Happen To Your Career - Meaningful Work, Career Change, Career Design, & Job Search

Today's guest, Dan Cumberland, is a former youth pastor who suffered what he described as a "theological breakdown" early in his career. The power of suggestion took him down a career path that never quite fit him, but seemed right at the time.

(Can you relate?)

In his journey to get back on a path that matched his personality, Dan researched and developed his philosophy behind fulfilling career pathing and founded The Meaning Movement, a business and podcast where he helps folks with this kind of stuff every day.

In this episode of the podcast, we go really really deep into how...:

• The voices from parents, friends, family, and others in your life shape who you are and what you do -- and what to do about it.
• Language decisions and how you describe experiences can shape that experience and your future thoughts around it. (And why the power of suggestion can be so crippling in career pathing!)
• Your love of finding the best pizza can guide you to a deeper underlying theme in your quest for meaning.
• To define your dream job (using the four Ps framework) to discover work that's more meaningful to you.

Aaaaaand...I'm back!

I hope you enjoyed last week's message from Lisa and Josh to celebrate our 200th episode of the podcast.

(I still cannot believe it's already been four years of podcasting. We covered a lot of ground in those episodes!!!)

And don't worry: there are still plenty of topics that we could do 200 (or more) episodes on.

For example: do you recognize any of yourself in this story?

"If you are someone who is a rule follower, a successful person, we are brought up in these systems and taught if you do the right things, do well in school, pick the right major, follow all these steps then you will be happy. The world doesn't work like that. It's like this big insight that hits you. I felt like I had done everything right and ticked all the boxes. Went to skill, got my undergrad degree, top of my class, and got my masters, ready to conquer the world. I took a job with a salary that was less than I could live and commute on. I was commuting back and forth to New York City two hours, each day, to a job that was not a fit for me at all. It was a small environment in a room with three other people, not a lot of autonomy, but I intellectualized it away instead of listening to what I knew about myself - that I needed a high degree of being self-directed in my work.

"I was giving my life, time, power, and energy away. I sat there and was so burnt out - physically, mentally, emotionally. A hair-trigger event could set me off. One piece of bad feedback, a surprise email. I was so low anything could send me into that tailspin. That was my lightbulb moment of saying 'this is not who I am,' and that person deep down, that kid that was ambitious filled with hope and positivity and being so excited about the world ahead of me spoke up and said, 'This is no longer acceptable. You have to start making changes.' I had to look at all the ways I had let my identity, power and self-worth get wrapped up in someone else approving of me. My boss or sending someone my work, I had become so dependent on my work to make me feel good that I sacrificed everything else. My friendships, relationships, my body. I had to make changes." - Melody Wilding

If anything about this experience resonated with you -- and you're ready to re-claim your own power in your work and life -- then I'm ridiculously excited to share this week's podcast episode, #201 with Melody Wilding.

Melody is a licensed clinical social worker and career coach who is an expert on the mindset and psychology behind successful careers, and knows that taking a hard look at your life and deciding what you need to say "yes" to and what you need to say "no" to makes all the difference.

In this episode, you will learn...:

• The signs to help you identify emotional versus physical burn-out -- and the steps to take to fix it
• The three emotional triggers to know where your boundaries need to be repaired

• How to have difficult conversations to establish (or re-establish) boundaries and gain control over your life

• How deciding who to bring into your life makes you happier...and more profitable

...and so much more!

Today marks the 200th episode of the Happen to Your Career podcast.

Can you believe it? (We hardly can!)

Scott started the podcast 4 years ago, back when he was also working in a corporate job that he liked well enough...but wasn't his dream.

He had a WAY bigger vision for what he wanted to create in his life, and how he wanted to help people.

So when you've heard him talk about how to transition and optimize your life from good to great on this podcast each week for the past four years(!), he's not just spewing some BS he read that morning on a career site. He's lived it.

And, so have the people whose lives he's touched.

(Maybe you're one of them?)

Josh and I rounded up some of the people who have been an important part of HTYC back from the very beginning (people like Scott's wife Alyssa, their kiddos MacKenzie, Camden, and Grayson, and HTYC co-founder Mark Sieverkropp).

Then I grabbed some of the people whose lives have changed because of HTYC, including past coaching clients and team members like Erica, Mike, Tracey, Josh, Kirby, and Jacqui.

I asked them each three simple questions:

1. Where was your life before you encountered Scott?
2. What impact did Scott and HTYC have on your life?
3. What's different about your future because of HTYC?

And their answers Blew. Us. All. Away. So Josh and I wanted to share them with you.

If you've been curious about what it's like to get to know Scott personally -- or to get to work with him -- this episode is a must listen.

Do you want to have an answer to the "What do you do?" question that's as powerful as that one?

If you do, you can start by asking yourself the question: "what am I on this earth to do right now?"

Give the question some time to percolate in your brain, and then grab paper and pen to start capturing the ideas and language that come to mind for you.

Or, if your brain feels slower than a semi truck with completely flat tires trying to deliver a shipment of molasses, you're not alone -- and you probably should listen to today's podcast episode.

Today's guest, Maxie McCoy, uses this very question to shape how she introduces herself and explains her work. She's a career inspiration expert who focuses on helping you tap into your own confidence and gifts to go kick some serious butt in the world.

Maxie has confidently navigated quite a few twists and turns along her professional path: going from college athletics to broadcast journalism, to growing one of the highest traffic women's career and personal finance sites, to launching her own business as a writer, speaker and inspiration to create a life you're jazzed about living.

We're busting all the myths about confidence and giving you tactical tips on how to develop stronger self-belief today on the podcast with Maxie McCoy.

Listen to today's episode to hear her guidance on…:

• The strategic relationship building tactics she used to get a position at ESPN
• Trusting your gut and make a career move that's off the "planned" path
• How to avoid living like you're in a disaster or crisis (even when it might feel like it)
• Cultivating the confidence to put yourself in positions to have serendipity start happening for you

Today's episode is like a shot of confidence adrenaline right in your arm.

It's powerful stuff, especially if you choose to follow the steps we outline in the blog post and downloadable worksheet.

One thing I've noticed after coaching for years is that the way you do one thing in your life is usually a sign of how you do everything.

Let me explain: if you put perfectionistic pressure on yourself to pick out your one right career path, you might also put that pressure on yourself to find your perfect, flawless (unicorn) romantic partner, to be the perfect friend, or improve your fitness by being perfect when you work out. (Maybe something super technical and detail-oriented like ballet or Olympic weightlifting...if you can get over your fears of not being perfect so that you can even start!)

Or if you're afraid of losing out on options in your life, you might be too scared to commit to one career path or job, so you stay stuck in one you don't like, because unhappiness feels safer than uncertainty of taking away future possibilities. You might be the one who goes out on dates with a ton of people but never wants to initiate the DTR (define-the-relationship) conversation and end up tied down. Or you might be the person who wants to eat at every new restaurant as soon as it opens, so you'll know all the different culinary options that your city provides.

The way you do things isn't necessarily a bad thing -- in fact, it can be a secret hint about your strengths hiding in your personality and habits.

You can see this secret strength concept beautifully illustrated in today's podcast with Angela Wagner. The way Angela does work the the way Angela does life is an example of who she is. She started out her career in the high-powered advertising world, but was seeking to feel grounded outside of work, so she started working at a gym on the side.

Her decision to lean into opportunities that helped her stay active while relieving stress led her to creating community through becoming a yoga teacher...which led her to creating her own yoga studio...which led her to her getting training in yoga life coaching

Creating community for individuals ready to put down their baggage and seek soulful stress relief is Angela's through-line. It's how (and WHY) she does everything.

Have you ever heard of Soccer Tots?

In 2011 I hadn't either.

It's where you take little kids and they jump through hula hoops, run around cones, occasionally kick a soccer ball and sort of attempt to listen to their frazzled looking teacher. (Think; Pre Soccer)

I was supposed to leave midday on a flight for work and it didn't make sense for me to go to the office so Alyssa suggested that I come watch Soccer tots.

I showed up at 10am in the middle of the day, not at all knowing what to expect.

One of my kids kicked a goal in the cones that were set up over 20 feet wide which made it nearly impossible for them to miss

He turned and saw that I was there in the room and started shrieking with excitement!

"Daddy did you see me get a goal" (He looked so happy!)

It was right then that I realized I HAD to figure out a way to be able to have the flexibility in my work to be able to be around.

NOT just for the big things in life (school musicals, family birthdays and weddings), but also the little things too!

I hadn't realized what I was missing out on.

After that I became fascinated by the possibility of working remotely.

That was years ago and since then I've negotiated flexible and remote work for myself and helped many other people get jobs or change careers that allow them to work remotely!

We've had a lot of people come to us in the last few years that are also interested in doing the exact same thing.

For this reason we brought on Adda Birnir, the CEO of SkillCrush.com, to discuss remote work on the podcast. Not only does her company work entirely remotely but also they teach people (especially women) to code (which is one profession that is incredibly flexible)

If you want to learn how to make remote work possible for you check out this blog post and the podcast here!

On the podcast today, we talked about…

• What it's like to work in a remote workforce
• The lack of diversity and representation in the tech industry
• How couples negotiate the dynamic between career and relationship
• The factors that set up a remote team for success...or disaster
• Adda's favorite secret vacation spot in Iceland

(We covered a lot of ground.)

Plus in this blog post we go through step by step the process we use to help clients get to remote and flexible work in their current jobs OR new careers!

(Myself included!)

Which is kind of surprising for a company that teaches people all about how to use relationship-building and presentation skills to create new opportunities in your professional life, right?

Well, contrary to popular belief, we introverts aren't completely socially anxious and hiding ourselves away in a closet somewhere. (Most of the time.)

We (and I'm sure you, or people you know) have learned the skills to gracefully survive in a socially-oriented world while still creating space for our "me" time.

But one of the things that can feel the hardest for introverts is also one of the ones that makes conversations the most fulfilling.

The vulnerability of putting yourself out there (whether you're an introvert or extravert) is part of what creates deep, meaningful, awesome connection.

And connection is why we're all here, isn't it?

If you agree, you're going to love this week's podcast on vulnerability and how to connect with anyone with AJ Harbinger of The Art of Charm.

I think this episode has the most value per minute of any podcast I've ever recorded, so if you are a person who loves self-development and wants to be a better conversationalist, you've gotta take a listen.

I consider myself to be pretty good at striking up conversations, and I found myself taking tons of mental notes.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to use vulnerability as your stealth superpower
• The 3 phases of connection: an analytical framework for creating emotional interaction (yes, really)
• How your past, present and future create the stories we tell ourselves -- and share with the world

Ever thought about becoming a coach? If so, press play immediately on this episode where Scott Barlow welcomes back Marc Mawhinney, the founder of Natural Born Coaches program and podcast, where he helps coaches create real, profitable (and real profitable!) businesses.

On this episode, you'll learn how Marc got into coaching (and the books that have been his biggest inspiration), how building a business is a bit like being a modern-day caveman, how to ensure you're not getting paid in meatballs, and how to know when (or if) you need a coaching certification.

Being in love with the dream of calling yourself a coach can be very different from truly having a passion for the day-to-day life of being one.

For example, how much do you enjoy sales conversations? Working for yourself is an eat-what-you-kill kind of job, so you're going to spend time bringing in coaching clients so you can keep the lights on and pay the bills.

And, how much time out of your week would you estimate you'll be on the phone with coaching clients? Whatever you're guessing, guess again and listen to Marc to hear about what it was like for him (and for Scott) in building their coaching businesses.

Karenina Jahnigen

Writing like a Pro in the business world seems like a huge undertaking that is easier said than done.

Luckily, we have Danny H. Rubin as our guest today.

Danny Rubin is "THE writing guy." Danny has studied communications since college and has worked as a TV News Reporter and Consultant and has come back around to what he loves most, which is writing. He uses his greatest strength to teach practical writing instruction for the business world. From writing to apply for jobs to writing to start a business from scratch, Danny offers his writing advice as the writing expert in the business world.

One of the key takeaways from the episode is viewing the job search as an expectations game where employers are going to expect you to do X, but you're going to learn how to do Y.

Why, you ask? Well, while everyone else is doing X, you're going to put that little bit of extra effort it takes to do Y. This is your opportunity to do something another way to stand out from the crowd of job-seekers.

All Y is, is a change in the way that you think about what you're writing. We have all been so conditioned to write a resume and cover letter the same way. So, a hiring manager is going to expect that same template from every candidate.

But, Danny is here to walk you through a process that will show you how to go about writing those pieces in a smarter, more strategic way.

You will see more results when you know how to be interesting when describing yourself in your stories. Your writing should highlight details of your experience that will enhance your overall platform.

Listen to the podcast to learn more about the power of telling YOUR story of success in your cover letter. Danny will help you learn how to write to command attention, prove your ability, and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

• The importance of brevity – Why keeping your writing short and concise is imperative in business communications
• The importance of writing differently and how to stand out in your writing to get noticed and open doors
• How to write a powerful Linkedin Profile
• How to apply for a job when a company isn't even hiring