Siege vs. Quest: The Two Paths We Can Take with Our Career


At its most basic form, story plots can be divided into two categories: siege and quest. Siege narratives are where action comes to you. In a siege narrative, you have little to no control over what happens, and you end up acting from a place of defense to reduce harm.

In a quest narrative, you seek out the action. What comes of this seeking might be good or bad, but in either case you have control over how much it will affect you. You use curiosity and drive to shape your quest and in the end (is there ever an end to a quest narrative?), you arrive to a place or state of your choosing.

I created Brio because I wanted to help others find ways to create their own personal “career vibrancy”. Since we spend, on average, about 25-30 years of our lives working or preparing to work, it’s essential that we approach it from a place of curiosity and strength, rather than defense. Most people I have worked with have fallen into either siege or quest, and I can categorically say that people who approach their careers with a quest mindset are happier people — professionally and personally. I have struggled with anxiety, boredom, and even physical health issues as a result of profound career stagnancy and unhappiness. It wasn’t until I changed my approach to work that I began to find balance and vibrancy.

Let me help you find your own professional vibrancy, and the energy to work on things that matter to you. Let’s start a conversation to see how we can work together!

About Us

 
 
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Megan Haupt, Founder

Megan Haupt has over a decade of career coaching experience, working with clients at all stages of their careers. Her 25 year professional background spans from the performing arts to higher ed, non-profits, and corporate business, and she has successfully navigated several industry changes throughout her career. In addition to her coaching work, she is a serial entrepreneur, public speaker, and business consultant. A long-time practitioner of meditation, Megan brings a practical approach of mindfulness to her work with clients. To learn more about Megan’s professional background, visit her LinkedIn profile.

 
 

What Do Our Clients Have To Say?

“Megan encouraged me to examine the direction of my professional growth/career and consider transitioning to a role more aligned with my talents. Megan was motivating and pushed me to pursue my newly defined goals with actionable steps. She is relatable and knowledgeable. With the tools Megan taught me, I landed a position with a Forbes’ nationally ranked, “Top 10 Employer”. Megan celebrated my career advancement then and still checks in regularly on my progress. I encourage anyone seeking guidance and the focus to achieve their best life’s work to contact Megan Haupt ... you will not regret it!”
— Michelle
“Megan is an experienced coach, and it shows in her wisdom and practical knowledge. She’s committed to understanding her clients’ individual circumstances and needs, and helps translate those insights into an actionable plan. I’m in the first 5 years of my career — dissatisfied with my original path, and still unsure of my long-term plans. I used to change my goals every few months and had trouble even defining success. Megan has helped me navigate that uncertainty with meaningful, personalized goals and a strategy that’s targeted, but flexible. This allows me to keep developing my longer-term vision while carrying on the day-to-day work of applying to jobs, networking, and building skills. ”
— Dan
“I’ve never thought of career counseling as something that could be beneficial to me until I worked with Megan. Her approach helped me to look at my own skills, traits, and interests and to consider what those things can tell me about what I should be doing professionally. Her objectivity helped me to navigate the many uncertainties of pandemic unemployment, and I know that I’ve landed the right role because of my newfound insight. I highly recommend Megan and her story-telling approach to career exploration.”
— Ellen
“I worked with Megan on some career counseling as a result of the pandemic fallout to the job market. I knew I had the skills to get the interviews I needed, but I had a real problem with the talking about myself part of the interview process.

As we went through our sessions, I found that, with Megan’s help, I was becoming much better prepared for my interviews, and, more importantly, I was much better able to tell my story. So good in fact that I got a new position within two interviews after Megan and I finished our work together. While my resume got me the interview, working with Megan got me the job!

I literally could not have done it without her. As a result, I can’t recommend Megan enough.”
— Jeff
“Working with Megan has been one of the best decisions I have made in my 10-year career. As a career coach, she simultaneously serves as a strong advocate for you as well as an unbiased third party that can provide an objective perspective. For me, this was crucial to accessing an understanding of my innate strengths in the workplace. With her as a thought partner, I was able to get rid of a lot of useless, lingering noise in my brain and focus on a more fulfilling career path that felt genuinely in line with my values. She helped me craft a resume and narrative that felt like an authentic and accurate representation of not just my professional strengths, but who I am as a person. This enabled me to show up to interviews/conversations with much more agency and ultimately land a dream job. I can’t recommend working with Megan enough - a worthwhile investment of time/money / a relationship.”
— Victoria
“Megan is a talented, passionate coach who can help motivated people at all levels of their career identify and pursue their next opportunity. I worked with Megan when I was hoping to make a move outside my industry, and needed some advice on how to proceed; I found her approach smart, practical, and highly motivating. She’s a strong, thoughtful communicator who really works to understand each person and help them succeed. Highly recommend her services for anyone in career transition, or simply looking for a helpful boost!”
— Liz