Reinvention Stories: How a 3-hour commute led to a whole new career

What if everything you’ve believed about career success was holding you back?

Sometimes, it’s the aspects of a job you least expect that seed the beginnings of an entirely new career. 

For Hannah Bell, a former lawyer turned financial wellness consultant, her extra-long, daily commute became the catalyst for learning that sparked a passion for personal finance, eventually set in motion a whole new career. 

From the outside, she seemed to have it all figured out—law degree, promising career, financial stability. But internally, something was missing. And it wasn’t until she dug deeper, redefined success on her own terms, and aligned her career with her true self that she finally found a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Her story is one of career reinvention, intentional life design, and radical transformation.

But more importantly, it’s a story of courage. The courage to let go of a path that wasn’t right for her. The courage to build something new that felt more alive and true.

Here’s what we can learn from Hannah’s experience and how you can begin making your own shift towards a career and life that truly SPARKS you:

 1. Challenge Assumptions and Rewrite Your Narrative  

From a young age, Hannah was taught that success meant choosing between being a doctor or a lawyer—stable careers associated with financial security and social prestige. But as she discovered, this assumption limited her vision of what a meaningful career could look like. We often inherit narratives about success from family, culture, or society that push us onto paths that don’t resonate with our true selves. 

Take a moment to reflect: Is your career narrative truly yours, or is it one that was handed to you? Questioning long-held assumptions can open up new possibilities for what work can mean for you.

 2. Find Your Energy-Drainers and Energy-Givers  

During our conversation, Hannah identified her Primary Sparketype as the Sage—meaning she feels most alive when she’s sharing insights and helping others understand complex ideas. Her Shadow Sparketype, the Advisor, aligned perfectly with her love of guiding people. However, her Anti-Sparketype was the Performer, which explained why being in a courtroom, where the emphasis was on presenting and performing, felt so exhausting. 

Identifying what types of activities energize or deplete you can transform your understanding of what career paths will be most sustainable and fulfilling. Take time to observe what leaves you feeling drained, and what leaves you feeling SPARKED.

 3. Leverage a "Quality of Life First" Mindset  

When Hannah realized that being a high-powered attorney wasn’t giving her the life she truly wanted, she and her husband made a bold choice: they would prioritize quality of life over income. They created a plan to live off one income and aggressively paid off their combined $90,000 debt in just two years. 

This financial freedom allowed them to make values-driven decisions that weren’t dictated by money alone. Often, we feel trapped in our careers because of financial pressures, but adopting a “quality of life first” mindset helps you create a strategy to align your lifestyle with what truly matters. This might mean reducing expenses, changing jobs, or shifting your financial priorities.

 4. Redefine What Success Looks Like  

Success is often defined by titles, income, or external achievements. But Hannah’s journey shows us the power of redefining success on our own terms. For her, success meant the ability to choose flexibility, prioritize family, and build a career around helping others achieve financial wellness. Ask yourself: What does success look like for you beyond the numbers? 

If you could design your ideal work and life, how would you feel at the end of each day? Being honest about your own definition of success can guide you toward a more fulfilling path.

 5. Embrace Slow Growth and Stay Open to Evolution  

Three years into her new role as a financial coach, Hannah acknowledges that her growth has been slower due to having two children and balancing life’s demands. But she sees this as part of an intentional strategy. This slow-and-steady approach allowed her to build her practice in a way that honors her role as a mother and business owner. 

There’s power in allowing your work to evolve at its own pace. Don’t feel pressured to rush. Growth is not always linear, and taking time to build a career that’s sustainable and aligned with your life’s seasons is not only okay—it’s necessary for long-term fulfillment.

The Bottom Line: Align Your Career with Your Core Self

Hannah’s story reminds us that when we align our work with our natural inclinations, we stop swimming upstream and start moving with the current of our true selves. It’s not always easy. It takes courage to question long-standing narratives, redefine success, and embrace new opportunities. But when you do, you set the stage for a work life that brings more meaning, joy, and ease.

If you’re curious to dive deeper into Hannah’s journey and learn how she navigated these shifts, tune into the full podcast episode. Her story is a powerful reminder that career transformation starts from the inside out. Discovering your own Sparketype can be a transformative first step toward finding work that makes you come alive. 

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To learn your Sparketype, check out the free Sparketype® Assessment.

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