A growing number of professionals are rethinking their career paths, and a recent report from Buisness Insider highlights several striking examples of individuals who’ve made notable pivots later in life. From a former astronaut adjusting to a corporate role to a Wall street veteran finding fulfillment as a hiking guide,these stories illustrate a trend toward prioritizing purpose and well-being over traditional career trajectories. The profiles, published between September and december 2025, reveal diverse motivations-and surprisingly accomplished outcomes-for those willing to embrace change.
The question of when – and how – to make a significant career change is a common one, particularly as professionals navigate their 30s, 40s, and beyond. Recent stories highlight a growing trend of individuals pivoting to entirely new fields, driven by a desire for greater fulfillment or a shift in priorities.
In late 2025, Business Insider spoke with several professionals who successfully reinvented their careers, some multiple times throughout their working lives. These transitions ranged from leaving the corporate world to pursue passions, to unexpected moves *into* the tech sector from seemingly unrelated backgrounds.
Among those profiled was a former banker at Goldman Sachs who now works as a hiking guide, and a former death metal band vocalist now contributing to AI development at Microsoft. One individual even left a career as an astronaut for a more conventional office role.
Shireen Eddleblute, 50+, From Finance to Children’s Books
Table of Contents
- Shireen Eddleblute, 50+, From Finance to Children’s Books
- Joe Spector, 45, From Wall Street to Startups
- Matt Jones, 35, From Deathcore to Big Tech
- Aurora Bryant, 40, From Lawyer to AI in Legal
- Justin Pines, 42, Lawyer → Rabbi → CEO
- Cliff Goldstein, 40, From Finance and Tech to Hiking Guide
- Tim Marshburn, 65, From Astronaut to Office Job
Shireen Eddleblute transitioned from a career in finance to writing children’s books. Following the loss of her mother several years prior, Eddleblute found herself searching for a new purpose. After decades in the investment world, she realized it was time for a change.
Driven by a desire to create a lasting legacy, Eddleblute decided in 2024 to pursue her passion for writing, publishing books for children focused on financial literacy.
Initially unfamiliar with the publishing process, Eddleblute told Business Insider in August 2025: “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Joe Spector, 45, From Wall Street to Startups
Joe Spector realized his childhood dream of working at JPMorgan before discovering the world of startups. Immigrating to the US from Soviet Uzbekistan as a child, Spector equated success with a career on Wall Street.
He began his career at JPMorgan in 2002. While the salary was attractive, he found the work repetitive and the office environment intensely competitive. He left the bank in 2004, pursued an MBA, and entered the startup ecosystem, co-founding Hims and later launching another successful company, Dutch.
Spector told Business Insider in October 2025 that startups “showed me how rewarding it can be to build products that improve people’s lives.”
Matt Jones, 35, From Deathcore to Big Tech
Matt Jones was the frontman for the band Martyr Defiled before transitioning to a career in Big Tech. He left school to dedicate himself to the band, touring internationally. While life on the road was enjoyable, the work was demanding and financially unstable.
The band dissolved when Jones was 28, and he entered the IT field through a friend’s father’s recommendation. After several years and multiple applications to Microsoft, Jones now works in Big Tech, leading the global cloud and AI division for UBS.
“I constantly think about how I got here,” Jones said in September 2025. “My unconventional and nonlinear path has given me a unique and valuable perspective in the corporate world.”
Aurora Bryant, 40, From Lawyer to AI in Legal
Aurora Bryant practiced law for 15 years, including a decade at the Department of Justice. Approaching 40, frustrated by limited resources and motivated to modernize legal work through AI, she joined Relativity, a company utilizing AI to solve complex legal challenges.
Her advice for those considering a career change: “Before deciding what’s next, you need to understand your objectives, what you enjoy, and how you can best leverage your experience.”
Justin Pines, 42, Lawyer → Rabbi → CEO
Justin Pines changed careers three times: from lawyer, to rabbi, and then CEO. After three years as a lawyer, he sought something more meaningful and decided to become a rabbi. Following several years as an educator in a religious school, he pivoted again to a think tank, and eventually became a CEO and hosts his own show.
Pines says finding the right job involves balancing priorities: meaning, financial stability, and passion.
Cliff Goldstein, 40, From Finance and Tech to Hiking Guide
Goldstein worked on Wall Street at Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs, but found the lack of work-life balance unsustainable long-term. In 2013, at age 27, he made his first pivot into tech.
After achieving his financial goals, he became a full-time hiking guide in 2023. “I’ve never been happier,” he stated.
Tim Marshburn, 65, From Astronaut to Office Job
Tim Marshburn was an astronaut and participated in five spacewalks. After 18 years at NASA and experience on the SpaceX Crew-3 mission, he decided it was time to explore something different. In 2022, he entered the private sector as a vice president at Sierra Space. While office life is quieter than being an astronaut, he considered it the right choice at the right time.
