When I think of the word, “pivot,” I think of three very specific things:
- Early dance lessons. That’s where I learned the word/action, and man oh man, did my dance teacher love a pivot.
- Basketball.
- That episode of Friends, where they’re moving a couch upstairs.
And then I think of one general thing, and that’s the use of the word in terms of business decisions and career changes. Different from course-correcting, which to me means more like little changes to refine a plan or get back on track, a pivot, like with dance or basketball, is more of a change in direction. It might even put you in the opposite direction.
In dance and basketball, you can pivot slowly or quickly, but the mechanics are such that they make a quick one possible, so it’s often employed in emergencies or when you only have a beat available.
And in the case of the couch going up the stairs, the pivot prevented the gang from crashing into a wall, which is also an apt metaphor for certain business and career trajectories.
All this to say, I’m excited to share that I have pivoted in my own career!
Having spent the last 18 years of my career in some amalgamation of public health and mission-driven technology, I’m making a hard pivot to something completely different.
Here’s what happened:
In January 2024, after being employed by Meetup for less than a year, the company was acquired and most of the team was laid off. I wasn’t, at least not right away, but I knew it was coming eventually. The company that bought Meetup, Bending Spoons of Milan, Italy, was very upfront about their plans. “Eventually” turned into 21 months. My last day at Meetup was October 31, 2025, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the transition for the new owner, the new team, and especially for all of the Meetup organizers who make the platform such a special place for so many people to build their communities and support systems.
I do pretty well with uncertainty, but knowing you’re going to get laid off but not knowing when is strange. Turns out, having almost two years to think about and work on my next move was actually perfect for me.
Shortly after the acquisition, I did some soul-searching and some brainstorming. I decided I wanted to learn a trade, and I ultimately decided on gemology because of my love of jewelry as art, pieces of history, and a way to express personal style.
I leveraged my network to chat with jewelry designers and makers, appraisers, and dealers. The community was immediately welcoming and helpful.
Because I learn best by doing, in the summer of 2024, I created an Instagram account dedicated to jewelry. I started selling pieces of my personal collection there and on Poshmark, and even started buying some pieces specifically to sell. Shopping, selling, and engaging with other jewelry accounts has been extremely illuminating—and fun! There are so many talented folks out there with so much knowledge to share.
Then, in the spring of 2025, I started my formal education in gemology by enrolling in the Graduate Gemologist program at the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA. Classes are online and self-paced, except for the labs which will require travel to one of their campuses.
Not long after I received notice that my last day at Meetup would be on Halloween, I heard from one of the local jewelers who was part of my industry research. Her in-house gemologist was retiring, and she was curious if I’d be interested in the job! Since I’m new to the industry, the gemology part of the job is an apprenticeship while the rest of the work will be drawing on my experience in project management, customer service and success, and operations.
I am so thrilled to have been given such a unique opportunity to learn on the job as a complete newbie while also providing value as the seasoned professional I am at Hamilton Hill Jewelry.
Just like with the action of a pivot, one foot stays grounded in what I know best: problem-solving, customer service, and helping to make things run smoothly, while the other is turning me toward something new—and sparkly.