Jackie Neilson spent 35 years at Merck, rising from bench chemist in a white coat to VP of Primary Care Sales.

Then a near-death experience changed everything.

"Death's door was calling. The next thing you know, I'm in the emergency room."

She survived. But she couldn't reconnect with her purpose at Merck anymore.

The transition from corporate executive to leadership coach wasn't easy. She woke up one morning freaking out: "What was I doing? Why was I not at Merck? Where's my job? How did I give it up?"

But Jackie found something she'd been missing: the overlap of purpose and passion.

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IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

→ How she rose through Merck without a rigid career plan (just a service-oriented mentality)

→ The leadership style that made people feel safe telling the truth in a room full of colleagues

→ The near-death experience that forced her to reevaluate everything

→ The identity crisis after leaving: "For 35 years, I thought the world was Merck"

→ How she found her calling in leadership coaching

→ The difference between coaching for praise vs. coaching for purpose

→ What she'd tell her 30-year-old self about worth, the long game, and collaboration

→ Advice for anyone facing a major transition: Find where purpose and passion overlap

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KEY TIMESTAMPS:

00:43 – What Jackie does now: Leadership coaching across the spectrum

02:06 – 35 years at Merck: "That's like 50 years elsewhere"

03:16 – No plan, just excellence: How she rose through the ranks

05:55 – VP of Primary Care Sales: The "Oprah effect" leadership style

11:20 – The health crisis: "Death's door was calling"

14:35 – Leaving Merck: "I just could not reconnect with my purpose"

16:50 – The identity crisis: "What was I doing? Why was I not at Merck?"

19:40 – Finding the overlap of purpose and passion

45:48 – Advice for 30-year-old Jackie: Don't let others define your worth

47:28 – Advice for anyone in transition: The opportunities are limitless

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KEY QUOTES:

"Death's door was calling. The next thing you know, I'm in the emergency room. I survived that. But I just could not reconnect with my purpose there."

"Until one morning, I woke up literally freaking out. What was I doing? Why was I not at Merck? Where's my job? How did I give it up?"

"Find that overlap of purpose and passion. Find that space where you just come alive, where you feel like, this is what I'm called to do."

"Don't let other people define your worth. People's opinions will come and go, some will be good, some will be low, but you gotta understand your fundamental worth."

"For 35 years, I thought the world was Merck. When you lift up your head, opportunities are almost endless."

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ABOUT JACKIE NEILSON:

Jackie Neilson is a leadership coach and mentor who has been coaching since 2018. She coaches across the leadership spectrum, aspiring leaders, emerging leaders, and experienced executives. She spent 35 years at Merck, rising from bench chemist to VP of Primary Care Sales before transitioning into coaching after a near-death experience.

Connect with Jackie:

LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/in/Jacqueline-Neilson-75369512a

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ABOUT THE HOST:

Andre Moxie helps midlife professionals navigate major transitions with strategy and purpose. New episodes every Tuesday.

Connect with Andre:

Website: rewiredwithmoxie.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andre-moxie-7b1989a

Instagram: @moxie_andre

Free Clarity Compass: https://book.rewiredwithmoxie.com/midlifeclaritycompassebook

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Subscribe to Midlife Rewired with Moxie for weekly conversations about leadership, transition, and building a life that matters.

EPISODE 1: DAVE ESPOSITO

Dave Esposito is the CEO of ONL Therapeutics, a biotech company developing treatments to slow blindness from glaucoma and macular degeneration, diseases affecting 4-5 million Americans.

But his path to biotech leadership wasn't linear.

West Point grad. Combat platoon leader in the Gulf War at 22. Pharmaceutical sales. Multiple startups. And now, leading a Phase 2 clinical trial that could change millions of lives.

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IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

→ Leadership lessons from leading troops in combat at age 22

→ Why having a plan matters, but adaptability matters more

→ The transition from military to pharmaceutical sales to biotech

→ What it takes to build a biotech company and raise capital

→ Why purpose-driven work matters more than the product

→ The defining moment with his daughter that taught him about presence

→ What he'd tell his 30-year-old self about being present

→ Advice for anyone navigating a major life or career transition

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KEY TIMESTAMPS:

01:03 – ONL Therapeutics: Fighting blindness from glaucoma and macular degeneration

02:19 – Why West Point? The calling to serve

04:38 – Combat leadership lessons: Direction and adaptability

09:30 – Getting into pharmaceutical sales

16:20 – Starting ONL Therapeutics: The problem they're solving

22:15 – The hardest parts of building a biotech company

28:45 – Leadership lessons from the military applied to business

47:37 – "Be present": The lesson he'd tell his younger self

50:22 – The moment with his daughter that changed everything

52:33 – Advice for anyone in transition

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KEY QUOTES:

"You need a plan, but you have to be able to adjust when things change rapidly and keep moving forward."

"Be present. Not just at home, but in the workplace. When you're with someone, you've got to dial in."

"Purposeful work isn't building a widget to sell a widget. It's solving problems that truly matter."

"Don't worry as much. Stick to your principles, have faith in the process."

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ABOUT DAVE ESPOSITO:

Dave Esposito is CEO of ONL Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on developing treatments for eye diseases. A West Point graduate and Gulf War veteran, Dave led an infantry platoon in combat before transitioning to pharmaceutical sales and eventually biotech leadership.

Connect with Dave:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidesposito2/

Website: www.harvesttimepartners.com

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ABOUT THE HOST:

Andre Moxie helps midlife professionals navigate major transitions with strategy and purpose. New episodes every Tuesday.

Connect with Andre:

Website: rewiredwithmoxie.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andre-moxie-7b1989a

Instagram: @moxie_andre

Free Clarity Compass: https://book.rewiredwithmoxie.com/midlifeclaritycompassebook

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Subscribe to Midlife Rewired with Moxie for weekly conversations about leadership, transition, and building a life that matters.