How can you get your foot in the door of a new industry if you don’t have the traditional credentials, experiences, or education required? Brad Stewart went from being a tattoo artist to a real estate professional to a marketing manager in the financial sector in spite of lacking the formalised experience or education of most other candidates. In this episode of the Career Relaunch® podcast, we’ll discuss how he pulled off his major career changes by overcoming judgment, imposter syndrome, and adversity along the way. I also share some thoughts on how I manage the opinions of others during my own career transitions.

Key Career Insights

1. One way to figure out if you’re on the right path is to look at the people around who have been in your industry for longer than you and asking yourself whether you want to turn out like them.
   
2. It’s inevitable that people may initially judge you based on your appearance, but the onus is still on you to have your work and results speak for themselves.
   
3. Career change often involves a total life change too, including your circle of friends, lifestyle, habits, and attitudes.
   
4. Imposter syndrome faces us all, but doing your best to be logical rather than emotional about how you react to it can help you manage it.
   
5. Be careful who you listen to. Always seek feedback, but be careful what you take on board.
   

Tweetables to Share


Be careful whose advice you listen to. Feedback is often more about the person giving it than the person receiving it.


Brad Stewart


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Resources Mentioned

At end of the Mental Fuel segment, I mentioned a quote from Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen” song, originally from Mary Schmich’s 1997 Chicago Tribune article. Here’s the full music video:

Listener Challenge

During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about the importance of thinking critically about whose feedback you take on board. If you’re struggling with how to navigate your career transition, definitely solicit the opinions of people you admire, but when you do, sense check it against your own gut and what you feel is ultimately going to make the most sense given your specific situation. This is your journey, so do what you feel works best for you.

About Brad Stewart, Tattoo Artist Turned Marketing Manager

Brad Stewart has had quite the career journey. He left high school to spend a decade in the tattoo industry as a tattoo artist, working at and managing various shops around Sydney, Australia. He lived & breathed the lifestyle. We’re talking gangsters, parties, drugs . . . you name it. He describes his late teens and early 20’s as quite a wild time in his life. Then, at the age of 27, he did a complete 180. He went through two years of intensive laser tattoo removal as he pivoted into a career in real estate, which was part of his total life transformation.

After 5 years in the property industry, Brad gained some marketing experience by taking an entry level job at a ticket-selling company. Eventually, he landed a job in the financial services industry where he currently works as a marketing manager for one of Australia’s largest retirement funds. Follow Brad on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Thanks to Harmoni for Supporting the Career Relaunch® podcast

Thanks to Harmoni Design for supporting this episode of Career Relaunch. The Harmoni Standing Desk offers a smarter, healthier way to work with its simple design that fits into any workspace. It’s the standing desk I’ve used myself since 2020, and Career Relaunch listeners can get 15% off any Harmoni order by visiting CareerRelaunch.net/Harmoni and using discount code RELAUNCH when you check out.

Interview Segment Music Credits

• Big Blue
  
• Ice Climb
  
• Blue
  
• Waves
  
• Curious Process
  
• Night Vision
  
• SunBeam
  

Music provided by Podington Bear

• Dovetail – Crystaline