risk | Caroline Dowd-Higgins

Melani Lust, Professional Dancer Turned Photographer

August 25, 2012 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

From her first dark room class at the age of 13, Melani knew her life’s work would be about creating imagery. A native of San Diego, she left California to move to Manhattan where she earned a BA in Art History and an MA in Fine Arts from New York University on full scholarship with magna cum laude distinction.

This Renaissance woman has a sophisticated understanding of aesthetics and composition and her earlier career pursuits explain her profound ability to create moving works of art in her photography.

Melani enjoyed a career as a professional dancer while earning her undergraduate degree at NYU. Dancing with the world renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, she also danced in numerous off Broadway productions and as a featured commercial dancer during the birth of MTV when dancers were highly sought after for the emerging music video genre. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: artist, believe in what you love, entrepreneur, grow the business, photographer, referrals, risk

Melani Lust, Photographer

December 4, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins 1 Comment

This Renaissance woman has a sophisticated understanding of aesthetics and composition and her earlier career pursuits explain her profound ability to create moving works of art in her photography.

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: believe in what you love, change, comfort zone, customer is always right, entrepreneur, line of credit, passion, photography, referrals, risk

Jane Bradley, Nationally Board Certified Reflexologist

November 13, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

“I’ve always been artistically inclined,” says Jane Bradley, “and since NYC is the land of opportunity, I moved there in 1980 to seek my fame and fortune.” In a short time, she found work in the art department of a paperback publishing company learning the industry of graphic design and production art. With no chance of advancement, she moved on to pursue freelance work adding the world of advertising to her growing list of marketable skills and experiences. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: adventure, balance, expand your comfort zone, passion, reflexology, relaxation, risk, solo preneur, stress

Are You Willing to Take a Risk?

October 22, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

How stepping out of your comfort zone may lead to exciting new possibilities!

Filed Under: Career Wisdom Tagged With: career, change, comfort zone, leadership, opportunity, risk, variety

Meg Nollen, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations – H. J. Heinz Company

October 14, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

In the spirit of good networking, Meg first reached out to me when she heard about my career transition blog for women. It was a friend of a friend who referred her to me so I was thrilled to learn about her unique career transitions and she’s had several. So many of the women I have featured on the blog changed careers dramatically from one field to another unrelated career path and others pursued entrepreneurial ventures. I was drawn to Meg’s story because she has reinvented herself many times within the walls of corporate America, albeit in different companies. And she is part of the vibrant but small percentage of women at the C-level in the corporate world paving the way for the future generations of women in the executive ranks. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: c-suite, change agent, crashing economy, crisis, priorities, reinvention, risk, values

Joyce Boyd, Registered Nurse

October 8, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

As an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, Joyce loved math and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. She was one of a few women in her academic discipline and this followed suit in the professional world. She landed a competitive and prestigious spot in a fast tracked entry-level engineering program at a prestigious Fortune 500 company designed to mold the industry leaders of the future.

This program included a full scholarship for Joyce to earn her Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Working as a Systems Engineer, she loved her job with the company and discovered she was better suited to program management than the theoretical design of engineering. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: change, corporare burn out, empowerment, leadership, plan, risk, trust, values

Grace Chon, Modern Pet Photography

August 14, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

A self proclaimed crazy dog lady, Grace Chon grew up wanting to be a Veterinarian. She majored in Biology as an undergraduate and volunteered in animal hospitals to really test drive the profession before committing to vet school. Her Korean immigrant parents were auguring for medical school so Grace could be a physician for humans instead of animals but in the end Grace surprised everybody and opted for art school and earned a Masters of Fine Arts. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: balance, burn out, monetize, passion, plan, resources, risk, skills, strategy, strengths, stress

Ginger, Hodge – Author, Motivational Speaker

August 6, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

Born the youngest of five children in the small town of Sumter, South Carolina, Ginger Hodge was a bit shy as a child. With the love and support of her 3^rd Grade teacher, Ginger found the confidence to embrace her imagination and create unique ways to entertain herself and those around her. Those who know her best love that she always seems to have a new song, game, joke or story to share.

Ginger landed her first job performing singing-balloon-a-grams while attending the College of Charleston. After graduation, she struggled to find her own way by dabbling with a few restaurant, real estate, and ad agency jobs. When she finally found her niche, in the movie industry, she was able to use her unique passion for entertaining others to market family-friendly films. But Ginger’s true passion for living wasn’t fully ignited until she published her first children’s book: When Donkeys Fly. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: choice, inspiration, passion, quality of life, renewal, risk, savor, skills, transition

Pam Beattie, Venetian Décor

July 30, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins 1 Comment

When Pam Beattie, a stay at home Mom, married for 20 years had a yearning for something more, she focused on her passion for French furniture to launch a new business. Venetian Décor is her boutique upholstery and design house that specializes in creating down duvets, custom filled seat cushions and reproduction French furniture, to name just a few of her offerings. Pam is the ultimate recycler using vintage fur coats to bring a new life to these heirlooms and re-purpose them for something new and unique. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reinvention Stories Tagged With: entrepreneur, kids, life/balance, mom, passion, repurpose, resource team, risk, skills

Danielle Bobish, Curtain Up Events

July 24, 2011 by Caroline Dowd-Higgins Leave a Comment

A Broadway actress, Danielle was tired of being a struggling artist and knew she wanted more out of life and her career. But what – and how? Dissecting her career on the stage helped Danielle quickly realize that her professional theater background was the perfect training for planning large events. “With any big event like a wedding, you’ll find the same key elements: costumes, lighting, set decoration, production and timing, and lots of details to coordinate. I thought – why not bring that same excitement and theatrical sensibility to non-Broadway events?” She is now the Owner and Creative Director of Curtain Up Events (CUE) and an excellent example of a woman who combined her passions, skills, and experiences and used them to transition into a new career. [Read more...]