In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews Kitty Boitnott, a former educator turned career‑transition coach for teachers experiencing burnout. Kitty shares her personal story of hitting a career crossroads at age 60 after years of teaching and union leadership, describing how she reinvented herself and built a coaching business. She emphasizes that individuals should not navigate a career change alone, recommending professional coaches, mentors, and online resources to master resume writing, job‑search systems, mindset, patience, and persistence. Kitty offers broader business advice: seek a coach or mentor early, as most startups fail within the first 18 months due to unanticipated challenges. She reflects on personal growth, urging her younger self to be bold, and highlights the importance of aligning work with core values for happiness. Her most influential book is Marianne Williamson’s Return to Love, which sparked her spiritual journey and eventual ministry. Kitty also shares two favorite quotes (Helen Keller and Winston Churchill) and directs listeners to her websites teachersintransition.com and teachersindistress.com for coaching services and blog content.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Kitty Boytnott with us. She's a former educator and for the last 5 years she's been a career transition coach where she specializes in working with teachers who are experiencing burnout and they want a new career path but do not know where to start. So welcome to the show, Kitty.
Thank you, Tyler Wagner.
Of course. And thanks for joining us. And we will dive right into the first question. The first question that I have is, what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
But when I read that question, I realized I have a lot of stories, but the one that's probably the most pertinent is that I realized that I was burnt out and not in a position to go back to a teaching position 5 years ago. I had not quite turned 60, but I was getting close, and I knew I didn't have the energy or the passion anymore for classroom teaching. I had been president of the Virginia Education Association from 2008 to 2012, and I was just burnt out with that job. So I found myself at the age of 60 not knowing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And it was a daunting process that I went through, but I eventually reinvented and retooled myself and started this business as a career transition and job search coach specializing in working with people who had been just like me. So now I help people who are at a career crossroads They know they don't want to teach anymore, but they have no idea what they want to do next. And I help them with answering that question, what's next? And then I help them with the nuts and bolts of the job search process.
Gotcha. So you kind of solved your own problem.
And I did.
Exactly. That's how a lot of great businesses are built. And what's the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
The main thing that people need to know if they feel like they're at a crossroads and they want to change jobs or make a career switch is that they should not attempt to do it alone. Too many people think that they can. They don't understand how all of the various electronic systems work. They don't write their resumes properly. They don't approach the job search with the right mindset and the necessary patience and persistence that they're going to be needing. And it's the daunting process for most people, and they will struggle with it for months before they will finally come to the realization that they need help. So I would recommend, if you're ready for a change, just bite the bullet, go ahead and get a coach. Who can help you navigate all of the moving parts of a job search or career change.
And what's your best piece of overall business advice, so not necessarily industry-specific?
Yeah, overall business advice. Now that I've been in my own business for 5 years and didn't have a clue what I was doing when I started, is to— it's the same thing. Get a coach, find a mentor, find people online who can teach you what you need to know in order to build a solid business foundation. And most businesses go out of business in the first 18 months because people aren't expecting some of the challenges that they run into. So my best advice is if you've got an idea for a business and you want to start one or take one to the next level, get someone who's just ahead of you. To help you figure out what you need to do to get to that next level.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
This was a great question. And what I came up with is be bold. I was not bold as a young person. I was very much go along, get along, respect authority, do whatever the teacher said, or do whatever my boss— and principals said, and I often did things that I wish I had had the nerve to speak up to. I finally learned that lesson in my 40s and 50s, but I wish my 20-something self had known that I could be bold. I'm so inspired by the students in Parkland, Florida, because they're bold, they're brave, they're speaking. Truth to power in a way that sets a wonderful example for the rest of us. And I wish I'd had that kind of courage when I was their age.
And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Being true to yourself. This is where I think a lot of people who are at a career crossroads don't understand the importance of getting in alignment with who they are, what their core values are, doing assessments that help them to understand what their natural aptitude and talents and gifts are, because work that's in alignment with who you are doesn't feel like work. And that's the best kind, when you can feel totally engaged in your occupation. It also spills over into your relationships and your life in general.
And what is the best book that you've read? And what was the number one thing you learned from that?
That was also a great question. I am an avid reader. I was a librarian in my educator career, so I love books and I've read avidly for decades. If I had to pick one book that impacted me in the most significant way, I decided it would have to be Marianne Williamson's Return to Love. I read that book when it was still on the bestseller list in the early '90s. It changed everything about the way I considered spirituality and being in the world and the importance of relationship with yourself as well, as well as with others. And it sparked my interest in A Course in Miracles, and I eventually became a licensed Science of Mind minister. And I don't know that I would have even known that that path was available to me if it hadn't been for Mary Ann's book.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
I have two, so I'm going to cheat. My first one is, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." That's by Helen Keller. The other favorite that I have is, "Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about." That's Winston Churchill.
I love those. Thank you so much for joining us, Kitty. The last question I have before we let you go is, where's the best place for people to find you online?
I have a standard website at teachersintransition.com. I also have a blog at teachersindistress.com. Either place, people would find contact information for me.
Perfect. Thank you again, Kitty. We really appreciate it.
Thank you, Tyler Wagner.
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