What if feeling “not ready” is not a sign to stop, but a sign you are waiting for certainty that career reinvention never gives you?
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
If you are a STEM professional sitting on an idea, a side path, or a career move that does not fit the traditional box, this episode is for you.
Shilpa Agarwal is a clinical operations professional who built a portfolio career across clinical research training, coaching, publishing, and entrepreneurship. Her story is a real look at what it means to build while still figuring it out.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
Press play if you are tired of waiting to feel ready and want a real example of what it looks like to build a STEM career change one brave, slightly messy step at a time.
🧠 About the Guest:
Shilpa Agarwal is the founder of Clin EQ Training and Chapter One Publishers. With around 20 years of experience in clinical research and pharmaceutical training, she now brings together science, emotional intelligence, leadership development, coaching, and publishing.
Through Clin EQ Training, she supports clinical research professionals, biotechs, CROs, and individuals with leadership and GCP training that includes the human skills often missing from technical training. Through Chapter One Publishers, she helps aspiring authors turn their ideas into books.
📌 Episode Highlights:
00:00 Why this episode is for STEM professionals who feel they need the whole plan first
02:10 Shilpa introduces Clin EQ Training and Chapter One Publishers
03:30 Living two professional identities: clinical research and coaching
05:50 Redundancy as the trigger for building something new
06:45 Why clinical research needs more emotional intelligence
10:20 The long “brewing time” before the pieces made sense
12:00 Serve the people in front of you, not the imaginary perfect client
16:10 Listening to market signals before building an offer
17:00 Know, like, trust, try, buy, refer, repeat
18:10 “What have you achieved to talk about?”
20:50 Is “enough” a mindset or a milestone?
22:20 Who gets to write a book?
24:30 Why your story does not need to be completely unique to matter
31:40 Outsourcing, collaboration, and building as a solo founder
34:00 How volunteering and networking helped Shilpa get early traction
35:30 Why STEM professionals need visibility before they need a job
40:30 Why “my work will speak for itself” is a dangerous myth
42:00 Starting before you have all the resources
47:30 What if it does not work?
50:00 You do not need permission to try something new
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Clin EQ Training
Shilpa’s clinical research training company focused on leadership, GCP, and emotional intelligence.
Chapter One Publishers
Shilpa’s publishing business helping aspiring authors become published.
ARCS Australia
Mentioned in relation to Shilpa’s training collaboration and workshops.
One Solution, There’s Always One
Shilpa’s book, written from her coaching work and mindset models.
🤔 Reflection Time: