The story of how Marlo Scott baked herself a happier career.    
                                                                    
Marlo Scott can’t stop smiling today. How could she? In January 2009 she spent an afternoon with Martha Stewart making cupcakes for an upcoming show.  Being chosen for this segment was amazing and beyond anything she ever imagined.

If you ask Marlo for the recipe of her Crimson and Cream Cupcake, she will gladly share it with you as she recently did for Fox5 Good Day New York, to celebrate Valentine’s Day. She is also more than glad to give you her recipe for a happier life. Like many people on a career track, Marlo thought she had the ingredients for success. But after an MBA at the University of Michigan and three layoffs, she discovered that her original recipe had a certain aftertaste that she needed to eliminate. So with a few ounces of inspiration, a splash of networking and lot of hard work, Marlo baked up the idea for a cupcake, wine and beer bar and a happier existence.

Marlo thought she had it all. Even after being laid off from two different jobs, she still thought she was on the right track and considered her career a successful one. She had a great job in business development within Time inc.; she was motivated, well-liked, and up for a promotion. “Life just doesn’t get better than this,” she thought. And she was right, it didn’t. In fact, Marlo’s professional life took a nosedive from that point on.

After delivering outstanding results and successfully leading a business group, her reward was the deferral of her promotion for 9 months. Marlo was underwhelmed and disappointed, and she came to the conclusion that Corporate America just wasn’t the place for her. She soul searched to sort out her next steps. “The hardest thing was to figure out what I wanted, where my passion was. Once I did that, things started coming together”.

Marlo eventually discovered that her true calling was, in fact, very sweet. Everyday on her way to work, she passed by a popular New York cupcake bakery. Marlo observed its operations and after months of due dilligence – and a few extra cupcake pounds – Marlo came to the conclusion that the famed bakery had sweet cupcakes but an even sweeter horizon if given an opportunity to differentiate. “I would pass by every day and think what I would do differently. I started to brainstorm on my concept and I looked for opportunities to educate myself on the industry”. She signed up for restaurant administration courses and began networking with entrepreneurs and restaurant owners. She spent countless hours in the kitchen, perfecting her cupcakes and writing recipes from scratch.

In January 2007, she was laid off along with 200 others at Time Inc. The news came as a shock but mostly as a relief. She knew instantly that fate was intervening, and she was being given the opportunity to add sweetness to her life. “Getting laid off gave me a chance to put life in perspective. It allowed me the freedom to take a bet on myself. I felt empowered to go for it – to build a business and a brand that would offer a sweet environment for me, the good folks that work with me and for all my lovely patrons”.

Marlo opened Sweet Revenge in July 2008. The upscale, world-inspired cupcake, beer and wine bar has already made a mark.  Fox5’s morning should and Martha Stewart are not the only ones clamoring on her door. Time Out New York Magazine named Sweet Revenge the “Critic’s Pick” and is among the contenders for the 2009 EatOut Awards for Best New Bakery (results not yet published/known as of March 4, 2009). The Feedbag.com, Brides.Com, CupcakesTakeTheCake, and New York Metro, among others have profiled her.  She was also distinguished by New York City's Department of Small Business Services as an NYC Business Solutions Success Story.

“My life is unbelievable. Two years ago I was laid off, and almost to the day, I was baking my cupcakes with Martha Stewart”. Marlo smiles, “The best advice I can give to people wanting to change their lives is to have confidence and take a bet on yourself. It’s the safest one you can take and the most rewarding one too.”

Edited by Ignacio Villanueva

Have your own recipe for career success?  Share with us and inspire others.

As I was reading the New York Times today, a very interesting  story on the front page caught my eye. Out of the thousands of jobs that have been lost since the beginning of the recession, 82% were held by men. I guess this does not come as a surprise as we keep hearing stories our guy friends and husbands losing their finance jobs left and right while tales of women getting laid off are less common.

The Times attributes this to the fact that men are employed in industries that are all but being wiped out by the financial crisis, and that women work mostly in less cyclical industries like healthcare and education.  Although is it certain that the most hit areas are male dominated, it might also have to do with the fact that women are willing to work longer hours for 80% of the pay.

Will this shift in breadwinning responsibilities bring us closer to bridging the pay and presence gap for women in the workplace?

We want to hear your thoughts!

A Banker’s Transition to the Intimate World of Women's fashion

Can you imagine juggling fourteen-hours a day in the office, planning a wedding in a foreign country, having a relationship, and maintaining a decent social life? Yeah, well, neither can we. But that used to be Cinthia Martinez’ life during her investment banking days. Growing up in Honduras, Cinthia always dreamed of becoming a Wall Street executive with designer pantsuits and a fabulous life. But after finally getting the job, achieving the rank and wearing the pantsuit, Cinthia discovered that the life she dreamed of wasn’t as fabulous as she expected. Actually, life wasn’t fabulous at all.  She was always on the run, feeling irritable, stressed, and with no time for herself. At one point her career started taking a toll in her relationship and was even affecting her health. During one of her “regular” workdays, Cinthia started hyperventilating and ended up collapsing at her desk. This disturbing incident, of course, marked a turning point in her life: either she changed careers or hired an on-staff hair stylist to color her fast-growing gray hairs.
   
Cinthia thought of searching a new career path even before her incident, but not knowing what else she wanted to do, quitting her job didn’t really sound like the wisest of choices.  She did know, however, that she wanted to have what her mother had back home: a career that would allow her to have a healthy balance between work and family. Based on this insightful finding, Cinthia dedicated herself to find a strong female role model with a well-rounded life balance and who she could look up to. It proved challenging, but she kept searching.

It took Cinthia one month after her panic attack to start actively searching for new career opportunities.  She started by sending her resume out to recruiters and applying to every job post that seemed interesting to her. As the interviews began, the search became more challenging since she was competing with candidates that had experience in the fields she was pursuing. However, Cinthia decided to get the most out of the interview process. “On every interview I had, I became the interviewer”. Today, she advises people to ask as many questions as possible during their interviews, so they can ensure they are transitioning into a field they would enjoy. She also took the opportunity to polish her creativity as she always looked for ways to turn her past work experience into relevant skills for any field.

Cinthia ended up finding her passion by accident, while listening to a guest speaker at a recruiting event she attended.  The speaker was a Harvard graduate and former Wall Street professional who had found greener pastures working as an executive for Victoria’s Secret.  As she heard the woman’s story, Cinthia realized that she could relate to everything she was saying. She also found herself very interested by the nature of the work that was being described. “This is it!” Cinthia thought, “this lady is the role model I’ve been looking for.” Motivated by her newly discovered interest in the world of undergarments, Cinthia decided to reach out to her new role model.   Impressed by Cinthia’s courage, the speaker connected her with the right person within Victoria’s Secret to further explore the potential fit.  Soon after, Cinthia got an interview and ended landing a job in their merchandising department.  Simultaneously, Cinthia received an offer from another bulge bracket firm in Wall Street. The offer implied a promotion and was more aligned with Cinthia’s experience and definitively within her comfort zone, which made the decision really tough. After carefully weighing her options with her husband – who had been very supportive during this transition process – Cinthia decided to go out on a limb and walk down the runway towards successful career in fashion.  “All along, I aimed for the perfect fit, because I knew that once I left I would never be back” said Cinthia, who has been extremely happy with her decision. 

Now the days when Cinthia got home from work at 11pm to find that her boss had already emailed her blackberry are over. Of course, her new career is not magically perfect; like everything else in life, fragrances and beauty can also give you headaches from time to time.  However, Cinthia is now able to leave the bad days at work, where they belong. She’s also working with a team of talented people that teach her something new everyday. And as for her investment banking skills, well, they have allowed her to always bring an innovative approach to every challenge she’s tackled. Happy with her work/life balance, Cinthia discovered that “when you have a job you enjoy, you never have to work a day in your life”.

Looking back at her career, Cinthia is very pleased with the way things turned out for her.  She is also passionate about sharing her story and giving tips to others. When asked to give advice to those seeking a career change, Cinthia said: “It is not easy to change, but I just want people to know that there is something beyond.  Pursue your passion.”   Many of her friends and acquaintances approach her for advice about career transition and she loves being a role model for them.  After all, not everyone is fortunate enough to have lots of support.  As for her future, she looks forward to keep enjoying the benefits of her new balanced life and improved relationships, and plans on starting the family she has always wanted. 

Have you changed careers? Tell us your story and help inspire others!

Edited by Ignacio Villanueva

Take time to answer the following questions. Don't just read them. Grab pen and paper and write down what comes to mind as you look for answers. It probably has been a long time since you thought about these things. You might be surprise with your answers!

1.Values.  What is important to you in your career going forward?  Is it developing programs to help children in South America, or opening the Samba studio you have been daydreaming about? Pick the top 5 values that are essential to your satisfaction, and don’t compromise.  

2.Experiences.  When was the last time you felt energized? Think about work and life experiences and activities that you find most enjoyable and activities that bring the real YOU to life.  What is it about these activities that you enjoy? Does your career involve activities that bring out the best in you?

3.Work environment.  Are you the corporate type or do you dream about working on your own? Knowing your ideal environment will guide you towards the right career.

4.Personality.  Are you a big idea person or an implementer?  What are the talents hidden in your personality?  We all have preferences on how we gain our energy and choose to deal with the world.  The right career has to fit your personality like a glove.

5.Skills.  You are gifted at so many things, but what are those skills that you are really proud of and you really enjoy? Ideal careers allow you to use your strongest skills while you enjoy your work.

6.Dream job.  Do you have a dream job?  Don’t worry about being ridiculous, think the impossible.  Look into what aspects of this job do you find attractive.  Your ideal career should have similar aspects.

7.The past.  Explore your past and think about what you liked and disliked about your jobs?  How did you choose to be in your field?  Did you follow your passion or did others influence your choices.  Looking into the past will help you make better choices in the future.

8.Talk.  Verbalize your goals and talk about it to others.  If you know someone who does what you want to do, ask them about what they enjoy and dislike about it. If you don’t know anyone, opening up about what you want can lead to the right person. Hiring a Coach might be extremely helpful to clarify your goals.

9.Time.  Where are you on a timeline?  Are you planning to have a family in the near future and need a career that allows flexibility or are you able to work more hours?
 
10.Action.  What’s stopping you?  You will be surprise to know that the most likely obstacle between you and a more fulfilling career is lack of action. It all begins with one step…take it!

Get in touch with our coaching team today. We will help you get started!