Changing Work

Changing Work is a movement deeply committed to revolutionizing the dynamics of the workplace from within.

Our Vision is to Change Work from the Inside Out.

Essentially, to make work a more humane, conscious, and nurturing environment that promotes personal growth, self-awareness, and compassion, while delivering value to all stakeholders. 

We recognize that profitability is important, and that it comes with a need for balance not only for shareholders, but for employees, customers, and the broader global community. A world that works for everyone.
Our Mission is to Elevate conscious business practices through community and best practice sharing.

Changing Work is a collective of business leaders, employees, and consultants. 

Fundamentally, we do two things. 

First, we build community. There’s something incredibly powerful about being on a journey together with people who are bonded by a desire for a common good. 

Second, we share best practices. This comes in many forms - jointly written books, a podcast, a newsletter, courses, cohort-based learning, and more.

If you're interested in getting involved to support the movement to change work from the inside out, or get support along your own conscious leadership journey, check us out at changingwork.org

Co-Founder, Changing Work Collective

Nicholas Whitaker Coaching

Coaching Mid-Career Tech Workers To Break Free Of Their Golden Handcuffs & Design Their Roadmap To A Life & Work They Can Love

I offer transformative coaching and consulting to limited number of clients.

Speaking Engagements:
I speak about wellbeing, mental health, and mindfulness.

Check my featured section for more on my offerings👆

Follow me on LinkedIn and subscribe to my newsletter to learn more about me and my work with clients.

Master Certified Professional Coach / Certified Mindfulness Facilitator

Google

As a Lead volunteer and coordinator of Meditation and Mindfulness Programs at Google, I have a track record of successfully creating and implementing outreach and marketing initiatives at a company-wide level, building and scaling community, and deepening the practice of others.

My programs have included live streams, workshops, newsletters, podcasts, partnerships with employee resource groups, and team consultations, as well as daily guided and unguided meditations and facilitator training programs reaching over 5000 colleagues globally with mindfulness and wellbeing content.

In addition to my outreach and marketing efforts, I designed and launched custom wellbeing programming at the organizational and team levels reaching hundreds of employees with impactful, highly regarded and requested webinars, live events, and group workshops. 

I also developed and maintained relationships with external mindfulness and wellbeing vendors, agencies, keynote speakers, researchers, and luminaries in order to bring the best resources and expertise to our programs.

(gPause) Mindfulness Steering Committee Volunteer  / Wellbeing Champion / Community Organizer

As a People Operations Program Manager and People Programs Specialist I curated change management initiatives for a team of over 140 people.

People Operations Program Manager / People Programs Specialist

As a member of the Large Partner Solutions Team in the Global Business Operations Organization, I built and maintained strong partnerships with executives and account representatives at major national news conglomerates, leveraging my expertise in journalism and stakeholder management to generate over $100M in revenue.

I fostered strong relationships with strategic partnerships like Scripps, Media News Group, Dallas Morning News, and McClatchy.

I have a track record of innovating to find new uses for Google products to generate revenue, increase subscriptions, and leverage data for business decisions.

Strategic Partnerships Lead

On the Google News Lab team, I served as a Google Product Evangelist for thousands of journalists and newsrooms worldwide, and representing Google at global industry events. 

I managed an educational marketing outreach program and designed a custom LMS  supporting customer education marketing programs, and certifications for Google products, educating over 500,000 journalists in 25 languages.

I also developed, launched, and scaled a community network of 400+ universities in 40 countries offering grants, digital skills, and training on Google products for education and journalism. 

In addition, I managed agency relationships, scaling training and marketing outreach programs across APAC, EMEA, NA, MENA, and LATAM

Product Marketing Manager / Training & Development Manager

I evangelized Google's tools for research and journalism to over 30,000 journalists across 36 countries, working to establish the Google Earth brand as a trusted partner for news gathering and storytelling.

I also designed and launched new marketing, outreach, and data-driven approaches to building and maintaining relationships with key media outlets, bringing regional Google tools workshops to newsrooms worldwide, training 1700 journalists in EMEA, LATAM, and MENA.

Marketing Manager / Media Outreach Lead

Whitaker Films / Nicholas Whitaker Photography

I have over a decade of specialized experience producing public service announcements, documentaries, corporate trainings, marketing content, live webinars and event coverage for a wide range of clients including Google, the NYC Department of Transportation, NGOs like the Regional Planning Association and Citizen's Union, as well as traditional media outlets like Hearst Media, BET, NBC, and CBS.

Founder / Producer

Eugene Lang College

Intro To Cultural Studies
Media Toolkit
Digital Moviemaking

Adjunct Professor

Marymount Manhattan College

Beginning Video Workshop
History of Communication Theory
Intermediate Video Production

Master time, energy & focus in 90 days. Coaching stressed out tech professionals to prepare for volatility, tame uncertainty & thrive in ambiguity | Co-Founder of Changing Work Collective | Conscious Leadership Activist

Even the most capable professionals struggle to balance immediate demands with their deeper aspirations. 

Sound familiar?

After 13+ years at Google guiding transformative initiatives, and more than a decade as an entrepreneur, 

I've dedicated my life to helping ambitious individuals get crystal clear on their current reality, their desired future, and the precise steps needed to bridge that gap. 

My approach, refined through years of working with hundreds of professionals, combines strategic clarity with conscious living principles. 

Each partnership is uniquely crafted to your specific situation, challenges, and aspirations. 
Through our work together, we'll establish new habits, challenge limiting beliefs, and create sustainable change aligned with your values.

Drawing on neuroscience, spirituality and proven methodologies, I've developed a 100-day process that helps people establish new habits, challenge limiting beliefs, and create sustainable change.

Imagine having complete clarity on your path forward, with the tools, confidence and support to empower you to make conscious decisions aligned with your values, and a renewed focus on what's truly important to you. 

My clients learn to navigate the tension between short-term demands and long-term vision, ultimately creating a life that allows them to bring something beautiful and meaningful into the world.

DM me to discuss your vision and how we can make it reality.

Nicholas Whitaker

Curt Sassak

Curt Sassak's Coaching

So, you’ve got a life and career that looks great on paper, but no longer feels like a win.

If you’ve hit a point where the pressure’s high and the payoff is low, you’re not alone.
 You’ve outgrown the life you built.

That’s exactly who I work with.

If you're thinking you can just grind your way through it—good luck.
 I tried that.
 So did most of my clients.
 We all ended up at the same place: stuck, frustrated, spinning our wheels. 

Enter: The Recipe
 A high-performance framework built for high-achievers who want clarity, and momentum, fast.

It’s inspired by my 27-year chef career—because chefs don’t wing it.
 We follow structure.
 We refine.
 We execute with precision.

That’s what this is.

This isn’t a journal prompt and a pep talk.

 It’s a system—tested by fire—designed to help you:

 → Get clear on what’s next
 → Identify and eliminate the internal drag holding you back
 → Build momentum through customized strategy

This isn’t personal development.
 It’s personal execution.

We extract your core drivers, map them to your next chapter, and build a plan that makes sense for your ambition, standards, and lifestyle.

And I don’t take on everyone.

This is for people who have a track record of making sh*t happen,
 And are ready to channel that same energy into building the next version of themselves.

It requires honesty. Focus. Execution.

 You bring that—I’ll bring the clarity, speed, and accountability.

DM me “RECIPE” when you’re ready to move.

 And just know—I don’t work with spectators. Only builders.

Life and Career Strategist

Winetasters Choice: An Adult Beverage Promotional Agency

Key accomplishments:

👉Spearheaded the strategic growth of a B2B beverage promotion agency, elevating annual revenue from $300,000 to $1.4 million. 

👉Drove the company's revenue-generation engine as the principal revenue officer, by additional $221,000 in revenue within a five-month span in 2023 

👉Expanded operational footprint from 12 employees across four cities in Texas to a team of 250 employees spanning three states

👉Authored and enforced comprehensive standards, processes, and protocols, laying the foundation for scalable growth and operational excellence. 

👉Pioneered a remote work model, adeptly managing a dispersed team, fostering a culture of accountability and high performance. 

👉Spearheaded the development and execution of comprehensive social media campaigns, from conceptualization to content creation and audience engagement. 

👉Achieved a 4.6/5 star rating on Glassdoor, reflecting exceptional leadership and a positive organizational culture. Garnered a 90% approval rating from employees, underscoring effective management and employee satisfaction. 

👉Demonstrated deep understanding of market trends, and consumer behavior, enabling the development of targeted promotional campaigns. 

👉Regulatory Compliance: Ensured all promotional activities complied with industry regulations and standards, maintaining the agency's reputation and operational integrity. 

👉Achieved significant growth with a small team by  implementing new systems, automation and enhancing software utilization.

👉Problem-Solver: Excel at navigating ambiguous situations and making informed decisions with limited information. 

👉Founded and grew a successful YouTube channel, overseeing all aspects of content creation, video production, and editing. Utilized the platform to effectively drive new business opportunities

Company closed by the owner on 3/2/2024.

Testimonials:
https://winetasterschoice.com/testimonials-2/

President and Chief Revenue Officer

Executive Chef

Focused experience working in internationally renowned 5-star establishments.

USA, India, Dubai, Egypt, Australia and the Maldives

Previously employed at: Four Seasons Domestic, Four Seasons International, Hyatt Domestic, Hyatt International, One & Only, Marriott, independent restaurants


Key accomplishments:

👉 Distinguished by two guest chef appearances at the world-renowned James Beard House, a testament to culinary artistry and innovation.

👉 Engaged audiences with charismatic presence through 10 live TV appearances, enhancing brand visibility and personal brand as a culinary expert.

👉 Garnered 24 Best Restaurant/Hotel awards, affirming excellence in culinary delivery and guest satisfaction.

👉 Secured the prestigious Best New Restaurant Award from the iconic Washingtonian Magazine 

👉 Celebrated for exceptional culinary creations and service, reflected in numerous positive critiques and write-ups across esteemed culinary publications.

👉 Spearheaded the pre-opening phases of hotels and restaurants, demonstrating strategic foresight and operational excellence in establishing culinary ventures.

👉 Commanded teams of up to 200, fostering a culture of excellence, creativity, and teamwork in high-pressure environments.

👉 Managed multi-million dollar food and beverage operations, showcasing adept financial acumen and operational management to drive profitability and culinary excellence.

👉 Lowered food cost by $70,000 and increased the guest satisfaction rating for food quality by 1.4 points from 2 to 3.4 on a scale of 1-5 in my first year as Executive Chef

Teaching Mid-Career Leaders how to navigate life & career transitions using my Proven Recipe / Improve the quality of your life / Create your next chapter by design, not default / Former Chef

𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧.

You work your ass off, climb the ladder, got everything you want on paper, but feel empty. 

You ask yourself, "Is this it? What's next?"

You tell yourself it’s just a phase. That the feeling will pass.

It won’t.

At first, it’s a nagging thought. Then it’s an ache. 

You're wondering how you went from feeling like a confident badass knocking out your goals to just tolerating your life and career. 

Now, you dread waking up and you're just going through the motions daydreaming about the way things used to be. 

You know you want a change. You have something more to offer the world. 

But fear is holding you back. 

I know this feeling. It cost me 4 years of my life. I was depressed, and it cost me my confidence, my drive, and over $250,000.

Until I decided to take back control.

𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 & 𝐇𝐎𝐖

I work with career-driven, successful professionals 40 and up who feel stuck and want more out of life.

You’re not lost. You’re not broken. You’re just at a crossroads.

Your problem isn’t knowing you need a change. 

Your problem is knowing HOW to do it—without wasting years stuck in limbo like I did.

Your clarity is just like a five-star dish—if you’re missing key ingredients or following the wrong process, it won’t turn out right.

That’s where I come in.

I help high-performers get the exact recipe they need to figure out what’s next.

Here’s the recipe:

𝙄𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨:

🔥 Sharpen Your Mindset: REGAIN your CONFIDENCE and break free from self-doubt and second-guessing.
🔥 Regain Balance: Stop just surviving—start actually living.
🔥 Get Crystal Clear Clarity: Know exactly where you're headed and how to get there.
🔥 Remove Mental Roadblocks: Identify and eliminate what’s keeping you stuck.
🔥 Design Your Next Chapter: Not by accident. Not by default. But with intention.
 
𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚:

Follow a proven and tested real-world process built on precise ingredients that puts you back in control.

𝘾𝙇𝙄𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙐𝙇𝙏𝙎

The real success stories? My clients.

"Curt didn’t just help my career—he helped me take back my life. His approach forced me to get real about what I wanted. The clarity I gained was priceless."
— Matt Lunny

𝙉𝙀𝙓𝙏 𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋𝙎

If you're done settling and want to wake up excited about your life again, let’s talk.

Message me: "I want the Recipe" to learn more. 

That’s it. No fluff. No B.S. Just results.

— Curt

Founder

So, you’re career driven, have had success, and now you feel like there are no more mountains to climb.

You got to the top of the “mountain,” and achieving your goals only to find you don’t feel fulfilled or happy. It’s like, WTF?

Your life/career no longer serves you. All you know is that you feel stuck and see no way out. You need to make a change. But doing what?

Then fear creeps in. You have questions.  “What do I do now?”  “I don’t know what else to do” 

“If I change careers how will I make enough to pay my bills?” and so on

These are the same questions (and more) I asked myself when I did a career change after 27 years as a chef and started over at 41 from zero.

Did you know a New York Times study found that 75% of Americans don’t have a clear sense of purpose?

And, there are serious health risks associated with a lack of purpose

A lack of purpose affects your self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Which, in turn, can lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other health issues.
I experienced all of those.

The good news is this: You’re only 5 steps away from finding the purpose, fulfillment, and new career you so desperately want.

They are the same 5 steps I used to go from feeling lost/stuck and finding a purpose and fulfillment

All it requires from you is self-honesty and a commitment to change

I coach people through one-to-one sessions

You think asking for help is equivalent to failure? Yep, I used to think the same, but that’s your ego talking

Consider: If you’ve been stuck, and the steps you’ve taken have not yielded results, what makes you think anything will change by repeating what you’ve done?

What got you here will not get you THERE.

Just like a car needs realignment from time to time, our personal and professional vision needs realignment from time to time

So, you can remain stuck and lost, or you can send me a DM

taplio

The Battle

Nicholas Whitaker

Curt Sassak

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