In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Carla Stickler, a former Broadway actor who once brought Elphaba to life in Wicked and now writes code as a web engineer at Spotify.
After landing her first big tour right out of college, Carla returned to New York expecting stardom. Only to find herself waiting tables, battling rejection, and facing the hard truth that talent alone doesn’t guarantee success. That humbling chapter forced her ego to take a back seat and ultimately reshaped her definition of success.
That shift in perspective made her not only more grounded but also a better colleague, and it led to a decade on stage. Landing big roles on Broadway and building a career many people dream about. But behind the curtain, the reality was far more complicated. The physical toll of performing eight shows a week mounted, and when Carla transitioned to teaching at the college level, she found herself struggling to inspire students to enter an industry she no longer felt supported by.
Burnout, financial instability, and a deepening disillusionment led her to make a bold pivot: software engineering. With no tech background but plenty of grit, Carla enrolled in a coding bootcamp and discovered a surprising new outlet for her creativity. Today, she thrives in tech and champions artists looking to reinvent their careers. She proves that there’s always overlap in every profession, no skill or experience is ever wasted. When you set your mind to it, you really can do anything.
In this conversation, Carla reflects on ambition, ego, rejection, and what it means to let go of the dream you thought you had to chase. If you’ve ever questioned whether it’s too late, or too risky, to start over. Carla’s story is your proof that it’s not. Tune in for a masterclass in reinvention.
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