You spent 20+ years building real expertise — the kind you can't fake — and now you're staring down a layoff, a restructure, or just a quiet voice asking if this is really it. What if the skills you've spent two decades building are the exact foundation you need for something that's finally yours?

ABOUT GUEST: Courtney Reimer is the founder and principal strategist at Sounds Great, a podcast strategy company, and the host of the podcast Talking the Talk. After two decades as a senior executive at Spotify, Audible, MTV, and Discovery — including executive producing Archetypes with Meghan Markle — she was laid off and started her own business. In this conversation she walks through the real mechanics of a midlife career change: the "you're not your job" reframe from her husband, the moment she realized her expertise was worth paying for, the under-pricing trap, and why being 52 is an asset rather than a liability.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

• [00:09:59] How Courtney decided to bet on herself and start consulting after a layoff
• [00:11:03] The signal that tells you your 20 years of expertise is worth paying for
• [00:14:06] The five-word mantra her husband gave her: "You're not your job"
• [00:26:08] The practical and financial considerations of starting your own business
• [00:28:33] How to set your consulting rates when you're starting out
• [00:31:17] Why 52 is a credibility marker, not a liability, in a midlife career change

GUEST OFFER:

Sounds Great — Launch Podcast Accelerator — to find out more, email Courtney at: courtney@soundsgreatstrategy.com

Website: https://www.soundsgreatstrategy.com

Podcast: Talking the talk

Additional Guest References

• Deb Boulanger podcast: Life After Corporate
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

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[00:00:03] He was like, Hey, you're not your job. If you do lose this title, that's ooh, executive producer, you're still you. You still have so much value beyond that so don't forget that. We can get so clingy to our corporate job titles and they can go away in an instant. So remember, what you have is of value whether or not you have the corporate seal of approval on you.

[00:00:27] Hi there. This is Her Intentional Reset, a podcast for women in midlife. Curious about whether the career they chose 20 years ago still fits. Hear from women who've made pivots big and small, discuss the practical realities, the trade-offs, and whether the change was worth it. I'm your host, Molly Wipperfurth, and I wanna thank you for joining.

[00:00:51] Meet Courtney Rimer

[00:01:10] Courtney has spent decades shaping some of the most influential audio in the world. As a senior executive at Spotify, audible, MTV and Discovery, she helped build the podcasting industry from the inside, including executive producing archetypes with Meghan Markle, the show that knocked Joe Rogan off the number one charts of Spotify.

[00:02:04] I can't wait for you to hear Courtney's story. This is Her Intentional Reset.

[00:02:10] Hi Courtney. How are you?

[00:02:20] Yes. So before we talk about your career and your pivot, I need to ask what is it like to finally be on the other side of the mic?

[00:02:56] It's a lot. But it's super fulfilling and I actually don't hate the sound of my voice. It's been, that's everyone's number one complaint. I'm like, I'll listen back to my podcast and I'm, I'll say to myself, you sound okay. That's fine.

[00:03:21] So I'm not alone in that.

[00:03:24] Why Podcasting Works

[00:03:31] Well, it's the same thing that it makes so many people love this medium, which is you describe your show as it's just two girlfriends having a talk, and that's true. Plus. The person who's now listening to us is part of that conversation.

[00:04:09] Parasocial engine that the podcast is that we create a relationship with our podcast hosts that is different from any other medium. And I am already seeing the fruits of those relationships that I'm cultivating by sharing my voice and my thoughts to the world through this medium.

[00:04:27] Inside Archetypes at Spotify

[00:04:37] brands like Spotify, audible, MTV, I do wanna ask you one question about your prior history. Walk us through your Archetype chapter working at Spotify. You executive produced Meghan Mark's podcast that knocked Joe Rogan off the top spot. What was it like to be in that room for something that big?

[00:05:02] Well, first of all, with a monolith of media like Spotify behind me, I had so much support. So yes, I was executive producer, but I had such a team involved, for better or worse, right? For many good reasons, prince, Harry and Meghan have a lot of protection and layers between them in terms of access and the amount of time you can spend with them. Not to go too far down that path, but Prince Harry's mom might have been around had it not been for the media. So they have a sort of implicit hesitancy about media, so they were very careful about who was in the room and what sort of reasons and conversations we would be having. So, one thing, because our access actually to Megan was a little bit limited, we would do a pre-interview with her to get her ideas. And get a sense of her point of view on various things. And then we would come back and say to her, I think these are the topics we should cover in this episode based on this conversation that we had.

[00:06:22] There was a lot of, he said, she said about what happened there when it broke down, and I will just say it wasn't one party failed to do one thing or the other. It was a difficult situation where Spotify had a lot of layers. The royals had a lot of layers, and being able to work through those layers to get things done was a challenge on everyone's side.

[00:07:09] But if I have an idea for a podcast, I can record it that same day. I don't have to go through a bunch of different handlers and peoples to get it approved.

[00:07:21] Layoffs to Consulting Leap

[00:07:30] Yeah, it was something that though it now feels like the obvious decision that I should have come to a long time ago, I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into starting my own business because I'd always had, as I said, the support of a huge corporate entity where this person handles it and this person handles you name it.

[00:08:11] And so going back to the Spotify era of my life, what Spotify did when it entered podcasting and wanted to move away from being thought of as just a streaming music platform. They wanted to announce to the world. Guess what were also for podcasts and their way of announcing to the world was to sign all of these very expensive deals with huge names.

[00:09:01] I was part of that too, and my boss at the time was very empathetic. She said, it's nothing you did or didn't do, right. It's the portfolio is changing. So I appreciated that and so, well, it wasn't great because it's so cool to work at Spotify and you know, with those huge names. I, you know, I ha it wasn't my first time at the layoff rodeo, right?

[00:09:59] And I just kind of was like. Oh, I remember standing in my kitchen. And it was the day I found out I didn't get one of these big jobs and I'm sobbing and I say the kitchen, because I had already, based on that corporate salary, started remodeling my kitchen in my mind. And I was like, oh no, I've gotta live in this kitchen because I got so close.

[00:10:42] In the mainstream, these corporate podcasting entities, the storyline was You know, the sky is falling. Then I would go to, I don't know, my kids' school concert or a dinner party or what have you, and the adults that I would interact with who were outside of the podcast enclave said.

[00:11:48] So the rest is history and now I have. Sounds great.

[00:11:54] Your Expertise Is Valuable

[00:12:14] Me, for example, I've been in medical education. And so then hearing your story I'm thinking, oh, okay so can I take some of my expertise that I've already learned in this adult learning platform and figure out how to offer a consulting service or business based off of what IRD bring to the table.

[00:12:44] So, exactly. Can I just underscore that and say, I want anyone who's in the position of. Oh my God, I've reached the top of the corporate ladder, or I foresee AI's taking my job.

[00:13:21] Right. So I just have to say yes plus one to all of what you just said.

[00:13:27] First Steps Going Solo

[00:13:40] But then what was that actual process of making that transition? What were some of the first concrete steps that you had to make when you're launching Sounds Great.

[00:14:06] He was like, Hey, you're not your job. If you do lose this title, that's ooh, executive producer, you're still you. You still have so much value beyond that so don't forget that. We can get so clingy to our corporate job titles and they can go away in an instant. So remember, what you have is of value whether or not you have the corporate seal of approval on you.

[00:14:53] It's bliss over here, but I would leave this little asterisk that was like, I do have the backing of my husband's reliable salary, which is important. Mm-hmm. When you're starting out, you don't know where the next paycheck, it's not even a paycheck. The next influx of cash is gonna come from. But I also had his insurance.

[00:15:32] You have to find the right people in your circle that are willing to share with you what it takes, whether it's founding an LLC or something, and Google can help you with that.

[00:15:43] But just how you identify your value and articulate it to the world and what problem it solves and what service you can provide. So I joined something called The Upside, which is a community of consultants and entrepreneurs, and they're the most transparent, generous group of people who give and receive knowledge and insight and advice, and it serves as that corporate water cooler or your corporate brainstorm where everybody's giving ideas. You can recreate that community that you may have in a more traditional job with communities like the Upside.

[00:16:33] Yes. Yes. Still creating that comradery is not the right word, but that yeah, that collegial network.

[00:16:51] I was shaking in my boots and I went to the Upside, but this could be true of any community of people you can surround yourself with. And I was like, so do I just. Get on that call and say, this is how much, here's the number. Do I say it out loud? Do I, and they were like, yeah, girl. You say it out loud and then you stop talking and you let him talk himself into it, which he did.

[00:17:21] Great insight.

[00:17:22] What was the easiest aspect of starting out on your own? Then conversely, I'm gonna follow up with what was the hardest,

[00:17:34] You asked earlier about when did I start to consider the pivot? I had started when I could feel sort of the tides turning at Spotify. Like I could just feel a shift in the energy or the vibe where. It wasn't this thing that I felt I had so much influence over, like I wasn't invited to certain meetings.

[00:18:11] Saying to me, you want in something as big as a Spotify, another path I would like you to consider is doing your own thing. So together we should map out just what steps you'd need to take to get closer to what you're hoping to have at Spotify in terms of a more influential role.

[00:18:29] but also in parallel, let's start thinking about what it would look like to run your own show.

[00:18:55] And I forgot how much I love. Trying new things and learning new things, and even just learning how to be a successful entrepreneur. There are so many resources out there that walk you through defining your value proposition and what is your ideal client. So that whole experience of what a cool name, you know, name, doing word association to figure out what I was gonna name my company.

[00:19:33] Unexpected Solo Burdens

[00:19:37] I think the first breakdown I had in my entrepreneur, business owner era was when my laptop melted down.

[00:20:05] I am biz dev. I'm sales, I'm client relations. I'm also doing the work, so it will hit you at some point that there is a freedom and a joy in getting to, to decide what each branch of your business does. But there's also such a burden of it all being on you. So that was hard and trying to figure out how do I divide up myself, my energy, my time, into the various lanes that I have to occupy.

[00:20:35] This episode is brought to you by her intentional resets, pay it Forward sponsorship, supporting independent women-owned businesses. One day I woke up and discovered my love of plants. They've become a part of my love language. I was so excited to hear about Roots and Bloom, a mobile plant shop now available in the Twin Cities, founded by Ciera Curtis Roots and Bloom turns plants into an entire self-care experience from painting and planting to plant bingo and so much more.

[00:21:35] Could You Go Back Corporate

[00:21:42] maybe a year ago, I would've said absolutely not. Like I said, I had my era of, oh my God, you guys, there's another way. Let me tell you about it. You can run your own thing. But the insurance and reliable income, there is something to it with the added layer of that husband who had the reliable paycheck also got laid off.

[00:22:25] They're just the icons for me. The way they do it is they have you do a trial. Some people might be like, New York Times doesn't sound like corporate. It is still, it is a corporation. And I was like, holy crap. I hated that. All due respect, they are brilliant people. But I was like the pressure of delivering something for someone else.

[00:23:04] And so long way of saying. I've radicalized him against corporate America too. I would love for him to start a venture that makes a lot of money, but for now, God bless him. He sent me the strongest vote of confidence in my business by saying, you know what? I've always wanted to write a fiction book. I'm going to do that now.

[00:23:48] Even if you have faith in yourself and have seen previously that there are people who are willing to pay for what you're selling, there are times when you're like, oh, wouldn't it be nice if every other Friday something just popped into my account? And it was always a nice number.

[00:24:05] Confidence and Fast Pivots

[00:24:21] Yeah.

[00:24:44] Mm-hmm. And I don't have to wait for stakeholders to say it's okay to pivot. Even green lighting a podcast at Spotify. Months. We decided to make this podcast in January, and I launched it in February, so, oh my

[00:24:58] Yeah, you can't move that fast in corporate America. I was like, listen, I know myself. I have to have an immovable deadline.

[00:25:26] So if I'm going to pick a date, this is it. And so I don't recommend deciding one month and then launching the next. I thought, ah, I've been doing this forever. It's gonna be fine. But no, there are reasons that people have said to you, take three months. I usually say minimum eight weeks. So I tried to cut that in half.

[00:26:02] Yes.

[00:26:05] Yes. Okay. Appreciate that insight.

[00:26:08] You've alluded to some of the practical considerations. Let's transition a little bit deeper into that. you automatically had the knowledge and credibility.

[00:26:23] Yeah, I thought there were a lot of non-negotiables that were required with starting a business. You know, you gotta have a QuickBooks, you gotta have a CRM, which is a client relationship management system.

[00:26:58] There are things that you still can farm out. Yes.

[00:27:01] I've had to learn a lot about what you need. You need the LLC to protect yourself legally from. Let's say a client says, I didn't deliver on what I know I did. We don't want them taking my kids' college fund. There are certain legal things and I recommend you follow those, and you do the things where you keep your finances separate from your business finances.

[00:27:25] Runway Pricing and Investing

[00:27:33] Did you have a runway already saved up? Did you give yourself, okay, I'm getting big myself, X amount. Of months to see if what I have in my mind can actually come to fruition.

[00:27:50] Like you said, I have these credentials, which they are attractive to people who want to make a podcast, and I've always been a networker. So now when my husband is looking for a job, he's like, do you know anyone at, because he knows I'm a networker. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, putting that aside. I had, again, the husband with the financial security that helped and he's very good with money.

[00:28:33] You are gonna undercharge and you should not keep raising your prices until it makes you uncomfortable. Okay? Until everyone says no, and I've said my prices out loud to people before, they're like, really? And I said, yeah, and people pay it. So I'll just say, this is not really a cohesive or, or maybe coherent answer.

[00:29:15] I took that and it wasn't cheap, and the hardest thing was convincing my husband, who's not a spender by nature, thank God, because I am, but. A lot of people told me, you have to spend money to make money. I went to Columbia Journalism School, MTV helped pay for it, but we pay for our education. And that is true when you're starting a business too.

[00:29:44] yes. Appreciate that transparency.

[00:29:48] And then last question, retirement insurance, college savings, all that unglamorous stuff, how are you navigating these practical realities?

[00:30:12] So again, I felt the psychological and financial safety to make this pivot and the insurance is the one thing that I still haven't been able to like be okay with, to be honest, is yes we are on the marketplace, which is what, whatever it's called, Obamacare, call it what you will. Mm-hmm. Which I always thought was for other people.

[00:30:56] I mean, audible is a subsidiary of Amazon. The Amazon stock when I'm feeling really bad, I go look at my Amazon stock portfolio and I feel better. I know that's kind of a gross thing to say, but it's the, the message here is. Honestly, I like to recommend to everyone to leave corporate, but I had that luxury because I had all of these backstops and safety nets.

[00:31:34] Mm-hmm. As it's, it's like a marker of my credibility. Yes. I have been doing this for decades. Yes. And that becomes something I'm not hiding. You saw my LinkedIn post. I'm 52 today. Yeah. I'm proud of it. And that has, that's 52 years of experience that can be to you, a potential client's benefit. Right?

[00:32:00] Built up through your career

[00:32:19] Yes.

[00:32:22] One thing we have not touched on, but as we age, our family life is a consideration in the choices that we're making. So I do wanna talk about how has this shift impacted your family? You've got two daughters that I'm sure have very busy active lives after school. So what's been the family impact since you've made the transition?

[00:33:00] It's Spotify. And then Meghan Marcos picture, who's this? You know? And then, and so that was part of their identity too, right? And so when I lost this, the job at Spotify. It was a blow to them that I was like, oh, maybe I should have shared that more gently. But the coolest thing, like it gives me chills. I have laptop stickers with my branding on it that my kids now have on their laptops, their Chromebooks for school.

[00:33:34] Curiosity as a Superpower

[00:33:34] What are some of the strengths that have helped you not only build your career, but also start your own business and help coach others to achieve their podcast goals?

[00:33:52] I have had to learn a new thing, a lot of new things in running my own business, and I have interest in that. I learn every day and I've learned when a proposal doesn't land or I spent too long on a proposal for a corporate client who ended up saying, no, thank you. Well, I learned that just because you spend more time on a proposal does not mean they'll say yes, more likely.

[00:34:14] So I think my constant love of learning and my curiosity fueled my interest in journalism and that getting to immerse yourself in a new topic and then share it with the world. I think that applies to anyone wanting to learn and grow and be able to pivot at any moment, um, based on those learnings has been helpful and my ability to just say, we're moving on and not get attached to anything.

[00:34:41] I definitely see that with some of the experiences that you've shared.

[00:35:04] Well, how we see ourselves is sometimes different than how others see us, and most of the time we, especially women, we undersell our strengths. So I wanna share something that one of your colleagues shared about you. So this is from Sahar Emambakhsh and what she had to say about your strengths

[00:35:28] She's deeply invested, endlessly thoughtful, and such a genuine cheerleader for the team. Always making sure we pause to recognize how far we've come. We truly wouldn't be where we are with the podcast without her guidance and brilliance and working with her has been an absolute joy. So I just wanted to say that when you hear this, what comes up for you?

[00:36:15] But I love to cheer for people when something cool happens and Uhhuh people forget to do that. And when they reach a milestone and listen for their podcast, it's called the Connection Effect. It is hosted by Bill Groner, who was the chief litigator. On the class action lawsuit of the first responders at nine 11 when they brought their medical case about the ailments that they experienced having inhaled all this stuff.

[00:36:47] Even if you have a huge following, they don't always convert. So they immediately sent me all this feedback they got and I said, guys, this is remarkable. Please know that. And again, you've said earlier that they didn't know what they didn't know.

[00:37:10] Well, I think you can. I think that is a testament that if you work with someone that knows what you're doing, that's gonna help set you up for success from the get go.

[00:37:21] Yes. Yes. I love that. Thank you for indulging me in that. I think it's important that we recognize the inherent strengths that we bring to any endeavor that we are doing, but then also recognize that how others see ourselves is just as impactful and powerful as well.

[00:37:41] Thank you.

[00:37:42] All right, This is our final, rapid round because we are not all just career women. We're balancing all the things. So I have a quick handful of questions around family, kids, career and overall wellness. You ready?

[00:37:58] what do your kids think you do?

[00:38:07] I'm A CEO. Mm-hmm. I'm running stuff, and hopefully they will too.

[00:38:14] 12 and 14.

[00:38:26] Okay. Uh. I like this question because my answer is kind of flipping it on its head.

[00:38:36] Ah, I love it.

[00:38:53] That's my answer.

[00:38:57] Mm-hmm. Yeah.

[00:38:58] Switching gears to career, is there one networking tip, especially for people that don't like networking like me?

[00:39:12] You just have to do it and do it in a way that feels right for you. Mm-hmm. You and I met virtually, right? Mm-hmm. And here we are having a really lovely conversation. So if you're an introvert or someone who doesn't wanna go to it, like the word networking does have some ick to it, and I get it. But if you're networking in the right groups, be selective. I always give a shout out to Amy Nelson who has something called the Riveter, which is very specific to women entrepreneurs. You find your people, and that is the answer. Is don't just network anywhere. Don't network with reckless abandon, but also you can do it virtually. So with the right LinkedIn message, with the right headline on your LinkedIn, if you are yourself branded in a way that's inviting other people to network with you, if you have a value proposition on your page that says.

[00:40:21] He said, I think life is about time and relationships and you're someone I wanted to give some time to and I think we should have a, a connection. I think we could benefit from a relationship. And that message, I get so many messages in my LinkedIn, but him saying that really resonated with me. Yeah. Might not with everyone, but I agree.

[00:40:44] Yes. Be thoughtful, be intentional, and do it in a way that fits your personality or your style.

[00:40:50] I love it.

[00:40:51] In terms of wellness, is there one non-negotiable for your wellbeing?

[00:41:10] One of her piece of her curriculum was try the morning pages, and that's you first thing in the morning before you check your email or anything, you sit down with a pen and paper. You just dump out whatever's in your brain and it's like a deep clean of your brain. And almost every single time I do it, something valuable comes out of it.

[00:41:34] Mm-hmm.

[00:41:47] Where to Find Courtney

[00:42:08] Where can people find you if they want to follow the work that you're doing or listen to your podcast?

[00:42:25] People think this is crazy, and I may stop saying this is the way to find me, but go ahead and email me. I might not get back to you right away, but if you're someone who's thinking about a podcast or. Has a podcast and is ready to give up. I've made it my mini mission to help women stay in podcasting.

[00:43:04] Email me, Courtney, at sounds great strategy.com. If you're just listening, not watching, it's Courtney with a CI am not a Kardashian, C-O-U-R-T-N-E y@soundsgreatstrategy.com.

[00:43:27] We will put your email in the show notes. We'll also make it available on the website so you can find out more about Courtney's Sounds Great Launch Podcast Accelerator on our website.

[00:43:45] I can tell.

[00:43:48] Final Reflections and CTA

[00:44:09] That's how we grow this community together and remember to explore on your own terms 'cause nothing changes if nothing changes.

[00:44:42] Courtney has built her career in podcasting and has a master's in journalism from Columbia, so sitting across from her and asking her to share her story on a podcast, I'm just starting that definitely took some breath work. She brought so much grace to our conversation and I'm just very grateful. So Courtney, thank you again.

[00:45:31] I was proud of the role I had. I was proud of the company I worked for, and the work mattered. It had impact, but there are things that matter more to me. My family, raising good humans, being a good human myself. So I keep reminding myself, at the end of the day, the title isn't the thing.

[00:46:56] Not that her passing is about me, it isn't, but it reinforced something that I needed to hear at that moment. Don't chase a title for the sake of what other people think. Don't be afraid to pursue what feels right for you. Now because in the end what matters is that you were a good person and that you showed up for the people you love.

[00:47:47] Sign up at Her Intentional Reset dot com. I'll see you there and I'll see you next episode. Thanks everyone.