Have you ever had a project that just didn’t go as planned? In this episode, Jenny Dempsey shares a personal story about a furniture project that didn’t quite work out the way she hoped—but ended up creating a great opportunity for someone else.
Have you ever had a project that just didn’t go as planned? In this episode, Jenny Dempsey shares a personal story about a furniture project that didn’t quite work out the way she hoped—but ended up creating a great opportunity for someone else.
She dives into the lessons she learned from this setback and highlights the importance of community and support during tough times.
Jenny reminds us that life often takes unexpected turns, and it’s all about embracing those changes and staying open to new possibilities. She wraps up with a big thank you to her listeners for the connections and shared experiences that make this journey so special.
And, stay tuned for Season 2 premiering January 16th, 2025.
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Jenny Dempsey (00:01.186)
Hello, welcome to the Career Flipper Podcast. I'm your host, Jenny Dempsey, and today you get me and only me. You're welcome. Or, I'm sorry. Hopefully that's not the case, but whatever you're leaning towards, it's time for a story. A little, maybe a little embarrassing story, but it's my truth and it has a good lesson at the end. So, a few weeks ago,
in my garage workshop and if you've been following the podcast you know that I run San Diego Furniture Flipper where I rescue discarded furniture to keep it out of the landfill and I give it a makeover and restore it and another chance at life by selling it to a new home. And I do this, you can follow along over on TikTok and Instagram if you're into that sort of thing, and I do this from within my garage workshop.
So I'm sitting in this garage workshop and I'm wearing overalls and I'm crying. I'm crying. I'm covered in turquoise paint as well. I mean, it's on my face, it's on my arms, it's all over my overalls, it's on my shoes. Yeah, it's everywhere. I had been trying to fix up some old metal chairs that someone was throwing away and...
I thought that they would look really pretty in turquoise and I saw some potential but when I actually got down to the work itself to clean them up, sand off the peeling paint that was the existing peeling paint, it was just like they were so rusty underneath that I knew it would take a skill level that I didn't have at this point to restore them. And also I just...
I didn't feel comfortable with my San Diego furniture flipper standards to sell them like that. And I didn't have the extra time to put into them. So I made the decision that I would not be continuing to restore the chairs. But because my mission is to keep furniture out of the landfill, I knew I couldn't just throw them away. But I felt defeated. In that moment, I felt defeated.
Jenny Dempsey (02:22.862)
And I spent time to get to this point to realize that it wasn't going to work. And it didn't help that I spilled the paint everywhere. it was a beautiful sunny day. And here I am sitting on the tarp covered in paint and crying and then going down this spiral of asking myself, am I even good enough to really do this? And I know it sounds so silly and pathetic. And I feel
embarrassed sharing this, but I also felt compelled to share it because that's where I've been in that moment and I'm guessing you've been in a similar moment. And ultimately, I know, yes, I am good enough. And I know enough to get to a point of determining whether or not something is worth spending more time and energy on. And I also knew that my mission is important to me.
So I made a decision. I picked myself up, I cleaned the paint off, and I went on Facebook Marketplace and I put up a free listing to find the chairs a new home. Because maybe someone could use them, I don't know, in their garden. Or maybe someone didn't care about the rust and wanted them as, you know, a little bit more antique looking decorations. So, who knows? I just, put up the listing and was gonna wait and see what happens. So, I then got a response.
from a man who messaged me and said his son is opening an elote stand. And he wants the chairs for his customers to sit on. And he told me he didn't care how rusty they were. His son is going to use his artistic skills and paint them in bright colors. He needed them to just be a blank canvas where his son could just go out and show his personality, paint them.
and have that shine through with his new small business. And so when the man came to pick them up, he started to show me pictures of the other chairs that his son had already painted. And I could just see the excitement on this dad's face about his son starting this business and how much creativity and excitement he was pouring into it. And in that moment, it hit me.
Jenny Dempsey (04:46.124)
Sometimes, most times, things don't go as planned. And setbacks, or how we define a setback, can have an unexpected outcome. But my initial failure of how I defined it as a failure was actually a success, because it turned those chairs into an opportunity for someone else.
And it just reminded me that it's perfectly okay to let go of something that isn't working out because it can lead to something new. And I really wanted to share that with you and I hope it resonates. Speaking of new, I'm really excited to let you know that there will be a season two of the Career Flipper podcast beginning on January 16th, 2025.
I've got some amazing career flipper guests from around the world who are going to share their stories with you and I honestly cannot wait for you to hear them. It's so cool to see our community grow and know that all us career flippers are connecting with so many other career flippers and learning from one another. And I love hearing from you about how the guest stories are resonating and inspiring you.
think about your own career path. And you know, I don't advocate for career flipping one way or another. I think you should do what you want to do. And I want you to know that you have a choice. You're not as stuck as you think. I didn't realize that I could do the things that I'm doing now when I was working in corporate and before I got laid off. Like, I just didn't think I could. And it wasn't until the moment where I didn't
where circumstances showed me that I had to make a choice to do something else, something different, because I couldn't find something. And I did it. And I realized then that you can make these choices and you're not as stuck. So, thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me. I am learning and growing right alongside you. Having you listen and leave reviews and subscribe.
Jenny Dempsey (07:09.9)
to the podcasts on different platforms. It just means so much to me. And I know it means so much to you too because these stories are providing insight into your life as well. And for those of you who have joined the Career Flipping Mail, I should have, see if I can talk. The Career Flipper mailing list, I'm not editing this out, I'm gonna leave it on my website, thecareerflipper.com. Every month I send an email out.
about different episodes and things going on, or people have reached out to me through DM, email, or text message just to share what's inspired you or made you cry. And I love it. Keep it coming. Always tell me. Always tell me the things. I love connecting with everybody. And to those of you who also connected directly with a guest to let them know how their story resonated with you, oof, that's amazing.
We are bringing people together, career flippers together around the world, and offering support and knowledge to one another. it is a true honor to share these stories with you. And I really hope that each episode helps you feel a little less alone and more confident on your own path. So before I wrap things up today, I've got a couple quick favors to ask of you.
If you're thinking about flipping your career, or maybe you're right in the middle of it already, or maybe you made the leap in the past, or leaps, plural, or maybe you know someone who's in it right now, or who is currently flipping it or who's done it, I'm actually looking for guests, more guests for season two. And I would love to hear from you or be connected with your friend or colleague.
Please reach out to me by direct message on Instagram or TikTok or LinkedIn or send me an email to hello at thecareerflipper.com or simply visit thecareerflipper.com. There is a contact form on the website as well. I would be so thrilled to chat with you or your friend or colleague and have you on the show. It would be amazing to share your story and what you've learned along the way. And I know
Jenny Dempsey (09:35.662)
With the holidays coming up, it's also a great time to catch up on episodes you may have missed. You can get a little you time, get away from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and tune in to a quick episode, then pop back into all the fun. So if you do listen, you know, I always appreciate a review, and it just really helps spread the word to more career flippers.
and supporting each other, you know, with the knowledge. It's a true gift that we can give to one another. You are as much a part of this show as the guests and as little of me hosting it. There's gonna be no second episode this week. We'll return next week with new episodes. So on that note, I am wishing you the happiest of November holidays with whatever, whatever it is you celebrate.
And just remember, stay on your path, my friend. What's the best that could happen?