At times, my career has taken me to places that I never thought it would. I never imagined embracing change management as a profession when I was in college – I didn’t even know what it was. I didn’t think I would love teaching change management methodologies across the country, but I really enjoyed engaging with change management learners. I never anticipated being the President of a change management volunteer organization. And I certainly didn’t predict that role would allow me to interview a bona fide rockstar! At the 2021 ACMP NorCal Symposium, I was thrilled to interview Vicki Peterson, whose band, The Bangles, were the soundtrack to my high school years.
Our interview covered 40 years of change in the music industry. Vicki visually shared the differences between the band’s early years, after just signing with a major record label, and the height of popularity with top 10 songs and being attached to a major motion picture. It was a stark contrast over a short period of time. Vicki’s tools for dealing with change, especially when it was thrust upon her, were insightful for anyone going through a change. Messages like “Trust the Pack” and introducing change incrementally are lessons that we all can apply to our change journeys. The forty-minute interview flew by, and again, I was surprised by how much fun I had. Life can surprise you sometimes, you just have to be ready to embrace it.