Lessons from a Quitter

Ep. 22:  Lawyer & Interior Stylist- How Sara Rezvanpour Rose created her dream job as Creative Counsel at the Jungalow

Have you ever felt like you want something more but you don’t know what you should do? Well, if so, this is the episode for you! Sara Rezvanpour Rose is a unicorn full of inspiration and provides so much wisdom for anyone stuck in a career they hate. Though she may not know it, her own path provides such clear guidance for how to approach finding your next gig. It includes: perseverance, hustle, creativity, courage, humility, and faith in yourself.

Sara is a graduate of UC Berkeley Law School and a former big law attorney. After being laid-off during a merger, Sara left big law to join her brother’s small private practice law firm where she honed her entrepreneurial skills as well as her legal chops. However, after a couple of years, Sara still found herself unsatisfied in the grey world of the law. She quit, without having a plan, to find a career with more creativity.

After deciding that she wanted to be in the interior design space, Sara reached out to people in the industry, worked for free, and hustled her way into a dream internship with renowned interior designer, Justina Blackeney. From that internship, Sara created her own dream position at Justina’s business, Jungalow.

Sara is now Creative Counsel at Jungalow, a bohemian lifestyle brand & home decor online shop. She left the gray world of law in search of color, creativity, and a place where she could be her wild self! Now she spends her days creating spaces that she hopes inspire a sense of magic in people’s hearts & homes. She also negotiates contracts, and still does lawyerly things but in a much more fun & chill setting.  

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why she felt morally obligated to go to law school
• Why she felt like she didn’t belong in law school
• How she ultimately decided to walk away from a traditional law practice
• How she figured out what her next step would be after law
• How she hustled her way into her dream job at Jungalow
• How she now spends her days doing part legal work and part interior design.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
• Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Magic Lessons, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Where to find Sara:

• Instagram: @sararezrose
• Jungalow Instagram: @thejungalow
• Website: shop.jungalow.com

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

This week we're going to do something a little different and, instead of an interview, I'm doing a solo episode. We'll be back with another inspiring interview next week.

I wanted to take this week, because of Thanksgiving, and talk about how a gratitude practice is the easiest way to change your life. That might sound like hyperbole or exaggeration but it's not.

Now before you roll your eyes and think I'm trying to sell you some woo-woo magic, there are decades of scientific studies that show how a simple gratitude practice can:

- Create stronger relationships

- Strengthen your immune system

- Increase your enthusiasm, optimism, and alertness

- etc, etc, etc.

Why does gratitude work so well? Glad you asked.

1) It fundamentally changes your perspective. You can see the silver lining in most situations which helps you bounce back after setbacks much faster.

2) It is impossible to feel anger/fear and gratitude at the same time.

3) It helps you enjoy the journey and not just look forward to the destination.

4) It makes you a more pleasant person and creates stronger relationships.

So if you want to change your life in 5 minutes every day, take a listen!

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

This week we're going to do something a little different and, instead of an interview, I'm doing a solo episode. We'll be back with another inspiring interview next week. 

I wanted to take this week, because of Thanksgiving, and talk about how a gratitude practice is the easiest way to change your life. That might sound like hyperbole or exaggeration but it's not. 

Now before you roll your eyes and think I'm trying to sell you some woo-woo magic, there are decades of scientific studies that show how a simple gratitude practice can: 

- Create stronger relationships

- Strengthen your immune system 

- Increase your enthusiasm, optimism, and alertness

- etc, etc, etc. 

Why does gratitude work so well? Glad you asked. 

1) It fundamentally changes your perspective. You can see the silver lining in most situations which helps you bounce back after setbacks much faster. 

2) It is impossible to feel anger/fear and gratitude at the same time. 

3) It helps you enjoy the journey and not just look forward to the destination.

4) It makes you a more pleasant person and creates stronger relationships. 

So if you want to change your life in 5 minutes every day, take a listen!

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Drew Morgan is a stand-up comic, writer and actor.. Drew and his two comedy partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, wrote the Liberal Redneck Manifesto and tour the country for their WellRED comedy tour. His comedy draws upon his upbringing in rural East Tennessee as well as his experiences living in Australia, Boston, Miami, and New York.

But before becoming a comedian, Drew was a public defender in both Miami and Knoxville, Tennessee. I got to talk to him about how his upbringing in a rural Southern town influenced his decision to go to law school and why he ultimately left the law to pursue his dreams.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How his upbringing in rural Tennessee affected his decision to go to law school.
• How his path led him to be a public defender in both Miami, Florida and Knoxville, Tennessee
• How his wife got him started in comedy by signing him up for a competition
• How he supported his dream of stand-up comedy by working as a freelance attorney doing document review
• How years of hard work finally led him and his writing partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, to become "overnight successes"
• The journey to the WellRED comedy tour and the Liberal Redneck Manifesto
• And why it's worth pursuing your dreams even if it's difficult

Where to find Drew:

• Website: http://www.wellredcomedy.com
• Twitter/Instagram: @drewmorgcomedy

• Facebook: @drewmorgan

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Drew Morgan is a stand-up comic, writer and actor.. Drew and his two comedy partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, wrote the Liberal Redneck Manifesto and tour the country for their WellRED comedy tour. His comedy draws upon his upbringing in rural East Tennessee as well as his experiences living in Australia, Boston, Miami, and New York.

But before becoming a comedian, Drew was a public defender in both Miami and Knoxville, Tennessee. I got to talk to him about how his upbringing in a rural Southern town influenced his decision to go to law school and why he ultimately left the law to pursue his dreams.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How his upbringing in rural Tennessee affected his decision to go to law school.
• How his path led him to be a public defender in both Miami, Florida and Knoxville, Tennessee
• How his wife got him started in comedy by signing him up for a competition
• How he supported his dream of stand-up comedy by working as a freelance attorney doing document review
• How years of hard work finally led him and his writing partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, to become “overnight successes”
• The journey to the WellRED comedy tour and the Liberal Redneck Manifesto
• And why it’s worth pursuing your dreams even if it’s difficult

Where to find Drew:

• Website: http://www.wellredcomedy.com
• Twitter/Instagram: @drewmorgcomedy

• Facebook: @drewmorgan

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

As Inc. reported, "ISAAC LIDSKY may possess the most eclectic resume in business." Series regular "Weasel" on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, he graduated from Harvard College at 19 (cum laude) and from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude); served as a Supreme Court law Clerk (to two Justices); was a Justice Department litigator (undefeated); and worked for an elite international law firm. He had a legal resume that most lawyers could only dream of. But after having his triplets, who required over 70 days in the NICU, Isaac re-evaluated what he wanted out of his life. He left the law to buy a failing construction subcontractor in order to try his hand out at entrepreneurship.

Though originally the jump seemed to be a failure, Isaac turned the company into a highly profitable construction services company (ten times larger) that now boasts annual revenue over $250 million. I got to talk to Isaac about how he was able to walk away from law, after building such a prestigious career, to follow a path more true to himself.

Isaac credits his experience going blind in his early twenties from a rare genetic disease as being the reason he is able to create his own reality and live Eyes Wide Open. He gave a main stage TED Talk on the subject of living Eyes Wide Open that was viewed more than a million times in its first three weeks. He also has a book by the same name, "Eyes Wide Open", that is a New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestseller, and was named one of the Washington Post's top 10 leadership books to read in 2017.

I got to find out what it means to live Eyes Wide Open and how we can all strive to live that way. I'm endlessly inspired by Isaac and hope to live my own life with Eyes Wide Open.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why he walked away from the glamour of Hollywood after finding success on Saved By the Bell: The New Class.
• How he dealt with being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease as a teenager, knowing that he was going to go blind.
• How going blind taught him about the subjectivity of sight and how we create our own reality
• How fear replaces the unknown with the awful and how it keeps us stuck
• Why Isaac left the law, after an incredibly prestigious career, to run a construction company
• How he determined what was important in his life and how that changed his decision-making process
• How we can all live our lives Eyes Wide Open

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

Where to find Isaac:

• Website: www.lidsky.com
• Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @isaaclidsky

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

As Inc. reported, “ISAAC  LIDSKY may possess the most eclectic resume in business.” Series regular “Weasel” on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, he graduated from Harvard College at 19 (cum laude) and from Harvard Law School (magna  cum laude); served as a Supreme Court law Clerk (to two Justices); was a Justice Department litigator (undefeated); and worked for an elite international law firm. He had a legal resume that most lawyers could only dream of. But after having his triplets, who required over 70 days in the NICU, Isaac re-evaluated what he wanted out of his life. He left the law to buy a failing construction subcontractor in order to try his hand out at entrepreneurship.

Though originally the jump seemed to be a failure, Isaac turned the company into a highly profitable construction services company (ten times larger) that now boasts annual revenue over $250 million.  I got to talk to Isaac about how he was able to walk away from law, after building such a prestigious career, to follow a path more true to himself.

Isaac credits his experience going blind in his early twenties from a rare genetic disease as being the reason he is able to create his own reality and live Eyes Wide Open. He gave a main stage TED Talk on the subject of living Eyes Wide Open that was viewed more than a million times in its first three weeks. He also has a book by the same name, “Eyes Wide Open”, that is a New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestseller, and was named one of the Washington Post’s top 10 leadership books to read in 2017.

I got to find out what it means to live Eyes Wide Open and how we can all strive to live that way. I’m endlessly inspired by Isaac and hope to live my own life with Eyes Wide Open.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• Why he walked away from the glamour of Hollywood after finding success on Saved By the Bell: The New Class.
• How he dealt with being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease as a teenager, knowing that he was going to go blind.
• How going blind taught him about the subjectivity of sight and how we create our own reality
• How fear replaces the unknown with the awful and how it keeps us stuck
• Why Isaac left the law, after an incredibly prestigious career, to run a construction company
• How he determined what was important in his life and how that changed his decision-making process
• How we can all live our lives Eyes Wide Open

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

Where to find Isaac:

• Website: www.lidsky.com
• Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @isaaclidsky

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Matt & Alli were both working as engineers, hating their jobs, and yearning for more freedom when they learned about the FIRE community (Financial Independence Retire Early). The premise of FIRE is to focus on reducing spending and increasing investments with the goal of living off those investments and, thus, not having to work anymore. The idea is that you buy your freedom instead of buying things. Matt & Alli started saving up to 70% of their 6-figure salaries and within 3 years quit to work on the 2 online businesses they had created.

In addition to quitting, they converted a sprinter van (they named Clifford) and started driving across the Americas and running their businesses from the road. They balance their time between helping millennials get out of debt through their coaching services and education programs at Owen Your Future and helping people treat themselves on the keto diet through their baked goods company Primal Noms.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How they realized that they didn't want to just change jobs that they hated but completely change their lifestyles.
• How they learned about the FIRE movement and started on their journey to saving.
• How they dealt with other people's opinions of their decisions
• What is the 4% rule?
• How they started their 2 side hustle businesses
• How they decided to quit their 6-figure jobs to travel the country
• The best and worst parts of traveling in a van
• How to be a part of FIRE even if you want to live off of a higher salary every year
• How Alli & Matt help millennials deal with their debt and budgeting
• How you can be a part of their live webinar on financial planning!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.physicianonfire.com/
• https://earlyretirementnow.com/
• https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

Where to find :

• Webinar: ownyourdebtcourse.com/webinar
• Website: ownyourdebtcourse.com

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Matt & Alli were both working as engineers, hating their jobs, and yearning for more freedom when they learned about the FIRE community (Financial Independence Retire Early). The premise of FIRE is to focus on reducing spending and increasing investments with the goal of living off those investments and, thus, not having to work anymore. The idea is that you buy your freedom instead of buying things. Matt & Alli started saving up to 70% of their 6-figure salaries and within 3 years quit to work on the 2 online businesses they had created.

In addition to quitting, they converted a sprinter van (they named Clifford) and started driving across the Americas and running their businesses from the road. They balance their time between helping millennials get out of debt through their coaching services and education programs at Owen Your Future and helping people treat themselves on the keto diet through their baked goods company Primal Noms.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How they realized that they didn’t want to just change jobs that they hated but completely change their lifestyles.
• How they learned about the FIRE movement and started on their journey to saving.
• How they dealt with other people’s opinions of their decisions
• What is the 4% rule?
• How they started their 2 side hustle businesses
• How they decided to quit their 6-figure jobs to travel the country
• The best and worst parts of traveling in a van
• How to be a part of FIRE even if you want to live off of a higher salary every year
• How Alli & Matt help millennials deal with their debt and budgeting
• How you can be a part of their live webinar on financial planning!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.physicianonfire.com/
• https://earlyretirementnow.com/
• https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

Where to find :

• Webinar: ownyourdebtcourse.com/webinar
• Website: ownyourdebtcourse.com

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

We've all heard various versions of the same story: Someone experiences a life-threatening illness or near-death experience which immediately puts into perspective what is actually important in life. That person shakes up their life and starts pursuing a more fulfilling path. But why is it that we have to experience horrible things before we can find such clarity? Or as Christine McAlister puts it "Who has to die for you to give yourself permission to live for yourself?"

Christine suffered her own tragedy when, at 9 months pregnant, her daughter Maeve passed away. Christine was forced to deliver her child and then plan a funeral, an unthinkable experience that many would not be able to overcome. But Christine used her grief and experience to stop playing small and figure out how to make the most out of life. That led her away from her successful online marketing business and into starting a business coaching program called Life with Passion. She helps high-achievers all over the world to replace their incomes (and then some!) and quit and stay out of their 9-5s, by building businesses out of their passions.

Christine also uses her own experience with tragedy to help her clients focus in on what is actually important. As if that wasn't enough, she is the bestselling author of The Income Replacement Formula: Seven Simple Steps To Doing What You Love And Making Six Figures From Anywhere.

Here is what we chat about in this episode:

• How Christine got out of her 9-5 job with a side hustle (and how she even figured out how to start a side hustle)
• How her side hustle became her full-time business and how that led to even more businesses
• How the death of her baby when she was 9 months pregnant led her to quit her businesses and find her true calling by opening Life With Passion.
• How she managed to get out from under the grief and take action to create the life she wanted
• How she uses Life With Passion to help other women entrepreneurs find their passions and make a business out of it.
• How to find what your true passions are if you're feeling stuck in your career.
• How the power of just making the decision to act is the very first step.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks

Where to find Christine:

• Website: lifewithpassion.com/freechapter
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifewpassion
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifewpassion

Follow along for more:

• www.lessonsfromaquitter.com
• https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter
• https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/
• https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast