536: How Networking and Bold Career Moves Can Transform Your Life

Jill Schmieding 00:01

And she said, "Hey, it sounds like you're doing a lot of really cool things. And you're doing a lot of cool little steps to get to where you are." She was like, "But don't be afraid to take that big step."

Introduction 00:18

This is the Happen To Your Career podcast with Scott Anthony Barlow. We hope you stop doing work that doesn't fit you. Figure out what does and make it happen. We help you define the work that is unapologetically you, and then go get it. If you feel like you were meant for more, and you're ready to make a change, keep listening. Here's Scott. Here's Scott. Here's Scott.

Scott Anthony Barlow 00:43

This probably won't entirely come as a surprise to you. But we've found that when you start doing the work to make a big change, like, specifically a career change, those big moves bleed into every other area of your life. And if this is not your first episode of the podcast, you've probably heard this many times before when we talk about people who have made the changes in their work, and it influences them to play big in the rest of their life. Like in Episode 483, where Kate Gleason Bachman pivoted out of her lifelong career as a nurse and then went on to complete her first ultra marathon, not just a regular marathon, but ultra marathon. Pretty cool, right? Another client used career experiments to connect to people and then those people changed her life.

Jill Schmieding 01:29

I have some really cool individuals that I met and talked to and fell in love with if I'm being honest with you. And I know I'm an extrovert, and I love talking to people. But I really fell in love with, for the first time, the whole process of job hunting, you could say. Because for most of my life, I've just went on Indeed, went on LinkedIn, looked for a job, applied, that sort of thing, right. And then six months later, I'm either overqualified, burned out, bored, whatever.

Scott Anthony Barlow 01:59

That's Jill Schmieding. Jill has worked in the financial industry for her entire career. She had been burned out for the last 10 years or so of that. But the golden handcuffs of the financial world had been very much holding her back from making the change. Okay, so how did she go from burned out over those 10 years to identifying that there were many ways that she could make her work better to start in a podcast to many, many other changes, including doing the Camino de Santiago Pilgrim Walk on a sabbatical? Well, to understand how she got from there to here, you first have to understand where this all started. Jill did an amazing job conducting career experiments. These experiments then led to a huge shift in how she was thinking about her life and her career. And this shift caused her to start making small changes in her life, which led to bigger and bigger changes. The biggest change of all? Well, you're gonna hear an update from Jill at the end of this episode. But first, let's go way back to the beginning of Jill's career journey.

Jill Schmieding 03:05

So where the career began was when I was in high school, I was talking to my mom and she said, "Well, if you want to make a lot of money, you should be a stockbroker." This was like my senior year in high school. So on my high school transcript, I actually wrote stockbroker. And so I went to business school and I kind of dabbled around with like, you know, there's marketing, there's advertising, there's business administration, I thought that was a little too generic for me. So I just went into business management. I got my degree. I was actually the first person in my family of six people, my parents, and I have three other sisters. So four daughters all together. I was the first one to get my bachelor's degree.

Scott Anthony Barlow 03:43

Really?

Jill Schmieding 03:44

Yeah. Kind of crazy. My parents were super successful, but you know, the college just wasn't in it for them. But so that was cool. I finished with my bachelor's degree in business management. When on, "it's not what you know, but who you know", that is how I lived my life by that motto, pretty much the whole time, because my dad is a very successful businessman in Lincoln, Nebraska, where I grew up. And so he pours concrete, owns his own company. He did some concrete work for someone who worked at a financial company. And so it was just kind of like, my daughter needs a job, so to speak, right. And so I started interning at this finance company. And it just so happened that the woman who was the assistant to the financial advisor, she knew my grandpa. And so she talked to me real well and took me under her wing. And the rest is history. Really. I started working there. I worked there, got my series 7 and 66. And continued to work there until I wanted to relocate to Denver, Colorado, which is where I'm living now. So, yeah, it has been a really good career. I've learned so much and my mom taught me a lot at a very young age about investing in a Roth IRA, paying off cars early. I have some friends now in their late 30s and early 40s, that their parents didn't do any of that for them. And so I'm now trying to slowly kind of say, "Okay, well, do you even have a budget? Like, what does that look like? Oh, you want to start a Roth IRA? Okay, well, then let's..." and they don't even know what that means, right? So it's been really awesome to be able to help people in my circle of influence that don't know anything because of my career that I've had in finance for 16 years.

Scott Anthony Barlow 05:27

That's really cool. So, a couple of questions for you. One, aside from what you just mentioned, in terms of being able to help others and in your circle, what else have you found that you really enjoyed about being in that space, and those types of roles, that type of work, that has been wonderful for you?

Jill Schmieding 05:49

Oh, yeah. Okay, good question. So, I'm going to talk about my, okay, I'm going to talk about the current company that I work for right now, which is a large fortune 500 Wealth Management Company. And seven years ago, I started working there. And it was really cool, because my manager kind of took to me. I think she just liked me a lot and saw something in me, actually, it's what it is, I think she saw something in me. And so she was offered up the opportunity to be on this council for people in my similar role. There was like, there's hundreds of what we call, I'm just going to call CSAs– Client Service Associates, I believe is what they're that stands for. And there's hundreds of them across the United States. But there was like 11 people chosen to be on this council that give feedback and listen to calls with the high up people back in New York. And so I got chosen to be on the council, it was awesome. At first, I didn't want to be on it. It's just because I wanted to do my normal job. But after a couple of months, I was like, Oh, this is cool. I get to network with people, I get to go to New York for work. And I get to just learn a little bit more about the ongoings of what was going on within the company before anyone else. So really, really cool opportunity there. And then there was a banking opportunity that I got told about where it was a volunteer position as well. I got to learn about the banking products that we offer, and then also give that information in a fun way to my colleagues who needed to learn that information. So that was another opportunity. I saw a girl present about banking, and she was a really good presenter, and I thought, "Oh, my God, I need to get better at my presentation skills." So I immediately joined Toastmasters International. I found, like, a local chapter here in Denver and joined. And they do such an amazing job. And so I found out through being a member that I love public speaking.

Scott Anthony Barlow 07:45

Really?

Jill Schmieding 07:46

Really love public speaking.

Scott Anthony Barlow 07:48

So let's talk about that for just a moment here. First of all, let's acknowledge that it was one experience that led to another experience that led to another experience, which then caused you to gain additional experiences, which then caused you to realize that you love public speaking. But first, before we talk about that, tell me a little bit about what were the pieces that caused you to say, "This might be something that I'm really excited about or interested in or want to dig more into." Tell me a little bit about that.

Jill Schmieding 08:23

Yeah. Oh, that's a good question. So the banking role, the volunteer banking role, I just felt like, so no offense to any bankers out there or anything like that. But some of those products are really hard and really boring to learn. And so I felt like I have a gift to where I can break down, kind of, boring content or complicated content and make it more fun and engaging. And that's exactly what I did. So it was all of the ways that somebody could do a mortgage. And I was just like, "No, I think I can make this better." And so I did this really cool presentation, and I got great feedback. And the bankers were impressed. And I was just like, "Okay, there's something here." There's a gift that I have.

Scott Anthony Barlow 09:06

Yeah, so it sounded like, first of all, you took this topic that you felt was, we'll say that you saw an opportunity in, and then you took that all the way through and turned that into a presentation and then started getting some initial positive feedback. And then that caused you to take a second look at it and say, "Okay, all right. Maybe there is something here. All right." What happened from there?

Jill Schmieding 09:37

Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, yeah. So they had the banking program. The first year there was like six people. And then the second year it kind of dwindled, and I was giving presentations, like via in person, because this was all pre-COVID. And then COVID hit and we started doing just like virtual zoom meetings at work where I was giving presentations about banking stuff and then it just became me and another person. And I got asked to be on a call across all of the United States, it was like 400 people or something on the phone. And I was asked as one of the people to present, right, for the banking. Just my experience, you know, what I've learned that sort of thing. It just really did open up opportunities. And I was willing to walk through those doors of opportunities, which is something that I've kind of lived by now, which is like, okay, this is scary. But I see this as an opportunity. Am I willing to walk through the doorway? And for the most part, I would say, yes, I do do that in my life now personally, and professionally. And it was just those small steps that I feel like really gave me the courage to take the bigger steps later in life.

Scott Anthony Barlow 10:48

I think that is amazing. I think that's the right word I'm looking for, probably so many other words. But I want to ask you about a couple of pieces in between there. So first of all, let's acknowledge that it sounded like dipping your toe in a smaller way allowed you to gain some of the feedback and realizations that then cause you to realize, hey, I want to dive deeper into this. Because as you said, maybe there's something here. So talk to me, let's go back to that time where you're starting to have those realizations for just a moment. Could you see that, "Hey, this is obviously something I want to continue to dive into" Or was it much more, like, maybe I should wait a little bit further in here? How are you thinking about it at that point in time?

Jill Schmieding 11:41

Yeah. So the first three years that I worked at my current company, I had all these opportunities outside of the normal scope of being an assistant to a financial advisor, which is what I've done, right? I was burned out. And I've told people actually, that I've been burned out for about 10 years. And that's embarrassing to admit. But there's comfort in having a good career. And there's also comfort in being able to say that I have a prestigious finance career, I find identity in that. And so I'm just now starting to say, "Okay, I need to find a different identity, because this isn't making me happy anymore." And so the first three years at my current company was awesome, I had so many cool opportunities. One that I didn't even mention that I think is very pivotal into my discovery was, I was a coach as well to other people in my similar role. And so I was doing the coaching, and I was helping people learn how to do different system processes. And one woman said to me, specifically, she was like, "Oh, my gosh, Jill, you should have been a teacher. You are so patient, you are so kind, you're so understanding, you're so easy to understand when you explain something." And I was just like, she goes, "You should have been a teacher in another lifetime." And I remember that comment. And I thought to myself, "I'm not going to be one of those individuals that waits for another lifetime. I'm not going to do it." I'm not going to stay in this career that is unfulfilling to me when I have these gifts that I feel like I can use in a different capacity, right? And be maybe more of a teacher-ish as a full time job versus a one off hour here and there when someone needs to learn something. And so it was her comment that I was just like, okay, I'm not doing this. I'm not going to just stay put, and keep doing this year after year after year.

Scott Anthony Barlow 13:36

Yeah. I think that's really interesting. Because I think everyone gets little tidbits of feedback like that over the years. So two things stand out. One, it sounded like it was less about being the teacher and more about, hey, you're so patient, so easy to understand, the other additional specific pieces that really were on target. Because, yes, technically, in some ways you're teaching but it's not like go out and become an elementary school teacher or something like that. So it sounds like it's about the specificity of the feedback for you and you're getting tidbits of that along the way. But then I think what's really fascinating to me is, we all get that, not all of us have the same realization that you did, where you had said to yourself or committed to yourself, like, "I'm not gonna wait a lifetime, like, I'm not going to allow a lifetime to pass. I'm gonna go find ways to get that now." So what in that moment caused you to look at that differently, and begin making different types of decisions from that interaction?

Jill Schmieding 14:47

I think I've just been so... I've just been over it, right, for a long, long time. And so I think I'm just hungry for something else. And I think any sort of affirmation of a gift that I have, I was willing to like run with it and try to explore that more. And because I was like, okay, there's got to be something more out there for me to be doing than just being an assistant to a financial advisor, which there's nothing wrong with that job. I help clients all the time. And I teach clients certain things, right? And so there's something that I've kind of been mulling over where it's just like, wait, I get that need, met with the clients as well as with my colleagues. But there was just something different with, I think it's the content, right? It's the, I want to teach something more meaningful, and money is very meaningful, how to budget, how to live well in retirement. I value all of that a lot, actually too much being that I've been in the industry for so long, I value money too much. I'm learning that about myself. But I just want to find something that I can be more passionate about and teach that.

Scott Anthony Barlow 16:02

Well, I definitely think that it sounds like, part of it was, you were in the right time and place. The right time and place in order to receive that differently. And I've definitely seen that, and also personally experienced it for myself a lot were heard the same thing, not necessarily the same thing that you were told but heard something that could have been useful feedback, and in one time in place wasn't necessarily as useful versus when I was in a different place and ready to receive it. So, kudos to you for paying attention. And one of the things that I think you've done particularly well, and one of the biggest reasons I was really excited to have this conversation with you, is you have taken pieces like that– pieces of feedback, pieces of things that you've identified that you want to dig into more. And you've done a phenomenal job, embedding experiments into your work and your life, in order to find what fits you and perpetually reinforce that, perpetually learn more about what creates an amazing fit for you, what work you're enjoying, how you want to help people, how you want to teach people, like we're talking about in a variety of ways. I'm wondering if we could talk a little bit more about that. What have you done? Where did you start thinking about that as experimentation? And let's start there.

Jill Schmieding 17:30

Okay. So I want to give a little backstory and say that I've gotten career coaching from multiple people, actually, over the years. And there was one career coach that told me about a book called The Art of Gathering. She gave me the names of two books that have changed my life. I'll talk about the other one later on. But The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, and I love gathering people together. So The Art of Gathering book talks about how to bring people together in a meaningful way. And I would say, that's one way that I have practiced everything that I've learned. And that is by bringing people together. So I had a party at my house a few years ago called chats and charcuterie, where it just had to charcuterie board, and then I brought people... This was kind of like towards the end of COVID. So people only talked about COVID when you got together. And I was tired of talking about COVID. And so I was just like, okay, no, we're gonna talk about different things. And so I invited people over to my house, we sit in a big circle, and it just organically took place, like the conversation and we never brought up that subject. And everyone just really connected. And it was really, people that I knew, from all different areas of my life, they all came together. And it was really cool. Because to bring people together and just communicate is such a blessing. And everyone felt really welcomed and seen, which is something that I really focus on when I bring people together. And everyone got to be heard, no one just sat on the sidelines and didn't get to talk. And I had a couple people in the group that were cognizant of that. And so if somebody was being a little bit quiet, we would give them an opportunity to talk, which I think is so important. And I'm also somebody who's like, hyper vigilant. So when I go into a room, I can sense when someone's kind of being left out. And I think that's just for my upbringing. And so it's always one of those things where I'm like, okay, that person over there in the corner hasn't talked to anyone, like, go talk to them, go say hello, make them feel included and wanted. And so that's, yeah, that's kind of what I do for my gatherings. So that's one way that I've incorporated, I think one way of incorporated some of the gifts that I've learned about myself is through that. And then another way, is the other book that the other coach told me about, which was Playing Big by Tara Mohr, she completely changed my life. It was just kind of a one off book about stepping outside of your comfort zone. She told me to read it, I read it, and then I started doing book groups with girls. Again, this was around the time where we were doing them online during the pandemic. And I facilitated those book groups and just asked thoughtful questions, offered accountability, which is huge. And my nickname now, what I call myself on Instagram is the Accountabilitist. I like to offer accountability to people in a positive, you know, way, not in a forceful way. And so yeah, the playing big book has just opened up the doors of like, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, helping other people play big in their life. And that's just obviously, I don't know if we're ready to talk about the big thing. But that's why I started my podcast and a couple other projects that I have going on right now too.

Scott Anthony Barlow 20:49

Let's talk about the big thing. Let's talk about all the big things.

Jill Schmieding 20:51

All the big things, yeah.

Scott Anthony Barlow 20:53

So what I've seen is there is a long standing, multi year pattern here where you have been able to get some tidbit of experience or feedback or something that's caused you to realize, "hey, I love this", or, "hey, I'm great at this", or, "hey, I want more of this in one way or another." And then that recognition has caused you to dive further in. And that's not a one time thing. It's not like, "I did this couple of times." This is pervasive for your last few years. Is that a fair statement?

Jill Schmieding 21:31

That is absolutely. I mean, we're talking what? 2020? So three years now, give or take. Yeah, three years, which is hard to believe. Right? And so I want to talk just really quick before we can maybe talk about the podcast, I want to talk a little bit about the kind of domino effect of reaching out to people, the informational interviews that I did, because that was one thing that my coach, she gave me the courage to do that with her accountability with me. And it was just like, how many people have you reached out to? And so I have some really cool individuals that I met and talked to and fell in love with, if I'm being honest with you. And I know I'm an extrovert, and I love talking to people. And but I really fell in love with, for the first time, the whole process of, like, job hunting, you could say. Because for most of my life, I've just went on Indeed, went on LinkedIn, looked for a job, applied, that sort of thing, right? And then six months later, I'm either overqualified, burned out, bored, whatever. And this particular process was a lot more enjoyable talking to people. And so, one of the things that I did, it was just like, "Okay, we're going to look for companies that do the things that you want to do." And so it goes back to Toastmasters though. So there was a woman in Toastmasters, her first name is Joyce, she's a 70-ish year old woman, she's created her own company helping baby boomers become like experts in LinkedIn, or at least create a LinkedIn profile, right? She has like 11,000 followers on LinkedIn, she's connected all over Denver, everyone knows her. And I just happen to be in the same club as her. And so it was that connection that later when I started to reach out to companies, I started to go on LinkedIn and find certain companies that did facilitation work or whatever, right, whatever the keywords that I was using. And Joyce just so happened to be connected to, like, all of them. And Joyce, I'm not joking, I was like "Joyce, hey, can you send out an introduction to this person?" And she's like, "Absolutely." And the amazing thing about Joyce is she's so good with her introductions. I mean, she'll, like, lay out personal information about me, she'll lay out personal information, like professional-ish, right, personal information about the other person. So you can kind of see of where the connection lies so that when you're ready to talk, you have some sort of connection already built. Oh, Joyce was great. And so she connected me with a woman– her first name was Francesca. And she, I guess, I think she works for or volunteers for the center of creative leadership here in Denver, which was a company that I think I was kind of eyeing and Francesca was great. So I'm struggle with impostor syndrome, just like many, many people and so when I was talking to Francesca about, she was like, "Well, what kind of facilitation experience do you have?" And I was like, oh, and I mean, Scott, I did what everyone does, which is like, "I don't really have that much. You know, I'm just like, maybe a book club here and there and maybe this and maybe that." And so she heard me, right? But at the end of the interview, she was amazing. She was like don't ever sell yourself short. Just represent your, you know, your experience. And she was really awesome to be honest with me about that and not hold back and so I was really thankful. So that interview went phenomenal and yeah, led me to another interview where one of the women, it was the next informational interview that I had where I represented myself, I was like, "This is what I do in my current career. This is what I do on the side." And I just named everything and that woman was just like, "Wow, if you ever find a facilitator position, you should absolutely put your name in the hat. And our company isn't hiring right now. But I will keep you in mind." And the cool thing is a year later, I kept that connection warm, I reached out to her. And I was just like, "Hey, I just double checking, you know, see how you're doing?" And she's like, "Absolutely, let's have coffee." And so we're actually meeting for coffee at the end of this month, just to stay connected, right. And the cool thing is like when you do these information interviews, you're not necessarily looking for a job you are, but you're not. And so it takes the pressure off. And you could just have a conversation and learn about people. And there was another woman that I had a conversation with, this was a good interview. So I kind of spoke everything, told her my whole story, right? And she said, "Hey, it sounds like you're doing a lot of really cool things. And you're doing a lot of cool little steps to get to where you are." She was like, "But don't be afraid to take that big step." And I was just like, and she even said before she said that she's like, "I'm gonna say something really bold. I hope that's okay." And I was like, please. And that's what she said. And so it's like, I felt like she could see right through me, like, I was too afraid to take that bold step. Whatever that looks like, right? Is quitting my job before I have a new job? Is that just taking a big pay cut because maybe that's what it's gonna take? I mean, it's really hard to give up the golden handcuffs that finance offers, if I'm going to be honest with you. And sometimes you do have to give those golden handcuffs up and reassess, and to get into the career that you want to be in. And that's something that I'm kind of trying to kind of settle in my mind.

Scott Anthony Barlow 26:44

Well, I think that's something we've heard over the last 10 plus years now in working with people that, not just for finance, but there's a variety of industries that will say, when you're there, you become pretty accustomed to some of the financial and other perks that come along with it. And what we found is that, for some people, it's exactly right to take a pay cut. But we've also found that, in almost all cases, you don't necessarily have to, it's only that we think that we have to. And sometimes it's important too, but what we've found in just the last 10 years worth of work anecdotally is that the people that we've had the pleasure of sitting alongside and helping them make that type of change, it is less than 10% of those folks that really feel like in the end that they need to take a pay cut. And usually they have other reasons to do so other than just getting out of a particular industry. So that's my experience, which is polar opposite from the way that almost all of us think about it, usually. But here's the thing I wanted to comment on, I'll say and then ask you a question about. One, it sounds like as you went through some of those, you called them informational interviews, I would say that they're almost test driving type conversations. It sounds like you were getting a lot out of it and not just one thing. I think a lot of people hear about, we'll call them informational interviews just for the sake of this conversation, and a lot of times we associate like I needed to do that to get a job. And really those types of conversations, where we find that strangely, they're the most effective for leading towards something that is truly meaningful is exactly the opposite. It is about, "How do I uncover or explore? How do I learn or experiment with those people, the industries, the information, the things that you could learn, as opposed to how do I go and get a job?" And I find that it's a really strange correlation. The more that you go into that conversation trying to get a job, the less chance that you're actually going to come out on the other side of it with something that is a job that also satisfies your goals and what you want for work where the, instead the opposite, if you go into those conversations, doing what you did, where it's more about learning, you come out with, it sounds like you're getting feedback, you're getting reinforcement about what you're great at, you're getting validation about how you interact with other people, you're getting information about what you might enjoy, you're getting reinforcement about what to be confident in that you already bring to the table. You're getting all these things. But then ironically, I think it actually heightens your chances. I've experienced that it actually heightens your chances in leading towards something that is truly meaningful for you and also, it's what you want. What would you add to that, having gone through a variety of those experiences and spending roughly the last three years conducting continual experiments and having many of those conversations, what do you think people need to know about that, that maybe it's hard to understand?

Jill Schmieding 30:17

Well, I think you just hit the nail on the head when you said three years. And I'm not saying that it's going to take that long for everyone. But I think one thing is like, I've been in finance for 16 years, and I have technically 25 years left, right? If I work till I'm 65, give or take. And I think about that sometimes, because I'm just like, wow, 16 years, I'm old. I'm 41. And my career is over with if I leave finance, and it's like, I haven't even worked, I have 25 more years left. So yeah, it's just changing my thought process of like, I can change into a whole new industry, a whole new career, and work another 16 years and still have more time after that, right. And so it just takes time. And as much as I want it to happen tomorrow, or happened three years ago, or happened 10 years ago, when I said I was burned out for the first time, right, and ready to leave finance. As much as I wanted it to happen 10 years ago, it doesn't. And my life has gone on this amazing journey. And I wouldn't take anything back that's happened over the last 10 years, I met amazing people, I've learned, I've grown financially, secure financial stability, all that stuff. So the one thing that I would say that I think listeners probably need to hear is, it can take time, and realizing that to find an amazing career that you love may not happen overnight, it may not happen the old school way where you go on LinkedIn and you find a new job. Maybe it does work for some people like that, and I think it can, but for me, I'm willing to take the time to figure it out because 25 more years is a long time.

Scott Anthony Barlow 31:50

I think that's super cool. What do you, you know, when you look back over the last three years, what has surprised you the most about getting outside your comfort zone and experimenting in small ways that have added up to large ways? What stands out to you that has surprised you?

Jill Schmieding 32:10

Oh, okay. What has surprised me with getting outside of my comfort zone? And this is no new information, right. But I feel like it's just stuff that people need to be reminded of, it's never as scary as you think it's going to be. And this is to kind of circle back to this whole podcast idea. During COVID I was walking with one of my girlfriends outside and she goes "Jill, you do the craziest things, you do the most interesting things. You should have a podcast like I want to hear about it." And I was just like, "Yeah, okay, whatever." Like that's a big deal. Like, what information do I have to put out there that anyone else isn't already putting out there? But what one thing people kept reminding me of is just like the way you deliver information is unique to you. Right? It's not that you're putting on any new information. It's just your stories. And so I was scared for years. I mean, three years, give or take, I think I waited to start my podcast. And to circle back to your question. It's never as scary as you think it's going to be. I'm doing the podcast every week, new episode. Every week isn't great. Like sometimes I put out a podcast episode I'm like "It's okay. Some weeks are amazing." But in the end, I'm doing what I want to do. I want to give women a voice. I want to share my stories. I want to get women playing big and aspiring for more. And most importantly, Scott, I take my own advice. So every single week, I'm literally talking about playing big. And guess what, every single week, it's a reminder for me to play big in my own life. And like keep searching for that job. Keep having hope. And back to what you said a minute ago. I am scared that I'm gonna have to take a big pay cut, and Denver is not cheap to live in. And so it's just like, I really want to have hope that I can find a job that pays a nice income. And it's good to be reminded of that. So thank you for saying that earlier, by the way.

Scott Anthony Barlow 34:05

Absolutely. My pleasure.

Jill Schmieding 34:06

Yeah. And so, it's never as scary as you think it is. You just gotta do it, though. You have to do it. It makes you feel so alive and one of the things that my girlfriend said to me not too long ago, she was just like, the fun group that I'm in here in Denver is amazing. And she said we're all looking to try to find our truest self. We're all moving in a brave way to find our truest self. And that means getting out of your comfort zone, like by far.

Scott Anthony Barlow 34:37

Hey, remember at the beginning of this episode where I told you that I would give you an update from Jill? Well, since we have this conversation, she took some pretty exciting actions, or in her own words, some really bold moves. All right, here's what she said. "Hey, HTYC team, a few updates. My last day at my finance job was August 15th so I'm officially jobless. I intentionally quit my job so I can take a sabbatical and travel. I'm flying to France soon to start the Camino de Santiago Pilgrim Walk. I'll be walking across northern Spain on the Camino Frances route. I will be going to Portugal afterwards for vacation to celebrate my accomplishment. Then I will be doing three quarters of the pilgrimage solo and tell a friend meets me around week four. So this is a huge plane big moment for me. I'm walking for many reasons, but mainly to push myself out of my comfort zone, to reset and learn more about myself and experience a different part of the world for a while. I will continue to be jobless until January 2024. When I will start my job hunt again, I'm not sure how I will feel about my career once I get back. It might be in facilitation or finance or something else. I also listened to my intuition and I put a pause on my podcast until I get back. I will record here and there once I start up again. The women with wins gatherings to celebrate unconventional wins is still going strong. And another gathering is happening this month on the 29th. I'm excited. Thanks for checking in, Jill." Pretty cool, right? That's what's going on with her. Hey, by the way, if you want to hear about another client that made big changes, here's some weird crazy linkage. Remember a minute ago when I mentioned that Jill was going to be doing the Camino de Santiago Pilgrim Walk? We actually have another client, Matt Toy, who's done that walk as well. And he wrote a book about it called "The Preparedness Guide for the Camino de Santiago", which you can find if you search on Amazon. Matt also made a huge change of his own. And you can hear his story in Episode 184, or follow the link in the show notes.

Scott Anthony Barlow 36:52

If you find yourself over on Amazon, or any other place where you get books, I would encourage you to check out our book: Happen To Your Career. If you're a fan of this podcast, or you love hearing the stories that we share each week and how people have made a massive career changes, I know you'll love the book, especially the audiobook. It's packed with those stories from real career changers. Some of who you've heard on the podcast, they ranged from being bored at their job to completely burned out from terrible situations all the way to great situations they just wanted to fine tune. And every single one of them shows how they took action to make huge changes just like Jill and Matt, who we just talked about. If you haven't already, go get it. You can be listening to the audiobook in just a few seconds. So press pause, go get it.

Scott Anthony Barlow 37:39

Here's what's coming up next week right here on Happen To Your Career.

Scott Anthony Barlow 37:44

Look, if your goal is to get a job, fine. Go ahead, do your informational interviews. But if you have a different goal, say to have a fulfilling career that also pays very well, well, that requires you to do things very differently.

Scott Anthony Barlow 38:00

All that and plenty more next week right here on Happen To Your Career. Make sure that you don't miss it. And if you haven't already, click Subscribe on your podcast player so that you can download this podcast in your sleep, and you get it automatically, even the bonus episodes every single week, sometimes multiple times a week. Until next week. Adios. I'm out.