SoFi Blog

Five years ago, running a startup wasn’t even close to being on Michael Zanetti’s mind. But life is unpredictable—and that’s exactly how he likes it. As a veteran with combat experience in the Army, Michael thrives on unpredictability. After all, in the Army, every mission requires a contingency plan.

After serving in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and receiving a Bronze Star, Michael went on to serve in the National Guard. He transitioned from the military into civilian life in 2011, and earned an MBA in 2014 from Thunderbird School of Global Management. A year later, he partnered with his friend Brady Bagwan—also a former army officer—to co-found TradesFactor, a professional network for people in the skilled trades.

When I moved back to the Bay Area in 2010, I thought I’d find a new job within a few months. After all, I’d found work quickly before. But boy, was I wrong!

Relying on the tried and true methods no longer worked. I applied to dozens of companies and only heard back from a few. It was a tough economy, sure, and mid-management level jobs take longer to get than entry-level jobs. Still, the silence was crushing.

Eventually, I made it to a final round of interviews with three different organizations, but each time I was only the runner-up. A fresh round of disappointment followed.

Last month, we hosted a SoFi member event in Los Angeles with special guest Johanna Maska, who shared details of her impressive career, including serving as Director of Press Advance for the Obama administration and Vice President of Marketing for the Los Angeles Times.

As someone who knows more than just a few things about transitioning big, Ms. Maska was the perfect guest speaker for our members, whose career paths are anything but traditional. Familiar with good and bad twists and turns, and some really wild rides, our members were wholly tuned in as she told her stories.