Client Case Study

FROM COMPLACENT TO COMMANDING.

Ten years at the same startup had dulled John's edge. He rebuilt his mindset, cleared the belief that age was a ceiling, and walked into the toughest hiring market in a decade with multiple offers on the table.

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The Challenge

Ten years at the same startup left John bored, underutilized, and quietly skeptical that any coach could actually help.

The Shift

He interviewed seven career coaching companies and chose the one that wanted partnership, not a done-for-you resume rewrite.

The Outcome

John accepted an SVP, GM role with a six-month path to President of the Americas, after a process that included the global CEO flying in from Germany to meet him.

Olivia Gamber

A Note From The Founder

Olivia Gamber, CEO

John came to us already successful. That was part of the problem. Ten years at the same startup had turned into a rut he didn't fully notice until his skills stopped being used and the boredom caught up with him. He didn't choose transition. Transition chose him.

What struck me the first time we spoke was how openly he named his skepticism. Most VPs of sales don't. They come in guarded, testing you, waiting for the pitch. John just said it: I'm really skeptical. He'd already talked to seven other coaching companies and heard the same offer over and over, pay a few thousand dollars, we'll fix your resume, we'll touch up your LinkedIn, good luck.

He wasn't looking for a fix. He was looking for a partner who understood the business he was trying to re-enter and the level he was trying to re-enter it at. That distinction is the whole story.

Skeptical, and Right to Be

Olivia Gamber

So that's what when I first met you, I remember you. And as you can imagine, I talked to a lot of VP of sales and they are by far the most difficult people to enroll because of the high fire defense mechanisms in place. So what I noticed about you right at the gate, you said, I'm really skeptical. And you told me this and I was like, that's interesting. So I'm curious, what moved you past your skepticism?... So what was it that got you to trust?

John

What really got me to trust was you Olivia and your passion, your wording, the psychology behind it... It was just the feel of you and your company. I felt like this is where I want to be. Had nothing to do with price, it had nothing to do with any of that.

I can't just sit down and say, here's my resume. Here's 10 grand, fix it, do it and find me a job. That's just not the way of the world. It just doesn't work that way. And what you offered from other people in the same situation, how we're going to work together and network together to make this opportunity the best... it just clicked, talking and networking with C-suite people.

“That's not what I was looking for. I was looking to partner with somebody.”

Seven Coaches, One Real Choice

John

I was finding people through LinkedIn, people through Facebook and just hitting them up... there was a ton of companies out there. And I narrowed it down to seven. After speaking to some of them, some of these career coaches were very monotone, seemed very cold, seemed detached in a sense and not engaging so much, but like they would do everything for you. And I'm like, that's not what I want. I want to rebrand myself. I want to re-energize myself. I want to be surrounded with good people and work with good people with good values.

They were more like, yeah, give me five grand, six grand, and we'll redo your resume. We do your LinkedIn profile. That's not what I was looking for. I was looking to partner with somebody. I was also looking for the long term in it. This position, next position, whatever it takes. I'm involved from now until whenever I stop, my choice, not you have three months to find an opportunity and then we cut you loose. Having that career coach that actually knows the business, the industry that understands C-suite people like Olivia... That's what I was looking for.

“I'm involved from now until whenever I stop, my choice.”

Clearing the Age Story

Olivia Gamber

I just have to say as a sales leader, you get this, right? Like you victim mindset is everywhere right now. And you can't, because the economy, because the age, we all fall prey to it.

And you're like, you've managed to stay so far out of that energy. And so what's keeping you empowered? Cause there's a lot of guys out there that look like you, they feel like I'm too old and I'm getting aged out and everybody comes to me with that scenario. I'd love to hear your perspective on it.

John

I explained it to a friend the other day who actually just got it, who just got hired by a company. He felt the same way. And I said, if Steve jobs walked out of his grave, you think nobody would hire him? Even though he's dead, decrepit worms are falling out of him. They'd hire him instantly, right? Don't worry about your age. It's your value. Show your value.

I used to think, Oh, I'm getting aged. I'm getting aged. But no, do I still have the energy to do it? Do I have the right mindset?... I'm accountable for it. I'm the one winning. I'm the one going to make it win... got rid of all my self limiting beliefs. And that was one of them. Am I polished enough? I never thought I was polished enough to be a president. Never thought I had enough of a better education or the skillsets... I feel more secure myself too, more confident. So I was confident, but now I feel a lot more confident.

“I got rid of all my self limiting beliefs. And that was one of them. Am I polished enough?”

The Mindset Behind the Offers

Olivia Gamber

Got your energy shifted from a grind and got to get a job, got a job too. I'm in flow and I'm actually, I think you trusted so much in yourself in the process that you knew you were going to get exactly what you wanted. I mean, to get multiple offers in the worst job market in a decade, you need a certain kind of mindset to achieve.

John

Absolutely. Working for a startup company for 10 years, you fall into a rut. You do what you know to do. You lose that mindset... maybe a little complacent is the word. And to hear it and to work with other people that are working on that mindset, I'm taking this mindset and going to this company with this mindset and just going to rock and roll with it.

The energy and the mindset, and what we said, how you show up, how you show up with your mindset and your energy. That's 99% or 95... I believed in it. I believed in you.

“What I scrolled was people networking — so it was a total mind shift there.”

Ready to Stop Applying?

John spoke to seven coaches before he found one that understood the C-suite instead of just rewriting a resume. If you're ready for that same kind of partnership, let's talk.

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Read the full transcript

Olivia: were kind of forced in it, right? Out of nowhere, I think into this, into the, well, you were planning it, but then it kind of accelerated, right?

John: I was forced into it based on my, my mindset, my skills and talents not being utilized, uh, to the, to the max from a boredom standpoint, I was forced into it from my, from my old comp

Olivia: were going to get exactly what you wanted. I mean, to get multiple offers in the worst job market in a decade, it's, you need a certain kind of mindset to achieve.

John: working for a startup company for 10 years, you fall into a rut. You do what, you know what to do. You know, you lose that mindset and that, that kind of, not to say passion. I still love the business, but you lose, you lose a little, you know, you get to come, maybe a little complacent is the word.

John: So I used to think, Oh, I'm getting aged. I'm getting aged. But no, do I still have the energy to do it? Do I have the right mindset? Am I just going to go in there and be a victim? Oh no, it's this fault. It's that. No, no, no. I'm accountable for it. I'm the one winning. I'm the one going to make it win. And I'm going to have that high level of energy and not worry about age because I have the background, the skills, the talent, got rid of all my self limiting beliefs. And that was one of them. Am I polished enough? I never thought I was polished enough to be a president. Never thought I, you know, I had enough of a better education or, or the skillsets. And then

John: some of these career coaches were very monotone, seemed very cold, you know, seemed, uh, you know, detached in a sense and not engaging so much, but like they would do everything for you. And I'm like, that's not what I want. I want to rebrand myself. I want to re-energize myself. I want to be surrounded with good people and work with good people with good values.

John: I was looking for. I was looking to partner with somebody. I was also looking for the long-term in it, you know, this position, next position, you know, whatever, whatever it takes. I'm involved from now until whenever I stop, you know, my choice, not, Oh, you have three months to find an opportunity. And then we cut you loose, you know, um, having that career coach that actually knows the business, the industry that understands sweet, uh, C-suite people like Olivia and yourself. That's what I was looking for.

John: that they flew the global CEO from Germany to the U S to meet with me. Wow. Even though I met with him on a zoom call, it was like, okay, you know, a week and a half later. And I, I'm sitting there going, what kind of questions is he going to ask me? I already asked me a ton of them in the interview, but now I'm going to meet with him face to face. And I had dinner with him. And then the next day we had an interview in the morning for lunch,

John: if Steve jobs walked out of his grave, you think nobody would hire him? Even though he's dead, decrepit worms are falling out of him. They'd hire him instantly, right? Don't worry about your age. It's your value. Show your value.

John: I feel more, more secure myself too, more confident. So I was confident, but now I feel a lot more confident.

Olivia: how do you assess talent? Like essentially you're assessing us because you, you have to see value for you to take counsel from us. Right. So what was it that got you to trust?

John: I can't just sit down and say, here's my resume. Here's 10 grand, fix it, do it and find me a job. That's just not the way of the world. It

John: then I piqued his interest with some keywords and knowing his market challenges and, and, and really talking his language.

John: and I still want to be a part of Career Evolve. I think I offer some help to people. I think I can, you know, continue to grow myself as a career, you know, for my career and just continue to learn from people and network with people. And

John: the networking, reaching out to C-suite people, you know, put yourself in vulnerability. Don't be afraid. Fall, you know, fast forward or fail fast, fall forward. And the learnings that we've all talked about.