When Superstorm Sandy hit in October 2012, it wiped out much of Jarad and Christel Astin’s Far Rockaway, New York, ground-floor apartment. They did, however, salvage the 22-foot sailboat, and it became a symbolic part of their life-altering change of course.
Jarad, then 47, was burned out with his live animal curator job at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, while simultaneously gigging as a musician and singer. Christel, age 49, was a flautist in the Irish music world and taught at the New York Irish Arts Center.
“Financially, it was difficult,” Jarad said, as the couple were raising two young daughters, ages 2 and 11 at the time.
Although they had dreamed of living abroad once they retired, “we started legitimately kicking around the idea of sailing full time,” said Jarad. “It was a moment of freedom.”
To turn vision into action, in November 2013 the Astins raised $60,000 from their family, purchased a larger yacht, joined a sailing rally and left for the Caribbean with just one music gig booked in advance.
Their first year was the most challenging, said Jarad, as they sailed through stormy waters, homeschooled their girls on their houseboat and landed venues to book their acoustic-gypsy-soul musical act.
“A lot of people who do things like this sell their home and apply the profit to a new life-style. We weren’t in that position. We had to find work. It was all or nothing — we had to show up and old-school hustle,” he said.
In 2017, after hurricanes Irma and Maria destroyed some of the lucrative establishments the duo performed at, Jarad earned his captain’s license for extra income. “We worked with sailing regattas, returning north in the summertime to launch Yacht Rock Charters, a leisure boat charter business in Jamaica Bay, NY.”
For Christel, the time and closeness their family unit has been afforded has been a bonus.
“When working three jobs and taking the kids from one extracurricular to the next, we didn’t have the luxury of time together, or for the self. I can take a walk on the beach now, or snorkel the shore. I have space to be outside with nature in an intimate way. It’s magic for me,” she said.
To others, she advised, “The whole manifesting your life is real. Make a tangible plan. Make it accessible. Start small and work your way up. Take the leap. For us we bought a little sailboat and said, we’re going to learn how to do this.”
If you’re also looking to make a big change, don’t get lost in the big picture. “Think of the one thing you can do today to get you closer tomorrow, three months from now, in your ideal state,” said Luck Dookchitra, vice president of people at Leapsome, a cloud-based people management software system which helps organizations drive employee engagement, performance and learning.
For example, to change careers from human resources to acting, “Can you take an acting class? Talk to those in the field. What will it cost? Framing the journey you’ll need to take will encourage you to make a move,” said Dookchitra.
Finding a way to exit her dream job as senior fashion editor for Cosmopolitan became important for Hudson Valley, NY, resident Amri Kibbler, 49, once she became a mom.
“My first daughter was 2 at the time, and I thought it would be a snap to have a second, but ran into secondary fertility issues. I was doing IVF when I decided to make a big life change. The stress of my fast-paced lifestyle wasn’t conducive to getting pregnant,” she said.
Kibbler sought a “higher purpose,” ultimately co-founding HeyMama, a membership-only online platform and community for women to share and connect on balancing motherhood with work.
“Our tagline is, ‘The juggle is real,’” said Kibbler. “I treated it as a full-time job, worked regular hours and it spread from there. We were recently acquired. Going forward, we’re launching a new platform with new, enhanced features.”
The main advice Kibbler got was not to wait, but to just get started.
“We started our Instagram account wanting 1,000 followers, then reached 2,000 and 10,000. You need bite-sized goals and tangible benchmarks. I had a goal for the week instead of trying to zigzag back and forth,” she said.
According to Dookchitra, when making a change, you may be inspired to work for yourself, to build something great related to your passion, or that’s more creative or with your name on it. “The way the world works now lends itself to more people finding happiness and satisfaction in life rather than separating it.”
When forging ahead in a new life, though, it’s essential to have a Plan A and B.
“Any good business leader thinks through these things,” said Dookchitra. “Find a partner or coach to spar with and raise any concerns. Think of the purpose of your bold move. Have a 360 view of why you want to switch careers or start a business. Be aware of the circumstances you’re in. Have a realistic timeline to minimize unhappy surprises and be fiscally responsible.”
Importantly, when leaving your current role, don’t burn bridges.
“If you have a good career, be thoughtful of how you communicate, as you may need a safety net to go back to,” advised Dookchitra.
For Beth Nydick, 51, of Livingston, NJ, tragedy shifted her entire work outlook and pursuits.
“I’d been a food blogger, featured on ‘Dr. Oz’ and ‘The Chew’. My hit cocktail book was promoted on Oprah. Then, in the same month, I was in a near-fatal car accident and my father-in-law was hit by a pickup truck — he passed away a few days later. I was shaken,” said Nydick.
She was left feeling that she wanted to do something more “than offering up another chili recipe.” In 2020, after seeing a therapist and attending a group coaching program, she established a public relations firm.
“I know how to help people show up fully as themselves, or have the confidence to go on live TV, or on speak on a TED X stage,” said Nydick, who is currently building the F.A.M.E. Lab, a live group coaching program for people to come learn and be supported to do big, bold things.
“You create your own possibility of success or failure. It’s up to you to take action,” said Nydick. “There will always be someone to tell you the reasons you shouldn’t, versus the why not me?”
