The Power of the Pivot Meet women, who had successful careers but made a hard right into a different lane. They each transferred their skills to new fields—and built on past wins to thrive in their creative second acts. Dawnie Walton. Photo courtesy of Rayon Richards. From Editor to Acclaimed Author In the summer of 2013, Dawnie Walton’s personal life was in a transition. Her first marriage was headed toward divorce, and she was experiencing the mysterious symptoms of endometriosis. This caused the Florida native to pause and reflect on her situation. Her career as deputy managing editor of ESSENCE was in a great place. She created content, oversaw digital strategy and worked on Essence Festival, developing programming for the annual event that inspired the film