Bold Moves: How Did You Know | Midlife Career Change, Life Transitions & Design for Women

Happy New Year! I hope you had an amazing holiday season. If you’re anything like me, you’re ready to commit even stronger to your Bold Moves this year to fulfill your highest potential. That’s what we’re doing here and I can’t wait to continue our Bold Moves journey together this year.

I’m so excited about the first episode of 2024! This episode is a masterclass for the Bold Moves recipe I taught in episode 20. If you haven’t listened yet, please listen to that episode first. It’s the episode right before this one.

In this episode, you’re going to meet Michelle Morgan, a woman who has worn many hats over her career from earning a degree in architecture, then transitioning to opening a coworking space, and becoming an experience design consultancy co-owner. Along the way, she has learned many life lessons that she is sharing with us.

We talk about the “Your Desire” and “Who” parts of the Bold Moves recipe in great detail. Michelle has seen success from applying these principles in her life and shares her Bold Moves journey and insights to help others make brave choices!

Hear:

• Michelle’s memorable frame for the Bold Moves recipe.
• Why Michelle thinks women have been conditioned to tune out their intuition and why it’s critically important to tune back in.
• How she responds to a question when the answer is “no.” Hint: she doesn’t feel comfortable using “no” as a complete sentence and does this instead.
• Learn the bravest decision Michelle has ever made.

If you’re curious about the Bold Moves recipe from episode 20 and how to practically apply it, push play now and dive right in!

Mentioned in this Episode

Ep. 20: Curious How to Make Bold Moves? Discover the Bold Moves Recipe!

Ep. 17: Confidence Through Style with Eileen Nebhut, Founder of Venus Rising

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Michelle Morgan

www.linkedin.com/in/michellecmorgan

www.sharpen.partners

Are you ready to define your own path and live your dream life?

Inside this episode, you will discover the Bold Moves recipe that can help you create your dream life, a life that is totally defined by you. This episode will empower you to identify your authentic Bold Moves and then learn how to finally take bold action on them.

I’ve collected all the insights from my guests over the last 19 episodes plus my own experiences on making some GIGANTIC bold moves and I’ve unlocked the recipe for making bold moves.

The Bold Moves recipe has three parts. I go deep into each part of the recipe and give you tools to help apply the recipe for yourself.

A glimpse inside the episode

• Discover the bold moves recipe in the first 3 minutes
• Explore each part of the recipe and discover tools to help you apply the recipe
• Hear my Bold Moves journey, goals, and how I took bold action this year to achieve a new level of happiness and personal fulfillment
• Learn the missing link of making Bold Moves for most people
• Explore the traits and behaviors that you need when you experience a setback in your Bold Moves
• Hear insights from world-renowned thought leaders including Tony Robbins and Gabby Bernstein to further clarify the components of the Bold Moves recipe

Inspirational quotes mentioned in the episode:

“What gets in the way of success is the tyranny of how. I’m going to do this but your brain says, ‘I don’t know how.’ And then you stop. All the greatest leaders in the world know what and why they want it. Gain the how from the who has already done it." ~Tony Robbins

“What are you waiting to be picked for? We often are waiting to be picked or to be paid, but what if we decided we were living as if? Start being the person you are meant to be. Be right here, right now. Start being them. Stop waiting. If you want to change careers, start doing that thing you’ve been dreaming of in your own time. Learn about it, read about it, get nerdy about it. Act as if.” ~Gabby Bernstein

"It's not the journey, it's the destination." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Listen to Bold Moves podcast episodes mentioned in this episode:

Ep. 4: The Skills and Strategies Bold People Practice That You Don’t, Yet with Career Coach Ang Barnard

Ep. 5: How To Live the Width Of Your Life with Transformation Coach Aneta Kuzma

Here's to YOUR Bold Moves!

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Are you struggling with prioritizing the demands of everyone else with your own? This episode with entrepreneur and author Jenna Banks is made for you!

Jenna shares how she operated in survival mode in her early adulthood through her 20s until discovering how owning her power and choosing herself first was the key to everything falling into place and becoming the best version of herself.

She went on to write a book, “I Love Me More: How to Find Happiness and Success through Self-Love” to help others embrace their power and practice self-love.

Don’t write this episode off as woo-woo. It’s anything but that! It’s about empowering yourself to be bold in your self-worth so you can serve those in your life, your community, and the world in a greater way with more impact.

That, friends, is where you will find happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction. It’s the turning point for the bigger game.

The episode at a glance

• Meet Jenna Banks, Entrepreneur and Author of “I Love Me More: How to Find Happiness and Success through Self-Love”
• The pivotal moment when Jenna decided to go on her self-discovery and self-love journey
• How Jenna shifted her mindset from someone else saving her to saving herself
• How Jenna tuned into her intuition and what she did to get a better sense of herself
• What made Jenna realize that self-love was a topic that people needed to learn more about
• Where the phrase, “I Love Me More,” the title of Jenna’s book, came from
• Learn the types of situations “I Love Me More” is a good litmus test for
• Explore the difference between self-love and selfishness
• What it feels like to experience self-love
• Hear Jenna’s next bold move and how she is laying the path to get there
• What Jenna knows today about being bold she wishes she knew earlier on

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Jenna Banks

jennabanks.com

What's it like inside an artist's studio? Let's go behind the scenes!

I had a hunch we could all learn a thing or two from someone who spends his days cultivating his passion brush stroke by brush stroke.

To have a natural talent is one thing. Making it your career is a lesson in discipline, connection, self-doubt, relationship-building and so much more.

I interviewed Artist Seth Ruggles Hiler on his life as an artist. He walks us through his early days of discovering his artistic talent, the transformative experience that ignited his belief in becoming an artist, what inspires his work, and how he approaches the business side of sharing and selling his art.

Seth reveals how he sparks his creativity to create and how you can too. How he overcomes self-doubt when it creeps in. He talks about the phrase that isn’t in his vocabulary, his mindset around discipline, and more.

Not only will you discover what it’s like to live a creative life, you’ll also be inspired to re-discover the creativity within you and notably, what it takes to go from hobbyist to pro–no matter your career.

The episode at a glance

• Meet Seth Ruggles Hiler, a professional artist
• Learn his early art influences and the transformative experience he had from painting 45 portraits from life
• Discover Seth’s muses for his art and how he approaches his work
• Learn about the two sides of being an artist–creating it and releasing it into the world
• Hear about the evolution of Seth’s artistic style
• Seth discusses the business side of being a professional artist
• Seth shares his remedy for self-doubt
• Discover Why “I can’t” isn’t in Seth’s vocabulary
• Learn what Seth does every day to continue making progress as an artist
• Find out Seth’s next bold move
• Learn what Seth knows today about being bold he wishes he had known earlier on

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Seth Ruggles Hiler

@sethpaintsus on Instagram

https://www.sethruggleshiler.com

How do you translate confidence through style?

This week’s Bold Moves podcast guest, Eileen Nebhut, Founder of Venus Rising, shares the insight that confidence plays a significant role in her work as a wardrobe consultant.

She dropped by the podcast to share her advice on identifying a personal style that reflects who you want to be so you can feel more confident in your career and life. In this episode, you’ll learn style tips like:

• What style is and how to identify your personal style
• How you can identify when you need to update your personal style
• What staple pieces you need this fall

You’ll also learn about Eileen’s journey as a stylepreneur. She founded Venus Rising after a varied career in publishing, art, home concierge, energy efficiency, and corporate consulting. Throughout her life, she had a knack for helping style others and when she was ready for her next bold move, she realized she could turn her hobby into a business opportunity.

If your career looks like more a zig-zag than a straight line and you’re nervous that you haven’t found your north star, you won’t want to miss this episode. Eileen reminds us that sometimes, many different experiences, being free-spirited, and taking risks are just the recipe for a bold move.

The episode at a glance

[:52] Meet Eileen Nebhut, CEO and Founder of Venus Rising, a wardrobe consulting agency that partners with busy women to evaluate, source, and assemble a complete wardrobe

[5:05] How early risks in Eileen’s life helped her become more confident to make bold moves

[8:49] Discover the defining moments of Eileen’s life that influenced the course of her career

[18:03] Eileen reminds us that being free-spirited and having a “figure it out” mentality can take you far while having a lot of fun along the way

[21:35] Go behind the scenes of Eileen’s business, Venus Rising

[24:46] Eileen explains how style can help build confidence and how it’s connected to your personal brand

[30:20] Learn Eileen’s tips on how to define your personal brand

[35:02] We start a raw conversation about style, identity, and expectation

[37:27] Eileen answers rapid-fire questions about style

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Eileen Nebhut

@venusrisingwardrobe on social

Website: www.wearingwhatmatters.com

Ya’ll, this interview is going to motivate you to plan for your next bold move!

This week’s Bold Moves podcast guest Natalie Greenwood is changing the narrative and challenging conventional thinking around company loyalty. Conventional career advice says to find a good company and stay there. But what happens when that same company doesn’t give that commitment back to you?

Tune in to hear Natalie share her counter to prevailing wisdom, and what she advises people to do to prepare for the point in time when the loyalty agreement between employer and employee becomes imbalanced.

*Hint: it has to do with never settling and being ready for your next bold move!

This interview might just change the way you think about your career and keep you motivated to always have your eye on your next bold move.

Discover:

>> Natalie’s personal experience that shifted her mindset on company loyalty

>> Her passion for mentorship (she mentors 33 people!!) and how to identify a mentor who is best suited for you

>> Why she keeps the phrase, “Do something,” in her back pocket

>> And a whole lot more!

The episode at a glance

[:50] Meet Natalie Greenwood, Senior Principal Advisor, Informatica

[2:39] How moving 5 times before college shaped Natalie’s mindset early on

[5:21] What Natalie thinks about company loyalty and why she formed an unconventional opinion

[8:28] What Natalie does to prepare for her next opportunity so she’s not caught off guard

[11:22] Natalie discusses how a mentor played a significant role in her career development

[16:47] What Natalie looks for in a mentor

[17:17] What Natalie looks for in a mentee

[21:20] What holds people back from doing something

[22:40] How does Natalie assess risk to make bold moves

[27:01] How to become a better problem solver

[29:00] Natalie shares her thoughts on making mistakes at work

[32:35] Why “because” is the most operative word in defining your vision

[36:15] How bold moves also happen in your personal life to help you achieve your goals

[41:46] What Natalie knows about being bold today she wishes she knew earlier on

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Natalie Greenwood

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliegreenwood

*Today's episode carries a trigger warning for trauma and assault. This episode contains mentions of PTSD and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

This week’s guest Marla Albertie opens up about the curveballs that have influenced the woman she is today. Many of her hardships you may relate to: The passing of a parent and other family members, PTSD from a significant life event, divorce, and changing careers.

She took all those experiences and past challenges to create work-life harmony in her own life. And now, she helps others do the same through her business TruthSpeaksGroup, a multimedia company that creates strategies and solutions for work-life integration/harmony (WLI/H), and nonprofit I/O for Teens Inc., a skill, confidence, and career-building organization teaching teens how to achieve their dreams based on a science of human behavior.

This episode is full of thought-provoking insights about work-life harmony from her experience coaching women to live an abundant life and from her research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology as a Ph.D. student. You won’t want to miss it!

The episode at a glance

[1:46] Meet Marla Albertie, owner and founder of TruthSpeaksGroup LLC

[4:04] Marla’s life curveballs

[9:47] Marla defines work-life integration/harmony

[12:46] How organizations can practice work-life integration/harmony

[17:48] Marla discusses how to better communicate across generations

[19:46] Hear the topics Marla discusses the most as a life coach

[22:45] Why identity is one of the reasons that Marla wrote her book, “Ultimate Brag Book About Yourself: A hundred questions about how awesome you are!”

[26:40] Marla’s thoughts on using vision boards for goal setting and to infuse positivity into her life

[32:41] What Marla knows about being bold today she wishes she knew earlier on

Episode resources

Marla talks about a coaching tool she uses called The Wheel of Life. It’s a ​​tool that helps you quickly identify areas of imbalance and helps you to create goals and set priorities based on your life vision. Google it for loads of info.

Read Marla's book: The Ultimate Brag Book About Yourself: A hundred questions about how awesome you are!

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Marla Albertie

www.truthspeakscoaching.com

https://ioforteens.org/

Can setbacks make us stronger, more innovative, creative, and successful?

This week’s guest Amy Shoenthal has interviewed the world’s most renowned entrepreneurs and leaders–like Marie Kondo, Tory Burch, and Mazie Hirono–for her column in Forbes Women.

Through all of their stories, she realized something: These people are THRIVING after experiencing setbacks of their own.

Now, she’s writing a book about the setbacks people experience and how they come out stronger on the other side and accomplish extraordinary things—or what we refer to as “Bold Moves!”

The book called “The Setback Cycle” is set to publish in the spring of 2024. Before it hits the shelves, Amy stopped by the Bold Moves podcast to give us a peek into her new book.

Amy writes: “I am constantly hearing stories of everyday trailblazers who have worked through personal, professional, or societal setbacks, emerging with innovative ideas that not only bring them success but benefit society as a whole.

Their stories combined with experts, psychologists, executive coaches, and research led me to this framework that I hope will inspire you, especially those of you in the thick of it right now to work towards your own creative rebirth.”

This is a must-listen episode about the silver lining of SPECTACULAR FAILURE.

The episode at a glance

[:34] Meet Amy and learn about her portfolio career

[8:31] Amy’s framework for achieving the things you want to do

[10:22] Amy on how to build “success”

[12:46] Amy’s advice on building the life you dream of when you’re not located in a major city

[15:24] Amy discusses her new book “The Setback Cycle”

[24:22] Why some setbacks are also green lights

[27:48] Amy shares her definition of a setback and what it means to emerge from a setback

[28:58] Amy shares the setback story of Reshma Sauani, Founder of Girls Who Code

[31:18] Amy’s own setback story and how she became an author

[35:27] What Amy knows about being bold today that she wishes she knew earlier on

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Amy Shoenthal

@amysho on Instagram

What’s your next yes?

This week’s Bold Moves guest Britney Kensmoe is a pro at answering this question, and it has taken her in many unexpected directions. From high school history teacher, cheer coach and gym owner, mom, realtor, property investor, and public speaker, Britney doesn’t have one title. She has many.

It’s all because she says “yes” to new opportunities.

Listen in as she discusses how she evaluates new opportunities to make course-changing decisions in her life and her career. You’ll learn:

>>The mottos she’s developed to help her keep growing

>>Why goal-planning sessions each year are the key to identifying who you want to become

>>And sometimes you just have to do it all scared

Plus, much more:

[1:58] Meet Britney Kensmoe

[4:42] The questions Britney asks to evaluate opportunities

[7:32] What Britney learned about having business partners

[13:25] Britney’s process of deciding to begin a new path

[17:40] How Britney shifted her identity from cheer coach, an identity she embraced for multiple decades, to mom, realtor, and investor

[27:42] How Britney plans work/life integration

[29:20] A step-by-step look into Britney’s annual goal-planning sessions

[33:00] Doing it scared–Britney takes the steps to become a TedX speaker

[38:06] Britney’s mottos for growth

[40:05] Britney talks about how to find opportunities

[44:53] When it’s the right time to say no

[48:07] What do you know about being bold today that you wish you knew earlier on

[49:45] Britney’s next yes

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Britney Kensome

@BritneyKensmoe on Instagram

If you haven’t already faced the question in your career about how to be an effective leader, you will.

I can’t think of a better person to offer her experience and point of view on the traits and qualities of an effective leader than this week’s guest, Connie Collingsworth, Senior Advisor at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Over her illustrious career, she has advised Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet, and many leading business leaders of our time while managing multiple teams and taking on projects that have helped the Bill & Gates Foundation fight the greatest inequalities in the world.

Truth-telling, getting out of your own way, resilience, Connie shares it all through the lens of her experiences and lessons.

You won’t want to miss this conversation!

The episode at a glance

[:36] Meet Connie Collingsworth, Senior Advisor at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

[1:43] The two factors that led Connie to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

[8:36] From a department of one to a team of hundreds, Connie reflects on her role, team, and experiences over her career at The Gates Foundation

[11:14] How Connie figured out what she didn’t know

[12:24] Why you need to have confidence in yourself to be a strong leader

[14:44] Having a growth mindset kept Connie challenged and growing her career

[18:08] Recharacterizing failure as a learning opportunity

[19:38} Resilience as an attribute of leadership

[20:10] Leading a team through obstacles

[22:30] Connie’s perspective on building a career

[26:07] Practices Connie uses to perform at a high level

[30:34] What Connie is most proud of

[32:36] What Connie knows today about being bold she wishes she knew earlier on

Episode resources

Listen to Connie’s “turn-up” banner song, Broken Glass, by Rachel Platten: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2390GAm4d0

Love this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Connie Collingsworth

https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-collingsworth-57b90237/