Chief Change Officer Podcast Episode #394: Rebecca Sutherns – Career on Her Terms: From Global Aid to Solopreneur Strategy (Part Two)
Release Date: May 26, 2025

In this compelling two-part conversation on the Chief Change Officer podcast, host Vince Chan engages with Rebecca Sutherns, a seasoned strategy coach and facilitator with 27 years of experience. Rebecca shares her transformative journey from international development to building a thriving solopreneur career, highlighting pivotal moments that redefined her path. This summary delves into their rich dialogue, exploring themes of personal and organizational transformation, midlife reinvention, and integrating professional insights into family life.

Embracing the Past as a Springboard for Future Growth

Rebecca begins by addressing a common pitfall in personal and professional development: the tendency to rely too heavily on past experiences without leveraging them to envision future possibilities.

“Our rear view mirror, backwards looking tools rather than future oriented tools. And we're not even aware of that.” ([02:04])

She emphasizes the importance of using historical data and personal experiences not as anchors that limit growth but as springboards that propel individuals toward new horizons. Rebecca challenges the notion that attributes like imagination and curiosity are solely childlike, arguing that adults, with their vast memory banks, possess the potential to be equally, if not more, imaginative and curious.

“Our curiosity actually stems from our memories. And so to the extent that adults have a larger memory bank, we have more experience to draw on to help us in theory be more curious, be more imaginative.” ([04:50])

Rebecca advocates for a forward-looking mindset, encouraging individuals to ask, “Who could I become?” and “What could I do in the future?” This perspective shift is crucial for breaking free from the inertia of the past and embracing continuous evolution without burnout.

Parallel Paths: Individual and Organizational Transformation

Transitioning the conversation, Vince highlights Rebecca’s unique expertise in both personal coaching and organizational change, prompting a discussion on the similarities and differences between transforming individuals and organizations.

“One of the similarities is the importance of articulating clearly what a win looks like, what success looks like.” ([05:24])

Rebecca explains that whether working with individuals or organizations, defining success is foundational. In organizational settings, this often involves collective dialogues to ensure a shared vision of success among diverse stakeholders. Conversely, individual coaching focuses on personal clarity and momentum-building.

“When you're doing it as a group, it also does depend on where in an organizational hierarchy or food chain you are actually intervening.” ([10:05])

She underscores the facilitator’s role in structuring conversations that align collective goals, much like the coach’s role in guiding individuals through their personal transitions. Both processes require creating frameworks and tools that support ongoing momentum and adaptability.

Navigating Midlife Transitions: Reimagining the Future

Addressing midlife transformations, Rebecca shares strategies for leveraging past experiences to fuel future ambitions, rather than allowing them to serve as reasons for stagnation.

“I think so much of our CV and life experience gets piled in our 20s and 30s, and we still have this ingrained ageism and this ingrained sort of timeframe that says something like, work goes till we're 65.” ([13:15])

She introduces the concept of "Elastic," a metaphor from her book, to illustrate the balance between stretching oneself for growth and avoiding the brittleness that comes from overextension. This elasticity allows individuals to adapt at their own pace and through their preferred pathways, ensuring sustainable growth.

“An elastic is only useful if it is stretched, but if you stretch it too fast, too much for too long, it is also not useful.” ([14:30])

Rebecca emphasizes the importance of redefining success metrics in midlife, such as combining work with personal passions like travel and learning. By doing so, individuals can maintain curiosity and adaptability, using their extensive experiences as fuel for continued personal and professional development.

Integrating Professional Wisdom into Family Life

In the final segment, Rebecca discusses how her professional insights seamlessly blend into her personal life, particularly in her roles as a mother and grandparent. She highlights the value of teachability and continuous learning within her family dynamics.

“We really encouraged them to seek out good role models and good mentors and be people who value feedback.” ([23:08])

Rebecca shares practical examples, such as hosting a leadership book club for her children, which fosters an environment of intellectual curiosity and growth. Her approach ensures that the principles of adaptability, resilience, and continuous improvement are ingrained in her family, mirroring her professional ethos.

“I think when you have a personal brand as opposed to a corporate brand, there's an authenticity there that I think has to come through.” ([22:13])

By modeling teachability and supporting her children’s individual pursuits, Rebecca demonstrates how personal and professional development can harmoniously coexist, benefiting both her family and her clients.

Final Thoughts and Resources

As the conversation wraps up, Rebecca directs listeners to additional resources, including a quiz to assess their current state in transitions and her book "Elastic," which delves deeper into adaptable leadership qualities.

“It’s got some interesting case studies that are not the typical large kind of American Silicon Valley case studies, but that are more local organizations that are really putting this adaptable, nimble leadership into practice.” ([24:48])

Vince concludes by acknowledging Rebecca’s ability to provide frameworks and metaphors that empower listeners to embrace reinvention without the pressure of completely overhauling their lives.

Key Takeaways:

• Leverage the Past for Future Growth: Use past experiences as a foundation to envision and create future possibilities rather than being confined by them.

• Define Success Clearly: Whether for individuals or organizations, having a shared and clear definition of success is crucial for effective transformation.

• Embrace Elasticity in Change: Balance stretching oneself for growth with maintaining resilience to prevent burnout, utilizing personal pathways for adaptability.

• Foster Teachability: Encourage continuous learning and openness to feedback within personal and professional spheres to drive ongoing development.

• Integrate Professional Insights into Personal Life: Modeling professional principles at home reinforces their importance and benefits across all areas of life.

For those interested in exploring these concepts further, Rebecca’s resources provide valuable tools and insights to navigate personal and organizational transformations successfully.