Lessons from a Quitter

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.