Client Case Study

FROM REBUILDING TO ALIGNED.

Doug lost his job for the first time in 30 years, with his whole life shifting at once. A year of disciplined daily practice and surrendered faith led him to a role that finally fits his whole life.

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The Challenge

Divorce finalized and 50% custody shift landed the same season as his first job loss in 30 years, leaving Doug in what he called a deep unemployment circle.

The Shift

Doug turned the search into a job: 10 outreaches and two meetings every day, tracked in a spreadsheet until the discomfort of self-promotion became routine.

The Outcome

Doug landed a mostly remote Director of Ops role at a faith-aligned company, closed on a house, and now balances field travel with 50% custody of his kids.

Olivia Gamber

A Note From The Founder

Olivia Gamber, CEO

Doug came to me in a season most people never talk about out loud. His divorce had just finalized. His custody arrangement was new and still tender. And then, after three decades in his career, he lost his job for the first time. Not a layoff he saw coming. Not a transition he chose. All of it landed at once.

What struck me on that first call wasn't a lack of skill. Doug had built a real career in oil and gas, played at a high level inside a Fortune 100 organization, and led teams through hard operational problems. What he'd lost was the belief that any of it still counted. He kept circling back to one thing: was he still worth it in the marketplace.

This case study is about what happens when someone stops waiting to feel ready and turns the search itself into a daily practice. Doug didn't need a new resume trick. He needed a job to show up to every morning, a way to measure himself, and eventually, the humility to stop gripping outcomes so tightly that God, or life, could actually redirect him.

A Deep Unemployment Circle

Doug

In late in 2024, I finalized a divorce and it was tough. I've got 50% custody with my kiddos. So life was changing... and along the way there, I found out my job was going away and I was losing a job for the first time ever in 30 years.

Not only had no matter what I did on the family side, that didn't work. And then I had what I considered a failure on the work side too. And I was down... I was pretty low and down in a deep unemployment circle for the moment.

Olivia Gamber

I remember when I took that call... you're very operational and analytical and engineer minded. So one of the things for you was you had tactics down, right? But it was really a mental block for you to get out of your own head. What was the block for you?

Doug

The block for me was confidence in myself, believing in myself and sharing that confidence... It was literally deep down believing in myself of all the things that I've done were still worth it in the marketplace.

“It was literally deep down believing in myself of all the things that I've done were still worth it in the marketplace.”

Turning the Search Into a Job

Doug

I had heard a couple people in the forums mentioned that they had to get to where they were making 10 outreaches a day. And I'm a hardheaded engineer. I had to hear that two or three times before it clicked.

I turned it into a job. Like this was my job for the day. I need to make 10 outreaches a day and I'm going to measure myself on that. And after I make 10 outreaches a day, I need to set up two meetings a day, whether that's a 30 minute coffee, a lunch, a team's meeting, zoom meeting, whatever it may be.

I put all this into a spreadsheet and started graphing how many calls I made a day. Was it 10? Was it eight? Was it 12? And how many meetings did I have?... It also gave myself permission to... okay, I've done everything I could for the day.

“I turned it into a job. Like this was my job for the day. I need to make 10 outreaches a day and I'm going to measure myself on that.”

Bless It or Block It

Doug

I'm sitting here having some really deep conversations with two companies and thinking, man, I'm at an offer right around the corner. And this was in August and just had this prayer. God, if this is from you, bless it. If it's not from you, block it. By Monday morning, both opportunities were blocked.

The lessons I learned in the next 30 days were critical to my success, to my growth... and both of those opportunities and another one were with very strong faith based companies.

Olivia Gamber

I didn't even know three companies like that existed in oil and gas. So I'm even enlightened by this awareness, right? It's just like, wow, that's beautiful to see that we're moving in that direction as a society.

Doug

The full alignment at work and the opportunity I've been blessed with now is just, it's allowed me to fully align my life... the role is mostly remote. And then I travel to the field when I need to.

“God, if this is from you, bless it. If it's not from you, block it. By Monday morning, both opportunities were blocked.”

Network Matters, People Matter

Olivia Gamber

As you think through the biggest lesson you can share with folks that maybe they're going through a huge life transition, a rebuild season... what would you say to yourself from this vantage point?

Doug

Don't do it in isolation. Have the right people around you that inspire you and continue taking that next little step every day, that next opportunity, that next action, every day and surround yourself with people that will lift you up.

The high achiever do it alone mentality had carried me for 30 years... well, network matters. People matter. I just can't bury my head in the sand and think that I can solve this by myself.

I'm in a much better, well-rounded, balanced role than I've been in before.

“I'm in a much better, well-rounded, balanced role than I've been in before.”

Ready to Stop Applying?

Doug rebuilt his confidence, his habits, and his network before he ever landed the role that finally fit. If you're navigating your own rebuild season, let's talk about what your next chapter looks like.

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Read the full transcript

Olivia: Can you share, I mean, you've gone through a whole rebuild of career and life, right? This 2025, where were you when you and I first met? Can you share where this all started?

Doug: In late in 2024, I finalized a divorce and it was tough. I've got 50% custody with my kiddos.

[Question shown on screen]: Where were you when you and I first met? Can you share where this all started?

Doug: I found out my job was going away and I was losing a job for the first time ever in 30 years.

Doug: I was pretty low and down in a, in a deep unemployment circle for the moment.

Olivia: what was getting you in the early as you were, cause obviously you're not a marketer. You're not someone that promotes yourself. It's a new process to have to execute. What was the block for you?

Doug: was literally deep down believing in myself of all the things that I've done were, were still worth it in the marketplace.

Olivia: do outreach and do it at volume. It's intimidating, right?

Doug: I had heard a couple people in the, in the forums mentioned that, you know, they had to get to where they were making 10 outreaches a day. And I'm a hardheaded engineer. I had to hear that two or three times before it clicked.

Doug: I turned it into a, well, I need to make 10 calls a day. I turned it into a job. Um, like this was my job for the day. Um, I need to make 10 outreaches a day and I'm going to measure myself on that. And after I make 10 outreaches a day, I need to set

Olivia: we're moving in that direction as a society. And that this is now people are seeing the value of a full alignment at work, right?

Doug: the opportunity I've been blessed with now is just, it's allowed me to fully align my life. Um, post divorce, post the change. Um, I have the opportunity now, the, the role is, um, mostly remote. And then I travel to the field when I need to,

Doug: I'm in a much better, well-rounded, balanced role than I've been in before.

Olivia: Yeah. So now that you're more aligned, what has shifted mostly for you that you're most proud of?

Doug: just a couple of weeks ago, I closed on a house and really transitioning out of that post-divorce rental uncertainty of

Olivia: how much these layoffs can take a toll on your psyche, right? Yes. Cause you almost like forgot who you were in the process.

Doug: 2025 has been a year of rebuilding who Doug is, um, as a dad, as a, um, as an engineer, as a leader, as someone of faith, just rebuilding all the way around.

Olivia: It sounds like for you that it's a core focus is for you to actually get to live the life you want to live. Now. It seems like you're very clear now on what your values are.

Doug: I'm not only clear about what my values are, but I'm acting upon them too.

Doug: I learned how to be a salesman. And it was actually good because it's been a benefit in my new role.

Doug: I put all this into a spreadsheet and started graphing, um, how many calls I made a day? Was it 10? Was it eight? Was it 12? And how many meetings did I have?

Doug: I was able to use the career evolved community to self-start some of those conversations.

Olivia: do it alone. And it's just not possible.

Doug: Well, network matters. People matter. I just can't bury my head in the sand and, um, and, and think that I can solve this by myself.

Olivia: what kind of carried you through your whole journey and got you where you are. Right. It is.

Doug: I'm sitting here having some really deep conversations with two companies and thinking we're man, I'm at an offer right around the corner.

Doug: God, if this is from you, bless it. If it's not from you, block it. By Monday morning, both opportunities were blocked.