Lift Up Connections: Reimagining Life, Growth, and Reinvention Together

Inflection Points, Portfolio Careers, and Bravery with Kristen Fitzpatrick of Harvard Business School

If you have ever wondered what HBS alumni learn about reinvention after graduation, Kristen Fitzpatrick has the inside view.
In this conversation, I sit down with Kristen, Senior Managing Director of Alumni Relations and Career & Professional Development at Harvard Business School, who has spent over two decades guiding students and alumni through pivotal career moments. Kristen brings brilliant wisdom on reinvention, resilience, and building lives that truly reflect our values.
In our conversation, we explore the reality of inflection points, those moments when we’re called to pause, reassess, and sometimes radically shift course. Kristen shares her own personal journey, the lessons she’s drawn from working with thousands of HBS alumni, and her perspective on how to embrace bravery, banish perfectionism, and see yourself through the eyes of someone who believes in you unconditionally.
If you are navigating uncertainty, questioning your next step, or simply craving inspiration from one of the sharpest minds in career development, this episode is for you.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Kristen’s winding journey from chemical engineer to career development leader at HBS
Why so many career pivots happen through “happy accidents” rather than careful planning
The surprising truth about Harvard alumni: even “the best of the best” wrestle with uncertainty, layoffs, and reinvention
Why portfolio careers may be the future for mid-to-senior professionals in their 50s and 60s
The four elements of career decision-making developed by HBS psychologist Dr. Tim Butler
Kristen’s biggest advice: see yourself through the eyes of someone who already believes you can do anything
Resources Mentioned
The Portfolio Life by Christina Wallace
Dr. Tim Butler’s Four Elements of Career & Life Decision-Making
Jeremy Schifeling’s “The LinkedIn Guys” Masterclass
Lovable AI for presentations

Lean Experiments for Life: Christina Wodtke on Reinvention, Risk, and Thriving in Tech

What does it take to reinvent your career again and again without losing yourself in the process?In this conversation, Stanford University lecturer, bestselling author, and product leader Christina Wodtke opens up about her nonlinear path from art school to Silicon Valley startups, to teaching at Stanford.
We talk about:
The challenges (and joys) of being a woman in tech past 50 and how to reclaim power, voice, and agency when faced with ageism and sexism
How lean experiments are a powerful tool for navigating career and life pivots
The realities of shifting identities from artist, designer, PM, founder, author, and teacher
The role of risk tolerance in opening doors and what “worst-case scenario” thinking really means
Christina’s criteria for ranking the top AI companies from least evil to most evil
Teaching the next generation of product managers in the age of generative AI and what’s at stake if we skip synthesis and product sense
Christina’s story is one of reinvention, resilience, and refusing to be defined by a single label.Episode Notes:
Find Christina on LinkedIn
Christina's article, I Love Generative AI And Hate The Companies Building It
Christina's article, What You Want Isn't Always What You Want

From Tech Pioneer to Photographer: Nicole Yankelovich's Journey of Happy Accidents and Finding Opportunities

In this episode, Christine sits down with Nicole Yankelovich, a technologist, startup founder, photographer, and teacher whose career has been shaped by a series of “happy accidents.”
Nicole shares her journey from cofounding a research institute at Brown, to leading research at Sun Microsystems, to creating her own startup, and ultimately finding a new calling in photography and instruction. Along the way, she reflects on the lessons of raising your hand, seizing opportunities, and the role mentors play in shaping our paths.
Nicole’s story will inspire you to take action, trust your instincts, and find joy in the unexpected twists and turns.

Red Doors, Yellow Doors: Choosing Openness in Your Career Journey

In this episode, Christine explores the powerful framework of the “achieving brain” and the “awakened brain,” inspired by Dr. Lisa Miller’s groundbreaking research in her book, The Awakened Brain.
Christine shares a reflection exercise on “red doors” and “yellow doors” moments when we strive and push for something that just won’t open, and the surprising shifts that happen when we pause, look around, and notice the open doors waiting for us.
Through her own story of launching the Reimagine Your Career cohort, Christine highlights how resilience, openness, and “trail angels” can change the direction of our journeys in unexpected ways.
Are you still banging on a red door or is there a yellow door already open for you?The Awakened Brain by Dr. Lisa Miller

Breaking Through Mid-Career Plateaus: Why 'Work Harder' Doesn't Work with Bosky Mukherjee

This week, I sit down with Bosky Mukherjee, CEO and founder of SheTrailblazes to get real about what actually moves careers forward in this market.
Bosky shares why “saying yes to more work” and “just speaking up” are outdated scripts, and replaces them with narrative authority (communicating impact in C-suite language), commercial fluency (knowing how money moves in your company), and a practical path to achieving sponsorship, not just collecting mentors.
We also chat about how to think on your feet without over-explaining, ways to role play your way to confidence with stakeholders, and make smart choices if you are in you 50s or 60s and facing ageism. whether that means optimizing for joy, for financial freedom, or building something of your own.
Expect tough love, smart tactics, and immediate next steps you can use this week.
About Bosky Mukherjee
Bosky Mukherjee started her career at the bottom as a tech support associate. Overqualified, underpaid, and underestimated, she refused to stay stuck.
She rose to the C-suite as a company president, then built two profitable businesses without a dollar of VC funding.
Today, she coaches thousands of women to step into senior leadership or grow profitable businesses when corporate no longer fits. Her approach blends behavioral psychology with real C-suite experience in hiring, promotion, and power decisions.
She’s the founder of SheTrailblazes, with two flagship programs:
Leadership Edge for women who want to get promoted faster without overworking
Founders Edge for women who want to grow their business when they've outgrown corporate
Bosky’s belief is simple: Success isn’t about working more; it’s about knowing how decisions are made, and leading them with power.
Connect with Bosky:
LinkedIn: [Mention you heard her on the Lift Up podcast]
Bosky's Website: SheTrailBlazes
Programs Mentioned:
Leadership Edge Program (for career advancement)
Founder's Edge Program (for entrepreneurship)
If You Enjoyed This Episode
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Perfectly Imperfect: Redefining Wellness with Tonia Bartz

Christine Perfetti sits down with UX researcher turned holistic wellness coach Tonia Bartz to explore what it really takes to move beyond burnout and create a life that feels aligned.
After navigating a cancer diagnosis and a career pivot, Tonia developed her Perfectly Imperfect Wellness Method, a framework that helps people reclaim their days, embrace imperfection, and find joy in the messy middle.
In this episode, Christine and Tonia discuss:
How life’s wake-up calls can open the door to reinvention
Why burnout is often just a “lack of joy”
The power of Tonia's Reclaim Your Day practice
What it means to release perfectionism and define wellness on your own terms
This conversation is both practical and inspiring and a reminder that you don’t have to do it all perfectly to create the life you want.About Tonia Bartz
With 15 years of experience as a UX Researcher, Tonia mastered the art of asking the right questions – a skill that naturally led me to explore the interconnected world of holistic + integrative wellness. What started as personal experiments with sleep patterns, nutrition + stress management blossomed into a full-fledged passion for this topic. By testing + refining these methods on her own wellness journey, Tonia discovered what truly works. When friends began seeking my guidance, she knew it was time to transform this hands-on experience into professional expertise, which includes: Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (IIN, 2018), Member of the International Association of Health Coaches (IAHC), and Member of both the Patient and Family Advisory Council + Precision Oncology Community Board at FredShow Notes and Resources
Connect with Tonia Bartz on LinkedIn
Explore her work and sign up for the Wellness Unfiltered newsletter on Tonia’s Website
Follow her on Instagram and Blue Sky (@toniabartz)
Learn more about Christine’s work: Lift Up Connections
If You Enjoyed This Episode
Subscribe to the Lift Up Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes
Leave a review: it helps us reach and support more listeners navigating their own messy middles

Alignment, Hope, and Connection: Meena Kothandaraman's Vision for UX Research

In this episode, Christine Perfetti sits down with Meena Kothandaraman, co-founder of Twig + Fish Research Practice and a pioneer in UX research to explore why the most valuable thing researchers is connection, not just answers to study questions.Meena shares her journey including human factors work, motherhood, and leading a micro-agency focused on the power, positioning, and practice of qualitative research.She discusses how alignment unlocks better outcomes, why patience and confidence are essential for researchers, and how she is inspiring high school students through work with Boston Public Schools.Meena’s message for researchers: Your superpower is connecting people: to ideas, to each other, and to a deeper sense of purpose."You have the power to bring people together, not to push them apart."

Reinvention in Real Life: Career Pivots from Tech Leaders Designing What’s Next

In this live panel episode, host Christine Perfetti brings together four powerhouse leaders, Melissa Appel, Rob Fitzgibbon, Malini Rao, and Stephanie Gerber Wilson, for an honest conversation about career reinvention in today’s messy landscape.
You will hear their stories of both planned and unexpected pivots, from moving into higher education and launching coaching businesses to writing true crime books and starting a political podcast. These leaders share the messy middle, the grief, and the self reflection that come with letting go of an old identity to make room for the next chapter.
The panelists discuss:
The power of following your inner voice
Making room for grief and messiness in reinvention
Translating your superpowers into new career paths
The underrated value of just getting started
How to test, experiment, and build a bridge to your next chapter
Finding commercial fluency and product-market fit for your skills

What I Have Learned About Work, and What I Hope My Son Remembers

In this special episode, the mic gets flipped.
Christine Perfetti, founder of Lift Up and longtime UX leader, is interviewed by her son, Ben Perfetti. What follows is a deeply personal and heartfelt conversation about curiosity, career pivots, fear, growth and what it really means to build a meaningful life and career.
Ben asks thoughtful questions about Christine’s childhood goals, why she didn’t become a therapist, how she discovered the world of UX, and what led her to create Lift Up. Christine opens up about the scary moments, the sparks of inspiration, and the power of simply starting even when you don’t know where it will lead.
What You’ll Hear:
Why Christine almost became a therapist
The winding path to UX and product research
How Lift Up was born out of uncertainty and community
Why taking action even when you’re scared is important to reinvention
Ben’s reflections on what he’s learned watching his mom build something from scratch
Find Christine at Lift Up Connections

Designing a More Inclusive and Accessible World with Maigen Thomas

In this episode, I sit down with Maigen Thomas, accessibility advocate, UX leader, and founder of Level 11 Technology.
Maigen shares her winding journey from flight attendant to tech founder and how some brave leaps led her to a career focused on equity and purpose.
We discuss:
The emotional side of career pivots and why tears can be a sign of growth and transformation
How Maigen found her calling in accessibility and inclusive design
Why so many tech orgs still get accessibility wrong
Her vision for a more equitable future through apprenticeships and mentorship
What abundance really means when the world feels uncertain
The advice she gives to others navigating layoffs, reinvention, and doubt
Learn more about Maigen’s work:maigenthomas.com
Level 11 Technology