How Kenie Transitioned Careers While Navigating Parenting and Perfectionism

Podcast Transcript:

Damisi: Kenie, you good?

Kenie: I think so.

Damisi: We need to take a couple of deep breaths. Okay.

Both: [Deep breath]

Kenie: And you were an awesome, awesome coach. I no longer say I’m a massage therapist or a marketing manager. I’m a UX designer and researcher.

Damisi: I know that’s right.

Damisi: Welcome to another episode of Promoted, a podcast about leaving low-wage work for good. I’m Damisi Fawole, today’s host and a Merit America coach. Today, we’re talking about navigating career transitions in a challenging job market, especially while balancing other responsibilities like parenting. I am excited to introduce today’s guest, Kenie, who has done exactly that. She successfully made a career transition during a tough job market while parenting. Welcome to the show, Kenie.

Kenie: Thanks for having me, Damisi.

Damisi: Of course. I remember when you first joined Merit America. It feels like it was so long ago, but it’s been wonderful just watching your journey, watching your progress from when you first started. You know, asking all these questions, kind of unsure of yourself, and then getting to a point where you are just like owning your story, owning your journey. And so I would just love for you to quickly share what you were doing before the program and what you’re doing now.

Kenie: Before the program, I was in the holistic field for over 10 years as a massage therapist, and then I transferred into a manager and a marketing manager managing studios. So, my most current role was with an internship as a lead UX designer for a financial educational app that we were able to work on. That recently just ended, but then I’ve still continued with the owner of that app, you know, helping, amongst other things.

Damisi: Okay, very cool. So, let’s dive deeper into your background. You told us about you being a massage therapist, but can you share a little bit more about where you were before Merit America? Think about, you know, when you were young, like what did you want to be, and what were you doing for the majority of your life?

Kenie: I love helping people. I love being around people and communicating with them, helping them find whatever need it is that they have. So massage therapy was perfect for that. Before I decided to be a massage therapist, I was stuck between choosing which IT career I wanted or massage, and I decided to go for the massage first. So after, you know, I got carpal tunnel and tendonitis from just overworking myself. I was like, “Okay, well, now it’s IT, right. I’ve already done that field.” So here I am. Now it is so broad I wasn’t sure which field in IT to pick, but then UX design kind of mirrored my personality, so it was a smooth transition.

Damisi: So, when you think about coming into Merit America, deciding to choose UX design, what were the specific changes that you hoped to see in your life and career that led you to UX design?

Kenie: Well, I wanted something that would also allow me to work remotely—something where I can travel the world and still have a job. That pays well, too. That was like the main thing.

Damisi: I know that’s right. Especially as a parent, I know that flexibility is super important. So that makes a lot of sense. So we often have a very specific goal for our careers. Some of us may have already started that career journey. Maybe, for example, let’s say I always wanted to be in the tech industry, so I got a job in tech. But then we realize that this career path isn’t necessarily for me. And that’s okay. So then the question becomes, how do we get to where we want to be in our careers? So, um, we know that career transitions are not easy, but they’re doable, and you are here to show us exactly that. Can you tell us a little bit more about how UX matches your personality?

Kenie: It’s a huge empathy. You know, you have to have empathy, which was one thing that connected me with UX design. Understanding the client’s needs, what they’re going through, and what their wants are. It was also similar to massage because, with massage, the client is the main goal, you know. Trying to help fulfill whatever needs they have, whatever pain they have, trying to understand what they’re going through. Even at times, sometimes a client knows something hurts, but they’re not sure why, you know. So it’s problem-solving—assessing their gate, how they’re walking, how they’re sitting. And so those are just things I naturally love. So when it comes to user-centered empathy, problem-solving, and then having to customize a plan for them, it’s the same with UX design.

Damisi: It sounds like you’re also really interested in not just putting a band-aid on a problem, but you want to kind of get to the root cause of the problem and really get at the bigger, more foundational issues that people might be experiencing, whether that’s in their body or whether that’s when they’re using an app. So, I hear you took a career break at one point in time. So, I would love to know what led you to take a career break. What was it like transitioning into a new field while being a parent?

Kenie: I took a career break because I wanted to focus on homeschooling my little ones. That was very big for me, which is why I wanted a job that I can do remotely. So I wanted to make sure that their user experience while going through that learning process was a good one, you know. I wanted to make sure that I was able to provide them with a good foundation, and I was understanding their learning patterns and what they were going through so that I could better provide for them in that field.

Damisi: Wow, that’s amazing. Homeschooling is not easy. Any kind of teaching position and anything working with children is not easy at all. So, I just commend you and give you all the kudos for that. What were the biggest challenges you faced during that year at home, homeschooling your children, and how did you navigate those challenges?

Kenie: The year I took off to homeschool was a lot. But I was homeschooling my little ones prior, but this allowed me to hone in more on what I needed to. Busy, very busy, but fun at the same time, too. Um, it was very rewarding. And then when I started at Merit America, I was still homeschooling and working part-time somewhere else. Time management was very essential. It is the foundation, the base, and the heart while trying to make sure that not only was I learning everything, but I was comprehending what I was learning and being able to retain the information, while also making sure my children were also learning and retaining their information, and then just balancing the whole family life and the dynamic. It was a lot, but it’s doable.

Damisi: Yeah, it sounds like a lot, and yeah, it sounds like you are superwoman because you were able to kind of do it all. I would love to know, practically, give me some practical tips, tricks, tools that you use to actually navigate it and to balance the homeschooling with Merit America with the working and other things you were doing. 

Kenie: Well, setting up a schedule. So my little ones know in the morning time that’s their time, that’s our time to go over what we have to go over, read certain things, and also lots of trips to the library. Any type of events where they could connect with other children, as well as those who were also homeschooled. Then, in the afternoon, while they were out playing and having their free time, I took that time to go through certain things, study, and practice on Figma—their old Figma. While also working on my case studies and then, you know, we had team meetings—squads—which were at six, which was very helpful. And you were an awesome, awesome coach to be able to ask you questions if I had questions, and message you, and you were very encouraging. So you were actually a big part of what helped me to continue to do what I had to do, having that support. So that’s also another reason why I’m glad I picked Merit America was the coaching, having those sessions, having someone that is there was—oh my goodness. I don’t think I could have went through without a coach.

Damisi: That’s amazing. I’m so happy to hear you say that. Just how you genuinely felt supported. You felt like it helped you manage things because, yeah, like as a parent, and everybody had different things going on in their lives, and so—like you have the dream, you have the ambition, but then life happens. And I know I said that a lot during the program, like, “Life is just lifing this week.” And so I like that I was able to just affirm y’all in that, encourage y’all through that, and stick with y’all. And I feel like you were definitely an ideal learner because you didn’t need a lot of pushing. Like you already had the inner motivation. You knew what you wanted to do, and you were very proactive about communicating with me when things were going on. So yeah, I think this was a very wonderful pair, and I’m just glad that we worked well together. So with that, did you ever experience any imposter syndrome or struggle with perfectionism during this time of transitioning into the UX field?

Kenie: Yes, all the time and still do. When I’m applying to roles, sometimes I feel like I’m not qualified enough, especially when they’re asking for five to six years of experience. It makes me kind of second-guess whether to apply. But I think it was you in our sessions that said, “Just give it a shot. It doesn’t hurt to apply.” But yeah, with my internship, I was the lead UX designer, and at first, I was like, “I don’t even know why they—well, I do know because I’ve managed before, but it’s just a new field. So, in the beginning, I wasn’t as confident, but as I got in tune with everything, it’s like you managing is managing, you know, making sure everyone is heard, making sure everyone’s on the same page, making sure that we’re able to deliver our deliverables on time, um, communication. It was the same skills I had to realize. And then the skills that I was not um—so my imagination is further than my skills when it comes to Figma at times. But the one thing I realized that kind of helps me get over that at times is to continue to develop my skills so I’m more sure of myself.

Damisi: I love your perspective shift on imposter syndrome, I know when you don’t see positives come from what you’re doing or when you don’t get call backs from jobs that imposter syndrome can really really settle in, but thankfully, I mean you have had opportunities maybe not even as many as you would have liked but you have had opportunities come your way and so I think that also can help with the confidence because it’s like, “Okay, well I wasn’t perfecect, but I still got this chance and I was able to learn these things and get better.” And I love just your emphasis on learning and growing and progressing over perfection because, yeah, you’re new to this field. So, it’s impossible for it to be perfect. Like, where do you go from here? If everything’s perfect, like, why are you even doing this, you know? So I love that perspective shift. And I can also resonate a lot with that because I call myself a recovering perfectionist, like it’s a disease, because sometimes it feels like it’s a condition that you have to get over. But with that, did you experience setbacks or rejections in your job search? If so, how did you handle those?

Kenie: A couple of jobs that I applied for were my top jobs, and all I got back was an email because I mean, just getting an interview is hard. Or sometimes I don’t hear anything back, and I’m still hopeful. Like, maybe there are piles of resumes, and they just didn’t get to me yet. Um, but how I handle that, I go look for another job to apply for because there’s nothing I could do about it. It’s out of my control, you know. That’s really all I do. Just go back, and I’ll try to go through the qualifications in the description again and see what I had or didn’t have. I would wish that, you know, when you get that email that says, “Unfortunately, we’ve decided to go with a different candidate,” that it would explain why. That would be nice. But unfortunately, that’s not what happens a lot of times. So, there’s nothing I could do besides going back out, putting my boots on, and seeing what’s out there.

Damisi: Yes. It sounds like you are very resilient. You are not giving up because you have this, like I keep saying, inner drive. You have what’s motivating you. You have this lifestyle, this flexibility that you’re working toward for you and your children. And so you’re like, “By any means necessary, we’re going to get there. And if this doesn’t work out, it just means that something better is out there for me.” So it seems that you do a lot of positive self-talk. You do a lot of redirection. You do a lot of, like, you’re not internalizing these things to mean that you are not good enough. Or you don’t let those feelings simmer. You let it come and you let it go, and then you move on to something more productive. So it sounds like you handle rejection, actually, really well, because the thing is, rejection is inevitable. Like that’s a part of life. We don’t need to think of ourselves as failures when we get rejected because it’s literally just a cyclical thing. It’s expected, and then you know you move on to your next opportunity. But I think it can be very easy to internalize the rejection and start to look into yourself and be like, “Something is wrong here.” But that is just not the case.

Kenie: Exactly. It’s just a redirection, right? That’s what they say. It’s a redirection to what you want. Because the other thing is, I don’t want just a job to have a job. I want to be where I’m supposed to be. I want to be where I can grow and learn. So if it’s not a right fit for me, I’m not going to. It’s not, I’m not going to just give up easily, but I’m not going to just keep banging my head against the wall. I’m going to trust the process that the right position is going to find me, similar to my internship. During that hunt, I found it, and it was such a beautiful fit, you know, that also helped me get over my imposter syndrome with being a UX designer on the team and being able to execute and deliver on time. It made me realize that I am capable of doing what I have to do.

Damisi: What was most helpful for you to focus on during your career transition? So, you just talked about how you landed this internship, the skills you learned, and, you know, those things helped your imposter syndrome even like it helped decrease that even more. So, in getting that internship and in just the career transition process, what was most helpful for you to focus on? Like, for example, hard skills, soft skills, motivating factors, etc. What do you think helped you gain these opportunities?

Kenie: Focusing more on my technical skills helped me a lot because that was where I was lacking. So, focusing on Figma—and just the whole process that it takes to go through UX design, so that I can create an app. I really had to focus on that because that was completely new to me. So my transferable skills—my soft skills—that is part of who I am. It’s kind of become who I am, so I didn’t have to focus too much on that. So most of my focus came with building the new skills that I did not have or did not know about. 

Damisi: Okay. Well, good. Yeah. I think understanding where your weak spots are can be even more overwhelming because it’s like, “Man, I know nothing about this.” But it seems like, yeah, you knowing nothing about it just motivated you to learn more about it. It didn’t put you in this place of paralysis where you’re like, “Well, I don’t know anything and I’m just going to keep not knowing anything.” You were like, “I don’t know anything, so what steps can I take so I can know a little bit more?”

Kenie: Exactly. Because that’s what builds the confidence that I need. So, you know what I mean? And I do want a job. So, it’s like I have no choice. It’s either that or just stay where I am, which is not an option. 

Damisi: Exactly. I would love to hear a little bit more about what you’ve been doing recently. You’ve talked about this internship. So, like, tell us more about that. How did that go? How did you land it?

Kenie: So for the internship, I was on the Ascend Up website, and I was just scouring what information or free courses that maybe can help me. Then I came across it, and I decided to apply. And I applied. And it was a great opportunity. So I got the role. And then it was a team of four other individuals from all around the US that we were paired up with. So there was a UX researcher, UI designer, usability tester, and things like that. And so they paired us up with a company that was looking to reinvent their app. We had a certain amount of time to deliver their needs. And then, as the lead UX designer for that project, I just had to make sure that we were delivering on time and keeping up with everything. It was very hectic but very fun at the same time. And then also with Ascent Up, there was also not a coach, but someone who was there if you had any questions or needed help with anything. I mean, just another great support system as well. So, I tried to utilize both the Merit America support system and their support system to fill in any gaps that you know if anything was missing. But um it was amazing. It was a great opportunity, and I feel so lucky and blessed that I was able to work with amazing individuals.

Damisi: It sounds like the connections were among the best things that you got from the internship. I just wanted to ask, were there any other particular resources, guidance, or connections during the Merit America program that made a difference for you during your internship?

Kenie: So I had a job coach as well, which was very helpful. I had told my job coach when I was about to apply for the internship to ask her what she thought about it and things like that. So I had some guidance in that direction. I guess I got a little extra motivation. She was extremely helpful. She was helpful in all aspects when it came to that job search because it could become a little overwhelming at times, you know, but she understood where I was coming from, and we were able to break down what I needed to do and where to focus on, and then she also trusted what I was doing, too, which showed. So that was great.

Damisi: Amazing. Let’s transition to the present. So, how has your life changed personally and professionally since making this career transition, since being in the Merit America program and having this internship?

Kenie: Well, I no longer say I’m a massage therapist or a marketing manager. I have retired.

Damisi: What do you say now?

Kenie: I’m a UX designer and researcher. I didn’t know that, right? It’s like I’ve retired in a sense from the holistic field. It’s like a new—not even a new chapter, but a new book, you know. It’s exciting and it’s a little scary sometimes at the same time. But I am looking forward to what the future holds. Going through the program, going through my internship, making these connections makes me feel more secure and makes my foundation feel stronger in where I’m going. So, it’s like even though I don’t know exactly how I might get there, I know what’s at the end of it. I know what my goal is, and I have the knowledge and the skills to go forward. So, when I’m in an interview, I am qualified. I went through certain things. I do know what I’m talking about.

Damisi: Wow. I got goosebumps. Like, I’m truly inspired, and I’m just so excited for your future. You talked about how you know where you’re going. You may not know exactly how you’re going to get there, but you know where you’re going. So, let’s talk about that. What is next for you? Are there any career goals or projects that you’re especially excited about? What do you see in your future? 

Kenie: Interesting enough, one of the other reasons why I had chosen UX design was because I had like 2 app ideas in my head that I have been working on for a while. And so before Merit America and this whole journey, I actually paid someone to create what I can now make now, and so that’s exciting for me because now I can take time and just play around with my ideas. So, along with my internship, I am actually working with the stakeholder. The internship is done, but we did maintain communication. So there are other projects that she has, and I do have the skills to help. So I offered to help her in those aspects, as with the app that we developed. So right now it’s actually the app that we worked on—getting it in schools, and yeah, I thought that was pretty cool.

Damisi: Anything else to share, Kenie? Because we’re getting to the end of our talk today.

Kenie: Even though this whole program has been challenging—really challenging. Living life and taking care of responsibilities as a wife, mother, and with family, birthdays, and Christmases. There’s so much going on. It’s just continuous nonstop. But having your goal and knowing what you want can definitely be the gas to get you through. That really helped me. I want to excel and I want to grow, especially with the way the world is going. I want something that is sustainable. So I’m happy that I started because, like I said, it took me 2 years, and sometimes I tell myself, “I started 2 years ago. I have 2 years of experience behind me.” Sometimes we just have to take that leap of faith and just do it. Just do it. And even if you fall, you get back up and do it again. It’s not the end.

Damisi: Thank you for sharing that perseverance—just that never-giving-up attitude and really thinking about what do you have to lose, like by starting, by taking that leap. You might fall, like you said, but you just get back up, dust yourself off, and try again, right? Thank you so much, Kenie. Thank you for sharing your story. I know it will inspire other listeners who are thinking about making their own leap into a new career. And thank you all for tuning into this episode of Promoted. If Kenie’s story resonated with you and you’re interested in exploring how Merit America can guide you toward a rewarding career, visit our website at www.meritamerica.org and stay tuned for our next episode. Thank you so much.