From Pre-Med to Pro Sports: Why Chasing Passion Beats Playing It Safe

Ever wondered what happens when you abandon the “safe” path to follow your passion? Meet Carrie Taylor — former pre-med student turned trailblazer in pro sports leadership. She’s not only VP of Soccer Operations at Spokane, she also became the first woman to coach on a U.S. men’s professional soccer technical staff with San Diego Loyal SC.

Hosted by Marita McCahill, this episode of Get Career Curious dives into:
How Carrie helped launch Michigan’s first-ever women’s varsity soccer team ⚽
The courage it took to pivot away from medicine
Real talk on what it’s really like to work in pro sports
Her advice for women breaking into male-dominated industries
Why the “nontraditional path” often leads to the most meaningful careers

If you’re a college or high school student trying to figure out your career direction, this story will inspire you to take risks, trust your gut, and build a career you love.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction to Get Career Curious
00:35 – Meet Carrie Taylor: VP of Operations, Spokane Velocity
01:10 – From Club Soccer to Michigan’s First Varsity Women’s Team
03:00 – Choosing Soccer Over Med School
05:00 – Parental Pressure and Breaking the “Safe Path”
06:30 – Lessons from Early Coaching and Finding Purpose
08:00 – How Sports Build Connection and Community
09:00 – Leadership, Mistakes, and Growing Through Coaching
10:30 – What a VP of Soccer Operations Actually Does
13:00 – Game Day Energy and the Chaos Behind the Curtain
15:00 – How Women Can Break into Careers in Sports
17:30 – Networking, Mentorship & Getting Your First Job
19:00 – What Employers Look for in Young Candidates
21:00 – The Truth About Working in Professional Sports
23:00 – Pay, Hours, and the Grind Behind the Glamour
24:00 – Traveling the World Through Soccer
25:00 – The Power of Pivoting into Untraditional Careers
26:00 – Building a Career Around Curiosity and Continuous Learning
27:00 – Broadening Your Skill Set & Staying Open to New Paths
28:00 – Final Thoughts + How to Join the Get Career Curious Community

💬 Key Takeaways
✔️ Your major doesn’t define your destiny.
✔️ Passion + persistence = prestige + paycheck.
✔️ Sports, like any field, reward hard work and humility.
✔️ The best careers evolve through courage, not certainty.

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