Skip The Repeat

Ellen Yin didn’t always love food. As a child in New Jersey, she was more into McDonald’s than her mom’s cooking. But when she did discover the magic of restaurants and the food they served, she was hooked. All through her time at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, she dreamed of owning a restaurant. This was true even after she began working in advertising and hospital management. Today, she is owner and co-founder of High Street Hospitality Group, managing four restaurants in Philadelphia and one in NYC.

When I met Alex Beyer in 2010 at a piano competition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we struck up a conversation about his passion for soccer and his dream of becoming a NASA astronaut. Since then, he has gone on to win third prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition, while graduating from the Harvard/New England Conservatory dual degree program. And it was at the peak of his piano competition career that he pivoted, away from the life of a concert pianist. Today he is a Student Naval Aviator in the United States Navy.

Megan Moore now tells students she speaks to, that a career doesn’t begin once they’ve won a job, competition, or role - it starts the moment they walk into music school. As an artist faced with the horrors of a once packed schedule disappearing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Megan has thought much about what a career is to her, through her journey of rising as a young operatic star to co-founding LYNX, a non-profit now working with people with nonverbal autism. Today she is the First Prize winner of the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition.

As a senior in high school, Katherine Balch focused on applying to dual degree programs, so she could study music and something else. She refused to pigeonhole herself into a career track, and has kept that same spirit well into her now-flourishing career as a composer - even with the awards and prizes she has received, she’s open to change, maybe even away from composition one day. Today she is the 2020 Elliott Carter Rome Prize Fellow.

When Side Project Jerky was launched almost ten years ago, it was meant to be exactly that - a side project. Working as a construction estimator, Marcos Espinoza saw the beef jerky business as a more fun way to earn extra income than a rental property. But through the years his fascination with jerky has continued to grow, culminating in the decision to pivot and focus much of his efforts into the business after he was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This episode begins with a reflection on what has been happening in this country in the wake of the murders in Atlanta and the sharp increase in hate crimes against Asian people. When Keegan Fong was in high school, his family frequently hosted his friends for dinner. It wasn’t until he left home that he realized how special his mom’s cooking was. As he worked in the action sports industry as a marketing manager, he began dreaming of his own business which would showcase his mom’s cooking and the family’s welcoming spirit. Today, he is owner of Woon Kitchen in LA.

In high school, John Geating was dead set on becoming a Navy pilot. But because of a medical disqualification, he was forced to drastically alter his path. Through his numerous pivots, including becoming a janitor, working at a yogurt factory, and becoming a property manager in New Zealand, he’s taken the long road to where he is now. But on his journey, perhaps the most devastating change he experienced was the loss of his dad. Today he is co-owner of the delightful Leeward Furniture. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Friendships have been the most important aspect of opening doors for Jason Sturgill. From founding a record label, to a stint in telemarketing, to working at one of the big names in the advertising world, and becoming an illustrator, the serendipity and spontaneity that relationships bring have been central to his pivots. Today his list of clients include Nike, Muji, Teva, and Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Steven Banks always felt that he was alone. As a classical saxophonist, no one looked like him or had a similar background - a fact that left him with what felt like a huge responsibility to represent all black people in classical music. That feeling fueled him to become an advocate for diversity and inclusion, as well as expanding into becoming a composer. He is the first ever saxophonist to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat  

As a nineteen year old college student, Jeannine A. Cook became pregnant. Initially fearing that her life and dreams were over, she eventually rose to meet those challenges, graduating and becoming an educator. Service has always been central to her ideas about what it means to be a human being - through her pivot and founding Harriett’s Bookshop, she is cultivating the next generation of activists. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Emily and Brian Kellett first met through friends in Columbus, OH - she was a student studying industrial design and he worked as a freelance designer for a local brewery. Now married, today they’re owners of STUMP, a gorgeous plant shop with locations in four different cities - but they never expected to be here. The real life experience and lessons learned through their many pivots are at work on a daily basis for their newest venture.    Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

When Vikram Nayar was working in finance, he had no idea that entrepreneurship in the beverage industry was his future. In fact, he had no idea what hard seltzer was - he just knew he desired the challenge and grind of entrepreneurship. Today, he is one half of the twin brothers behind hard seltzer brand, Two Robbers. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Ryan Fitzgerald is a man of many many pivots. And through it all, he’s leaned on two things - a sense of adventure and the belief in himself to figure it out. From screen printing to detailing cars to founding Philly’s hottest supper club, he’s taken the lessons from all of his previous businesses to create his newest venture, 1-900-ICE-CREAM. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

DW Burnett had no idea that his epic road trip from Brooklyn to LA in a Mustang GT would literally change his life. Starting his professional career gigging around NYC as a drummer, he’s found that his pivot to becoming an automotive photographer has taken his passion for jazz drumming to new heights. Today, his list of clients include Audi, McLaren, Road & Track, and Top Gear. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Through her meteoric rise in the world of music, Julia Bullock’s ultimate mission has been to share openly, share transparently, and share clearly. As one of the brightest opera singers today, she has had her periods of struggle since her childhood in a suburb of St. Louis. Issues of identity, anxiety, and depression eventually lead to her going into rehab - but she regards those periods as a direct influence on who she is today, making an impact beyond her job description, for the betterment of society. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

When Jim Walls graduated college, he had no idea that he would one day become a creative director or that he would even work in the advertising industry. He also had no idea that his first job out of school would be as a forklift operator. His career has been a series of pivots rooted in self-belief, eventually becoming Chief Creative Officer at the creative agency, 160over90. Today he is a partner in a new agency, Truth & Consequences. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

BJ Miller attended Princeton with the mindset of learning for learning’s sake, without a specific career in mind. That mindset has served him well through his numerous pivots, including the accident during his sophomore year, when he became a trilateral amputee. Today he is a hospice and palliative care physician, teaching at the UCSF Cancer Center and founding Mettle Health, providing a unique approach to palliative care. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Yunice Kang has never had a career trajectory that she chased or a dream job. Initially studying business, she dropped out after realizing that it wasn’t for her, eventually discovering photography. She became a photo producer in NY, handling logistics for photo shoots. But a few years into starting her own production company, her dad was diagnosed with cerebellum ataxia, a degenerative disease, and she left her career and NY to come home to LA. The time she spent with him had a profound impact on her, and today, she is a plant designer and owner of the spectacular plant nursery in LA, Sanso. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Gurcharan Roopra never went to school for photography. He never imagined that it would become a big part of his life, let alone that he would become world famous for wildlife photography. As a young man, his dream was to become a motorsport engineer, earning a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering. But when he couldn’t find a job in that field, he pivoted to construction, finding success. Yes, photography remains a passionate hobby - something that is not his main source of income. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat

Tova du Plessis came from South Africa to the United States for an education, pursuing a dream of becoming a doctor. But upon landing in NYC, she quickly found out that life in America wasn’t what she’d imagined it would be. Reconnecting with a past boyfriend studying in Houston, she went to visit him, not realizing that that trip would open the doors to a change of direction, and a whole new life. Today, she is the owner of Essen Bakery in Philadelphia, nominated earlier this year for a James Beard Award, for the fourth year in a row. Follow the show on Instagram: @skiptherepeat