Mindset Matters: How One Simple Shift Changed My Career Forever

If you've followed me long enough, you've probably heard my 19 jobs story.

It started in my early 20s, when I never knew what the hell I wanted beyond getting drunk or smoking a bowl with my buddies while soaking in the misery of my non-existent future.

My belief system was the real problem. I carried the mindset that good things just don't happen to guys like me.

Plus, I thought since I'd already screwed up the perfect formula…

1. Graduate high school

2. Go to college

3. Start your life's work

4. Someday retire

...I was already doomed. Game over at 25.

I genuinely believed my problems and destiny were completely out of my control.

Then Everything Changed

Starting in my late 20s, I went on to reinvent myself multiple times and achieved success my early twenty-something self would've laughed at (or called bullshit on).

There's one word I can attribute all my achievements—and failures—to:

Mindset

That word might be the single most important factor in whether you succeed at whatever you want to do.

One of my first mindset breakthroughs came when I read that Henry Ford quote:

It blew my mind. For the first time, I realized I actually had a choice in my destiny.

The Universe Sent Me Three Reminders This Week

A higher power must have really wanted to remind me about the importance of mindset because honestly, it’s been slipping the past few months.

Mindset showed up in three different ways this week to give me a shot in the arm and I'm paying these forward in hopes they'll help shift your thinking too:

1. Lessons From Gen Z (Yes, Really)

Brett Trainor posted on LinkedIn making a solid argument that Gen Z isn't lazy. They've just figured out how to play the corporate game smarter by:

• Setting clear boundaries

• Refusing to tie their identity solely to their job

• Confidently betting on themselves

As Gen Xers, we can learn from their approach: burnout isn't a badge of honor, renegotiation is always possible, and it's never too late to leverage our decades of experience to finally take control of our careers.

That's a mindset it took me until my late thirties to realize.

Read it here: LinkedIn Gen Z post

2. From Helpless to Helpful

I discovered a powerful message on the "On Purpose" podcast with Lewis Howes and Jay Shetty.

Lewis shared something that struck me: "You need to be helpful when you need help." Going from a mindset of "helplessness to helpfulness."

For anyone thinking about a career change, worried about job security, facing ageism, or anxious about AI replacing their role, consider this wisdom—serving others might be your best path forward.

It's a mindset shift worth exploring. The full podcast has A TON of great takeaways.

3. The Mindset Answer Man

Last week, I reconnected with Cliff Ravenscraft on LinkedIn—someone I've known since our early podcasting days in 2007.

Cliff is the real deal. He left his stable insurance job, with a family to support, to become a full-time podcaster when that was absolute CRAZY talk back in 2007.

He is, without a doubt, someone who influenced my path towards self-employment and having the courage to reinvent myself in 2013.

He recently decided to move on from his well-known, uber successful personal brand as the "Podcast Answer Man" to reinvent himself as "Mindset Answer Man.” He’s mastered the art of reinvention.

He invited me onto his "What Are You Creating" podcast where we discussed our parallel journeys in self-employment and how our paths have crossed over the years.

Want to hear how two Gen X guys turned their backs on the conventional path and made it work? Check out our conversation:

Listen to “What We Are Creating”

AI Tip of the Week: The Brutal Career Truth Detector

For our AI exercise of the week, here's a fun prompt I saw on Reddit.

If any part of you thinks you're in the wrong job, take this prompt for a spin and see what you discover:

"Brutal Career Truth Detector" prompt (Reddit)

The Song That Started It All

Circling back to Cliff—during our podcast conversation, he shared something that surprised me. My song "Why Wait" brought him back to his career transformation.

The lyrics capture the mindset shift we both needed to break free from our old lives and leap into something better.

I've shared this song before in the newsletter, but hearing how it impacted someone else's journey makes it worth revisiting. After all, isn't that what music is for? To remind us we're not alone in our struggles and breakthroughs.

So, Why Does Mindset Matter?

Because your mindset isn’t just about positivity or "thinking happy thoughts." It's about realizing you control far more than you think.

It's the choice between passively accepting your situation—or actively creating a future you actually want to wake up to.

Have a good one,

Corey