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The Challenge

24 months post-layoff, still pursuing another Fortune 100 W2 executive role while quietly building her own consulting business on the side.

The Shift

Stopped waiting on the market and committed fully to Aduvo Services, expanding into banking, finance, and technology opportunities.

The Outcome

Five months into working with Career Evolved, a warm introduction led to a signed offer, closed while her new partner was on vacation in Italy.

Olivia Gamber

A Note From The Founder

Olivia Gamber, CEO

When Ada first sat down with us, she was almost two years past a layoff from a career that had taken her from Merrill Lynch to Microsoft. On paper she looked like someone who should have already landed the next big title. In reality she was stuck between two lives: still applying for another executive W2 role, and quietly building her own consulting practice, Aduvo Services, on the side.

She was also caring for an aging parent at home, which meant every option she considered had to work for more than just her resume. That is not a detail we treat as background noise. It shapes what a real strategy looks like.

Ada did not need a louder job search. She needed permission and a plan to stop waiting on the market and go all in on the thing she had already started building. What happened over the next five months changed the question she was asking entirely.

STUCK BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Ryan Meinberg

...but before we even got to the execution there was a big clarity piece because there was a lot of directions to go and you never know what's going on in the market... when you first came in here what were you originally committed to at first

Ada

at first coming in to career evolved I remember having that conversation with Olivia right on our first run and it was really about landing my next fortune 100 W2 kind of executive level role and position to get me to where I was before right and so that was my initial lens and initial focus coming on board with career evolved

“i was really thinking small right because i was waiting right for that other w2 opportunity to come about”

THE PIVOT

Ryan Meinberg

we don't wait for the market we need to control ourselves... and a lot of this had to also deal with who you are as a person because you do take care of some loved ones at home that has also transformed your life and that's a big deal because if you had done HCA that would have required you to move maybe on their terms versus your own

so part of this clarity in the process was hang on let's put the market on hold... and that was a triggering point for us as well because that completely changed the strategy

Ada

i just stumbled on that conversation with you ryan right at some point i'm saying you know i've been doing consulting and part of which has been in the communication space as well and so that was when i think the light bulb started to get brighter right

“why don't we explore that even further right and deeper and wider right compared to the small lens and small view i had been looking at it from”

SHOWING UP AS THE PROMOTER

Ryan Meinberg

so that high level strategy piece on how we pivoted now we of course get into the weeds right and what we did... we're like okay let's break apart this business let's see where there's opportunities... let's see how career evolved can expand upon it right let's see how we can blow this thing up and wow there's a lot of great opportunity here with banks on the consulting side on the finance side on the op side on the tech side there's a lot here

i gave matt a call and said i think this is a perfect company for your former boss... let's see if we can do this opportunity

there's an aspect to interviewing in the doctor framework that is so important on that promoter phase because matt doesn't have to do anything he doesn't have to promote you... you have to serve the promoter in order to serve the organization

Ada

i went in just from the outlook of position myself right in the best light possible of course get to learn from him as well and learn from his background learn from his experiences

i laid that table out with matt to let him know what my capabilities are but what i also know the capabilities of the organization is and how we can deliver to potential clients potential partners

“it wasn't your big brands that sealed this deal it was literally just you you're just a warm person the value was clear”

THE SIGNED OFFER

Ryan Meinberg

...that conversation of course led us to where we are today to the signed offer

she took a break from her vacation and sitting by the beaches in Italy to talk to Ada that's how much of a purpose they wanted to move with

Ada

i couldn't even believe sometimes that it's only been five months or so that we've been working together... i tell you ryan that we're joined at the hip now because this is a continuous relationship that i believe is just one that is divinely orchestrated to help unlock value

“beyond the title what is the experience what is the core that can truly carry you far beyond where any title can take you to”

Ready to Stop Applying?

Ada stopped waiting for the next W2 role and built a business worth signing in five months. If you are ready to stop applying and start building, let's talk.