The Bold Pivot: How Career Transitions become Catalysts for Self-Discovery
Have you ever felt like the career you built no longer fits the woman you’re becoming?
We’ve all been there: standing at a crossroads, wondering if the path we’re on still reflects who we are and who we’re becoming. For many women, this moment comes in our careers. Work that once felt fulfilling now feels like a box too small to hold our evolving purpose. In those moments, the boldest act we can take is the pivot.
A pivot is not failure, it’s transformation. It’s the decision to step out of the familiar and into the possibility of something greater. I’ve spoken with countless women who have redefined their careers, moving from corporate roles to creative ventures, from stability to entrepreneurship, from titles to purpose. Each story reveals the same truth: when you pivot, you rediscover yourself.
Making this kind of change is not without fear. There are financial questions, doubts about timing, and the voices — both internal and external — that whisper, “What if it doesn’t work out?” But here’s the reframing I remind women of: What if it does? What if the pivot is not about leaving something behind but about stepping into alignment with who you’ve always been?
The bold pivot requires preparation. It means assessing your values, identifying your transferable skills, and surrounding yourself with mentors or communities that remind you of your brilliance. It also means giving yourself permission to start small, whether that’s exploring new skills, launching a side project, or testing new industries. Every step toward alignment is a step toward freedom.
As Bozoma Saint John reminds us, “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” Bold career moves often require crossing lines we previously thought we couldn’t.
Similarly, Michelle Obama reflects in Becoming, “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving.” Every pivot is an opportunity to evolve, to align your work with who you are becoming.
And of course, Oprah Winfrey frames it beautifully, “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” A pivot is that adventure. It’s not just about reshaping a career, it’s about reclaiming joy, purpose, and self-discovery.
Your career is a canvas for becoming. The pivot may just be the bold brushstroke that reveals the masterpiece of you.
So I ask you this: If not now, when? If not you, who?
Deneen L. Garrett is a Dream Lifestyle™ coach, speaker, writer and creator & host of a 100 Best Women’s Empowerment podcast Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation. She helps women design lives they love through intention, creativity and bold self-belief. Deneen also contributes to Culturs Magazine and Medium.