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What happens when you leave a 30-year teaching career to start fresh in an entirely different field? In this captivating conversation, Norma Kayatsa reveals the challenges, triumphs, and unexpected lessons from her pivot from music educator to successful real estate agent.
Norma's journey begins with an early career detour - studying opera at the prestigious University of Michigan before returning to teaching. That experience planted seeds of adaptability that would serve her decades later when contemplating retirement from education. Rather than simply ending her professional life, Norma sought renewal through real estate, a field she'd long been curious about from casual visits to open houses.
The transition wasn't without significant hurdles. After decades in education's highly structured environment, Norma found herself without external schedules, struggling to create productive routines. Her solution? Using her Roomba's 9am start time as an irritating but effective prompt to begin her workday - a brilliant example of habit building that listeners can immediately apply to their own lives.
Perhaps most fascinating is how Norma discovered unexpected transferable skills. Her background in opera and theater became a secret weapon in real estate negotiations, allowing her to "act the part" when confidence wavered. Meanwhile, her teaching experience translated perfectly to explaining complex real estate concepts to clients - proving that our past careers often equip us in surprising ways for new challenges.
For anyone contemplating a major life change, especially in midlife, Norma offers refreshingly direct advice: "Get out of your own head and just do it." Her story powerfully demonstrates that our second acts can be just as rewarding as our first, provided we're willing to take the leap.
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