In this installment of our Workday Foundation’s “Switching Gears” series, discover how former journalist Dan Duane navigated a midlife reinvention, pivoting from a 30-year writing career to finding new purpose and connection as a therapist.
In this article we discuss:
Switching Gears is a new series hosted by Carrie Varoquiers, Workday’s chief impact officer, to address the modern anxieties about artificial intelligence not with fear, but by exploring the boundless opportunities that await when you follow your curiosity.
The series spotlights the inspiring journeys of individuals who have successfully made massive career pivots, proving that human adaptability is still the most powerful skill in the marketplace.
Ultimately, it turns the question of "will I be replaced?" into a celebration of potential, demonstrating that the best way to future-proof your life is to lean into the passion, creativity, and human connection that no algorithm can ever replicate.
“I’m living my new dream,” says Dan Duane, a registered associate marriage and family therapist in San Francisco. His voice carries the calm confidence of someone who has found his calling. Just a few years ago, however, Duane led a very different professional life—one filled with deadlines, editors, and the unpredictable rhythm of freelance journalism.
For more than 30 years, Duane thrived as a writer. With a PhD in literature and a love of the outdoors, he taught writing, published novels and memoirs, and covered adventure travel, food and wine, and human-interest stories for The New York Times Magazine and other major publications. But when tech shifts and a global pandemic forced publications to shutter and writing rates to plummet, Dan’s zeal for the work began to wane. “I still had great assignments from fun magazines,” he recalls, “but I got tired of being in an industry that was only going in one direction in terms of its economic health.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. Over the past several years, the media business has been under massive pressure. Nearly 10,000 journalists have lost their jobs, hundreds of local papers have folded, and digital ad revenue has plummeted. The rapid rise of generative AI, and zero-click search results that no longer redirect traffic to the news’ source, has only deepened the crisis and impacted a shrinking revenue model.
For Dan, the decision to switch gears was both an economic and existential one. “As the years went by, I found more meaning in being present for people’s stories,” he says. “The power of listening came to feel as or more important than the journalism itself. You could say it was a sign it was time to move on.”
The shift didn’t happen overnight. Faced with the daunting prospect of a career pivot at age 55, Duane asked himself questions that many people contemplate: What lights me up? How much money do I really need to make? How do I live an authentic, creative, and joyful life while engaging with the inevitable suffering of the world? The answers ultimately put him on the path to pursue a master’s degree in psychology.
In early 2023, he enrolled in a two-year master’s program that combined coursework with hands-on therapy training in a community mental health setting. Though he admits there were “anxious periods” along the way, and hitting restart wasn’t easy at this stage in his life, he’s thrilled to be a working therapist today. “Hallelujah. This worked!” he laughs. “I have clients. I have an office on the third floor with a window and a nice couch in San Francisco.
"I’m knocked out by how much this work fills my days with intellectual and emotional richness and a feeling of purpose.”
That’s why he isn’t too worried about the proliferation of AI therapy apps. A recent study in the Harvard Business Review reported that more people are relying on chatbots to process grief and trauma, attracted by the low cost and lack of judgment. While Dan acknowledges that it might be helpful for someone to confide in a bot, it’s not a replacement for the work he does with his clients. “There are things we understand about deep psychological change over time that are dependent on having actual human consciousness on the other side,” he explains. “When you confess something to a robot and you don't feel any shame, well . . . big surprise. But when you confess something to another human being and find that it’s okay to let go of your shame, and they can be present with it and respond without judgment—that’s transformative.”
Reflecting on his journey, Duane believes that the ability to listen—to others and to oneself—is the key to any successful career pivot.
“Listen to the murmurings of the creative side of your nature."
“Whether you’re drawn to creating, managing, caring for others, or whatever it is. And be a little wary of any fixed ideas about the kind of person you think you are. Because it’s often just not true. We’re all more flexible than we think.”
To learn more about Dan’s services, visit: www.danielduanetherapy.com
Recognizing that AI has the potential to further amplify feelings of loneliness and isolation, the Workday Foundation is proud to welcome the U.S. Chamber of Connection as a new partner in our ongoing efforts to strengthen human connection and increase trust to support flourishing in our communities.
The Workday Foundation is helping to close the skills gap by supporting the global nonprofit Generation, an organization pioneering new training models that connect untapped talent with transformative career opportunities.
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