From "Soon" to "Now"

I'm coming off a 2-week vacation back to my motherland (aka the Midwest) to see family and friends and I'm thinking about the “what's next” in my business.

2025 has been a rough year for many reasons and it pushed me to think deeply about what I should do next with Renaissance Woman Consulting. Many of my past collaborators have reduced funding, so I’m definitely in “job search”, or most specifically “project search”, mode.

Don't worry, this newsletter won’t be going away! (It may come out less frequently,however). And I’ll still be offering one-on-one career coaching and running LinkedIn Sprints. However, I did decided to take my entire summer off (you still get to rest even when you’re a job seeker) and wait until Fall for the next round of Sprints for job seekers (September) and freelancers (October).

Creation Mode

I've been participating in my own kind of sprint-like mental workout with my business coach Jenni Gritters, in her intensive 8-week program CREATE. What am I creating, you may ask? Well, that's where some of you might come in. 

In my “About” section on LinkedIn, I've had the following message wallowing for more than 2…3…ok, I'll admit it, almost 5 years. 

My life is about exploring opportunities and making connections. Some of my FAVORITE people to connect with are fellow Renaissance People. Soon, I will be building a community of Renaissance People who are current or aspiring engagement experts. In this space we will belong BECAUSE we don't "neatly fit" elsewhere. Stay tuned for more details!

When I see the word “soon”, I hear a familiar voice in my head…

Fine, you win, Inigo!

“Soon” is NOW! I am building that space for my fellow Renaissance People! And if you're still wondering what I mean by Renaissance People, here's my LinkedIn post exploring the topic. 

If you don't feel like reading that, here's the basics. If you identify with any of the following terms, I consider you a Renaissance Person: multipotentialite, Jack/Jill-of-all-trades, versatilist, generalist, boundary spanner.

Regular readers know I strongly believe in the power of community and our connections with others for job seekers. But it’s more than just in the job hunt that we need others. We need spaces of belonging, acceptance and appreciation throughout our lives.

I am building that community space for Renaissance People. It starts with a podcast (still debating on the title but I'll let you know when it comes out). I'll be looking for Renaissance People to join as my guests.

Simultaneously, I'm creating a space for us to gather.

If this sounds like what you need, I have a short survey I'd love to have you fill out that will help me define what that space will look like and how I can design it so it provides value in your busy lives. And if this reminds you of someone in your life, please forward this message to them.

Taking the Risk

Creating a community for Renaissance People is something I’ve dreamed of doing since starting my business 5 years ago, but it never seemed like the right time. Here’s how I was able to get past that roadblock and how you can take a leap in your own career journey.

• I said it before, and I’ll say it again…community is everything. I would not have had the confidence to do this without my business coach and the other participants in the CREATE program. This is a community-based program and we’re all supporting each other. It’s more than just “rah rah” though. We give each other constructive criticism and reflection questions to improve our ideas and inspire our plans.

• Gather information so that you can make an informed leap. That’s why I created my survey, to find out what Renaissance People want so that I create something to meet their needs. If you’re thinking about making a big change, connect with people in the new industry or career path you’d like to explore. Ask them questions, read social media posts and articles, and join organizations for members that industry.

• Reframe the moment. I’ve been wallowing in fear about my past work drying up with nothing new to replace it. I’m now looking at this extra time as a message from the universe (which oddly has the voice of actress Janeane Garofalo). “You said you’d do this when you had more time. Well, here’s the time…do it already!”

• Remember the journey. As an entrepreneur, and especially as a Renaissance Woman entrepreneur, I have to remember that this is just going to be one of the MANY destinations I’ll visit in my career journey. I can stay for as long or as short a time as I want. I can evolve, I MUST evolve, because the world is evolving around me.

If you’re a Renaissance person, join me in my new space. And if there’s a different leap you’re considering in your career journey, count this as your personal permission slip to explore it further.

Resume and Cover Letter Support

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I’m still planning on leading a free masterclass for job seekers.

Yes, I am a Human is a 40-minutes session introducing you to my VAST Technique_©. You’ll learn how to make it past the unfeeling technology designed to chop down the applicant pool. And simultaneously, we’ll embrace the fact that, in the end, a human (or humans) is hiring another human to join them in their space. Apply with confidence for jobs you really want and stand out from the AI-generated mediocrity.

When: Thursday, August 21, 1pm ET/9am PT (recording available afterwards)

Where: Zoom

Cost: FREE!

Resource Roundup

I’ve decided to mix things up in this section of my newsletter and share a variety of types of resources.

• I was interviewed for the podcast Job Search for High-Performing Misfits hosted by Melissa Vining (my episode is hopefully coming out next month and I can’t wait to share it!) In the meantime, check out Melissa’s latest episode, Maximizing Your Strengths with Colleen DelVecchio. There’s some great ideas that align with what I discuss regularly in my newsletter.

• Looking for folks to follow on LinkedIn who regularly post job opportunities? Check out the list at the bottom of my newsletters from November 29, 2024 to January 16, 2025.

• Struggling after being laid off? Listen to the podcast, Proxy with Yowei Shaw. Yowei is the former host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia but was laid off in 2023. She started Proxy as a way of trying to understand why she felt so terrible. She began this new podcast with “The Layoff Trilogy”. This series does an amazing job of combining research and storytelling as it address a devastating situation with compassion and generous helpings of humor. This is a must-listen resource if you’ve been laid off or if someone you care about has been.

Hi! I’m Sara Kobilka, owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting.

I am a Renaissance Woman (what’s THAT? Good question! Here’s my answer). My wide-ranging background includes time as a TV meteorologist/reporter, non-profit leader, higher education program coordinator, curriculum designer, and now, business owner. During each leg of this journey, I gained new skills that I was able take with me in my next step. Now, I work remotely with clients to help them confidently tell their story and navigate the transition to the next leg of their career journey.

Take the Next Step

• Follow me on LinkedIn where I actively cross-pollinate impactful ideas across industries and disciplines (and regularly share job opportunities I come across)

• Check out my one-on-one career coaching program and work through my VAST Technique_©

• Purchase my workshop Building Community with LinkedIn

• Participate in a LinkedIn Sprints (September is for job seekers)

• Join my Renaissance People community

Did you find this newsletter valuable?

Please share it and consider buying me an oat milk cappuccino so I can keep offering it for free to all job seekers.