E43: What makes Inesse Semeah with Pivoting to Purpose a good neighbor?  

The pandemic transformed our relationship with work in unprecedented ways, forcing many to reconsider what truly matters in life. This shift in perspective created the perfect environment for services like Pivoting to Purpose, a life coaching business founded by Inesse Semeah that helps individuals—particularly professional women—discover their authentic calling without necessarily abandoning their current careers.

Before launching her coaching practice, Semeah worked for over 15 years in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). While the work was important, she found herself increasingly frustrated with how corporations implemented these initiatives. Too often, DEI efforts served more as marketing tools or compliance checkboxes rather than genuine catalysts for meaningful change. She witnessed numerous investigations into workplace discrimination that ended without appropriate consequences, leaving employees vulnerable while companies maintained the appearance of progress. This disconnect between corporate America's promises and the lived experiences of real people with families and aspirations ultimately pushed her to pivot herself.

The core misconception about life coaching that Semeah addresses is that coaches are not therapists. While there's overlap in helping people process their experiences and beliefs, coaching specifically focuses on identifying limiting beliefs and self-narratives that prevent people from pursuing their purpose. Effective coaching requires "deep excavating" and demands both radical bravery and self-acceptance from clients. This isn't a superficial process but rather a profound journey toward authenticity. Many people aren't initially ready for this level of introspection, which requires confronting uncomfortable truths about oneself.

What makes Semeah's approach unique is her recognition that meaningful change doesn't have to happen overnight. She emphasizes that just as we didn't immediately arrive at our current professional positions, we shouldn't expect instant transformations when pursuing new paths. This counters what she calls our "microwave society" mentality, where we expect immediate results. Instead, she advocates for incremental shifts that gradually redirect energy toward activities aligned with our innate gifts. As clients begin exploring these alternative paths, they often become more efficient in their current roles, similar to how new parents suddenly manage time more effectively due to their expanded priorities.

A powerful personal example Semeah shares is her experience after graduating law school in 2007. Despite multiple attempts, she couldn't pass the New York bar exam—a devastating setback at the time. Looking back 18 years later, she recognizes this "failure" as a blessing that forced her to explore other gifts and talents she might never have discovered otherwise. Had she succeeded in her original legal career path, she believes many aspects of herself would have remained unexplored or even "dormant." This experience informs her coaching philosophy: sometimes our greatest disappointments create space for our true purpose to emerge.

For those feeling stuck but afraid to leap, Semeah offers practical advice about recalibration through physical activities. Whether running with her teenage son, dancing, or painting, she finds these activities meditative and restorative. She challenges conventional notions of meditation, suggesting that any activity that quiets the mind—be it double Dutch jump rope or artistic expression—serves a similar purpose of centering oneself and controlling runaway thoughts. These moments of joy and presence often provide clarity about our deeper purpose.

Ultimately, Semeah believes pivoting to purpose requires three essential elements: bravery, radical acceptance, and radical self-love. Without these foundations, people remain trapped in unfulfilling careers or relationships out of fear or societal expectations. The journey toward purpose isn't about abandoning responsibility but about honestly examining what brings us alive and taking small, consistent steps in that direction. It's about loving ourselves enough to honor our gifts, even when the path forward isn't immediately clear or conventionally successful.

To learn more about Pivoting to Purpose go to: 

www.pivoting2purpose.com

Pivoting to Purpose

(917) 242-5235