#10 - From Chef To Coach: Reinventing Your Career After 40 - Meet Curt Sassak

What happens when the career you thought you’d love forever suddenly feels like a trap?

In this episode, I talk with Curt Sassak a former award-winning chef who hit the wall after 20 years in his “dream job.” Burnout, identity loss, and the Sunday Scaries forced him to reinvent himself — and today, he’s a career and personal development coach helping professionals do the same.

Connect with Curt and sign up for his upcoming workshop on landing your next 6-figure career in 90 days:

https://linktr.ee/curtsassak

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https://redefiningretirement.io/p/gen-x-unplugged-podcast-resources-books-tools-prompts

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We dig into:

00:00 Introduction and Early Life

02:04 Career Journey and Inflection Point

06:28 Recognizing the Need for Change

11:13 Transitioning from Chef to Coach

16:33 Coaching Philosophy and Client Experiences

21:35 Finding Fulfillment in Career Changes

33:37 The Value of Experience and Perspective

35:00 Side Hustles and Career Resilience

36:29 Building Your Brand and Networking

38:23 Self-Promotion and Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

45:14 Navigating Career Changes and Inflection Points

50:42 Clarity and Action in Career Transitions