Quarterlife Compass

In the final episode of season 1, Kelsey recaps everything she has learned over the last 12 weeks since she launched the podcast. She sums up her overall experience by realizing that this is just the beginning and that going through this quarterlife crisis experience was probably one of the best things that have happened to her in years. Going through this period of feeling lost, has led her to meet more people, have more experiences, and now feel more aligned than ever before. Kelsey thinks the biggest lesson she has learned is that by removing fear from the equation, you can simply enjoy the journey. In Kelsey's last parting words, she recommends to simply have a blast while doing and enjoy the journey for what it is. Season 1 of Quarterlife Compass was all about sharing Kelsey's story. In Season 2, Kelsey will be focusing more on interviewing others and sharing their stories and advice. 

Tracy Timm, quarterlife career coach and career clarity catalyst speaks with Kelsey this week about her quarterlife crisis story and tells her about the Olympic athlete analogy. Some of us are built for the pool, while others of us are built for the track and how you can compare this to your work environment. We worry so much about what is wrong with us and what we should be doing better when really it’s not about that all. It’s just that we’re simply competing in the wrong race altogether. Tracy recommends to not immediately start applying to jobs right away but to determine exactly what it is you were built for, and start defining where you add maximum value. She recommends that you avoid Indeed, LinkedIn and job boards until you know with confidence and clarity what it is you want, instead of what it is you don't want. Kelsey learns how to take stock with a life audit in 8 areas in her life: physical, emotional, social, professional, financial, spiritual, environmental and intellectual. Kelsey ultimately hears Tracy's two biggest pieces of advice: make sure you talk with others to get help, and that once you have an idea of what it is you want to do, to then strategically share your vision with your network so people can help clarify your vision and help put the puzzle pieces together.

Kelsey celebrates launching episode 10 of the podcast and reflects on how much she has learned over the last 10 weeks. Over the weekend, she attends her 4th year in a row at the Austin City Limits music festival and realizes that this might be her last year attending the festival with her best friends, Alex and Lexi. She also begins a self-development course called, The Big Picture, and works on creating a Vision Triad which consists of three pillars: your vision, your purpose, and your identity. Kelsey learns that when you change your story, you change your state. And that your thoughts create your feelings and your feelings fuel all of your actions. So if something is not feeling right, it’s time to start telling a new story in your life and choose different thoughts.

Earlier in the week, Kelsey meets with her friend Erick from The Metaprogramming Podcast to talk about editing software and building an audience. After 2 minutes into their conversation, they end up diving deep into a meaningful discussion about love and owning your truth. After, Kelsey learns that her Grandpa sold his farm to move into an assisted living home and Kelsey and her cousin buy last minute tickets to fly to Wisconsin to help him move and clean out the farmhouse. As she moves her Grandpa into his new space, Kelsey learns about the importance of letting go. She also talks with her cousin about his quarterlife crisis story and how he got through it. He tells her that by rediscovering passions he had when he was younger and deciding to invest more time into them, he was able to move forward in his life and feel less stagnant. Kelsey remembers a conversation she had with Courtney Harris about the importance of self-expression and finally determines what her self-expression will be moving forward.

During a conversation with a friend from high school, Kelsey learns about the book "The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most out of Them Now" by Dr. Meg Jay. She also discovers the concept of a multipotentialite, and that we are more than what defines us in our career. We can be multiple things at one time with multiple passions. Kelsey eventually builds up the courage to reach out to Meg Jay and ultimately jumps on a call with her. She learns the hard facts about fertility and realizes that it's time for her to get serious about relationships and start finding love. She also becomes aware of what she truly wants deep down: to be a Mom.  

After pulling a card from an angel reading that talks about "Freedom," Kelsey sits down with the CEO of Redenim, Kelly Ernst, and they talk how she went from a 9-5 job as a programmer to launching her own fashion startup. She believes that the moment she was able to get honest with herself and assess what really made her happy in life was how she was ultimately able to move into doing what she felt truly passionate about. Kelsey also talks with Brittany Nevins about how her recent project of launching an ecommerce store called Cardinal & Birch has helped her to express her creative side and find a balance in her life. Kelsey attends the monthly meetup for the Society of Woman Entrepreneurs and listens to the founder of Austin Women Magazine talk about the importance of sharing your story, finding a role model and sitting down and doing the work. She realizes that if she leans more into getting uncomfortable and asking the tough questions, something amazing is waiting on the other side. All it takes is just takes getting real with yourself.

After reaching out on a Facebook group for woman entrepreneurs to see if anyone is interested in sharing their quarterlife crisis story, Kelsey is surprised to find that way more people than she expected are interested in being interviewed. After taking a week to pause and take a break, Kelsey first speaks with Christalle Bodiford. Christalle’s quarterlife crisis began when she found out she had epilepsy at 25. She explains how she got through her diagnosis and eventually went on to create her own nonprofit called Life Elektrik that supports those living with epilepsy. Kelsey then talks with Adetoro Majek from Soulistic Coaching. Toro shares how social media and comparison left her in a quarterlife crisis and how a focus on self-love led her to build her own life coaching business called Soulistic Coaching, that teaches woman of color how to practice self-care and be with themselves.

Enter: dating apps. In this episode, Kelsey downloads datings apps, something she hasn't done in years. She goes on a first date and is pleasantly surprised to meet someone like-minded who also has the same interests. She realizes that remaining open-minded to dating, instead of closed off, is what pushes her forward on a path towards growth. She talks with her friend Nevia about her quarterlife crisis story and learns about her technique to focus energy on three separate areas in her life, instead of placing all her eggs in one basket. Kelsey decides what her 3 focuses will be moving forward and that maybe your mid-twenties is all about the continued pursuit to simply show up. 

Kelsey heads to her family reunion in Wisconsin and visits her Grandpa one last time since he plans on selling the farm this year. Kelsey realizes how much she is going to miss this place, and how much she misses her Grandma, who passed away a year ago. She eventually talks to her Mom about the podcast and learns that she never felt like she went through a quarterlife crisis, because graduating and getting a job during that period of time was rare and incredibly rewarding. They talk about how social media may have a negative effect on allowing us to move forward, and that by having so many options available to us at one time in today's age, we may become stuck and confused. Kelsey decides to go on a digital detox to simplify her life -- something she thinks her Grandma would've done.

Sometimes, a quick weekend getaway is all you need to help you reset. In this episode, Kelsey meets her friend Maricia in Denver for a girls weekend. Besides spending time in nature, Maricia and Kelsey use this trip as a way to see if they could imagine themselves living in a new city. After a few realizations, Kelsey recognizes the importance of the present moment and how lucky she is to have friends who are supportive and willing to help her along her journey.