Redirecting.work

What She Pivoted From

 

Gretchen has spent decades in enterprise technology, most recently as an executive at ServiceNow. The company—and her business unit— had grown rapidly, and as part of planning for the next phase of growth a reorganization was needed. She was given a notice period, with an effective date of April, giving her a runway to plan the transition thoughtfully.

 

“Honestly, my biggest concern was making sure my team was taken care of,” she said. “I stayed on to support them through the change.”

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While she’s had multiple career transitions before, this one felt different. “I’ve never had unstructured time like this,” she noted. While she considered several options during her notice period, instead of rushing into the next role, she made a deliberate decision to pause and explore.

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Current Direction

 

Gretchen views this reset period as a gift—time to ask deep questions: “Who am I now? What gets me excited? What would be fulfilling in the next stage of my career?” With a solid financial foundation in place, she’s allowing herself space to reflect before making a commitment. Her goal is to step into a new leadership role by the end of the year—one where she can bring together her strategy and execution strengths to address meaningful business problems.

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She’s staying active and intentional in this reset. She continues to engage in the enterprise tech ecosystem through mentoring, especially with women in leadership. She’s involved with organizations like Dress for Success and does career coaching, helping others navigate transitions of their own. She’s also maintained her health routine, prioritizing early morning workouts that keep her grounded.

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Gretchen has been talking with a variety of companies—startups, mid-size, and large enterprises—about where they’re headed and how she might contribute. She’s particularly drawn to the intersection of product, customer impact, and go-to-market strategy. “I’m looking for the opportunity where I can say, ‘That’s the thing I want to do,’” she explained. What gets her really excited is thinking about how technology can solve problems. Further, “there’s nothing like that aha moment when a customer suddenly realizes that you have a solution for something that’s been a problem for them that they never even knew.”

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Advice to Others

 

For those navigating a similar moment of uncertainty or possibility, Gretchen offers this guidance:

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Step back and assess. “Think not just about the title you want, but about what kind of work is compelling. What do you want to leave behind? What are you excited to take on?”

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Network with purpose. Gretchen is leveraging her relationships to explore new paths—talking to peers, attending in-person meetings, and planning to re-engage with conferences. “Conferences help you keep your skills current, but they also offer a chance to listen deeply to what’s happening in the field.”

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Keep learning. She doesn’t view this pause as idle time. “Learning isn’t just about searching for a job—it’s about keeping your brain fresh, staying engaged, and being open.”

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Find your sources of joy. Outside of work, Gretchen is reconnecting with what brings her energy, including time with family, exercise, and giving back.

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Acknowledge yourself. “It’s easy to focus on what didn’t work or what you haven’t found yet,” she said. “But it’s important to stop and recognize what you have done. Give yourself credit along the way.”

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Trust the timeline. Perhaps most important, she encourages others to embrace the ambiguity. “It will take time. There will be rejections. But there’s feedback in all of it.”

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Reflections

 

Gretchen’s brand is one of insight, pattern recognition, and practical action. Through a Reflected Best Self exercise, she was reminded that her unique strength lies in “seeing the direction and how to get there together.” That clarity—applied to both strategy and people—remains her guidepost as she considers what’s next.

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“I’ve talked to a lot of people who feel stuck in a moment like this,” she shared. “I’ve chosen to treat it as an opportunity. I’m listening, I’m learning, and I’m waiting for the thing that will make me say: Yes, that’s the one. This gets me excited. As I think about this next role, what I’m looking for will make me feel that I’m contributing at the level that I want.”