Career & Life Design: Defining Success and Creating the Path on Your Terms
This past weekend, I attended a women’s business expo and conference. It was a small but mighty crowd of diverse small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. As I confidently networked and introduced myself, I thought back to my first business conference in May 2024. Just eight months before, I felt like a fraud declaring myself a small business owner—I had makeshift business cards, a couple of clients, and no clear niche or title.
This time, however, it was different. When asked, “So, what do you do?” I felt confident responding a, “I’m a Career and Life Design Coach and Strategist,” articulating what that means to me and my work.
Answering that question reminded me of something I have been wanting to do for a while—explain what Career and Life Design really is in a blog. So, to the surprise of my own coach (because yes, even coaches need coaches), I’m finally sitting down to share. So, here we go!
How I Discovered Career & Life Design
I first stumbled across the idea of career and life design while reading a book about self-compassion. It was casually mentioned, so I highlighted that breadcrumb and rabbit-holed down the topic. I was surprised to discover there was an entire Design Your Life movement developed by Dave Evans and Bill Burnett, two Stanford University professors.
In 2007, after seeing students in their department struggle with life and career direction, these two professors piloted a course that applied design thinking and human-centered design to the problem. To their surprise, the course became so popular it was eventually opened university-wide and has become one of the most popular first-year electives at Standford. Since then, it’s led to the creation of the Design Your Life movement, Stanford Life Design Lab, and several New York Times bestsellers.
The more I read about applying design thinking to work and life, the more it resonated—not because it was shiny and new, but because it felt comfortable, familiar, and validating. It was language and structure for something I practiced and believed in, helping make sense of my early career and lifelong aspiration to “help people bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be.”
What is Career & Life Design
So, what is it? At its core, career and life design is a flexible, adaptable framework that breaks away from traditional linear career models and creates space for everyone to live, work, and learn in ways that make sense to them. Instead of cramming people into predefined boxes (and leaving those of us without answers or a box feeling incomplete and inadequate), it embraces the known and unknown. It empowers people to live on their own terms, evolving alongside them as they grow and navigate life’s changes.
We may feel like we have (or should have) all the tools to make life our own, but we often underestimate how many of our decisions are shaped by external voices, expectations, and societal norms. Career and life design encourages us to quiet the noise, identify the root cause of problems, and be open to exploring possibilities that may feel impossible, illogical, or mere pipedreams.
This method doesn’t just invite us to dream big—it is designed for action. It promotes practical and realistic steps. It encourages individuals to dig deep, try, fail, learn, and keep growing as part of the process. It allows us to evolve with our changing needs, aspirations, and circumstances.
Who Career & Life Design Is For
Success on one’s terms doesn’t happen by accident—it happens by action. This approach is for anyone seeking a well-lived, purpose-driven life. It’s as much a tool for burgeoning professionals, as it is for those launching into retirement. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying it’s the only or “right” way to live (I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all), but it’s worth exploring—especially for those feeling stuck, unfulfilled, and uncertain about life’s direction. It’s why I’ve oriented my life and work toward helping people live, work, and learn by design, not default.
As a Career and Life Design Coach and Strategist, my goal is not to hand people the answers to all of life’s questions—because I don’t have those answers (and be wary of people who claim they do!) Instead, I get to help people ask powerful questions, quiet the voices that undermine them, and tap into skills, strengths, and talents they may not even realize they have. People are allowed to create their own definition of success, and I love getting to partner with them to figure out what that is and how to get there.
What to Do Now
As a graduate school professor of mine used to say, “So what, now what?” If any of this resonates with you and you find yourself considering next steps, here are a few:
1.) High-five yourself. You read a blog and hopefully learned a little something. There’s so much going on in life that making the time and space to do a little something outside of the daily grind is a win. Celebrate that!
2.) Share the post: Like the content or think others could benefit? Great! Share it with your peeps. Sometimes we stumble across something we didn’t even know we were looking for—drop breadcrumbs for others when you can.
3.) Book a Discovery Call: Reach out for a free, no-pressure call to learn more about how career and life design might work for you—whether or not you choose to work with me. (Seriously—no sales pitches here. I want participants, not hostages, and I genuinely love hearing new stories).
4.) Explore more resources: Check out my other blogs and reach out for recommendations—especially if you’re unsure what you want to be when you grow up (same here, friend!)
Above all, remember—change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes honesty, action, success, failure, and above all—one small step at a time. Micro-steps to greatness, folks!
Until next time, keep designing, y’all!
