Leap Like Me

Finding your authentic voice and using it regularly can be difficult. When today's guest, Elissa, literally lost her voice, she decided to dedicate her life to helping other people not only protect their voices but learn how to use them in conjunction with a regulated nervous system.

In today's episode, my guest Elissa Weinzimmer shares about how a vocal hemorrhage led her to take a leap into a career as a vocal and presence coach, and how she is now experiencing a second leap rediscovering her singing voice and making music.

If you're taking a leap of your own, no matter how big or small, finding your voice (in a world that limits so many voices) means staying in the present moment and supporting your nervous system. And Elissa has some great tips and resources to help you do just that.

In this episode, you'll learn...

[02:14] What a vocal and presence coach does and the types of people who seek this support

[08:22] How Elissa suffered from a vocal hemorrhage, how that led her to start her business teaching voice, and how she found her singing voice again

[19:02] What embodiment is and how Elissa uses it in her voice body connection process

[25:54] The limitations that block different people from using their voices and how the polyvagal theory can help you to safely find your authentic voice

[33:44] About how the polyvagal theory relates to your nervous system and how it functions

[43:16] Elissa's advice for someone preparing to quit a job (or other scary scenario) and how to help regulate your nervous system in those moments

If you're considering your own courageous career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode35

Links mentioned in this episode…

Deb Dana's Beginner's Guide to Polyvagal Theory

Energy is important to everything we do … from work to relationships to taking care of kids or pets. Your biggest business asset is your energy. Your biggest life asset is your energy.

In today's episode, I'm talking about why you should know where your energy is going, how to determine if you're putting your energy towards things that energize you or drain you, and tips for managing your energy levels.

What is your vision for a fulfilling life? Are you putting your energy towards the things that matter to you? This episode will help you put your energy towards a purposeful, rewarding life.

In this episode, you'll learn...

[02:39] The importance of understanding where your energy is going each day

[07:09] Why you need to become an expert at managing your energy and prioritizing activities that promote rest and renewal

[12:11] How energy drains suck your energy and ways to address them to free up more energy

[14:19] An exercise to help you notice, maintain, and care for your energy levels

If you're considering your own courageous career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript:

https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode34

Links mentioned in this episode…

The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

My blog post about tolerations

Download my FREE Energy Tracker Worksheet

Considering a career change or pivot? The right career move can improve your life in dramatic, transformative ways. Yet, it can feel too daunting: overwhelming, lonely, and risky. How do you know when it's time to make a career leap, and how do you get through all the obstacles? Welcome to Leap Like Me, where we offer real stories, inspiration and practical advice on how to make changes that take you ever closer to your ideal work, and life. Host Lisa Hoashi, a life and career coach, guides this journey, which doesn't gloss over the hard parts, instead dives in to explore the strategies and mindset you need to make brave changes in your work – and your life.

This season has come to a close. What an amazing journey, friends. In this season we talked to 8 different guests and put out 14 episodes on what it takes to make a career leap.

Recently, I met with my podcast production manager Caroline of Wild Home Podcasting to talk about this season and debrief. How did we do? Did we reach our goals? Did we have unexpected pitfalls or wins?

It got me thinking… Before I dive in and start creating content for season 3, I'd love to hear from you. Did you love a certain aspect of the show? What do you think we could improve upon? Fill out my listener survey (you may even win a prize by completing it!)

And a special thanks to everyone who supported me to bring back Leap Like Me for this season:

Anita Pravitasari of Nitvei Studios for her incredible systems and tech expertise behind the scenes that makes everything function so beautifully in my business

Caroline Hull and her team at Wild Home Podcasting for reliably taking care of all the different pieces to get episodes finished and out

Michael Kitson for our theme music

Fabiana Parra for our cover art and graphics

Jacqui Harper, who helped me get seriously unstuck with some timely and expert camera and

vocal presence coaching.

Podcasting expert Elsie Escobar for helping me strategize how to get my message out in the world while being a mama too.

All our guests who gave so generously of themselves to share their stories, in some cases for the first time.

I am so lucky to know and work with you all.

Links mentioned in this episode…

Listener Survey

Illuminate Your Career Path in Five Steps

Download my FREE Change Planner: https://www.lisahoashi.com/change-planner

If you've ever been in a toxic work environment, you know how it wreaks havoc on your mental and physical health. It can be difficult to find a way out, and it's common to leave one job and jump right into the next.

For today's guest, taking a sabbatical was something she had never really considered, until she found and listened to Season 1 of this podcast. She realized she needed to embark on a healing journey to find her authentic self and learn what makes her happy, when it comes to both her personal and professional life.

In the last episode of this season, I'm chatting with Camille Ali, who left her six-figure job to focus on her health and happiness, which led her to a career pivot and discovery of how to be herself, despite what her family and society "expected" of her. She's sharing about the impact that a toxic work environment had on her , how traveling helped her heal, how she got into writing and also launched her own business, and why she chose to put herself first.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• About the crisis that led Camille to take a leap in 2019 and how she handled it [03:26]
• About Camille's sabbatical and how she spent her time [07:11]
• What to expect from taking time off to heal [10:08]
• How travel and sharing stories with other women sparked a turning point in her journey [14:04]
• How healing helped Camille discover her true version of herself and what makes her happy [17:40]
• How Camille got into writing [20:44]
• How she became a writer for xoNecole, a lifestyle website for women of color [22:03]
• How Camille ended up launching her own business and her experience discovering what she wants from her work life [26:01]
• Camille's message for other women of color on their journeys [31:28]
• Camille's advice for trusting your instincts [33:45]

If you're considering your own courageous career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode31

Links mentioned in this episode…

Download my FREE Change Planner: https://www.lisahoashi.com/change-planner

What do you do when you're years into a career path, having invested in an advanced degree in your field, and you're no longer happy? Making a career leap feels risky in the best of circumstances. And it can be easy to feel stuck or overwhelmed or unsure where to start when you realize that you want out of something you've been doing for a long time.

Today's guest, Farah Kauffman, loves the public health field that she worked in for 15 years, but the job and where it led no longer felt aligned with her. As she approached midlife, she was also thinking about what she wanted to be doing during the later phases of her career. The COVID-19 pandemic was a real eye opener as well for her, and a lot of people, to take the leap out of an unfulfilling career and into something that feels like the right fit.

Farah shares how she transitioned careers while staying in public health, the importance of really asking yourself what it is you're good at and what interests you, and how being in a supportive environment has made work feel fun again for her.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• About Farah's previous career path and her realization that she wanted something different for her life [01:34]
• The perspective that the pandemic gave her to take a chance [09:03]
• Why Farah took the time to really think about what she wanted to do for a career and the importance of looking back at previous roles to hone in on what she enjoys [12:56]
• The action steps she took once she learned the new career path she wanted [21:21]
• How Farah went about searching for jobs and applying, even before she felt truly ready [27:36]
• Why she decided to be fully herself in her job applications [32:14]
• How her support network helped her through this transition [37:27]
• What Farah's experience has been like pivoting into a new role [44:15]
• The joy and support she has found in supportive coworkers and staying within her area of expertise in a new role [47:51]
• Her advice for someone considering a leap of their own [53:28]

If you're considering your own courageous career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode30

Links mentioned in this episode…

Connect with Farah on LinkedIn

Download my FREE Change Planner: https://www.lisahoashi.com/change-planner

Are you considered a job or career change because you're exhausted by work, unmotivated and unfulfilled? Is burnout a factor in your desire for change? Unfortunately, job burnout has only become more common since the start of the pandemic. Here's my advice for how to improve or redesign your relationship to your work if you're struggling with this.

In this final solo episode of our season on career leaps, I'm tackling burnout, one of the biggest issues I see facing workers today. I'm explaining why it's become so common in the past few years, and sharing my own experience with burnout in my career. Then, I'm giving you some actionable tips for tackling burnout in your own work life.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• The role burnout plays in making a career leap [1:37]
• How burnout has become more common in the past few years [2:58]
• What job burnout is and what it feels like [3:39]
• How a coach can help you get out of burnout and into a career you love [5:16]
• How the pandemic spurred burnout for "knowledge workers" and service providers [8:11]
• Why you shouldn't rely on solely your job to provide meaning [11:37]
• My advice for anyone struggling with burnout [16:11]
• Why it's important to take ownership of the parts of your work life you can control [25:18]

If you're considering your own courageous career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode29

Links mentioned in this episode…

Listen to Episode 23 with Sika Stanton: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode23

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

Download my FREE Change Planner: https://www.lisahoashi.com/change-planner

Teaching is often viewed as a career that people stay in for, well, the entirety of their working years. But what if teaching isn't right for you? What if you want to take a leap into a new career? Where do you start?

In today's episode, I'm talking with Raven Wilson about her transition from elementary school teacher to customer success manager in the field of EdTech (educational technology). Her leap has led her to also serving as a coach and mentor to other educators who want to leave teaching. She started a group called Black Educators Transition to provide Black educators with a supportive community and the tools and resources needed to embark on a new career path.

She shares her advice on knowing what interests you and how to translate your experience to a new role. She talks about the patience necessary for the process of networking, researching jobs, and interviewing. And mostly important, she reminds you that you have to really want something new and different for yourself and be proactive with your leap.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• Raven's background and current role [01:52]
• What it's like to be a customer success manager in EdTech [03:03]
• How Raven learned that teaching wasn't the right fit for her [04:56]
• How COVID affected her career decisions [06:55]
• How her inner voice told her to take the leap [09:21]
• What made it difficult for her to leave teaching [10:54]
• About the identity shift that comes with taking a leap [14:02]
• About Raven's process that led her to learning what other careers are possible for teachers [16:28]
• The importance of researching your options and asking yourself questions about your skills and interests [20:02]
• How to hone your experience and craft your resume to align with the job you seek [23:14]
• What she learned in the job search and interview process [27:17]
• Raven's experience with interviewing and eventually landing a job in EdTech [30:02]
• About her passion for helping other Black educators who want to leave teaching [34:52]
• The questions she gets most often from teachers interested in leaving the profession and her advice to them [42:34]
• That losing summers off isn't so bad thanks to flexible PTO in other fields [48:01]
• Why it's okay to switch jobs and move companies [49:54]
• What Raven wishes she knew before she took her leap [52:02]
• Raven's advice for those interested in taking a similar leap [53:05]

If you're waiting for a sign to take your career leap, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript:

https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode28

Connect with Raven

Raven's LinkedIn

Join Black Educators Transition on Facebook

Raven's Bio:

Raven Wilson is a former elementary teacher turned customer success manager. Leaving teaching was one of the hardest but best choices she ever made. Since her transition to EdTech, she has more freedom and flexibility which is all she ever wanted.

When you take a leap, there's a lot of uncertainty. For today's guest, that uncertainty revolves around figuring out how to serve in a leadership role without being full-time, allowing more time for other parts of life and being a mother of two, and navigating a world where conversations around better professional and personal balance are happening but actual change seems slow to come.

In this episode, I'm chatting with Annie Jameson about taking a leap that involved leaving a full-time career for a territory unknown. Annie is sharing about how she has taken this time to better understand herself and her values, the importance of structure and support when you're exploring your options on a career break, and why patience, with yourself and the process and the larger working world, goes a long way.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• About Annie's time at Vistaprint and what lead to her leaving [02:26]
• Why her exit from Vistaprint was gradual and how her passion for diversity and inclusion played a role [07:26]
• How Annie approached balance after leaving her full-time job [10:36]
• How having more alone time allowed her to reflect on her values [15:18]
• How exploring is allowing her to figure out the balance that is right for her [17:34]
• Mini coaching session with Annie [20:55]
• Why it's important to Annie that more flexible working opportunities exist [23:43]
• The pressure of feeling like you have to always know "what's next" [25:05]
• The advice Annie would give to a mentee in her situation [29:34]
• The importance of patience and not over-thinking [30:32]
• The importance of having a plan, some structure, and support network to help navigate your new day-to-day life [35:35]
• About the role model exercise that I recommend to clients [37:41]
• What Annie wishes she knew before she took her leap [39:17]
• The surprising and rewarding moments Annie has experience [40:03]
• Annie's advice for someone taking a leap
• The podcast that Annie is launching [44:38]

If you're waiting for a sign to take your career leap, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode27

Connect with Annie

Annie's LinkedIn

Annie's Youtube

Annie's Bio:

Annie has been many "things"—a mother, a mentor, a leader, a coach, partner, wife, friend, daughter, sister, CIMA qualified, D&I advocate, analytical expert, finance professional. What she cares about most and what ties all these pieces together is how we interact, show up and encourage each other as human beings and that's where her focus is in life.

So you've decided to make a career leap. Now, how do you land that next position? Sure, you can go the traditional route by applying for openings on job boards, but that's not the only way (or the best way) to get a job. There are plenty of effective job searching methods, so let's find the right one for you.

In this episode, I'm sharing three different tactics for finding and landing jobs in a new field. I'm explaining how to use your network to your best advantage and how to fill the gaps in your knowledge before you leap. Plus, if you want to go the traditional application route, I've got a few tips for that, too.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• Which factors might be working against you during your career pivot [1:57]
• Why the traditional job application process isn't always the best approach [4:43]
• Tips for applying for jobs the traditional way on job boards and listing sites [5:54]
• Alternative job search tactics for when you get fed up with sending cold applications [8:26]
• How to fill the gaps in your knowledge before making your leap [9:46]
• How to search for internal opportunities in your current company [13:34]
• Why networking is one of the most valuable tools in your career pivot toolbox [16:01]
• The value of your community during your career pivot [19:58]

If you're considering your own courageous career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode26

Links mentioned in this episode…

Listen to Episode 23 with Sika Stanton: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode23

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

Download my FREE Change Planner: https://www.lisahoashi.com/change-planner