Makeba

Seeking Stability and Growth

Makeba had spent decades building a holistic wellness practice, focusing on diabetes and high blood pressure, among other health issues. While Makeba loved her work, the feast-or-famine cycle of running a small business was weighing on her as she looked toward retirement.

“Generation X’s situation is nowhere near like our parents were,” she explains. “By the time I actually get to retirement, we may not even get Social Security.” She needed a more stable income, and more peace of mind.

A Strategic Midcareer Transition

“I knew I needed to do a career pivot that aligned with my existing expertise,” she says. Makeba had spent decades cultivating high-value skills in order to run her business, and she wanted to build on those strengths. Based on her past experience, she knew sales would be a perfect fit for her. “I wanted something in sales and I wanted tech, because tech and AI is the future,” she explains. “If it’s in sales, once I learn the tech, I can sell to anyone.” She began searching for a way into the tech sales world, and eventually came across Generation.

When we asked if anything about the program surprised her, she replied, “I knew it was gonna be good. But I didn’t expect it to be this great. They filled in gaps and realigned me with the structure that I needed in this pivot.”

Landing the Perfect Role

After graduating, Makeba progressed through her job-search quickly. “I applied to at least 20 positions and heard back from 8, with 5 offers in total,” she recalls. Generation connected her with her current employer, a large global enterprise company, who had made the best offer.

The transformation was profound. Makeba now has a stable base salary plus commission, in an industry where she says 40-60% income increases in the first year aren’t uncommon. “It relaxes my mind,” she says. The financial security and work-life balance has also freed her up to pursue creative projects in health and wellness, which she is passionate about.

Makeba’s story reflects a broader need Generation is supporting: helping experienced professionals build new skills, leverage existing talents, and add new technical capabilities that position them for success in a changing economy.

Joining Generation’s tech sales program was “probably the best decision I’ve made in decades,” Makeba shares.