Every week on the SPARKED podcast, we invite a listener to share what’s going on in their work & life, then pose a specific question to Jonathan Fields and a rotating lineup of wise and kind mentors - the SPARKED Braintrust. 

In today’s episode we’re in conversation with:

SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Deborah Owens | Website

After a long career in leadership in some of the biggest companies in the world, Deborah founded her own consulting firm, Corporate Alley Cat, where she advises and coaches People of Color in all aspects of career visioning and development. She has this incredible ability to see what’s happening under the surface in any given situation, and ask questions that get to the heart of the matter and reveal possibilities that feel both empowering and expansive.

LISTENER: Today’s listener’s Sparketype - Primary: Maven, Shadow: Scientist, Anti: Essentialist

QUESTION: Today our listener, who has asked to remain anonymous, shares a story of embracing an unconventional path through academia, medicine and eventually entrepreneurialism. They share how they’ve embraced non-traditional methods - bartering, volunteering & trading - to grow and fund their research project into an endeavor, but are reaching a point where what got them here isn’t going to get them to the vision of a bigger, more formed and resources organization that can make a difference on a much larger scale.

So our listener is seeking guidance on how to see another way of achieving the goal. How to reimagine the funding model to find the funding needed to graduate the research project into a full fledged business, that is then able to have the greatest impact to the lives of infants and their families. This question is actually more broadly applicable than it may, at first appear, because so many of us are realizing that we can’t rely on what got us to this moment as a way to get to the next big milestone.

YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields

Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

So what is your Sparketype? Turns out, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive, this is your Sparketype. When you discover yours, everything, your entire work-life- and even parts of your personal life and relationships - begins to make sense. Until you know yours, you’re kind of fumbling in the dark. 

How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions

More on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Workshop | The Website

Presented by LinkedIn.