Evolve with Gusti Clark

Feeling a persistent inner pull toward something different, even amidst external success? Join us for an insightful conversation with Executive Leadership Coach Gusti Clark about the power of personal and professional evolution.

Gusti's seemingly diverse career in nonprofit, tech, HR, biotech, government, and entrepreneurship reveals a purposeful journey guided by intuition and a mission to help others navigate major life transitions. "I've come to realize that all those things together have actually been connected," she explains, "I was evolving in what I was doing the whole time."

Notably, Gusti bravely followed internal nudges for growth, even when uncomfortable. She describes reaching conventional success in her dream job yet feeling unfulfilled. "I'm capable of so much more," she thought. "I didn't know what, but I knew I had more to give." This vulnerability opens a key discussion about defining success through alignment, not just achievement.

For those considering their own evolution, Gusti offers three practical tips: reframe challenges, process emotions creatively, and remember that change happens—you choose whether to shape it. Importantly, she reminds us: "No matter your job or where you work, you're still a person before and after that.

Ready to explore your own evolution? Listen to this episode, then connect with Gusti Clark to learn about her upcoming book, "No One is Coming to Save You: How to Find Source Within."

Want to know more about Gusti Clark - https://linktr.ee/gusticlark  

Transcript

Introduction to What Makes Us

Speaker 1 0:08

Welcome to what Makes Us. This is a podcast exploring in how we develop as people through our experiences and connections between individuals, with groups and amongst society. We'll be bringing on guests to discuss how they've come to be who they are and along the way, we may end up learning something about ourselves. So please sit back and enjoy. You're listening to what Makes Us. Welcome to what Makes Us. Today we have an amazing episode with a fabulous and dynamic guest, and I'm really excited to really talk with her today about what makes us evolve. Gutsy Clark is an amazing, amazing woman, does so much awesomeness in this world and I'm super excited to be having this great, great talk with her. So, gutsy, please introduce yourself to our listeners and we'll go from there.

Speaker 2 1:19

Hi everyone, I'm Gutsy Clark. Thank you again so much for having me here. I am an executive leadership coach and I have been for the last 20 years for a variety of industries and I've worked in executive HR and now I also work in life insurance and investments, so my career has definitely evolved over time.

Speaker 1 1:45

Great. So my career has definitely evolved over time. Great, yeah, you know, what's interesting right is that you were my first official like coach, in the format of like an executive coach. So so way back in the day I don't know, it wasn't really way back in the day it was like what, maybe five?

Speaker 1 2:02

years pre-covid pre-i, right, pre-covid. So, like five years ago, I I found myself on this journey of trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my career and I, you know, the universe aligned and I, interesting enough, ended up being coached by gutsy here and it was really really good. Um, and I really, you know, I didn't leave the job, but it really did re, you know, I was re-energized in what I wanted to do. It made me help me kind of figure out what was in, you know, what was possible, because at the time I definitely didn't think many things were possible. I was kind of in that space and and you were amazing, you really helped me, you know, kind of figure a lot of stuff out and be okay with things, and and and as a, as a African-American, it was great to see you in that, you know, as a coach, coming and talk to me, cause then I was like we were able to make this really strong connection. That brings us to this podcast today, which is really awesome.

Speaker 2 3:11

Yeah, oh, my God, I'm so happy to hear that and just seeing your growth over the past several years just forms my whole heart. But it's been a pleasure working with you and so many others. I mean, I think that you know, having a coach can help you kind of see those blind spots. For me it was really important.

Speaker 2 3:29

Like I mentioned, I spent some time in corporate HR and training, development and all that for a variety of industries. But I saw so many things where you know people would be at their desk and they're ready for that next, you know promotion or that next role, but for some reason it's like they couldn't either get it or there was no support around that, or like what's the barrier there? And so I found myself needing to step on the outside of corporate organizations to truly help people and like move through some of that red tape but also help you. You know, see yourself in that role Because, honestly, that's half the battle is like you being able to see yourself doing something different. Sometimes we can limit ourselves in what we think we're capable of, which is what can kind of get in our way of our career path, but for me that's one of the reasons why I wanted to. Well, I was led to be a coach really, and kind of being on the outside of the organization to truly help people move into what was next for them.

The Journey of Career Evolution

Speaker 1 4:27

Yeah, which is, I think, which is a great segue into our conversation today. Right, what makes us evolve? And I would truly, if I had to put like a identifier for you you're an entrepreneur and you do amazing things with so much stuff, so I'm really excited to hear about this conversation of evolution. So, as we start, right, what made you choose this topic today for our podcast? What makes us evolve?

Speaker 2 4:59

Absolutely. First and foremost, this topic of evolution is one that I've been living out on my own. So every single day I've actually been living this. So it's not just a concept, it's not something I've read, it's my life's experience, especially by way of my career. So that's one of the things that I kind of hold near and dear to my heart and also just wanting to kind of be there for other people.

Speaker 2 5:24

But early in my career, you know, I kind of started out in one path. You know, when we're first getting out of college or just kind of starting out in the world in our careers, it's very much so that we need to just get in there and kind of get started. We have no idea what we're good at, we have no idea if we even like it, but it's just like it's one of those things that you kind of need to get started and get going in and start earning some money and your path kind of opens up to you over time. From that perspective, Right For me, I started a nonprofit and the job training and education where I was kind of training people and helping people get jobs. If you look at the course of my career it looks like on the outside that I've jumped around and bounced different jobs, different industries, from nonprofit into technology, from technology HR into biotech, as a project manager working, getting a position as a VP of the Project Management Institute in San Francisco, to then being in the chief of staff office out of the city of San Francisco over into government. From looking at it from the outside, it looks like so many different things, right. And they always told us in school like you want to focus in on one area, not necessarily be a jack of all trades, right.

Speaker 2 6:38

For me, looking at my own history, I've also had to challenge that, because I've come to realize that all those things altogether have actually been connected. I was evolving in what I was doing that whole time. At the moment I didn't know that's what I was doing, right. It was like, okay, you know, I've kind of expired this one experience, it's time to kind of move on to the next thing, and always following what I found exciting or interesting, and so by kind of being led by that, but looking back I can see how all those things are actually connected, which is why I'm able to be a successful entrepreneur now, because all of those experience helped me be who I am now. So for me, it's really a process of evolution than it is to try to stuff yourself into a box, not allow yourself to grow. I'm a different person from when I was in my 20s to my 30s, to now in my 40s, right, so we also have to be kind of open to allowing ourselves to evolve as well.

Speaker 2 7:35

And, like I mentioned, I do do career coaching and oftentimes I get calls from people who have been on their jobs 15 plus years and now they're faced with either a layoff or some sort of major change and they're sitting around looking like well, what you know, what am I going to do next? How do I move forward from here? And so the whole point of that is there is next steps for you there. There's a whole other path that exists for you, but from that perspective, it's really hard for us to see that. I love to talk about this because change is inevitable inevitable, I mean, we always hear that. Right, it's like cliche. But if, if you reframe the change to look at it as opportunity, or how can you continue to grow, or our world is changing, how can I stay relevant in it, then you can you know, kind of position yourself in a better way to really take advantage of what's in front of you versus feeling like you're left in the cold or left behind or changes just kind of kick in your butt.

Speaker 1 8:34

Yeah, yeah, thank you. Wow, you know I I didn't know that you had jumped from so many different you know spaces, and successfully, so that's. I mean that was kind of a question that's been in my brain here of like how have you been able to navigate, going between these different industries in your in early on in your career?

Speaker 2 8:59

That's an excellent question, because at the moment it didn't feel like it was so easy or or any of that Right.

Speaker 2 9:05

Right but for me, uh, stepping into the next thing, I'm very dedicated and committed to what I do, whatever it is, and I'm not afraid to like work hard. So I think probably half of that is what kind of carried me through, and then just the experience in and of itself is um kind of helped me stay focused and learn and grow in each space that I was in. But for me they were very pivotal moments and times of my life when my life was asking more of me, right. So, yeah, it's easy, I could have stayed at one job for several years. It was doing just great, I mean in terms of pay, like all that but at some point I kept reaching these points where I felt unfulfilled and that's really the driving force which got prompted me to kind of move on to the next thing.

Following Your Inner Nudge

Speaker 2 9:52

I can remember a time where I was at Macy'scom. I was a manager of learning and development and I got to work with like delivering soft skills training to software developers and I just loved every bit of it. In San Francisco. I was in my mid 30s, early 30s at that point Like finally getting close to six figures, like I like things are great, right. That was the whole point and what I thought I was pursuing in my career. So I just definitely felt like I am, this is my spot. Like here I am. And then, two years into it, I'm starting to feel this pull to want more from myself, not not just more salary, wise, but more as in what am I capable of. At that point in time I'd probably spent about 12 years or so in training, development and kind of helping and supporting other people in that kind of way, and being here now in Silicon Valley, I'm so interested in technology, I want to get closer to it. So now I'm starting to fill this weird pool where I want to now be closer to technology, not just soft skill kind of support to all the people who are working on cool stuff. And then, from that experience, that's what prompted me to go into, like, project management in a technical environment, because I was hungry for that information, I was hungry for those experiences.

Speaker 2 11:14

So throughout these transitions I was led, you know, by that urge and that feeling all the time, which is why I made changes. So it wasn't me just thinking, huh, I just want to make a change just because I feel like it. No, no, no, I was guided and led to make these changes for those types of reasons. And so you know, I guess staying true and following that is what helped me be successful. So never did I say what change do I not want to make, as much as I was saying.

Speaker 2 11:46

Never did I say what change do I not want to make, as much as I was saying what is my life calling of me or what am I feeling driven towards or what am I suddenly excited about now, and kind of leading with that kind of drive, and that is what got me into the next environment and the next environment and I would have to say that's what made me successful. I wasn't making change just for shits and giggles, right Like I was driven. It was purposeful and intentional as to why and what kinds of experiences I was looking for to make those changes.

Speaker 1 12:13

Oh, wow, that's. You know that says a lot, right? Because what stood out to me was this feeling unfulfilled. Right, you're doing great work, you're enjoying the work, but yet in your words, you said hunger. There was something there that you wanted that you felt like you needed to get more of that. You weren't getting in your current position, and so you made this move.

Speaker 1 12:41

And the other piece of that was also the thing that I also heard was you felt guided. Right, it wasn't necessarily, as you said, a change just to change. It was something that you felt guided by and wanting to move to that next thing, and that really resonated with me. Because, it's true, I feel like some of the changes I've had in my own life have been those things. I coming to talk to you as a coach, as a career coach, right and I was feeling unfulfilled, there was something that was missing and I hadn't been able to to to go down that, that process. So I I'm intrigued, as you said, like you were hungry and you were feeling unfulfilled, what were those signs that you picked up within yourself that there was something that you needed to make a move on?

Speaker 2 13:32

So I'll tell you one of the biggest ones to date Actually, I'll tell you about two, but one of the biggest ones to date that really helped me see what was happening for me and why it was happening. Up until this particular point it just kind of felt like, oh, I'm just moving through my career, I'm just doing my thing, until I was out of the chief of staff office working for the city and county of San Francisco. That, ultimately, was my dream job at that time, when I first started, when I got in there, coming from technology, when I got in there, it was my dream job at that time. I when I first started, when I got in there coming from technology, and when I got in there, it was my dream job at that time and learning and growing and experiencing it. But right around I think it was about the third year is when I'm like, okay, I was making the most money I'd ever made in my life. This is so awesome.

Speaker 2 14:26

But I'm starting to notice around me within this type of organization that A there are people here who've been here 20 and 30 years but they're unhappy. Why are they unhappy? Because they're just doing a particular job. For example, some people chose to be bus drivers, even though they may have had master's degrees and so on and so forth, but they weren't living up to their potential, which is why, ultimately, they were kind of just unhappy, although they were making great money right. But I'm starting to notice this effect about when you show up to work and you're genuinely unhappy, versus taking the leap into, step into a position that would actually bring you fulfillment. So now I'm starting to really see the tangible results of what happens when you have that kind of existence right. So that's one thing. But then again, like I mentioned, right around that three-year mark, I was doing really well, but my responsibilities started to get reduced just because the organization just didn't need that level of innovation. I mean, it is a government, you know, agency. But coming from technology, I'm definitely used to a more faster pace, but it's starting to kind of just slow down.

Speaker 2 15:34

And so here I am, mid 30s, just thinking like I'm capable of so much more, like, yes, this money is awesome, but there's more within me, and I don't know what that means. I just know, in terms of performance or experience, I have more to give. So there were times where I would come home and, even though everything seemed great, I still just have this nagging feeling like I'm still not fulfilled. Once again here I have this feeling. So I'm like, oh my gosh, what am I going to do about this now, and to what degree do I need to continuously change Right? So I'm asking these deeper questions of myself and trying to truly dive deeper into. What is this feeling that I'm feeling?

Finding Strength in Source

Speaker 2 16:17

One of those things that I really wanted more of was travel, like experiencing other cultures around the world. Up until this point, I really haven't been across the Atlantic yet, just spending a lot of time in North and North and Central America. But so life is calling at me, you know, in that aspect. But also I was interested and really wanted to learn how to build wealth. So again, here I am in my mid 30s, making great money, but also realizing that a huge chunk is going to taxes. And then also, what happens if I ever slow down to have a family? What happens if, you know, I ever get sick and can't just keep up this pace of work? So now I'm starting to think ahead, right, and I'm realizing how I need to start focusing a little bit more on how to like grow this wealth thing, or how to make sure that I'm always going to be secure. So these two things kept me up at night a lot and it wouldn't let me rest. It got to a point where it's like I can't rest because I have to address these, these things that are I'm being called to, right. So the point came at the end of that year where I found an opportunity to become an entrepreneur and have my first business.

Speaker 2 17:30

Of course, throughout my process of kind of digging deeper within myself and figure out what was next, the answer for me was entrepreneurship, and so, figuring out what that was, I ultimately started a travel company. So that was my very first business, and then that allowed me to be able to go to Egypt and see the pyramids there and go see Morocco and a lot of other countries. But the reason I did that is because I knew if I didn't do it at that time of my life, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself because I wasn't following and being true and loyal to myself, right. So that's one of the biggest experiences I had that really opened my eyes about how to even tune into myself and what like my life's experience, or even what my calling is asking of me.

Speaker 2 18:17

So again, on the outside my career looks like oh, I jumped here and there and the other, but really it's been a string of evolution in terms of the types of skill sets I'm learning and growing and the other. But really it's been a string of evolution in terms of the types of skill sets I'm learning and growing and applying so I can be more effective in essentially what my life mission is, which is to ultimately help people and offer them that support throughout major life changes, because I didn't have that. So I kind of stumbled through those processes on my own. But since I've done that, I can now be of service to others in that way.

Speaker 1 18:47

Oh great, you know, that's amazing, like being able to really just go with just understanding yourself and I think that's what I'm hearing understanding yourself and being willing to do that deep dive introspection, to say this is where this is kind of something's brewing and I want to make a move, and I want to make this, and being able to figure that out is really, it's truly a gift. So, at this point, what is this evolution? What does this? What does it mean? What does it look like? You know, like, how would you describe your you know evolution at this point?

Speaker 2 19:31

Yeah, I mean so. At this point I'm eight years into being an entrepreneur and having, you know, a couple of successful businesses around, like the career coaching, like I mentioned, and now on the insurance and what all that even means. But the point about evolution is that, no matter what happens in our lives, how can we still continue to get up and keep going? And to me, that's the most important part, because our economy is going to change, things are going to change, events are going to happen in our lives, but how are we going to keep keep getting up right? And no matter what your job is or wherever you work or wherever you live, even you're still a person before and after that, like we can't allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in the definition of those types of titles to where, if something happens or changes unexpectedly, we suddenly lose ourselves. And for me, that's the biggest point about this evolution piece, because there were moments where I felt like I was a complete failure. My businesses failed. You know, I have these experiences, but now I don't have that money anymore. Now what? Well, guess what? I'm still a person before and after that experience, and that doesn't take away from me. In fact, it enhances me and I think I want to share that with everyone that you know.

Speaker 2 20:54

That's why it's important for us to kind of understand ourselves and essentially reframe your experience to you and how, how your life is continuously evolving and how that experience contributes to it Good, bad or ugly. I mean, think about the caterpillar, for example. That caterpillar goes into that cocoon and it looks like it's struggling to get out and become that butterfly. But had the caterpillar not gone in there and really worked on its wings, it couldn't fly and then see a new perspective later To me. You know I hold that image near and dear to my heart because again, we can be hard on ourselves, we can feel down, we can feel like, oh my God, I'm nothing, or just, you know, feelings of worthlessness, which is definitely something I've had to overcome throughout my life, no matter how successful I thought right.

Speaker 2 21:45

Because the minute something goes wrong it's like, oh no, no, now what? Yeah. But the point is there's still a lot within you, and sometimes changing environments or even the type of work you do doesn't take away from you. It doesn't mean that you're not still of value. In fact, it means more than just that. So that's why I challenge that old notion of you know what do they say? The jack of all trades? No, it's like you're an expert of life or expert in whatever you know. Kind of pathway is your own, even though you may have had different experiences. But isn't that the point of life is to live.

Speaker 2 22:19

So, how do you take all of that and connect the dots and put it together in a way that makes sense, that you can communicate and contribute that to other people who may have had those types of experiences? Right, but there's always someone you know. You always have value to add, it, to contribute, no matter how big or small you think that is because that can also help other people or inform other things or even create innovative new ways and processes. Right, but never to underestimate what we have to offer, and I think sometimes jobs put us in such a box that we forget we have other talents, so anything making moves enhances you. Right, we have to look at ourselves as like it's more of a portfolio career these days instead of just, oh, you have that one job for 30 years.

Speaker 2 23:08

Those days were quite gone. Now, I mean, look at our economy. Things have changed quite a bit all around the world, and that's okay. So how are we adapting to that? And how are you looking at your life's experiences in a way that makes sense and putting it together as to why you bring value to?

Speaker 1 23:25

whomever you choose to go work for, yeah, yeah, I think you've hit it right there. You have to be able to adapt and your skills and have to be able to utilize those skills in a very fast, fast-paced, changing, changing environment. Um, our world is definitely at that level. So, yeah, and I would also even say so.

Speaker 2 23:48

I would also even go as far to add, about this whole ai. You know kind of movement and where we are with that. It reminds me very much of what happened in Y2K, if anyone remembers that. You know, back in Y2K, year 2000,. Here we come with computers and technology.

Speaker 2 24:07

Some people were slow to adapt. I mean, I even think about my parents and how they're still asking me for help on certain things. I'm like, come on, we're like way past that now, like we even have AI. You know I'm still trying to keep up, right, but you know we have to look at things like that too, and that's exactly what's happening right now, especially in the workplace. So we're doing ourselves a disservice by not following what's true to our hearts or where our true callings are, because the world's changing and it needs us to be in our lane of expertise and or the space that brings us joy and what we enjoy doing, like we. We need that right now versus, you know, being in the spaces that feel like it's draining us. We're not happy. So we're doing ourselves a disservice by not following that.

Speaker 1 24:54

Yeah, yeah, I, you know, throughout our conversation there's this, there's this thread of staying true to yourself and also this thread of strength to be able to go through these, this evolution, because it's not a it's not an easy thing, making making changes like that and and going against the tide. And so the question that popped up in my head here was where, how, where did you get the strength to face all these evolutions?

Speaker 2 25:28

That's a great question, and that too, has grown and evolved over time.

Speaker 2 25:33

But essentially, I get my strength from source, from the most high is where I get my strength, and that has my spirituality has equally been a part of this journey for me as well A lot of times, especially since, like I was the first person to go to college in my family or just trailblazing in a completely different way, where other people didn't know how to be supportive of me, even when they wanted to.

Speaker 2 25:59

They, you know, just unable to Right. So I had to face a lot of things on my own, which is probably why I do career therapy now and why I like to be there for other people, so they don't have to feel like they face these types of changes alone because it's, it's. They're big changes like, and it's quite scary, especially when we have to face or like dig into certain parts of ourselves or ask ourselves tough questions, right, but for me, that's been a huge part of it, in fact, so much so that even I have a book that I'll be releasing coming very soon, soon, and doing an early launch for that but it's called no One is Coming to Save you how to Find Source Within, so being able to evolve, it also requires us to believe in more than just ourselves, dig deeper to know that we have more to offer to begin with than just what's on a job description and how to really tap into our own potential.

Speaker 1 26:59

Congratulations. I did not know that you were launching a book, but I'm not surprised. I can't say I'm not surprised here, but that is amazing and I think you kind of hit it, especially in our conversation right the source, finding the source within. So, through all these different things, of the support that was there for you, the biggest and greatest support was yourself and your strength of faith in something greater than your, than than you. Is that kind of accurate to say?

Speaker 2 27:38

That's right. Oh, that's right, that's right. And every time I tried to think that it was just on my own grit or whatever, I was immediately reminded. Another example I'll share with you is right around the end of 2019. Here I am coaching, and I'm back in Seattle now because I had to move back home after my first business failed. So here I am, back in Seattle, I'm doing my coaching thing and I'm introduced into the concept of real estate and I'm like I don't see myself as a real estate agent, but again there's this nudging within me that says just follow it. And so I'm like, okay, I don't see myself as a real estate agent. But again there's this nudging within me that says, just follow it. And so I'm like, okay, I'm an entrepreneur. I guess I'm just following this blindly.

Storytelling and Sharing Truth

Speaker 2 28:23

I take my exam and I get signed on with a small firm at first, but what happened was that was three months before the pandemic hit. So little did I know my coaching business would essentially be shelved and tabled overnight, because I mean, who's going to want to work with you? And the company doesn't even know they're going to be there. And so here I was now able to kind of fly on the wings of real estate now, which it had you asked me before, I wouldn't have ever been able to even you know, it just wasn't a part of my awareness to even jump into real estate at all, it just wasn't. But it was ultimately what kept me alive and kind of sustained myself throughout the pandemic times is being able to help people with their homes and housing and moving around and so on and so forth. So that was another huge wake up call as to how to go with the flow of life and not necessarily going against it. I was always the person who's like oh, I'm in the driver's seat, and while that is true that you do need to kind of drive the ship, but you have to understand that the ocean has its own patterns. The ocean has waves, it has current and that's what you're following. Even though you're driving you're, you still need to follow the current and the tides. And that was something that we none of us could have ever predicted this whole pandemic thing, which instantly changed things overnight. So from that experience I've learned to just blindly follow when I'm given a nudge, if I'm, you know, if my instincts tell me, or intuition says, don't go down that road like I don't think or second guess it anymore, because I've had so many examples in my life where it led me to be able to be OK because some kind of a change was about to happen and thank goodness, otherwise I would have been laid off or just whatever. I mean.

Speaker 2 30:06

I think a lot of people probably feel that same way when they're in their current roles. Sometimes there becomes this point where it's like, oh, I should leave. But sometimes we're scared or we just want the comfort and stability and we stick around. And then a year or so later, now you get the you know the pink slip, or you're laid off and you're like crap, if only you know a year ago I actually left. So I think these things happen all the time. We just don't use that kind of language to describe it. But again, as an entrepreneur, it's like those lessons are coming fast and hard because it's like either I'm able to provide for myself right now or I'm not. I don't get to hide behind my salary anymore, so I better start learning these lessons pretty quickly. So that's the difference, being on the entrepreneurship side. But I'll tell you that's where all that comes from for me.

Speaker 1 30:54

Yeah, yeah. So the, the, the strength to be able to, to, to hear a nudge, to feel a nudge and and to go with it blindly. I think that's that says a lot, cause I don't think many people will be able to do it. I'm thinking about my as I think about myself. I was like how many, how many nudges have I had? And I'm being like that's a crazy nudge, I'm not going to do that. What are you talking about? And, and you know, you kind of regret it afterwards I was like, oh, that I, that actually worked out and I, I missed that opportunity. So how do you?

Speaker 2 31:30

you know how do you help being uncomfortable? Right, that's what it is, isn't?

Speaker 2 31:39

it, it's the being stepping out of your comfort zone, yeah, you know. And the nudges, the nudges start to get to a point where it makes you extremely uncomfortable, and I've come to realize that it's like things are going to happen with or without your permission, right? So it's either the changes are going to happen, at least somewhat in my way, or in a way that I can tolerate, or it's going to come expected, and then it's going to be chaotic and come in a way that the way that I hoped it wouldn't. So that's where I started to just say, okay, all right. Well then, what does this mean? How can I at least try to shape or wrap my head around what it could look like, or whatever, to kind of help myself through those transitions, because that's how I know they're coming when it starts to nag you, like those moments where it's like, oh, it keeps bugging me, but wait, I can't. But well, next quarter, well, in a few, right? That happens to us a lot.

Speaker 1 32:33

Yeah, yeah, no, it totally does, wow. So what is your nudge leading you to right now?

Speaker 2 32:43

Well, that's a great question.

Speaker 2 32:46

The nudge, actually, for me, is that I have to start sharing more of this Again.

Speaker 2 32:52

Up until this point, I've really just been focused and just in my own little world about oh my life and oh my career and like moving through it and this and that and the other and again, like I mentioned it in my 40s, now looking up to say, wow, I kind of do have a lot of experience in a bunch of different areas, and to see how all of my contributions can be helpful to other people, which is why the nudge about this book and getting it out and sharing it is definitely that's something that's heavy on my plate, which I am working on and will be ready. But you know, because again it's true, where you have no idea what other people are going through and nor do you even need to know, just to know that sometimes you sharing your story or just sharing some insight and things that you've experienced or overcome or gotten through, can help other people, which is why we have so many social platforms right now, Just talking about unconventional ideas or the truth behind something, right Like we need that in our world right now.

Speaker 1 34:08

So, again, it doesn't do any. You're doing yourself a disservice by not telling your truth, by not sharing your truth, no matter what it is, whether it's personal, career or otherwise, family, whatever. Sharing your only to hear people's stories and in their own personal journeys, but also the sharing of the truth, right, sharing truths because you know our lives are wrapped were talking about this. Um, the uniqueness of, of the what makes us podcast is that they're all people are all tied to me in a different way right now. Um, and I'm I'm kind of excited of exploring the idea of someone that's not tied to me so doing you know, because I think it will make such an interesting dynamic and story.

Speaker 1 34:54

And hearing people's story, but me also hearing it for the first time right there, versus you know, again, I did not know your story completely, so this is also me hearing your story for the first time and amazingness of of the evolution that you truly have gone through and all these different things. And the nudge. I hope you put that in your book. I hope that's in the book, the nudge it should be.

Speaker 1 35:16

It should be like a whole chapter about making you know a decision off of a feeling and being okay in doing that, because not a lot of people are okay doing that.

Speaker 2 35:32

Yeah, definitely Well, and I absolutely love what you're doing with your podcast, because you two are playing to your strengths and kind of you know all the things that are important to you and being able to be the conduit to kind of bring these things together and really shed light on you know real experiences, right. I mean anyone can look at someone's life on the outside and we can glamorize it or just think it's been, you know, peachy the whole time without understanding the true nuggets of, kind of what people go through, and to me those are the lessons, right. So anyone's lessons that they experienced to share and learn from other people, I think is so valuable. So kudos to you and really kicking off this podcast and and getting it up there and launching this thing Good job.

Speaker 1 36:14

Thank you, thank you. I mean, you know what I? I think this was my nudge. This was a nudge that I felt as a to keep with the nudge theme. Um, totally, because you know, I had no interest in podcast. I didn't even know what podcasting was. I was like I kind of worried about my own voice, what my voice sounded like. I was like like, do I sound like a squirrel? I don't, I don't know Should I deepen my voice when I'm up here, like, but as I've done this, the the benefit has been just being able to reconnect with, with really good friends and also being able to learn so much from other people's stories and and you hit it right there the lessons we learn. Right, if you don't have that ability to share the lessons and hear what other people have their journey, you miss out on the richness. Facebook, instagram, twitter, formerly known as Twitter those places only give you a snippet of what someone wants you to perceive their life to be it. It really rarely shows you what life really is.

Speaker 1 37:27

That's right, and and I find myself now on this kind of interesting storytelling journey of you know I was I was reading something and it was talking about the lessons we learn through through storytelling. You know, through, you know, generations, generations of people have been told stories and in those stories they've been able to make meaning and in making that meaning, they've been able to help the future generations make meaning for themselves. Right, because the lessons and struggles and challenges that I've faced I'm now sharing with you and you will take it and use it the way you need to use it. But we, you know it's, it's evolved, that that evolution of storytelling has evolved. Now, in podcasting, I you know I've discovered, is one of those ways to be able to, to share the stories that haven't been heard and and are, have been or have been contained within our community, within our families or within our community, and it's an opportunity to open that, open that container a little bit more and share it with a greater, a greater audience that needs to hear it.

Speaker 2 38:45

Exactly Because, I mean, isn't that essentially what we had in previous generations, where it was the storytelling kind of passed down throughout the lessons and so forth, right, but now you just get to do it in such a larger way, and I love that that you mentioned too that you also followed the nudge, which I mean I'll tell you the secret. That's the secret to success, which is why your podcast is so successful because you follow the nudge. When you, when we do that, it will bring us all the things that we need for something to be successful. So if anyone out there is like on the fence about, oh my God, what will happen, you have to put that out of your mind, because you wouldn't be getting this nudge and urge and calling to go do something if it wasn't meant for you.

Speaker 2 39:27

If it wasn't, you know things weren't going to align for you to be able to do that, and I think that is one of the things we should kind of hold on to, especially when we're going to do something really scary and completely different and you never saw yourself doing it. That's the thing that's ultimately going to lead you down that path of success is because it was calling to you in the first place. So the sooner that we kind of accept and embrace that, the better off we'll be and all the pieces will come together Like the path exists, whether you can see it or not. Maybe there's fog on the road right, but you can still, but the path is still there and you'll start to see the steps kind of unfold in front of you.

Speaker 1 40:03

Yeah, no, I think we found your first, your next book title follow the nudge. I'm serious, I'm totally serious. Yeah, I think it will be. People will be like what? What is this book about? Right I? I, because you know most people use calling right. Calling is something that is very commonly used when, when you are feeling something you feel called to do it. But you know, follow the nudge, I think, is also supernatural. Like you gotta urge. You got this feeling that you can't shake um and it's and it's hounding you right, making you as you said, making you as you said, making you uncomfortable. Maybe you got to follow that nudge.

Speaker 2 40:49

Well, I just wrote that down.

Speaker 1 40:51

Okay, good, good, I'm glad you did.

Speaker 2 40:54

I'm glad you did yeah. I thought I'll work on some of that, thanks to you, see, it's pointing to me Look at that See.

Speaker 1 41:03

So, at this point, what would you want to share with our listeners about evolution and about what you've talked about today? What would you want people to walk away with?

Three Keys to Embracing Change

Speaker 2 41:17

Absolutely. I mean, I think I'll leave you with three things, especially in the face of change, feeling that nudge. At the end of the night, when your head's resting on that pillow, there's something nudging you, urging you kind of when you're facing that. First things first is, you know, to kind of reframe the problem or challenge that you're having. Sometimes half the battle is what we're telling ourselves about this particular change. Sometimes we kind of talk it up and make it scarier than it needs to be. But what if you're thinking about it in a sense of what if this happens, like you know, in a positive sense? Right, so one reframing it. The second thing is taking time to process your emotions. We have to remember that it's not always just the logistics of getting from A to B and B to C, like where are you emotionally throughout that change, in that process? How are you feeling? Find some kind of a medium to express yourself. I am a journaler, I write.

Speaker 2 42:13

That's where this comes from for me. And but like, what is that for you? Do you need to I don't know draw, do some video, you know, just like how you're doing with the podcasting find your medium to allow yourself to process your emotions, whatever that looks like, but you have to do it, Um, cause that's what helps you get to to whatever is supposed to be next for you. And then the last thing is just to remember change is inevitable, and so you know it's going to happen the easy way or the hard way. So, uh, you get to decide, though are you going to be an active participant in the changes or are you just going to be passive and just kind of let it go by you and you end up wherever you end up, but to embrace the change and connect the dots between all of your experiences, because they are leading you somewhere there, but you have to have looked at it in that kind of a way to even see where that destination is, so to speak, and you will be surprised.

Speaker 1 43:11

Great, that's, yeah, that's. I think those three things are really important. Thank you for that, and I'm really excited for what the future holds for you, because I know it's going to be. It's going to be amazing, but it's also going to be different, because I I think that's the thing I expect from you, is that you pick up so many different things and then you run with it, and then you do it so well. When you're talking about the real estate, you know you're my coach, my career coach, and then all of a sudden, you're like I'm going to do real estate for a little bit and I'm sitting like what, what?

Speaker 2 43:47

what happened, yeah?

Speaker 1 43:49

what happened here? And then, all of a sudden, I see your face on this multi-million dollar property. I was like, if she goes big every time, this is not small, she goes big. If she's gonna go with it, she's gonna go big. And uh, and I saw you blossom in real estate.

Speaker 1 44:08

Yeah, I saw you blossom in real estate so I was like, oh, gutsy's good, there's no, there's no need to worry. It's more like I need to keep keep up. I need to keep up because, because obviously she's moving places and she's, and she's found something, she's found something, and she's found something good, and that's usually that's. That's my immediate, immediate response. Whenever I see whatever you got going on, I'm like, okay, she's found something. I need to, I need to keep track, I need to, I need to be up on game on this so thank you for that I, you do amazing stuff, you do amazing stuff.

Speaker 1 44:44

So I'm really excited for you.

Speaker 2 44:47

Thank you so much. I mean it just follows in that my life's mission theme, which is to help people through major transitions, whether it's their career or through, like, where you live, or even through your finances and how to evolve, that's essentially what I'm doing. So, no matter what the title is, that is still what I'm doing.

Speaker 1 45:04

Yeah.

Speaker 2 45:04

At the end of the day. At the end of the day at the end of the day.

Speaker 1 45:10

Well, thank you so much. I feel like that was a perfect, that's a, that's a beautiful sign off at the end of the day. So, with that, we will thank you so much. Uh, we, uh, we will have you back on because, again, you know, I'm I'm intrigued where your nudge is going to go. We may not have a nudge conversation, but I'm intrigued what the next step is going to be. Thank you so much.

Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

Speaker 2 45:34

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me and congrats to your continued success.

Speaker 1 45:42

Thank you for listening to what Makes Us. Make sure to rate or review this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or send it to a friend who you think will enjoy this podcast. Thank you for sharing your time and see you soon.