When changing careers means finding your calling

GILLIAN KLAWANSKY

“How do you really know what you want at the age of 18?” asks Stacey Lewis. “How do you know that that’s going to be the same when you’re 40? Life changes you.” Having begun practicing as a physiotherapist at 22, Lewis – now 41 – is in her second year of an LLB degree.

“When I matriculated, if you got good marks you went to medical school – so I did,” she says. “I landed up working in the field of paediatric neurology. Through work, I injured my back, so I decided to find another less physical avenue within physiotherapy.” Lewis soon discovered medical litigation, doing disability assessments and reports. She now runs a medicolegal reporting business.

Circumstances took Lewis along another unexpected path. “Eleven years ago, I went through a divorce, and through that process, I established a divorce-support website and became a qualified divorce mediator.” Lewis has written two books on divorce – one alone and one as a co-author.

Through medical litigation and divorce work, Lewis developed an interest in law. “People live a lot longer now, and generally don’t just retire at 60,” she says. “It’s a long time to work in one career. Today you must reinvent, re-educate, or upskill yourself.”

Philippa Levitt, Lewis’s co-author on her book, From Break Up to Break Through: 4 Powerful Steps to Reclaim Yourself, has moved away from a successful law career. Known for starting the first all-female legal firm in South Africa in 1991, Levitt – who specialised in litigation, divorce, and property law – was inspired by her desire to create a comfortable space for working moms. Yet, after five years, Levitt became so busy that she faced the very struggle she’d set out to eliminate. “I felt I had to choose once again between law and family.

“I sold my practice to my partner when I was about 34, and stayed on as a consultant for roughly another four years.”

Losing her father, who had been her mentor and inspiration, shortly afterwards, Levitt embarked on a spiritual journey. “I wanted to use the time I’d gained to delve into answering some of life’s deeper questions.” Travelling through India, she was exposed to great spiritual thinkers and writers. “This began an epic quest to read, learn, and experience as much as I could,” she recalls.

“It culminated in my discovering, many years later, the work of Debbie Ford, the New York Times bestselling author of several books including Spiritual Divorce, Divorce as a Catalyst for an Extraordinary Life. I trained with the Ford Institute in San Diego to become a divorce coach. Over several years, I’ve coached people all over the world, and I still do.”

Levitt also returned to her first love, art, enrolling herself at the Johannesburg Art Foundation. She’s since sold many works, and had exhibitions in South Africa and Sydney. In the past two years, Levitt has also become a corporate trainer for Levy Network Africa. She addresses unconscious bias, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

“I see my life and work as an everchanging tapestry that fits together in ways that often aren’t immediately apparent, and that might still lead me anywhere,” she says. “My legal training weaves its way through everything I do, and enriches every aspect of my life. It’s more about adding to my first career than changing course completely.”

In contrast, Bev Butkow’s career did an about turn. Having carved a successful career in corporate finance, she constantly juggled work and family. “I adored my job – it was stimulating, exciting, and the people I mixed with were all bright and interesting,” she says. “I worked through many nights as I tried to balance my job with being a mom, wife, daughter, friend, and community member.”

Yet when she was 38, Butkow and her husband decided to have a fourth child. “It forced me to finally accept that four kids and a job in corporate finance wasn’t sustainable,” she says. “It was a fraught decision, but also one of the best of my life. I was left to ponder what I’d do. My turn to art happened slowly – one art lesson, a small drawing, an investment in some good paint brushes, and then one day, in my early 40s, I threw myself in by renting a studio in an organisation called Assemblage. I’ve never looked back. I love how I’m forced to take chances, overcome fear, and put myself out in the world so my world gets bigger.”

Butkow is currently doing her Masters in Fine Art at the University of the Witwatersrand, making material objects out of painting and weaving. Through the support of gallerist Julie Taylor of Guns & Rain, she’ll be exhibiting in London later this year.

“The hardest part of changing careers was recalibrating who I was without the ego, status, salary, reputation, and chic business suits,” says Butkow. “What was most rewarding was recognising how much support I have, especially from my husband, kids, and parents. It’s because of this that I’ve been able to grow so much in the past six years. While being an artist was never in my life’s masterplan, I can’t imagine a more perfect life.”

For Daniella Getz, a career in teaching seemed obvious. “I loved the idea of working with children,” she says. Yet after six years of working as a Grade 4 remedial teacher, she could no longer silence her call to catering. “I always loved cooking. When my friends told me to become a caterer, I secretly loved the idea but laughed it off as a pipe dream,” she says.

“Yet after more encouragement, I began selling desserts, and so Daniella’s Kitchen was born. The business grew, and I decided to follow my passion, give up a stable income, and become a full-time caterer, one of the most exciting but nerve-wracking decisions of my life.” Being her own boss also allowed Getz to spend more time at home with her then baby son.

Two years later, Daniella’s Kitchen is flourishing, catering for Shabbos, Yom Tov, birthday parties, family dinners, and corporate events. The business, which offers varied milk and meat menus, is kosher, but not Beth Din certified.

“With hindsight, starting the business was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she says. “I often work through the night, but the satisfaction of preparing a delicious meal and getting positive feedback makes it all worth it. Catering is my dream job.”

Pictured: Bev Butkow