Today I found myself reflecting on all the business reinventions I’ve navigated over the years.
Every single one of them was ignited by a moment I didn’t choose—but had to respond to.
1993 — The E. coli crisis hit Jack in the Box.
Children lost their lives. Families were devastated.
I was the local marketing manager in Seattle at the time.
No amount of local marketing could fix what had happened.
The company was on its knees.
Leaving after ten proud years was heartbreaking and necessary.
1997 — My son was born.
Very quickly, I realized the daycare shuffle wasn’t my favorite dance.
So, I reinvented again, this time as a copywriter, working with top Seattle companies so I could earn well and be present for my son.
2001 — The Twin Towers fell during September 11 attacks.
The world shifted overnight.
I stepped into a bigger game and launched a boutique PR agency, helping banks, chocolatiers, and even celebrities share their stories in a world that suddenly needed connection more than ever.
2008 — The Great Recession hit.
My agency went down with it.
On a dare, I wrote Bye-Bye Boring Bio to help people get hired as consultants after being shown the door.
That book saved my bacon and opened the door to speaking, online marketing, and bringing the world to my virtual front door.
2018 — Life hit the fan in every direction.
A home burglary.
Family illness.
Friends divorcing.
A season that reminded me: life is what happens while we are making other plans.
Around that same time, my husband and I said yes to a three-day event in Vancouver, BC. This was one of many promising to teach how to generate six-figure incomes and beyond.
What we didn’t expect was the relationship that came from it.
We met Mike Wolf, a successful real estate investor and trainer.
After my husband did his due diligence as a Certified Financial Planner professional, we began investing in real estate.
Over time, we acquired three rental homes, a condo that supported our son during graduate school as he earned his PhD, a townhouse in a sunny location, and our family home.
Building a solid foundation of income-producing real estate alongside our businesses turned out to be a very smart play.
From that same season, my husband and I also created the Life Goes On Roadmap to help families organize what matters most when life gets real. We licensed it to financial advisors across the USA and sold it direct to hundreds of consumers through our website.
2020 — The coronavirus pandemic reshaped everything.
We sheltered in place.
Worked from home.
Questioned what “normal” even meant anymore.
And once again, it was time to adapt.
This time, I doubled down on podcast guesting, broadcasting my own brilliance to a larger audience without ever leaving my house.
From that decision, I created Podcast Dream Guest Mastery, along with done-for-you media one sheet services to help others do the same.
Through a series of five-day challenges and other initiatives, I served more than 5,000 messengers, helping them book themselves on top podcasts without relying on expensive booking agencies.
2022 — Breast cancer came to call.
That experience inspired profound changes in both my personal and business life.
We moved to a sunny location.
That experience inspired profound changes in both my personal and business life.
We moved to a sunny location.
At the same time, a new tool entered the scene: ChatGPT.
As an award-winning copywriter, I chose to lean in and learn how to use it to enhance my writing and support my clients in doing the same, without losing their unique voice and tone.
That path also opened doors to serve as a paid faculty member on leadership teams for two influential leaders in the transformational coaching space—supporting their clients at a deeper level. One of those engagements continues to this day.
And I was drawn to create and lead the Love Your Business – Love Your Life Inner Circle, an intimate mastermind for men and women who want success that feels as good as it looks.
That group has now been together for more than three years, making magic as we support and champion one another in business and in life.
2025 — Cancer came to call again.
And once again, I was invited to choose how I would respond.
Upon my recovery, I created the Ruby Slipper Collective. This is an intimate mastermind for accomplished women standing at a threshold of reinvention after already achieving meaningful success.
This circle is just beginning to make its mark.
Looking back, I see the pattern clearly now:
Not one reinvention was random.
Each one was a response to reality, met with a decision to rise.
Resilience.
Resourcefulness.
Grit.
Tenacity.
Kindness.
Compassion.
Creativity.
Service.
And always… new ways to serve.
Here’s what I know for sure:
Reinvention isn’t something you plan in perfect conditions.
It’s something you choose when life interrupts your plans.
These days, I’m less interested in building something bigger… and more committed to building what’s truer.
Looking back like this reminds me of something important:
I know how to rise.
I trust that I will.
And if I’ve done it before, I can do it again.
So can you. If you haven’t done your own “looking back” exercise, now might be the perfect time.
Look for the patterns.
The moments you rose.
The decisions that changed everything.
Your best next step is likely already whispering to you.
And if you’re willing… I’d love to hear:
What moments shaped your reinvention?
What might be calling you forward now?
Nancy Juetten is a messaging strategist, regret prevention advocate, and founder/leader of the Ruby Slipper Collective. This is an intimate mastermind through which accomplished women entrepreneurs design their next magnificent chapters in life and work and bring their new dreams to life together.
