Snapshot

Client	Kate Alber
Before	Higher education administrator for about 14 years, most recently in a role that included some graphic design and communications work
After	Left her university job; runs a cottage bakery from her home while developing an idea for creative retreats
Stuck on	Wanting to leave a secure, well-paid job for years without believing she could do anything else
Timing	Interviewed 5 months after YCH

 

Kate Alber had wanted out of higher education administration for nearly all of her 14 years in the field, yet the promotions and raises kept coming. When a surprise raise left her in tears, she knew she had to act, and a few months later she joined Your Career Homecoming. She has since left her university job and runs a cottage bakery from her home while she shapes her next idea, hosting creative retreats. Her story is for the high achiever thinking about leaving higher ed administration who can’t yet picture what comes next.

 

Watch Kate’s Interview

 

Challenges: 14 Years in Higher Ed Administration and a Raise That Made Her Cry

Where she was

Kate had spent about 14 years in higher education administration, and by her own count she was unhappy for nearly all of them. She worked remotely and kept earning promotions. Outside the uncertainty of the pandemic, she never felt her job was at risk. “It was always up to me if I wanted to leave,” she says. A few months before she started the program, her boss called out of the blue. A market analysis had flagged her job title, and she was getting a 7% raise. She was already well paid, and part of her was pleased. Then she hung up. “When I got off that phone call, I just broke down crying.” The raise felt like proof she would never go. “It felt like another nail in the coffin, like, ‘You’re never going to leave.'” The money made leaving feel foolish, too: “There was also a big part of me that thought people would think I was stupid for leaving all that money on the table.” The cost was spreading beyond work. Kate says the unhappiness started affecting her marriage, and her confidence hit a low even as her career advanced. “I kept thinking, ‘I don’t want to be doing this, but I can’t do anything else because this is all I’ve ever done.'”

What she tried first

Over the years, Kate read books and signed up for webinars from people she followed online. Many she watched halfway or not at all. The live ones rarely delivered: “It often felt like you spent an hour wondering what you were actually learning before they tried to sell you something.” A few years into her career, she earned a graphic design certificate and later moved into a role with some design and communications work. Each time she looked at design jobs, though, the same thing happened. “I loved graphic design, but I didn’t want to work for an agency.” Other ideas came and went. She often shut them down before saying them out loud. “Every time I started considering something new, I’d get anxious and then tell myself, ‘No, you’re not going to do that. You’re going to stay safe.'”

 

What Made Her Hesitate: Skepticism After Years of Webinars That Ended in a Pitch

Kate found Your Career Homecoming through a Facebook ad and its free webinar. After so many webinars that felt like a long lead-up to a sales pitch, she expected more of the same. This one gave her something she could use right away: “Even the webinar itself gave tangible takeaways. That was unusual compared to other webinars I had attended.” The idea that landed was about career “blueprints,” the belief that you either follow your passion completely or stay in a traditional job until retirement. “Following a passion had always felt impossible to me. I couldn’t just quit my job and do something uncertain.” That opened a door. “I thought, ‘What do I have to lose by exploring this further?'” With the raise still fresh, the timing felt urgent: “It felt like a now-or-never moment.” The doubts didn’t vanish when she enrolled. She had never tried group coaching and wondered whether it would be confusing to be in a room with people at different stages. Underneath that was a familiar voice: “This works for other people, but it won’t work for me.”

 

How Your Career Homecoming Helped a Longtime Higher Ed Administrator

The core of Your Career Homecoming is the WHOLE Method, five sequential steps over eight weeks, paired with group and one-on-one coaching. Kate points to how those pieces worked together.

A Group That Felt Connected, Even on Zoom

In her first or second session, Kate cried because she felt so supported. Other participants messaged her privately and in the chat to share their own experiences. “We’ve all been on big Zoom calls in the past few years where you don’t really feel connected. But in YCH, I did feel connected.” Attendance was optional, and she went to every session anyway. Watching others finish the program made her own change feel possible: “Every week, someone seemed to be graduating, and that was motivating. It showed me that this really could work.”

Self-Reflection That Got to the Root

Kate had taken personality quizzes before, but this went deeper. “I had never done work like this that actually helped me get to the root of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.” At first, asking herself what she wanted felt almost selfish. That same work showed her something she hadn’t named before: “Through the curriculum, I realized how important community is to me.”

Weekly Coursework With Coaching Twice a Week

Kate did the curriculum during the week and brought her questions to coaching calls twice a week. She looked forward to the work, which surprised her. “For the first time in my life, I rarely procrastinated.” “That combination (doing the coursework and having consistent coaching and community) made the difference.”

Treating Obstacles as Opportunities

Kate had read Ina Garten’s memoir, where Garten describes seeing obstacles as opportunities, and wanted to live that way. “Through the program, I truly adopted that mindset.” Her new work involves constant testing, so it comes up often: “In my new profession, I fail a lot because it requires testing and experimentation. But now, when something doesn’t work, I problem-solve and try again.”

“Now I can dream about the future without immediately shutting those dreams down.” Kate Alber

 

Results: A Cottage Bakery and the Confidence to Dream About What’s Next

Measurable results

By the end of the program, Kate had narrowed her options to two paths: hosting creative retreats and opening a bakery. She had dreamed of a bakery for years but didn’t want a retail space or a staff to manage. While brainstorming, she realized her state’s rules allowed her to run a cottage bakery legally from home. She started the bakery while still working her nine-to-five, which gave her time to keep developing the retreat idea. She has since left her university job. “I’m proud of myself because I left something that many people would stay in forever.” On why she said yes to the bakery: “For the first time, I trusted that desire instead of dismissing it as unrealistic.” The career she moved into: cottage bakery owner, with creative retreats in development. “Right now, the bakery lets me do something creative and hands-on after 14 years in a corporate-style job.”

What changed inside

Kate describes a shift in who she is, without becoming someone else. “It’s strange because I’m not a completely different person, but in some ways it feels like I am. I feel more authentic, like I’ve come into who I really am.” Doing hard things no longer feels out of reach. “A year ago, I didn’t believe I could do that.” She also has a new relationship with uncertainty. “I’m still nervous, and I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but for the first time in 14 years, I don’t know what my life will look like in a year, and that actually feels exciting.”

 

Advice for Someone in Kate’s Shoes

“I’d say it’s okay to feel skeptical. I felt that way too. There are so many programs that claim to help people change their careers. But I would encourage you to take a leap of faith.” “It sounds corny, but this program truly changed my life. I’ve seen it change other people’s lives, too.” “If you’re curious, leap and see if it’s the right fit for you. It certainly was for me.”

 

Coach’s Note From Laura

I see this pattern often in people with long, secure careers in higher education: plenty of ideas about what else they could do, and a habit of talking themselves out of each one before saying it out loud. Kate had tried on her own for years, and nothing she found reached the root of what she wanted or why. The WHOLE Method gave her that structure, and twice-weekly coaching alongside a supportive group meant her ideas got examined instead of shut down. Once she was clear on what she wanted, she could make a confident decision about her career, including leaving a job most people would stay in forever.

 

FAQ: Leaving Higher Education Administration

Can you leave higher education administration after more than a decade?

Kate had spent about 14 years in higher ed administration, most of them wanting out, when she joined Your Career Homecoming. By the end of the program she had narrowed her direction to two paths. She went on to start a cottage bakery from home and has since left her university job. For her, the turning point was the program’s structured self-reflection, which helped her get to the root of what she wanted for the first time.

How do you change careers when your job pays well and feels safe?

Kate called her role a “golden handcuffs” job and worried people would think she was foolish for leaving the money behind. Her path was to start the bakery while still working, so she could act on a long-held desire before walking away from that security.

Can you start a business while working full time?

Kate did. She opened a cottage bakery from her home, following her state’s rules for home bakeries, while keeping her nine-to-five. That gave her time to keep exploring a second idea, hosting creative retreats.

What is group career coaching like if you’ve never tried it?

Kate had never done group coaching and wondered whether mixing people at different stages would be confusing. She found the opposite. Hearing from people further along helped her, seeing someone graduate nearly every week kept her motivated, and she felt connected in a way most Zoom calls don’t offer.

 

Read the full interview transcript

Laura Simms (0:00): I’m here with my wonderful client, Kate Alber. Hi, Kate. It’s been maybe five months since you finished YCH. Can you time-travel us back to before Your Career Homecoming? Give us a little context for what was going on in your life and at that stage of your career. Kate Alber (0:34): Yes. I had been working in higher education administration for about 13 years (just over 13 years) when I saw the Facebook ad for Your Career Homecoming. I had been really unhappy at the place I was working and with the kind of work I was doing for most of that time. Sometimes I think about it and realize it was about 12 out of those 13 years. That’s a long time. It was basically my entire career. A few months before I started the program, I got a call from my boss out of the blue. I worked remotely, and she said the university had done a market analysis for certain job titles. Mine was included, and I was getting a 7% raise as part of a market readjustment. Of course, part of me thought, “Wow, that’s great.” I was already very well compensated. But when I got off that phone call, I just broke down crying. For years, I had wanted to leave, yet at the same time I kept getting promotions. The job was very safe and secure. Except during the pandemic, when everyone was uncertain, I never felt like my job was at risk. It was always up to me if I wanted to leave. When that call happened, it felt like another nail in the coffin, like, “You’re never going to leave.” I had wanted to leave for so long, but I kept making more money and staying. There was also a big part of me that thought people would think I was stupid for leaving all that money on the table. That was really hard for me. It started affecting my really great marriage. My self-confidence was at an all-time low, even though I was progressing in my career. I kept thinking, “I don’t want to be doing this, but I can’t do anything else because this is all I’ve ever done.” Those months felt almost serendipitous. When that happened, part of me thought, “Oh no, I’m never going to leave.” But another part thought, “If I’m crying after getting a raise, then I have to do something.” Laura Simms (3:24): Did you make any attempts on your own before YCH to figure out what you could do instead? Kate Alber (3:33): Yes. Over the years, I read books and took webinars from people I followed online. Sometimes I signed up for free webinars and never watched them, or watched them halfway through. If it were a live webinar, it often felt like you spent an hour wondering what you were actually learning before they tried to sell you something. At one point, after working in administration for a few years, I got a graphic design certificate. I thought, “This is it. I’m going to do graphic design.” At my job, I eventually moved into a position where I did some graphic design and communications work. But it was always the same pattern. I would think, “Now I’ll job search for a graphic design position.” Then I’d look around and realize I didn’t actually want those jobs. I loved graphic design, but I didn’t want to work for an agency. Over the years, I had different ideas about what I could do with my experience and education, but nothing ever stuck. I always talked myself out of it. Sometimes I didn’t even vocalize my ideas because in my head I was already shutting them down. Every time I started considering something new, I’d get anxious and then tell myself, “No, you’re not going to do that. You’re going to stay safe.” Laura Simms (5:06): Once you clicked on the Facebook ad and watched the webinar, what resonated with you? What made you think, “This might be for me”? Kate Alber (5:20): I remember thinking that even the webinar itself gave tangible takeaways. That was unusual compared to other webinars I had attended. What really resonated with me were the ideas about different career “blueprints”: how people often believe they either have to follow their passion completely or stay in a traditional job until retirement. That really struck me because following a passion had always felt impossible to me. I couldn’t just quit my job and do something uncertain. I thought, “What do I have to lose by exploring this further?” I appreciated that the webinar itself was valuable. I’ve even sent it to friends and said, “Just watch this and see if it gets you thinking.” For me, the concepts energized me, and it felt like the right time. It felt like a now-or-never moment. Laura Simms (7:01): So you join the program. What happens once you start getting help? Kate Alber (7:09): At first, I wondered how group coaching would work. I knew there was both one-on-one and group coaching, but I had never experienced group coaching before. I’m not nervous about meeting new people, even online, but I wasn’t sure what I would get out of it. I wondered if it would be confusing to have people at different stages of the program. In my first session, people were talking about ideas I hadn’t heard before. But I also remember feeling incredibly welcomed. In my first or second session, I ended up crying. I cry easily, but it was because I felt genuinely supported. We’ve all been on big Zoom calls in the past few years where you don’t really feel connected. But in YCH, I did feel connected. People were messaging me privately and in the chat, sharing their support and their own experiences. Even though attendance wasn’t required, I found myself wanting to go to every session. Hearing from people further along in the process was incredibly helpful. Every week, someone seemed to be graduating, and that was motivating. It showed me that this really could work. When I started, there was still that voice in my head saying, “This works for other people, but it won’t work for me.” But right from the beginning, something felt different. Laura Simms (9:44): What do you think made it work for you? Was it the curriculum, the coaching, or something else? Kate Alber (9:52): I think it was the combination. A lot of programs are just worksheets and curricula you do on your own. Then maybe there’s a big webinar where someone speaks to everyone at once. What I liked here was that there was real work to do, and the work in the curriculum really resonated with me. You talk about things like personality quizzes that can help you understand yourself, but I had never done work like this that actually helped me get to the root of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. At first, it even felt a little selfish, spending time asking myself, “What do I want? Why do I want it? How do I want my life to look?” During the week, I would work through the curriculum, which I genuinely looked forward to. For the first time in my life, I rarely procrastinated. Then twice a week, I could bring questions to the coaching calls and talk things through with you, Shannon, and the other participants. That combination (doing the coursework and having consistent coaching and community) made the difference. Laura Simms (11:40): You go through the whole process. What would you say is the biggest result or transformation for you? Kate Alber (11:56): Before this, I thought of myself as a creative person with big ideas and passions. But I realized I couldn’t actually dream about my future in a real way. My self-confidence was at an all-time low when it came to doing hard things, especially changing careers in my late 30s and giving up the security of what people call a “golden handcuffs” job. It’s strange because I’m not a completely different person, but in some ways it feels like I am. I feel more authentic, like I’ve come into who I really am. Now I can dream about the future without immediately shutting those dreams down. I read Ina Garten’s memoir, where she talks about seeing obstacles as opportunities. I remember thinking, “I want to be like that.” Through the program, I truly adopted that mindset. In my new profession, I fail a lot because it requires testing and experimentation. But now, when something doesn’t work, I problem-solve and try again. A year ago, I didn’t believe I could do that. Laura Simms (14:20): That’s a testament to the work you put in. It’s one thing to understand an idea intellectually, like “challenges are opportunities,” and another thing to actually live that way. Speaking of your new work, tell us about your homecoming career. Kate Alber (14:47): At the end of the program, I was choosing between two paths. One was hosting creative retreats. I felt strongly pulled toward community and bringing people together. Through the curriculum, I realized how important community is to me. The other option was opening a bakery. I had always dreamed about that, but thought it required having a retail space and managing staff, things I didn’t want. While brainstorming, I realized I could start a cottage bakery from my home. In my state, there are clear rules for doing that legally, so I decided to try it while still working my nine-to-five. There were two reasons for that decision. First, I genuinely wanted to do it. For the first time, I trusted that desire instead of dismissing it as unrealistic. Second, I wanted time to explore the creative retreat idea more fully and figure out how I want to show up for people in that space. Right now, the bakery lets me do something creative and hands-on after 14 years in a corporate-style job. I don’t know exactly where it will lead, but I trust that what I’m doing now will inform what I do next. Laura Simms (17:25): That’s part of the beauty of this process. You don’t have to narrow everything down to one dream forever. You can have multiple dreams and pursue them in sequence. There’s a difference between having direction (which you clearly have) and having a rigid ten-year plan you can’t deviate from. Even the way you talk about this now is completely different from when we first met. There’s so much more ease and confidence. Kate Alber (18:28): Thank you. I appreciate that. Before this program, I often heard messaging that success required constant grinding and struggle. That never felt like me. My life was comfortable and safe, but that safety had become limiting. I’m proud of myself because I left something that many people would stay in forever. I’m still nervous, and I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but for the first time in 14 years, I don’t know what my life will look like in a year, and that actually feels exciting. Laura Simms (19:26): Exactly. Safety isn’t bad, but sometimes it becomes a trap instead of protection. To wrap up: what would you say to someone who just saw the Facebook ad or watched the webinar and is considering this program? Kate Alber (19:58): I’d say it’s okay to feel skeptical. I felt that way too. There are so many programs that claim to help people change their careers. But I would encourage you to take a leap of faith. It sounds corny, but this program truly changed my life. I’ve seen it change other people’s lives, too. The experience felt different from anything I had tried before, and I feel like a different person because of it. If you’re curious, leap and see if it’s the right fit for you. It certainly was for me. Laura Simms (21:03): It’s been a delight working with you and watching you build what comes next. Thanks so much, Kate. Kate Alber (21:10): Thank you. Laura Simms (21:12): If you want to watch the webinar Kate mentioned, you can find it at ychworkshop.com. It’s short but packed with value: no long backstory, just useful ideas. Thanks again, Kate.