Welcome back to Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD!
This week’s guest is Ashley Jablo – founder of Wayfinders Collective and creator of Life Design School – who brings powerful insights for anyone feeling lost, stuck, or regretful after finishing grad school or stepping away from academia.
In this deeply honest and inspiring conversation, Ashley shares her own nonlinear journey from mission-driven nonprofit work to business school, government service, layoffs, and ultimately becoming a coach helping others navigate transition with clarity and creativity.
Together, we unpack the emotional realities of career shifts—especially after a PhD—and explore the tools that can help you move from burnout and regret to direction and purpose.
🔍 In this episode
How to move beyond the shame of career detours and lost time
Why your PhD is never wasted—even if you leave academia
How to tap into your “onlyness” to carve your unique path
Ashley’s 4-step Life Design framework: Discover, Define, Imagine, Iterate
The importance of joy and micro-actions in gaining clarity
A sustainable, low-risk approach to navigating career transitions
Why talking to people beats researching alone
See the resources section below for Ashley’s links!
This episode’s resources:
Thank you, Ashley Jablow!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Ashley, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Ashley Jablow a thank you message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!
You might also like the following episodes:
Agnieszka Piotrowska – Mental Health & Motivation in the PhD
Michelle Niemeyer – Bending Time, Beating Academic Burnout
Karina Machado – Being a Young Scientist in the Global South
Yamina Berchiche – From Bench to Biotech