionize services within the alcohol industry. Six months later, the flagship client pulled out and the social distancing pandemic that was COVID-19 knocked the booking platform launch on its head. Although this start-up crashed and burned, exploring many different aspects of the business, from communication, sales, team management, marketing, financing, bookkeeping, and UX design gave me a real insight into what I wanted to focus on in the stages of my career that followed. I was not ready to start a business; it was too high-risk. My runway was too short to either monetize the platform or bolster it with investment for it to succeed, but I did get to experience how it would be to run a start-up and I learned quickly that certain areas of the business namely conducting user research, prototyping, and testing ideas were fulfilling my purpose and giving me great satisfaction. This is how I chose to focus on UX Design.

My Journey from Legal Practice to Entrepreneurial Success

Pursuing entrepreneurship by founding a legal process outsourcing company is a career goal I'm incredibly grateful for, even though it wasn't part of my original plan.

I initially envisioned myself staying within traditional legal roles, but the inefficiencies I witnessed in managing routine legal tasks sparked an idea I couldn't ignore. Leaping into entrepreneurship was daunting but led to invaluable lessons about resilience, leadership, and innovation.

One powerful moment came when I landed my first major client by personally addressing their concerns about outsourcing quality, showing them how customized processes could exceed their expectations.

That experience reinforced the importance of trust and adaptability, shaping the way I've built the business. While this path was unexpected, it has been professionally and personally advantageous.

I'm very grateful to have pursued the goal of opening my own remote service-based business. I had no idea where the path would take me, and how I grew as a leader along the way.

At first, I had no idea what I wanted to do! Having been a teacher for 17 years in the same field, I was ready to learn something new and pursue a different way to utilize my brain.

I know now that this is very common for people in this time frame of their career journey - because I eventually became a career coach!

At first, I really had no idea what I would do, but I was strong in the feeling that I was ready for a change.

I spent time reflecting on my life and experiences so far and the strong pieces that connected all of my different choices along the way. The thread that connected all those pieces was that I loved to remind people where they are strong, and I always moved ahead in life with courage.

This became my business Move with Courage Careers. My favorite reviews are the ones that tell me I helped them feel more courageous in their careers or that they have a stronger belief in their strengths. These are my values in action!

It turned out the process of changing careers taught me so much about my own leadership and grew areas that did not have an opportunity to progress in this new context.

Not only have I learned to inspire adults in a powerful way, but I have learned to write professional resumes and LinkedIn Profiles that showcase people for their unique strengths and often overlooked impact. As my certifications have piled up, I have grown a new appreciation for skills I had myself previously downplayed.

And then there is the whole beast of entrepreneurship - talk about a learning curve! I am lucky to have found a team of strong business consultants and specialized service providers to help me along this way. Though I do enjoy a healthy dose of DIY, I know where my limits are and when to seek support- which has been key.

Every day has been full of research and learning which can have a heavy cognitive load for many professions (i.e. software dev and troubleshooting professions). But as a former teacher, learning new skills has been a welcome intellectual challenge.

That's not to say it's not difficult! But I am lucky to have leaned into my network and I hang on tight to the ones that "get" me and show up for me. The ones who said "this IS possible for you." If you have any of those people in your corner, keep them close, that is my biggest advice!