Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Karas

Hi Nancy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I have always marched to my own drum. Always took the road less traveled. My high school had a year-end ritual of creating senior superlatives. All graduating seniors voted to determine who was the prettiest, most popular, smartest, funniest, and most athletic of our classmates. I was one of three students, nominated that year, for class individual. I was horrified! It was a total insult at seventeen! It meant that I was a freak, that I didn’t fit in! I felt so embarrassed. Many moons later, I learned that what I had thought was an insult, was really my guiding star. How amazing, that even in high school, I had forged my own path and maintained my own individuality. Trusting my intuition, I have relied on faith and followed my own heart. I have always strived to move forward with kindness and respect and vowed to focus on work that I love.

After college, I worked at a national women’s gym as an instructor. Quickly promoted to assistant manager and then to the manager’s role, it led me to an incredible career. The company was closing all of its locations and I orchestrated the closing of the gym. I used this experience to focus my career on advising companies going through significant changes; a law firm’s dissolution, a company’s mergers and acquisitions, a company struggling with 50% turnover. I learned so much in each and every role. Invaluable lessons in life. And in each role, I was able to make a significant impact and contribution. I became a change management expert and an impactful leader. I built a solid reputation as a highly effective and inspiring leader and a trusted advisor. I have worked for incredible organizations and have earned a role on their senior management teams. I took on as much responsibility as my employers would give me. I wanted to always learn and grow. So, in addition to HR, I took on leadership roles in IT, Retail, Facilities, and Legal Administration.

But, as years went on, I longed to be my own boss, to create my own schedule. I realized that I could be more effective, and happier in my work, if I were coaching and consulting on my own. I wanted to be unencumbered by management, who limited how much help I could provide. So, I extricated myself from corporate America and took a leap. Combining all of the knowledge and experience I had gained over the years, I launched my own coaching and management consulting business and designed my own life. I have been so fortunate, guiding so many amazing people, teams, and organizations in their desire to make a change. I am grateful that I am able to help people, teams and organizations to envision and facilitate those changes. It is the most rewarding work I have ever done.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The beauty of life is that it is an adventure, if we choose to see it that way. But adventures can mean bumpy roads. To navigate the bumps and unexpected turns and potential ditches, we have to remember that the only constant we have is change. We need to gather tools and stratagies to help us manage change, so we will be able to navigate the bumps in the road. Navigating through life’s challenges, I have gained invaluable knowledge and and experience, and learned some hard lessons along the way. I now consider unwelcome change an opportunity to learn and grow. If we are still learning and growing, we are doing well.

One of my greatest struggles along the way, is being a progressive thinker, a creative problem solver and someone who cares deeply for people. Truly caring for people’s well being is not always an admired quality in business. Some of the best people initiatives I proposed were shot down. I was told I was too emotional, too passionate, too forward thinking, too caring. Great and wonderful idea Nancy, but no.

The Rebel HR Lady. That’s me. I like to joke that whenever I proposed progressive initiatives, I was either sent back to my desk or fired. Now, in hindsight, I laugh out loud, told that I am too emotional, too passionate, too forward thinking, because, well, I am! But that passion has fueled my career. I was often on the right path, but management could not fully grasp some of those initiatives and their benefits.

Ten years ago, I attended a conference and a man of great stature, a tech giant and startup Guru was on stage. He was recommending powerful initiatives that I had been trying to infuse into corporate America for the last twenty years. I was so taken by the alignment of our ideas, that I waited afterwards, and introduced myself to him and thanked him for introducing these initiatives. I introduced myself as the Rebel HR Lady. I explained that I had been promoting the same initiatives, and jokingly said, but was either sent back to my desk or fired. I thanked him, and said this audience would listen to him due to his stature. I shared with him the work I was doing now. I left the conference elated that I had connected wtih him. I was electrified that someone out there saw work and human beings from the same perspective that I did. I wrote him a note through LinkedIn a few days later, that said: “Hi, I am the rebel HR lady who introduced myself to you at the conference last week. I would love to collaborate with you to revolutionize the working world!”… and I sent it! And then thought, “what am I?? Nuts?? Am I crazy? Sounds more like a revolution than a professional endeavor!” But I sent it anyway. I had nothing to lose. And those initiatives! How much better would work be if we could infuse some of these ideas into our work lives. A few hours later, he wrote back. I had just read his new book and realized we had an astonishing connection. His book shared his unique life story and I realized we had so much more in common. I messaged him again to say that I had read his book and told him how well I knew and had shared a piece of his childhood. It was a great connection! He was delighted we were connected in such a way and we continued our conversation through emails. He saw that I shared his passion for the work he was doing, that I truly love and cherish the work I do. I shared more with him about the work I was doing too. He invited me to set up a meeting to determine how we could work together. From these initial exchanges, we found a way to partner on a really exciting startup project.

Though my progressive thinking had been a detriment in the past, I was now in alignment with other progressive thought leaders and this shared passion propelled me forward on my path. The project fell through in the end, by no fault of our own. But the lesson will last a lifetime. Connect with others who are passionate about the same things you are. Learn about your connections. Look for common denominators. This is proof that learning about someone and doing your due diligence when connecting, can lead you to amazing common denominators and relationships. We underestimate the power of networking. Don’t be afraid to go for it! Choose work that allows you to be your authentic self and do work that you love. Align yourself with thought leaders who open your world up. Make a difference. Make an impact. Be happy!

Life throws many challenges at us outside of work. For me, that meant caring for severely ill family members, having a beautiful baby through fertility treatments, raising this beautiful child, losing my life savings, going through a divorce, caregiving for my elderly parents and one brother as needed, and caregiving for other physically and emotionally challenged individuals in my life. During the divorce, I made a decision to allow my ex husband to continue to live with us. He was not malicious and our divorce was not contentious. He was diagnosed with Progressive MS and Aspbergers. He was struggling. My daughter was 8 years old and she needed her Dad. I was the only one working, so I needed daycare. It just made sense. Throw in diseases, car accidents, fires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, hospital stays, surgeries, deaths, gas leaks, sewage leaks, bio hazard and mold mitigation. Then, add to that; my three rounds of covid, a partially collapsed lung, two torn rotator cuffs and a partially torn bicep. Anxiety, stress, weight gain and hypertension. All of these take place at the same time we are supposed to be thriving, producing, selling, building, growing, learning, teaching, advising, manufacturing, running meetings, working, etc. We are expected to show up for work and be responsible, focused and successful in spite of our pain. It is completely understandable how we can feel so down, stressed and overwhelmed.

These events produce anxiety, stress, depression and fear. We become frozen in place and can’t move forward. We feel stuck. But, stuck is a state of mind. Remember, the only constant we have is change. So this moment too, shall pass and we can move forward, move on or move out. Our mental and physical health, and our families are as important as any job, profession or career. I struggled with balancing the two, but in the end, family won. I lost a lot of income when focused on taking care of family. It became more critical than focusing on work. But, for me, it was a soul mission to be there for my family as they had been there for me over the years. It was an honor to take care of the people I loved.

I was scheduled with NBC, for a television appearance as a subject matter expert during the COVID lockdown. Using a spare bedroom to set up for the interview, I sat with my chair pressed up against the door to the small room. In the middle of the interview, I hear my front door opening and can hear the ambulance workers as they wheel a gurney into the house with my Mother on it. She is home from the hospital. They pass right by the door I am pressed against. As I share tips with NBC viewers, I can hear the emergency medical technicians struggling to get the gurney through the narrow hallway. They are talking to each other through the turn in the hallway, I continue my interview with NBC, thinking, wow, if peoeple ony knew what was going on right behind me at this very moment. As soon as the interview was over, I would run to my Mother’s room to take care of her and settle her in at home again. This is a perfect example of how we have to straddle two worlds at once. Continuing to be professional, engaged, and making a contribution, when behind closed doors, our world is falling apart.

As each crisis, catastrophe and unexpected challenge comes at me like waves crashing against the unsuspecting shore, some much larger than others. Some knock me down. catching me off guard, until I am tumbling under water and can’t find which way is up. Scared and unable to breath, I struggle to right myself, determined to survive this. Finding my footing, I am finally able to stand up. I burst out of the water, finally able to gasp for air and breathe, escaping the clutches of that tremendous wave and relentless shore. I realize then, how strong and resourceful I am, overcoming so many of the obstacles that life has thrown at me. If I get knocked down, I am determined to pop up again. And if I ask in a desparate moment, “Why me?” The answer that I hear whispered back to me is always that it makes you a much better coach for your clients. The more experience I have, the more I can help people from a place of experience. We don’t realize how strong and resilient we really are. I help my clients to find that strength and love in themselves.

We’ve been impressed with Habitat For HR – Transition.Coach, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I am an executive coach and change management expert focused on the well being of my clients. I teach people to take back their power and raise the bar. I guide clients to manage their own lives and careers. I succeed by combining innovative strategies & proven career management methodology. I draw upon 20 years of experience as a strategic business partner and human resources leader, directing the people management practices for small, mid-size and Fortune 500 companies. I also focus on building relationships and alliances within the HR and C-Suite space.

I help Executives and Emerging Leaders to develop their careers in the following critical areas:

• Presence & Awareness • Communication with Influence • Translating Vision into Action
• Confidence & Courage • Resilience • Leading High Performance Teams • Customer Centricity
• Decisiveness & Judgment • Leading Change • Operational Excellence • Accountability • Growing Talent

I work with organizations, teams and individuals to make important determinitations to elevate their happiness and success. I develop thriving work cultures and guide great companies through strategy and execution. Like kiddie bumpers put up on the bowling alley, I act as those bumpers, guiding my clients to ensure that they get a strike. Guiding them to live fulfilling and meaningful lives, feeling valued, motivated, safe and happy in their work, as well as in their own personal lives. I facilitate executive coaching groups and training webinars for leaders and coaches. I am a co-author and guest speaker. I mentor and coach individuals throughout their career and coach C-Level Execs at the height of their careers. On a more personal level, I help my clients to push through their fears, facilitate change and move forward in their lives to find their own version of happiness and success.

Specialties: Career Management, Executive Coaching, Executive Leadership Coaching, Outplacement Specialist,
Change Management Expert, Work Futurist, AI, Business Transformation, Emotional Intelligence
Process Re-Engineering, Start-Up, Turnaround, HR Operations, Talent Acquisition, Strategic HR;
Group Facilitation and Engaging Workshops

What matters most to you? Why?

What matters most to me is being a decent human being. Life is hard enough, why make it harder? How difficult is it to be kind and respectful in the way we approach life and others? What a better world it would be if we could all be kinder and become practiced in this approach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.transition.coach
• Instagram: @transition.coach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/B75iRZX7fhURh997/?mibextid=K35XfP.