Changing careers at 8 years into a job, is it realistic? - 18 weeks in

After 8 years as a retail manager I am thinking about moving into a different field. There are 8 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I have a little time and a small budget for training. How did you start?

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 2 months.