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Kristen Zavo

Executive Coaching, Job Search Support, Corporate Workshops ~ I help high achievers build careers they love while supporting their employers to attract and retain them.

Kristen Zavo is a career coach, keynote speaker, and author who specializes in helping professionals find fulfillment and happiness in their careers.13 With nearly two decades of experience in various traditional jobs, including teaching, investment banking, consulting, and retail strategy and marketing, Zavo understands the challenges of being successful by external measures while feeling unfulfilled at work.13

Professional Background

Zavo is the founder of Find Your Job Joy, LLC, where she offers career coaching services and group coaching programs.2 She is also the author of the book "Job Joy: Your Guide to Success, Meaning and Happiness in Your Career".3

Expertise and Services

Career Coaching:: Zavo provides intensive life coaching programs, offering over 150 hours of online and in-person training.2 She is one of less than 30 certified Illuminators, which likely refers to a specific coaching certification.

Group Coaching Programs:: Zavo runs group coaching programs, including "FIND YOUR JOB JOY" and "JOB JOY FOR ENTREPRENEURS".5

Speaking and Content Creation:: As a keynote speaker, Zavo shares her insights on career development and job satisfaction. She also maintains a YouTube channel where she posts weekly videos offering advice on job search, career change, and related topics.46

Approach and Philosophy

Kristen Zavo's approach focuses on helping high achievers build careers they love while also supporting employers in attracting and retaining talent.4 Her work emphasizes finding success, meaning, and happiness in one's career, drawing from her personal experience of transitioning from traditional corporate roles to a more fulfilling career path.13

Highlights

Aug 29 · linkedin

If it’s meant for you, you can’t mess it up. If it’s not meant for you, no amount of perfection or strategy can make it work.

☝🏼This is something I remind my clients (and myself!) of often… and I believe it to be true for jobs, opportunities, friends, romance, really anything you think you really want.

Does this mean we throw in the towel and don’t even try?

Of course not.

It means we get clear on what we want, do the work to prepare ourselves for the blessing, take inspired action…

and then - and this is the most important and the most difficult part -

Trust that it is enough, that we are enough.

If not this, something better! ✨

Your Turn: Share your favorite phrase, mantra or words of wisdom in the comments below!

Aug 27 · linkedin

Why (and How) Failure is Necessary for Success (+ a vulnerable share)

I recently caught up with a past client of mine, who told me how she had studied really hard for a major exam, took it three times, and still hadn't passed.

Understandably, her confidence took a hit and she felt lost.

I could relate. I bet you can too?

For me, it was when I wasn't sure what was next in my finance career, and so I decided to sign up to take the three-part Charted Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.

Studying for this test was more challenging than earning my MBA — each part required 6 months of intense study, and foregoing everything else except work.

At a 30% pass rate, it took me two times to pass level 1. Then on to level 2. When I didn't pass on the first time again, it forced me to pause.

It was only then, after this "failure" that I finally admitted to myself I was doing it for the wrong reasons.

I wasn't passionate about finance.

Going after this designation (in addition to multiple degrees and certifications) was a distraction.

A distraction from the real problem I wasn't ready to face.

In retrospect, I think I was hoping it would allow me to land a higher paying job, which maybe would make up for the punishing hours and lack of fulfillment both at work and at home.

But in this case, not "getting what I wanted" forced me to stop and think about why I was going for it, and if it would really make me happy in the long run.

When I admitted to myself that the answer was NO, I decided to completely change careers and do something I really enjoyed... which led to a 180 degree move into marketing and strategy, and ultimately to the work I do (and love!) now as an author, speaker, and executive + job search coach.

In this way, 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰, 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡.

Imagine all that time, energy, tears and sweat that would've been wasted on a career that didn't bring me joy had I easily passed the exam?!

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 — 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬.

Your Turn: Yes or No — can you think of a time when failure was essential to your success or happiness?

p.s. One of my favorite things to do is catch up with former clients — on all topics including the challenges and celebrations of both work and personal life. If we've worked together and it's been a while, send me a message.

p.p.s. If you're in need of some career course correction, let's talk. Send me a message with a bit about your current situation, and I'll share how I can help.

Related Questions

What inspired Kristen Zavo to create the Job Joy program?
How does Kristen Zavo's background in investment banking and consulting influence her coaching style?
What are some success stories from participants in Kristen Zavo's coaching programs?
How does Kristen Zavo define "Job Joy" in her coaching?
What makes Kristen Zavo one of the less than 30 certified Illuminators?
Kristen Zavo
Kristen Zavo, photo 1
Kristen Zavo, photo 2
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Location

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area