#08: Career Pivots, Purposeful Work, and Human-Centered Research — Real Talk with Chelsea Ottaviano

The Great Life Experiment Podcast

What if the thing that breaks you is also the thing that builds you?

In this episode, I sit down with my jiu-jitsu training bestie, Chelsea Ottaviano, to talk about career pivots, job loss, and what really happens when your career path doesn’t go as planned.

If you’ve ever felt blindsided by your career, sat in your Banana Republic slacks questioning your purpose, or wondered how to actually show up human in a world inching toward AI — this episode is a must-listen.

Chelsea shares her evolution from a deeply unfulfilled techie at a pharma company to a fierce advocate for human-first research, and we get personal about burnout, being laid off, rediscovering purpose, and why your identity is so much more than your job title. Let’s dive in!

In this episode:

(03:08) - Career Pivots: Embracing Change
(04:13) - Lessons from Early Career Experiences
(12:02) - The Call That Wasn’t A Promotion
(20:02) - Finding Purpose and Value In Our Work
(24:36) - The Importance of Personal Branding Even in the Corporate Space
(26:40) - AI and Human-Centric Work: How to Value and Amplify Humans in an AI-Driven World
(32:19) - The Power of Collaboration and Seeking Feedback from Colleagues
(35:17) - Creating Safe Spaces In Research and Beyond

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