Curt Sassak

Teaching Mid-Career Leaders how to navigate life & career transitions using my Proven Recipe / Improve the quality of your life / Create your next chapter by design, not default / Former Chef

Live workshop on July 28th:  Land your next 6-figure role faster. Stop getting ghosted. Start getting noticed. See my featured section for details

𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝘼 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧

Imagine eating your favorite dish every day for 20+ years, until one day it doesn’t taste good anymore.

Worse, is you don’t know why, and have no idea of what you want. 

That was me at 39.

Award-winning chef. Five-star kitchens. I had everything I wanted on paper. But inside? Empty. 

I had climbed every mountain only to find myself thinking,  “Is this it? What’s next”

I couldn't figure out why I felt like this, and it frustrated the f*ck out of me. 
I pushed through thinking it would pass. Wrong.

Eventually, it all caught up.
I was 60 lbs overweight, drinking to cope, lost $250K in potential earnings, and in a miserable career that no longer fit. 

So, at 40, I took a bold step: I reinvented myself in every way.

I left the only career I knew with no idea and not job; just the gut instinct that I had more to offer.

So I used what I knew:
Recipes.

A recipe is a process. It’s clarity + execution.
That’s how I reinvented myself. 

The result?
I’m in the best physical and mental shape of my life. And, I'm helping change lives for the better. 

I help high-functioning, high-achieving professionals (35+) who want freedom from a toxic job. Freedom to build something with meaning, and leave a legacy. 

You don’t need another “mindset guru” with motivational memes.
As one client put it: “Curt cuts through the noise fast. No fluff. Just results.”

That’s me.

A few wins:

→ Reena beat 457 applicants to land her dream hospital job.

→ Jordan pivoted to a new career he loves, with better pay and family time.

→ Matt said: “Curt didn’t just help my career. He helped me take back my life.”

Enter: The Career Recipe Boot Camp

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
 ✓ Get clear on your values, skills & goals
 ✓ Ditch the limiting beliefs holding you back

Step 2: Start Cooking
 ✓ Build a roadmap tailored to your life
 → So you move with purpose—not by default

This isn’t a pep talk. It’s a tactical reinvention plan.

You don’t need to burn it all down.
We build upon what you've already built.

You just need a better recipe.

Ready to cook something that feeds your soul?

Curt

DM me the word "Recipe," and let's write your next chapter. 

Common keywords:
Career coach. Personal development coach. Executive coach. Midlife career change. Career clarity. Personal reinvention. Transition coach.

Founder

So, you’re career driven, have had success, and now you feel like there are no more mountains to climb.

You got to the top of the “mountain,” and achieving your goals only to find you don’t feel fulfilled or happy. It’s like, WTF?

Your life/career no longer serves you. All you know is that you feel stuck and see no way out. You need to make a change. But doing what?

Then fear creeps in. You have questions.  “What do I do now?”  “I don’t know what else to do” 

“If I change careers how will I make enough to pay my bills?” and so on

These are the same questions (and more) I asked myself when I did a career change after 27 years as a chef and started over at 41 from zero.

Did you know a New York Times study found that 75% of Americans don’t have a clear sense of purpose?

And, there are serious health risks associated with a lack of purpose

A lack of purpose affects your self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Which, in turn, can lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other health issues.
I experienced all of those.

The good news is this: You’re only 5 steps away from finding the purpose, fulfillment, and new career you so desperately want.

They are the same 5 steps I used to go from feeling lost/stuck and finding a purpose and fulfillment

All it requires from you is self-honesty and a commitment to change

I coach people through one-to-one sessions

You think asking for help is equivalent to failure? Yep, I used to think the same, but that’s your ego talking

Consider: If you’ve been stuck, and the steps you’ve taken have not yielded results, what makes you think anything will change by repeating what you’ve done?

What got you here will not get you THERE.

Just like a car needs realignment from time to time, our personal and professional vision needs realignment from time to time

So, you can remain stuck and lost, or you can send me a DM

Empowering female Directors to become successful VPs with my 7-step Passport to Promotion Framework | 10/12 women aiming for the VP role landed it in under 365 days, my about section shows you how to become the next.

👋 Hi, I’m Jill Avey, Founder of SisterSmart® . And I'm a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Ivy League MBA graduate... and Leadership Mentor for ambitious women navigating the path to the C-suite.

I help high-achieving women break through the “Stuck VP” phase... and elegantly step into executive roles with clarity, confidence, and authenticity.

💡 Tell me if this sounds familiar:

You’re an accomplished VP or Director with years of hard-won results. But, despite your dedication... you still feel like you’re not being taken seriously.

You’re leading teams, handling high-visibility projects, and solving complex problems. Yet, vague feedback like “be more strategic” or “you need more executive presence” leaves you wondering what more you need to do.

You’re juggling critical responsibilities at work while balancing personal life... and the pressure feels relentless.

You know you’re capable of more. But, the self-doubt creeps in when stakes are high... and it feels like you’re constantly having to prove yourself.

If that sounds like you, know this: 

You’re not broken. You’re just in a system that wasn’t designed for women leaders.

That’s where I come in.

My Signature 7-Step Passport to Promotion™ Framework: 

I combine neuroscience-based leadership strategies with real-world experience to help you move from stuck to unstoppable. 

The 7 Steps:

1. Self-Leadership: Build resilience and confidence
2. Brain-Based Communication: Develop your executive presence and influence 
3. Intentional Career Planning: Create a strategic plan for your career 
4. Confidence Without Burnout: Learn how to advocate for yourself 
5. Authentic Leadership: Lead in a way that’s true to you
6. Mindset Mastery: Break free from imposter syndrome and self-doubt
7. Support Network: Connect with a community of like-minded women

Real Results:

Over 180 clients have secured VP and C-suite roles in healthcare, tech, and finance—often within just months of completing the program.

They report feeling more confident, visible, and valued—and see real results in compensation, influence, and career satisfaction.

🏆 Why Work With Me? I’ve actually been in your shoes. 

After 25 years as a corporate executive, I know what it’s like to navigate high-stakes leadership while balancing personal ambitions and professional expectations. My approach is research-backed, heart-led, and rooted in real experience.

I believe you deserve a leadership journey that’s both successful and sustainable. And I’m here to help you build it.

📩 Send me a DM: Let’s build your path to the C-suite together.

Jill Avey

Kindness in leadership isn’t soft.

It’s how strong cultures are built.

(Want to lead with strength and kindness? Download the free guide here: https://lnkd.in/gbAcgVWv)

Every week in coaching, I hear the same story.

A talented director working under someone who still leads like it’s 1985.

– Pressure over partnership
– Micromanaging at 10PM
– Confusing intimidation with high standards
– Counting hours instead of outcomes

And here’s the hard part:

Those leaders genuinely believe it works.

Because in the short term, it does.

People comply.
Deadlines get hit.
Mistakes get called out.

But what they don’t see is the cost.

➝ Innovation sitting in draft folders
➝ High performers quietly updating their CVs
➝ Energy spent managing fear instead of solving problems
➝ Trust thinning with every harsh email

Fear can drive action.

But it cannot build commitment.

Human-centered leadership isn’t about lowering standards.

It’s about raising ownership.

When you replace micromanagement with empowerment
➝ People stop waiting for permission.

When you swap unrealistic demands for stretch expectations
➝ Teams push themselves.

When you develop underperformers instead of tolerating them
➝ Performance improves without fear as fuel.

The old way treated people like problems to monitor.

The better way treats them as partners to empower.

And when leaders choose empathy, clarity, and courage
they don’t just build kinder cultures.

They build teams people don’t want to leave.

The culture you create today determines the talent you keep tomorrow.

If you believe leadership can be both kind and high-performing,
repost this to help more people see what strong really looks like.

(Want to lead with strength and kindness? Download the free guide here: https://lnkd.in/gbAcgVWv)

♻️ Repost to help your network rethink what strong leadership actually looks like
Follow me, Jill Avey for human-centered leadership insights.

Helping High-Achieving Women Get Seen, Heard, and Promoted | Proven Strategies to Stop Feeling Invisible at the Leadership Table 💎 Fortune 100 Coach | ICF PCC-Level Women's Leadership Coach

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Curt Sassak

Jill Avey

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The Battle

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Jill Avey

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

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