Hey Reader,

Welcome to issue #008 of The Next Chapter, a career planning newsletter for LGBTQ+ professionals.

This week, I'm covering:

• A conversation about finding spaces where you belong
• Pivoting from business owner to W-2 employment
• Why it's okay to take a bridge job
• A mutual aid project supporting trans youth

Let's dive in.

“How do I know if a space is right for me?”

People ask me this a lot. Simple question… messy answer.

All the more reason why I was excited to sit down with Brett Whitmarsh, the AuDHD Boss, to talk about how to find a place where you belong in the professional world. (Brett is also a subscriber to the newsletter!)

In our conversation, we cover:

• How psychological safety impacts queer and neurodivergent employees
• What to ask in interviews to gauge inclusion and culture fit
• How to start or sustain Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
• The reality of DEI in 2025 and how to build community anyway
• Networking without burnout (especially if you hate networking)

Brett’s platform is dedicated to empowering neurodivergent employees and leaders in the corporate world. Check out our conversation and the rest of their videos below.

Pivoting from business owner to W-2

Thanks to everyone who joined me and April Starlight yesterday for our webinar, Demystifying Hiring: Insights from a Recruiter and a Career Coach! We spent the hour talking about what really goes on behind the scenes and how to set yourself up for success.

Much of our conversation was driven by live questions from the audience, and I wanted to highlight a particular topic that’s come up in my conversations with LGBTQ+ job seekers: pivoting from business ownership to W-2 employment.

Many LGBTQ+ folks start their own businesses because it offers freedom, safety, and the ability to work on their own terms. But sometimes circumstances change, and you decide that a W-2 job is the right choice for the next chapter.

As a business owner, you wear many hats: marketing, operations, finance, client management, and more. That breadth is valuable, and it can also make your resume feel unfocused without being strategic about what you emphasize.

Here's how to position your business experience:

• Focus on what's most relevant. If you're applying for a marketing position, lead with the impact you made through your marketing efforts. If you're going for an operations role, emphasize process optimization or systems you built.
• Lead with impact. Treat your business experience like any other role: highlight results, use metrics, and show how you solved problems. If you don’t have metrics, use milestone-oriented language (like “implemented,” “completed,” or “delivered”).
• Address the "why" proactively. Hiring managers might wonder why you're leaving business ownership. Have a clear, confident answer ready that’s truthful and makes it obvious why their organization is your next logical stop.

It’s okay to take a bridge job

A bridge job is pretty straightforward: it’s something to get you through a transition period. Think of them as an exercise in prioritizing your needs.

They can be a great temporary solution in situations like:

• You have a short financial runway and need immediate income
• You want to try a new line of work to test the waters or develop new skills
• You can't make a full-time or long-term commitment to an employer
• You have higher priorities, like caretaking, schoolwork, or health issues
• You’re in the process of pivoting from one profession/industry to another

I’m not saying you should constantly interview for full-time, salaried jobs and then bounce around every 6 months. But it’s important to be honest with yourself about your situation.

Our careers are just one slice of our lives. They don’t need to be everything.

The next thing might be temporary and imperfect. That’s okay if you feel good about your life priorities and your needs are being met.

And who knows, that opportunity might take you somewhere better.

Send joy to trans youth in need

Okay okay, this isn’t a career topic, but it’s important.

I recently learned about Transanta, a mutual aid project that connects anonymous gift-givers with trans youth who are unhoused, in foster care, or otherwise without crucial support they need to thrive.

If you’re looking to donate to someone in need this holiday season, consider bringing some joy to a young trans person. They have far fewer resources than others in a sociopolitical climate that has become increasingly hostile toward them.

Let’s show them some love.

Tell me what’s on your mind

I want this newsletter to be community-driven. It’s meant for you, so it should be valuable to you.

Future issues will look different and cover different topics. I’ll be experimenting and collecting feedback along the way, so don’t be shy about hitting the ‘Reply’ button.

Tell me what you’d love to see—it might just end up in the next issue.

See you next week.