Ask the Business Coach Joyce K. Reynolds is an expert Business Coach who works with CEOs, Sr. Execs, entrepreneurs and countless others providing knowledge, solutions, motivation and support that assist her clientele in successfully meeting workplace challenges. Find out more about Joyce's coaching practice. Following Your Dream Question: I have been a wife and at home mom for 12 years, and now that my children are all in school full time I would like a career. The problem is I'm 30 years old and have only deli and limited sales experience and neither really made me happy. I would love to fulfill my childhood dream of acting, but don't have the first idea of where to start or go to school, but don't know what would be a career that could compete with my dream and make me happy. Can you tell me if there is anyone to help someone like me find their call in the career field? School is expensive so I want to go into it confident that I'm doing the right thing. Please Help!!! Tammie Answer: It sounds as if you are approaching a wonderful period with your family in place and time now for you to pursue a dream. At the very least, find work outside your home that would be fulfilling. Whatever your past experience – however slight it might seem – you have developed skills and experiences over your 30 years that will assist you in this next phase of your life. If you have a sincere interest in acting, fully investigate all possible opportunities in your locale for involvement: small theater groups; volunteer organizations or local charities that might do amateur productions or fund-raising events that would involve shows; call your City Council and get on their ‘extras’ list for any film companies that might come to your area for film shoots. Find a good photographer and get a composite of pictures together. Take it to all local modeling and talent agencies and register for commercial casting. Find out if there are any acting classes you can enroll in or acting coaches you might work with. Buy some film scripts and start memorizing lines and start acting out the characters at home. In other words – if this is your passion - jump in and get going. The ‘act as if’ philosophy can have double meaning for you! If you decide that acting is not for you but you don’t really have another dream, that’s an ideal time to hire a Coach. After all, that’s what many of us do best – help people find their ideal work. In the meanwhile, pick up a copy of Laurence Boldt’s "How to Find the Work You Love." It’s a wonderful, provocative little volume that asks all the right questions for uncovering your real desires. Along the way – remind yourself often of what mythologist Joseph Campbell once said "Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before." Also see: • Ask Joyce your workplace questions • More questions • One-on-one business coaching Disclaimer: The information in this column is intended to provide the reader with general ideas or concepts to be used as part of a broader base of knowledge they collect to determine their own best course of action and solutions most suitable for solving their workplace challenges. The information in this column is not guaranteed to be the appropriate solution for each individual.