and then I did this

LuRae Lumpkin
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"And Then I Did This" brings you the unique journeys of individuals who've had the courage to break free and live life on their own terms. Each episode takes you behind the scenes of an ordinary person's extraordinary transformation. You'll hear from those who've walked away from the beaten path to pursue work and a life that nourishes their soul. Their stories prove that you truly can be free to live your best and most authentic life. Get ready to be inspired as we explore the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned from those who dared to create the life of their dreams. Whether it's leaving the corporate grind to start a small business, embarking on a midlife career change, or simply redesigning your daily routine to prioritize your passions - the guests on "And Then I Did This" show you that it's possible to break free and live life on your own terms. Join us each week and prepare to be motivated, encouraged, and empowered to take the first steps toward more freedom in your life. If you're feeling inspired and ready to explore your own path to freedom, check out YouCanBeFree.life where you'll find resources and support to help you break free and live life on your own terms.

  1. 4d ago

    She Got Laid Off Twice—Here's How She Built a New Life

    After two layoffs and more than 20 years in corporate HR, Melissa Grabiner stopped waiting for someone else to decide her future. She bet on herself. In this episode of And Then I Did This, LuRae Lumpkin sits down with Melissa, an entrepreneur, job search coach, business advisor, two-time LinkedIn Top Voice, and yoga instructor, to talk about what really happens on the hiring side of the table and how to take back control of your career. Melissa has hired thousands of people, so she knows why today's job market feels so hard. She explains how AI is changing recruiting and interviews, what candidate ghosting says about a company's culture, and why sending out hundreds of applications is one of the least effective ways to land a job. She also shares practical steps you can use right away: how to write a LinkedIn headline that gets you found, how recruiters actually search for candidates, and how to reach the hidden job market before you urgently need it. If you're at a professional crossroads, recovering from a layoff, or quietly wondering whether it's too late to start over, this conversation is your reminder: it's never too late to pivot, reinvent yourself, or try something new. Chapters: (00:00:00): Betting on yourself after corporate layoffs(00:04:00): Starting over, building a business, and becoming a yoga instructor at 50(00:08:00): Why job security no longer exists(00:12:00): How Melissa helps job seekers from the hiring side(00:16:00): Candidate ghosting, company culture, and AI interviews(00:20:00): Why networking beats mass applications(00:24:00): Making your LinkedIn headline work for you(00:28:00): Visibility, recruiter searches, and the hidden job market(00:32:00): Choosing entrepreneurship without living with regret(00:38:00): How to connect with Melissa Links and Resources: Melissa Grabiner on LinkedInLuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to And Then I Did This? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    She Got Laid Off Twice—Here's How She Built a New Life

  2. Sep 9

    It's Never Too Late to Start Over

    If the life you worked hard to build no longer feels like your own, this conversation is a reminder that you are allowed to choose again. Intuitive energetic healer, spiritual teacher, retreat leader, and author Julie Mullins joins LuRae Lumpkin from Bali to share how travel, healing, and the courage to start over helped her move beyond an acting career that had stopped feeling fulfilling. Julie explains how to tell intuition apart from fear, why obstacles can become guides instead of proof that something has gone wrong, and how small daily actions can rebuild self trust when the next chapter is still unclear. They also explore toxic work environments, relationships as mirrors, the balance between faith and action, and a more meaningful definition of success rooted in peace, authenticity, and continued growth. Whether you are considering a career change, questioning a path that once made sense, or wondering if it is too late to reinvent yourself, this episode offers honest encouragement to listen inward, take the next step, and never let your age or past decisions keep you confined. Chapters: (00:00:00) Why it is never too late to start over(00:03:00) How a nomadic life can reveal what you truly want(00:08:00) Telling intuition apart from fear, anxiety, and lack(00:12:00) Redefining success through peace, presence, and growth(00:17:00) Why obstacles can become part of the path(00:23:00) What toxic situations and difficult relationships can reveal(00:29:00) Building self trust through small daily actions(00:35:00) Julie's journey from acting to intuitive healing(00:42:00) Giving yourself permission to begin again at any age Links and Resources: Julie Mullins on InstagramJulie Mullins Expand Into PossibilityLuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    It's Never Too Late to Start Over

  3. Sep 2

    How to Build a Business in an Industry You Don't Know

    He was supposed to become a doctor. Instead, six-time founder Cory Blumenfeld walked away from medicine to build companies in industries he knew nothing about — eventually creating a life by the beach in Mexico while helping business owners reclaim their time. In this episode, Cory joins LuRae Lumpkin to unpack why execution matters more than having the perfect idea, how to validate a real problem before building anything, why delegation creates room for growth, and how putting yourself out there can lead to opportunities you could never have planned. If you're standing at a personal or professional crossroads wondering whether it's too late to change direction, this conversation is proof you don't need every answer before you begin — just the courage to take the next honest step. In this episode: Why ideas are common but execution is rare Cory's path from pre-med to six-time founder How to spot people who can actually execute Validating a real market need before you build Why visibility and trust matter as much as the product Building a personal brand while keeping your day job Defining freedom, fulfillment, and your own version of abundance Chapters: (00:00:00) Ideas are common, but execution changes everything(00:01:00) Cory’s unexpected path from medicine to entrepreneurship(00:05:00) Taking back your time inside or outside a traditional career(00:09:00) Building businesses in industries you know nothing about(00:13:00) How to recognize people who can truly execute(00:18:00) Finding a real market need instead of forcing an idea(00:23:00) Why visibility and trust matter as much as a great product(00:28:00) Building a personal brand while keeping your day job(00:33:00) Defining freedom, fulfillment, and your version of abundance(00:38:00) Put yourself out there and let people discover your expertise Links and Resources: Cory Blumenfeld on LinkedInRegain Your Time With BlueMoso LuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    How to Build a Business in an Industry You Don't Know

  4. Aug 18

    What If You Finally Became Who You Were Meant to Be?

    What happens when the life that looks successful no longer feels like your own? Award-winning speaker, author, leadership coach, and mental health advocate Erica Gifford Mills joins LuRae Lumpkin to talk about the courage it takes to stop performing, listen to the purpose that keeps calling, and build a life rooted in who you truly are. Erica shares how personal loss clarified her mission, why she stopped waiting to feel fearless, and how failure can become a teacher instead of a verdict. She and LuRae explore visibility, self worth, boundaries, reinvention, and the quiet ways people hold themselves back because they are afraid of being judged. Erica also shares the story behind the International Women Speakers Summit and her commitment to creating spaces where women feel seen, heard, supported, and empowered. If you're standing at a crossroads and wondering whether it's too late to change direction, this conversation is a reminder that you don't need the entire roadmap. You only need the courage to take the first step. Chapters: (00:00:00) Welcome and Erica’s journey to rooted leadership(00:04:20) The question that exposed a deeper calling(00:07:00) Why purpose keeps calling until you answer(00:10:45) Confidence, self-worth, and learning to set boundaries(00:14:00) Visibility, authenticity, and claiming your seat at the table(00:18:15) Creating the International Women Speakers Summit(00:21:25) What becomes possible when you stop shrinking(00:25:00) How journaling unexpectedly led to becoming an author(00:27:00) Recognition, impact, and opportunities that find you(00:30:20) Erica’s advice for anyone who feels stuck Links and Resources: Erica Gifford Mills on LinkedInInternational Women Speaker's SummitBalanced SymmetreeLuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    What If You Finally Became Who You Were Meant to Be?

  5. Aug 13

    It's Never Too Late to Come Home to Yourself

    Mark Young knows what it feels like to lose touch with who you are. After childhood trauma and years of trying to think and talk his way back to himself, he hit a wall that no amount of reasoning could get him past. That search led him to create the Somatic Plasticity™ 78 Day Reset, a process designed to help people reconnect with their bodies and feel at home within themselves again. In this episode, Mark opens up to LuRae about his own journey and why he believes the body holds memories and emotional patterns that shape how we live, work, and relate to others. He shares how practices like breathwork, mirror work, fasting, sound, and movement became part of his approach to healing. If you've ever felt stuck in an old version of yourself or wondered whether it's too late to change, this episode is a reminder that healing can begin with one small step back toward who you truly are. *The methods and health claims discussed in this episode reflect Mark's personal beliefs and experiences and should not replace professional medical or mental health care. Chapters: (00:00:00) - Meet Mark Young and the origins of his healing work(00:04:45) - How stress and life experience disconnect us from ourselves(00:08:20) - Growing up divided and carrying a child's nervous system(00:13:35) - Moving from fear-driven patterns toward freedom(00:16:00) - Why Mark built the 78-Day Reset(00:22:45) - Preparing the body for change through daily practices(00:29:20) - Environment, energy, and learning to trust yourself(00:34:00) - Numbing, crossroads, and choosing to reconnect(00:38:10) - Creating change one degree at a time(00:44:10) - Finding an inner home and living authentically Links and Resources: WebsiteMark Young on LinkedInLuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    It's Never Too Late to Come Home to Yourself

  6. Aug 5

    From Police Officer to Healer: Her Journey to Alignment

    Edith Vincent spent years as a police officer before anxiety, health struggles, and a nervous system stuck in survival mode forced a reckoning. Today she's a hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher, and sound healing practitioner. In this conversation, Edith and LuRae explore the difference between fear and misalignment, why changing your scenery doesn't change your patterns, and why calm brings clarity instead of collapse. A grounded reminder that you don't need to destroy your life to start listening to yourself. Chapters: (00:00:08) Introducing former police officer turned hypnotherapist Edith Vincent(00:02:04) Searching for meaning: why Edith became a police officer(00:05:52) Leaving a stable career when fear says you will not make it(00:10:21) Burnout, pushing through, and why calm creates clarity(00:12:48) What actually happens in a hypnotherapy session(00:17:52) Inner child work, voice activation, and finding your purpose(00:20:39) Building roots after years of running: a new kind of courage(00:25:12) Taming self limiting beliefs and the cycles of reinvention(00:29:04) How to connect with Edith Vincent(00:30:26) You do not need to destroy your life to change it Links and Resources: Edith Vincent OnlineEdith Vincent on InstagramLuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    From Police Officer to Healer: Her Journey to Alignment

  7. Jul 28

    From Wall Street Recruiting to Building a Movement

    Nat Berman spent seven years in a career that never quite fit, recruiting for Wall Street firms while quietly working on his own projects after hours. Then a friend's email about a blogging platform gave him the opening he had been waiting for, and within nine months he walked away from the safe path for good. In this episode, LuRae and Nat trace the whole journey: the fear of cold calling strangers, the calculated leap with six months of savings, and the unexpected loss of his mother that inspired the Be Better Movement, a community built around one small daily action. Nat gets honest about what actually changes a life. Not motivation, not a perfect plan, but tiny habits, real ownership, and the courage to commit first and figure out the how later. If you've been standing at your own crossroads wondering whether it's too late to change direction, this conversation is proof that it isn't. Chapters: (00:00:00) - Introduction and Meet Nat Berman(00:02:07) - The Career That Never Fit and the Leap Out(00:06:22) - Starting the Be Better Movement(00:10:26) - Cold Calling, Rejection, and Staying Kind(00:13:41) - Let Go of What Isn't Yours to Do(00:16:13) - You Already Know Enough to Start(00:21:14) - The Loss That Inspired Be Better(00:26:38) - One Small Thing Every Day(00:31:22) - Be Better Cards and Street Conversations(00:36:29) - Advice for Anyone Ready to Start Over Links and Resources: Nat Berman OnlineNat Berman on LinkedInThe Be Better MovementLuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    From Wall Street Recruiting to Building a Movement

  8. Jul 23

    You Aren't Stuck. You're Playing Too Small.

    What happens when the life you worked hard to build no longer feels like it fits? Dave Crane has reinvented himself more than once, from a young entertainer in Scotland to a BBC journalist, radio leader, international host, speaker, and mentor. In this candid conversation, he shares what it took to move through rejection, career pivots, pandemic stress, and the pressure to keep proving himself. Dave offers a powerful reframe for anyone standing at a crossroads: the version of you that feels most capable may already be there, waiting for permission to lead. Along the way, he shares practical ways to speak with more confidence, build a side path before leaving an unhappy job, and trade the chase for constant happiness for a life rooted in contentment. If you've been quietly wondering whether it's too late to make a change, this episode is a reminder that your next chapter can begin with one key question. Chapters: (00:00:00) Dave on the difference between your public self and your strongest self(00:06:00) Rejection at the BBC and the decision to leave the UK(00:12:00) Reinventing a career when the pandemic stopped everything(00:18:00) Meeting the superhero version of yourself(00:24:00) Why public speaking fear feels so intense(00:30:00) How to bring an audience into the conversation(00:36:00) Building trust, presence, and a personal brand(00:42:00) Creating a side path before leaving work you dislike(00:48:00) Choosing contentment over the chase for happiness(00:52:00) A final reminder to live a life that is truly yours Links and Resources: LuRae Lumpkin on LinkedInYou Can Be Free NewsletterYou Can Be Free on YouTube Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

    You Aren't Stuck. You're Playing Too Small.
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

"And Then I Did This" brings you the unique journeys of individuals who've had the courage to break free and live life on their own terms. Each episode takes you behind the scenes of an ordinary person's extraordinary transformation. You'll hear from those who've walked away from the beaten path to pursue work and a life that nourishes their soul. Their stories prove that you truly can be free to live your best and most authentic life. Get ready to be inspired as we explore the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned from those who dared to create the life of their dreams. Whether it's leaving the corporate grind to start a small business, embarking on a midlife career change, or simply redesigning your daily routine to prioritize your passions - the guests on "And Then I Did This" show you that it's possible to break free and live life on your own terms. Join us each week and prepare to be motivated, encouraged, and empowered to take the first steps toward more freedom in your life. If you're feeling inspired and ready to explore your own path to freedom, check out YouCanBeFree.life where you'll find resources and support to help you break free and live life on your own terms.

Information

  • Creator
    LuRae Lumpkin
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 You Can Be Free
  • Show Website
    and then I did this