Meet Mediocrity

My Conversation with Connor MacPhail: My son Connor is a recent college graduate. Like most young adults who have recently graduated college, graduating college in 2021 means spending a big chunk of your college experience during the COVID pandemic.

Connor is my son and I’m proud of him.  Beyond being proud, I also admire how he handled his college experience during COVID and I admire how he is approaching his first summer post-college graduation.  In this episode, Connor discusses how he and his friends made the very most of their college days after COVID started.

We also explore how Connor is approaching his post-college days - enjoying life, working at several part-time jobs, and considering full-time job options to start later in the year.  The part-time summer jobs Connor has taken up are jobs that connect with his personal passions and are jobs that he can continue on a part-time, or even a full-time basis down the road as he figures out the direction he wants to go in.

In other words, Connor doesn’t have it all figured out, but he’s good with that. In fact, we are both good with that!  And, interestingly, he and I know many people who seem to have their entire lives figured out, but then life gets in the way and the best laid plans…. well, we all know that story!

My conversation with Yours Truly (ME!):  Taking a closer look at the career path I’ve taken and the journey that I’ve been on provided me, and will hopefully provide you, some inspiration.  Not because it’s overly dramatic, but because it amplifies some messages all of us have heard at one time or another about successful careers.

“Find a job you love!” ... “Never give up on yourself!” ... “Failure plus perseverance can lead to success!” … “Dream it and you can become it!” … I’m sure you know many other famous career related quotes.

My career has had more than its fair share of twists, turns, failures, restarts, and yes … successes!  I hope that sharing my story will give others a little bit of encouragement to enjoy the journey, to not allow failure to discourage perserservance, to find a job they love, and to have fun along the way!

Visit the Meet Mediocrity website: www.meetmediocrity.com

Visit the Meet Mediocrity YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFIQU1mNw6kfX_QcQ0Fp3gQ

My conversation with Danielle North: It sounds so simple, but the execution is definitely not simple. Pausing. Pausing with a purpose to reduce stress, assess your situation and act with purpose.  Danielle North is the founder of PAUSE, a methodology she created to help people be their best selves.  Danielle describes PAUSE in five steps.  The steps are easy to understand, they seem elementary, but there is substance and science behind the process.

Danielle describes her personal journey leading to pause including undiagnosed mental illness and the lack of a proper support network.  Danielle's personal journey led her to the right tools and team to help her grow and thrive.  From that perspective, Danielle created PAUSE.  She is an author, a retreat organizer and a one-on-one coach.  Find out all about Danielle, her books, her programs and her approach on www.pauseglobal.com

My conversation with Alastair Deards… Alastair was a hard working accountant in Kent, a county in southeastern England. Like many of us, Alastair had a life changing moment that drove him to look beyond his chosen career to find a deeper purpose and meaning in his life.

For Alastair, this happened when a family member of his was suffering from mental illness and attempted suicide.  Thankfully, Alastair’s family member is receiving the love, care and support they need and Alastair has found a meaningful passion - forming the organization Mental Health Change (www.mentalhealthchange.com).

Mental Health Change is driving to set up a helpline with a memorable three-digit emergency number that provides early intervention support to those suffering from mental illness and their loved ones.  This is not meant to be a suicide prevention crisis service.  This is meant to be an early intervention service providing a helpline, identifying resources and arranging for quick introductions to qualified therapists.

Alastair also talks about how finding this incredibly meaningful project has impacted his life, raised his motivation and enhanced his personal overall wellness.

Find out more about Alastair on his LinkedIn profile and on his website - http://www.mentalhealthchange.com/

My conversation with Alix Arroyo: I am always excited when I have my niece Alixandra Arroyo as a guest on our podcast. This is Alix’s fifth appearance and continues her streak of being a guest on each of my three Meet Mediocrity podcast seasons to date.

In addition to being a great and fun person, and one of my favorite people in the world, Alix is an experienced human resources professional. On this episode, Alix and I explore some career advice that is especially relevant for employees of companies of all sizes. We explore promotions, pay raises, expectations and personal development.

This episode comes on the heels of several recent Meet Mediocrity YouTube VLOG episodes where I discuss provide some short and hopefully helpful career advice tips.  Check those out on YouTube (@Meet Mediocrity) and “subscribe”.

My conversation with Liz Sweigart:  On this, the last Friday in May (Mental Health Awareness Month), I am honored and thankful to have an open conversation about mental health with Liz Sweigart. Speaking about mental health, discussing our own mental illnesses, sharing our inner demons, admitting our personal challenges… are things that most people don’t do.  And, it’s that lack of sharing and that lack of open acknowledgement that give mental health a taboo reputation - and causes so many people suffer in silence.

The Liz Sweigart I have known for years is a highly intellectual, highly educated, professionally successful, witty, funny and caring woman whom I greatly admire.  In fact, she is one of those people in my life whom I would stop everything to share a cup of coffee with, any day. What I didn’t know until recently is that Liz also lives with major depressive disorder, a chronic condition that periodically left Liz in a dark place.

About two years ago, Liz’s major depressive disorder put her in a particularly dark place.  One that, in her own words, she “could not yoga herself out of”. Liz had feelings of deep malaise, apathy, and even suicide.  Thank goodness, Liz found the strength and the voice to get help.

Two years later, Liz is in a much better place.  She searched for and created a network of medical caregivers, therapists, family, friends and loved ones that support her.  She has supplemented her lifestyle with healthy activities that include running, yoga, blogging and yes, even working.  Liz is also speaking about it.  She openly shares her story and encourages others to share their stories.  She also shares messages of hope and optimism for herself and for others suffering from mental illness.

Mental illness is not a stigma.  Mental health is not a given.  We, as human beings, owe it to ourselves and to each other to speak about it, to care and to support each other.

My conversation with Kim Fisher: Anyone who is a self-proclaimed trainer, joy analyst, longevity mentor and positivity angel must be a very special person.  THAT, is Kim Fisher.  Kim is an accomplished personal trainer and health advocate - having spent almost 40 years in the industry.  Kim’s story isn’t only one about fitness and training, it’s about Kim’s personal evolution and transformation.

Today, Kim is the “Diva Over Fifty”.  Kim coaches women one-on-one and in small groups to be their very best selves.  Her program is highlighted by groups of women over the age of 50 that Kim calls her Ageless Tribe.  These groups work with Kim and with each other to make small steps to improve their lives in the areas of diet, fitness, spirituality and social wellbeing.  They have individual calls with Kim, group calls with each other and they all have access to Kim’s DivaOverFifty smartphone fitness app.

Kim’s program and success is impressive, but her personal and business pivot from a fitness trainer to a group wellness coordinator with a very impressive social media following is even more impressive.  Just like Kim professes to her “tribe” about thriving in their 50s and beyond, Kim’s career is also thriving, more than ever, in her 50s.  It’s NEVER TOO LATE!!

Check out Kim:

Her website: https://divaoverfifty.com/

On Instagram: @divaoverfifty

On Facebook: @divaoverfifty

My conversation with Savannah Dupin: Imagine wanting and needing to lose a lot of weight. Imagine starting an incredibly strict diet and fitness regime and sticking to it almost perfectly. Imagine losing 100 pounds and reaching your ideal goal weight. And, then imagine still being unhappy. That was Savannah Dupin. On one hand, this is an incredibly sad and frustrating story. For Savannah Dupin, it was an awakening.

Today Savannah is now a holistic health practitioner, founding her company Healing Health Solutions.  Savannah was able to combine her weight loss experience and her education in sociology (focusing on women studies) to create an approach that focused on weight loss, health and wellness in a balanced way.  Savannah’s client’s focus on their diet and fitness, but also on their self esteem and positive body image.

Savannah has found her niche and she is making an incredible impact on the women she coaches.

Find Savannah on LinkedIn and on Instagram (@sav_ilise)

My conversation with Joy Cook: Joy is the founder of Inspiring Joy Inc where she is a life strategist and success coach. “Joy”, in this case, has a double meaning - Joy Cook’s first name and “Journey of You”.  The amazing thing about Joy is that her first and most influential coachee was… HERSELF!

Joy’s journey and her success is a product of a lifetime of experiences, learning and growth.  Joy was a young mother and a single mother, but she never stopped hustling.  She is an accountant, and still does some work as an accountant.  However, through Joy’s own journey, she never stopped observing, exploring, learning and cultivating her passion for coaching.

The wonderful thing about Joy’s story is that she is now at the inflection point that many entrepreneurs find themselves.  She is a certified and accomplished life strategist and success coach today, but has not yet left the “golden handcuffs” of her accounting job to become a full-time coach.  This is a relatable dilemma for many people pursuing their passion.

Given Joy’s track record - we can all expect that “leap to full-time coaching to happen very soon and for Joy to be very successful!

Please check out Joy at:

Her website: https://www.inspiringjoyinc.com/home

Her Instagram: @inspiringjoyinc

Her Facebook: @inspiringjoyinc

My conversation with Lili Kazemi: Lili is a highly educated, highly accomplished busy executive. She also has had her share of personal hardships, including being in an abusive relationship. It was fitness, going to the gym, and participating in group exercise classes that helped Lili get through and get past that relationship and onto a better path for her life.

Through fitness, Lili found a healing community and that community ultimately motivated her to launch her passion project. Her blog and her fitness tips and tricks can be found on DAO Fit Life (https://daofitlife.com/). DAO being the Chinese word for “path” and also being Lili’s acronym for Decide-Act-Outlook.  Lili’s blog posts and her upcoming book appeal to everyone, but especially to busy executives who want to be fit, but need a simple plan to accomplish that.

Lili has a knack for helping people make fitness fit into their lives. Again, check out Lili on her website - https://daofitlife.com/