Sean Pieri on 52 Thursdays, Reconnection, and Redefining Success After Job Loss

In this conversation, professional fundraiser and marketing executive Sean Pieri shares how an unexpected job loss led him to question his identity and redefine success. To find clarity, he committed to calling one person from his past every Thursday for a year. Those 52 conversations became the foundation for his book, 52 Thursdays: One Year, 52 Calls, and the Power of Reconnection. Sean explains how reconnecting with former friends, colleagues, teachers, and mentors revealed hidden struggles, revived forgotten memories, and showed him the value of deeper human connection. He also discusses the importance of defining success on your own terms, listening with intent, putting relationships ahead of career, and choosing to reach out before time or circumstance removes the opportunity.TakeawaysLosing a job can affect identity as much as income or career direction.Sean began the 52 Thursdays project to explore how other people define success.One intentional phone call each week can create deep and meaningful conversations.Reconnecting with people from the past can help you rediscover parts of yourself.Success should reflect personal values, not outside expectations.Relationships, purpose, health, and family may matter more than career status.Digital communication makes contact easy, but it does not always create real connection.Strong listening means asking thoughtful follow-up questions and going deeper.Old memories, songs, news, and shared experiences can help identify people worth calling.The main lesson is to find a reason to reach out, rather than an excuse not to.Today's guest, Sean Pieri, can be found at:Website: https://www.seanpieri.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-pieri/Your host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:Website: https://scottturman.com/, https://brightray.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14602682/Keywordsreconnection, friendship, success, identity, job loss, career, relationships, purpose, phone calls, communication, active listening, personal growth, self-discovery, mental health, adversity, retirement, family, legacy, intentional living, professional fundraising, life lessons, human connection, networking, old friends, mentorship, community, work-life balance, 52 Thursdays, personal values, meaningful conversations