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In 2017, my career seemed to be perfectly aligned for success. A mentor had even characterized my trajectory as a "meteoric rise," which felt fitting given my achievements. After seven years of diligent work and climbing the professional ladder, I had progressed through five successive job titles, ultimately reaching the esteemed position of deputy director at a nonprofit organization.

Despite the impressive title and accomplishments on paper, I found myself in a state of turmoil. Each morning, I forced myself out the door to work, only to return home each evening overwhelmed with tears. The relentless pace of my job, compounded by the stress of being consistently overextended, understaffed, and under-compensated, culminated in a profound sense of burnout.

Having anticipated a promotion to a higher-level position at a more reputable organization, I faced a rather unexpected turn of events. Instead of climbing higher, I made the bold decision to take a part-time role at the front desk of a local massage therapy office. Though it felt like a significant risk to step off the career escalator, I can confidently say it was the best professional decision I have ever made.

A bridge job can serve as a critical career tool, offering individuals the opportunity to pause and recalibrate their professional lives. My bridge job came to me through a casual Facebook post from an acquaintance seeking a part-time front desk staff member for her massage therapy practice. Scrolling through her post from my desk at the nonprofit, I felt an immediate pull toward this role.

The tasks involved answering phones, folding towels, and selecting essential oils for the diffuser were a stark contrast to the demanding responsibilities I held in my previous position. Despite knowing that this job would come with a significant pay cut, offering only $12 per hour, I viewed it as a necessary step. I could at least rely on the steady paycheck to help with family bills while plotting my next career move.

After handing in my four-week notice at the nonprofit in May 2017, I landed at the massage therapy office six weeks later. This new front desk role became a crucial bridge between my nonprofit career and my aspirations to launch my own business as a career and leadership coach. For five years, I had been coaching on the side of my full-time job but was curious about what it would be like to pursue entrepreneurship seriously.

The demands of my former position had drained me of any creative energy necessary to thoughtfully consider my next steps. However, my bridge job acted as a palate cleanser, introducing me to a serene environment that felt foreign yet refreshing. The atmosphere of the massage therapy office was almost like stepping onto another planet. It not only exposed me to an industry that operated on a vastly different wavelength but also disrupted my ingrained work patterns.

My new coworkers, clad in yoga pants and radiating a relaxed demeanor, were a far cry from the high-pressure environment I was accustomed to. In one break room conversation, I mentioned Sheryl Sandberg, only to be met with blank stares from my colleagues, who had no idea who she was. This job provided me with the freedom to dismantle my previous working habits and cultivate new ones. It was liberating to realize that work could exist outside the grind I had always known.

In this new role, the pace of work was a much-needed shift. I had always operated under a sense of urgency and perfectionism, traits that were absent in my new job. The wellness-centric environment promoted a slower pace, allowing me to heal from the exhausting marathon of mission-driven work and the personal hardships I faced, including a challenging transition into motherhood and the heart-wrenching loss of my mother to cancer.

What I found particularly surprising was the fact that my new role didn't require my absolute best every single day. I focused on delivering a "good enough" performance, reserving my best energy for developing my future endeavors. During my downtime at the front desk, I designed my website, compiled outreach lists before my shifts, and still had ample creative energy left to draft my business plan and spend quality time with my two-year-old daughter. For the first time in years, I experienced a healthier work-life balance, a stark contrast to the previous years of pushing myself to the brink.

Moreover, this bridge job expanded my professional network beyond my typical circles. The therapists at the massage practice became some of my first paid coaching clients, while the clients I interacted with at the front desk turned into valuable email list subscribers for my emerging business. In my former role, discussing my future plans could have led to serious repercussions from my employer, but here, I was free to share my ambitions openly.

The transition into starting my own business felt much less daunting with the foundation provided by my bridge job. Just four months into my front desk role, I officially launched Penney Leadership, my coaching business. By the eighth month, the client roster had expanded sufficiently that it made sense to transition away from my part-time position and dedicate myself to my business full-time. I assisted the owners of the massage practice in hiring and training my replacement, and I passed the torch to another nonprofit professional who could benefit from a similar bridge job as she regrouped from her own burnout.

Taking a bridge job was undoubtedly a scary leap, fraught with doubts and concerns about the potential risks. I worried that I might fall behind in my career and that others would perceive this move as a failure. These anxieties lingered with me during the first month, but as time progressed, my apprehensions began to dissipate. I realized I was in control of my career trajectory and believed in my ability to shape my future.

Now, two years into running my career and leadership coaching business, I have successfully replaced my nonprofit income. I am celebrating my eighth year in business and have left the constraints of my former salary far behind. I now engage in work that energizes and empowers me, illustrating that sometimes taking a step back can actually propel you forward in remarkable ways. While my experience at the massage therapy office may not be featured on my rsum, it remains the smartest career move I have ever made.