Building business momentum after a midlife career pivot can feel impossible without a clear plan. Kate Kayaian’s story proves that curiosity is enough to get started.
In episode 338 of Gratitude Geek, Kate shares how she walked away from a life-long career as a professional cellist at age 45. Then she built a thriving coaching business. Now she is sharing how Gen X women solopreneurs can apply her three-stage momentum framework to their own pivots.
Have you ever wanted to change direction in your business or career but felt like you needed clarity first? This conversation will show you why curiosity, consistency, and visibility matter more than having it all figured out.
Key Takeaways
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Curiosity, not clarity, is what actually moves you forward when you’re starting something new.
- Real momentum requires consistency first — you have to put in the work and hone your skills long before anything comes back to you.
- Momentum shows up as energy returning that you didn’t directly ask for, like opportunities, referrals, or recognition arriving unprompted.
- Paying attention to what people keep asking you for can reveal your true strengths, even when it’s not what you expected to offer.
- Momentum has no finish line — the goal isn’t to reach a peak and coast, but to keep growing curious and building even after you’ve found success.
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Curiosity Leads to Clarity
Kate believes curiosity, not clarity, is the true starting point for change. She explains that clients often want to wait until they feel certain before acting. Instead, she coaches them to identify just one thing they’re curious about.
From there, she helps them take a small step forward. As she puts it, “curiosity leads to clarity”. That small shift in mindset is often the only thing standing between someone and their next chapter.
Consistency Builds Real Momentum
Long before any outside recognition arrived, Kate spent years developing her skills quietly. First as a touring cellist and later as a coach and podcast host.
She’s candid that nobody launches a single brilliant project and instantly becomes must-hear or must-book.
Instead, momentum is built through repetition. Showing up, doing the work, and improving steadily even when no one is watching yet.
Momentum Feels Like Unexpected Energy
Kate describes momentum as the moment energy comes back to you that wasn’t a direct result of something you asked for.
If you pitch yourself for an opportunity and land it, that’s just the natural outcome of effort.
But when companies or collaborators reach out unprompted because they’ve heard about your work, that’s the real signal that momentum has taken hold.
Your Strengths Show Through Requests
One of the more surprising lessons Kate shares is that the requests people bring to you can reveal skills you didn’t know were your biggest strengths.
She points to her own experience being repeatedly asked to perform difficult contemporary music as a cellist. It taught her where her real talent was, even before she consciously recognized it herself.
Momentum Has No Finish Line
Even with a published book, a growing podcast, and an orchestra directorship, Kate says she doesn’t feel like she’s “arrived.”
She compares her business to a flywheel that’s still building speed rather than one that has topped out, and she hopes it never truly maxes out, since constant growth and reinvention is what keeps the work interesting to her.
Meet Kate Kayaian
Kate Kayaian is a retired professional cellist turned coach, speaker, and author. She spent 40 years building a global music career, including performing on major stages and making Grammy award-winning recordings.
At age 45, she pivoted away from music to build a coaching business instead.
Today, she serves as the musical director of the Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra and is the author of Beyond Potential, a guide that helps creatives and high-achievers reassess, redefine, and reignite their careers.
“It didn’t have to be with the cello, but this is the work I was meant to do.” – Kate Kayaian
Connect with Kate Kayaian
- Website: KateKayaian.com
- LinkedIn: @katekayaian
- Gift: Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide
- Book: Beyond Potential
Resources Mentioned
Disclaimer: Some links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase. No added cost to you.
- Business Momentum Series for Women Solopreneurs
- Bermuda Philharmonic Society
- Go for No by Andrea Waltz
- The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom
- Creator Collab Book Club
Final Thoughts
Kate’s story is proof that you don’t need a five-year plan to make a meaningful pivot; you just need enough curiosity to take the next step.
Whether you’re 45 and starting over or simply feeling the pull toward something different, her three-stage momentum framework offers a practical way to move forward without waiting for perfect clarity.
The work you do consistently now, even without immediate recognition, is what eventually builds the momentum you’re looking for.
If you’re a woman creative ready to build visibility and momentum alongside a community that gets it, join us at the next Creator Collab Mixer.
Stay Groovy!
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and listeners like you.
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