Want more meaning in your career? How to build a vision and life that has purpose

From Corporate Burnout to Soul-Aligned Purpose: How Kinesiology Changed Everything

Today I am excited to share a conversation with Melanie Herzog, a Kinesiologist from Sydney, Australia.

Today we talk about her emotional journey and her corporate career change over 40 into a health practitioner role as Kinesiologist.

Sometimes we reach a point in our lives when we realize that our current career is not fulfilling us and we need to make a change.

At times we need a huge wake-up call in our life to show us we need to be brave and leap into a new kind of life.

“I took a lot of work home. I was very stressed and we don’t have any family here, so there was none of that support here. My partner was travelling a lot for work, so I was really by myself with my two boys and I just got more and more stressed having to do everything. And to the point where I kind of had an emotional burnout and it manifested in physical symptoms. So I ended up with pneumonia. I had chronic back pain. I had insomnia.” she says.

MWN:

“So Mel, you are actually based in Sydney, and you have changed careers over 40. I’d say midlife, midlife career change, you’re about 50 years now, and your background is in TV research, you’ve told me, a TV research media corporate career, and like many of us, sometimes there are times in our life when we feel we’re living a life that we’re not happy with anymore, we’re in a career that doesn’t fulfill us, that doesn’t make us happy. And that kind of inner voice that gets louder and louder and louder and it gets to a point when we need to either accept that’s what it is or we need to change something right. So and I think you’ve changed your life quite dramatically. Would you like to tell me about what your previous career was and why, when you realized this wasn’t the right career path for you anymore, and what you’re doing now, talk about your work please. I don’t know if I’m getting this right now, in kinesiology, yes, so how you found your way to this particular, you know, path, and how you knew it was for you?

Melanie:

“Yes, absolutely. So I guess I started in media when I was in my 20s. So I had just returned from Australia when I was 22 years old. So I’d spent a year in Sydney studying English and I absolutely loved it, had to return back to Switzerland and was like, okay, what now, and somehow I ended up in media. There was this ad in the paper and I needed some work and I thought what is this, I just applied and yeah I got the job. Initially, it was as the personal assistant to the CEO of a media company, and that’s how I set my foot into media. And from there, I just sort of grew as the years past. I, you know, did some time in marketing and in software product management. And in my, I think it was my fifth year in Switzerland, we actually had a tender in Australia, and that was my chance to go back. So I went back to Australia, was heavily involved in the tender, which we won. And that was my opportunity to transfer to Australia because we opened an office there. And so I joined the office in Australia. And again, I stayed there for many years to come.

And what happened was in 2010, I had my first child. And that’s when everything changed for me. My priorities started changing, and I noticed that my heart was not really in it. I was like, for the first time, what am I doing here? You know, I returned at a part-time capacity, which was okay. I didn’t hate it, but I was like, my heart was not in it. And I thought something had to change. But yet I carried on. I had another child and you know it was just easy, I knew what to expect because changing careers at that age is yeah, it’s challenging, you’re like what can I do, I’ve been doing this for so long, can I even do anything else, but yeah I feel like the universe did the work for me.”

When your body is telling you that something is wrong

I returned at the part time capacity, but I felt like I always did more anyway. So I was only supposed to work three days a week, but I took a lot of work home. I was very stressed, and we don’t have any family here, so there was none of that support here. My partner was travelling a lot for work, so I was really by myself with my two boys, and I just got more and more stressed having to do everything. And to the point where I kind of had an emotional burnout, and it manifested in physical symptoms. So I ended up with pneumonia, I had chronic back pain, I had insomnia, it was, yeah, it all came together. Yeah, so that was like a huge wake-up call, you know, something has to change.

I mean, I was stressed for several years, but when I had pneumonia, that was back in 2016. And I ended up going to a workshop about kinesiology.”

MWN: “So why there? What took you to a workshop?

Melanie: “Well, I’d experienced kinesiology on and off in the years prior, and it was the modality that always helped me, you know. And again, when I got sick, I ended up seeking out a kinesiologist to help me get over the emotional difficulties that I had that really led to the illness and I was so inspired by it and how my health improved again that I was like you know what I’m gonna attend a workshop and you know see how this all works and yeah I did and I signed up on the spot and became a student.

I still remember the person that led the workshop, he did a demonstration on someone in the room and there was an instant change and I was like, this is amazing. And I mean, I had experienced it before on myself. You know, I never really knew what exactly happened in the sessions but I knew every time I knew I’m feeling better, I’m unlocking things, I’m you know, things are changing for me, so yeah.

But I continued to work. Besides doing the course. I continued to work part-time and was also studying on the side. So most, I think it was like every couple, every few weeks we had to go into college over the weekend. And there was a lot of online work, a lot of assignments, a lot of practice at home. So we were teamed up with other students, we’re meeting up, we’re practicing. Yeah, so it was a lot of work.

MWN: “And you managed to do all that?”

Melanie: “Look, I did, I had a few mini breakdowns. But I did manage it. Yes, it’s probably took a little bit longer. Yes, so it’s but you know, I gave myself, that was okay. I thought, you know, things don’t have to be perfect right away. So at that point had you already decided that that’s what you’re gonna do, like was it, that was set in your mind like that’s, I’m going to work in this field and I’m going to open my own practice, had you already had a vision for the next?

When the universe nudges you towards your true path

I didn’t know exactly how it was going to work out but I knew that eventually that’s what I wanted to do and you know in 2019 I sort of started doing it on the side but that was, it was just hard, you can’t do, I’m finding it, I find it very challenging to try and create a business, but still working, still have my family, didn’t really work. And I knew that I had to make a choice eventually. And again, the universe made that choice for me.

MWN: “How do you mean that?”

Melanie: “So, you know, the work became so unbearable. I was bombarded by more work and I just hated it so much towards the end that I knew I had to make a change. But I also, in my mind, I was like, I’ve been in that company for so long, I need to make this change happen somehow and somehow that I walk out with some money. And that’s what actually happened. I believe I manifested that. I was able to take a voluntary redundancy. Yes, redundancy. So I got a payout and wow. Yeah, that was that was the opportunity for me. Wow. But yeah, at the same time, I’d already discussed it with my partner. And I would have quit anyhow. I had set myself the end of 2020. But it was, it ended up being earlier than that. So yes.

MWN: “So in your mind you had already manifested what you really want to happen and where you saw yourself.

Melanie: “Yes, either way, exactly, whatever happens now, I’m gonna take that step and I’m gonna make it happen. It’s done. It’s done and I could see it like I had it, you know, once I made that decision, I had that vision, I could, and I could feel it. I’m like it’s going to happen. Yes, and that’s when that’s when the magic happens, You know, just thinking about that. Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. That’s when the magic happens.”

And the rest is history. It’s like, you know, and I know like some people when they listen to these, you know, sometimes even like, with Yuna, of course she could do this because she got a payout because she was financially supported.”

MWN: “I mean, I’ve done things like that where I’ve moved across the world with a child and I didn’t have that, you know? Like when we make a commitment and we want for something to happen and you know it’s the right path, like you had made the commitment even if you didn’t get that payout, that was just the universe way of helping you, supporting you, going like I’ll give you, I’ll give you that because you know it’s just the way it was meant to happen but you would have done it anyway. Yes because you know like you I arrived here 24 years ago with nothing really and you know it all worked out so.”

Melanie: “So that’s it right, you have to just believe that it’s the right path and believe that you’re being supported and have that trust and faith, right? Yes, did you get to Sydney by yourself like when you when yeah, yeah, that was just you and yeah, that’s right. Yeah, yeah, so it’s just you it’s it’s yeah, it’s amazing. I think what happens when when we just when we just start taking the step, right? I always say it’s just about taking that next step. Don’t worry about all the things that can happen, that could happen, that you need to go through. It’s just about taking that next step, just focus on that. Yes, it really is and it’s small steps. Small steps when it comes to a career change over 40, I always say that’s what leads to potentially a big change. But yes – just that one step better time. Yes.

Career Change over 40 feels scary

MWN: “With your career change over 40 now, was there not a time when you felt, scared or like obviously coming from a corporate career, you were always like, I’d say, like financially in a situation like being in a safe role and career, particularly in your case, you were with the company for very, very long time, you been moved internationally. Especially women, you our age we give up a lot when we’re when we’re making that change. Obviously, changing completely into a new field, how did you find you were so sure that is going to work out? Or what did you do with the the moments when you’ve when you felt like doubting yourself?M Maybe – what if there’s not going to be any clients? Or you’d have a difficult time growing the business?

Melanie: “I won’t lie. It wasn’t all easy, you know, there were definitely challenges along the way, particularly, you know, it was the COVID years. So in 21, I actually went quite well. But then we went into lockdown. And I pretty much had to close my doors because I work out of my home clinic. And that was challenging. It was because, you know, it’s not like corporate where every month you have your paycheck in the bank account. With my business, every month is different. I never know. I mean, I’ve got used to it now and it always seems to work out fine. You know, sometimes I look at the month ahead and I’m like, oh, there’s not that many bookings, but it’s, it’s always worked out to be honest. And I’ve just, yeah, I really lean into that faith.

And sometimes when I have a more quiet period, I’ve found that again, it was exactly what I needed. Like, you know, maybe I had to finish because I’m still studying other stuff at the moment. So it was like, I actually had to finish assignments or I had something else come up or one of my children had a difficult time that really needed my presence so it was like it’s it’s always worked out. So yes, yeah, so it’s essentially just guiding you exactly the way you should and and this is what I’ve really started doing to connect and follow the energy if that makes sense so I really listen to my body you know does that feel right or does it not so if I have like a lightness when I have to take a decision then I know I’m on the right path if it makes me feel heavy it’s like that’s not right and I’m not going to follow it. I’ve learned to really listen to that and it’s always right.

Lean into your intuition

MWN: “Would you say that’s something particularly that women have? Is that like our intuitive voice or does everybody have that?”

Melanie: “Everybody has it but I feel most of us are very disconnected because we all live up in the head and have this disconnect so we can’t really hear our intuition but it’s there, it’s there. It’s not just a female thing, everyone has it. It might be more of a female energy because you connect with it in stillness because the masculine energy is all about doing doing so and so that that feminine energy that something even males have and should have should access.”

MWN: “Your inner voice, your higher self, whatever we want to call it – when did you find that connect for yourself? Was that something that’s always been there for you or was there a time when you realized there’s more to it?

Melanie: “I think I had it a lot when I was a child. And I think all children have it. They’re so intuitive. It’s incredible. But then I think along the way, we kind of start to disconnect, we lose it because we get conditioned with things. This is what we should be doing. This is what society expects, etc. And we sort of go away from our path. And so I think that’s sort of what happened to me but then I reconnected with myself and that was definitely the catalyst was in 2016 when sort of everything fell apart and when I made that big change and that’s when I started reconnecting with myself and so it slowly came back.”

—As told to Melanie at Mama, what’s Next