Join Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he sits down with experts in the field to discuss real-world challenges. How do I send my message clearly when put on the spot? How do I write emails to get my point across? How can I easily convey complex information? How do I manage my reputation? Whether you’re giving a toast or presenting in a meeting, communication is critical to success in business and in life.Think Fast, Talk Smart provides the tools, techniques, and best practices to help you communicate more effectively.
226. Reinvent Yourself: Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity
Reinventing your life or career starts with reflection and conversation.
Making the leap — to a new career, to the next stage of a relationship, or to a different version of yourself — requires honest communication. For Ilana Golan, being “leap-ready” requires that we answer three questions: Why me? Why this? And why now?
Golan knows all about these leaps, as her career spans corporate executive roles, entrepreneurship, and even F-16 flight instruction. As the founder of Leap Academy and host of the Leap Academy Podcast, she helps equip others to navigate their own personal and professional reinventions. As she says, “It’s really about communicating from the vision,” which starts as an inside job. “Why is this the right thing for me right now? You convince yourself first, because when you're [at] peace with what you're trying to do, it's a lot easier to convince others.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Golan and host Matt Abrahams explore how honest communication shapes every stage of reinvention, whether that’s listening to the signals your mind and body are sending you — like “sleepwalking through life” and imagining something more — or articulating your pivot in ways that create understanding rather than resistance. Wherever you hope to leap, Golan’s insights show how to communicate through change with confidence and clarity.
Episode Reference Links:
- Ilana Golan
- Leap Academy
- Podcast | Leap Academy
- Ep.187 Experimenting, Failing, and Finding Your Job Fit - Catalyze Your Career
- Ep.147 Disrupt Yourself: How to Innovate Who You Are and Become Who You Can Be
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Chapters:
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (01:39) - Breaking Barriers & Career Patterns
- (02:18) - Waking Up to Change
- (03:42) - Signs It’s Time for a Pivot
- (06:45) - The Rise of Portfolio Careers
- (10:17) - Communicating Career Leaps
- (13:29) - Finding Clarity in Reinvention
- (20:01) - The Final Three Questions
- (22:56) - Conclusion
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