97. Midlife Career Change with Purpose: Scott Doyne on Identity, Transition, & Finding Your Next Chapter

In this enlightening episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes Scott Doyne—a former sports executive, keynote speaker, professional coach, and author of Exploring the Midlife Career Crisis: A Guide to Navigating the Four Stages of Career Transition. After two decades leading strategy and analytics at Turner Sports, Scott made a dramatic shift, stepping away from the world of NBA.com, March Madness, and Bleacher Report to help others redefine success in midlife.

Scott unpacks how leaving behind a "dream job" can be the beginning of a more aligned and fulfilling journey. From unpaid internships to executive leadership, and eventually entrepreneurship, his story is a masterclass in reinvention, resilience, and real-world strategy.

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Internships: How Scott broke into the sports industry and built a 20-year career at Turner through early sacrifices and persistence.
• Leveraging Your MBA: Why graduate school gave Scott the education, network, and confidence to pivot into leadership roles.
• Networking That Works: The mindset and methods Scott used to authentically build a long-lasting network.
• Turning Points: How layoffs, life transitions, and journaling led Scott to discover his next purpose.
• The ICAN Framework: A practical approach to networking—Identify, Connect, Ask, Navigate.
• What Makes a Career Crisis 'Midlife': Why this time in life is uniquely suited to transformation and legacy-building.
• The Four Stages of Career Transition: Realize, Explore, Articulate, and Activate—Scott explains how anyone can use this model.
• From External Success to Inner Alignment: Redefining what a "career win" looks like beyond title and salary.

Scott Doyne’s story reminds us that our careers are not linear and our identities are not defined by titles. Whether you're navigating a transition or simply wondering if there's more to life than your current role, Scott's perspective offers clarity, confidence, and encouragement to take the next step—thoughtfully and with purpose.

Don’t miss an episode of What’s the Point?. Subscribe on your favorite platform and share this conversation with someone exploring a new chapter in their professional life. Transitions can be powerful—especially when you have the right roadmap.

Connect with Bill:

• [email protected]
• www.brandingpillars.com
• www.brandingforresults.com
• IG - @wcellis
• Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis
• Book: Women Who Won

Quick Episode Summary: 

• 0:00 Welcome and intro to Scott Doyne and his impressive career journey
• 1:00 How Scott transitioned from Cincinnati to the world of Turner Sports
• 3:00 The sacrifices and hustle of early unpaid internships
• 6:00 The value of an MBA in finding purpose and confidence
• 10:00 Networking lessons, the ICAN framework, and pushing limits professionally
• 14:00 The importance of not tying identity to job titles alone
• 18:00 Working alongside major sports figures and what he learned from them
• 23:00 The reality of layoffs and why preparing early makes a difference
• 25:00 How journaling and coaching helped him find his new direction
• 28:00 Explaining the four stages of transition: Realize, Explore, Articulate, Activate
• 33:00 Pursuing purpose, not just a paycheck, in your next chapter
• 36:00 Grieving what you lose when leaving a big company—like colleagues and culture
• 39:00 The Ikigai concept and designing a life that blends passion, mission, and profession
• 41:00 Eastern philosophy vs. Western productivity: A different view of success
• 43:00 Scott’s answer to "What’s the Point?" — Help others help others