Creating Your Own Path

On today’s show I’m talking with Mishell Leong, a children’s artist located in Singapore. She started her professional career as an accountant, spent some time in the restaurant industry, traveled a bit, overcame physical ailments and started a family before coming to the realization that she could actually paint!

In the interview we talk a lot about how Mishell worked through internal and external resistance as she embarked on her journey to becoming an artist. She also talks through the research she did as she was refining her style as an artist, why her years as an accountant have made her a better business person and why she remains open to career shifts as she continues on her current path.

For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s interview begins a new segment dedicated to those who have gone through a major career shift at some point in their lives. I’m kicking it off with Stephanie Washburn who is a tattoo artist in Roseville, California. However, what makes Steph's story so interesting is that she didn’t start pursuing art until she was almost 40 and found her way into the tattoo industry after that.

In the interview we talk about why she left her corporate nonprofit job of nearly 20 years and how she and her husband set themselves up financially to make it possible. We also talk through the importance of finding great mentors, the challenges involved in being a woman over 40 in the tattoo business, and why she believes the act of thoughtlessly quitting your day job is not necessarily the answer. Steph’s story is an inspiring one and I think you guys are going to get a lot out of it!

You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s interview falls into our current “Material Matters” segment and it brings me to the art studio of Danny Scheible here in Sacramento, CA. Danny has developed a made-up art form called Tapigami and he creates both very large and very small works of art with various types of tape.

In the interview, Danny chats about why creating with tape isn’t really about tape at all — it’s about making art accessible to everyone. He also shares more about the various types of work he does with Tapigami, which includes everything from teaching workshops at Pixar and writing how-to books to building huge installations and creating one-of-a-kind pieces for collectors.

Producer’s note: the sound quality drops off about 1/3 of the way through the episode. I'm incredibly sorry about that, as it was completely my fault. Please (please) listen all the way through to the end, regardless. Danny has a ton of valuable information and insight to share and I'd hate for you to miss it!

For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s show is the first in a segment dedicated to those who create with uncommon or interesting materials and as soon as I landed on this theme, I knew I needed to reach out to today’s guest. Katie J. Evans of Hart Variations is a jewelry designer who uses things like butterfly wings, snake skin sheds, bones, entire insects, and feathers to create really stunning and unique pieces.

In the interview, we talk about how her materials are ethically and legally sourced, which is a process I wasn't familiar with. I envisioned her walking along and finding the materials, but it turns out there are actually rules and regulations and official suppliers for these types of materials.

We also talk a lot about her creative process, why she decided to hire help, how she’s navigated the jewelry world to find the right audience for her work and why feedback from her customers has made a world of difference in her business.

You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

On today's mini episode, I'm announcing some big career changes that have been taking shape behind the scenes. I'm also talking about how those changes will affect certain aspects of my business like this podcast, my e-courses and consulting offerings, and the freelance work I'll be doing.

You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s interview brings me to Common Space here in Sacramento, California to interview photographer William Thompson. Until recently, I actually had no idea that William had a day job. Because his photos are so stunning, I pretty much assumed he made a living taking them.

However, he doesn’t—at least not yet. He’s got a full-time job working in the banking industry and hopes to one day turn his side hustle into his main hustle. It was great talking to William because I think he’s currently in a place most of us can relate to. He’s working on a lot of different types of projects, trying to figure out what type of photography he likes best and continually practicing to get better at his craft. And he does it knowing that right now the bills are paid by his day job.

As many of you know, I really enjoy talking with people who are at different stages of their career and, even though I’m in a different industry, I’ve been right where William is right now in his photography career.

You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

I came across Shannon Washington’s work thanks to an article on Refinery29, in which they named her a "Next Gen CEO." She’s a self-proclaimed multi-hyphenate creative who currently works at live media company, INVNT, and runs the travel and lifestyle publication, Parlour Magazine.

I came across Shannon Washington’s work thanks to an article on Refinery29, in which they named her a "Next Gen CEO." She’s a self-proclaimed multi-hyphenate creative who currently works at live media company, INVNT, and runs the travel and lifestyle publication, Parlour Magazine.

In the interview, we talk about how Shannon has become someone who both loves stretching herself to learn new skills and someone who knows when to delegate. She also chats about the mindset shift that allowed her to view work in a more fluid way, why her career pivots have been the key to her success and the realities behind all of those “quit your day job to follow you dreams” mantras we always seem to hear.

You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s guest is a good one you guys! I’ve been following the career of Christine Amorose since I stumbled upon her blog C’est Christine about five years ago. She has not only filled the last six years with amazing travel experiences, but she’s also landed jobs with incredible companies (she currently works for Vimeo) and worked on really cool projects on the side.

In the interview we talk about how she carves out time for her creative side hustles and why schedules and lists are key. We also dive into what values she looks for in a company that indicate a culture that welcomes creative thinking both on and off the job, the logistics behind working full time, traveling regularly and taking on side gigs, why her full-time work and side hustles complement each other so well and much more.

You can find the full episode and show notes at creatingyourownpath.com

Today’s guest is author Karan Bajaj. He’s written three books while being employed by various large companies and is currently the CMO of a startup. When he reached out to me, I immediately knew he needed to come on the show because he’s been able to pursue both corporate work and his worked as a published author by taking sabbaticals. I was incredibly curious to see how he's made it all work.

In the episode we chat about his 4-1-4 rule (4 years working, 1 year off, 4 years working, etc.), which he uses to plan out his sabbaticals. We also dive in to the reason he feels compelled to pursue his parallel careers, his best advice to those considering a sabbatical, how his latest break inspired and allowed him to write his latest novel, why he thinks career pressure stifles creativity and much more.

You can find the full episode and show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today, I’m chatting with the very talented Trisha Hughes of the food blog Eat Your Beets.

Not only is Trisha food blogger, but she’s also become an incredible resource for those who want to learn more about the art of food photography. In the interview, we talk about how she got started as a blogger and why food photography did not come as naturally to her in the beginning as she had hoped.

She also goes into the reason she decided to teach others how to photograph food (rather than follow the trajectory of her peers by jumping into cookbooks), what she's learned about marketing her photography workshops and ebooks, and why she believes in starting before you’re ready.

You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.