128: How this 30 year UX veteran went from feeling irrelevant to in control of her career

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Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody, a UX Designer & UX Researcher with 20 years of experience who founded the UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. She's been doing UX career coaching since 2017.

Follow Sarah on: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram

Nancy Leslie has over 30 years of UX experience—and yet, before joining Career Strategy Lab, she felt irrelevant, overlooked, and unsure of how to position herself in today’s market. In this honest and uplifting open house conversation, Nancy shares how she moved from self-doubt to spaciousness, and why she finally feels like herself again—professionally and personally.

Whether you're later in your career or just feeling disconnected from your value, Nancy’s story will remind you that it’s never too late to rewrite your narrative and re-energize your future.

What You'll Learn This Episode:

✔️ Why years of experience can make job searching harder, not easier

✔️ The emotional toll of being a runner-up again and again

✔️ How Nancy reframed “aged out” into “experienced pioneer”

✔️ The surprising career impact of mindset and community

✔️ Why CSL didn’t box her in—but actually set her free

✔️ How showing up, experimenting, and getting feedback changed everything

Timestamps:

00:58 Episode Overview and Special Format

01:42 Introducing Nancy: A UX Veteran

02:10 Nancy's Journey in UX

03:16 The Impact of Career Strategy Lab

04:47 Mindset Shifts and Career Growth

12:04 The Role of Community and Coaching

15:56 Final Thoughts and Advice

17:20 Conclusion and Podcast Outro

18:04 Special Message for Job Seekers

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