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

Are you ready to meet a trailblazer leading the transformation of the education industry who is also dedicated to lifting people up all along the way?

Then you have to meet my guest Serena Sacks-Mandel! She’s the Chief Technology Officer of Education at Microsoft.

Join us as we delve into the roots of Serena’s unwavering passion for the education industry and discover the pivotal moments that ignited her drive to make a real impact, shaping the way future generations learn and grow.

From defying conventions to forging her path, she reveals the stories behind her success and how these bold decisions have shaped her into the visionary leader she is today.

The episode at a glance:

[1:00] Meet Serena Sacks-Mandel, Microsoft’s CTO of Education

[2:20] How the education industry became Serena’s passion

[9:35] The bold moves that influenced Serena’s career

[17:10] Serena’s next bold move: writing the book she wishes she had to inspire her journey in her 20's, 30's, and 40's

[18:43] How Serena approaches compartmentalizing to balance home and work life

[20:56] Senera shares why authenticity is an important quality of bold leadership

[25:05] What Serena 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 Serena Sacks-Mandel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-sacks-mandel/

After 9 episodes of the Bold Moves podcast, you may be wondering more about me… Kristen Rocco, the host of this podcast.

For my 10th episode, I turned the tables and put myself in the hot seat! Stay tuned to the end to hear about my next bold move: launching the new Bold Moves Podcast Club!

I invited my good friend, Kristin English, to interview me about my BOLD MOVES journey. In this "hot seat" episode, you'll discover:

Why I started the Bold Moves: How Did You Know podcast

My Bold Moves journey and how I knew!

I admit my limiting beliefs

How I make progress in spite of my limiting beliefs

How to use your energy when you’re in a negative spot

What I’ve learned from my previous podcast guests

A preview of my upcoming podcast guests

How I have defined my purpose

What I know about being bold today that I wish I would have known earlier on

Why it’s a good idea to have an accountability buddy to encourage your Bold Moves [

My next bold move

I’m launching a Bold Moves podcast club! Hear the details and join the club at www.kristenrocco.com/bold-moves-podcast-club

The first discovery question from the Bold Moves Podcast Club

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

I met hiking guide, Louis Herron, Founder of The Desert Hiking Company, during my vacation to The Grand Canyon.

He led a hike for my husband and me on the South Kaibab Trail. Along the way, we got to learn more about Louis and maybe it’s the city, east coast girl in me, but I was totally intrigued by his outdoor career as a hiking guide and his off-grid lifestyle.

So, naturally, I asked him to join me on the podcast to share the ins and outs, ups and downs of how he got to where he is today.

Did he always want to guide hikes in national parks?

What was his first Bold Move?

What made him consider off-grid living?

Why The Grand Canyon?

In this episode, you'll learn about another way of life. Maybe it’ll open your eyes to visit somewhere you’ve always felt compelled to visit. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire your next Bold Move!

The episode at a glance:

[:40] Meet my guest Louis Herron, Founder of The Desert Hiking Company

[2:40] Louis' first bold move

[8:30] How a soul connection inspired Louis to call Arizona home

[13:30] How Louis found a career in guiding hikes at national parks in the US

[16:10] Why Louis loves the Grand Canyon

[19:56] Louis explains what off-grid living means and what his off-grid lifestyle looks like

[27:08] The moments of doubt that Louis has experienced along the way

[32:40 ] “You have to ask yourself, are you more afraid of confronting those decisions or more afraid of what your life looks like if you don’t confront them?”

[33:42] What Louis knows about being bold today he wishes he knew earlier on

Episode resources:

Connect with guest Louis Herron:

https://deserthikingcompany.com

@deserthikingco on Instagram

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

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary journey of starting your own business? If so, this episode is tailor-made for you!

But here's the catch: Starting a business is just the beginning. Prepare to be captivated as we dive into the world of entrepreneurship with our guest, Nick Powills, the visionary Founder of Mainland.

Get ready to soak up the unfiltered wisdom Nick has amassed during his 15-year journey as a business owner. It all started with a negative experience under one of his early bosses, sparking a fire within him that would propel him forward on an his path of entrepreneurship.

Top takeaways from this episode:

> Rejection doesn’t deter Nick but rather fuels his momentum for bold moves.

> Nick has sage advice for first-time entrepreneurs who are building teams that you need to hear.

> Adding value–beyond what you’re getting paid for–can help guarantee success.

> Nick shares why it’s critical for entrepreneurs to make bold moves inside their businesses.

> Learn how Nick approaches building his business with no regrets.

The episode at a glance:

[:40] Intro of my guest Nick Powills, CEO of Mainland[2:12] What bold moves mean to Nick

[4:36] Nick’s entrepreneurial beginnings and how he put “no” to good use

[11:43] Nick’s advice for early or soon-to-be entrepreneurs

[14:31] Nick explains why the riches are in the niches

[18:30] Nick shares his biggest weakness and how he overcomes it

[24:22] Nick explains how he pursues Bold Moves inside his business

[28:45] Nick’s advice for entrepreneurs who are several years into their business

[32:08] What Nick wishes he knew about being bold earlier on

Connect with guest Nick Powills and Mainland

https://www.hellomainland.com

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

Join a supportive community dedicated to making bold moves inside the Bold Moves Podcast Club: www.kristenrocco.com/bold-moves-podcast-club

Ever dream of opening a coffee shop? Or living abroad? Or traveling the world? My guests Michael and Shannon Healey did too.

But instead of dreaming about them, they actually did them–all of them! They’ve stopped by the podcast to talk about these bold moves, including their most recent adventure of opening a concept and coffe(ish) shop called The Collector in Kinsale, Ireland.

If you live for adventure or dream of adventuring, this episode is most definitely for you!

Top takeaways from this episode:

> Michael & Shannon embrace a “we’ll figure it out” mentality which frees them to pursue interesting projects without the stress of having to know it all from the very beginning.

> They’re ok with failing.

> There’s a cool factor in putting your thing into the world. For Michael and Shannon, people have traveled up to an hour to visit The Collector. They’ve gotten impressive reviews in local media including from YayCork calling their menu, “a work of art.” These unexpected moments create motivation to keep going as well as personal fulfillment.

> Find inspiration for your bold moves in your hobbies. Michael explains how his love of woodworking found its way into the vision for The Collector.

> Define what success means to you, not to anyone else. When you can do that, you’ll find more happiness.

The episode at a glance:

[:45] Intro of my guests Michael and Shannon Healey, Founders of The Collector

[5:53] Michael and Shannon adopt a "why not" mentality and decide to travel the world for 6 months

[10:00] Making their dreams a reality

[14:00] How collaboration can boost confidence

[16:18] Bringing their business, The Collector, to life

[19:30] A peak into The Collector's coffee(ish) menu that will make your mouth water

[22:00] Why it’s important to have clarity of vision

[23:04] How Michael and Shannon built their business from scratch

[27:10] Why bold moves often require redefining success [28:00] Michael and Shannon’s vision for The Collector

[31:45] What Michael and Shannon know about being bold today they wish they knew earlier on

Episode resources:

www.kristenrocco.com/bold-moves-podcast-club

Connect with Michael, Shannon and The Collector

https://thecollector.ie/https://www.instagram.com/thecollector.ie/

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

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t do this alone,” this episode is for you. My guest Elizabeth Garvish knows what she wants and she goes after it. Even when it means betting on herself, including becoming a mom and bucking law firm cultural norms.

Elizabeth's motherhood journey is a bold move that will blow you away! She describes her true purpose in life to be a mom and what she went through to have her four children….all by herself. Nothing could hold her back from building a family of her own.

First, she shares how she's bucking the norm in law firm culture by building the happiness law firm in America after finding out that what’s typical in her profession actually doesn’t match her personality. Now she’s on a mission to bring positivity and love into her law firm every day.

Her story is truly inspiring. You’ll learn that getting what you want means fighting for it. You’re going to get knocked down, but you have to get right back up and keep going.

My top takeaways from this episode

1. Your conviction in something can serve as your north star to move you closer to your purpose.
2. Feel your answer. When you listen to your heart, you’ll know what bold moves you need to make.
3. When you change your negative thoughts into positive ones, you will change your life.
4. Look for role models in your organization. If you don’t find enough people who you admire, you may need to move on because the situation isn’t aligned to who you are.
5. You’ve got to be ok with being uncomfortable to go after what you truly desire.

This episode at a glance

[:33 secs] Intro of Elizabeth Garvish, Founder of Garvish Immigration Law Group

[2:00] Elizabeth’s lessons from law school and her first few years practicing law

[10:00] How Elizabeth grounded herself in what really matters to move on from an environment that didn’t suit her

[11:00] How Elizabeth derived the mission for her law firm to be the happiness law firm in America

[15:41] Stepping outside of fear and putting new energy and thoughts in the world to create the life you want

[17:39] Elizabeth’s tips to reframe negative thoughts

[19:40] Elizabeth’s true purpose and how it ties to her greatest bold move yet

[23:03] How Elizabeth came to the decision to have children and become a mom without a partner

[41:24] What Elizabeth knows about being bold today that she wishes she knew earlier

Connect with Elizabeth Garvish

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

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

The quote, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well” by Diane Ackerman inspires my guest, Aneta Kuzma, Founder of Ardelian Kuzma Group, to make bold moves in her life. Now she helps others live the width of their lives as well.

Living the width of your life and making bold moves are intrinsically connected. Everything you need to do to be bold and take bold action will help you step into the width of your life.

Listen as Aneta shares her personal journey and the three steps she took to be bold and make a change. She shares her advice on getting from where you are today to the life you want.

My top takeaways from this episode

1. The answers for your bold moves are within.

2. Spend time dreaming with this easy journal prompt, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…”

3. Align your daily choices with your most important values.

4. Don’t let other people or things take your time away.

5. Being bold is listening to your inner voice that holds the truth and choosing to take action on it.

This episode at a glance

[2:45] Intro of Aneta Kuzma, Founder of Ardelian Kuzma Group

[4:05] Aneta’s bold move

[8:01] How Aneta knew she wanted to make a change in her career

[10:34] Taking action on curiosity is key to starting on your bold moves journey

[12:43] How journaling can help you get clarity

[13:58] How to “unstuck” yourself

[15:36] Aneta defines what it means to live the width of your life

[18:20] How Kristen relates to living the width of your life

[21:09] Aneta explores the process of figuring out your dreams

[22:45] How to make the most of your time so you can make progress on your goals

[25:45] How holistic wellness plays into your bold moves

[29:55] Why people feel their life is unbalanced

[30:33] How to start designing your life vision

[34:18] What Aneta wishes she knew about being bold earlier on

Connect with Aneta Kuzma

Anetakuzma.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

This episode is full of golden nugget after golden nugget. My guest Ang Barnard, strategic communications consultant, speaker and career coach, shares her collective insight from helping hundreds of people pursue career transitions aligned with their core values and authentic selves.

In this episode, learn:

• How your energy is the secret to connecting to the life you dream about.
• How curiosity leads to courage which leads to action.
• Why “who” is your ticket to expanding your vision of what’s possible.
• Plus so much more!

Here’s a glance at this episode

[:48] Intro of my guest, Ang Barnard, strategic communications consultant, speaker and career coach

[2:46] How Ang defined her career and life path on her own terms

[5:39] Ang discusses why it’s critical to pay attention to your energy

[7:51] Ang’s tips for changing from a low-energy state to a high-energy state

[13:02] How curiosity helps you get to your next bold move

[23:03] Why you need to expand your circle of influence

[30:36] What to ignore when you’re pursuing your next bold move

[33:32] How to take the first step forward when you’re clear on your vision

[40:12] What Ang knows today about being bold today she wishes she knew earlier

My top takeaways from this episode

> Shifting your energy will shift your life.

> Curiosity is THE skill that people who are bold practice, a lot. When you have a new dream, keep your mind in a curious state.

> Being in a less-than-ideal situation can help give you more clarity about your next bold move.

> The quickest way to be who you want to be and do what you want to do is to hang out with people who are doing what you want to be doing.

> Watch what you say to yourself. Your "mind trash" can keep you from designing the life you want.

Finally, follow this show so you never miss an episode!

Episode resources: Energetic Leadership by Bruce Schneider

Connect with Ang Barnard:

The Intentional Mind Podcast

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Facing a career setback? My guest Emmagness Ruzvidzo can relate.

After almost a decade of building a career and nearly reaching the C-Suite, her career was “dragged through the mud” when she moved to Australia. In the face of adversity, her message is clear: you have a choice when setbacks occur. Get back up and keep going to get what you want or let adversity get the best of you.

Her grit, resiliency and bravery is unmatched.

Listen in as she talks about overcoming adversity, knowing your worth, being brave, why we don’t need permission to sit at the table, the critical imperative of a diverse and inclusive workforce and so much more.

Episode at a glance

[:35] Intro of my guest, Emmagness Ruzvidzo, founder of VAKA Brand & Marketing Consulting

[5:14] What being bold means to Em and the bold moves she’s made in her life and career

[7:25] How Em assessed her worth early in her career[10:28] Em’s philosophy on negotiation

[11:27] How Em’s career was “dragged through the mud"[20:41] What Em’s why is and how it’s guided her in her career

[22:25] Em explains why influence doesn’t come from sitting at the corporate table

[24:30] Em’s latest bold move turns the adversity she faced into her passion to empower people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

[33:16] Em’s message about being brave to help leaders build and lead diverse and inclusive teams

[36:00] What Em knows today about being bold today she wishes she knew earlier

My top takeaways from this conversation with Em:

> Know your worth and always negotiate. Every job. Every time. No question.

> The most successful people overcome adversity and keep going after what they want because they have their eye on the prize–their dream, their goal, their desire. Em was knocked down to the very bottom after making it close to the top. She says, “I had no choice but to rebuild my career again at 31.” She did have a choice, but she’s not the type of person to even entertain that she shouldn’t keep going.

> Hiring managers and leaders need to be braver and hire people who don’t look or sound like them.

> You don’t need permission to have a voice.

> Adversity can help you gain clarity on your next bold move.

Connect with Em Ruzvidzo:

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

https://vaka.com.au/

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

This episode with Katherine Branch, founder and CEO of Green Gate Marketing, is all about reaching outside of your comfort zone to go after what you want. And importantly, what you will confront outside of your comfort zone that you have to push past.

Self-doubt. Fear. Playing small. Katherine shares her experiences facing these emotions and how dealing with them head-on is part of any dream worth taking.

If you’ve stalled going after your dreams because of fear, uncertainty and overwhelm, this episode will inspire you to get back to it. Make sure to stick around until the end. You’re not going to want to miss what Katherine wishes she knew earlier on about being bold

Episode at a glance

[:33] Intro of my guest, Katherine Branch, founder and CEO of Green Gate Marketing

[2:10] How Katherine defines bold moves

[4:10] How Katherine’s big vision for Green Gate Marketing took shape

[9:25] The boldest move Katherine made coincided with the lowest point of her life

[17:07 ] From playing small to believing in something bigger for herself

[14:03] Katherine shares the value of a supportive team and community

[18:14] Role models that showed Katherine she could build a business and be an entrepreneur

[24:05] How Katherine deals with self-doubt

[30:04] 3 things Katherine knows today about being bold today she wishes she knew earlier

Here are my top takeaways from this episode

> Bold Moves push us closer to our purpose because they represent a strong pull toward something or a knowing that it’s time to let something go or leave behind.

> Pay attention to the times you feel alive. That could be the hint leading you to your next bold move.

> You can be doing something that fulfills you and dealing with something that pains you–all at the same time.

> Building a community and connection with people who are in a similar situation as you can help supercharge your growth, your idea, your passion and your confidence.

> Overcoming self-doubt is an inside job.

Connect with Katherine Branch and her agency Green Gate Marketing:

https://www.greengateatl.com/

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

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco