Career pivots are rarely neat or predictable. Most often they’re born from moments of uncertainty, difficult decisions and the courage to trust what’s next.

That was the overarching theme of the “Pivot, Power and Possibility” panel at the Women in Retail Leadership Summit, held earlier this year in Miami. Laura Ravo, chief operating officer of SHINE Strategy, served as the moderator of the panel discussion. She was joined on stage by Lorrie King, co-founder and CEO of Caire Beauty; Jill Katz, founder of Assemble; Jackie Hutson, founder of Piper & Mint and co-founder of The Sourcing Gals; and Nora Gomez, founder of Next Generation Growth.

“Our hope is that you don’t just hear their journeys,” Ravo told attendees, “you see something of your own in them.”

Gomez’s career pivot came during a quiet family vacation when she realized she wanted to make a broader impact beyond the four walls of her company. “I felt a higher calling,” she said. “I wanted to touch more people than just what I could do in my company.” That realization led her to leave a successful corporate career and launch her own leadership advisory business.

Hutson’s pivot was less voluntary. After investing heavily in and helping grow a manufacturing company, she was given an ultimatum: abandon the consumer brand she had been developing for years or leave the business altogether. “I left,” she said to enthusiastic applause from the Summit audience. Looking back, Hutson credits the encouragement she received from fellow Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) members during last year’s Summit for helping her move forward in a new role with confidence.

Katz shared a different perspective on reinvention. After reaching what she believed was her dream role leading HR for a major retailer, she realized professional success had come at the expense of her health and family. Following an emotional conversation with her husband, she resigned from that dream role without another job lined up. Working from a folding Costco table in her bedroom, Katz built Assemble into a seven-figure leadership development business. “The only person that was going to help me do this was me,” Katz told the audience.

Finding the Confidence to Own Your Voice

As the discussion shifted from pivot to power, the panelists reflected on the importance of believing in themselves rather than waiting for external validation.

For King, who launched Caire Beauty after a successful career in the beauty industry, building her company became part of a larger journey of healing following a lupus diagnosis. “The women in this room have helped support me each step of the way,” she said, emphasizing the role community has played throughout her entrepreneurial journey.

Gomez echoed that sentiment, crediting executive coaching and the WIRLC community with helping her recognize that she already possessed everything she needed to succeed. “The power was in you all along,” Ravo reminded her after Gomez recounted her story.

Hutson detailed a transformative wellness retreat that fundamentally changed how she showed up as a leader. Instead of shrinking in difficult conversations, she learned to embrace her confidence one step at a time.

Progress Over Perfection

As the session wrapped up, each panelist offered practical advice for women contemplating their own next chapter, including those thinking of launching their own business.

Gomez encouraged attendees not to let fear prevent them from trying something new. “If you don’t try, you’re never going to know,” she said, reminding the audience that perfection isn’t a prerequisite for success.

Hutson reinforced that entrepreneurship requires vision, flexibility and action rather than a flawless business plan. “Don’t overplan it,” she advised. “You just have to start walking.”

Katz spoke to the importance of having a community to support you during times of transition. “There’s no such thing as business,” she said. “We’re all in the business of relationships.”

The session served as a powerful reminder that career reinvention isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about trusting your instincts, embracing uncertainty, and leaning into the community that helps make the next chapter possible.