What happens when the career that defined you for decades is suddenly no longer who you are?

In Episode 23 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, I sit down with Francine Julien, also known as Princess Francie, to talk about navigating major life changes, rebuilding your identity, and figuring out what you actually want your next chapter to look like.

After 33 years as a military and civil-service aircraft electrician, Francine faced her own difficult transition. Retirement wasn't simply about leaving a job, it meant questioning an identity she'd carried for decades.

Drawing from her experience in change management, Francine eventually developed a six-step process for personal change, adapting tools she'd used professionally to help people understand and navigate change in their own lives.

• Why major career changes can trigger an identity crisis
• Francine's six-step personal change process
• How to identify what's really making you uncomfortable
• Why collecting data matters before making a major change
• How past experiences can influence present-day habits
• Why your new story should focus on what you want rather than what you're trying to avoid
• How small changes create momentum
• Why mistakes can be treated as useful data instead of failure
• How Francine's work evolved from helping adults to teaching children emotional and self-regulation skills

[00:00] Introduction [01:05] Career Change & Identity Crisis [04:25] How Childhood Experiences Shape Adult Behavior [08:55] Step 1: Identify the Real Problem [13:05] Step 2: Collect the Data [16:30] Step 3: Find the Root Cause [20:25] Step 4: Write Your New Story [24:25] Step 5: Implement the Change [26:10] Why Mistakes Are Valuable Data [28:05] Step 6: Monitor & Adjust [30:05] Finding Your Next Career Direction [32:05] The Butterfly Who Changed Everything [33:25] Teaching Kids Confidence & Self-Regulation [35:45] Francine’s Clarity Starter Pack [36:40] Final Thoughts

We also explore something I hadn't thought about this way before: childhood isn't only a constant process of change for children. Parents are changing alongside them.

Francine also shares the story behind The Butterfly Who Changed Everything, the Camp Confidence children's series, Sparkle Feathers TV, and her free Clarity Starter Pack.

If you're at the point where you're thinking, “I can't keep doing this anymore,” this conversation offers a framework for figuring out what comes next.

🎙️ Get a chance to share your side of the story here at Beyond the Corporate Ladder. Apply to be a guest: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking

What if leaving your corporate career didn’t have to mean giving up your financial security?

In Episode 22 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, I sit down with Mike Qu, founder of LGA Growth Partners and managing director of Crown Forge Energy, to talk about the strategy he used before leaving his career in tech:

Build passive income first.

Mike spent his corporate career in the Seattle tech world, surrounded by companies like Amazon and Microsoft. But eventually, he started asking himself whether he really wanted to continue down the same path for another 40 years.

Instead of immediately quitting, Mike started learning.

He attended investment conferences, built relationships with mentors outside his tech bubble, explored alternative investments, and eventually discovered direct oil and gas investing.

His objective was to build enough monthly passive income to help cover his expenses before making the full-time leap into entrepreneurship.

One of the concepts Mike and I discuss is his wealth ratio:

Monthly passive income ÷ monthly expenses.

When that number reaches 1, your passive income theoretically covers your current lifestyle.

• Why Mike built passive income before leaving his software career
• The difference between active and passive income
• How Mike thinks about his “wealth ratio”
• Why financial independence creates more career options
• How Mike discovered oil and gas investing
• How direct ownership in oil and gas wells works
• Why Mike still believes diversification is critical
• What investors should consider during due diligence
• Why operator competence and ethics matter
• Mike’s advice for anyone questioning their corporate path

[00:00] – Meet Mike Qu: From Tech to Entrepreneurship [01:00] – Why Mike Runs Two Companies [02:10] – Using Technology to Help Local Businesses [03:25] – Entrepreneurship vs. Passive Income [05:05] – Building Passive Income Before Leaving Tech [06:45] – Discovering Alternative Investments [09:00] – Mike’s Wealth Ratio for Financial Independence [10:35] – Why Mike Went Deeper Into Oil & Gas [12:30] – How Passive Oil & Gas Investing Works [14:35] – Diversifying Passive Income Streams [16:05] – Why Investment Due Diligence Matters [17:30] – How Mike Evaluates Oil & Gas Operators [19:30] – Family, Business, and What Comes Next [21:20] – Build Active Income Before Passive Income [23:20] – Mike’s Final Advice & How to Connect

One thing I appreciated about this conversation is that Mike isn't arguing that everyone needs to leave corporate America.

If you love your career, keep building it.

His bigger message is to intentionally grow your active income while also thinking about how you can build passive income, and ultimately create more choices around what you want your life to look like.

🎙️ Get a chance to share your side of the story here at Beyond the Corporate Ladder. Apply to be a guest: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking

What happens when the version of success you worked hard to create no longer fits who you’ve become?

In Episode 21 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, I sit down with Dr. Jo, founder of Tula Soul, for a candid conversation about personal transformation, career reinvention, embodiment, entrepreneurship, and learning to trust yourself.

Dr. Jo began her career as a clinical psychologist, eventually building a successful private practice. But her own experiences with recovery, yoga, embodiment, and personal growth changed not only how she saw herself, but how she wanted to help others.

That realization ultimately led her toward holistic coaching, yoga, writing, retreats, and a business that felt more aligned with the person she had become.

• Why success can change as you change
• How Dr. Jo transitioned from clinical psychology into holistic entrepreneurship
• Why high-achieving women often feel responsible for other people's emotions
• How boundaries can create greater freedom
• Why authenticity became central to Dr. Jo’s business
• The challenge of leaving behind an identity tied to income and professional status
• Why trusting your intuition matters when everyone has advice for you
• How Dr. Jo thinks about abundance versus scarcity
• Why relationships, not just methodologies, can create meaningful transformation

[00:00] Meet Dr. Jo and Tula Soul [01:12] Helping High-Achieving Women Reconnect With Themselves [03:17] Why You're Not Responsible for Everyone's Feelings [06:00] Dr. Jo's Journey Into Psychology [08:35] How Her Definition of Success Changed [10:08] The Experience That Changed Her Career [13:20] Leaving Behind an Old Identity [15:09] What Dr. Jo Had to Unlearn [17:28] From Psychologist to Holistic Entrepreneur [19:08] Finding Clients and Building an Authentic Brand [21:36] Turning Different Ideas Into One Business [23:35] The Hardest Part of Entrepreneurship [25:00] What's Next for Dr. Jo [26:07] Trust Your Gut and Stop Following Everyone's Advice [28:02] Why Relationships Create Real Change

Dr. Jo also shares openly about her recovery journey, body shame, identity, and how learning to feel safe in her own body influenced the work she does today.

Her advice for anyone beginning a new chapter is simple: listen to your gut, trust your intuition, and use discernment when other people tell you how your path should look.

Want to share your side of the story on Beyond the Corporate Ladder?

Apply to be a guest: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking