In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we dive into the root causes of procrastination, especially when facing tasks that trigger boredom, frustration, or fear of failure. By recognizing the emotions behind avoidance, you can either push through the discomfort or change your mindset around the task. The episode offers practical strategies for managing your brain’s desire for dopamine, creating realistic breaks, and avoiding burnout. Whether you’re procrastinating at work or avoiding steps toward building your dream business, this episode helps you take control and find balance in your career and life redesign journey.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we dive into the importance of experimenting and embracing curiosity when searching for your passion. Instead of forcing yourself into finding immediate fulfillment at work, allow yourself time to explore different interests and hobbies. Passions take time to develop, and it's okay if they don't align with your job. Your career can be the investor in your life, funding the pursuits that light you up outside of work. We’ll explore how letting go of pressure, creating boundaries, and being open to trying new things can help you rediscover joy and purpose.

In this episode of Lessons From a Quitter, we dive deep into the power of managing anxiety and negative emotions as you navigate career transitions and life’s uncertainties. Often, we focus on trying to control the uncontrollable—whether it's landing the perfect job, avoiding disappointment, or sidestepping failure. But real growth lies in accepting that negative emotions will come, and learning how to process them. This episode teaches you to embrace emotional resilience, drop the fear of discomfort, and find empowerment in knowing you can handle whatever comes your way. Ready to take back control? Let’s get started!

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we chat with the incredible Latina entrepreneur behind the Yo Quiero Dineropodcast and the newly published author of Financially Lit. We explore her journey from food blogger to financial educator, diving into how she used her paycheck as an “angel investor” to build her future. She shares valuable insights about breaking cultural stereotypes, overcoming fear, and taking up space as a Latina in the personal finance world. This episode is packed with actionable tips for those looking to pivot their careers, start a business, or redefine their identity and passions.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we dive into how to embrace being multi-passionate without feeling overwhelmed. You’ll learn that life is long, and there’s no need to rush to do everything at once. We explore the importance of choosing one thing to focus on now while allowing space for other passions later. It’s not about finding the “right” decision, but the next thing you want to explore. By reframing how you think about time, passion, and decision-making, you can create a career and life that align with your evolving interests.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we dive into how perfectionism and unrealistic expectations fuel burnout and overwhelm. We discuss the importance of auditing your responsibilities, identifying what season of life you’re in, and prioritizing accordingly. You’ll learn how to eliminate unnecessary tasks, delegate more effectively, and embrace "good enough" without guilt. Whether it's your career, family, or personal health, it's crucial to focus on what truly matters and let go of the rest. Join us as we explore how these mindset shifts can help you reclaim your time, energy, and joy in life.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we dive into the process of navigating career transitions without the pressure of needing to know the "perfect" next step. We explore the three stages of quitting: burnout recovery, stopping people-pleasing, and embracing your true desires. Whether you’re thinking of quitting to pursue a passion or rediscovering joy in your current role, we break down how to set short-term goals, avoid panic, and create space for exploration. Join us as we discuss how to quit burnout, stop playing small, and thrive by redesigning a career and life you truly love. Also, doors are opening for Quitter Club on Sept 10th! You don't want to miss out! Listen now for more info!

In this episode of Lessons From A Quitter, the focus is on taking full responsibility for your life, especially when feeling stuck in your career. I discuss the importance of recognizing that, despite external challenges, you have more control over your circumstances than you might think. The episode encourages listeners to shift from a passive mindset to actively choosing their paths, whether that means staying in their current job with intention or making a plan to leave. The discussion highlights the power of choice and the necessity of taking actionable steps to create a life you truly want.

In the latest episode of "Lessons from a Quitter," I explore how traditional career paths can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. Emphasizing the importance of questioning conventional advice, I advocate for a proactive career design by identifying and leveraging unique personal strengths. The discussion highlights how breaking away from standard expectations and creating value in innovative ways can enhance career satisfaction and advancement. I also encourage listeners to look beyond the usual grind, consider alternative career paths, and take control of their professional futures. For those seeking further guidance, I introduces resources available through the Quitter Club.

In the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I tackle the question, "Can you change your career in your thirties?" We delve into the mindset shifts necessary to embrace career change at any age, debunking the myth that starting over is too risky or difficult. I encourage you to recognize the programming that has instilled fear around change and to reframe your thinking towards viewing multiple career transitions as signs of growth and innovation. I also emphasize that it’s never too late to pursue a fulfilling career and offer actionable steps for making a strategic career pivot.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I reflect on what I'd do differently if I were to quit my job as a lawyer today, with the wisdom I've gained over the years. I break down four key steps: overcoming guilt and shame, making a financial plan, giving myself time to explore, and taking decisive action. By sharing my journey and actionable advice, I aim to help you avoid the pitfalls I faced, encouraging you to take bold steps toward your dream careers.

In this episode of "Lessons From A Quitter," we tackle the daunting task of learning to love your job, even when you don't like it. I share four practical tips to shift your mindset and improve your work life. I also emphasize finding aspects of the job you appreciate, understanding the balance of good and bad in any role, distinguishing between short-term and long-term goals, and recognizing the different seasons of life. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you manage your current situation while planning for a fulfilling future.

In the latest episode of "Lessons From A Quitter," the focus is on the power of long-term planning and gradual change. I emphasize that significant life transformations, such as career shifts or personal development, can realistically be achieved within five years rather than in a rush. Drawing from personal experience, I highlight the importance of overcoming all-or-nothing thinking and leveraging the compound effect of small, consistent actions. Also, I encourage listeners to create five-year plans, break down their dreams into manageable steps, and allow time for growth and adaptation, ultimately leading to sustainable success and fulfillment.  

Welcome to the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter. This week, we dive into the concept that life is always a mix of good and bad emotions, often referred to as "50/50." We discuss how the societal belief in achieving ultimate happiness through external successes leads to perpetual dissatisfaction and the harmful pursuit of fleeting pleasures. By embracing the natural ebb and flow of emotions, we can liberate ourselves from unrealistic expectations and focus on genuine personal growth. Tune in to learn why managing your mindset is crucial for fulfillment and how accepting life's duality can lead to a more balanced, content existence.

In the latest episode of "Lessons from a Quitter," the focus is on overcoming the fear of not being ready to pursue new projects or dreams. I emphasize that the feeling of readiness is often an illusion, driven by fear and the desire for perfection. I encourage listeners to take action despite feeling uncertain or unprepared, as true growth and success come from iterative learning and pushing beyond comfort zones. I also share personal anecdotes and practical advice on embracing imperfection, managing fear, and taking actionable steps toward achieving your goals.

In this episode of "Lessons from a Quitter," I focus on the crucial role of mindset in achieving your career and personal goals. While strategy and steps are important, the true barrier to success is often your own thoughts and limiting beliefs. I share insights from my journey of quitting a legal career and helping others overcome their fears and self-doubt. I explain how mindset impacts our ability to take action and stick with our goals, offering strategies to manage negative thoughts and build confidence. 

In this episode, I revisit my journey from a successful yet unhappy lawyer to founding this podcast and building a thriving six-figure business working part-time from home. I share how I navigated societal expectations, pursued a legal career without questioning it, and eventually realized it wasn't for me. Through quitting Big Law and finding fulfillment as a federal public defender, I discovered my passion for helping others navigate career transitions. Join me as I reflect on overcoming burnout, embracing change, and empowering listeners to design lives they truly love.

Welcome to the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter, where we explore self-trust and its critical role in our lives. This episode is a replay of a foundational topic about developing self-trust, essential for those contemplating significant life changes or struggling with decision-making. Host Goli, discusses the importance of self-trust, why many of us lack it, and how our upbringing and societal norms often undermine our confidence in our own decisions. Goli also shares exciting news about the podcast's new YouTube channel, aiming to reach a broader audience with visual content. Tune in to learn how to rebuild your self-trust and confidently pursue your passions.

In the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we delve into building self-confidence in the workplace. Many professionals struggle with imposter syndrome, doubting their abilities despite their accomplishments. This episode explores how to overcome these doubts by recognizing your true competence. We discuss the detrimental effects of perfectionism ingrained from the education system and how to shift focus from failures to successes. Practical tips include creating a list of your achievements and changing your internal narrative. Join the Quitter Club for personalized support in transforming your mindset and pursuing a fulfilling career.

  In this episode, I dive into a powerful quote by Mary Oliver that really struck a chord with me: "Listen, are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?" We often get caught up in the routine of doing what we think we should, leading to a life of unfulfillment. This episode is a call to reassess our lives, to prioritize joy, rest, and intentional living over constant productivity and societal expectations. And we don't have to do so with drastic changes but by making intentional ones to create a fulfilling life. Listen for my journey and practical steps to help you breathe more deeply, find what truly makes you happy, and start living a life you love today.

In this episode, I delve into a common issue I see in the Quitter Club: the mental anguish caused by our fears and imaginations. Our brains have a habit of creating worst-case scenarios that often never come to pass. Listen to learn the importance of distinguishing between the "math" (the actual facts) and the "mental drama" (our fears and what-ifs). We'll talk through how to figure out your financial runway and why knowing your numbers can turn the daunting task of quitting into a manageable, even exciting, plan. Let's break free from the mental drama and get you moving towards a life you love! 

In this episode, I dive into how to navigate the inevitable doubts and fears that arise when making big decisions, especially ones without certainty. I share insights on how our brains resist change to keep us "safe," leading us to second-guess and doubt our choices. Doubt doesn't mean you're on the wrong path; it's simply your brain's way of coping. By acknowledging and managing these feelings, you can continue to move forward and take action, even when your brain tries to hold you back. Listen for tips to keep fear from driving your actions.

In this episode, I dive into how the overwhelming number of choices we face can paralyze us, leaving many stuck and unsure of where to start. Drawing from my coaching experience, I share how I coach many people who either don’t know what they want or are interested in too many things, leaving them stuck. Listen to learn why there is no “right” decision and how that clarity comes from taking action, not waiting for the perfect choice. 

In this episode, I delve into the overwhelming paradox of choice and how it affects our lives, especially in our careers. From choosing a restaurant to selecting a career path, the abundance of options can lead to decision paralysis and dissatisfaction.  But amidst this sea of options, we discover the power of limiting our focus, embracing the concept of "good enough." By limiting choices and focusing on gratitude for what we have, we can alleviate the pressure of finding the perfect option. Join me in exploring the power of acceptance and making peace with the inevitable trade-offs in life.

In this episode, I dive deep into the notion of finding your purpose. It's one of those societal pressures we all feel, right? But what if I told you that the whole "finding your purpose" thing might be overrated? Yep, I said it. Tune in as I unpack why the idea of a singular purpose might be causing more harm than good. Plus, I share my own journey of redefining purpose and offer some liberating perspectives on how you can navigate this journey without getting stuck in the "purpose paradox."

In this episode, I dive into the whirlwind of change we're all experiencing, from layoffs to the rise of AI. Through real stories and practical advice, I tackle the fear of change head-on with you. Whether you're facing a layoff or just anticipating the future, it's time to shift our mindset. Listen to learn the importance of managing our mindset amidst upheavals and embracing change as an inevitable part of life. From reframing layoffs as opportunities for growth to actively honing transferable skills, I’m giving you practical advice to empower you in redesigning your lives and careers.

In our latest episode, we dive into the transformative stories of three amazing Quitter Club members. Isabelle, Megan, and Henry share their unique journeys of using thought work to redesign their lives. Isabelle found the courage to leave her full-time job and start her own business, overcoming fears of judgment and financial concerns. Henry embraced his creative side, discovering new passions like writing and theater. Megan, with her intense sales background, learned to calm her mind and find peace amidst career challenges. Tune in to learn how they found clarity, resilience, and joy in navigating life's twists and turns through coaching, workshops, and the community inside the Quitter Club.

In this episode, we delve deep into the struggle many of us face in figuring out what we truly want in life. Contrary to popular belief, there's no magic formula or secret code to unlock our one true passion. We explore why so many of us feel lost, disconnected from ourselves, and constantly chasing an elusive idea of success. I challenge the notion that we must find a grandiose purpose and emphasize the importance of self-discovery.  Instead, I share with you a new approach: give yourself a year to figure it out. By giving ourselves the gift of time and introspection, we can uncover what truly lights us up and design a life we love, one step at a time.

In this episode, I delve into the concept of thinking on purpose. We often find ourselves on autopilot, letting our subconscious run the show, leading to feelings of being out of control. Our brains are wired to focus on the negative, but by understanding our biases and thought patterns, we can regain control. Listen to learn the power of shifting our attention spotlight to focus on positive aspects and challenge our automatic negative thoughts.

In this episode, we dive deep into the topic of burnout, exploring its spectrum and how it affects our lives. From dissecting the clinical definition to understanding our own thought patterns and behaviors, we uncover the layers of burnout in both our professional and personal lives. Through honest evaluation and reflection, I share how to identify the aspects of our environment and mindset that contribute to burnout. And most importantly, we discuss actionable steps to address burnout, whether it's making changes in our current circumstances or shifting our mindset for a healthier approach to work and life. Join us as we navigate the complexities of burnout and discover ways to redesign a life filled with joy and fulfillment.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I’m deep diving on my love for online business–where all you need is determination and a solid idea. We're living in a time where starting a business requires minimal capital and access to millions of potential customers. Listen to debunk the myth of market saturation and learn the vast untapped potential awaiting entrepreneurs. From AI to niche services, the digital landscape offers endless possibilities. Don't let doubt hold you back; it's time to seize the moment and explore the world of online entrepreneurship if this is what you’ve been seeking. Join me in learning the limitless potential of entrepreneurship and learn how to build a business that aligns with your passions and goals.

In this episode, I sit down with my client Adriana Paris, JD to discuss her journey into building a successful coaching business as a lawyer. We delve into the world of online entrepreneurship, challenging the common fears that hold professionals back. Adriana shares her story of transitioning from a full-time job to starting her coaching business within a few months, breaking the myth that one needs extensive time and expertise to venture into entrepreneurship. We explore the transformative power of focused action, navigating through uncertainties, and finding clarity in the process. If you're a busy professional contemplating a shift, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. Tune in and discover how you can redesign a life you love.

In this episode, we dive deep into why we often turn to various distractions to avoid uncomfortable emotions. Whether it's scrolling through Instagram, binge-eating snacks, or immersing ourselves in work, I explore the science behind why our brains seek pleasure and avoid pain. Listen for insights on how to differentiate between healthy self-soothing and harmful buffering, emphasizing the importance of feeling negative emotions without judgment. It starts with noticing our numbing habits, identifying the underlying emotions, and gradually building resilience to them.

In this episode, I get real about the myth of perfection. The pressure we put on ourselves to present a flawless facade on social media can be suffocating. From fearing judgment to self-deprecating humor, we explore the traps we fall into when striving for an unattainable ideal. But there's a way out. By accepting ourselves fully, flaws and all, we open the door to authentic connections and endless possibilities. This week, I’m sharing how to ditch the mask of perfection and step into our true selves, knowing that our humanity is what makes us relatable.

In this episode, I dive deep into the insanity of to-do lists and the unrealistic expectations we attach to them. Be it the societal conditioning that ties productivity to self-worth, it's crucial to change our perspective. Your to-do list isn't a dictator; it's just words on paper. Learn the power of realistic expectations, the art of celebrating small victories, and the importance of building self-trust. Listen to discover how detaching your worth from productivity can lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

In this episode, I dive deep into the power of rewriting your life story. Many of us carry a heavy baggage from our past, defined by a story we've constructed, often filled with shame and self-limiting beliefs. By reframing our stories, acknowledging resilience, and understanding our trauma responses, we can break free from self-imposed limitations. I provide practical steps for you to rewrite your stories and to shape a future you desire. Join me in unraveling the layers of your narrative  to design a life you love.

In this episode, I dive into understanding our trauma responses, shedding light on how our brains instinctively react to keep us alive. From fight-or-flight to freeze or fawn states, our nervous system is hardwired for survival. I explore why we react differently and the beauty in recognizing our responses as survival mechanisms, not character flaws. By embracing curiosity and understanding, we can shift from self-criticism to self-love, navigating our responses with compassion. It's about honoring our past selves, appreciating our coping mechanisms, and gently evolving towards healthier patterns. So, let's slow down, explore our stories, and embrace the journey of understanding ourselves.

In this episode, I tackle the common fear among stay-at-home moms or those contemplating a work hiatus— the worry that stepping back into the workforce is impossible. We delve into the duality of facing the real-world challenges of returning to the workforce after a hiatus and managing our thoughts about them. It's not about blindly positive thinking, but acknowledging systemic issues while understanding the power of our mindset. From combating discrimination to owning your value, I share insights on navigating the professional landscape after a long career break (like staying home to raise children).

In this episode, I dive deep into the power of resourcefulness. We often get trapped in the illusion that life should be problem-free once we achieve certain goals. However, the reality is that challenges are inevitable. I discuss how embracing resourcefulness, the ability to figure things out no matter what, is key to overcoming anxiety about the future. I encourage you to consciously recognize your innate resourcefulness, shift your focus from failures to solutions, and view obstacles as opportunities to grow. By adopting the simple mantra, "I will figure it out," we can build unshakeable confidence and navigate life's uncertainties with ease.

In this episode, I dive into the transformative and core concept that the majority of our suffering comes not from life events but from the stories we attach to them. I provide a question to help you relieve negative emotions and explain how dirty pain, the stories we create, burdens us. By separating clean and dirty pain, you can gain control and redesign a life you love or find the courage to quit. The episode explores the impact of childhood traumas, fear of failure, and the liberating shift that occurs when we detach our worth from external outcomes. Listen to learn how reframing your stories can transform your perspective and empower you to pursue your dreams without fear.

In this episode, I review the highs and lows of my 2023. This look back at 2023 fueled immense gratitude, highlighting my many experiences—trials, tribulations, celebrations, and vacations. It became evident that we rarely pause to appreciate our journey. The first half of my year was marked by frenzied energy as I navigated the challenges of launching and sustaining a membership model. Burnout hit hard, leading to a profound realization about the impact of my thoughts on success. With a focus on gratitude and self-reflection, I’m sharing my lessons learned, personal growth, and the realization that success is not solely defined by business metrics.  

In the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I dive into the importance of dreaming bigger, especially as busy professionals who may have stopped dreaming in their twenties or thirties. Many of us settle into a day-to-day routine, resigned to incremental goals, fearing disappointment. I challenge you to break free from the small dreams that keep you stuck and explore what you truly desire. By giving yourself permission to dream without constraints, you can uncover hidden passions and set audacious goals that push you to grow. It's time to design the life you want, not the one society expects.

I get it; there's this stigma around New Year's resolutions. But here's the deal: goal-setting isn't the problem; it's how we approach it. In this episode, we dive into the crucial yet often misunderstood world of goal-setting. I break down the difference between short-term and long-term goals. I share personal insights on my six-year journey from leaving my legal career to building a life I love. And I explore why having a crystal-clear long-term vision is your secret weapon and how aligning short-term goals can make the journey more fulfilling.

In this episode, I dive into the workings of our brains and the perpetual need for growth. Modern life may spare us from primal struggles, but our brains are wired to seek challenges. I explore why we can often face mental decline when we stop actively problem-solving and how to set intentional goals, not as a validation of worth but as problems to solve. Join me in redefining goal-setting as choosing challenges that lead to growth. As we approach the year-end: What problem do you want to give your brain to solve? Dive into this episode and let's plan to knock out 2024.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I challenge the pervasive fear of wasting time, money, and energy that keeps so many stuck. Drawing from my recent experience creating a new offer for my community, I address the common question: How can one know if an investment or endeavor won't be a waste? I walk you through the illusion of predicting the future, emphasizing that growth comes from failures and mistakes. I explore the influence of societal ideals, capitalism, and perfectionism on our mindset and why we don’t have to subscribe to it. Listen to shift your perspective and embrace that every experience, even those perceived as failures, are a valuable stepping stone in your journey to a fulfilling life.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I dive deep into the systems for setting yourself up for success. Listen to explore the intricate balance between strengths and weaknesses and how to leverage them for success. The three-step process I swear by involves eliminating tasks that don't serve you, delegating when possible, and understanding what you truly need to excel. I share personal anecdotes, highlighting the power of strategic planning and self-awareness from my own entrepreneurial journey. Tune in to discover how anticipating obstacles and strategically addressing them can pave the way for achieving your goals and crafting a life you love.

In the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I dive deep into the eye-opening realization that success doesn't have to mean sacrificing balance. Reflecting on a recent $90k month, I share my journey of building a business that not only has high earnings but affords me the luxury of time off, intentional work hours, and the freedom to speak up on social issues. I debunk the myth that scaling means working more, emphasizing the power of scaling without compromising your desired lifestyle. Join me in exploring untapped possibilities and learn how you too can create a thriving career on your terms.

In today's episode, I’m sharing what I call "Living in the 'And.'" For so many of us, we trap ourselves in the illusion of either/or thinking—believing we're either good or bad, successful or failure. But here's the truth: you’re not a single-faceted person. By embracing the 'And,' acknowledging that we're both flawed and fantastic, we can alleviate the pressure to conform to rigid binaries. Join me as I share personal experiences and practical tips on changing our self-prescribed narratives, fostering self-acceptance, and building richer, more compassionate relationships. Listen to break out of the either/or trap and find freedom in the 'And.'

In this episode, I'm getting real about the overwhelming world we live in. I used to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, feeling guilty for having a good life while others suffered. But guess what? That doesn't help anyone. From the slow progress of history to the chaos of information overload, I share my strategies for staying sane. Spoiler: Focusing on your own thoughts, feelings, and actions is the only way to be able to show up the way you want. Tune in for a dose of empowerment and a reminder that you're allowed to feel okay amidst the chaos.

In this episode, I explore the shame and societal judgments around pursuing joy. You know that feeling when you're guilty for enjoying something that's seen as "childish" or not "intellectual" enough? We've all been there. But, I'm excited to share my personal journey of rediscovering joy through romance and fantasy novels and why it's totally okay to prioritize what makes you happy, even if society disagrees. We'll talk about shaking off the shame, embracing new passions, and the flexibility of our identities. Listen to redefine what brings you joy!

In this episode, I discuss a powerful concept: doing less to live a life you truly enjoy. We're bombarded with messages about work-life balance and the need to prove ourselves through constant productivity. But it's time to challenge these notions. The key is to learn how to do less and reject these toxic beliefs. I dive into the benefits of delegating tasks and question why we're so hesitant to ask for help. Listen to reclaim your life, embrace the idea of doing less, and find joy and fulfillment in the process.

In this episode, we explore the transformative side effects of chasing your dreams. We often expect achieving goals to guarantee happiness, but it's not that simple. Life is a mix of good and bad, no matter where we are. The real value lies in who we become during the process. When we stop avoiding obstacles and setbacks, we can practice self-discipline, courage, and personal growth. The journey itself shapes us more than the destination. Listen to learn how to embrace the challenges, as they're your path to self-discovery.

In this podcast episode, I explore the pervasive role of fear in our lives, particularly when pursuing dreams and change. Fear, often rooted in the fear of failure and negative emotions, can paralyze us. The key is to confront these fears by answering critical questions about the worst-case scenarios. Realizing that we can handle these emotions empowers us to take risks and move forward. Listen for the questions you should be asking yourself to face fear head-on and to get to where you want.

We often waste precious time and energy arguing with reality – insisting that things should be different than they are. In this episode, I reveal the common pitfalls of waiting for a perfect, non-existent option C and explain why it's crucial to accept the 50-50 nature of life's choices. By letting go of the illusion of control and focusing on how we want to respond to the circumstances we face, we can gain clarity, make better decisions, and reclaim our power. Tune in to discover how to stop the exhausting cycle of arguing with reality and start moving forward with intention and purpose.

Welcome to another exciting episode of Lessons from a Quitter. I'm thrilled to have you tuning in today because we've got a special guest, Melody Wilding, joining us. Melody, a licensed social worker and professor at Hunter College, dives deep into the world of Sensitive Strivers–individuals who feel things intensely, often grappling with criticism, the need for validation, and more. Melody shows us how these qualities can be superpowers, not weaknesses. Listen for her insights on leveraging our sensitivity and overachieving nature to thrive in the corporate world and banish imposter syndrome along the way.  To learn more about Melody’s work and read her book, you can visit: www.melodywilding.com/book

In this episode, we tackle the fear that prevents us from acknowledging our true desires. I share my personal journey from believing I had no idea what I wanted to discovering a wealth of buried dreams. We explore two major fears: the fear of disappointment and the fear of success. Admitting your desires is the first step to transformation. By confronting these fears, you can excavate your dreams and embark on a journey to create a more fulfilling life. Stop settling for "good enough" and embrace the possibilities of a fuller life.

I'm breaking our regular schedule for some exciting news! The Quitter Club doors are open just for this week. For this limited time, you can join the club for just $997 for the entire year. That's less than $83 a month! Why yearly? Because real change takes time, and constant decision-making fatigue won't get you there.  We don't need perfection; we need persistence. Give yourself the time and space to make this transformation. So, if you're ready to end the year on a different note, break free from the daily grind, and rediscover what life can truly be, join me in the Quitter Club.  Act fast, though – doors close on September 26, and this deal won't be back. Head over to lessonsfromaquitter.com/quitterclub. See you inside!

In this episode, I have a candid conversation with three incredible women who share their personal journeys and the transformations inside their yearlong membership to the Quitter Club. Marissa, Sarah, and Rithu reveal how they found themselves feeling stuck and overwhelmed in different aspects of their lives, from careers to personal struggles. They discuss their initial reasons for joining the Quitter Club and how the powerful approach to managing their minds has helped them regain control, find hope, and make positive changes. Their stories illustrate that regardless of the circumstances, the resources inside the Quitter Club offer relatable and life-changing tools that can reshape your perspective and empower you to lead a more fulfilling life. Tune in to discover how they learned to separate thoughts from reality and apply these concepts to various areas of their lives.

In this episode, I dive deep into the powerful concept of deciding why something is worth it before you even know the outcome. It's not about just knowing your why; it's about embracing the journey and the growth it offers, regardless of the result. I share examples that resonate with busy professionals seeking change, whether it's venturing into entrepreneurship, running a marathon, or contemplating a new job. By uncovering the intrinsic value of your choices and understanding the lessons they bring, you can make decisions with confidence, build self-trust, and transform your approach to life's challenges. It's time to stop fixating on outcomes and start savoring the wisdom gained from every step of your journey. Tune in for a new perspective on decision-making and personal growth.

In this episode, I explore the power of long-term thinking and breaking down goals into manageable building blocks. Instead of succumbing to the pressure of quick fixes, I share personal examples of how taking a more gradual approach to change, whether it's in business or your personal goals, can lead to lasting transformation. By giving yourself the time and flexibility to evolve over several years, you can achieve meaningful, sustainable growth. Embrace the journey and discover the compounding effect of patience and persistence.

In the latest episode of "Lessons from a Quitter," we dive deep into crafting a well-rounded Quit Plan. It all starts with an honest self-assessment—unearthing why you're itching to leave that job of yours. You know, those reasons you might not even want to admit to yourself. We begin by understanding the underlying motives for leaving our current situation. Next, I guide you to explore your dreams and paint a picture of the life you desire. This way, you can dissect your strengths and skills and start to explore various career options that align best with your true desires. I also help you break down your finances so you can calculate your financial runway once you do quit. Once we crunch the numbers, you can explore whether it's truly the cash or your thoughts about it that are keeping you stuck at your job. And all those doubts you’ve been harboring about quitting? I have you list your worries, confront them, and come up with a game plan for every single one. Trust me, it's empowering. Listen and work through the six steps for your personalized quit plan, one that's going to guide you to the life you've been craving.

In this episode, I’m sharing a realistic approach to goal-setting and decision-making that I practice in my own business and coach on inside the Quitter Club. The societal pressure to meticulously plan out our success can be tough to shake and leave us spinning, going nowhere. Listen to learn how to let go of the need to know every step, accept change, and embrace uncertainty by focusing on short-term, achievable objectives in just 90 days. This approach helps prevent overwhelm, decision fatigue, and procrastination. By setting 90-day goals, evaluating your progress, and adjusting course as needed, you will be able to move towards your goals far faster than if you simply went hard for 2 weeks while operating solely on motivation. 90 days is the perfect length to build consistency and discipline for staying committed to your goals while still giving you the flexibility to redirect and change course, if needed.

In this episode, I dive deep into the concept of the messy middle – the space where most of life happens, filled with shades of gray rather than absolutes of right or wrong. Our brains often gravitate towards black-and-white thinking because it feels safe and certain, but this episode explores how embracing the ambiguity of the middle can lead to personal growth and understanding. From the way we perceive truth and engage in discussions, to our political beliefs and the pursuit of success, I encourage you to let go of the need for clear-cut answers. Instead of striving for an unattainable perfection, I suggest finding beauty and learning in the messy middle. By acknowledging that life is a continuous journey without an ultimate destination, we can release ourselves from the pressure of always being right and open ourselves to new perspectives. So, let's explore the gray areas, accept our imperfections, and thrive in the space where life truly unfolds.

In today's episode, we're diving into the three crucial steps you need to take when you're feeling stuck in your career. We all know that feeling of being trapped in a job that's making us miserable, but before you rush to quit, let's take a deep breath and think strategically. I’ll be explaining how to slow down and take an honest audit of your situation. Is it all the job's fault, or are you contributing to your own unhappiness? Next, how to redirect your focus on what you can change: about yourself, your reactions, and your boundaries. You can't change everything around you, but you can control your responses. Finally, how to understand your financial runway – what you have saved, what you need, and what options it gives you. Whether you're planning to quit or just make your current situation better, these steps are your roadmap to designing a life you truly love.

In the latest episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we're diving deep into the world of entrepreneurship. I share my personal journey of embracing that little voice urging me to become an entrepreneur and debunk some common myths surrounding entrepreneurship. Like the belief that it's only for a special few. Truth is, anyone can be an entrepreneur with the desire and willingness to try. There's no one-size-fits-all approach either; different types of entrepreneurs thrive in various ways. Listen to learn how to separate the truth from the lies that float around online about entrepreneurship.

In the latest episode of "Lessons from a Quitter," we tackle the feeling of “being behind.” High achievers often struggle with this thought, ironically, despite their accomplishments. We delve into why this thought persists and how it robs us of joy and happiness. Society's expectations and hustle culture play a significant role in creating this feeling of falling short. However, it's crucial to recognize that we are not on a predetermined, one-size-fits-all path. Everyone's journey is unique, and comparing ourselves to others only breeds unhappiness. We explore the importance of accepting where we are and finding joy in the present moment rather than constantly chasing an elusive future of achievement. Listen for concrete tips to take on the feeling of “being behind” and remember, you are exactly where you need to be. There's no need to rush to some imagined destination.

In the latest episode of Lessons From a Quitter, I share how our jobs often become a significant part of our identity, making it challenging to detach from them. I discuss the underlying fears and shame that drive this attachment, as well as the pressure to be perfect in our roles. Listen and learn how to challenge the notion that our worth is tied to our work and encourage self-acceptance beyond titles and achievements. This episode offers valuable insights for everyone, whether you're considering quitting or not. Join me in this discussion of self-discovery and find liberation from the limitations of societal expectations.

In the latest episode of "Lessons from a Quitter," I dive into what to expect after quitting your job and how to navigate the challenges that come up. Many people believe that once they quit their jobs, their problems will disappear. However, the reality is that your brain will quickly start panicking and doubting your decision. I explain why this is normal and why our brains are wired to prioritize safety and productivity. I provide strategies for managing these fears, including creating a plan before quitting, acknowledging that your brain's panic is normal, and detaching yourself from fearful thoughts. By understanding and managing these challenges, you can confidently move forward and design a life you love.  

This week we're diving deep into having difficult conversations around quitting.   We're going to look at the people in your life—the ones who have lots of opinions on what you should or shouldn't be doing. You know the type: spouses, friends, family, and even coworkers who always seem to have something to say.   The first and most crucial step is understanding whether these people should even have a say in your decisions.   Now, here's the thing. Different people play different roles in your life. If it's your spouse, for example, their opinion matters because it directly affects both of you. But for others, like your parents or that super opinionated friend, it's important to figure out if they're just giving their two cents or if you genuinely need their support or permission.   In this episode, we'll also dive into how to clearly communicate what you need from these conversations.

On today's episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we're diving deep into handling the guilt around quitting. It's a topic that resonates with so many of us, especially those of us who have been raised to prioritize making others happy. We often find ourselves ready to move on, with a clear vision of what we want to do, yet held back by the overwhelming guilt of leaving behind our bosses, coworkers, or even clients we've developed deep connections with. In this episode I want offer you a new perspective, recognizing your own needs and priorities while acknowledging the reciprocal nature of relationships. By learning to sit with discomfort and overcoming the fear of others' negative emotions, we can make choices that align with our true desires.

On today's episode, we're talking all things consulting. If you've ever wondered what a consultant actually does or how to get started, this episode is for you. Amy Rasdal is on the show today to help so many of you figure out whether you could start your own consulting business with the skills you already have.  And she's the perfect person to help us navigate the world of consulting. Amy traded her corporate job for consulting 15 years ago and makes more money than most executives. The advantages are freedom, flexibility, control, interesting work and excellent pay. She has been running her own multiple 6-figure consulting business for more than 15 years. As the founder of Billable at the Beach®, Amy has helped hundreds of people start their own successful consulting businesses through speaking, workshops and various programs over the past 10 years.  If you'd like to get in contact Amy to learn more, here is all you need: Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.billableatthebeach.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrasdal/ Free Email Course 3 Action Steps to Generate Revenue NOW! https://www.billableatthebeach.com/free-course/ Book Land a Consulting Project NOW!: Build a life of freedom, flexibility, and inspiring work running your own 6-figure business https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1B4Y7D8

I gotta say, this podcast episode might just be the most important one I've ever recorded. We often beat ourselves up, wish we were different, and blame our brains for not working like everyone else's. But what if all that self-judgment is actually holding us back from enjoying life and pursuing our dreams? It's okay to be different, and it's okay to seek growth while accepting ourselves. Let's explore this idea together and find ways to be kinder to ourselves.

This is a continuation of recordings from the 3-day Love it or Leave It Challenge. This episode is from Day 3 where I help you make a decision to leave it. We'll cover the following: The lies that keep you stuck How to decide to leave your current career How to start making better decisions And so much more. If after listening, you want more help in learning how to make decisions, create a plan, and actually go after it, join me in my monthly membership, the Quitter Club. We’re starting a new program called 90-day decisions where I’ll teach you how to make any decision bite-sized, how to evaluate and pivot, and how to avoid all the overwhelm that keeps you paralyzed. It’ll change how make any decision. 

This is a continuation of my recordings from the 3-day Love it or Leave It Challenge. This episode is from Day 2 where I help you make a decision to love it. We'll cover the following: The lies that keep you stuck How to decide to love your current career How to start making better decisions And so much more. If after listening, you want more help in learning how to make decisions, create a plan, and actually go after it, join me in my monthly membership, the Quitter Club. We’re starting a new program called 90-day decisions where I’ll teach you how to make any decision bite-sized, how to evaluate and pivot, and how to avoid all the overwhelm that keeps you paralyzed. It’ll change how make any decision. 

Today we're doing something a little different on the podcast. I'm replaying Day 1 of my Love it or Leave it Challenge. I normally only share the trainings with people who have signed up for it but the material in this challenge was too important not to share. Over the next 3 days, I'm going to share all 3 days of the challenge. In it you're going to learn: The lies that keep you stuck How to decide to love your current career or leave it.  How to start making better decisions And so much more. If after listening, you want more help in learning how to make decisions, create a plan, and actually go after it, join me in my monthly membership, the Quitter Club. We're starting a new program called 90-day decisions where I'll teach you how to make any decision bite-sized, how to evaluate and pivot, and how to avoid all the overwhelm that keeps you paralyzed. It'll change how make any decision.  Join us at www.lessonsfromaquitter.com/quitterclub

In this episode of the Lessons from a Quitter podcast, we dive into the topic of "Massive Action." Many of us struggle with taking action because we fear making the wrong decisions. But the importance of moving forward, even when we're uncertain about the "right" choice, is to embrace the concept of massive action, where we actively pursue our goals and dreams, gather data from our experiences, and learn from the outcomes. By embracing action and analyzing the results without self-judgment, we can navigate our paths, make decisions, and live a fulfilling life. To learn more about this topic and join Goli in her Love It or Leave It challenge, visit quitterclub.com/challenge.  

This week I finally put out a bonus episode! It's something I've been wanting to do for about four years so I'm counting this as a win! So what's this bonus episode about? I want to talk about decision debt. If you haven't heard I'm doing a live three-day challenge next week. As I've been preparing the content for the challenge, I've realized just how much we give in to decision debt. I want us to stop the ridiculousness of going back and forth and never make a decision. If you've felt stuck and if you listen to this and you realize that you are paying a hefty fee in your decision debt, then I want you to join me in the Love It or Leave It Challenge next week. You can go to quitter club.com/challenge and finally make that decision. Even if you don't have all the answers, even if you don't know what you're going to do, even if [insert all the excuses we love to have come up for you], you're going to come out of this with a decision. I know you're going to want to believe that your situation is different but I promise you, it's not.

On this podcast episode I want to share something that changed the way I think about certain emotions. I’ve noticed that there are some emotions that we tend to indulge in, even though they don't actually feel good. These are emotions like confusion, worry, and overwhelm. It's like your brain keeps going back to those emotions over and over again, almost on autopilot, which can create a cycle of being stuck.  What’s interesting is that when we’re in this cycle, it feels like we’re being productive. Our brain convinces us that we're solving a problem by constantly thinking about it. We believe that gathering more information, seeking others' opinions, and waiting for certainty will lead us to the right decision. But the truth is, 100% certainty doesn't exist. We need to be aware of when we're simply indulging in confusion out of fear rather than genuinely needing more information.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter I talk about the different mindsets people have towards their jobs and how those mindsets can affect their overall experience. I want to help you look at your job as a means to an end, which can free up mental space and energy for other aspects of your life that you want to focus on.  I want to encourage you to make the most of your job, even if you find it boring or unfulfilling, by using any extra time to work on a side hustle, passion project, or new hobby. I also spend some time talking about people who hate their jobs and are making their situation worse by constantly ruminating on negative thoughts about their job. I go over how our thoughts about our jobs can create suffering and energy that take up mental space and prevent us from taking action to change our situation. That’s why I suggest treating your job as an investment in your business. So let’s start focusing on what we can do to make the most of our situation, whether it's finding a new job, starting a side hustle, or simply changing our perspective.

In this episode on Lessons from a Quitter we talk about vulnerability and how the ability to show vulnerability can be hindered by fear. Over time we develop fears about what others will think, fear of being judged, fear of being seen as imperfect. This fear often prevents people from fully showing up and being themselves. We have been conditioned to believe that we should only show up if we are perfect, which is unobtainable, so we are constantly hiding half of ourselves. We need to understand that we are human beings and we are going to be 50% good and 50% bad. We need to learn to embrace our imperfections and not be afraid to show our vulnerable side. Vulnerability is the key to true connection with others. We have been taught to hide our negative emotions or struggles, but this only creates a group of people who are putting on an act. By allowing ourselves to be vulnerable we create deeper connections and can live a more authentic life.

I've been coaching more and more people on the issue of layoffs as it's been coming up frequently in the club. In this episode, I talk about the practical and emotional aspects of dealing with layoffs. While the practical steps like updating resumes and networking are important, I emphasize that a significant source of pain and anxiety comes from our thoughts and emotions surrounding the idea of being laid off. It’s important to understand how our thoughts about potential layoffs, dread, anxiety, and uncertainty can add so much unnecessary drama and suffering to an already difficult situation. I also highlight the importance of learning how to process our emotions and not solely focusing on trying to control the uncertainty of the situation. I share strategies and techniques for managing the emotional impact of layoffs, drawing on my experience coaching clients in similar situations. Tune in to learn how to navigate the challenges of layoffs with resilience and self-compassion.  

Today, we’re going to talk about choosing one goal. Every time I talk about this, I get the most responses that I get to really anything that I talk about. People are upset and they want to explain to me why they should have more than one goal, why it's different for them, why they need to do so much more. And there's a lot of misconceptions of what this one goal rule is. It's perfect timing for this episode as we finished the first quarter of the year, and it’s time to check in and see how you did on your goals. How did that work? If it didn’t work out the way you wanted I want you to maybe suspend your concerns or your skepticism of this concept for quarter two. Just try it. You can always go back. You can have all your goals in Q3 if you want, but just try for the next three months. If I just choose one goal to focus on, let's see how I do.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, I talk about accepting what is. Sometimes we create so much drama around discomfort that, which only adds unnecessary suffering to an already stressful situation. Today we talk about one of the biggest skills you can have, which is accepting what is and accepting the circumstances in your life. Coming to the realization that you don't control and can’t control everything can free up so much more space to problem solve. Then going about your life not adding all of the unnecessary drama to it, which we’ve discussed before as dirty pain. You can learn to take care of yourself and your needs despite the uncontrollable and ever-changing variables in your life.

In this episode of Lessons from a Quitter, we talk about the importance of taking vacation time. I emphasize on the fact that taking a break is not a luxury, but a necessity. The capitalist system has conditioned us to believe that productivity equals worth, and as a result, many of us struggle to take time off work. We need to change our mindset around vacation time and stop equating rest with laziness. The Puritan work ethic, combined with the capitalist system, has led to the idea that hard work equals godliness. This narrative has been ingrained in us for decades, and it can be hard to break free from it. However, taking time off is essential for our mental and physical health. Tune in to this episode to check in on your thoughts around taking a break. Are you able to enjoy your vacation without feeling guilty or trying to maximize that time to do more?!

This week I talk about understanding the difference between the tasks you are hired to do and the problems that are your employer's responsibility. It's important to recognize that your employer's problems are not your problems, and corporate America loves to take advantage of employees' perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies, which leads them to take on extra work that they are not paid to do. We have to remember that our jobs are transactional relationships, and we get paid for performing a specific set of tasks.  In this episode I encourage you to evaluate the tasks you were hired to do and what you are doing that is beyond your pay grade, figure out when you agreed to take on extra work, and how you can change this situation. There are four common problems that arise from employees taking on work they are not paid to do, including doing more work than we are paid for, taking on someone else's responsibilities, working beyond regular hours, and fixing other people's mistakes. Listen in as I encourage you to set boundaries, advocate for yourself, and give back work that is not your responsibility.  

This week, I’m replaying an episode I did in 2019 with Dave Hollis. Unfortunately, Dave unexpectedly passed away last month from heart failure. I wanted to replay this episode as a tribute to him. But, more importantly, I wanted to replay it because there is so much we can learn from Dave and how he lived his life.  In this episode, I dive into what I learned from Dave during our brief interaction on the podcast, how focusing on the fact that life is short can help drive you towards the life you want, and why tragedies like this really put into focus how little it matters what other people think about you and your choices. 

This week, I’m sharing a podcast that I LOVE and had the pleasure of being a guest on: The Get Paid Podcast with Claire Pelletreau.  Claire has a way of asking all of the questions we want to know but are usually afraid to ask: How much money do you make? What do you spend it on? How did you get here (literally step by step)? If you want to hear my entire journey and get the juicy details of every step, make sure to check out this episode.  

One of the biggest lies we love to believe is that it’s “easier” to just stay where we are. It’s easier to not go after those dreams. But it’s not easier, it’s just more familiar. And that familiarity leads to resentment, bitterness, hopelessness, despair, and dread. It’s not easier living like that. So if you’re not going to go after your dreams, at least stop lying to yourself by saying that it’s easier this way. This week, we dive into this topic and how we can start seeing the price we pay for staying in that comfort zone. 

Studies have shown the most important factor for reaching your goals isn’t more motivation or willpower. It is being surrounded with people that will hold you accountable and support you. You already know you’re more likely to give up on your goals if you’re the only one who knows about it. On this week’s podcast, I talk about how being in communities that supported me through this journey of career change is the only reason I have the business I have today and how you can start finding your community too.

One of the main principles I try to live by and teach my students is to focus on one thing Focus on one goal for the year. Focus on one area to improve. Focus on one limiting belief.  Just slow down and take as much time as it takes to get the result you want in that ONE area and then move onto the next thing. But most people push against this because we’ve been conditioned to believe we need to change it ALL…and FAST. So we set a ton of goals, tell ourselves we’re behind, and scramble because we think there isn’t enough time.  But we all know what happens. We get overwhelmed and give up. The irony is that if you slow down to work on one thing until you’ve mastered it, you actually start solving your problems.  That’s exactly what Betty Dao did. She was in my program Pave Your Path and she took my advice to focus on just ONE thing. She got to work on that. She even stopped coming to the coaching calls because she didn’t want to be influenced to work on other things and she changed her life! She’s on the podcast today to talk about her journey.  

Here’s why self-love is CRITICAL.  You think your problem is: People pleasing  Perfectionism  Caring too much about what other people need  Overachieving  Imposter syndrome  But the root of all of those is a lack of self-love. And this isn’t in some woo-woo “all we need is love” kind of thing. I’ve coached thousands of people and the root of almost every problem is some underlying belief of: I’m not good enough.    It’s a worth issue. Think about it.  That’s why we so desperately need other people to approve of or like us.  That’s why we try so hard to be perfect.  That’s why we keep checking off all the boxes society tells us to in order to be “good enough”.  They’re all defense mechanisms.  Because we’re terrified that somehow our deepest insecurity might be true…that maybe we’re really not good enough in some way.  And so we hustle…we perform…we give and give… But no amount of other people’s love or accomplishments or perfection will ever outrun that thought.  If it would, you would’ve done it by now. It only changes when we decide to change our own thoughts about ourselves.  It’s available to you right now. No need to do or be anything else.  And it’s one of the most important skills to cultivate.  On today’s podcast episode, I dive deeper into why self-love is critical.  

My friend, Scarlett Cochran, is back on the podcast today to talk about how to think about your money in a way that lets you create the rich life you want today.  If you didn’t catch Scarlett’s first episode on the podcast where she talked about her incredibly inspiring story (she went from single teen mom in the military making $25k a year to putting herself through Yale Law School to becoming a Banking and Consumer Finance Attorney to growing her platform One Big Happy Life to multiple six figures as a side hustle) make sure to check it out here. But after coaching thousands of people on how to build wealth, Scarlett started seeing a pattern: People were living by other people’s money rules…even if it made their lives miserable.  So she set out to change that.  She wrote her first book, It’s Not About the Money, to change how people approach their money. The book gives a simple system for understanding and managing your money in a way that feels good to YOU so you can create the life you want to live TODAY and every day after that.  And she’s on the podcast to talk about it with us today.  Make sure to snag her book and follow her here:  Book - https://onebighappylife.com/book  Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@OneBigHappyLife  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onebighappylife/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onebighappylife/

Everyone focuses on teaching you how to set goals. But what happens after you set it? We all know that the hard part comes from following through. Most of know what we want to do but we just feel like we can't get ourselves to do it. On today's podcast, I'll teach you why that's a myth (you really can follow through) and how to start doing it. 

One of the main issues I see with people who give up on their goals is that they’re setting too many.  You get 1 goal per year. That’s it. No exceptions.  On today's episode I explain how picking one goal can  help you skip overwhelm  give you a filter to make decisions  and get you to be nicer to yourself It's the difference between hitting your goals and giving up. 

Your self-concept is the thoughts you have about yourself. And it dictates everything.  Whatever you believe is possible, or not, for you is based on your self-concept. Every goal you set is an attempt to change your self-concept. Meaning, you hope to achieve the goal to change how you view yourself. But the biggest life-hack is knowing that you can change your self-concept without having to achieve those goals first. In fact, learning to change your self-concept can help you achieve your goals faster. On today’s episode, I’m sharing how I’ve changed my self-concept and how you can too  

This week’s podcast is my year in review.  If you want to know how much money I made and how I made it last year… If you want to know the good, bad and the ugly (like how I had 2 of my worst launches EVER!)... If you want to know about some of the other things I was battling outside of work… Check out the episode today. 

Last week on the podcast, we talked all about being open to the possibilities. Well, Dielle Charon is an example of what is possible.  Starting out her career as a Social Worker, Dielle was doing something she loved but wasn’t making enough money to even cover her student loans. Realizing she needed to make additional income, she began her entrepreneurial journey on the side. She grew her coaching business to replace her income while working her full-time job and commuting 3-hours a day!  She finally quit in 2020 and went from making $40,000 in her coaching business to making $1 million in 2022. Her story is simply incredible.  Dielle is a certified life coach and 7 figure sales expert for WOC Coaches. She is the host of the Black, Banked, and Booked Out Podcast and runs two sales programs: Five Figure Freedom and Six Figure Liberation.  Make sure to check out all of her amazing teachings here: Diellecharon.com/Podcast  Diellecharon.com/free-training   

Are you open to the possibility that things could be so much better than they are now?  That you could have more time. More money More opportunities  More creativity  More connection  More flexibility  More of whatever you want   If you're not open to that, ask yourself “why?” Because here is the unfortunate truth:  If you’re not open to it, it won’t happen.  In today’s episode, I’ll dive into: Why your belief in what is possible has to be the first step Why believing other people have more possibilities is a problem  How to start opening yourself to more possibilities  Check out the episode for more! 

Right now can be a difficult time for many.  With the announcement of tens of thousands of layoffs and the signs of a pending recession, it’s easy to fall into tons of negative thinking.  While we can’t change the circumstances that we encounter in life… We can change how we respond to them. In fact, that’s the only thing we control.  On today’s podcast, I dive into how you can reduce all the anxiety, stress, and frustration that comes along with uncertain times or difficult things in the world. 

This week's episode is a replay of Episode 117: How Kristina Barile Went From MIT Rocket Scientist to Living Off The Land In Panama. On this week's episode, I interview the incredible Kristina Barile on her journey from a Harvard and MIT-grad rocket scientist to living in a mud home in Panama, teaching holistic, nutritional Ayurveda and freelance writing. In last week's episode, we talked all about how unnatural our lives have become and the effects it is having on our lives. Kristina and her husband recognized this deep restlessness in corporate America and decided to embark on a journey to find a better way. Her journey opened her up to a wide array of experiences: traveling 30 hours up to Mount Kailash in the Himalayan Mountains, to living in India for 5 months to focus on meditation and self-awareness, to finally building a sustainable mud home in Panama. Kristina's story is still evolving but her unwavering desire to ground herself and live an authentic life will keep her moving forward.

I’m launching my membership, the Quitter Club, for the first time and I want to tell you all about it. Why did I switch to a membership? What’s included? Who is it for? All of that and more is included in this week’s episode.

As long as you tell yourself the lie that you don’t know what you want, you’ll stay stuck exactly where you are. You do know what you want. You’re just scared to admit it to yourself. Because once you admit, then you actually have to take action. But there is power in admitting it to yourself. It allows you to get out of all the confusion and overwhelm that keeps you spinning for years and actually get started on the path to your dreams.  In this episode, I dive into how you can start accessing what you really want.

We often think that our thoughts are not only “true” but “realistic.” So we tell ourselves things like “this probably won’t work,” “I have no idea how to do this,” and “this is way too hard,” in order to not be delusional.   In today's episode, I’m going to show you how that not only creates the result of you not figuring it out but also creates a life that is small and unenjoyable.  I’m a big believer in the thinking it’ll always work out for you even if you have no proof that it will. Not because I want you to be delusional. There is a total logical reason to think this. And it’ll change your whole life.  Check out the episode to find out how.

We’re all doing too much. Busy has become a badge of honor. And as we continue to run on the hamster wheel to get ALL THE THINGS done, we miss out on this one precious life we have. No more. The goal is not to get more done. The goal is to have less to do. Without guilt. That’s what I teach you on the podcast this week. 

Balancing all of the thoughts around your career is already hard enough, throw kids into that mix and it can feel like you’re constantly drowning.  The guilt of feeling like you’re always dropping some balls.The resentment of never having any time for yourself.The exhaustion of always taking care of someone or something else.  This week on the podcast, I’m going to show you how thought work helped transform my relationship as a mother which allowed me to create the career of my dreams.  In this episode, I talk about how learning to manage my mind helped me:  Understand my real role as a mother  Understand myself better  Understand my children more fully  All three of these things allowed me to take off the martyr-badge most moms are required to wear and create a life that actually works for me and my family.

This week, we tackle a big topic in high-achieving communities like this one: Imposter Syndrome. So many of my clients, who have years of experience, degrees, great reviews, insane accomplishments, still believe the lie that they have no idea what they’re doing. Why is that? This episode tackles why we hold on to the thoughts causing Imposter Syndrome so tightly and how to start loosening that grip.

This week's episode is a replay of Episode 76: From Lawyer to Chocolate Maker: How Shawn Askinosie Found His Calling. Sure, quitting is easy if you've always hated your job. But what if you used to love it? What if you loved it for many years? What if you were really, really good at it? I'm so excited about this week's episode with the amazing Shawn Askinosie. Shawn walked away from a very successful career as a criminal defense attorney, a job he used to love. Until he didn't. He realized that the career he once loved was putting him into an early grave and that it was time to do something else. Shawn is now the founder of Askinosie Chocolates, named by Forbes as “One of the 25 Best Small Companies In America.”  He was also named by O, The Oprah. Magazine, as "One of 15 Guys Who Are Saving the World." No big deal. He spends his days traveling between 4 continents to directly source his cocoa beans from farmers, where he offers them above Fair Trade prices, open books, and a share of his profits. He has created an inspiring company that not only gives back directly to the farmers but his community as well. His book - Meaningful Work: The Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling And Feed Your Soul, co-written with his daughter, Lawren Askinosie, published by Penguin Random House is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. I got to chat with Shawn about how he walked away from a career he loved and how he figured out what he should do next. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Do the deep work and figure out who you truly are. Look for those thresholds. Be vulnerable with the people in your life. And so much more! Where to find Shawn: Book Business Blog TED Talk

That inner critic you have that drones on and on every day about how bad you are at being a human is NOT your voice. It was put there by society - capitalism, religion, patriarchy, white supremacy, school, religion - in an attempt to control you. And it’s time we undo it.  This is Part 2 of a 2-part series that will help you get rid of your inner critic. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, definitely start there because the first step is truly becoming aware of what it is and where it came from and that’s what I’ll cover in this episode. Part 2 will start giving you the rest of the steps to move you from a harsh inner critic to unshakeable self-trust.

That Inner Critic you have that drones on and on every day about how bad you are at being a human is NOT your voice. It was put there by society- capitalism, religion, patriarchy, white supremacy, school, religion- in an attempt to control you. And it’s time we undo it.  This is Part 1 of a 2-part series that will help you get rid of your inner critic.  The first step is truly becoming aware of what it is and where it came from and that’s what I’ll cover in this episode.

One of the skills I see people struggling with the most–and one I struggled with for years–is making decisions. And the reason people struggle is because they’re focused on the wrong thing. You’re focused on guaranteeing the outcome you want which is impossible. Instead, I want you to focus on the reasons you’re making the decision. When you're clear on what your reasons are and you actually like them, it becomes a lot easier to make decisions.  I dive deeper into why knowing your reasons is the most important step and how it can change decision making for you in this episode.

On this week’s podcast, I’m taking you behind the scenes of all of my UNCERTAINTY and DOUBT around my new membership launch. You might be wondering: “Why are you doing this, Goli?” Because I want you to stop thinking that other people have it figured out.Because I want you to see that the entire process is filled with fear and doubt. Because I don’t want to just show you results; I want to show you the messy middle.

This week, we dive into the new viral trend of Quiet Quitting and why it’s a problematic term. Quiet Quitting is a trend on social media where people stop going above and beyond their job descriptions and instead only do what they’re paid to do.  This is, in no way, quitting.  And it’s harmful to call it that because it operates under the assumption that the employee is doing something wrong when really they’re setting up proper boundaries.  On the podcast this week, I dive deeper into why this is problematic and what we should be calling it instead. 

This is Part 3 of a 3-part series on Toxic Work Environments.  The term “toxic” is thrown around so often that it has all but lost its meaning. It’s hard to know what truly is toxic and what is something we just don’t like.  In this series, I’ll dive into how to start discerning what is toxic, what you have control over and how to think about your career in a way that will serve you.  Part 1 dealt with Toxic Coworkers. Part 2 dealt with Toxic Bosses and other people who have a direct impact on your job.  This episode dives into how you can manage your mind around jobs that have toxic hours, tasks, or conditions that are not ideal.

This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on Toxic Work Environments.  The term “toxic” is thrown around so often that it has all but lost its meaning. It’s hard to know what truly is toxic and what is something we just don’t like.  In this series, I’ll dive into how to start discerning what is toxic, what you have control over and how to think about your career in a way that will serve you.  Last episode dealt with Toxic Coworkers. This episode deals with Toxic Bosses and other people who have a direct impact on your job.  Next week, we’ll dive into jobs that have toxic hours, tasks, or conditions that are not ideal.

This is part 1 of a 3-part series on toxic work environments.  The term “toxic” is thrown around so often that it has all but lost its meaning. It’s hard to know what truly is toxic and what is something we just don’t like.  In this series, I’ll dive into how to start discerning what is toxic, what you have control over and how to think about your career in a way that will serve you.  This episode deals specifically with toxic coworkers. But the principles can be applied to anything that is a part of your work life but doesn’t have a direct impact on you completing your duties.  Part 2 will dive into toxic bosses or anything that does have a direct impact on your work. And Part 3 will explore toxic jobs, meaning tasks, hours, or conditions that are not ideal.

If you only look to your past, at what you’ve already achieved, in order to determine what you’re capable of achieving in the future, you’ll only get the same results you already have. That’s why so many people limit their dreams. They think that all that is possible are things that they already have evidence for. But–here is the thing–your past only exists in your mind. It does not dictate what is possible in the future. You have to learn to tap into your future self to push out of your comfort zone and dream up a life bigger than the one you can imagine.  This week on the podcast, I’ll show you how. 

We all know how to work hard to achieve things but we’re terrible at actually enjoying them. That’s because our society loves to glorify hard work but shame the people who have anything– rest, joy, money, pleasure, food. So we think we want those things, we hustle to get them, and then we’re wracked with guilt when we actually have them.  Learning to have is a skill and, on today’s episode, I teach you how to start building it.

When we start thinking about career change, we tend to jump into overdrive and want to change everything in the next couple of months. But then we get overwhelmed by all the things that need to be changed. On today’s episode, I teach you how to use 5-year plans to get past that overwhelm and figure out exactly what it is you want to do. When you can slow yourself down enough to see that all you need is baby steps, the change becomes much more manageable.

This week I want to talk to you about why sometimes you just need to throw yourself the party. You should always make time to celebrate yourself and since I always want to be an example for you, I'm throwing a party next week and you're invited!

This week I want to talk to you about being selfish. This is kind of a hot topic but I want to argue that you can’t help others until you help yourself. Really tuning into your needs and asking what you can do to move yourself a little closer to what you want every day is not a big lift. So if you’re always putting everyone else’s needs before yours and always putting yourself last, give this episode a listen.

On this week’s episode, I’m sharing the lessons I learned from our month in Wyoming. Some of these are lessons I’ve been learning and relearning for awhile and one totally blew me away.

On this week’s episode, I talk with Kathryn Finney, a former Yale-trained epidemiologist turned blogger turned investor and philanthropist. Before Wordpress even existed and you had to print out photos and then scan and upload them online, Kathryn created her blog, The Budget Fashionista. After running that for many years, she sold the blog and founded digitalundivided, a social enterprise focused on helping Black women own their work. She then went on to found and manage Genius Guild, a $20M venture fund. At the onset of the pandemic, she wanted to do more to support Black-women owned businesses so she founded The Doonie Fund, giving out micro-investments from her own personal investment. Most recently, she published Build The D*mn Thing: How To Start A Successful Business If You’re Not A Rich White Guy, in it she empowers entrepreneurs to take advantage of their unique networks and resources. Kathryn has such an incredible quitter story and I can’t wait for you to hear more from her on the episode.

This week I want to talk to you about how to go after your dream life. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve been in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the past month. Taking this trip with my family is one way I’m going after my dream life. And the process is actually really simple, it’s just two steps. I want to show you that the things you want are possible because whether you think you can or you can’t you’re right. So this week I’m sharing the two-step process for going after your dream life and how I'm applying that in my own life.

On this week’s episode, I talk with Zubin Pratap, a recovering lawyer turned entrepreneur turned software engineer. After over 14 years in international corporate law, Zubin went into commercial roles and then eventually taught himself to code at 37 and became a software engineer at Google at 39.  Today he is still working as an engineer and educator and spends nights and weekends privately coaching committed career changers on how to transition to tech. Zubin is a prime example of how to pivot in your career and follow your dreams but also how you need to shift your thoughts along the way. Find Zubin here: Free webinar: https://futurecoderstraining.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/zubinpratap Twitter: @ZubinPratap YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5GcpG4iD0Rtwr5llQPZ9Qg

This week, I dive into emotional maturity. Most of us live in emotional childhood, meaning we want everyone else to fix how we feel. Spoiler alert: there’s a bit of tough love coming so prepare yourself. I like to use the analogy of a car accident. If you get hit by a car, the accident is not your fault but it’s your responsibility to do the work to heal, to go through PT. Life is not fair. You will never control the things outside of you. But you can control how you react to what happens to you. In this podcast, I teach you the difference between emotional maturity and emotional childhood, how your emotions affect your actions, and how to take responsibility for your own life.

This week on the podcast I have three of my current students join me to talk about the program. I can only sell you on the program so much and so I thought it would be helpful to hear it directly from the people in it. Each one of these ladies came in with different problems seeking different paths and yet, thought work and working on mindset has changed each of their lives in a big way. If you’ve wanted to know what Pave Your Path can offer you, this episode is for you.

This week I want to talk to you about why it’s okay to change your mind. Part of my brand is wanting to change the connotation around quitting because all quitting is is just changing your mind. Can you imagine if we forced ourselves to stick with things we liked when we were younger the way we do with our careers? Your favorite food at 6 years old was ice cream so that’s your favorite food for the rest of your life. It’s absurd when we think of it like this but we think the same way about our jobs. So this week I want to talk to you about how it’s normal to change your mind… about anything.

This week I want to talk to you about why you should go after those big, scary goals. I’ve already done an episode on destination addiction so you should know that the reason isn’t because of what you’ll get when you accomplish the goal. There’s more to it than just the outcome. So this week I want to offer that it’s the journey, not the destination, that’s worth it.

Too often, we're stuck in automatic thinking. Our brain just adopts the beliefs and thoughts it was fed from society. It becomes unconscious. Just a repetitive loop of thoughts in the background of our head. But if we're going to create the lives that we truly want to live we have to learn how to think on purpose. Whenever I teach thought work, I often get questions like "okay, I have the thought I wanna change, now what?" So this week I want to help you identify the thoughts to change and teach you how to practice new ones - this exercise is one of my favorites and it is truly life-changing.

This week I want to talk to you about boundaries. I’ve been getting a lot of questions on the free monthly coaching calls, people saying do I just tolerate bad behavior and manage my mind around it? And I think it’s really important that we get clear on what boundaries are and what boundaries are not, where to set them and what will likely happen after you set the boundary. So this week I want to help you understand that the only thing you control is you and how putting up boundaries and managing your mind can free you of the should’s.

It’s my 200th episode!! WHAT?!?! It blows my mind to think about the fact that I’ve been putting out a podcast every single week for 200 weeks.  It got me thinking about what I had to have believed 4 years ago in order to jump blindly into this project that ended up changing my life.

This week I want to talk to you about your money mindset. I actually did an episode on this before but I realized I had a lot more to say so I needed to do another episode. In our society, we’ve been made to think that wanting a lot of money is bad and rich people are bad or evil. I thought this too, until I worked on those thoughts, and now I feel completely different. So this week I want to talk to you about how money is just a resource and how changing your thoughts about it can change your life.

This week I want to talk to you about the law of polarity, also called the law of duality. It’s the idea that the only way you can experience something is because you have experienced the opposite of it. And if you’ve been around for awhile, you know I always talk about life being 50/50 - you can only experience the good, if you’ve experienced the bad. So this week I want to talk to you about how you don’t have to be scared of those negative emotions and how you can use them to live the biggest, fullest life you want.

This week's episode is a replay of Episode 50: How Blogging Helped Leslie Samuel Get And Then Quit His Dream Career. It’s hard not to smile while listening to today’s guest talk about his journey and you’ll see why. Leslie’s story is something we can all learn so much from. Through determination and a genuine love of teaching biology, he managed to land himself his dream job as a biology professor without getting a Ph.D! Crazy, right? So many of us are stuck believing that we have to go the traditional route to pursue the things we love, but that really isn’t the case anymore. Before Leslie landed his dream job, he started out as a high school teacher with a huge love for science and biology. Coincidently, in 2008, he also stumbled upon a way to make money online through blogging. He used his newfound skills to create a blog, Interactive Biology, where he taught Biology the way he wanted. He would make interactive, high-energy videos illustrating various concepts like how an action potential works. It was this very blog that ultimately landed him his dream job. By chance, he had received an email one day about an open teaching position in a doctoral program. Was he qualified? Absolutely not. Did it stop him from applying? Not even in the slightest. Leslie interviewed for the job and made it very clear that he wasn’t qualified, but he showed them his blog that was evidence of his knowledge and teaching style. Within an hour of leaving that interview, he received a phone call saying he got the job. Leslie’s story is living proof that you don’t have to do everything the traditional route. You can feel (and be) unqualified for the job or position that you want, but if you truly love something enough and you put in the work, the opportunities will come! But the best part of Leslie’s story is the fact that blogging opened up a whole new world of impact for him. He realized how many lives he was changing by teaching other people how to grow and monetize their blogs. He ultimately decided to leave his dream job as a professor to focus exclusively on his latest blog, Become A Blogger, where he is taking on the mission of “Changing The World One Blog At A Time.” Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why you should make a change in your life if you’re unhappy. Why you don’t need to pursue things the traditional way. How everyone has something they can share with other people. How the technology today makes it easy to start a side hustle. And so much more! Where to find Leslie: Website Resources Mentioned: Interactive Biology YouTube

This week I want to talk to you about the compare and despair cycle so many of us find ourselves in, myself included. We scroll through Instagram, envious of what we see others post, forgetting that social media is a highlight reel. However, comparison and jealousy aren't always bad. If you learn to harness it correctly, it can lead you to the life you want. In this podcast, I detail how to stop the endless comparison and how to utilize your jealousy to figure out what you actually want.

On this week’s episode, I talk with Deepa Purushothaman, a former partner at Deloitte turned author and speaker. In her book released earlier this month, Deepa draws on conversations she had with hundreds of women of color about their experiences in the workplace. I think her work is so important and is just the beginning of the change we can create in Corporate America. In this episode, we talk about: How to exercise your power and show up for yourself How colleagues can be advocates and allies to women of color How to find community during a pandemic And so much more Find Deepa here: Website: https://www.deepapuru.com/ To purchase her book:  https://www.deepapuru.com/author

This week on the podcast, I’m answering your questions! As you may know, I have a button on my website that lets you leave me a voice message--any burning question you have, any topic I haven’t yet covered-- you can record it right there and I'll answer it on the podcast. Today's episode is our first listener Q&A! I’m taking a few of the questions that I haven't answered on the podcast yet and diving in!  If you like this episode and want to hear more or you have your own question you want me to answer, go to lessonsfromaquitter.com/podcast and leave me a message!

This week I want to talk to you about my six month group coaching program, Pave Your Path. I’ll tell you all about the program - who it’s best for, who it’s not best for, all the things. I’ll also answer some of the commonly asked questions I get during each launch. Doors are currently open now through Friday, March 18th. Join me, I’d love to have you! Sign up at lessonsfromaquitter.com/paveyourpath

This week on the podcast, I have my former student, Cynthia. Before joining the program, Cynthia had been working at the same company for five years, was over-worked and stressed all the time. She worked nights and weekends and was missing out on time with her family. Right before the program began, Cynthia’s mother suddenly passed away and she was scared to email her boss to ask for time off. That was the breaking point for her and she knew she couldn’t stay stuck in this job anymore. Cynthia is now working a part-time job she loves, she has a four-day weekend every week and enrolled in a course to widen her skill set. But more than that, Cynthia’s mindset has totally changed and it’s so incredible to listen to her story.

This week on the podcast, I have my former student, Lisa McFadden. From a young age, Lisa knew she wanted to be a writer but let other people talk her into a more stable career path. Burnt out and at her wits’ end, she was absolutely miserable when she signed up for my 6 month program. During the program, Lisa had a major a-ha moment that changed her life completely. Since finishing the program, she has resigned from her corporate job, moved states and started her own coaching business helping writers overcome writer’s block and develop their own process. Most importantly, she’s overcome her own writer’s block and is able to make a living doing what she loves. Lisa claims my 6 month program changed her life, listen to the episode to find out how. Find Lisa here: Instagram: @TheWritersMindset Facebook: Lisa McFadden Website: Lisa McFadden Film

The root cause of all of your problems is a lack of self-validation. Let me explain… This isn’t some self-love, woo-woo kind of thing.  I want you to think about every one of your maladaptive behaviors:  People-pleasing - needing other people to be happy with you so that you can feel good about yourself  Perfectionism- needing everything to be perfect so that you can believe you’re good enough  High-achiever- needing to keep achieving milestones to feel like you’re worthy  Obsessing over what other people think of you - needing other people’s approval so you can believe you’re good. Imposter syndrome- insisting on believing you’re not good enough when all of your achievements prove otherwise And on and on.  Every. Single. One comes from your inability to validate yourself.

This week I want to talk to you about procrastination. I have so many people telling me I want to do this thing but I can’t get myself motivated to do it. What I’ve found is that procrastination is not a time management issue, but an emotional management issue. This week I dig into why we procrastinate and how to start overcoming it.

Anxiety seems to be more present in our modern lives than ever before. But I think that is partly due to the fact that we fundamentally misunderstand anxiety, which prevents us from reducing it. In this week's episode, I break down what anxiety actually is and what steps to take to help you manage it.

This week I want to talk to you about finding your purpose. Most of us have this notion that there is one purpose to our lives and we should be deeply fulfilled and if we’re not, then something is wrong. So we go out and try to find our purpose, but how do you even know if you’ve found it? This week, I explain the problem in finding your purpose and offer my thoughts on how to reframe this major issue.

This week, we’re talking about self-trust. This is the foundation of where our self-confidence comes from. And, yet, along the way, we adopted the false belief that we can't trust ourselves. So we run around asking everyone else to make decisions for us, hoping they have the answer. Because if it doesn't work, now we have someone else to blame. I don't have to tell you that is a terrible plan. And it only comes from a lack of self-trust. So this week, we're diving into how we build up that self-trust again and put an end to the blame/shame cycle.

One of the biggest misconceptions about quitting is that you can only do it if you’re miserable.  After all, if it’s not terrible, why leave?  Don’t be ungrateful. Other people would kill for this job. Don’t risk all of the uncertainty, regret, and judgment. Suck it up.  And if these are the thoughts you’re operating under, you’re going to sabotage your own life in an attempt to have an “excuse” to quit.  You’ll start focusing on all the terrible things about your situation.  You’ll complain about it non-stop to your co-workers, spouse, friends…hell, anyone who will listen. You’ll refuse to find ways to be happy exactly where you are.   You’ll start snowballing everything that is wrong in order to justify leaving.  Here’s the truth: You don’t need any justification.  You get to quit just because you want to.  Even if everything is ok. Because you want growth.  Because you want new adventures.  Because you want to try something else.  In fact, that is the BEST place to quit from. Because you’re not doing it out of desperation.  Because you know you could be happy either way. Because you’re not waiting for some new circumstance to make you happy (spoiler alert: it never will long term)  So if you’re putting off your own happiness because of the hope of changing your situation, stop.  Make yourself happy exactly where you are. And then decide to quit because you want to.  This week on the podcast I go more in-depth about how to view quitting so you can still be happy where you are.

This week, we're going to dive into how we can take 100% responsibility for our lives. Even when we've been dealt a bad hand, even when things aren't turning out the way we wanted, even when other people won't just act the way we think they should. Ultimately, only you are responsible for your own happiness. If that triggers you into wanting to resist or reject this notion, then today's podcast is definitely for you. This is the hardest work I’ve ever done but it has been life-changing and I want to share it with you. 

This week I want to talk to you about how you view your work and why it matters. If you’ve been around for a bit, you know that life is always 50/50 and that’s true about work too. Your thoughts create your reality and impact your experience. So many of us are adding to our own unhappiness simply because of our own expectations. Today we dive into why that is and what we can do about it.

This week's episode is a replay of Episode 60: How Peter Glatz Quit His Dental Practice At 65 To Start a Second Career In one Of America’s Best Restaurants. How many times have you wanted to start over? How many times have you started thinking about the possibilities only to follow them up with the thought, "but it's too late in my life to do this"? If you're human, then you've probably had this discussion with yourself a million different times, and that's okay, we all have those moments. However, even though you may feel like it's too late to start over, it doesn't mean that it is. Today's guest, Peter Glatz is essentially the holy grail when it comes to that myth. At 60 years old, Peter left his dentistry career of over 40 years in order to pursue cooking. He began his journey into the culinary world by reaching out to well-known chefs offering to work for free! (Who says you have to immediately start making money off of something you love? Just start!). Listen to how his journey led him to eventually landing a dream job as a link cook at Nonesuch in Oklahoma City, Bon Appetit's 2018 Best Restaurant in America. Despite working long, 12 hour days at a physically taxing job, Peter has never been happier. I love so many things about his story. There are so many people who count themselves out when they reach a certain age because they believe it's too late for them to pivot their path. But Peter's story is really a testament to the fact that there is always time to try something new! Not only that, but he didn't let his lack of formal experience stop him from feeling confident enough to reach out to those well-known chefs. There are just so, so many wonderful lessons to learn from Peter and his journey.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How it's never too late to start over. How if you want something different you should do something about it. Why you should create a vision and then take action. And so much more!

This week's episode is a replay of Episode 31: How Shinah Chang quit the straight path of law for Crooked Calligraphy. And stick around for an update from Shinah at the end! Shinah is a whiskey-loving, curse-word slinging, Harvard-trained former corporate attorney who left everything behind to find her passion. Shinah spent her entire life on the straight, "proper" path. She went to an Ivy League college, then a prestigious Law School, then worked her butt off as a corporate attorney for a big international law firm. But, after one too many days of uninspiring work and nights of sleeping under her desk, she decided she wanted to reclaim her life! She quit her job and explored so many creative avenues - knitting, woodworking, drawing, graphic design. But CALLIGRAPHY is what she fell in love with. Shinah needed plenty of inspiration along the way, but the usual sugary, sincere stuff about beauty and dreams didn't reflect what she was really feeling. So she created Crooked Calligraphy to spread creativity, courage and honest, gritty life inspiration through calligraphy. Crooked Calligraphy has worked with huge brands like Disney, Anthropologie, Jo Malone, and Dom Perignon, but Shinah’s favorite work is teaching calligraphy and encouraging her students to look their fears in the face and move toward a life that will make them happy. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she spent her childhood working towards the predictable path to “success” including getting a 1600 on her SATs and getting into Harvard How affirmation and praise can become a drug that keeps you in doing things you hate How she started realizing that she wanted to quit her job as a corporate lawyer and what steps she took before quitting How she quit law without having any idea of what to do next What she did in order to figure out what her next steps would be The importance of exploration and experimentation in finding your passions How she found calligraphy and how it turned into a business How she figured out her unique brand and voice with Crooked Calligraphy

As we're coming close to the end of 2021, I spend this episode doing a recap of my year. While we tend to wait and start the new year with goals and resolutions, I'm excited to share the goals I've set for myself (that I started on a random day in December). As always, I want you to see that you can set big goals and not meet them but still accomplish something along the way. I hope my year is an example of how you can make small changes and still see growth. Happy New Year!

We’re all overwhelmed. All the time. And we think it’s just the way it is.  “There is just too much to do.”  That’s a lie.  For the past year, I’ve delved into how to overcome my own overwhelm...in building a business, in raising my kids, in surviving a pandemic.  And it’s been the most eye-opening experience.

This week I want to talk to you about guilt. As we’re heading into the holiday season, I’m sure that we’re all feeling obligated to do certain things. And I just want to offer that you don’t have to do anything. So today I want to talk to you about where that guilt comes from and how to reframe those thoughts so you're not saying yes out of obligation but rather choosing what you want to do intentionally.

This week's episode is a replay of Episode 115: Life Is Both Good And Bad. On this week's episode, we talk about the duality of life, the good and the bad. Life is always going to throw curveballs at us and we need to deconstruct the idea that we need to be happy all the time. Owning our dissatisfaction and working toward goals that allow for small wins will help us be more fulfilled.

This week, we're talking about mini-experiments. So many people come to me because they have no idea what they want to do. They either stay stuck forever or decide to go all-in on the next thing that they pick. Both can be a disaster. I'm going to teach you how to start test driving a new job, hobby, or industry, before you jump in.

On this week’s episode, I’m sharing the lessons I learned from my photo booth business. While I knew this business wasn't what I was passionate about, I’m so grateful to my past self for starting it because I learned so much and it eventually led me to exactly what lights me up.

“Do you regret going to law school?” I get this all the time. Why would I waste a single second regretting something I can’t change?  No matter how much I replay it, beat myself up, blame other people, think about how much better my life would be if I didn’t go... It won’t change the fact that I went to law school.  So instead of wasting my time on something I can’t change, I focus on what I want to do with my life from here on out.  That doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from my past decisions. I look back and evaluate why I choose to go: ➤ where was I abandoning myself for other people’s approval? ➤ where was I seeking validation instead of listening to my gut? ➤ where was I simply doing what I was told instead of questioning it? I do all of that so that I can make better decisions in the future. But that doesn’t mean I ever spend the time regretting my decision. Because it is done. And I had my reasons (even if I wouldn’t choose those reasons now). And I can have self-compassion for the old me who didn’t know any better. And I gain nothing by torturing myself with regret. Because regret comes from a thought. The thought: “If I hadn’t made that decision, my life would be so much better.” And that’s a lie. I have no idea how my life would have turned out. So I choose not to think that thought. And you can choose the same thing.  Because regret is a choice.

I’m so excited to have my student, Christina, on the podcast this week! I want you to understand the huge impact learning how to manage your mind has on every part of your life. Christina's story is the perfect example! Since taking my 6 month program, she has gone from being scared to talk in front of other people to signing up for an improv class, having no idea what else she wanted to do to enrolling in a 10-week real estate rookie boot camp, and having no idea how to manage her emotions to helping coach those around her. But the most amazing part of her journey is she was able to completely stop taking her anxiety medication. Her anxiety was such a crippling part of her life that she missed out on annual girls trips for years. Not anymore! She went on this year’s trip and they’re already planning the next one. She really is the poster child for how managing your mind can create a ripple effect in your life. Make sure to listen to the episode to see how she shifted her mindset to start getting massive results in her life.

This week I want to talk to you about being delusional. And my little secret is that we’re all delusional, we just don’t call it that. We have fancy terms like imposter syndrome, which is feeling like a fraud despite all the evidence to the contrary. It's ignoring everything you’ve achieved to instead believe that you have no idea what you're doing. It's quite literally being delusional. The truth is that we're fine with being delusional as long as it is with negative thoughts. When it comes to positive thoughts -- thinking we can achieve our goals, believing the best about ourselves-- then we draw the line. So today I want to talk to you about why you should delusional in the biggest, most expansive way.

This week I talk to you about a hard truth: if you're telling yourself you don't know what you want to do, it's just a lie your brain is telling you. You do know, you're just scared. Being stuck in I don't know is safe while actually trying something is terrifying. But if you're ready to start taking action and get past the I don't know, I have five tips to help you start uncovering what lights you up.

This week I have my friend, Bevin Farrand, on the show. I’ve been waiting awhile to have her join because her story is so powerful. In 2019 after being laid off for the third time in her career, Bevin thought enough of putting my financial health in the hands of someone else. In addition to her full-time job, she had been coaching on the side so she decided to give it a go full-time. A few months later, Bevin experienced a totally unexpected tragedy when her husband suddenly passed away in his sleep. They had just come back from a 5-day whirlwind, once-in-a-lifetime, totally "unreasonable" trip to France to reconnect. Her husband's untimely passing made her realize that we don't have the luxury of waiting to do those crazy, important things in our lives. It pushed her to launch Take the Damn Trip to help other people go after the biggest life possible.  Bevin is definitely a force of nature but using her DAMN Framework has allowed her and her clients to start businesses, grow businesses and overcome loss. In this episode, we talk about: starting with your yes and your why being present in the moments, not the minutes taking the damn trip and so much more Find Bevin here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takethedamntrip/ Website: https://takethedamntrip.com/

This week I talk to you about shifting your paradigm, your worldview, your set of beliefs. Our society has focused so much on winning and losing and that's why so many of us suffer. Life is not a test. You literally cannot fail at it. So stop telling yourself that you can. When you start changing your paradigm to view your life in a different lens you free yourself to explore, experiment, and show up fully. This week, I'll teach you how. 

This week we talk all about discomfort. And I don't mean the dictionary definition of discomfort. I mean the feeling that you have when you are pushing towards your goals and you feel like you might throw up...or die. Yeah, that’s discomfort. And if you’re going to live the biggest life possible, you have to learn to get better at feeling it and not making it mean anything about you. In this episode, I dive into how you can get better at dealing with the inevitable discomfort and keep going!

On this week’s episode, I talk with MBA turned actor, Vishesh Chachra. Vishesh left a lucrative finance career to pursue his life-long dream of becoming an actor. And his passion coupled with his persistence and dedication to honing his craft has led him to success in an industry that is notoriously difficult to break into. Over the past 8 years, he has appeared in 13 TV shows and 8 feature films. He currently recurs on a CBS primetime sitcom.  While Vishesh is clearly talented, we dive into how his mindset has helped set him apart from so many others that pursue the same dreams.  In this episode, we talk about: why it’s important to pursue your passions how putting in the work to learn enables your success how reframing and mindset can change everything and so much more Find Vishesh here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/v_chachra/ Website: http://www.vchachra.com/ IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5189387/

On this episode I talk about why you should be doing personal development, what it's for and what it's not for. Spoiler alert: if anything you're doing is to feel more worthy, you're doing personal development wrong.

This week on the podcast, I talk about why you shouldn’t quit your job.. at least not yet. I’m not saying you need to stay in your job and just learn to be happy in it, but if you don’t manage your thoughts and maybe set some boundaries, the reasons you’re unhappy now will follow you from one job to the next.

My biggest tip for success when you’re quitting and starting something new: Get in the room with people doing the thing you want to do.⁠ This week, I talk about the benefits of surrounding yourself with a like-minded community and a few ways to find those groups.

Here’s what everyone gets wrong about work/life balance.    You run around trying to change everything outside of you in order to try to gain a little “balance”.  If I worked less hours… If I had more time at home with my kids…. If I could spend some time resting...then I’d feel balanced.    But what happens as soon as you try to do those things?   Your brain ruins it.   You're at home with the kids and you’re constantly anxious about how much work you still have to finish.   You’re laying down to rest and you’re berating yourself for not getting up to run all of your errands.    You’re trying to focus on your work deadline and you’re feeling guilty about missing your son’s soccer practice.    It’s no wonder you’re exhausted all of the time.    You cannot have balance until you learn that your worth is not attached to your productivity.   You cannot have balance until you learn that you deserve rest even when you have a full to-do list.   You cannot have balance until you learn that you’ll never be perfect and it’s ok to stop trying.    Until you can manage your brain to drop all the guilt and shame, there is no magic formula that will create balance for you because you’ll constantly be telling yourself you’re doing it wrong.   This week on the podcast, I dive into how you can finally start working towards having some real balance in your life. 

This week I want to talk to you about Mom Guilt. Fair warning that I’m not sure if I have my thoughts fully formed on this but I think this is an important topic to discuss. Also, while I talk a lot about moms, the same ideas apply to all of us dealing with a misogynistic, patriarchal society. Over the past seven years, I've been really observing how moms are constantly put in lose-lose situations. Whether at work or at home, we're made to feel as though we're always failing. And, unfortunately, we internalize those thoughts and use them against ourselves. While systemic change is absolutely needed, if we don't liberate ourselves from our own thoughts that keep us in shame and guilt, we'll never be able to go after the lives we deserve. One of the biggest blessings of thought work for me is that I no longer operate from a place of shame and I give myself incredible amounts of self-compassion. So for all the moms and the non-moms, I just want you to understand that you can lift that burden of the should’s and really check in with what you want to do. And the more we do that, the more we show the next generation and our peers that it's okay to show up fully as yourself and still be a kick-ass mom. So let's dive in.

In this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jordan Ramsey. Jordan’s wife, Shannon, is a student of mine and enrolled in the Impossible Goal Setting workshop back in January. Little did she know, Jordan was eavesdropping on all of the lessons. Jordan took what he learned in that workshop and began implementing in his life to go after all of his dreams. Since then, he has self-published two books, launched a Kickstarter campaign for a board game he created with his childhood best friend, and recently got promoted at work! Jordan is the perfect example of how changing your mindset can change your life.  In this episode, we talk about what shifted for him through the Goal Setting workshop to allow him to overcome that fear of failure and start going after all of his dreams.  Make sure to check out Jordan here: His Boardgame’s Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bountyrush/bounty-rush Website: www.tophatgeeks.com  Instagram: @jordannotgordonramsey and @bountyrushgame

It’s been 3 years since I launched this podcast (WAHOOOOO!) Hindsight is an interesting thing. It’s obvious now that I made the “right” choice to publish the podcast I had been thinking about for 2 years. I now have an amazing community and business I love.  But I remember the week before I hit publish...I couldn’t sleep. I cried every single day. I thought I was going to throw up.  These were the thoughts I had playing on loop: “This is insane.” “Everyone’s going to judge you.” “Who are you to put out a podcast?!” “You have no idea what you’re doing.” “Do you want to be branded a ‘quitter’ for the rest of your life?!”  “You’re going to regret this.” I was terrified. I wanted to change my mind. I hadn’t published it yet. It wasn’t too late to scrap the whole crazy idea.  Well, I didn’t. And I’m so grateful to past me for feeling like I was going to die and hitting publish anyway.  It’s been an amazing 3 years and I can’t wait to see what the next 3 years brings.  Since we’re all about lessons over here, this week on the podcast I go into the 3 biggest lessons I’ve learned from 3 years in podcasting. 

Catastrophizing is when you assume the worst will always happen.  Listen, it’s normal. Your brain is trying to keep you alive. And if it can anticipate all the things that could go wrong, it can keep you safe. Your brain loves to replace the uncertain with the awful.   But, in our modern world, you’re not at risk of dying all the time. It just ain’t that serious.  So you need to learn how to get a handle on that doomsday brain of yours if you’re ever going to do anything worthwhile.  In this episode, I give you simple steps to overcome your catastrophizing so you can get out and experience this world!

This week on the podcast, we dive into one of the most crucial life-skills we’re never taught. Handling criticism. If you instantly get defensive, angry or hurt when someone points out a “flaw”, this episode is for you. I take you through my step-by-step process to understand why you get defensive and how to get over it.   

So many of you are stuck because your parents, friends, or co-workers simply don’t understand why you want to take this “risk”.    Here’s the truth: They don’t have to support you. And you still get to make the decision you want for your life.    Would it be nice if everyone saw the world the way you did and could fully understand your dreams? Yes, of course it would be.   Do you need that before you actually take the jump? Absolutely not.   The real reason you feel like you need their support is because if they believe in you, it’s easier for YOU to believe in YOU.    When other people express doubt, it triggers the fear and insecurity you already have in this big decision. So you become defensive and spend all of your energy trying to convince them it’s the right choice.    But what you’re really doing is trying to convince yourself. If someone else can see your vision, then it helps reassure that part of your brain that is also screaming “This is insane! We’re going to regret it!”   They don’t have to understand what you want to do. YOU have to understand what you want to do. They don’t have to believe in you. You have to believe in you.    You will still have doubt. Hell, you can even agree with them that it’s a crazy decision. And you still get to make it.    If you struggle with this, this week’s podcast is for you. I dive deeper into this concept and explain how you can start moving past needing everyone’s support. 

So many of you ask me how to navigate family and spousal support when making huge changes in your career.    I figured it might be interesting to hear it from the spouse’s perspective.    While our experience is unique to us, I think it can help you in approaching these subject.s   In this episode, we talk about.  What his experience was of me walking away from my legal career  How he thought the podcast was the wrong move for me (WHAT?!?)  How I stopped seeking his permission and instead asked for what I needed.  The best part of this journey.  And so much more. 

So many of us are paralyzed at making even the simplest decisions.  We revert to asking everyone else's opinions, we ruminate and drain ourselves going back and forth, we make pros and cons lists, and we stay stuck year after year.  In this episode, I teach you why you have such a hard time making decisions and how to move past it. 

I remember wishing I would get laid off during the 2008 recession. I was to scared to quit so I wanted them to force my hand. Empowering, huh? They didn't. And I ended up spending another 7 years doing a job I hated. On this episode, I talk about what it looks like to take responsibility for your life. Often we mistake responsibility with fault. They are not the same thing. In this episode, I talk about difference between fault and responsibility, why taking 100% responsibility will change your life, and how to go about doing that. 

Why do you want to find your “dream” career? Do you even know? Most would answer with something like:So I can feel excited and motivated about going to work.  So I can feel like I’m doing something that is worthwhile. So I can feel less stressed and overwhelmed. All of our answers boil down to one thing: we are after a feeling.  Ultimately, you want that dream career because you want to feel happy and fulfilled.  Given that we spend ⅓ of our life at work, it’s easy to see how that can affect our feelings.  And while I’d LOVE for you to find your dream career (and would love to help you do that), it’s not going to happen overnight.  So the question becomes: how can you have that feeling you want in your life right now? And that's what we dive into on the podcast episode today! I'll give you actionable tips on how to create a fulfilled life without changing much else. 

Destination Addiction. The constant striving to get to some destination that you’re certain holds all of your happiness and the solution to your problems.  The stealer of current joy. The enabler of hustle culture. So many of our problems are born out of this, often unconscious, belief that it is better “there” than here. We put our happiness and joy on hold with the promise that it will be even better at this unforeseen destination. And, yet, we just keep moving the goalposts.  On today’s episode, I dive into just how harmful destination addiction is and how to overcome it.  Also mentioned on today’s episode: A FREE 4-day challenge to get you UNSTUCK and on the road to your dream career. Register here: www.quitterclub.com/unstuck

  On to today's episode. I want to talk to you about an extremely important concept that I don't think most people don't implement in their life. It's called the Compound Effect. What most of us typically do is pick a huge goal, go after it with everything we have, get burned out, and stop. Understanding the Compound Effect will change all of that. It'll allow you to start making lasting changes without all of the effort and drama. It is the difference between having a life where you can constantly grow and one in which you won't.  In this episode, I go into what the Compound Effect is and how to start implementing it into your life today. 

I'm so excited to bring you this week's episode with the amazing Janelle Nicole Christian. After nearly 6 years in BigLaw, Janelle transitioned into the career and digital media field through her company, SideBiz SMART, and her platform, Hey J. Nicole. Janelle's mission is to help 6-figure employees start and stabilize successful side businesses in order to ditch corporate America and begin living healthier, wealthier, and more fulfilled lives as entrepreneurs. After scaling her business to multiple six-figures in under a year and helping her clients do the same, Janelle's work focuses on helping miserable millennials understand the value in decentralizing work (particularly corporate structures) and building a life around their personal priorities, gain clarity on their values, address and remove limiting beliefs regarding income and success, create a clear plan to define their life work, and guides them through any necessary pivots towards their dreams. In this episode, we discuss: - how Janelle discovered what really lights her up. - why it's important to just get started, even if you don't know what you want to do. - how she replaced her legal income in less than a year. - and so much more.

This week I have a super exciting topic that completely changed the way I thought. It's the concept of clean pain versus dirty pain, and it really helped me manage my mindset. This topic, which was first coined by Dr. Stephen Hayes, described the suffering we add to our human experience. We constantly make up narratives about ourselves that cause all of this unnecessary self-inflicted pain. It is crucial to understand when you’re doing this so you can stop it. Join me as I dive deeper into this topic and discuss ways you can work around it.

This week I'm finally addressing one of the biggest blocks for most people: Overcoming The Fear of What Others Think. There is a reason that so many of keep falling into patterns of doing what others expect of us even if it makes us miserable. We're evolutionarily wired to want to be accepted by our tribe. But while it is natural it doesn't mean we have to keep living this way. In this episode, I break down how to push past the fear of what other people think about you and start living a life on your own terms.

Want to know the secret to my success? I stopped pretending that I had it all together. The more I share my mistakes, my failures, my insecurities, the more people are attracted to me. The more I stop pretending like I have it all together, the more I allow myself to show up exactly as I am. The more I show up and take imperfect action, the more successful I become. There is a reason that “vulnerability” and “authenticity” are such buzzwords right now. We’re all sick of curated. We’re all sick of perfect. We crave more humanness. Just think about the people you follow online. Do you love following people who act like they have it all figured out, are breezing through life, and have no problems?!? I’m guessing no. It’s boring and fake. We love following people who share their struggles. Who show us that they’re just figuring it out just like the rest of us. And, yet, so many of you are still stuck trying to look perfect in your lives. Trying to pretend like you have it all together at work. Trying to portray that you’re not struggling with parenthood. Trying to put on a brave face. I want you to know that perfect is boring. Nobody wants perfect. Be human. Let people in. It’ll lighten the load and make the experience so much more fun.  

This week's episode is all about doing difficult things. Somewhere along the line, a lot of us adopted the mistaken belief that there is an easy way to have our dream life. But that's false, there are no shortcuts.     When we adopt that mentality, we end up making it so much harder on ourselves. We fall short on certain goals, or we bypass certain milestones because we're hyperfocused on having an easy life. But hard things challenge us to grow and learn and live a life far beyond ourselves. We can do hard things, stop wishing your way out of them. 

By far, the #1 question I get asked is some version of: “I hate my job but I have no idea what else I would do. How do I find some clarity?!” I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that no one can give you a clear answer to that question. Because what you’re really saying is: “I’ve lost touch with who I really am. I’ve done what I was supposed to do and found myself unhappy. I feel lost and don’t know how to get back to what I truly want.”  The clarity you’re looking for can’t come from outside of you. The answer isn’t in some online assessment. It has to come from within. It only comes from getting a better understanding of who you are when you aren’t trying to please everyone else or look perfect.   But here is the good news: Doing the work to find clarity in what you want to do with your life will change every single aspect of it. It will bring you back to yourself. It’ll lead to more self-compassion, self-trust, and self-acceptance. It will help you stop the self-sabotage that will otherwise continue to ruin your life. It will give you control over your own internal state so you’re not at the mercy of reacting to everyone and everything around you.  It will let you show up as the full, flawed human that you are so you can experience all that there is in this life. What more important work is there?! So don’t go for the easy answer. Take the time to find out who you truly are and do it on purpose.  This week in the podcast, I go more in-depth into how to start discovering clarity in what you truly want.

If you’ve listened to the podcast for a while now, you’ve likely heard me talk about the free coaching calls I do every month. I always love having new people join the calls because I’ll inevitably get messages afterwards like: “Wow, that was so much more helpful than I thought it would be!” “Thank you for doing this. I’m not sure why I waited so long to join these.” “This was so eye-opening. Just listening to everyone helped me so much!” I’ve realized that many of you may not realize how powerful coaching actually can be (and the fact that you don’t even have to be the one to get coached for it to be powerful). So today on the podcast, I’m replaying last month’s coaching call. I want you to see the power of group coaching, the fact that we all have the same fears and doubts, and that your mindset is pretty much the answer to every question (*wink, wink*). If you enjoy this call, feel free to sign up to join our FREE MONTHLY COACHING CALLS

This week's episode is truly one of my favorites. I never thought I would say this but my mom, Ziba Farzaneh is on the show. She has a pretty amazing quitter story that I want to share with you all.    My mother was an accountant for a number of years. She served as VP of finance of a hundred million dollar company and grew in the role for 19 years. After being blindsided by a layoff she decided to go into entrepreneurship with my sister. Together they have a school for severely autistic children, and they recently opened up a ranch that does animal therapy for the children. Her story is one of courage, resilience, and hard work. 

Last week we spoke about the thoughts we form around money. This week I want to talk about the equation that you need to think about when you want to quit your job.    I hear from so many people saying that they can't quit because of finances. That can mean a number of things: They have too much debt, they just made a large purchase, they are not earning as much as they need, they don't have a savings, etc. But each of these things can be remedied. If your thoughts don't get you to bury your head in the sand, there are plenty of ways to tackle the issue of finances. Once we can begin to create a plan, we can figure out how long it will actually take us to be ready to quit. 

This week we're going to dive into your money mindset. One of the biggest blocks for people from changing careers is finances. But they don't realize that most of their problems arise from how they think about money and not how much money they actually have. Before we get into how to actually plan your finances to quit, we have to deal with all of your limitations around money.  So let's talk about all the thoughts you have about money.   

This week I want to talk to you about rest. We rarely talk about it. It's not the type of topic that lends itself to an illustrious career or living your dream life, but it is so important. Today we're going to talk about seasons of rest: How to know when you're in one or when you need one (and how to maximize the benefits of being in this season). So stop pushing, stop hustling, look inside yourself to figure out if you need some time off and take a break. 

This week's episode features the incredible Tricia Cusden. I don't say this lightly when I say that these episodes are the reason I started this podcast. She is the perfect example that it is never too late to start over and live the most full-life possible. If you can get out of your own way, there is so much more that you are capable of than you let yourself believe. Tricia started out her career as a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters. When her daughters got older, she went back to university and got her degree at 38. She then began a career as a management training consultant. After working for a company for 10 years, she jumped into entrepreneurship and ran her own consultancy until she was 64. After 26 years in that career, Tricia closed down her business in order to help with the care of her granddaughter, who had been born with a rare chromosomal disorder. At 65, when her granddaughter had improved and had other help, Tricia decided she needed a new project. She had always loved make-up and saw a huge gap in the market for aging women. Without any experience in the field, she set out to start her own beauty line with Look Fabulous Forever. What has happened in the 7 years since she launched the brand is just incredible. She has built a business that both her daughters now work in, written a book, attended the Oscars, created a large following, and so much more. She's such an inspiration to me and so many others.

Last week we talked about having a healthy self-concept and the need to give ourselves room to stumble, learn, and grow into our full potential. And while we are worth the investment in growth, we need to also manage our expectations of how that will look.    This week, we dive into a root cause of so many of our problems: all or nothing thinking. Hyper fixation on our end goals clouds our vision of the small steps and setbacks that can really help shape us. Everything doesn't have to be absolute or black and white. Learn to live in the grey area and I guarantee you'll appreciate your results.     And if you need help on eliminating this type of thinking so you can make progress on your dreams, I'm starting my 6-month group program next week. You don't have to do this alone. If you want to help getting unstuck and finding your dream life, you can find out more information at https://www.quitterclub.com/group 

This week's episode covers the most important thing I can teach you. I think it is the root of everything. The root of all of your problems. I want to talk to you about self-concept. This includes how you think about yourself, how you feel about yourself, and how you love yourself.  Do you trust yourself? Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? I want you to ask yourself right now, how do you feel about yourself?    Being able to identify and own your self-concept is the key to unlocking your growth mindset. And a fantastic supplement to that is a solid coaching program. Starting next month, I am going to be running a 6-month long challenge to un-stuck yourself and begin working toward your dream life. If this interests you, visit www.quitterclub.com/group and schedule your first one on one call to see if this program would be the right fit for you.

This week, we are talking about investing in yourself. Typically, society has programmed us into believing some investments are good while others are "too expensive". I see so many people who feel stuck in their careers jump into getting yet another degree. They're willing to spend tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars on another piece of paper but refuse to invest in themselves.    In today's episode, I'll tell you how I have changed my views on investing in courses and coaching and what criteria I use to pick programs to invest in.    Whether it's through online courses or 1-on-1 coaching, taking the time for self-improvement is incredibly valuable.    If you're ready to invest in yourself, doors are open to my 6-month coaching program. You can find more about it here: www.quitterclub.com/group

This week I have the incredible Vanessa Barboni Hallik on the show. If you're a long-time listener, then you know that I was a public defender. I was on a crusade to save the world. And I had bought into the paradigm that business was filled with greed and evil and that capitalism was ruining the world. While there is some truth to that in certain instances, Vanessa's story shows what is possible if we re-imagine how we run businesses. Her voice, and her brand, are exactly what we need to begin steering the ship towards more conscious consumerism.    Vanessa served as managing director at Morgan Stanley for 15 years. She held several leadership roles in the emerging markets and institutional securities business. During her tenure, she tried to leave three separate times but was held back by the same fear and doubt that holds so many of us back.  When she finally left, she pursued her interest in environmentalism, which lead her to discover the horrors happening within the fashion industry. That's when she decided to take matters into her own hands. Despite not having any experience in fashion, Vanessa saw the huge need for luxury apparel at a reasonable price that was made with sustainability in mind. She founded Another Tomorrow, an end-to-end sustainable apparel company, and is redefining how luxury fashion brands approach business by focusing on social and environmental good. Her story is inspiring for so many reasons!   Listen to it and then check out the beautiful pieces at Another Tomorrow

Why are you searching for your passion? Really think about it. You try to find it because you think that once you find it, you will love your work and finally be happy. What you're searching for is that happiness or fulfillment. Not the passion. And, yet, so many of us are hating the journey there. We think something outside of us is what is going to finally make everything better. But it doesn't work like that. The question isn't "What is my passion so I can be fulfilled?" it is "How can I be fulfilled right now so I can start discovering my passions?" Today on the podcast, I teach you what to work on in order to find fulfillment today. No passion needed. 

I am in the thick of my goal setting workshop and I love it. It has gotten me into the groove of talking about goals, so let's keep doing it. We talked last week about not dreaming big enough, not having big enough goals, and really not going after that vision that you want in your life.    This week, I want to teach you how to really evaluate whether you're setting the right type of goals. Are the goals you're setting motivating and exciting you? Are they pushing you to grow? Are you having fun while you're doing them? Or are they making you miserable? Are they requiring you to suffer through every action until you reach that final finish line? Let's talk about whether you're setting destination goals or journey goals and why it's so important to know the difference in order to actually accomplish them. 

This week, I wanted to talk about the art of dreaming bigger and why it is so important. The reason you aren't clear about what you want in life stems from the fact that you're constantly limiting yourself. You've stopped dreaming. You've settled for what's "realistic" even though deep down you know there is more. Part of finding that dream life is letting yourself set bigger goals to create a clear vision of what you want. You need to allow yourself to want things that seem intangible and then create small, actionable goals to reach them. Let me teach you how.

You’ve spent so much time and energy getting to where you are. You’ve acquired some incredible skills. It seems like such a waste to walk away from it all. But what if you didn’t have to? What if you used your skills in a new way? The problem is that most of us only think inside the box we’ve always been in. You do it how it has always been done.  But, with the internet, that no longer has to be your reality. There are so many ways to use your skills. So many ways to make money. It just requires you to think outside of the box. To figure out how you can take those skills and use them in new ways. Ways that serve you better. That’s exactly what we’re talking about (plus a lot more) on the podcast this week with Damona Hoffman.  Damona spent her career climbing the corporate ladder in Hollywood, holding several creative executive positions at studios like CBS, NBC Universal, and Paramount. But, like many mothers, after she had a child, she realized that the intense hours of her career were no longer what she wanted. After a decade of creating a notable career behind the camera as a TV producer and executive, Damona walked away. As she jumped into her own entrepreneurial journey, Damona used her skills from casting to production in her own business.  She not only became a certified dating and relationship coach but she made herself into an on-air personality. She is a regular contributor on The Drew Barrymore Show, CNN Headline News, The Washington Post, and more. She has an advice column in the LA Times. She’s been featured on various series on the A&E Network.  She also parlayed her skills into becoming a professional podcaster (meaning she gets paid to host a podcast for other people). She is now the host of the I Make A Living podcast for Freshbooks where she interviews people who work for themselves. The podcast provides a space to have candid conversations about what it is really like to make your own living. Damona is the perfect example that walking away doesn’t mean throwing it all away. It means building it on your own terms.

With this being the week entering the New Year, I spend this episode doing a recap of my 2020 year. While we tend to tout all of our successes (and there are plenty of those in this episode), I'm more excited to share all of my failures. As always, I want you to see that you can't get any of the successes if you're not willing to go through a ton of failure. I hope my year is an example of how you can manage both. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! I'm taking this week off from the podcast but I'll be back next week. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

This week we're talking about the story that you have about yourself and your capabilities. There is a narrative that you have formed based on your past experiences. And, too often, we believe that this narrative is based on facts.  It is not. Your brain has ignored a mountain of evidence to keep that narrative afloat. This self-concept is made up of just thoughts that you have about yourself.  And the great news is that you can change those thoughts. This week, we talk about why it is imperative to do that and how to get started.    Also, doors are only open for a couple more days for my goal-setting workshop. I would love to have you join. If you want to spend four weeks together and really take some time out of your life to dream and plan, then head to www.quitterclub.com/goals to sign up. 

If you've been a long-time listener, then you know I am running a goal-setting workshop in January and it has gotten me thinking about all things goal-setting. So this week, I wanted to do an episode on the difference between your short-term goals and your long-term goals. Because one of the problems I see over and over again with my clients is that they're constantly focused on the short-term goals without any idea as to the long-term vision. This keeps them hustling, running in circles, without getting anywhere. The key is to learn how to set long-term goals that will give you a North Star to make sure you're on the right path while implementing smaller, short-term goals to actually get you there. 

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In this week's episode, we are tackling people-pleasing. I figured this topic would be perfect for the week of Thanksgiving. As we know, the United States is experiencing a massive surge of COVID cases, and many of us are stuck facing the dilemma of whether or not to see our family. This is a prime example of a moment where we have to choose what is best for our life and the life of those around us. Thanksgiving may not look the same this year, but this is a topic that affects every day of your life in every way. So I think it is still one that you will find useful, even if you are spending the holidays in a less conventional setting.    I am also running a four-week goal setting workshop during the first week of January to kick-off 2021!! Here's the thing: Most people don't set goals because they know they won't follow through. Setting New Year's resolutions has almost become a joke. But the problem is not setting goals (I can't believe I have to say that). The problem is not knowing how to properly set goals and how to actually follow through. I want to teach you the techniques that have truly changed my life. I want to show you how to set proper goals, how to make time in your calendar to work on them and how to overcome all of the self-sabatoge that usually gets in the way. If you want to learn how to set and reach any goal, head to www.quitterclub.com/goals to sign up. Doors will open next week. 

In this week's episode, we talk about the importance of having a vision for your life. So many of us are walking around aimless, living the same year over and over again. In the words of Robin Sharma: "Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life." I hope that I can convince you, by the end of this episode, to get going on creating a compelling vision for your life.    I am also running a four-week goal-setting workshop during the first week of January to kick-off 2021!!   Here's the thing: Most people don't set goals because they know they won't follow through. Setting New Year's resolutions has almost become a joke. But the problem is not setting goals (I can't believe I have to say that). The problem is not knowing how to properly set goals and how to actually follow through.    I want to teach you the techniques that have truly changed my life. I want to show you how to set proper goals, how to make time in your calendar to work on them, and how to overcome all of the self-sabotage that usually gets in the way. If you want to learn how to set and reach any goal, head to www.quitterclub.com/goals to sign up. Doors will open in December. 

This week's episode covers the opportunity costs of staying stuck. Opportunity costs are what you give up by foregoing potential alternative routes to choose your given path. I want you to think about the fact that you're are always making a decision. And you're always giving something up for that decision. Oftentimes our brains, like to believe that if we stay stuck, if nothing has changed on the outside, we're just doing what we've always done and we haven't lost anything. But that's not true. In today's episode, I dive deep into what it costs you to keep holding on to your sunk costs in the hopes that you make your decisions from a more intentional place.    I also wanted to let you know that in a couple of weeks, I'm going to open doors for a workshop that I'm doing in January. Throughout my journey, I've completely changed the way I approach setting goals and has changed my life in a very profound way. I want to offer these techniques and coaching you guys.    Visit www.quitterclub.com/goals to sign up.

  We've arrived at Election Day. And since this day is highly emotional for some people, I wanted to talk a little bit about mindset and how to react to the world around you. Pivotal moments like this can make us feel out of control. In this episode, I want to help you see what you control and what you don't. Focusing on your own thoughts, feelings, and actions is the only way to be able to show up the way you want. So let's start there.   If this episode helped you at all, please share it with a friend! 

This week we talk about the Sunk Cost Fallacy and how it may be holding you back from your goals. The fallacy points out the irrational ways humans tend to stick with a behavior based on the amount of previous investment (time, money, effort, etc.) rather than what actually serves their goals. So the more you invest in something (ie a career, a relationship, a project, etc) the more likely you are to pursue it even to your own detriment. We are programmed to have an aversion to loss. However, once you know it, you can start spotting when you're doubling down on something that has actually run it's course. This is one of the biggest blocks I see keeping so many people in a career they hate. In this episode, we dive deep into the Sunk Cost Fallacy to help you spot it and move past it to focus on the opportunities ahead of you. 

This week, we have the incredible Sarah Truesdell on the show. Sarah went to law school with the dream of becoming a public interest attorney and that's exactly what she did. She spent  8 years doing eviction defense and housing rights litigation and, unlike many of my previous lawyer guests, she actually loved practicing law. However, as many women find, she realized balancing her family with the demands of a legal career was near impossible. She took a break from working in 2016 to stay home with her children. While at home, Sarah dived back into her hobby of baking. Friends began asking if they could purchase baked goods and Sarah started charging. In 2018, she opened Sugar by Sarah and turned her hobby into a business.  However, once COVID hit, the demand for cakes declined. After posting some Facebook Lives of her baking, Sarah was hired by her friend to host a virtual baking class. It was a hit, and her virtual baking classes have been quickly growing ever since. Her story is a wonderful example of the fact that obstacles will always be present in our path but so will opportunities.  Find Sarah here: www.instagram.com/sugarbysarah/ https://www.sugarbysarahla.com/ We are running another round of our 12-week program, Stuck to Strategy! Sign up at https://www.quitterclub.com/group

Join us for our October Find Your Path Challenge. Sign up today at www.quitterclub.com/mindset

On this week's episode, we talk about the duality of life, the good and the bad. Life is always going to throw curveballs at us and we need to deconstruct the idea that we need to be happy all the time. Owning our dissatisfaction and working toward goals that allow for small wins will help us be more fulfilled.  We also have a Find Your Path challenge in October: Sign up here www.quitterclub.com/mindset

This is the last episode in our 3-part series that will help you start managing your mind. This week is all about emotions. While we all realize that we feel emotions every day, we're never taught how to process them. We end up staying stuck because we're so afraid to feel our negative emotions like shame, embarrassment, regret, or discomfort.    In this episode, I hope to reframe how you can look at your emotions so that you can start living your dreams.

This week I have Dawn Kelly on the show. I'm excited for this episode, not only because we cover her career journey but also because we delve into a truly important conversation related to today's social climate. Dawn spent decades climbing the corporate ladder to become the department Vice President at Prudential Financial. She is a proven public relations and strategic communications executive.   A major theme of this episode touches on is that oftentimes we believe we have security in corporate America. We believe that businesses have an equal investment in us, but we regularly see individuals with the rug pulled out from under them. Dawn worked for Prudential for 16 years but was blindsided by a layoff in 2015.    It left her with an immense amount of grief. Although this tragedy touched many of us, Dawn's experience as a black woman in corporate America is vital to understand. She realized that her race played an immense part in her treatment as well as her abrupt layoff. It's important to listen to and highlight these stories of discrimination and microaggressions to move forward in a positive way. Understanding the gravity of these demeaning actions will help us show up in the world in a highly impactful way.    Today Dawn is serving and feeding her community with The Nourish Spot in Jamaica, Queens. She is committed to serving healthy, balanced meals to underserved communities and works to create programs to help build children up. Dawn really is the epitome of a go-getter and true inspiration to us all.

This week I have the incredible Raman Sehgal on the show. As a self-proclaimed recovering marketer and upcoming podcaster, Raman has spent years building a remarkable portfolio. He began his career climbing the corporate ladder with big brands like Proctor & Gamble and Dannon and, later, left the security of corporate America to work at in the startup scene. While we talk about all of his transitions, it's his latest one that I really wanted to highlight on the show.    Raman left the startup world to bring his unique perspective to life across his first 3 (of many?) podcasts: "the P&G Alumni Podcast," "Model Minorities," and "Quarantined Comics." These shows share candid conversations that aspire to provide mentorship, solve racism, and debate Superman's management style, respectively.    I wanted to have this conversation on the podcast because most of my past guests had already figured out their transitions. With Raman, we get to hear about how he's figuring out this new venture right now, his approach to this new medium, and how he decides which projects to pursue. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and hope you gain as much from this conversation as I did.  

This episode is a detailed review of Cal Newport's Deep Work. 

This week's incredible guest is Emily Giffin. She is a former lawyer and 10-TIME New York Times bestselling author. It wasn't until after law school when she had moved to Manhattan to work in a big law firm to pay back her loans, that she began writing in her spare time and dreamed of becoming a writer.    In 2001, she decided to quit and move to London to pursue her dreams full-time. It was there that she started writing her first breakout hit, Something Borrowed, which was turned into a movie that starred Kate Hudson and Jennifer Goodwin and John Krasinski. And the rest, as they say, is history!   While I'm so excited to talk to her all about her journey and her incredibly inspiring career as an author, I think her story is such a great example of the power of taking a risk. So often we're paralyzed by what we could lose that we fail to even consider the immense opportunities that we could gain if we just tried. Emily and I talk about how timing and luck has a part in all of our stories. But if she had never taken the chance, if she had never decided to take a risk that most people wouldn't take, she would've given up a career so many only dream of. And what a shame that would have been!    In this episode, we dive in to talk about her journey, her new book called The Lies That Bind (it is so good!), and so much more!

This week I am thrilled to have Cher Hale on the show. What I love most about Cher's story is how she demonstrates that we can each find ways, in our own lives and work, to right the wrongs we see in our society. One of the best part about entrepreneurship is that you have the freedom to do things your own way. And that's exactly what Cher is doing! Cher started out as a waitress on the Las Vegas strip and freelanced on the side. We talk about how she never had a formal PR education but found a fantastic mentor who inspired her to dive headfirst into entrepreneurship instead.  Cher is the founder and director of Ginkgo Public Relations, a company that specializes in amplifying marginalized and underrepresented voices. After working in PR and realizing that the same voices were getting all of the attention, Cher decided to focus her attention on changing that. Her company now aims to reduce inequity in the media landscape, stop the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, and offer much-needed representation across all sectors.  

I'm so honored to have Deborah Chambers on the podcast today to talk about such important topics such as ageism and how we limit ourselves with preconceived notions of what is possible. Deborah is an advocate and role model focused on challenging the negative stereotypes around aging. She's here to spread the message that it is never too late and you're never too old...a message we wholeheartedly endorse on this podcast! Stuck in a rut, dreading turning 50, and having worked as a technical writer for the same company for more than 20 years, Deborah was looking for a change. But she never imagined that she'd change her whole life completely in her 50s. At 53, she applied to a modeling agency, began posting photographs on Instagram featuring her perfectly coiffed hair and impeccable style that garnered the attention of thousands of people. She has since created a platform (over 40K on Instagram and 70K on TikTok) dedicated to showing people that you're never too old to show up as your whole self and to follow your dreams. At 55, she quit her job and went full in with this passion project (and we are so thankful that she did!) Her platform and her message are not only inspiring and empowering but exactly what we need in a world that glorifies looking young over everything else. Make sure to check her out here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deborah__darling/ Website: https://deborahdarling.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DeborahDarlingOlderAndBraver

One of the main reasons I started this podcast was to show people stuck in the traditional corporate world just how many ways there were to make a living today. Too many people are stuck because they don't know that there is another way! Well, today's episode is another testament to all of the possibilities out there. I'm so excited to chat with the incredible Naja Hall about how she went from the entertainment industry to becoming a coach for Step Moms!!   Naja is the founder of  VIPStepmom, a community for stepmoms, and Blended and Black, the largest blended family community for Millenials. As a Certified Coach and Educator, she understands that the family is THE MOST influential entity of human development, and her work centers around helping individuals and families navigate some of life’s toughest transitions. As the host of a popular podcast, I know I’m Crazy with Naja Hall and author of the Girl, Bye! Book series, Naja’s life’s work is to teach empathy, accountability, and emotional intelligence through the art of story-telling and genuine human connections. She’s a Stepmom of 3. You can find her at blendedandblack.com and VIPStepmom.com 

This week, I'm so excited to talk to my friend, Alexis Michaud. In continuing with our spotlight on guests who overcame uncertainty in the 2008 recession, Alexis was laid off from her high-paying job as a lawyer when she was pregnant and the breadwinner for her family! We talk all about how that turned out to be the biggest blessing because it changed her career path. Alexis was a tax and corporate law attorney for over 18 years in some of the most prestigious positions at large law firms and technology companies. But in 2018, after her father suffered some unexpected health issues, she knew it was time to walk away. She followed her passion for real estate even though everyone questioned her decision to leave such a successful career. Well, Alexis showed that you can be successful doing anything you want when she brought in more income in her first year as a realtor than she ever did as an attorney!     In 2020 she decided to combine her legal and real estate skill sets and founded North Advisory Group, a company that acts as  COO during a transition and relocation to the tax-free state of Nevada. She is such an inspiration and it's so cool to watch her navigate all the possibility that lies ahead! 

"I don't know what to do." I've heard this countless times in working with people stuck in careers they hate. I've been hearing it, even more, the past couple of weeks when it comes to anti-racism work. This thought is simply your fear. Fear of doing something wrong. Fear of upsetting other people. Fear of "wasting" your time. That's it. You've convinced yourself that other people have it figured out and, if you could just find the "right" steps, then you, too, would take them. I want to let you in on a little secret. NO ONE HAS IT FIGURED OUT. Over the past two weeks, I've had a lot of people ask me what I plan on doing with my platform since I've started speaking out about the criminal justice system. I realize that their question assumes that I have a "plan". That I've carefully thought of every step and I'm moving forward with some grand roadmap rather than I saw a need and jumped in to fill it. Just so we're clear: I have zero plan. These past 2 weeks, I've been overrun with anxiety and fear. I have barely slept. And these are some of the thoughts that have been running on a loop in my head: ​ - Who am I to talk about this? - What will people say? - What if I sound like an idiot? - What if I get it wrong? The only difference is that I've spent the past couple of years learning how to manage my mind. I know that those thoughts are just my fear trying to keep me safe (read: stuck). I feel that fear and I do what I want to do anyway. I take the first step without knowing if it is "right". I learn. I pivot. and I keep going. ​ That's it. That's the whole plan. ​​  

With all of the protests and uprising after the murder of George Floyd, I didn't want to go back to business as usual. In this episode, I hope to show you that we are all racist because we've been raised in a racist society and, once we can accept that, we can begin to remedy it. I hope to help shift your perspective on how to really examine your own thoughts and start making a change.   This is in no way an education on being anti-racist. There are incredible educators that you should follow that have many resources like:   Rachel Cargle: https://www.rachelcargle.com/ The Great Unlearn: https://www.patreon.com/thegreatunlearn Layla Saad: http://laylafsaad.com/ Ijeoma Oluo: http://www.ijeomaoluo.com/

Cheers to 100 episodes!! I’m not great at celebrating small wins. My brain loves to just keep pushing forward. Move the goalposts. Focus on everything I haven’t accomplished.  And while that serves me in some ways, it often makes me miss the whole journey. So I’m intentionally slowing down and appreciating the process. 100 episodes.  80+ in-depth conversations with incredible people.  Almost 2 years of podcasting. My whole life has changed. And that’s worth celebrating. Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported this journey! I love you all.  This week I talk about the lessons I've learned through these 100 episodes as well as an update about where my business is heading.

Erin received her law degree from UC Berkeley in 2008 and worked as a lawyer for one year before she was fired. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Erin decided to take a leap of faith and pour her life savings into creating a restaurant dedicated to the best food on earth: mac and cheese. Erin is the Founder and CEO of Homeroom. Homeroom has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel, and other national media outlets. Homeroom now has over 100 employees and has also received numerous awards for its people-first business practices. Erin authored the best-selling “Mac and Cheese Cookbook,” and business articles for Conscious Company Magazine and the Washington Post. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Erin went to law school even though she had wanted to open a cupcake shop What happened after Erin was fired from her firm How she used her entire life saving to open up a restaurant with virtually no experience in this field. How she found herself unhappy after 5 years in her dream job and what she did to fix it. What Homeroom is doing now to create more female partners in the restaurant industry and how they’re sharing their successful anti-harassment training policy.

Lindsey started out like many people pursuing a career in the corporate world. Even though she was doing great at her job, it was during the 2008 recession that she realized this wasn't a stable path. She then decided to enter entrepreneurship part-time through a company called Isagenix, a network marketing company which she still currently works with.   From that company, she then created Powerhouse Women, an online community, a yearly event, a book, and a podcast. (Whew!). After seeing numerous women in her life stop short of pursuing their own entrepreneurial dreams because of fear and self-doubt, she saw the need for more honest conversations about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship in order to show women that they don't have to have it all together to get started.   What I love the most about Lindsey's story is that she sets an example for her community. She didn't wait around for a huge social media following or to have some kind of star-backing, she wrote a book because she wanted to write a book and became a best-seller. She created an event because she saw a need and now it's growing year after year! If you take away one single message from Lindsey's story, let it be this: just start. Whatever it is that you want to do, just start doing it. You never know where that path may lead!   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How no one actually knows what they're doing and you don't have to do it alone. How fulfillment comes from giving yourself time and space to do the things you want to do. Why it's important to think about the limitations you're arguing for. And so much more!

Here is what we chat about in this episode: - What the FIRE movement is really about - How Paula got started on her own journey to financial independence - How freelancing gave her freedom to travel for over 2 years and the skills to never go back to a “job” - Where the big opportunities in freelance writing are today - How she built her rental property portfolio and the resources she offers her community to do the same - What some possible downsides are to the FIRE movement and how to have the proper discussions to work around those issues - And so much more!  

Our book review for April is Brene Brown’s Rising Strong. The entire premise of the book is how to get back up when life has thrown you down. Given that every one of us will get knocked down in life, learning how to rise and write your own story is one of the greatest skills we can cultivate.    Especially during this uncertain time of a global pandemic, Brene Brown’s insights can help us weather the storm and regain some control.    Here is what we cover in this episode: What the 3 steps of Rising Strong include Why it’s so important to get curious about your emotions Why the messy middle is a non-negotiable  How to deal with grief How to own your story 

One of the things that I try to stress on this podcast is the fact that there are opportunities everywhere. As new technologies emerge, entire new industries are born and those industries sprout tons of new jobs and business ideas. My guests today have been taking advantage of just that.  After Airbnb started gaining in popularity, Annette Grant and Sarah Karakaian each saw an opportunity to leverage the platform into a short-term rental business. And they each did it in their own unique way--Annette teamed up with a business partner who invested in the properties while Annette runs the business and Sarah and her husband started by renting out their own properties on Airbnb.   And it was on this mission to share their spaces and live their dreams that Annette and Sarah met at a City Council meeting in Columbus, Ohio, where they were fighting for their right to host these short-term rentals responsibly and legally.  Since then, they knew they would have to find a way to elevate their voice and share what it means to be a host with heart so that having a short-term rental in a community was an asset, not a nuisance.  Aside from managing 20+ properties, Sarah and Annette host a popular podcast all about the short-term rental industry called Thanks for Visiting.  Before their Airbnb endeavours, Annette helped build two businesses from the ground up into multi-million dollar businesses. Her expertise ranges from service-based to e-commerce. And Sarah spent 14 years in New York City as a musical theatre performer before she hung up her character shoes, packed up her life with her husband, Nick, and 12 lb. cockapoo and moved to the midwest. Inspired by their opportunity to be involved in 8 episodes of an HGTV show, Sarah and Nick knew that working in and around homes was their calling! They flip, stage, and invest in homes with stories all around Columbus, OH.

While the podcast showcases the specific steps and tactics people used to start over in new careers, my goal is to actually demonstrate the mindset that you need to take the leap.  Because without the mindset, all of the tactics in the world won’t help you start over. If you get stuck in the fear and the doubt, you’ll be stuck forever.  Through my own journey and talking with over 90 quitters, I’ve come to realize that the most important mindset shift is in truly understanding that you CAN figure anything out. Once you become comfortable with the unknown, not because you’re certain, but because you’re confident in your ability to figure it out, you become unstoppable.  No one embodies that mentality more than my guest this week, Emily Sexton.  Emily started out on Wall Street as Vice President of Communications and Change Management. Feeling like something was missing, she quit without knowing her next move. When Emily discovered the opportunity to open up a pop-up retail truck that would combine her love of fashion with her desire to support female vendors from developing countries, a cause she was passionate about, she jumped on it.  With no retail experience, Emily leaned on her community to make the pop-up shop a success. A year later, she turned the Flourish Market into a brick-and-mortar shop. And when she was presented with the opportunity to move to a bigger space, she seized that too. But the space was actually too big for just a retail shop. Emily had to figure out what to do with all the extra space. So in the Summer of 2019, she launched The Locality, a co-working space + incubator for 60 female entrepreneurs, with membership spots selling out before construction even started! And now with the Covid pandemic, when so many businesses are struggling, Emily took only a couple of days to pivot her co-working space into an online membership. She is such a testament to the fact that opportunities are all around us, if we’re willing to see them. Her outlook and attitude are infectious. And she provides the hope and clarity we need in this time!

What if the secret to your happiness wasn't in getting to the next milestone, or doing a bunch of things that society tells you to do, or accomplishing anything?  What if the secret was in undoing all of the BS you were sold?  What if the secret was in returning to who you were always meant to be before you were forced to be something you're not? This week on the podcast, I got to talk to Erika Gerdes about how she left the dream career and dream life -- an executive at Google, married with 2 young kids -- to start undoing the facade that she had built around herself.  We'll talk about how it took a divorce and quitting a job at the height of her career, and one she actually liked, for Erika to master the Art of Undoing -- a framework that she now uses to help other people. We talk all about how she jumped without a plan while being a single mom of two little girls and the sole breadwinner!  Erika is such an incredible example of the fact that you can always go back to who you were always meant to be. 

I’m so excited to jump into March’s book club pick, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. If you haven’t taken the time to read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up.   I think this book is all the more important during this uncertain time of a global pandemic. Many people are rightfully re-evaluating their life and work.    The entire premise of the book is that we need creativity in order to live the rich, fulfilled lives we so desperately crave.  And Liz Gilbert gives us the perfect blueprint to get started.    In this episode, we’ll discuss: Why every human is a creative being Why we all need creativity for a fulfilled life How to ditch the tortured artist stereotype How to pursue creativity even if you’re afraid How to fold it into your life And so much more. 

As we head into uncertain economic times, it’s important to look to examples of people who have, not only survived but thrived through similar situations.   We need reminders that, while there are so many things we don’t control, we always control how we show up.   There is no better example of this than my friend, Janelle Copeland.    Janelle had a successful career in leadership and management at large retailers such as Circuit City, AT&T, and Best Buy. But during the 2008 recession, both Janelle and her husband were both laid off from their lucrative 6-figure jobs.   After having to file bankruptcy, Janelle had to find another way.    What she did next is incredible:   She started the Cake Mamas with her husband's EX (What?!? I know.) They quickly grew their in-home bakery to over $10k a month She then decided to open up her first brick-and-mortar bakery She's run that successful bakery for over 10 years with 15 employees She has been featured a number of times on Food Network, even winning the popular Cupcake Wars.  She has built an incredibly strong brand and business  She also started a second business coaching and consulting with female entrepreneurs   Janelle's story is such a powerful reminder that sometimes our hardships are true blessings in disguise. That's not to say they're not difficult. But we didn't sign up for “easy” with this life.   It can be incredibly powerful to see how others were able to, not only get through but thrive ​​​in tough times.    Janelle's perspective is one we could all use right now. 

We’re all feeling scared and uncertain about the future.   I don’t have the answers. But I’m hoping my perspective might quiet those fears a bit.   My advice basically falls into a couple DOs and DONTs.   DON’T:   DON’T take anyone’s advice about all of the things you should be getting done right now while in quarantine.  This isn’t a vacation. A lot of us are panicked and we don’t need to add a layer of shame on top of it because we’re not re-organizing our closets or creating the perfect homeschooling plan for our children.   If you have the bandwidth to use this time to tackle the things you usually don’t have time for, great! Have at it!  But if you don’t, give yourself grace. It’s ok to just be. In our society of hustle, we don’t need to turn a pandemic into a time of productivity.    Let yourself do whatever you need right now and take off the guilt.    DON’T spend all day watching the news.    While I just said you can do whatever you want, that comes with one caveat: you can’t just take in hours and hours of news.   Our brains are evolutionarily wired to seek out all information about possible dangers. But it wasn’t evolved to take in a 24-hour news cycle that gets more ratings the scarier it is.   While you need to stay abreast of what is going on, you don’t need a minute-by-minute update of every person who has died from the virus.   Walk away. Do anything else.    DON’T try to predict the future.   “We suffer more in imagination than in reality.”- Seneca    When our thoughts run unchecked we try to come up with every possible scenario of what can happen. The reality is that we have no idea what is going to happen. Stop trying to control or plan for every possible scenario.    There are tons of factors that we have no control over--the government, how many people self-quarantine, etc. All we are doing in our attempt to control is increasing the amount of time we suffer. Know that you’ll deal with whatever issue comes up.    DO:   DO look at the silver linings-   While this can be hard, mindset work is the most needed in tough times.    I like to think about the Law of Polarity- everything has an equal, opposite side.    We’d never know what happiness was if we didn’t experience sadness. Think about it. How would food ever taste good if you were always full?  So while these events are hard and can be painful, there is another side. Maybe that’s getting time to be with your family. Maybe that’s giving mother nature a break from our constant onslaught. Maybe it’s just changing your perspective to stop worrying about all of the minor things.    Whatever it is, spend time each day focusing on that. No better time than now to start a gratitude practice.    DO look at how other people have thrived in uncertain times.   “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Marian Wright Edelman    It helps us to see others who have come out of tough times. It lets us know that it is possible.    Luckily, we’ve had tons of guests on the podcast who lost their jobs during the last economic recession in 2008 and it turned out to be the best thing that happened to them. Take some time to remind yourself that it’s not always as bad as we think it is.    Episode 2 with Steve Trang Episode 3 with Erin Wade Episode 28 with Paula Pant Episode 61 with Lindsey Schwartz   Everything is cyclical. Humans have gone through these uncertain times over and over again. And we’ll make it out...sometimes much stronger.    DO take care of yourself.    The most important thing is to figure out what you need the most and give that to yourself right now, without shame or blame. Do whatever you need to take care of yourself mentally and physically.    Xoxo Goli

What if you quit your career and start over only to find out that the new career also isn’t something you love?! I think that is one of the biggest reasons people stay stuck. We have this idea that if we jump, then the next thing has to be our purpose. So we become frenetic about finding it. We become so obsessed that we can’t slow down long enough to figure out what we actually like (see the problem here?) Having come out on the other side of this process, I now see that there is no 1 thing. Life is a series of experiments and, with each one, you learn a little bit more about yourself. And if you have the courage to keep trying, you get closer and closer to your calling. That's why I love having people on the podcast who have quit multiple times and had the courage to keep trying.  Today, on the show, I got to talk to Mary Eberle about her super interesting career path. Mary is a former lawyer who reinvented herself as a genetic genealogist. She quit two previous careers and now has a fascinating and rewarding career solving family mysteries. (how cool is that?!) Mary founded DNA Hunters, where she solves family mysteries by analyzing DNA test results and genealogical records. Many of her clients have been trying to solve their family mysteries for decades—and sometimes even over multiple generations. Family mysteries include “Who are my birth parents?” and “Is my surname the correct surname?” To solve family mysteries, she applies many skills from her 10 years as a DNA lab technician (Career #1) and her 13+ years as a biotech patent attorney (Career #2). She finds great satisfaction in repurposing these skills to provide long-sought-after answers to her clients. Check out her story! Mary's Links: Website: https://dnahunters.com Free download:  https://dnahunters.com/dna-roadmap-2/   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DNAHunters/   LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-eberle-jd/

Clearly, we’re on the same page as our guest this week, Sara Bliss. Sara is the author of Take the Leap where she provides both inspiration and advice for transforming your life. Sara features the stories of over 65 people who have taken the jump to completely new careers. She proves that it's not too late to chase your dreams, change up your life, hit it big, and go for it.   Sara has made countless leaps of her own going from short order cook to auction house assistant to magazine scribe to to branding/content advisor to ghostwriter to book author. She has covered a wide range of topics including design, travel, profiles, celebrities, hotels, beauty, health and business.   She is now the author/co-author/or ghostwriter of 11 books including Hotel Chic at Home. She is also a Forbes Contributor covering career pivots.

This week on the pod, I'm reviewing Martha Beck's Finding Your Own North Star.   If you've ever wondered how you should find your calling or passion, this book is for you. It is a guide to uncovering what has always been there.   In this episode, I discuss: The difference between the essential self and the social self How to start listening to your essential self and why that's so important How to start charting a map to your new life and more...

What if I told you there was a tool that could help you figure out what you should be doing with your life?   Sounds pretty amazing, right?!   What if I told you that tool was the ever-popular personality assessment?!   Before you roll your eyes, hear me out.   I used to laugh at these new-age, woo-woo BS tests. If it wasn't scientifically proven, I didn't want to hear it.   But then I took one...just for fun...and something happened.   It was accurate. Like, eerily accurate. Like, I swore that one of my family members was playing a trick on me and messed with the results because there is no way something can know me to a "T" like that accurate.   And reading about myself for the first time in that assessment changed the way I saw myself.   For so long I had obsessed over my "weaknesses".    ​​Why couldn't I just be more organized?! It's not that hard. Just put things back where they belong!​​​   Why do I care so much about what other people think?! Why do I take on their emotions? Just let it go. For the love of God, let it go, woman!   Stop seeking so much attention! You're not the center of the universe. Sit down!    And, on and on...   I have a feeling your inner monologue is similar. Maybe different in words but the same tone.    But when I read that personality assessment, I realized that I was literally built this way. It's not a weakness. It's not a glitch. This is who I am. This is how I tick. And I can spend the rest of my life ​​​​​​beating myself up for who I'm not. Or I can decide to embrace who I am.  This really started me down a road of self-acceptance and self-compassion. And that is ultimately what led me to do the things that light me up.    And I know it can do the same for you.    So this week on the podcast, I have back my friend, Christine McAlister. Christine is a business coach, the founder of Life With Passion, and the bestselling author of The Income Replacement Formula: Seven Simple Steps To Doing What You Love And Making Six Figures From Anywhere. She helps high-achievers replace their incomes & make 6-figures with businesses they love AND that support the life they want to live.   Luckily for us, she is also a certified administrator of the Myers-Briggs personality assessment.    We'll talk all about how to figure out what your personality type is and how that can help you in a search for the perfect career. ​​​​​​​​

Traci Connell is an award-winning creative entrepreneur whose business sense and design skills are combined with a passion for delivering interiors that are at the heart of a livable style. Formally trained as an elementary teacher, Traci enjoyed the creativity and structure of the classroom but knew she had not found her passion. The big “Ah-ha” moment came in 2000, when a dear friend asked, “why can’t you make money doing something you love?” and after careful consideration, Connell Interiors was born. While working to provide a second income, the first decade was spent developing her eye for design, honing her skill for business practices, holding leadership roles within the Interior Design Society, and completing successful client projects as well as many charity opportunities. In 2011, life threw a curveball and Traci became a single mother with three children. Traci realized and accepted that her business was no longer a second income, but it was the sole source of income. Fueled with pure passion to feed her family and realize her dream, the rebirth of her company was established as Traci Connell Interiors. During the last eight years, Traci Connell has grown her revenue twenty-fold to over two and a half million dollars, and her net profit grew tenfold. She has gone from running her business from her kitchen table and her car trunk to acquiring a full design studio. 

Most people accept the limitations placed on them by society, never questioning how much more they’re actually capable of.  Tasha Cochran is not most people. And that is why I’m thrilled to have her on the podcast today to blow up people’s assumptions of what is possible.    Tasha Cochran is an attorney, co-founder of One Big Happy Life, and a true trailblazer for lasting and effective financial freedom.    However, Tasha began her career journey as a 19 year-old single mother in the military. Wanting to provide the best for her daughter, Tasha set her sights on law school and didn’t rest until she got into one of the country’s best schools, Yale Law. After graduation, she began working as a lawyer in Consumer Finance.    While she excelled at her career, and made valuable connections, she found herself wanting more. Needing a passion or hobby to take her mind of the stress of work, Tasha began creating YouTube videos on a topic she loved to talk about, finances. That hobby eventually led her down a path to create One Big Happy Life where she serves as a wealth expert and strategist to help others find sustainable and realistic solutions to building their wealth and lifestyles.    In under 3 years, Tasha began making multiple six-figures with One Big Happy Life all while still working a full-time job as a lawyer. In fact, Tasha only quit law six months ago in order to focus on and scale OBHL.    Tasha and her partner Joseph have built an empire by accepting fluidity and rejecting society’s standards of the “right” way of doing things. With their Wealth Builders Academy program, they teach individuals to take charge of their finances and stop living by limiting beliefs. Tasha is a shining example of what it is like to craft your own journey and design a life that works for you.    In this episode, we discuss: How building your dreams and having a career aren’t mutually exclusive Why it’s ok to not follow a strict life plan How sharing your story can help you and others grow The value of hard work in a quickly growing online space And so much more.   Tasha’s Links:    Website   Instagram   Wealth Builders Academy 

This week on the podcast, we're kicking off our book club for 2020. One of the biggest tools to achieving the life you want is changing your mindset. Books and podcasts have been pivotal in my own journey and the journey of so many others who have designed a life that they love.   So we're going to spend some time every month focusing on shifting our beliefs about what is possible and what we can accomplish.   This month's book was The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.   This was the first book that I picked up after quitting the law. It was the first book that really changed my mindset.⁠ It opened my eyes to another way of living.⁠ It showed me that it was possible to design my life in a way that I had never considered before.⁠   And even if you don't want to quit your career or travel the world and work remotely, there are so many gems to take away from this book.    I break down all of the incredible wisdom in this book, including - Why you should re-evaluate your life and what you truly want - How to question everything  - How to eliminate tasks so you have time to work on the things that matter - How to get over the fear that is keeping you stuck - How to recognize how much control you truly have  - and so much more!  

Are you staying in a job you hate because of money?   The #1 reason I hear from people when they tell me they can't quit is finances.   Whether it is too much debt, not being able to replace their salary, or not being able to cut back, money seems to be a big block from living the life they want.    But when I push just a bit, I realize that most people have no real idea of their actual numbers.   They think that they have a general idea. But specific numbers of how much they bring in and how much goes out...not a clue.⁠   And I get it. Finances are overwhelming. So we just bury our heads in the sands.⁠   And whether we realize it or not, we begin to play the victims in our own lives. We come to believe, falsely, that there is nothing we can do. That this is just the way it is and that we're destined to live this way forever. ⁠ Well, I don't have to tell you that this isn't true. There are tons of resources and plans that can help you tackle any financial situation. ⁠ But, if you want to start creating a plan for how to quit your career, you have to know your numbers.⁠ ⁠ Today on the podcast, I got to talk to Rob Bertman about actionable steps you can take to get control over your situation.⁠   Rob Bertman, CFA, CFP® helps families improve their lives and reach their financial goals by focusing on the #1 key to financial success, managing spending.   Rob is a quitter himself. He left a successful career as a partner and securities analyst at an investment management firm to found Family Budget Expert. He knows first hand the upside and challenges of leaving a stable career to start a business and he's on the podcast today to share how you can get started on your journey to financial control now.   Here is what we discuss: - What the most important step is to gaining control of your finances  - What things you can do to tackle your massive student loan debt  - How much you should be saving for a runway before quitting - How to start saving when you're living paycheck to paycheck - And so much more

On this podcast, we’ve talked to tons of people who have quit careers that they hated in order to find something that they loved. The general premise is that this outside circumstance, namely their stressful job, is causing them to be miserable and so they make the leap in search of a circumstance that won’t cause them to feel that way.   Well, on today’s episode, I am honored to talk to the incredible Kara Lowentheil, Master Certified Coach, and ex-reproductive rights litigator, about why that approach is the wrong way to go about it.    Kara’s own journey is not unlike a lot of our previous guests. Kara received her B.A. from Yale and J.D. from Harvard. She went on to create an impressive legal resume including a clerkship for a Federal Court of Appeals and various jobs in academia. However, when she realized that no amount of accomplishment was going to bring her inner peace and happiness, she turned to life coaching and thought work.    Thought work teaches how to bring awareness to and actively engage with your own thinking in order to help retrain your brain. Kara found that the more thought work she engaged in, the happier she became in her life regardless of the outside circumstances.   After realizing the power of thought work in her own life, Kara decided to become a life coach in order to help other women unfuck their brain from all of the patriarchal programming. As we talk about in-depth, Kara didn’t leave because she hated her job. In fact, she discusses how she could have stayed and loved what she was doing. But seeing the impact that she could make on women’s lives with thought work was more of an exciting opportunity.    In the last three years after pivoting from a legal career, she has grown her life coaching business from 0 to 7 figures. She's the host of the iTunes top-rated self-help podcast Unf*ck Your Brain which has been downloaded over 6M times, and she has been featured in outlets like Marie Claire, Mind Body Green, MSN.com, and The Huffington Post. Kara lives in New York City. Basically, she’s starting a feminist revolution.    In this episode, we discuss: Why you should learn to be happy in your career before making the decision to leave  Why even if you’re happy, change will feel uncomfortable How being happy in your current situation is different than feeling ready to make a jump How thought work can help in any situation  Why we feel stuck in careers that offer prestige And so much more.  Kara’s Links: Website The Clutch Facebook Instagram

This week I had the opportunity to chat with Marc Allen, a strategy consultant to social impact and development funders worldwide, advising them on how to create greater human impact with their investments. We talk all about why skills are valuable. Namely how we can look at the skills we’ve acquired, instead of the career we’ve pursued, in order to help serve us in our next projects.    I love this episode because it is all about self-reinvention and seeking purpose. While those are both tricky paths to navigate, Marc’s own journey shows that with some resilience and open-mindedness, it’s not as impossible as we like to think.    Marc worked as an attorney for four years at one of the top law firms in the UK and Paris. But after taking two thought-provoking trips in 2014 to Iran and New Orleans, it was clear to him that he didn’t want to be a lawyer. He witnessed so many people harnessing their skills to wear different hats and be useful in their communities. It was eye-opening to take note of people who were in very adverse situations making due with their circumstances. They used what they could offer the world in unorthodox and slightly creative ways to get around systems that aren’t always inclusive. The inspiration to quit stemmed from these micro-case studies of progress despite the environment. Marc had to quit. In 2015, he finally did without a real plan or clear idea of what was next.     For the next two years, he tried out different careers and spent time on his passion project, a blog called The Great Everything.    By focusing on the skills he had and the various facets of his personality, Marc finally found a career that he loves. He retrained as a strategy consultant to philanthropies. He is now able to spend his days helping large funders create the biggest impact with their money.    I got to talk to Marc about how the skills he acquired as a lawyer serve him in his new role. We dive into how he first sensed doubt when his work began to feel unimportant. He was not connected to the outcomes of his cases. But instead of spiraling and worrying that his next move absolutely needed to be in law, he opened himself to a ton of new opportunities.    First, he evaluated the skills he built over the years. As an attorney, Mark developed a strong and unwavering work ethic. He also developed a strong backbone and self-confidence. He also navigated difficult internal power dynamics to get to the opportunities he wanted with tact and patience. All of these characteristics aid him in his role as Engagement Manager at Camber Collective. Marc manages strategy and coalition design for companies, countries, funds, and philanthropies looking to outsize their social impact. He has found the perfect fit BECAUSE of all the skills he has acquired through his career.    The thought of starting over is daunting, especially if you are going into a field where you have little to no experience. It’s easy to fall into the trap of self-doubt when you realize that you are starting from a novice level. But, as Marc puts it, take an honest look at your life and think about what you’re going to regret when you’re 75. When you’re in a difficult place, think about, “Would I rather stay here and hope my situation improves? Or am I going to be brave and actually go out and do something about it?” Are you willing to be uncomfortable for a bit and set up challenges and force yourself to rise to the occasion?    When we embrace the idea that we are so much more than one job or one interest, we open ourselves up to immense personal growth. Gratitude for our skills and our gradual evolution will help us push forward and overcome negative self-talk and open ourselves up to different opportunities.    Find Marc here: LinkedIn   Passion Project   Employer

If you’re serious about achieving the many dreams you have for your life, you need to start getting serious about goal-setting. I know goal-setting, especially around New Year’s, gets a bad rap. But I always find it laughable that people look down on New Year's resolutions. Because think about the logic:⁠ ⁠ ▪️ People use the New Year as a time to reflect and set new goals. -->⁠ ⁠ ▪️ Most people don't set goals the right way and so they give up on them quickly. -->⁠ ⁠ ▪️ And so everyone has now decided that the only way to solve this problem is to not set goals in the first place.⁠ ⁠ I'm sorry. WHAT?!? 🙃⁠ ⁠ I hate to break it to you but setting goals is not the issue in this equation.⁠ ⁠ Not setting the right types of goals and not having a plan to implement those goals is the problem.⁠ ⁠ And, sure, you don't need to wait until New Year's to set goals. In fact, you should be setting them every 90 days and re-evaluating them constantly.⁠ ⁠ But the New Year is a great time for new beginnings.⁠ ⁠ So don't give in to what the haters say. Spend some time figuring out what you want out of the new year and how you can show up as a better version of yourself.⁠ ⁠ And, to help, this week's episode is all about how to set goals the right way in order to actually achieve your dreams.⁠ WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE: - Why you need goals - Principles of Goal-Setting - How to Set the Right Types of Goals  - How to Plan Your Week So You Can Work on Your Goals - and more...

 We're obsessed with trying to find the "right" answer because we think that will give us some semblance of "control" over our future.⁠ "How do I know which direction is the right one for me?"⁠ Everyone who wants to quit their job asks some version of this question:⁠ I always answer the same way:⁠ The bad news is that there is no right answer. But the good news is that there is no right answer. The more you go down this road, the more you start to realize that the world is full of possibilities. And each step forward uncovers a whole set of new opportunities.⁠ But you have to be willing to push past the discomfort of taking a step without knowing the end result in order to open yourself up to those possibilities.⁠ This week on the podcast, I had the honor of talking to the incredible Dr. Maria Phalime. We discussed her journey out of medicine and how it took her years to get over the guilt of leaving and to begin discovering all the opportunities that are available to her. Her story is such an inspiring example that you don't have to have it figured out in order to leave.⁠ Resources mentioned: Stuck to Strategy sign up Here is what we chat about in this episode: Trust what you're feeling. If you don't have everything figured out, that's okay! Put your story out there. And so much more! Where to find Maria:   Website: https://www.mariaphalime.co.za/ TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeHqgambbcI Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Sure, quitting is easy if you've always hated your job. But what if you used to love it? What if you loved it for many years? What if you were really, really good at it? I'm so excited about this week's episode with the amazing Shawn Askinosie. Shawn walked away from a very successful career as a criminal defense attorney, a job he used to love. Until he didn't. He realized that the career he once loved was putting him into an early grave and that it was time to do something else. Shawn is now the founder of Askinosie Chocolates, named by Forbes as “One of the 25 Best Small Companies In America.”  He was also named by O, The Oprah. Magazine, as "One of 15 Guys Who Are Saving the World." No big deal. He spends his days traveling between 4 continents to directly source his cocoa beans from farmers, where he offers them above Fair Trade prices, open books, and a share of his profits. He has created an inspiring company that not only gives back directly to the farmers but his community as well. His book - Meaningful Work: The Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling And Feed Your Soul, co-written with his daughter Lawren Askinosie, published by Penguin Random House is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. I got to chat with Shawn about how he walked away from a career he loved and how he figured out what he should do next. Resources mentioned: Stuck To Strategy Sign up Here is what we chat about in this episode: Do the deep work and figure out who you truly are. Look for those thresholds. Be vulnerable with the people in your life. And so much more! Where to find Shawn:   Book: https://tinyurl.com/vf58dfv Chocolate: https://askinosie.com Blog: https://shawnaskinosie.com/ TEDx talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_askinosie_find_your_calling_where_it_hurts Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

In 75 episodes, I think the recurring lesson that comes up in almost every single episode is that you can't think your way to the end goal. It just doesn't work that way.⁠ ⁠ There will be detours. Set-backs. New connections. And a whole lot of learning that will change your route. The only thing you have to do is start. You don't have to know how it is going to unfold. Just start.⁠ ⁠ This week on the podcast, I was lucky enough to talk to the incredible @shuntagrant about her journey from attorney to entrepreneur.⁠ ⁠ Shunta unknowingly started a business at her dining room table in 2014 when she began selling hair bows that she made for her daughter Zoe on Instagram. She left law in 2015 to build Because of Zoe designs fulltime. In 2016, she started a second business mentoring other women business owners on how to build a business and life on the other side of busy.⁠ ⁠ Shunta could have never known what her Chapter 10 would look like. She had no intention of being a business owner when she went to law school. And now she has created a life and business that lights her up.⁠ ⁠ You don't have to know your Chapter 10. Just start with Chapter 1.⁠

Hi, my name is Goli and I'm a life-long people-pleaser.⁠ ⁠ I have a feeling a lot of you are too. Because we're trained from childhood to just do what we're told and not make waves.⁠ And while I used to understand that this tendency made me overly agreeable, overly apologetic (hello, women?), and obsessed with making sure everyone liked me, I didn't realize how much it actually kept me stuck in my career.⁠ ⁠ Tendencies like overachieving or perfectionism are just symptoms of the need to be liked. We think that if we just tick off the next accomplishment, like getting the promotion or making partner, or we turn in the perfect work product, then everyone will be happy and, in turn, we'll be happy.⁠ ⁠ But I don't have to tell you that it doesn't work that way.⁠ ⁠ We just move the goalposts. Maybe excelling at the next thing will finally make it all worthwhile. (Spoiler alert: it won't).⁠ ⁠ So we stay in a career we hate because the idea of other people's opinions weighs heavier than our own happiness.⁠ ⁠ How will I explain that I don't want to do this? Who am I if I'm not [insert "successful" profession here]?⁠ ⁠ This week on the podcast, I dive all into the nature of our people-pleasing and how to start climbing your way out of this suffocating tendency.⁠ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Will Day started out his career with a 2-year stint in the Peace Corps after college. He then went on to a successful career in the financial industry on Wall Street. But something felt like it was missing. In 2001, he enrolled in the Masters of Architecture program at Pratt Institute and then went to work as an architect. But that also never felt right. It wasn't until he decided to finally follow his passions as a full-time artist that he realized that he had been trying to force a square peg into a round hole.⁠ ⁠ But the best part about this conversation is that it's not all about how everything worked out wonderfully. I love Will's honesty about the realities of creating a living through art, how to find creativity in the chaos, and so much more.⁠ Here is what we chat about in this episode: How to find your creativity in the chaos. How to learn to listen to your inner voice. How to stop forcing something that isn't working. How to apply business principles to an artistic career to set yourself up for success. And so much more! Where to find Will:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willdayart/ Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/yxqekyqu Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/willdayart/ Website: www.willdayart.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

So often we hold on to what we know so tightly that we give up the opportunity of having something so much better. Kim Le Pham is on the podcast today and her story is such an inspiration to me. Everything this woman touches turns to gold and, yet, she never rests on her laurels. She's constantly pushing herself (and her husband) out of their comfort zone.Kim Le went from climbing the corporate ladder as a CPA to becoming a wildly successful wedding photographer. But even though she was traveling the world, making a great living, and doing something she loved, she let herself pursue her curiosities. She started a fashion blog (laceandlocks.com) which led to an online clothing store (morninglavendar.com) which led to a brick-and-mortar clothing store which led to a second location that also has a cafe. And she's not finished. She's the founder and CEO of Morning Lavendar where she employs over 50 people and has been named to Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies 2 years in a row. And she's just getting started. She is a shining example of how multifaceted we all are and how much room there is for reinvention. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How the fear doesn't go away. Why you deserve the same love you give everyone else. How we all have inner intuition and the importance of listening close enough. And so much more! Where to find Kim:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laceandlocks/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopmorninglavender/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morninglavenderoc/ Website: www.laceandlocks.com Website: www.morninglavender.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

It's important to pay attention to what you build your identity around. A common mistake that people make is to believe that what they do equates to who they are. This misconception can create a giant roadblock when it comes to changing paths because it then poses the question, "who am I if I'm not x, y, or z?" The reality is that, clearly, you're not what you do. Our identity is made up of so many different roles. And, much like our careers and relationships, our identities evolve as we do. In today's episode, I dive deep into the concept of stripping one identity and evolving into another with Geoff Kullman. Geoff went from being a pastor to becoming an atheist and having to leave the Church and start a career from scratch. Religion had been a fundamental part of his entire life from growing up in the Church to majoring in biblical studies in university to working for a number of years as a pastor. It wasn't until some life circumstances caused Geoff to begin questioning his own belief system and he eventually came to the conclusion that he no longer believed in God. Geoff's story shines a lot of light on how we view our identities and how much more malleable we are than we think. There is a lot of courage in saying, "this doesn't fit me anymore and I want to try something else". We talk all about how Geoff had to stand on stage and tell his congregation that he couldn't lead them anymore because he was an atheist (talk about scary!), how he navigated his family relationships after such a major shift, and how he figured out what he should do when he started over. In under 3 years, Geoff has created a successful copywriting business helping companies attract, convert, and retain more customers. His story is so fascinating and really helps dispel a lot of the fears we all hold about pivoting.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why you have to live with integrity to yourself. How, even though it's hard, the freedom on the other side is worth it. How there's always an opportunity to re-invent yourself. And so much more! Where to find Geoff:   Website: www.geoffkullman.com Email: [email protected] Blog post: https://geoffkullman.com/from-pastor-to-atheist/ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Even though this week's guest isn't a traditional quitter like our previous guests, she has dealt with the same limiting beliefs and fears we all deal with when starting something new. Right out of college at 21, Jenna Irvin decided she wanted to start her own brick-and-mortar fitness studio without ever having any experience in business. What I love about her story is that she didn't let the limiting beliefs that so many of us are plagued with, like feeling too young or too inexperienced, stop her. She got to work executing on her plan to open up a Pure Barre franchise, in a city that she had never lived in no less. In less than a year, she was able to sell that first location for double the investment and open a second one in a city that she had always wanted to live in. While her accomplishments and business acumen are extremely impressive, what blew me away about Jenna is her mindset. It is incredible to see how aware she is of the importance of mindset on her success and how much work she puts into it in order to help navigate this type of career. She's such an inspiration to me and I'm sure you'll get so much insight from her journey! Here is what we chat about in this episode: How the fear doesn't go away. Why you deserve the same love you give everyone else. How we all have inner intuition and the importance of listening close enough. And so much more! Where to find Jenna:   Instagram: instagram.com/jennairvin Website: jstandingtall.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

One of the biggest benefits that come from pivoting a career is that it shows you the freedom you truly have to reinvent yourself. The fear of starting over lessens with each jump and that's why so many #quitters go on to have multiple career changes. That freedom is such a blessing because you'll quickly learn that there is a lot of trial and error in finding your next career step. It is precisely through those many failures that you are led to where you need to be. This week I spoke with Julian Mather about his own process through many career pivots. After failing out of high school, he took that failure and decided that his education was in his own hands and chose to become a life long learner. After leaving high school, Julian joined the army and became a sniper for a number of years. He then started a 25-year career as a photojournalist/tv-camera man, globetrotting and documenting people doing incredible stories of people doing incredible things. What's amazing about his story is that he was at the top of his career and loved his job, and yet, he felt a calling to do something more. He walked away from his career at the age of 48. (Something a lot of people never muster up the courage to do!). He wanted to teach children valuable lessons about philanthropy and helping others. When his first foray into entrepreneurship failed, Julian went on to fulfill his passion by becoming a successful children's entertainer and magician for a number of years. He started a YouTube channel that garnered over 130,000 subscribers and 30 million views. That channel led him to creating a business out of showing people how to be in the kids' entertainment space. He has since sold that business and is now re-inventing himself once again. He is teaching businesses how to use video to leverage their sales and marketing. I loved Julian's story so much because of his insight on reinvention and starting over. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why it's important to adopt a learning mindset. Why you are 100% responsible for your life. How change is a process and not an event. And so much more! Where to find Julian:   Website: http://www.julianmather.com/ Email: [email protected] Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

We typically have stories of people who have become successful in one type of career and then quit to start over in a completely unrelated field. However, there are people who enjoy the field that they're in but they want to find an alternative way to do the thing they love. Today's guest, Luke, falls into that category. He went to school to be a designer and after college he went on to work for various design agencies. He didn't feel fulfilled in the work he was doing, so after a decade, he decided to go out on his own to become a "fun-lancer".  (Love that). We talked a lot about his journey of switching from the employee mindset to becoming an entrepreneur. He is now a graphic designer and an art director. He spends his time doing things he loves like art directing magazines, lecturing at Birmingham University and putting on amazing events like the Birmingham design festival. He has done incredible things and I think his perspective on how you can use the corporate world to help set you up to go into entrepreneurship or how to plug into those niche communities is such an important lesson for many of us! Here is what we chat about in this episode: Everyone feels like an imposter no matter how much experience you have. Why you should get involved in your community. How it's important to have patience. And so much more! Where to find Luke:   Website: http://www.luketonge.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luketonge/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/luketonge Design Fest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designfestbrum/ Glug Brum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glugbirmingham/ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Sometimes we aren't fully aware of the hidden skills and interests that reside inside us. And if we don't follow those little sparks of curiosity, we'll never uncover them. That's exactly what happened with today's guest, Kayse Morris started out as an English and Language Arts teacher. She began selling her lesson plans and resources to other teachers as a side hobby. It wasn't her intention to create this into a big business, but it was through starting this side hustle that she discovered a talent and passion for entrepreneurship. In a couple of short years, her side income grew to become more than her teacher's salary! After growing this passion into a profitable side hustle, she decided to walk away from the classroom. She wanted to focus fully on helping other teachers sell their resources so that they can create more income and a life they want. What has happened with that business in less than a year is just incredible! While Kayse had a social media following, and she knew she could teach people what she did, she had no idea how big it would blow up. Within the first time she launched, she started making multiple 6-figures with her course! I think her business and her approach is really such a testament to the fact that there are so many opportunities and things we can if we don't limit ourselves and give in to fear. She really is such an inspiration and I think there is so much we can learn from her story! Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why you should just follow that little spark. How it can be so much better than you've ever dreamed of. No one knows what they're doing! And so much more! Where to find Kayse:   Website: https://kaysemorris.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaysemorris/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingonless/ Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gogetterspodcast/ 10 step workbook: https://teachingonless.lpages.co/the-first-10-steps-to-selling-your-teaching-resources-online-lead-magnet Email: [email protected] Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

This week's episode is so special to me. It's a replay of the live podcast episode we recorded at the live event we had back in August. That event was such a surreal and amazing moment for me. It was so cool to meet people from this community and to hear what they're doing, how the podcast has affected them, and so much more. I definitely want to do it again in the new year, so keep an eye out for that! What made this experience so amazing is that I had 4 amazing past guests who joined me on a panel that night: Laurie Rowen, Pye Jirsa, Shinah Chang, and Sara Rezvanpour Rose. They will talk a little bit about their stories in this recording and give a bit of a background into what they do. During the panel, we got into a lot of the common questions that people ask and their different experiences. The advice they have is seriously amazing! Here is what we chat about in this episode: How no one has confidence before they start. How clarity also doesn't come before action. Why you should stop worrying about finding your passion. Guest panel podcast episodes:   Ep. 6 Why you don't need passion to scale a successful business with Pye Jirsa Ep. 9 How Laurie Rowen disrupted the legal profession to create the career she wanted Ep. 22 How Sara Rezvanpour Rose created her dream job as creative counsel at The Jungalow Ep. 31 How Shinah Chang quit the straight path of law for Crooked Calligraphy Resources mentioned: Group coaching waitlist Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

It's not uncommon for people to stick with careers they're unhappy with just because they aren't sure what else they'd do, especially when it comes to "finding your passion". But what if you know what you're passionate about but you're still unsure about taking that path? On today's episode, Tara Laferrara found herself caught in that very dilemma. She knew she was passionate about fitness but didn't think it would become a viable career and make enough money from it. She initially started teaching classes on the side because that's where she felt lit up, that's what she loved. But through the programming in society, from her family, and from others, she didn't think you could just teach classes, so she went the traditional route into the corporate world. She decided she wanted to climb the ladder in advertising. She ended up quitting that job only after 3 days because she just knew that path wasn't for her and she decided to dive in head first into her love of fitness. Now, in under 3 years she has gone on to co-own a brick and mortar gym, Compass fitness, in Colorado. She also does online training through her TL method and program and has amassed over 100k followers on Instagram. She's been featured in Shape, Women's Health, Redbull, Finish Line, among other notable brands and publications. She is a testament to the fact that there is so much opportunity out there now and there are so many ways to do things. You really can create a career out of the thing you love!   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How EVERYONE has doubt and imposter's syndrome. Why you should just get started where you're at. Why it's important to have a good support system. And so much more! Where to find Tara:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taralaferrara/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taralaferrara Twitter: https://twitter.com/taralaferrara Youtube: https://youtube.com/taralaferrara Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

  If you've ever told yourself that it's too late to start over, be prepared to face the truth: you're just making an excuse. After spending 40 years climbing the ladder in corporate America, Paul Tasner was laid off from his job at 64 years old (all while casually eating an apple during his surprise exit interview!). A few years later, at 66 years old, Paul decided to take a leap of faith and try his hand at entrepreneurship. To combat the amount of plastic that companies used, he founded Pulp Works and set out to create safe, eco-friendly packaging for consumer products. PulpWorks uses paper and agricultural waste to mold compostable packaging and thereby diminish the waste deposited in our landfills, waterways, and oceans. Paul was selected as a TED Resident in 2017. His TED Talk on sustainability, entrepreneurism, and ageism has been seen by more than 2 million viewers and translated into 29 languages. As if he wasn't doing enough, in 2018, Paul, with colleagues in San Francisco and Mexico City, founded Sort, a company using artificial intelligence, the IoT, and computer vision technology, to solve the contamination challenges facing the plastics recycling industry today. He is doing such incredible things and inspiring so many others! He is a real testament to the fact that it is truly never too late to start over. There are tons of things we can all do to pursue our dreams!   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How it's SERIOUSLY never too late to start over! How there is no such thing as security. Why you should get clear on what you want. And so much more! Resources mentioned: Paul's TedTalk Where to find Paul:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultasner/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.tasner Twitter: https://twitter.com/PulpWorksInc Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulietaz Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

How would you feel about leaving a job that took you to places like Italy and let you work with well-known people like Bono? Most people would have a really hard time walking way from something everyone else considers a "dream job". But Kelsey had a little feeling in her gut that there was something better out there for her. (Yes, even better than working with Bono). It wasn't until her own dealings with a life coach that she began to consider a career change. She is now an in-demand life and business coach working with some big hitters like Marie Forleo as well as Fortune 500 companies like Facebook and Twitter. She now has a dream business where she brings in more money than her previous career while only working three days a week. And when Kelsey's not coaching, you can find her hosting the Whiskey & Work Podcast where she gives her wise (and sometimes comical) advice on navigating the waters of business, life, and relationships. Kelsey's story is an amazing example of what is possible if you're willing to step into the unknown and to really go after what you want! Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why you should stop ignoring that feeling in your gut. How you should follow your curiosity instead of your passion. How that perfect job for you exists, really! And so much more! Where to find Kelsey:   Website: KelseyMurphy.com Passion Planner: www.kelseymurphy.com/passionplanner-download Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

In honor of Labor Day, I invited Neil Sahota on the show to talk about the AI revolution and how it will affect the working landscape. Technology is developing at such a rapid pace and it is really important to pay attention to how it will change work as we know it. Neil Sahota is an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations (UN) Artificial Intelligence (AI) subject matter expert, and Faculty at UC Irvine. He is also the author of the book: Own the A.I. Revolution . With 20+ years of business experience, he works with clients and business partners to create the next generation of products and solutions powered by emerging technologies. If you're a regular listener of the show, then you've heard from many of our past guests that are now doing things that didn't exist as careers 5-10 years ago. These new industries, such as social media manager and online educator, are but a few examples of the changing landscape of work.  While most people (or the media) tend to focus on the negatives that can come about from these changes, I think Neil's book does an incredible job of showing all of the amazing things that can happen as a result of these technologies. His book does a wonderful job of addressing important issues like the speed of change that we're experiencing, how to utilize emerging technologies to disrupt our own industries, understanding the kind of careers that are on the horizon, and how we can either rework our skills or come up in a new profession. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity and if you pay attention to what's coming next you have a chance to build the career or business that you want. Neil is just the person to help us figure out what we should be doing with all of these emerging technologies and how we can better prepare ourselves for the working landscape in the future. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why it's important to start learning about AI now. Why you're in the right position to disrupt the system with your current skills. Why you should learn to embrace change and learn how to better position yourself for it. And so much more! Where to find Neil:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-sahota-%E8%90%A8%E5%86%A0%E5%86%9B-028143/ Website: https://neilsahota.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/neil_sahota Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Lindsey started out like many people pursuing a career in the corporate world. Even though she was doing great at her job, it was during the 2008 recession that she realized this wasn't a stable path. She then decided to enter entrepreneurship part-time through a company called Isagenix, a network marketing company which she still currently works with. From that company, she then created Powerhouse Women, an online community, a yearly event, a book, and a podcast. (Whew!). After seeing numerous women in her life stop short of pursuing their own entrepreneurial dreams because of fear and self-doubt, she saw the need for more honest conversations about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship in order to show women that they don't have to have it all together to get started. What I love the most about Lindsey's story is that she sets an example for her community. She didn't wait around for a huge social media following or to have some kind of star-backing, she wrote a book because she wanted to write a book and became a best-seller. She created an event because she saw a need and now it's growing year after year! If you take away one single message from Lindsey's story, let it be this: just start. Whatever it is that you want to do, just start doing it. You never know where that path may lead!   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How no one actually knows what they're doing and you don't have to do it alone. How fulfillment comes from giving yourself time and space to do the things you want to do. Why it's important to think about the limitations you're arguing for. And so much more! Where to find Lindsey:   Instagram: www.instagram.com/llindseyschwartz Instagram: www.instagram.com/powerhouse_women Website: www.powerhousewomen.co Resources Mentioned: 5 Steps To Finding Your Calling PDF Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

How many times have you wanted to start over? How many times have you started thinking about the possibilities only to follow them up with the thought, "but it's too late in my life to do this"? If you're human, then you've probably had this discussion with yourself a million different times, and that's okay, we all have those moments. However, even though you may feel like it's too late to start over, it doesn't mean that it is. Today's guest, Peter Glatz is essentially the holy grail when it comes to that myth. At 60 years old, Peter left his dentistry career of over 40 years in order to pursue cooking. He began his journey into the culinary world by reaching out to well-known chefs offering to work for free! (Who says you have to immediately start making money off of something you love? Just start!). Listen to how his journey led him to eventually landing a dream job as a link cook at Nonesuch in Oklahoma City, Bon Appetit's 2018 Best Restaurant in America. Despite working long, 12 hour days at a physically taxing job, Peter has never been happier. I love so many things about his story. There are so many people who count themselves out when they reach a certain age because they believe it's too late for them to pivot their path. But Peter's story is really a testament to the fact that there is always time to try something new! Not only that, but he didn't let his lack of formal experience stop him from feeling confident enough to reach out to those well-known chefs. There are just so, so many wonderful lessons to learn from Peter and his journey. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How it's never too late to start over. How if you want something different you should do something about it. Why you should create a vision and then take action. And so much more! Where to find Peter:   Email: [email protected] Website: berthabus.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

A common theme we've seen is that a lot of new career paths evolve out of the need to create a hobby or some kind of outlet. Kelsey Chapman's story begins in a similar place. She started blogging in addition to her day job because she was feeling frustrated and trapped. (Sound familiar?). Over time her blog built up an audience and things eventually grew into her own agency. However, after years of growing her successful agency, Kelsey made the difficult decision to shut it down because it no longer served her. We talk all about how hard it is to walk away from something that is working but you know is not the path you want to be on. What's amazing about Kelsey's story is that she used all of her newly-found skills from building her agency to land an incredible job in marketing.  She really is a testament to the idea that there really is no right or wrong decision. All it takes is a leap of faith and the path will lead you where you need to go! Kelsey also currently helps entrepreneurs to build their business, grow their platform, and steward their influence in her year long program called, Dream to Done. It is her mission to help women turn their dreams into profitable ventures that can allow them to live with both freedom in their finances and their time. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why you don't have to martyr yourself to make a difference. That it's okay to walk away from something that's making you unhappy even if it's making money. Why you're allowed to pivot as many times as you need. And so much more! Where to find Kelsey:   Instagram: instagram.com/kelschapman Itunes: itunes.kelseychapman.com Resources Mentioned: LFAQ Live Event Sign Up Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

You don't necessarily have to pursue a whole new path in order to make a career change. On today's episode, Michelle Schroeder-Gardner got her MBA in finance and then started working as a financial analyst. But realizing that she had never been taught about personal finance in school, she started a blog, Making Sense of Cents, to document her own financial journey. She wanted to show the different things she started doing on the internet to make some money on the side. When she discovered that she could make money from her blog, everything changed. She now makes over $100,000 a month through her blog. (Seriously, it's insane!). You can check out all of her expense reports on her website to see when she started making $5k, $10k, all the way up to where she is now. In 2015, Michelle and her husband sold their house and started traveling full time while she runs her blog on the road. They first started traveling by RV but are now living on a sailboat. You can follow their adventures on her Instagram, but be forewarned, the pictures will give you some serious FOMO. Even though blogging has been around for quite some time, Michelle's story really highlights that it never is too late to start pursuing this path. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why it's not too late to start! Why it's important to stick with your side hustle for at least one year. Why you should prioritize your time. And so much more! Where to find Michelle:   Website: https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/makingsenseofcents/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/michelleschro Website: https://makingsenseofaffiliatemarketing.com Website: https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/extra-income Resources Mentioned: 5 Steps To Figuring Out Your Calling PDF LFAQ Live Event Sign Up Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Since we've recently gained so many new listeners, we wanted to throw it back to one of our favorite episodes! Today, we get to talk to Steve Trang about how he made the (rather quick) jump from electrical engineer to real estate agent and how he’s grown in that role ever since. Steve started out his career earning a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and working as an engineer for Intel for 3.5 years. In 2007, Steve quit his engineering career to become a real estate agent. Since then, Steve has gone on to create Stunning Home Realty, a real estate brokerage in Phoenix, Arizona that he has grown to 60 licensed agents, selling over 100 houses a year and creating some of the top producing teams in the valley. He’s also gone on to start his own Title company and develop a real estate app. Steve is not only committed to building his successful real estate empire but he also believes in helping others build their dreams too. He recently started a podcast called Real Estate Disruptors, where he interviews other real estate experts on how they’re disrupting their markets. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How getting his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering is really taking the easy route because “someone else lays out the plan and you just follow it” How he always knew that he would eventually leave his engineering job but why it happened so much faster than he expected. - How his irrational confidence allowed him to meet a real estate broker and, within 2 ½ weeks of that meeting, get his real estate license and quit his engineering job. “Real confidence is knowing you’ll figure it out” - Brandon Burchard How the fall of the real estate market in 2007 almost sent him back to his engineering job and how he continued to push through. How he uses self-help to continue to grow his business. How he went from being a real estate agent to owning his own brokerage, title company, real estate app and podcast. Upcoming Events: LFAQ Live Event Sign Up Free Masterclass Sign Up Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Micheal E. Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Darren Hardy’s Darren Daily Where to find Steve Realestatedispruptors.com Stevetrang.com

Since we've recently gained so many new listeners, we wanted to throw it back to one of our favorite episodes! I love this conversation with Pye! It was such a raw and in-depth conversation about the illusion of stability, the origin of most people’s fears, and the importance of developing a learning mindset. What is so fascinating about Pye’s journey is not just that he jumped from being a CPA to becoming a founder of an award-winning, multi-million dollar photography studio, it’s that he did that without having a passion for or knowing the first thing about photography. Like most of us, Pye started going down the traditional path. He became a CPA and worked for Ernst & Young before realizing that he did not like what he was doing. He quit, along with his two best friends Justin and Chris, in order to start a tech startup. When the funding for their startup fell through, the friends took on web development clients. One of their clients needed photographs taken and Pye assured them that they had a photography department that could take care of it! What I love about his story is that most people would not only shirk at taking on a task that they don’t know how to do but also avoid a “creative” profession that they are not skilled in. Pye, realizing that photography was a skill that could be acquired, looked at entering the wedding photography industry as a business and not a passion. That eye towards business has led Pye, and his partners, to create Lin and Jirsa Photography, a boutique Southern California wedding and portrait photography studio composed of an incredible creative team of 50 people that shoots over 300 weddings each year, with nearly 1,000 yearly client commissions. He is also a founder and partner in SLR Lounge, a premium educational community geared towards providing photographers with real-world shoot education with nearly a million monthly readers. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: My experience with launching this podcast! Specifically, how taking a risk in my own life led me to realize the opportunity in doing so. The breaking point that led Pye to quit his job and take a risk on himself How failed attempts at funding projects and business ventures became opportunities for exploration, self-discovery, and ultimately, success How he created a multi-million dollar business in photography with a positive “learning mindset” Why Pye has a “passionate dislike” of the word “stable” and the illusion it creates Where Pye believes most fear comes from and why it limits your opportunities and potential How developing a “Learning Mindset” allowed Pye to turn quitting and “failing” into growth, opportunity, and success Upcoming Events: LFAQ Live Event Sign Up Masterclass Sign Up Resources from the Show: Visit Lin and  Jirsa Photography and explore his phenomenal photo blog On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, ebook Listen to more inspiring quitters on my webpage! Where to find  Pye Jirsa: Instagram:@pyejirsa Photography Instagram: @linandjirsa SLR Lounge Instagram: @slrlounge If you were inspired by this episode of  “Lessons from a Quitter” with Pye Jirsa, I know you will find inspiration in other lessons from quitters on my website.  Enjoy listening!

Happy one year anniversary! It has officially been a year since I started this podcast and I've learned so much both through doing the podcast and from the conversations I've had with guests. This episode is also a special one because I have compiled all of those important lessons in order to share them with you! I hope you enjoy them and I hope you feel as inspired as I do. And in case you don't have time to listen to the full episode, we've also compiled everything into a blog post! Upcoming Events: LFAQ Live Event Sign Up Free Masterclass Sign Up Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

What would you do if you started a company and it failed? What if you started multiple companies and they failed? Most people would stop. So many of us take those experiences personally and create a narrative about what it says about our abilities.  That's what I love about Josh's story! After going through some successes and even more failures, Josh Zloof didn't give up on his entrepreneurial dreams. Instead, he realized that he simply needed to get intentional about his values, acquire the skills he lacked, and create a well-balanced support system. Josh made a conscious decision that his next company would make one billion people happy. And that is exactly what he is on the road to accomplish. Josh is the co-founder and CEO of Sudden Coffee, a company focused on producing single origin, specialty grade, instant coffee (delivered right to your door). To date, Sudden Coffee has raised over $3.3 million dollars and served over 100,000 happy customers. In addition to making people happy, Sudden Coffee has been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and GQ. Josh's journey shows that you don't have to give up at the first, or second, or even the 5th sign of failure. What you need most in those moments is to take a step back, reassess, and try again. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why not succeeding at first isn't a reflection on who you are as a person. The importance of being clear on your values. Why you should create a support system that will help you succeed. And so much more! Where to find Josh:   Website: https://www.suddencoffee.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suddencoffee/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suddencoffee Resources Mentioned: LFAQ Live Event Sign Up Masterclass Sign Up Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

How often do you stop yourself from doing something new because you don't feel prepared/good/experienced enough for it? While planning out your next step might help ease your nerves, sometimes the next step is to throw that plan out the window and dive in head first. You can plan all you want, but in the end, you'll never be able to predict what might come from taking that leap of faith. When today's guest, Elle Drouin took a leap in her career, it later evolved into not one but multiple new business ventures. But before Elle took that leap, her story started off in a similar way as our past guests. She was originally working in a traditional office job as a financial adviser. But it was when she decided to start a lifestyle blog as a creative outlet that her path began to take a different turn. This blog eventually led her to other opportunities such as moving to New York to take over a social media position she had no prior experience in other than what she had done through her blog. From that point on, her path evolved into an ongoing journey of one new venture leading to another. Currently, Elle is a product stylist stylist, photographer, dog mom of an internet famous pup (Mochi), and host of the Revenue on Repeat Summit. She not only uses her photography skills to shoot photos for the Styled Stock Society, a stylish stock photography membership for women entrepreneurs, but she also shoots all the photos for her famous pup's Instagram account! (Seriously, so cute). I love Elle's story because she took a leap of faith into a job that she didn't have any formal experience in. She could have come up with a million reasons why she wasn't experienced enough for the position but she went ahead and did it anyway. This is an incredibly important lesson for anyone listening, you don't have to be an expert, or really know what you're doing, in order to take that next step. You really never know what will come up as a result of following that new idea or saying yes to that opportunity despite how prepared (or unprepared) you may feel.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why it's important to put yourself out there because you never know where it'll lead. Why it's okay to pivot careers (even multiple times). How everything you need/want to learn is at your fingertips. And so much more! Where to find Elle:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elledrouin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mochiandthecity/ Website: https://styledstocksociety.com/ Website: https://elledrouin.com/ Resources Mentioned: LFAQ Facebook Group July Challenge Sign Up Atomic Habits by James Clear August Live Event Sign Up Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

If financial worries are holding you back from pursuing a new path, this episode is for you. I've found that whether it's through Instagram DMs, Facebook polls, etc., the number one thing that keeps people stuck is worrying about money. While those fears are valid, there are ways to deal with them.   Hopefully, today's guest might be able to ease your worries and give you a little more confidence in taking the leap. Erin Lowry is the author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Broke Millennial Takes On Investing: A Beginner's Guide To Leveling Up Your Money. Her first book was named by MarketWatch as one of the best money books of 2017. Erin has also appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNBC, Fox & Friends among many other outlets.   I loved this episode and Erin's take on finances because she makes things like loans and student debt easy to understand. She is full of knowledge and has the practical tips that we all need in order to face our financial worries. The best part? Erin's example of how to establish yourself as an expert and create a career around a topic you love. Erin doesn't come from a background in the financial industry. It was through creating her own blog around these topics that interested her that she created her career today. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why it's important to know your numbers (student loans, investing, 401k, etc). How every little bit you earn helps pay off your loans. The importance of starting a side hustle you love. And so much more! Where to find Erin:   Website: https://brokemillennial.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokemillennialblog/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrokeMillennial Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y34m9m94 Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y2ts3ld9 Resources Mentioned: LFAQ Facebook Group July Challenge Sign Up Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

You can pursue a traditional career and yet still approach it in a unique way, making it your own, and that is the basis for today's interview. Prior to crafting her own career path, Jenny Dorsey was a management consultant in the fashion industry and went on to become the youngest MBA candidate in Columbia Business School. But it was then during a sabbatical between leaving her job and moving onto business school that she decided to enroll in cooking school. At the time, cooking was nothing more than a hobby and something she pursued purely out of her passion for food. Once she went back to her original path of business school, she realized something had changed and it no longer aligned with her. This lead to her final decision to pursue food instead. Throughout her journey in the culinary world, she worked both traditional and un-traditional kitchen jobs that eventually lead her to where she is today. Currently, Jenny is a professional chef, author, and artist specializing in multi-platform fusing food with social good. She uses cooking as a way to facilitate conversations about topics like race, privilege, and politics. She leads a nonprofit studio, Studio ATAO, is the co-host of Why Food? podcast on Heritage Radio Network, and runs a popular popup series named Wednesdays. Jenny's story is so inspiring because she could have easily taken the traditional route with her cooking career. She could have become a chef and considered that the end goal, but she didn't. Instead, she found a way to think outside of the box and combine all of her passions into a fulfilling career.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How there are many ways to do something. That it's normal to feel panicked when you don't know where your path is headed. Why you shouldn't do something just because you're good at it. How Jenny combines food and conversations about social topics. And so much more! Where to find Jenny:   Website: https://www.jennydorsey.co/ Website: https://www.studioatao.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjennydorsey/ Podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/why-food Resources Mentioned: LFAQ Facebook Group Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

  It's hard not to smile while listening to today's guest talk about his journey and you'll see why. Leslie's story is something we can all learn so much from. Through determination and a genuine love of teaching biology, he managed to land himself his dream job as a biology professor without getting a Ph.D! Crazy, right? So many of us are stuck believing that we have to go the traditional route to pursue the things we love, but that really isn't the case anymore. Before Leslie landed his dream job, he started out as a high school teacher with a huge love for science and biology. Coincidently, in 2008, he also stumbled upon a way to make money online through blogging. He used his newfound skills to create a blog, Interactive Biology, where he taught Biology the way he wanted. He would make interactive, high-energy videos illustrating various concepts like how an action potential works. It was this very blog that ultimately landed him his dream job. By chance, he had received an email one day about an open teaching position in a doctoral program. Was he qualified? Absolutely not. Did it stop him from applying? Not even in the slightest. Leslie interviewed for the job and made it very clear that he wasn't qualified, but he showed them his blog that was evidence of his knowledge and teaching style. Within an hour of leaving that interview, he received a phone call saying he got the job. Leslie's story is living proof that you don't have to do everything the traditional route. You can feel (and be) unqualified for the job or position that you want, but if you truly love something enough and you put in the work, the opportunities will come! But the best part of Leslie's story is the fact that blogging opened up a whole new world of impact for him. He realized how many lives he was changing by teaching other people how to grow and monetize their blogs. He ultimately decided to leave his dream job as a professor to focus exclusively on his latest blog, Become A Blogger, where he is taking on the mission of "Changing The World One Blog At A Time." Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why you should make a change in your life if you're unhappy. Why you don't need to pursue things the traditional way. How everyone has something they can share with other people. How the technology today makes it easy to start a side hustle. And so much more! Where to find Leslie:   Website: Becomeablogger.com Course: fromideatoblog.com Resources Mentioned: 5 Steps To Figuring Out Your Calling Interactive Biology Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Can you imagine being able to pay off almost 90k in student loans in only 2.5 years? It may seem impossible, but it can be done! On today's episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Ha from The Financial Panther, a blog about financial independence and side hustling in the sharing and gig economy. Kevin was able to pay off his loans by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer, and it paid off, literally! In addition to paying off his loans, Kevin starting experimenting with the gig economy on his free time. He quickly learned that he could make a lot of money on the side doing things that he enjoyed. After 5 years of being an attorney and switching between three different jobs, he finally came to the conclusion that practicing law just wasn't the right fit. He just quit his job earlier this year after deciding to go all in on blogging and side hustling, which makes him the newest member of the #quitterclub. Now he pursues everything from Rover, to Post Mates, and beyond. I loved Kevin's story because he decided to push against societal expectations of what type of work is "acceptable". Not only that, Kevin shows us that it's possible to create a steady source of income by doing something (or many things) that bring you joy. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How it's possible to create a steady income through side hustles. Why it's important to learn about your finances. Why you should push against societal expectations. And so much more! Where to find Kevin:   Website: https://financialpanther.com/ Blog Post: https://financialpanther.com/you-dont-need-to-start-your-career-in-your-20s/ Blog Post: https://financialpanther.com/lawyers-doctors-and-the-appeal-of-the-clear-career-path/ Blog Post: https://financialpanther.com/monetize-life-get-paid-live/ Email: [email protected] Resources Mentioned: 5 Steps To Figuring Out Your Calling PDF I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi The Simple Path To Wealth by J L Collins Your Money Your Life by Vicky Robin The Bogleheads' Guide To Investing by Taylor Larimore The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Today's episode is a perfect example of how to be intentional in your career. So often we do what we think we should be doing: working insane hours, building the biggest business possible, trying (and often failing) to balance life, etc. We go for the money or the title, even if that's not what we really want. Dona Bumgarner bucked that trend and is building the life, and career, that works for her and her family.   Of course, it wasn't always like this. Dona started out in a position that many of us find ourselves in- climbing the corporate ladder. She was working at Apple for over 11 years and eventually landed herself in an upper management job at the company before quitting to pursue graduate school. But as she was starting school, she found out she was pregnant, which changed her priorities. She decided to leave school after one semester to become a full-time mom. Thankfully, she had saved up enough money to have a little bit of wiggle room before deciding what to do next, but not everything was smooth sailing.   During this time period, she found herself struggling a bit when her life shifted from a conference room to a changing table. While this struggle led her to try multiple different careers, it ultimately helped her craft the career she wanted with intention. Through a coaching program, Dona realized that her passion was in helping other moms who have lost themselves in motherhood.  She now works with other moms to help them unearth their passions and step back into their fierce, powerful selves, so they can live a life far bigger than just being Mom. However, she intentionally has kept her practice small, only working 10-15 hours a week, so that she can be the primary caretaker of her young daughter.   Her decision to reject the pressure to build the biggest business possible in order to have the balance that she so deeply wants is inspiring and a great lesson for anyone on their quitting journey. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why it's okay to explore and try out different paths until you find the right fit. The importance of being intentional about how you want your life to look and feel. How it's normal to experience Imposter's Syndrome. And so much more! Where to find Dona:   Website: http://www.nurturedmama.net Podcast: http://www.nurturedmama.net/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurturedmama/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurturedmamablog/ Resources Mentioned: http://www.nurturedmama.net/quitter Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

The path that many of us have been brought up to follow usually goes a little something like this: take the right classes, get the good grades, get into the prestigious school, graduate, and then find a high paying job. We're taught that it is a linear path that you stick to and climb to the top. Well, in today's episode, Phil Black teaches us why you should buck that wisdom. Phil has one of the most interesting careers we've ever highlighted on this show. His story is a testament to following your curiosities and always re-evaluating what is most important. Among his many accomplishments, Phil played D1 collegiate basketball at Yale, worked as an investor at Goldman Sachs, was a Navy Seal Officer, went to Harvard Business School, is a firefighter, entrepreneur, father, and more. While it wasn’t clear to him during his journey, he was gaining an incredibly useful skill: the ability to find his way into really competitive positions. This is, as Phil calls it, his “superpower” which later led him to create his current business venture, PrepWell Academy. The academy is an innovative approach to preparing high school students (and their parents) for the rigors of the college admissions process. His unique program is delivered online and focuses on the early preparation of students (freshman and sophomore year) interested in attending highly-selective colleges (e.g. Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, etc.), military service academies (e.g. Naval Academy, West Point, etc.), and those seeking athletic or ROTC scholarships. Visit our website to enroll your child in one of our custom programs (Pathway, Ivy, Military, Athlete). Phil’s story is mindblowing and is a real testament to the fact that we’re allowed to start over not just once, but as many times as we want! Here is what we chat about in this episode: The process of how Phil reinvented himself multiple times. The importance of evaluating (and re-evaluating) your life. How Phil discovered his “superpower” and how it helped him build his current business. How it’s okay to never settle on the idea of pursuing one thing forever. And so much more! Where to find Phil:   Website:http://www.prepwellacademy.com/ Email: [email protected] Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/PrepWellAcademy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepwell_academy/ Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipablack Resources mentioned in this episode: The Start Up Of You by Reid Hoffman What Are You Waiting For? by Nickelback Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

One of the biggest excuses around starting a new venture is lack of time. We are obsessed with being busy (and telling everyone else how busy we are!). Well, on today's episode, Steve Chou debunks that excuse. Steve ran multiple 6- and 7-figure businesses while maintaining his career as an electrical engineer! The secret? Plan for the long game and prioritize your time. Steve's entrepreneurial journey began back in 2007 when his wife got pregnant and wanted to quit her job. He actually enjoyed his job as an electrical engineer but they weren't going to be able to live off of one salary in the Bay Area. So they had to come up with a business that could replace her income. Their potential plans ranged from opening a Kumon franchise to a creating meal prep company, and more. Eventually, they chose to start an online E-commerce business selling handkerchiefs, called Bumblebee Linens. Keep in mind that this was before everyone was selling on Amazon and there were a million tools like shopify. Through diving in head first with a limited set of skills, Steve began to put the pieces together through trial and error (even learning how to embroider). They ended up making over $100,000 in that first year. Because of their success, Steve began blogging about their experience at mywifequitherjob.com. Over the years, he added additional avenues to share what he's learned and teach others how to do the same. He eventually started a podcast, an online course, and a conference. He has since grown each of these platforms to 6- or 7-figure businesses. But the most amazing part of this journey is that Steve didn't leave his full-time job until 2016 - almost 10 years after the official launch of their E-commerce store! I got to talk to him about how he was able to accomplish so much while he was still working, why he kept his job when he was making so much money from his side income, and more! Steve's story is a great reminder that you can plan that first step forward as much as you want, but you'll never truly know what will happen until you take that leap- and it doesn't have to be a giant one either! Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why they chose to go the E-commerce route How to make better use of your time What it took to create their online businesses How it cay pay off to play for the long game Why you don't need to have everything figured out right away to take that first step And so much more! Where to find Steve:   Shop: https://bumblebeelinens.com Blog: https://MyWifeQuitHerJob.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/mywifequit Online Course: https://profitableonlinestore.com/ Conference: http://sellerssummit.com/ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Today I have the honor of talking to Dave Hollis, CEO of The Hollis Company. If you’re living under a rock and haven’t heard yet of Dave or, his wife, Rachel Hollis, just know that they are on a tour of world domination to help every person become a better version of themselves.   Rachel has been building a career, first, in the lifestyle blog space and, more recently, in the personal development arena for the past 15 years. She has 2 New York Times Best-Selling books (Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing), is one of the most sought after motivational speakers, has 2 top-rated podcasts, and has been called the female Tony Robbins.   Dave stepped in as CEO of The Hollis Company just 10 months ago to lead the expansion plans in the next, exciting phase — focusing on media (books/podcasts/live coaching/radio/tv), live events and merchandise.   But before taking on this role, Dave had an incredibly successful 17-year career at the Walt Disney Company which culminated in his role as President of Theatrical Distribution. Dave was in charge of global theatrical sales for Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucas film. During his tenure, Disney had industry breaking records such as the first $7 billion in global ticket sales in one year and the only studio to cross $6 billion two years in a row.   His job was, by all accounts, “the dream” -- high paying, high glamour, highly respected. And yet, I talked to Dave about why it became unfulfilling and how he came to the decision to walk away. This episode is full of inspiration and incredible wisdom about how we all should be approaching our lives. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why the very thing that made Dave’s role at Disney a dream job was the thing that ultimately led him to quit What 3 circumstances in his life at the time led Dave to decide to make the leap How a conversation about personal development with Rachel changed the trajectory of his life Why you should be honoring the struggle What Dave would have done if he didn’t have the opportunity to run the Hollis Company What it’s like to work with your wife And so much more!   Where to find Dave:   Website: www.theholliscompany.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/mrdavehollis Facebook: www.facebook.com/mrdavehollis Podcast: Rise Together   Resources Mentioned in this episode: Mindset, by Carol Dweck   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

We're usually sold on the idea that once we achieve x, y, or z then we'll finally be happy, but that isn't always the case. When Annie saw her mom's experience as a lawyer, it was cemented in her mind that she must follow the same path. It wasn't until she landed her dream job at her dream company that something didn't feel right. Despite everything looking picture perfect on the outside, she could feel it in her gut that this wasn't where she was supposed to be. Something was still missing. Luckily, Annie met her future partner, Annabelle, at the same law firm in Miami. They both shared a love of candles and wanted to find a way to make them more personalized for gifts. The two became instant friends (can you say, soul sisters?). The A-team connected first through design: they both decorated their offices to perfection--from gold staplers (yes, all gold everything) to luxurious candles. But they soon bonded on a deeper Level: their gift for all things thoughtful. It wasn’t long before TAJA was born. TAJA Collection launched in June 2017, to create what was missing from the market: customizable home accessories. Their business focuses on both e-commerce and wholesale. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she felt drawn to the path of becoming a lawyer How everything suddenly changed when she got her dream job How a common interest in candles sparked the idea for their company How they utilized their local female network to help get the word out about their business And so much more! Where to find Annie:   Website: https://tajacollection.com/ Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tajatribe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tajacollection/?hl=en Resources mentioned: Coupon code for TAJA Collection: GOLI15 Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

I love Dawn’s story! Did you know that you could even be a professional crafter?! I didn’t. And, actually, neither did Dawn. She started out her career in the corporate world and ended up leaving when she had her second child. She had every intention of going back to work when her children were in school.   But because her daughters had special needs, Dawn needed to stay at home much longer. When her daughters were grown, Dawn was looking for something to occupy her time and decided to teach crafting at her local community center. Given her love of crafting, this hobby was a great way to earn a bit of extra money while doing something she loved.   However, through networking, volunteering, and a lot of hard work, Dawn turned that hobby into a full-time career. Dawn is now a professional crafter, vlogger and podcaster based on the New South Wales Central Coast of Australia. She has worked in the Australian craft industry for well over a decade, creating projects for craft magazines and brands across a variety of craft mediums. She has hosted an Australian papercrafting television show, spoken at The Artful Business Conference about how video is a valuable tool for enhancing the customer experience.  She has an online store selling craft supplies, teaches in collaboration with other businesses locally, and just launched The Craft Room Podcast. Find out exactly how she made that jump on the episode today! Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she left the corporate world to stay at home with her children Why her plan to go back to the corporate world didn’t really work out How she got involved in the craft community How she went from just a hobbyist to a professional crafter How networking really helped her career take off And so much more!   Where to find Dawn:   Website: http://www.dawnlewis.com.au Email - [email protected] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DawnLewisImagery YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/DawnLewisPaints Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dawnlewisimagery   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Typically, on this show, we feature stories of people who have quit their careers and started over in a completely different field. I’m so excited to talk to Nicole on this episode to show that you don’t have to do that. If you like the field that you’re in but want something more, be it flexibility, more money, more ownership etc, it is time to think outside of the box.   Nicole started out her healthcare PR career in 2002 at a large medical device company, Guidant Corporation, where she learned the trade for 5 years. When the company was acquired by Abbott in 2006, Nicole was no longer allowed to keep her part-time status. Because she wanted the flexibility of staying at home with her kids and having a career, Nicole quit her job and started her career as a medtech PR consultant, working primarily with startups to launch their companies and products. She hired her first fulltime employee in 2016. Today her agency has approximately 20 employees and offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Orange County.   Nicole is also a founding member of MedtechWomen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to highlighting women leaders in the medical technology industry. She was named a 2015 PR Executive of the Year by the Business Intelligence Group and is a finalist for PR News' 2019 Top Women in Healthcare Awards.   We talk all about how taking that jump, and knowing how to value yourself, led Nicole to create an incredible business that also gave her the flexibility she wanted. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How to recognize the value you bring in your career and how to charge accordingly How she realized it was time to make the jump Why setting up a business isn’t as difficult as people make it seem. How freelancers can provide a lot of value that companies can’t provide Why you shouldn’t work for free Why the riches are in the niches How she grew her company from being a single consultant to 20 employees Why she believes in investing in yourself even if you’re not making money yet And much more! Where to find Nicole:   Website: https://healthandcommerce.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicoleosmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleosmer/     Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

One of Steve Jobs’ most popular quotes is “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”   Nowhere is that principle proven truer than in John’s life and career. He grew up the son of immigrant farmers and saw first hand the hard work, sacrifice, and struggles his parents had to go through in life. So you can imagine how well-received his decision was to drop out of his Engineering program in college to join an internet startup. But John promised his mom that if it didn’t work out, he’d go back to school and become a doctor.   While he had some initial success with the startup, it eventually folded in the internet bubble burst in the early 2000s. As you’ll hear, John credits that failure as one of the best things that could have happened to him. He went back to UCLA to finish his Engineering degree and became an engineer for Boeing. Most people would have just stopped there. But wanting to make good on his promise to his mom, John decided to go back to school to become a dentist. He not only became a dentist but went on to specialize in orthodontics.   During that schooling, John met his current co-founder, Dr. Hongsheng Tong, and they began developing a product that would place braces behind the teeth in order to make them invisible. After he received his degree, John began working as the managing orthodontist for Bristol Dental and Orthodontics. But he kept working on this invisible brace product and company on nights and weekends.   Eventually, John became the CEO and co-founder of Swift Health Systems and is bringing disruptive change to the orthodontics industry with INBRACE. His past startup experience coupled with his specialized knowledge of orthodontics makes him uniquely qualified to lead such an innovative company. And in under 2 years, John has helped to raise $25 million dollars and grow the company to 75 employees! Incredible, to say the least!   There is so much we get into this episode, so you definitely don’t want to miss it!   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How John’s upbringing affected his view on work and life Why he decided to drop out of college to pursue the internet startup craze How the failure of that tech startup impacted him Why he decided to become a dentist when he had a good career as an engineer How he started his current business and how he’s grown it so fast How mentors have shaped his life How he became clear on his “why” and how that drives him, and more! Where to find Dr. John Pham:   Website: https://myinbrace.com/   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pham-dds-ms-999a274/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinbrace/ Email: [email protected]     Resources mentioned in this episode   John C. Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership     Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

The goal in life is to be happy, right? Well, maybe not. Today on the show, we have the incredible Dr. Zelana Montminy, a clinical psychologist and reformed happiness researcher. Dr. Zelana used to focus on how people could be happier in their lives but she quickly found, through her research, that the more we obsess over happiness in our society, the more people are unhappy. She saw that the people that were content and fulfilled in their lives were the ones that were resilient to whatever life threw at them.   Dr. Zelana is now a renowned wellness architect, providing an unparalleled realistic perspective rooted in science. Whether it’s as a bestselling author, working with celebrities, hosting a television show, or leading a transformational retreat, Dr. Zelana is paving the way for mental fitness. A prominent figure in Positive Psychology and one of Maria Shriver’s Architects of Change, Dr. Zelana is the author of bestselling 21 Days to Resilience. She speaks around the world and is a go-to authority in the media appearing on Access Live, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors and more. She also makes ongoing contributions to the pages of Real Simple Magazine, Health Magazine, Redbook, Better Home & Gardens, and the list goes on.   I love this conversation with Dr. Zelana about why resilience is so important and how we can build it in our lives.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why we shouldn’t focus on happiness but rather try to build up our resilience What resilience actually is and how to start building it How to know when your unhappiness should lead to change v. when to weather the storm What actionable steps can you take to build resilience What is the difference between habits and goals How to build resilience in your kids, and more Where to find Dr. Zelana:   Website: www.drzelana.com Instagram: @dr.zelana email: [email protected] Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

So many mothers face the tough decision of how to balance their careers while raising kids. It is often the catalyst for big change whether that be a new business, deciding to quit and stay at home or shifting your goals in your current career. On today’s episode, I got to talk to Allison about how the birth of her son started the beginning of her journey into entrepreneurship.   Allison spent much of her career in business management, as either an office administrator or an executive assistant. When Allison’s son was born and had to spend some time in the NICU, she was faced with the decision of returning back to work or leaving her career to stay at home. She was looking for a way to stay at home but also bring in some extra money to support her family.   She decided to start a blog, chronicling her life including the various issues NICU mothers face. Her blog quickly took off and she began being featured in publications such as Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, TODAY Parents, and more. Having learned how to effectively market her own blog through Pinterest and other social media outlets, Allison began offering those services to other bloggers and business owners.   In under 2 years, she has grown her online business management company to over 6-figures through mostly referrals. She now has a growing team that helps cater to their growing customer base. And she gets to do all this while spending more time at home with her children. I got to talk to Allison all about how she grew this company and how we can learn from her experience. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How the birth of her son sparked her interest in starting her own business or side hustle Why she started a blog in a saturated market and how she stood out How she started her online VA business What resources she used to learn about monetizing her blog and how people monetize their blogs How she built up her online business management company into a 6-figure business in 2 years.   Where to find Allison:   https://allisonrlancaster.com/ www.lovinglivinglancaster.com Pinterest course: https://allisonrlancaster.com/lets-learn-pinterest-course/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/allisonrlancaster/ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Montine Blank has done it all. From the corporate world to entrepreneurship to transformational coaching, Montine has a vast array of expertise that she utilizes in helping her clients create a meaningful, fulfilled life.   With an MBA, Montine started out at a large management consulting firm before deciding that she wanted a different future than that path provided. Her jump took her down a successful entrepreneurial road, where she founded numerous companies including The Green Half, a discount gift card site for sustainable businesses that had over 10,000 subscribers and The Green Plate, a nonprofit aimed at reducing disposable plastic consumption. She has also created 3 one of a kind art business, Crazy Moon Art Room, T-shirt Construction Co and Paint Awake. On this episode, we talk a lot about how art and painting helped her on her path to self-discovery and how she uses it with her clients.   Because of her own journey, Montine was led to getting certified and becoming a transformational coach. She now coaches clients on a wide-variety of life and career transitions in order to help people become more aligned with the true version of themselves.   We talk about her own journey as well as overarching questions about working with a life coach, like: who would benefit from it, how to find a good coach, what to work on, etc.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she started planning her escape out of the corporate world Why taking slow baby steps is generally the best practice for jumping on a new path How intuitive painting helped Montine along her path to discovering her next steps and why creativity is so important for everyone on self-discovery journey Why she was reluctant, at first, to get involved with coaching How she got involved in transformational life coaching When do you really need a coach and how can you find one that works for you Why the majority of the work is just on your thoughts and not actually creating a plan   Where to find Montine:   https://www.themoreyou.com/ www.IntuitionPainting.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Erin spent 22 years climbing the corporate ladder and climbed her way right up to the very top as CEO of PayFlex, Inc., a large healthcare financial company. As the CEO, Erin was in charge of overseeing 1000 employees and over $2bn in financial assets.  In late 2018, just when things were getting really good, Erin decided to exit the corporate world after 22 years and go down a path less traveled to start b Authentic inc.   Erin felt pulled to help create a new generation of authentic, diverse, and humble leaders. She started her own business, b Authentic Inc., where she hopes to change the face of Corporate America. Through individual and company trainings, Erin is on a mission to toss aside traditional approaches and help teach the very things that made her such a successful leader.   On this episode, we dive deep into what made Erin make the switch and how we can make the switch when we are no longer being served in our current role.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she climbed her way up the corporate ladder to become the CEO of PayFlex, Inc. How she dealt with the feeling of always wanting more and how she used that to fuel her achievements Why she walked away from her amazing CEO position How she navigated her jump with her spouse and her advice for how to get your spouse on board with your next move. Why she wanted to start her current business, b Authentic Inc., and how she hopes to shape the new generation of leaders   Where to find Erin:   Website: https://www.bauthenticinc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/bAuthenticInc https://www.instagram.com/b_authentic_inc/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-hatzikostas/ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Jen is an all-around rockstar! She started her career as a lawyer and practiced civil litigation at a prestigious law firm. Then, she “saw the light” and left to start her own business and pursue more creative endeavors (and she’s never looked back!)   She is now the President & Founder of Jeneration PR, a Public Relations & Social Media Marketing firm specializing in promoting beauty, baby & lifestyle brands. Jen’s retainer clients range from small and mid-sized brands to multi-billion dollar publicly traded companies, and everything in between.   Jen is also the creator of the Agency Accelerator, where she teaches entrepreneurs how to launch, grow & scale a profitable PR & marketing Agency. She also recently launched Press Success, a PR Master Class for entrepreneurs to learn the step-by-step framework for executing a PR strategy that converts into massive media placements for their businesses.   She has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Inc.com, Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, EOFire, CBS.com, PR Week, Fox News, and PR Web sharing her expertise, and was profiled on Apple.com as an “entrepreneur on the go” using Apple products to power her business. Jennifer was also selected by Babble.com as one of the 10 “Mompreneurs Who Made it Big!”   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she got started in marketing by reaching out to a company to work for them for free How she started her PR work on the side while still working as a lawyer How she dealt with disappointing her family when she chose to quit law How she started and grew her PR agency Why she decided to add an online arm to her business How she made 6-figures in 6 months with her new online business   Where to find Jen:   Website: www.jenerationpr.com https://www.facebook.com/JenerationBuzz https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ https://twitter.com/jenerationpr [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Jena is a wife and mom who taught 5th grade for 6 years until she realized that her career as a teacher no longer fit with her life.  Without knowing what she wanted to do next, she just started by putting herself out there as a virtual assistant. When one of her clients needed her to learn Pinterest management, Jena discovered her love for lead generation and Pinterest strategy. In just 2 years, Jena has created her own Pinterest-focused marketing business where she works for driven and purpose-filled online brands who want to reach more people and make more impact with their content. Her business has allowed her to replace her income while spending more time at home with her children. She thrives on providing hospitality, serving her clients through personalized attention, and loving on her husband and two beautiful daughters.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Jena left teaching even though it was a career she loved How she got started in the online space How one client’s needs led her to her current business How she has replaced her income in under 2 years Whether Pinterest is right for your business Why there is always room even in a saturated market for your service   Where to find Jena:   Website: https://www.jenaliat.com/ Freebie: https://www.jenaliat.com/pinterest-quiz Email: [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Ali Boone is a lifestyle entrepreneur real estate investor, author and speaker. Ali has literally defined non-conformity when it comes to her career. Ali left her corporate 9-to-5 job as an Aerospace Engineer, despite the “dream job” status that came with it, to follow her passion for being her own boss and creating true lifestyle design. She went from being on food stamps in her first year of entrepreneurship to facilitating over $18M in real estate transactions in her first five years of business. In addition to running her real estate investing company Hipster Investments, she’s a pilot and teaches flying and she can often be found snowboarding, hiking, or volunteering in California prisons. Her ultimate goal is to one day challenge Tim Ferriss to a lifestyle design duel.   This episode is packed with great information for anyone who wants to quit their job but has no idea what they would do next.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: What led Ali down the road to Aerospace Engineering When was the moment that she realized she didn’t want to be an Aerospace Engineer How she prepared herself to leave the corporate world Why fixing her mindset was the most important part of quitting her job How she pushed past the lows in the entrepreneurial roller coaster What her company, Hipster Investments, specializes in What Ali’s “why” is and how it guides her in her business   Where to find Ali:   Website: https://aliboone.com/ Business website: http://hipsterinvestments.com/ Social Media: @aliboonedotcom   Resources mentioned Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

  We all care what other people think, even if we pretend like we don’t. A healthy relationship with other people’s opinions is actually needed. It teaches us what works in communities and what doesn’t. It keeps people accountable to each other. However, so many of us, myself included, let the obsession with what other people think run amok and control our whole lives. We’ve been raised to be nice and not make any waves. Especially in the corporate setting, we place value on being a team player and suppressing your own needs for the greater good. Over time, that completely hinders our lives. We play small, keep quiet and make sure that other people’s needs are met over ours. It can cause an unbearable amount of stress and sadness. Ultimately, it leads to us not living lives on our own terms. This is glaringly evident when it comes to staying in a career you hate. So much of what keeps us stuck is our fear of what other people will think or say, how our family/friends will react, how upset our spouse will be, etc. If you’re going to find the courage to go after a life you love, you first have to learn how to stop people pleasing and be your authentic self. On this week’s episode, I’m so excited to have on Dr. Aziz Gazipura to talk about his book Not Nice and how we can go about limiting these toxic tendencies we’ve picked up. Dr. Aziz is the world’s leading confidence expert. He helps people break free from hesitation, fear, and self-doubt so they can rapidly grow their businesses, become more powerful leaders, and enjoy outstanding relationships. He completed his doctoral training at Stanford and Palo Alto Universities and is the founder of the Center For Social Confidence. He has a large online following with his podcast and YouTube videos and is the author of two additional best selling books: The Solution To Social Anxiety and The Art Of Extraordinary Confidence.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why niceness isn’t rooted in goodness but rather in fear How to deal with the long view of changing your view to being more authentically yourself How to handle other people’s emotions in reaction to you speaking up for yourself Why it is necessary to be authentically yourself even if it hurts the people closest to you. How Embarrassment Inoculation can change your life   Where to find Dr. Aziz:   Website: https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DrAzizCoach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAzizGazipura/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GetMoreConfidence   Resources mentioned Dying to be Me, by Anita Moorjani Mind Over Medicine, by Dr. Lissa Rankin Do It Scared, by Scott Allan Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

You might already be familiar with Elie Mystal from his frequent appearances as a political analyst on major news shows or his considerable body of work on Above the Law and other news publications. It is often easy to look at Elie’s success and assume that he had a straight, easy path out of law into journalism. But what you may not know is that Elie walked away from his 6-figure legal job at a prestigious New York law firm, after having received his law degree from Harvard Law School, without a plan as to what to do next. With the support of his wife, and after months of sitting on his couch with no real idea of where to start, Elie began his journey to be a writer by taking a job working for free at a local news agency.   I got to talk to Elie about how he dealt with all of the pressure from family and society, especially as an African American man, to stay in a “successful” career. We discuss how his path has led him to where he is today as the Executive Editor of Above the Law.   If you’re a frequent listener of the show, then you might remember that we had David Lat, the founder of Above the Law, on episode 14. We delve more into what Above the Law has evolved into in that episode. In this episode, we focus mostly on Elie’s journey. Feel free to check out Episode 14 here.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: What lead Elie down the path to law school Why he felt that making the decision to go to law school instead of working for Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign was a “dumb” decision Why law school just wasn’t for Elie How being a “successful” lawyer as a minority put additional pressure to stay in the field How the support of his wife was essential for Elie’s decision to quit law. How he dealt with the difficult time of figuring out what his next step was going to be What his path as a journalist has looked like How he ended up winning a competition to work for Above the Law How others can break into a career in writing   Where to find Elie:   Website: www.abovethelaw.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/atlblog Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElieNYC   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Shinah is a whiskey-loving, curse-word slinging, Harvard-trained former corporate attorney who left everything behind to find her passion. Shinah spent her entire life on the straight, "proper" path. She went to an Ivy League college, then a prestigious Law School, then worked her butt off as a corporate attorney for a big international law firm. But, after one too many days of uninspiring work and nights of sleeping under her desk, she decided she wanted to reclaim her life! She quit her job and explored so many creative avenues - knitting, woodworking, drawing, graphic design. But CALLIGRAPHY is what she fell in love with. Shinah needed plenty of inspiration along the way, but the usual sugary, sincere stuff about beauty and dreams didn't reflect what she was really feeling. So she created Crooked Calligraphy to spread creativity, courage and honest, gritty life inspiration through calligraphy. Crooked Calligraphy has worked with huge brands like Disney, Anthropologie, Jo Malone, and Dom Perignon, but Shinah’s favorite work is teaching calligraphy and encouraging her students to look their fears in the face and move toward a life that will make them happy.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she spent her childhood working towards the predictable path to “success” including getting a 1600 on her SATs and getting into Harvard How affirmation and praise can become a drug that keeps you in doing things you hate How she started realizing that she wanted to quit her job as a corporate lawyer and what steps she took before quitting How she quit law without having any idea of what to do next What she did in order to figure out what her next steps would be The importance of exploration and experimentation in finding your passions How she found calligraphy and how it turned into a business How she figured out her unique brand and voice with Crooked Calligraphy   Where to find Shinah:   Website: www.crookedcalligraphy.com Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

What stops a lot of people from quitting careers that they don’t like is that they don’t know what else they would do. Well, today’s guest, provides an excellent example in how to develop your passions on the side while still working in your day job.   Joanne Bourgault is a dentist based in Saskatoon, Canada. When she found herself unfulfilled with her current work, Joanne began working in the online space on the side. After dabbling in various roles, she found that she loved working as a copywriter and marketing strategist. You can now find her helping female entrepreneurs grow their businesses doing meaningful work so that they can design lives that suit them and their families - instead of settling for "average."   What I love about her journey is that she is taking the time to find what she truly loves, editing as necessary, and building her dream without having to quit her job and make dramatic changes. Her story is the perfect example of how to put in the work to give yourself a realistic escape from a job you hate. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Joanne left her career in accounting to go to dental school How working with a life coach led her to realize that she wanted to transition out of dentistry too How she experimented with different side hustles to figure out what she really liked How she dealt with talking to her husband and family about leaving dentistry How she deals with her changing identity from dentist to marketer How she finds the time to balance her full-time job, family life, and side hustle.   Where to find Joanne:   Website:  joannebourgault.com Instagram: @joanne_bourgault   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

For most of us risk-averse, type-A personalities, walking away from a multiple 6-figure career to pursue an entirely different career is a HUGE, scary step. Most can’t muster up the courage to even take that jump. But to leave such a “successful” career to just travel around the world with your family would make most of our heads explode. What if I can’t get a job when I get back? But what will we do for money? WHAT IF WE BECOME HOMELESS? You get the point. We’re crazy. Luckily, Joe Hansen is a little less neurotic than the rest of us because he did just that. He walked away from his Big Law job, making a great salary and living in San Francisco, to travel the world for a year with his wife and 2 young children. While traveling, he is pursuing his original passion of writing by working on his first novel, an apocalyptic thriller set in San Francisco. I love Joe’s story because he intentionally took this step without having everything buttoned up and planned out. As you’ll hear, he and his wife are taking one step at a time. He has back-up plans in case he needs to go back to being a lawyer but, otherwise, he’s realizing that everything is figureoutable...no matter what happens.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: What led him to law school and what his experience was like at a big law firm Why the big law firm life is not a realistic one Why he decided to travel the world for a year with two small children and how he prepared for it. How his coworkers were more supportive about his decision than Joe initially thought they would be How he’s moving through his journey without knowing exactly what he is going to do in the future Whether people can take a gap year or two and return to the law How they’re tackling world travel with 2 small children And so much more! Where to find Joe:   Website: www.backpackrugrats.com Instagram: @joseph_c_hansen Instagram: @paolabregneti Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Well, there is nothing better to start the New Year off with than an episode all about how to get financially independent so that you can do what you want! I’m so excited to have the incredible Paula Pant on the show today to do just that!! As she likes to say herself, Paula is unemployable. She quit her job more than a decade ago, has traveled to more than 40 countries and refuses to work for anyone else. She runs the website Afford Anything, which holds a community of more than 53,000 email subscribers. She's the host of the Afford Anything podcast, which has enjoyed more than 4 million downloads. Both spread the idea that you can afford anything, but not everything.   After building financial independence through real estate investing, Paula is helping people all over the world figure out how to get out of debt and create financial independence for themselves. On this episode, we get into the details of her path to early retirement and how we can all get started on our own paths. Here is what we chat about in this episode: What the FIRE movement is really about How Paula got started on her own journey to financial independence How freelancing gave her freedom to travel for over 2 years and the skills to never go back to a “job” Where the big opportunities in freelance writing are today How she built her rental property portfolio and the resources she offers her community to do the same What some possible downsides are to the FIRE movement and how to have the proper discussions to work around those issues And so much more!   Resources mentioned in this episode: Email Series on Rental Properties: www.affordanything.com/viplist Free e-book on FIRE: www.affordanything.com/escape   Where to find Paula:   Website: affordanything.com Podcast: podcast.affordanything.com Instagram: instagram.com/paulapant   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Anna Lundberg is the founder of One Step Outside, where she helps people around the world build businesses and create a lifestyle that allows them an unimagined sense of freedom, flexibility and fulfilment. But that’s not how she started her career. Like most of us, Anna began by climbing a traditional corporate ladder at Procter & Gamble as a brand manager. In her 7 years with the company, she worked on high-end fashion accounts like Dolce & Gabbana and lived a glamorous lifestyle. But after leaving for a short sabbatical, Anna realized that she didn’t want to go back. She left her career without much of a plan. Through consulting and taking on clients of her own choosing, Anna created a new business and life for herself. Since leaving her corporate job in 2013, she’s now reimagining what success looks like and she’s passionate about inspiring and supporting others to do the same. In addition to her own coaching business, Anna recently launched her own podcast, Reimagining Success.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she got the courage to leave her job How she decided what she was going to do next after leaving her job without a plan How she pushed past her “Good Girl Syndrome” to do what she really wanted to do Why you shouldn’t tell everyone about your plans to quit in the beginning Why you ultimately have to just take action The difference between the “what” and the “how” of the next step How to find the right coach for you And more... Resources mentioned in this episode: Book - http://leavingthecorporate9to5.com Where to find Anna:   Website: onestepoutside.com Facebook: facebook.com/onestepoutside Podcast - http://reimaginingsuccesspodcast.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Merry Christmas!!! Happy Holidays friends!!   Thank you so much for tuning in to the show. I can’t tell you how much it means to me! We’re almost at 6 months and already have over 10,000 downloads! I’m honestly so grateful to be able to do this podcast and I can’t thank you guys enough!!   While I usually only do interviews, I wanted to take this holiday episode to talk a little bit more about the new year and goal-setting so that hopefully you can get closer to your goal of quitting whatever is making you unhappy. Now, I know that the whole “New Year, New Me” gets a really bad wrap and people roll their eyes at resolutions. But setting goals is not the problem. Not following through is the problem. We should all be re-evaluating our lives and what we want to change all the time!   “Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a month. We overestimate what we can do in a year, and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade." This quote by Matthey Kelly sums up exactly what is wrong with how we usually set goals. We’re an impatient bunch and we want change now. But that sets you up for failure because we typically only stick to things that we can turn into habits and keep up with in the long-term.   So this year, I don’t want you to focus on what you can do in the next 2 months. I want you to focus on what you can do in the next 2 years.   I talk all about why the approach in the book, The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy is the best way to approach goal-setting. In this book, Darren Hardy talks about how making little, small changes will completely change your life. You don’t need to lose 20lbs in a month. You need to cut 100 calories every day. And over time, that 100 calories will transform the way you look, feel, and act.   Make sure to check out the whole episode before you start writing your goals!   We’ll be back next week with an all-new interview episode! Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

At this point, we’ve all heard about digital nomads and remote living. There is a huge movement of people who are forgoing the traditional lifestyle in exchange for freedom and travel. But, because of the rise in popularity, there is a huge framework built around the digital nomad lifestyle with freelance websites, co-working spaces, shared housing, blogs, books, etc.   Just 4 years ago, the digital nomadic lifestyle was in its infancy and there wasn’t a ton of resources providing guidance on how to navigate it. It was even trickier for families who wanted to travel with small children to figure out all the logistics.   But that did not stop Daniel Prince. After ‘enduring’ an 18 year career in Finance, Daniel recreated his life by leaving the corporate world to travel the globe with his young family (4 small children!!) via the sharing economy.   His popular blog ‘Princes Off The Grid’ drew attention from the global press leading to his appearing in many newspapers, magazines, award winning blogs and interviewed on Podcasts.   After his own experience, he wrote the book “Choose Life” to inspire other people to follow in his footsteps to adapt, create and lead a more fulfilling lifestyle.   An advocate of the sharing and gig economy, Daniel is an investor and startup advisor focusing mainly on businesses that seek to disrupt legacy business practices. Daniel is also part of a team building Zyngel, a social impact platform that aims to help businesses grow by offering the opportunity to connect with highly qualified, experienced and skilled professionals. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How his career led him to Singapore How the 4-hour Workweek by Tim Feriss changed his life Why Daniel and his wife, Claire, wanted to pick up and travel the world with 4 kids How he got over the fear of leaving everything to pursue a dream How he figured out how to create a living on the road Why they decided to finally settle down in France and what the future looks like How meditation helped Daniel quiet the critical voice in his head to push through the doubts What his new startup, Zyngel, is all about.   Resources mentioned in this episode: 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Feriss Ted Talk by Choose Life, by Daniel Prince www.Zyngel.com Where to find Daniel: Instagram: @76Princey Twitter:  @princey1976 Website: www.princesoffthegrid.weebly.com Email: [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

If you’ve listened to the podcast, you’ve heard me say (a million times) that you can make a living doing what you want if you take the time to think outside of the box and take advantage of the resources on the internet. Well, my guest Kelly Nugent is the perfect example of someone who did that (and basically proves me right...so there).   Kelly Nugent is an actor, voice actor, comedian, internet nerd thing doer, and lady of too many podcasts! She can be found doing nerd stuff on Saving Throw Show and HyperRPG. She hosts the podcasts Teen Creeps, Public Domain Theater, Same Day Shipping, and Thank You For Questing! She also loves cheese and cats.   What I love about Kelly’s story is that when Kelly wanted to quit law in order to jump into the world of comedy, she didn’t just try to go the traditional route by finding an agent and going to auditions etc etc. She started doing voice acting, created podcasts, worked on shows on different platforms like Twitch. Basically, she figured out a way to make a living doing creative, fun things she loved instead of waiting for her “big break.” Her story offers the perfect example of how to turn your passions into a career.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she went to law school and continued on even though she didn’t like it How listening to podcasts sparked her own interest in jumping into the world of acting and comedy How she turned acting into a career through voice acting, podcasts, and Twitch How those non-traditional roles led her to getting more traditional gigs What Twitch is and how she got involved with that platform How you can turn your hobbies and interests into podcasts and other paying gigs   Where to find Kelly: Instagram/Twitter: @kellynugee Website: https://www.kellyknugent.com/   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Today we have our first novelist on the show!! Mamta Jain Valderrama received her bachelor's degree in journalism and worked as a healthcare reporter. She went on to get her MBA from USC where she was considering starting a company based on medical tourism. But in her research, she realized the huge issue with black market organ trafficking schemes and realized that she couldn’t contribute to such an industry ethically. After working in corporate life for many years, Mamta left 5+ years ago to pursue her dream to write. Her debut novel, A Girl In Traffick, is an Amazon bestseller that chronicles a story of human kidney trafficking.   After writing her novel, Mamta was also thrown into the world of international PR in order to get publicity for her novel. Realizing that she actually loved that aspect of the work, Mamta now offers PR services to authors and small business owners. She is also in plans to write her second novel.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she made a decision to leave the corporate world to write her novel Why she felt compelled to tell the story of human organ trafficking How she got through the low moments in writing How she learned to do her own PR for the book How doing her own PR led her to freelancing as a PR agent How to get started in publishing   Resources mentioned in this episode: A Girl in Traffic, by Mamta Jain Valderrama   Where to find Mamta: Instagram/Facebook: @mjvaldy Website:  www.mamtajainvalderrama.com Email: [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Ep. 22:  Lawyer & Interior Stylist- How Sara Rezvanpour Rose created her dream job as Creative Counsel at the Jungalow   Have you ever felt like you want something more but you don’t know what you should do? Well, if so, this is the episode for you! Sara Rezvanpour Rose is a unicorn full of inspiration and provides so much wisdom for anyone stuck in a career they hate. Though she may not know it, her own path provides such clear guidance for how to approach finding your next gig. It includes: perseverance, hustle, creativity, courage, humility, and faith in yourself.   Sara is a graduate of UC Berkeley Law School and a former big law attorney. After being laid-off during a merger, Sara left big law to join her brother’s small private practice law firm where she honed her entrepreneurial skills as well as her legal chops. However, after a couple of years, Sara still found herself unsatisfied in the grey world of the law. She quit, without having a plan, to find a career with more creativity.   After deciding that she wanted to be in the interior design space, Sara reached out to people in the industry, worked for free, and hustled her way into a dream internship with renowned interior designer, Justina Blackeney. From that internship, Sara created her own dream position at Justina’s business, Jungalow.   Sara is now Creative Counsel at Jungalow, a bohemian lifestyle brand & home decor online shop. She left the gray world of law in search of color, creativity, and a place where she could be her wild self! Now she spends her days creating spaces that she hopes inspire a sense of magic in people’s hearts & homes. She also negotiates contracts, and still does lawyerly things but in a much more fun & chill setting.     Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she felt morally obligated to go to law school Why she felt like she didn’t belong in law school How she ultimately decided to walk away from a traditional law practice How she figured out what her next step would be after law How she hustled her way into her dream job at Jungalow How she now spends her days doing part legal work and part interior design.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert Magic Lessons, by Elizabeth Gilbert   Where to find Sara: Instagram: @sararezrose Jungalow Instagram: @thejungalow Website: shop.jungalow.com   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Happy Thanksgiving, folks! This week we're going to do something a little different and, instead of an interview, I'm doing a solo episode. We'll be back with another inspiring interview next week.  I wanted to take this week, because of Thanksgiving, and talk about how a gratitude practice is the easiest way to change your life. That might sound like hyperbole or exaggeration but it's not.  Now before you roll your eyes and think I'm trying to sell you some woo-woo magic, there are decades of scientific studies that show how a simple gratitude practice can:  - Create stronger relationships - Strengthen your immune system  - Increase your enthusiasm, optimism, and alertness - etc, etc, etc.  Why does gratitude work so well? Glad you asked.  1) It fundamentally changes your perspective. You can see the silver lining in most situations which helps you bounce back after setbacks much faster.  2) It is impossible to feel anger/fear and gratitude at the same time.  3) It helps you enjoy the journey and not just look forward to the destination. 4) It makes you a more pleasant person and creates stronger relationships.  So if you want to change your life in 5 minutes every day, take a listen! Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Drew Morgan is a stand-up comic, writer and actor.. Drew and his two comedy partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, wrote the Liberal Redneck Manifesto and tour the country for their WellRED comedy tour. His comedy draws upon his upbringing in rural East Tennessee as well as his experiences living in Australia, Boston, Miami, and New York.   But before becoming a comedian, Drew was a public defender in both Miami and Knoxville, Tennessee. I got to talk to him about how his upbringing in a rural Southern town influenced his decision to go to law school and why he ultimately left the law to pursue his dreams.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How his upbringing in rural Tennessee affected his decision to go to law school. How his path led him to be a public defender in both Miami, Florida and Knoxville, Tennessee How his wife got him started in comedy by signing him up for a competition How he supported his dream of stand-up comedy by working as a freelance attorney doing document review How years of hard work finally led him and his writing partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, to become “overnight successes” The journey to the WellRED comedy tour and the Liberal Redneck Manifesto And why it’s worth pursuing your dreams even if it’s difficult   Where to find Drew: Website: http://www.wellredcomedy.com Twitter/Instagram: @drewmorgcomedy   Facebook: @drewmorgan     Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

As Inc. reported, “ISAAC  LIDSKY may possess the most eclectic resume in business.” Series regular “Weasel” on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, he graduated from Harvard College at 19 (cum laude) and from Harvard Law School (magna  cum laude); served as a Supreme Court law Clerk (to two Justices); was a Justice Department litigator (undefeated); and worked for an elite international law firm. He had a legal resume that most lawyers could only dream of. But after having his triplets, who required over 70 days in the NICU, Isaac re-evaluated what he wanted out of his life. He left the law to buy a failing construction subcontractor in order to try his hand out at entrepreneurship.   Though originally the jump seemed to be a failure, Isaac turned the company into a highly profitable construction services company (ten times larger) that now boasts annual revenue over $250 million.  I got to talk to Isaac about how he was able to walk away from law, after building such a prestigious career, to follow a path more true to himself.   Isaac credits his experience going blind in his early twenties from a rare genetic disease as being the reason he is able to create his own reality and live Eyes Wide Open. He gave a main stage TED Talk on the subject of living Eyes Wide Open that was viewed more than a million times in its first three weeks. He also has a book by the same name, “Eyes Wide Open”, that is a New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestseller, and was named one of the Washington Post’s top 10 leadership books to read in 2017.   I got to find out what it means to live Eyes Wide Open and how we can all strive to live that way. I’m endlessly inspired by Isaac and hope to live my own life with Eyes Wide Open.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why he walked away from the glamour of Hollywood after finding success on Saved By the Bell: The New Class. How he dealt with being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease as a teenager, knowing that he was going to go blind. How going blind taught him about the subjectivity of sight and how we create our own reality How fear replaces the unknown with the awful and how it keeps us stuck Why Isaac left the law, after an incredibly prestigious career, to run a construction company How he determined what was important in his life and how that changed his decision-making process How we can all live our lives Eyes Wide Open   Resources mentioned in this episode: Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl Where to find Isaac: Website: www.lidsky.com Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @isaaclidsky Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Matt & Alli were both working as engineers, hating their jobs, and yearning for more freedom when they learned about the FIRE community (Financial Independence Retire Early). The premise of FIRE is to focus on reducing spending and increasing investments with the goal of living off those investments and, thus, not having to work anymore. The idea is that you buy your freedom instead of buying things. Matt & Alli started saving up to 70% of their 6-figure salaries and within 3 years quit to work on the 2 online businesses they had created.   In addition to quitting, they converted a sprinter van (they named Clifford) and started driving across the Americas and running their businesses from the road. They balance their time between helping millennials get out of debt through their coaching services and education programs at Owen Your Future and helping people treat themselves on the keto diet through their baked goods company Primal Noms.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How they realized that they didn’t want to just change jobs that they hated but completely change their lifestyles. How they learned about the FIRE movement and started on their journey to saving. How they dealt with other people’s opinions of their decisions What is the 4% rule? How they started their 2 side hustle businesses How they decided to quit their 6-figure jobs to travel the country The best and worst parts of traveling in a van How to be a part of FIRE even if you want to live off of a higher salary every year How Alli & Matt help millennials deal with their debt and budgeting How you can be a part of their live webinar on financial planning!   Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.physicianonfire.com/ https://earlyretirementnow.com/ https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ Where to find : Webinar: ownyourdebtcourse.com/webinar Website: ownyourdebtcourse.com   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

We’ve all heard various versions of the same story: Someone experiences a life-threatening illness or near-death experience which immediately puts into perspective what is actually important in life. That person shakes up their life and starts pursuing a more fulfilling path. But why is it that we have to experience horrible things before we can find such clarity? Or as Christine McAlister puts it “Who has to die for you to give yourself permission to live for yourself?”   Christine suffered her own tragedy when, at 9 months pregnant, her daughter Maeve passed away. Christine was forced to deliver her child and then plan a funeral, an unthinkable experience that many would not be able to overcome. But Christine used her grief and experience to stop playing small and figure out how to make the most out of life. That led her away from her successful online marketing business and into starting a business coaching program called Life with Passion. She helps high-achievers all over the world to replace their incomes (and then some!) and quit and stay out of their 9-5s, by building businesses out of their passions.   Christine also uses her own experience with tragedy to help her clients focus in on what is actually important. As if that wasn’t enough, she is the bestselling author of The Income Replacement Formula: Seven Simple Steps To Doing What You Love And Making Six Figures From Anywhere.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Christine got out of her 9-5 job with a side hustle (and how she even figured out how to start a side hustle) How her side hustle became her full-time business and how that led to even more businesses How the death of her baby when she was 9 months pregnant led her to quit her businesses and find her true calling by opening Life With Passion. How she managed to get out from under the grief and take action to create the life she wanted How she uses Life With Passion to help other women entrepreneurs find their passions and make a business out of it. How to find what your true passions are if you’re feeling stuck in your career. How the power of just making the decision to act is the very first step. Resources mentioned in this episode: The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks   Where to find Christine: Website: lifewithpassion.com/freechapter Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifewpassion Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifewpassion   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Today’s conversation with Ann Masciarotte is so important!! On this podcast, I’ve talked a lot about the fact that in today’s world, with the internet, you can really create a business out of anything you are passionate about. Literally, you can find someone that is making money around a topic that you love. You just have to think outside of the box.   And that is why I love what Ann is doing! Ann is the Chief Curator and President of the Whitney George Collection, an art advisory firm that she established after leaving a decades-long career as a strategy consultant and product manager. The Whitney George Collection was born of Ann's belief that fine art doesn't have to be intimidating, and that it should be a prominent part of every home, office, commercial and public space. Through her work with The Collection, Ann collaborates with home- and business-owners, and residential and commercial interior designers to curate and source artwork that personalizes and elevates their interior spaces. As a lifelong art collector who comes from a family of artists, Ann loves sharing with and educating others on the joys of buying and living with original art.   The Whitney George Collection is primarily focused on promoting standout art and artists who have a unique, dynamic, and intriguing, yet accessible, style and point of view. Ann and the team at The Collection pride themselves on being able to work with nearly any budget, because there is plenty of phenomenal art in the world that doesn't come with a blue chip price tag. The Collection also believes in supporting and promoting living artists, who contribute to a richer social fabric within their local and global communities. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Ann made the jump from consultant/project manager to business owner How having kids changed her perspective and led her to want to start her own business How she originally went the safe route and tried to start her own consultancy but quickly realized that her heart wasn’t in it How she realized that she might be able to start a business around her passion for art How she structured the business model for her art business Why you just have to start and realize that you’ll just figure it out along the way. Practical advice about how anybody can buy authentic art for their homes Where to find Ann: Website: www.whitneygeorgecollection.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wgfineart Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

So many of the people that I talk to that feel stuck and want to quit have the same fear: What if I quit this stable career and the next thing I try doesn’t work out? Or, even if it does work out, what if I don’t like that career either? It seems like staying in what you know, even if you are unhappy, is a better decision.   Well, that is why I’m so excited to have the inspiring Lauretta Ihonor on the show today. Lauretta didn’t quit one, or two, careers. She has quit 5 different careers in order to find her true passion and lead a life she loves.   Lauretta started her professional life as a medical doctor after graduating from University College London in 2008. After working as a junior doctor at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London for a year, she left medicine to find a career that felt better suited to her. This turned into an almost decade-long journey, that involved four degrees, five career changes and six careers (including working as a fashion stylist for Net a Porter, and as a TV journalist/producer for the BBC and CNN International). After noticing the lack of support for career changers in the UK, she founded The Ambition Plan - a digital career change platform for ambitious women who are eager to do fulfilling work, but unsure of what they truly want to do with their lives - in May 2018. The Ambition Plan now provides career clarity coaching, masterclasses and online expert-led resources to help women across the globe get clear about what they want to do with their lives and create a plan for doing so.   Lauretta’s journey is a testament to the fact that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Once you take that first jump, you gain the courage and confidence to know that you’ll figure it out. And you also realize that you never have to settle, no matter how many jumps it takes.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Lauretta walked away from being a doctor, even when her supervisors thought she needed a psychological evaluation for deciding to leave. How she went on a decade long journey, including working in fashion, journalism, and nutritional consulting, to find her true passion.   Why Lauretta feels that she is luckier than most people. How a career coach was pivotal in helping her gain the clarity she needed to find her calling Why she developed The Ambition Plan and where she hopes to take it. Why you should never make a decision from a place of fear   Resources mentioned in this episode: The 4 Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss Alchemist, Paulo Coelho Mind Valley, Christie Marie Sheldon.   Where to find Lauretta: Website: theambitionplan.com Instagram: instagram.com/theambitionplan Twitter: twitter.com/theambitionplan Facebook: facebook.com/theambitionplan Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/theambitionplan   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

I cannot tell you guys how excited I am to have David Lat on the show! My lawyer friends will understand but to give my non-lawyer friends a bit more background, David is the editor at large and founder of Above the Law, an award-winning website about the legal profession that reaches more than 1 million unique visitors a month.   But that doesn’t really grasp the magnitude of what David has helped to create. Above the Law is THE website for anyone that works within the legal field. They cover everything from the Supreme Court decisions to what bonuses will be each year at various law firms. They have an undeniable influence on many things that happen in the legal field simply by shining a light on it.   But in order to start Above the Law, David had to leave behind his practice as an attorney. Before entering the media world, David worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, in New York; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. David graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.   Prior to Above the Law, he launched Underneath Their Robes, a blog about federal judges. David’s writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among other publications.   David first book, Supreme Ambitions: A Novel, was published in 2014.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why David started his first blog, Underneath Their Robes, anonymously. What happened after David’s identity as the blogger behind Underneath Their Robes was discovered. Why he walked away from a prestigious legal career to pursue blogging. How he came up with the idea for Above the Law and how he got it off the ground How Above the Law has grown over the last 12 years Why David stepped down as managing editor of Above the Law and what he is up to now.   Where to find David: www.abovethelaw.com www.twitter.com/davidlat [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Ep. 13: How to grow any business on Instagram with Tyler J. McCall   I want this podcast to not just be inspirational stories about how people made the big leap (though I do love those episodes) but also practical resources to help you make the big leap too. And there is no resource that can help you to build and grow a business, side hustle, passion project more than social media - specifically, Instagram.   Enter the guru himself, Mr. Tyler J. McCall. Tyler J. McCall is an Instagram and social media marketer, strategist, and coach for creatives and online business owners. He teaches his students how to use Instagram with intention to grow their community online and grow their business. Tyler focuses on using Instagram and social media to tell stories, build relationships, and convert followers to fans, drawing from his 10 years of experience in non-profit marketing and management and community organizing. He’s taught thousands of entrepreneurs and managed dozens of Instagram accounts since getting into the online marketing game in 2015.   This episode is full of great insight and action steps for how to grow your business on Instagram.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How you can use Instagram for your traditional business (think law practice, dental office, etc) How to use Instagram to start a side hustle and literally sell anything How to get over your uncomfortable thoughts about putting yourself out there on Instagram. Best practices for your Instagram page And much more!   Where to find Tyler: Instagram | www.instagram.com/tylerjmccall Facebook | www.facebook.com/tylerjmccall Facebook Group | www.tylerjmccall.com/group Follower to Fan Society | www.followertofansociety.com Tyler J. McCall | www.tylerjmccall.com   Follow along for more: Website | www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter Instagram| https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ Twitter | https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Today we had our first professional athlete! Nick J. Murphy started out his career as a punter in the NFL until 2005. After leaving the NFL and finding a void in the job application process, Nick jumped into entrepreneurship by creating workblast.com, a startup focused on bringing video resumes to the job site world. After 4 grueling years, Nick and his partner closed down the company and Nick found himself back to square one. He ultimately went into the corporate world and ended up successfully climbing the ladder at 3 of the world’s largest job sites: CareerBuilder, Monder, and Indeed. And while he found stability and a large paycheck, Nick was unfulfilled in his role. He quit in order to give entrepreneurship another shot. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Mid-America Careers, a career website focused on the Midwest. Nick is also a Transformation Strategist, host of the Job Lab Podcast, speaker, frequent media contributor, and father of five. His insights have been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Inc.com, Yahoo!, Business Insider and many more Today we got to talk to Nick about how he was able to let go of the identity that was wrapped up with being an NFL player, how he came back from bankruptcy, and why staying at a high-paying job that you are not fulfilled in is just not worth it. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Nick dealt with the difficulty of leaving the NFL How he got the idea and funding for his first startup How he dealt the failure of that startup His journey climbing the corporate ladder Why he decided to risk it all to start another company Why he thinks 85% of people are unhappy in their jobs And why you should just go for it... Resources mentioned in this episode: Tim Ferriss’s Fear Setting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=5J6jAC6XxAI Gary Keller, The One Thing Greg, McKeown, Essentialism W. Chan Kim, Blue Ocean Strategy Where to find Nick: https://www.nickjmurphy.com https://www.facebook.com/njmstrategy https://www.instagram.com/nick_j_murphy https://www.thejoblab.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Pleasance Silicki has had 2 major career transitions. But as you’ll see from the interview today, each career she’s had has put her on the path to the next thing. So what was her journey? Well, Pleasance received her Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a teacher, and then a principal, of urban elementary schools. After already feeling burned out from the job, a school shooting prompted Pleasance to leave her position.   She went on to follow her passion for yoga and opened up numerous yoga studios around the DC area. After running those studios successfully for a number of years, circumstances outside of her control led her to close them down.   Pleasance is now an author, teacher, speaker, podcaster, mentor, creator, and magic-maker. She is the founder of Thrive, an online self-care class and community. She also facilitates Stress Management and Self-Care workshops and retreats to a variety of groups and does one-on-one private mentorships based on Ayurvedic, Buddhist, and positive psychology teachings. Pleasance is also the author of Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease and the host of the Soulful SelfCare Sessions Podcast.   I got to talk to Pleasance about how each stage in her life and each step on her journey led her to the next thing, the lessons she’s learned from pivoting numerous times, and how she approaches her career today.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she wanted to become a elementary school teacher How she became a principal at a Charter School How a school shooting changed the course of her career How she got a dream job at Lululemon Why it is so important to take baby steps and not worry about the end goal How she ended up opening numerous yoga studios around DC The lessons she learned from having to close down those studios How she has evolved her career into consulting, mentorship, and teaching the spiritual practices founded on Ayurveda, Buddhism, yoga, and positive psychology.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Body of Work, by Pamela Slim Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease, Pleasance Silicki Book Recommendations   Where to find Pleasance: Soulful Selfcare Sessions [email protected] www.instagram.com/lilommyoga Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter  

Today we got to talk to Steve about how he made the jump from systems engineer in IT to being a therapist.   Steve McCready got his BA from Brown University in American Studies. After graduating and not knowing what he wanted to do, Steve focused on his interest in computers and forged a career in IT. He climbed the corporate ladder as a systems engineer but became frustrated that he wasn’t actually helping his customers. After his own personal experience in therapy, Steve realized that his passion truly lied in helping people on a one-on-one basis through counseling. He returned to school at the University of San Francisco to get his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. And now, for over 15 years, Steve McCready has been working as a therapist, focusing his practice on helping people who are ‘too nice’ get the clarity, courage, and confidence they need to stand up for themselves and live happy, successful, and fulfilling lives.   Today we talked to Steve about how he figured out what he would do next when he wanted to leave his career in IT, how he pushed back the false narratives he created about himself, and how we can get better at literally anything that interests us.     Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Steve felt unfulfilled in his role as a systems engineer even though he is interested in computers and electronics How he moved past the negative internal voices that told him he couldn’t do anything else How therapy helped him personally and also exposed him to a new career path How changing a career when you’re a little older can be a huge benefit How to get over the stories we have created about ourselves What the difference between therapy and coaching is How we can get better at any endeavor if we just work at it.     Resources mentioned in this episode: Dead Poets Society   Where to find Steve: www.stevemccready.com [email protected] www.limbicvisions.com   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

Laurie Rowen received her law degree from USD Law in 2004 and went on to have a successful career as a litigator at the prestigious firm of Snell & Wilmer. After having her first daughter, Laurie quit her job to work as a freelance attorney on her own schedule. Her decision coincided with the market crash of 2008 and Laurie realized that there was a huge opportunity to make freelance legal work more accessible. With her business partner, Laurie co-founded Montage Legal Group, a nationwide network of experienced freelance lawyers who work remotely on a project basis for law firms that need help with overflow and specialty areas of law. Montage Legal Group has been featured in numerous publications including ABA Journal and Forbes.com and Laurie has received numerous awards National Association of Women Business Owner’s Entrepreneur to Watch and OC metro magazine’s 40 under 40.   Today we talked to Laurie about how she disrupted a profession that is resistant to change, how she scaled a business with no experience and how to start looking for your next jump before quitting your career.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Laurie quit her career as a litigator in a big law firm to do freelance work How her own freelance career led her to see a much bigger opportunity How she started a nationwide network for freelance attorneys with zero business experience Her advice on whether you should find a partner when starting a business How to figure out what your next step should be   Resources mentioned in this episode: 21 Days of Resilience, by Dr. Zelana Montminy   Where to find Jenny: www.montagelegal.com [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

Maria Granovsky knows exactly what it takes to quit and start something new because she quit her profession not once but twice! Maria got her Ph.D. in medical and molecular genetics from the University of Toronto. During her post-doc training, she decided not to go down the path as a scientist but rather pursue her lifelong interest in the law. She received her law degree from Georgetown University and went on to work as a patent litigator for over 10 years.   During that time, Maria took some time away from the law to write and sell a novel. Ultimately, though, she decided to return to law for a couple more years. Maria delved into marketing courses in order to help with business development of her own law practice. She quickly began helping other lawyer friends with business development for their law practices as well. She realized that she had a knack for marketing and really enjoyed this aspect of the business. About a year and half ago, Maria quit her legal practice in order to start her own business helping other lawyers with marketing and business development.   Today we talk to Maria about how she navigated these various career pivots and what she has learned from them.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How graduate school can be the path of least resistance Why Maria took time away from law to write a novel and ultimately decided to go back to law How her experience with business development in her own legal practice led her to start her marketing and coaching business. How she moved past having her identity tied up with being a lawyer Why it makes sense to start a new business that is tangentially related to your career Why everyone has to learn marketing and business development regardless of their field   Why networking is like a negotiation and how you can make it work for you   Resources mentioned in this episode: Pivot, by Jenny Blake   Where to find Maria: www.mariagranovsky.com Linkedin: @mariagranovsky Twitter: @mgranovsky   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

Jenny Berk received her Master’s degree in Psychology and Education and is a Certified Eating Psychology Coach, Body Image Mentor, International Speaker, and best selling author of the new release The Body Image Blueprint. Prior to starting her coaching program, Jenny worked for over 13 years as a health educator for a weight management company. While she loved helping people with their issues surrounding food and body image, Jenny was against the company’s aggressive tactics. Wanting to utilize her background in Psychology in order to heal people’s relationships with food rather than focus on weight loss, Jenny went on to get certificates from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and Mindfulness-based Eatingness Awareness training.  In 2015, she quit her job in order to start her own coaching program where she specializes in unique binge eating cessation techniques and mindful eating practices.   Today we get to talk to Jenny about how to create a career on your own terms, how to overcome imposter syndrome and how small steps make all the difference.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Jenny started working for a weight management company Why her own issues with dieting made her feel like an imposter How she started noticing the problems with the tactics being used by her employer How she had her awakening that she needed to leave How she got her gentle push to leave her company How she created her coaching business to fit her life   Where to find Jenny: www.jennyedencoaching.com Facebook Group   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

I love this conversation with Pye! It was such a raw and in-depth conversation about the illusion of stability, the origin of most people’s fears, and the importance of developing a learning mindset.   What is so fascinating about Pye’s journey is not just that he jumped from being a CPA to becoming a founder of an award-winning, multi-million dollar photography studio, it’s that he did that without having a passion for or knowing the first thing about photography.   Like most of us, Pye started going down the traditional path. He became a CPA and worked for Ernst & Young before realizing that he did not like what he was doing. He quit, along with his two best friends Justin and Chris, in order to start a tech startup. When the funding for their startup fell through, the friends took on web development clients. One of their clients needed photographs taken and Pye assured them that they had a photography department that could take care of it!   What I love about his story is that most people would not only shirk at taking on a task that they don’t know how to do but also avoid a “creative” profession that they are not skilled in. Pye, realizing that photography was a skill that could be acquired, looked at entering the wedding photography industry as a business and not a passion.   That eye towards business has led Pye, and his partners, to create Lin and Jirsa Photography, a boutique Southern California wedding and portrait photography studio composed of an incredible creative team of 50 people that shoots over 300 weddings each year, with nearly 1,000 yearly client commissions. He is also a founder and partner in SLR Lounge, a premium educational community geared towards providing photographers with real-world shoot education with nearly a million monthly readers.   What You’ll Learn in this Episode: My experience with launching this podcast! Specifically, how taking a risk in my own life led me to realize the opportunity in doing so. The breaking point that led Pye to quit his job and take a risk on himself How failed attempts at funding projects and business ventures became opportunities for exploration, self-discovery, and ultimately, success How he created a multi-million dollar business in photography with a positive “learning mindset” Why Pye has a “passionate dislike” of the word “stable” and the illusion it creates Where Pye believes most fear comes from and why it limits your opportunities and potential How developing a “Learning Mindset” allowed Pye to turn quitting and “failing” into growth, opportunity, and success   Resources from the Show: Visit Lin and  Jirsa Photography and explore his phenomenal photo blog. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, ebook Listen to more inspiring quitters on my webpage! Where to find  Pye Jirsa: Instagram: @pyejirsa Photography Instagram: @linandjirsa SLR Lounge Instagram: @slrlounge     If you were inspired by this episode of  “Lessons from a Quitter” with Pye Jirsa, I know you will find inspiration in other lessons from quitters on my website.  Enjoy listening!  

We had such an interesting conversation with Melissa Wolak about how you can take all of the skills from your career and turn it into a business that you love. What is even more helpful is that Melissa shows us how to take baby steps from an employee to a side hustle to a full solopreneur business. For a lot of us, this journey is a lot more palatable than storming the island and burning the ships.   Melissa Wolak has a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders and spent 20 years working as a speech-language cognitive therapist in hospital settings. Throughout that time, Melissa became disillusioned with the lack of a holistic approach to treating patients, especially those with traumatic brain injuries. She began training in mindfulness techniques but was not allowed to use her new skills on existing patients. That restriction prompted her to begin seeing clients outside of her regular job. Slowly, her consulting career moved from just patients to helping action-oriented people achieve their goals. In 2016, she quit her job to pursue her private practice as a transformational and mindset coach and speaker full-time. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Melissa wanted to become a Speech and Language Cognitive Therapist How having her daughter changed her perspective How she started learning more about mindfulness and how that changed the way she approached her work   How she started her side hustle while still working at her job What happened since she moved on to her own business How she manages doing work as a Cognitive Therapist and a Mindfulness and Transformational Coach. How she grew her business to replace her old salary Resources mentioned in the episode: Gay Hendricks, The Big Leap Jen Sincero, You Are A Badass Simon Sinek, Start with Why Brene Brown Where to find Melissa: https://melissawolak.com/

We got the chance to talk to the inspiring Sarah Williams about her incredible journey and all the exciting things she is doing.   After working in finance for 8 years, Sarah quit her city job and spent 18 months travelling the world, climbing Kilimanjaro, backpacking around South America and doing a ski season. When she returned, she started Tough Girl Challenges- a blog, podcast and tribe dedicated to motivating and inspiring women and girls. Through her Tough Girl Podcast, Sarah interviews inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and everyday women who have overcome great challenges. She also uses the website and community to chronicle a yearly Tough Girl Challenge of her own. In 2016, she completed the Marathon des Sables (156 mi) and, in 2017, she hiked the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days! Her 2018 challenge will be to cycle the over 4,000 km of the Pacific Coast Highway from Vancouver to the Baja Divide starting this September!  As if that wasn’t enough, Sarah is also studying for her Masters in Women & Gender studies at Lancaster University.   What we chat about in the episode How she got into finance and why she kept climbing the corporate ladder How she realized that she was miserable and needed a change How she planned for quitting How she jumped without knowing what she wanted to do and how that affected her mindset How she traveled for 18 months without a plan and figured it out along the way How the idea of Tough Girl Challenges came about and how she started it What Tough Girl Challenges is all about and what her yearly challenges include Why she decided that she needed to have a Masters in Women & Gender Equality because of her platform How she monetizes her work through Tough Girl Challenges   Resources Mentioned in the episode: Patreon.com   How to reach out to Sarah: www.toughgirlchallenges.com

Erin received her law degree from UC Berkeley in 2008 and worked as a lawyer for one year before she was fired. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Erin decided to take a leap of faith and pour her life savings into creating a restaurant dedicated to the best food on earth: mac and cheese. Erin is the Founder and CEO of Homeroom. Homeroom has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel, and other national media outlets.   Homeroom now has over 100 employees and has also received numerous awards for its people-first business practices. Erin authored the best-selling “Mac and Cheese Cookbook,” and business articles for Conscious Company Magazine and the Washington Post.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Erin went to law school even though she had wanted to open a cupcake shop What happened after Erin was fired from her firm How she used her entire life saving to open up a restaurant with virtually no experience in this field. How she found herself unhappy after 5 years in her dream job and what she did to fix it. What Homeroom is doing now to create more female partners in the restaurant industry and how they’re sharing their successful anti-harassment training policy. Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Clayton M. Christensen, “How Will You Measure Your Life” Erin Wade, I’m a female chef. Here’s how my restaurant dealt with harassment from customers. The Washington Post. Where to find Erin https://homeroom510.com/

Today, we get to talk to Steve Trang about how he made the (rather quick) jump from electrical engineer to real estate agent and how he’s grown in that role ever since. Steve started out his career earning a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and working as an engineer for Intel for 3.5 years. In 2007, Steve quit his engineering career to become a real estate agent. Since then, Steve has gone on to create Stunning Home Realty, a real estate brokerage in Phoenix, Arizona that he has grown to 60 licensed agents, selling over 100 houses a year and creating some of the top producing teams in the valley. He’s also gone on to start his own Title company and develop a real estate app. Steve is not only committed to building his successful real estate empire but he also believes in helping others build their dreams too. He recently started a podcast called Real Estate Disruptors, where he interviews other real estate experts on how they’re disrupting their markets.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How getting his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering is really taking the easy route because “someone else lays out the plan and you just follow it” How he always knew that he would eventually leave his engineering job but why it happened so much faster than he expected.   How his irrational confidence allowed him to meet a real estate broker and, within 2 ½ weeks of that meeting, get his real estate license and quit his engineering job. “Real confidence is knowing you’ll figure it out” - Brandon Burchard How the fall of the real estate market in 2007 almost sent him back to his engineering job and how he continued to push through. How he uses self-help to continue to grow his business. How he went from being a real estate agent to owning his own brokerage, title company, real estate app and podcast. Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Micheal E. Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Darren Hardy’s Darren Daily Where to find Steve Realestatedispruptors.com Stevetrang.com

We got to sit down with Kaveh Mostafavi, the founder and CEO of EcoCare Supply, a wholesale distribution firm focused on sustainable products and systems. EcoCare is one of the nation’s fastest growing supply companies and helps customers increase their bottom line while reducing environmental impact. However, before starting Ecocare, Kaveh started out his career as an attorney in Arizona specializing in bankruptcy law. In addition to his law practice, Kaveh opened two Pancheros restaurants in Arizona as a franchisee. His experience as a restauranteur, specifically witnessing the amount of waste in his restaurants, led him to create EcoCare. In a couple of short years, Kaveh has grown EcoCare into a 7-figure company.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Kaveh chose to become a lawyer and how he ended up working as a bankruptcy lawyer. How he opened up his own practice as well as two Pancheros restaurants. What his experience as a franchisee taught him. Why he sold his law practice and his franchise restaurant to go work for a supply company How he pushed past people thinking he was crazy for quitting law to start a company he didn’t know anything about. How he ended up working for both a murderer and a fraud and why that made him want to be his own boss. How he got his idea for EcoCare Supply and how he started it.   Resources mentioned in this episode: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey.   Where to find Kaveh:   Ecocaresupply.com Thecompostninja.com [email protected]  

Hi there!! Welcome to the first ever episode of Lessons from a Quitter. I’m so excited (and equally terrified) to put this out there. I hope you enjoy the show and stick around for all the exciting things to come. I wanted to start the show off by giving you a little more information about me and why I wanted to start this podcast. (If you want to skip this episode, you can read more about my journey on the about page) This episode goes more in depth about why I went to law school and, more importantly, why I chose to quit law. It also talks about that journey, the business I created, and what I hope to get out of Lessons from a Quitter. I hope that you will find whatever you need from this show-- inspiration, resources, tools, or connections to get you started on your new path. I know it is cliche to say but life is too short. If you hate what you’re doing, it’s time to quit. I realize this show isn’t for everyone and that’s ok. But if you think it might help you, I’d love for you to join me. I promise to work on my rambling, saying “like”, and interviewing skills, if you promise to let me know what you want to hear. If you want to follow along and support the show, here are 3 immediate things you can do: Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen Follow along on instagram or facebook @lessonsfromaquitter Join our email list Can’t wait to get started!