Christine Perfetti - Blending UX Consulting with a Mission-Driven Passion Project
Manage episode 474703128 series 3583801
In this episode of The UX Consulting Lounge, host Kyle Soucy reconnects with long-time friend and UX veteran Christine Perfetti for a deeply honest and inspiring conversation about career reinvention, self-worth, and the power of authentic connection.
After decades of success in the UX world—most recently through her consultancy, Perfetti Media—Christine found herself at a professional and personal crossroads. Instead of staying the course, she decided to explore something new: a passion project called Lift Up Connections, where she brings women together in small cohorts to help them navigate career and life inflection points with clarity, intention, and support.
Kyle and Christine talk about:
- Why so many in the UX industry are questioning their career paths right now
- Christine’s journey from high-profile consulting work to launching Lift Up Connections
- The emotional challenges of tying self-worth to professional success
- How connection, vulnerability, and community have become central to Christine’s work
- The practical tools and exercises she uses to help women design their next chapters
- Balancing a passion project with ongoing consulting work—and what she’s learned from both
Whether you’re a UX consultant, an in-house practitioner, or someone wondering what’s next, this episode will speak to anyone craving more meaning, alignment, and joy in their work.
Connect with Us:
- Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface
- Guest: Christine Perfetti | Perfetti Media & Lift Up Connections
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Links and Resources Mentioned:
- Christine's Maven Course - Reimagine and Grow Your Career: A Playbook for Designing Your Next Act
- Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
- The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
- So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
- How Kyle uses collaging in UX research:
- Article on Smashing Magazine
- Convey UX talk
Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.
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I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!
Chapters
1. Christine Perfetti - Blending UX Consulting with a Mission-Driven Passion Project (00:00:00)
2. Introducing Christine Perfetti (00:00:42)
3. Christine's UX consultancy, Perfetti Media (00:06:13)
4. How Christine found her first clients (00:09:46)
5. How Christine's previous work experience helped shape her business (00:11:29)
6. Why Christine wanted to start her own business (00:14:05)
7. How Christine found her passion project, Lift Up Connections (00:16:54)
8. What Lift Up Connections is all about (00:24:09)
9. 'Reimagine Your Career' course details (00:32:39)
10. Visioning exercises used in Lift Up Connections (00:51:01)
11. The dangers of tying our self-worth to your work (00:55:28)
12. What Christine has learned from starting her passion project (00:59:42)
13. How Christine finds participants for her cohorts (01:03:50)
14. Christine's experience using Maven for her cohorts (01:05:25)
15. What makes a consultant good? (01:08:52)
16. The best piece of business advice Christine has ever received (01:10:40)
17. Christine's recommended consulting resources (01:13:34)
10 episodes