[Career Change in Mid-life] The Former Paramount Vice President Now Becomes a Ski Instructor! With 90% of Their Annual Salary “Vaporized,” They Bought a “Zero Email” Free Life

Being laid off in midlife might represent the bottom of the barrel for most employees. But for a few, it could be a twist of fate—a second spring for their career, blooming like a sudden turn from “dark willows” to “bright flowers.”

At 58 years old, American ski instructor Douglas Craig was once a media tycoon. He was one of the founding figures of Animal Planet, and later served as Senior Vice President of International Content Strategy for Paramount+, the streaming platform under entertainment giant Paramount. Last year, however, he was laid off because the company went through a merger and restructuring.

Craig has since switched careers to become a ski instructor, and his income dropped by 90%. He hasn’t been discouraged and has no regrets, because his day-to-day pace is far healthier than when he worked in media.

Co-founding a well-known television channel

Douglas Craig has worked in media for over 30 years. He has held roles at several traditional companies, including Discovery Communications, and participated in the co-founding of the documentary TV channel Animal Planet. He later moved into digital media, working at Roku and Comcast in succession.

Craig’s last job was Senior Vice President of International Content Strategy for Paramount+, where he worked with teams in eight different regions for nearly five years. Having helped establish and launch the Paramount+ streaming platform made Craig proud. Unfortunately, in June last year, during Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount, he became one of the casualties of the group’s restructuring.

▲ Senior Vice President of International Content Strategy for Paramount+, Douglas Craig, switched careers due to company layoffs. (Craig LinkedIn account)

He also wanted to stay in the industry

“After I became unemployed, my first reaction was to look for my next new job in the media industry,” Douglas Craig said in an interview with Business Insider. He had been shortlisted for a number of positions he was interested in, but after repeatedly thinking it through, he and his wife both felt they should be content.

The main reason was that their three children had all become independent. The couple no longer needed to frequently relocate to accommodate work, nor did they need the high-paying but high-pressure lifestyle. Instead, they wanted to spend more time focusing on health and the meaning of life.

Last summer, the couple had been living in their townhouse in Colorado, which was originally meant for retirement living and care. Then in autumn, his wife returned to the East Coast to teach, while Craig stayed behind to continue job hunting.

A 90% pay cut to become a ski instructor

In the end, Douglas Craig found a seasonal ski-instructor job in Colorado. Because he had loved the sport for many years and had even taught his own children the basics, he felt that since he wanted to improve work-life balance and enjoy a slower pace, this new job might be Craig’s entry ticket.

“I’ve always joked that after retirement, the job I’d most like is being a lift operator or a ski instructor.” The joke came true—last December, Craig started teaching at Arapahoe Basin, and his pay was one-tenth of what he earned when he was a vice president.

Although their income shrank dramatically, the couple also started cutting expenses and keeping a closer eye on where every dollar went. But because Douglas Craig had continued contributing to his retirement pension for years, and because his wife switched to teaching at a local school with a compensation level similar to before, both felt they could try adjusting.

“We didn’t waver; we treated it as a chance to live the ideal life we wanted,” Craig added. The life lesson from his older father was especially important at this turning point in his own life: “My father passed away young, so I’ve always kept in mind one saying: ‘If you can do it now, go do it.’”

▲ Arapahoe Basin (often shortened to A-Basin) is a legendary high-altitude ski resort in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA.

Leaving the media industry meant a financial loss—but there were plenty of gains

“I really miss the days of working with colleagues in the media circle. I mean that kind of team-collaboration atmosphere—not the crazy pace and frequent trips.”

A 90% pay cut was undoubtedly a major financial blow for Douglas Craig, but the biggest gain was that his life pace was completely refreshed. He was happy to stay outdoors all the time, no longer tethered by emails. “It feels really free and easy—like it’s been reset.”

In fact, before he even lost his job, Craig had already experienced his own small “midlife struggle.” He felt that the life he was living now didn’t match what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Because most of his family—and his wife—worked in education, “I wanted to find work that was more meaningful, more fulfilling, and that came with a sense of belonging.”

What surprised him was how much satisfaction came from being a ski instructor. Craig liked seeing students take pride in their own progress, and he also enjoyed watching them have fun skiing—especially the kids.

A midlife career change starts from the bottom—no need to care about other people’s eyes

Douglas Craig had also worried that outsiders might think that throwing away a major high-level media job was a failure. But he quickly let it go: “Why should I care what other people think?”

Most important of all, his wife and family did not look down on Craig; instead, they gave him strong support. When he explained to acquaintances that the career change was to make his life pace healthier, quite a few people echoed, “That sounds amazing,” and “I hope I can do it too.”

As summer faded, he took on another seasonal job—working as a patrol staff member at Aerial Adventure Park, an outreach training venue—also staying among the forests and countryside. Now, whenever he finishes traveling and comes home, Craig no longer feels that kind of pressure from the past—“the vacation is over, and it’s back to the grind,” unwillingly and resentfully. “After my most recent short trip, I still have to go back to work, but now life is simpler and more relaxed.”

He advises employees considering a career change to be honest with themselves and figure out what they truly want. “Everyone’s personality is different, but if you’re longing to try something else, you shouldn’t ignore that need.”

▲ Now working outdoors means more freedom; whenever Craig returns home from a trip, he no longer feels that kind of reluctant pressure from before—“the vacation is over, back to hell,” and having no willingness.

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