Lessons from a Quitter

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.