Seven months ago, without a plan, Claire Wasserman quit her $90,000-a-year job. That was not an unusual move for the 30-year-old, who has also worked as a marketer and producer. “I’m every parent’s worst nightmare,” Wasserman says. “I get the itch every 10 months and I start plotting my next move.”
This time, her next move was to become an activist. She founded the career development initiative Ladies Get Paid, which helps “women recognize and advocate for their value.”
Women still earn 80 cents on the dollar, according to a 2015 report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. For women of color, the gap widens even further: In 2015, Hispanic women and Latinas received 54 percent of what white men got, according to a study by The American Association of University Women.
Part of the group’s mission is to help women navigate career transitions, a fitting goal for a founder who has never hesitated to leave a job when she gets the “itch.” Her intent is to make room for what’s next.
“I’m always a little perplexed when people talk about their five-year plan because it seems people are not open to opportunity,” Wasserman says.
If you too want to seize an opportunity to try something new, here’s what the entrepreneur recommends.
