Changing Careers: The Stories of Those Who Followed A New Path, an Old Passion

– By Melanie Cane –

While many jobs have been lost and careers ended in recent months, a number of Rye residents have changed careers mid-stream and are glad to tell the tale.

For close to 20 years, Steve Mochel and his wife, Laura Shuler, worked for a large brand marketing company, all of whose clients were Fortune 100 companies. They left their jobs at the end of 2008. “The company was downsizing and restructuring and we saw this as a great opportunity to leave and start our own business.”

They had been working long hours and traveling a lot of the time, which was not conducive to spending time with each other and their four teenage children. “Given the reality of the economy, we decided we wanted to work for ourselves and be responsible for ourselves for the rest of our lives.”

After taking a month off for a “step back,” they decided to start a driving school in Rye. They’d set out to find the best driving school for their 16-year-old son and realized there wasn’t one. “There is a huge need for a driving school here. The schools ended their Driver’s Ed program two years ago,” said Steve. He cited two statistics: car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers and 60% of teens will have an accident within six months of getting their licenses.

Their school, Fresh Green Light, will be “like an Apple store for driver’s education.” They came up with the name for three reasons. Fresh green light is a driving term for when the light first changes to green and it is safe to go. It will be a “green business,” where they minimize waste by using hybrid cars, recycled paper, and energy-saving bulbs. They’re taking a fresh approach to teaching driving skills, where young drivers will learn much more than what NYS mandates.

They are in the process of negotiating a lease in downtown Rye, will be hiring employees over the next couple of months, and expect to be ready for business by mid-June.

Laura’s advice for people who want to make a career change: ”Leap and the net will appear.” Also, read a great book entitled “Soloing”. For more information about Steve Mochel and Laura Shuler’s nascent business, go to www.freshgreenlight.com.

As the head of Global Human Resources of a major financial company for 25 years, Meg Drago traveled all over the world and lived in Europe for two years. She found her job stimulating and rewarding, but it left her little time for her family and the activities she enjoys. That’s why, 18 months ago, she decided to switch to a job with more flexibility. After exploring many possibilities, Drago decided to focus on what she felt most passionate about within her field of expertise: helping leaders maximize their potential, navigate their careers, find balance in their lives and work through transitions.

“My values are very much rooted in family, achievement and a sense of adventure. I wanted to experience the thrill of following my dream and then share what I’d learned with others. I decided to start my own coaching and leadership development practice, so I could put this great experience to work in a meaningful way.”

Drago had coached leaders throughout her career, but did not have the formal credentials, so she “made the best decision of my life, to return to school to hone my skills, learn cutting-edge techniques and add some tools to my toolkit.” She is now a month away from completing the Leadership Coaching certification program at Georgetown University. The sessions run for eight months and require travel to Washington, D.C. one week a month for classroom learning. Otherwise, it is mostly studying on one’s own.

As for her new career, Drago loves partnering with her clients to explore alternatives and choices for development and growth. “It is rewarding to help people see things from different perspectives, realize they have choices, and through inquiry, curiosity and challenge, encourage self-discovery.”

As for her advice for other people seeking to change careers, she said, “Follow your passion, plan ahead, network like crazy and ask for help and support.” As an independent contractor, Drago obtains clients through consulting firms, networking, and word of mouth. To contact her, e-mail megdrago1@verizon.net.
Part II of this article will be published in the April 24 issue.