September 2015 | DC Beacon

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VOL.27, NO.9

Mastering mid-life career change

A new career When Darvish walked out the door at Darcars, she took a look at what she’d done for decades and thought creatively about how to translate that work to a new field.

SEPTEMBER 2015

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY REY LOPEZ

By Barbara Ruben Cars have been a driving factor in almost all of Tammy Darvish’s adult life. As the daughter of Darcars founder John R. Darvish, Sr., she and her two stepbrothers were groomed to take over his Washington-area auto empire, consisting of more than 25 franchises. She majored in automotive management in college, then worked her way up from the salesroom floor to executive vice president, as she became the public face of the company. But in a very public split from Darcars last year, Darvish alleges in a lawsuit that her father went back on a promise that she would own part of Darcars when he retired. Instead, her stepbrothers became president and chief operating officers of the company and told her to clear out her office. So she walked away, bewildered and trying to find a toehold in the next chapter of her life. “It’s a place I never expected or wanted to be. I was very hurt, very surprised, very let down,” said Darvish, who is 51 and lives in Potomac, Md. She said she only speaks to her father now through her children, who are both students at the University of Southern California. In January, she filed a lawsuit in Montgomery County Circuit Court asking that she be given shares in Darcars equal to one-third of the value of the company. Darcars balked, filing a countersuit that was dismissed. The original suit continues to churn through legal channels. Today, Darvish still drives a Lexus SUV as she did during her Darcars days, but its license plate now reads PENFED — the credit union where she was hired as executive vice president of business development and government and community affairs in January. How Darvish switched gears, found a new career she says that has “for the first time made me completely happy,” and became a role model for others floundering at mid-life will be the topic of her keynote speech at the Beacon’s 50+Expo in Silver Spring, Md., on Oct. 18.

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Why the Balkans, now at peace, are worth a visit; plus, unusual ways to enjoy fall foliage, and discounts on hotels, flights and more for older travelers page 55

ARTS & STYLE

The political musical The Fix has a great cast, but the story could use a little fixing; plus, Bob Levey on sculpting a new career after retirement Tammy Darvish was able to translate the skills she honed during her long career at family-owned car company Darcars to a new position as a vice president at the credit union PenFed in January. In the process, she says she found happiness in her career for the first time. She will share advice on how to make a career transition later in life at the Beacon’s 50+Expo on Oct. 18 in Silver Spring, Md.

“The past year has been one of great adjustment,” Darvish said. “When you spend 30 years at a company, you never think about a different career, never think about taking skills from one industry and being able to apply them in a completely different industry and be successful. “For me, I’m fortunate. [Changing industries] was a risk that has seemingly paid off.” Not everyone thinks about career change that way. “If you look at [automotive] sales consultants or sales managers or service advisers, when they leave a dealership, they typically just pop back up at another dealership,” Darvish noted. But it doesn’t have to be like that. “I think it’s interesting that they have skills

that many other industries need that the automotive industry really does a great job in developing in people — like customer service, communicating, messaging. “Beyond customer service is the ability to sell. Not just sell a car, but you could sell a product, you could sell a service, you could sell software.” Darvish extends this advice to job seekers over 50 as well, whether they are exploring a new career direction by choice or because they have lost their job. “Rather than focus on the industry, focus on your talents,” she advised. Darvish, who served as the first female chair of the Washington Area New Auto See DARVISH, page 27

page 61 TECHNOLOGY k Innovative ways to stop pain k Links and apps to explore

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FITNESS & HEALTH 12 k Poor sleep linked to dementia risk k Cardiac care super-specialists SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 41 k Earn dividends every month k Why sell your life insurance? LIFETIMES 47 k Newsletter of the Charles E. Smith Retirement Communities ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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