What if we reframed walking away from one thing as walking toward another? At 63, Lisa Edstrom found herself asking tough questions about purpose, fulfillment, and the cost of “sticking it out.” After what she thought was her dream role turned out to be the wrong fit, she didn’t double down or push through. Instead, she chose something different: she hit pause.
What follows is the story of how Lisa reconnected with her values, rediscovered her joy, and reclaimed her career.
The Catalyst: A Question of Purpose
Lisa had built a meaningful life and career—raising a family, serving, traveling, and earning a strong reputation professionally. But when she was laid off from 3M at age 62, she began to wrestle with bigger questions.
“I kept coming across the question of purpose,” she recalled. “I didn’t want my legacy to be, ‘She was a great project manager.’ I wanted to make a real contribution.”
That search for deeper meaning happened to coincide with a LinkedIn post by Lynne Juve at Transitions Careers. The message resonated so strongly with Lisa that she booked a free consultation. Soon, they were working together to explore the possibilities and write her next chapter.
The Turning Point: Rethinking the Meaning of “Quitting”
After her departure from 3M, Lisa accepted a position with a nonprofit that, on paper, seemed like a perfect fit. Yet within a year, she began to see that the reality of the role wasn’t what she had envisioned. Something felt out of alignment, and she recognized she was expending significant energy just to get through each day.
Through coaching conversations, Lisa began to examine some of her long-held beliefs about work and perseverance. With Lynne’s guidance, she reframed the situation: this wasn’t simply about leaving a job—it was about reshaping the story she’d been telling herself about success, worth, and what it means to “quit.”
“We’re conditioned to believe we should always stick it out,” Lisa said. “But I began to realize, in this case, what if choosing to leave is actually the courageous choice?”
When Lisa recognized she had the financial security to pause, she gave herself permission to take a break, which she came to call a sabbatical.
The Sabbatical: Stillness, Study, and Self-Discovery
Lisa wrapped up her role in January and allowed herself to do nothing for the month of February. “You have to be willing to stop and be quiet,” she said. “Stop and listen: what is my purpose? What brings me joy?”
For Lisa, that meant hours reading, journaling, and allowing inspiration to rise organically. Instead of hopping on a plane and traveling the world, she found adventure in the pages of books and the quiet of her own reflection.
By March, she was taking steps toward something new. She earned a trauma-informed yoga certification and completed training as a Master Naturalist. She also began building the foundation of a business she calls the Sage Explorers Collective.
Lisa envisioned it as a way to combine her love of travel with her passion for community—a space for women at a certain stage of life to celebrate their connection to nature, fellow adventurers, and inner wisdom. “Sage” reflects the power of life experience. “Explorers” speaks to curiosity and courage. And “Collective” is about doing it together.
The Return: A Career Aligned with Passion and Purpose
Even as she explored entrepreneurship, Lisa remained open to new professional opportunities. She taught yoga at her local Y and eventually applied for a part-time position developing programs for older adults.
Then came an unexpected full-time offer: a leadership role in the Minnesota Department of Human Services, helping guide the Age-Friendly Minnesota initiative. Lisa now serves as the director of a committee working to ensure the state’s aging population is supported, protected, and empowered.
“This is an area I care about deeply, and I can use all the experience I’ve accumulated over the years,” she said. “It’s about putting wisdom to good use.”
And that wisdom helped Lisa uncover another insight: “I once thought my age was a liability,” she said. “But now I realize it’s one of my greatest assets.”
A New Path: Sage Explorers and Supporting Other Women
Lisa didn’t abandon her entrepreneurial dreams. In fact, her business is already resonating with women who want to push past fear and explore the outdoors.
She recently embarked on her first group trip, a return to Alaska, where she and a backpacking partner had traveled before. She knew it would be the perfect opportunity to test her vision and offer other women the same kind of life-affirming adventure she had found.
“This is a community for women at this stage of life,” she explained. “It’s about adventure, yes, but also about awareness, care for the environment, and knowing that it’s not too late to try something new.”
Paving Your Own Way
Lisa’s story is about more than a career pivot; it’s a reminder that change is possible at any age, and sometimes the most courageous choice isn’t to push forward, but to push pause.
Lisa embraced her pause with confidence, clarity, and purpose. The result wasn’t just a new job; it was a new outlook. As she now tells others: “If you leave yourself open, and you do the searching, and you listen—something will turn up.”
If you’re ready to start rewriting your own story, Transitions Careers is here to help. Reach out to start the conversation.
