ReImagining Community with Garland

Layoffs are loud, and so is the fear that comes with them. In this episode, I share why I paused career coaching this year and why I believe this breakdown of the job market is part of what humanity needs. For many of us, a job is more than income. It's our identity, our title, our rank, and our influence. When that gets taken away, what's left? We talk about what you want to see more of in the world, and how to start returning to the dreams, ideas, and possibilities you set down.

In this episode

• Why I took a break from career coaching this year
• How jobs became identity, and what happens when the structure goes
• Why I start with strengths, and what they reveal about what's missing
• The self-limiting beliefs running a loop that keeps you stuck
• The honest conversation about bills, responsibility, and making time for what you love

Numbers behind the conversation

• Black women lost 251,000 jobs between January and August 2025. That was 54.7% of all job losses for women, though Black women were 14.1% of the female workforce. (IWPR)
• Black women's employment in the federal government dropped 30%, compared with 11.6% for all women. (IWPR)
• Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025, its lowest level since 2020. (Gallup)

Reflection prompts

• What part of my identity was tied to my job?
• What am I putting off that I can't stop thinking about?
• What do I want to see more of in the world?

An invitation If this stirred something up, come practice with me. Join the priority list for the 21-Day Practice Experiment: https://tinyurl.com/45mfat4m And I'd love to hear from you: what's the one thing you can't stop thinking about? Leave a comment.

Connect Website: https://garlandfuller.com | YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GarlandFuller | Instagram: @garlandrfuller

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Garland Fuller, founder of Fuller Circle Consulting and creator of the 21 Day Practice Experiment, introduces a less scripted, more experimental approach to sharing her ideas online.

She explains how "Reimagining Community" began as a focus on third spaces and belonging but evolved into recognizing that many people struggle to show up in community because they are depleted, isolated, or navigating anxiety and life transitions.

Garland emphasizes self-awareness, boundaries, and trying "tiny experiments" to reduce perfectionism and learn what works.

She outlines possible episode topics including community norms, books she's reading, Q&A ("Ask Garland"), interviews, and occasional discussions tied to current events.

She describes the audience she most relates to—particularly women of color in midlife transitions—and shares her interests in intentional living, environmental consciousness, veganism, and supporting third spaces in the Los Angeles area.

00:00 Welcome

01:51 Tiny Experiments

02:45 Reimagining Community

08:55 What This Podcast Will Be

15:49 Who Should Listen

20:17 The 21-Day Practice Experiment

23:30 Get Involved

Download The Too Much Audit: https://tinyurl.com/3zvep4sb

Join the 21-Day Practice Experiment Priority List: https://tinyurl.com/45mfat4m

If you'd like to understand my vegan journey: https://youtu.be/rod8BhjrzsE

Planning Ahead and Book Recommendations: Libby, Creativity, Collaboration, and Awakening

Garland Fuller shares an informal update while thinking ahead to 2027 and reflecting on lessons learned this year, especially becoming bolder by "jumping in and doing it." As an avid reader, she recommends the Libby app through public libraries for borrowing e-books and audiobooks, praising its selection, 21-day renewals, and affordability, and she highlights public libraries amid concerns about book banning and censorship.

She discusses three key books: Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way (morning pages, artist dates, and adapting practices like voice memos and nature walks), Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy's Who Not How (achieving goals through collaboration and finding the right people), and Suzanne Giesemann's The Awakened Way (daily practices for a values-aligned, grounded life). She also mentions Gary Zukav's Seat of the Soul, considers starting a book club, and invites viewers to share recommendations, especially nonfiction and memoirs.

00:00 Intro and 2027 Planning

00:58 Libby App and Libraries

02:38 Reading Rainbow Setup

03:13 The Artist's Way Takeaways

08:10 Who Not How Collaboration

10:42 The Awakened Way Practices

13:18 Book Club and Seat of the Soul

16:39 More Recs and Reading Tastes

18:28 Wrap Up and Call to Comment

Libby App: https://libbyapp.com/

*The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron https://bookshop.org/a/22774/9780143129257

*The Awakened Way - Suzanne Giesemann https://bookshop.org/a/22774/9781401978433

*Who Not How - Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy: https://bookshop.org/a/22774/9781401960582

*Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav https://bookshop.org/a/22774/9781401960582

*All the books on the bookshelf: https://bookshop.org/lists/what-s-on-this-month-s-bookshelf/

* affiliate link

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Garland Fuller explains how a consistent daily practice can improve fulfillment, relationships, health, and how you show up at work, emphasizing that an impressive life isn't the same as a fulfilling one. She contrasts extrinsic motivators (money, status, possessions) with intrinsic, "priceless" needs like peace of mind, joy, gratitude, and satisfaction, and shares why habits often fail: trying to change too much at once, not using habit stacking, and not adopting an identity aligned with the habit. She also addresses the challenges busy women face in prioritizing themselves, noting even 10–15 minutes can matter, and describes daily practice as a way to build awareness, disrupt negative self-talk, reduce reactivity, and restore joy. She invites viewers to join a priority list for a 21-day small-group daily practice experiment (25 people) designed around individual rhythms rather than a fixed 5AM routine. 00:00 Intro 00:21 Why Daily Practices Matter 00:48 Fulfillment vs. Achievement 03:26 Why It Hasn't Worked Before (Habit Stacking & Identity) 07:46 Making Time for Yourself 12:22 The Invitation: 21-Day Practice Experiment 17:17 Call to Action Join Priority List: https://tinyurl.com/45mfat4m Register for upcoming webinar: https://luma.com/5smc3wm9

My Vegan Pivot: How Going Plant-Based Changed My Life Beyond Food (Awareness, Alignment & Intentionality) Garland Fuller shares a personal pivot she initially hesitated to discuss: becoming vegan in 2019, prompted in part by a wider conversation sparked by Billie Eilish's statement about eating meat and loving animals. She emphasizes she's not telling anyone what to eat, but explains how researching food systems and watching documentaries expanded her awareness of animal welfare, environmental impact, and health, making it impossible to "unsee" what she learned. Garland traces earlier influences—from learning about rainforest destruction tied to cattle farming to reading John Robbins' Food Revolution—and describes key shifts since going vegan: deeper empathy and values-aligned choices, a new relationship with food through gardening, seasons, and herbalism, and broader intentionality in what she consumes (media, relationships, energy), which has reshaped how she moves through the world. 00:00 The Pivot I Was Most Afraid to Share 00:04 Introduction 01:33 The Billie Eilish Spark 03:06 Why I Almost Didn't Share This 04:39 The Origin Story 08:59 Shift 1: Awareness 12:09 Shift 2: Relationship to Food 15:30 Shift 3: Consciousness 19:29 The Bigger Picture These conversations are here to help you reflect, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with more clarity, courage, and alignment. ✨ Book a confidential conversation/coaching call: https://tinyurl.com/3vy9vbs5 💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections, resources, and future series: https://tinyurl.com/5yvxmdmz 🔔 Subscribe to the channel and share with someone who may need this too.

Episode 5 - All At Once

In Episode 5, Garland Fuller shares the pivot that shaped where she is today: after thriving in a role that felt "made for her," she learned in August 2023 her position would be eliminated, while she was also juggling family responsibilities, perimenopause symptoms and medical gaslighting, and crises with close relatives. As her aunt—who felt like a second mom—became seriously ill and later passed at 86, Garland describes how grief, low energy, and brain fog made her feel like she was sleepwalking through life. She explains what helped her move forward, including morning walks in nature, seeking joy amid grief, prioritizing health with HRT, and working with an energy healer. Garland closes with reflective questions about honoring loved ones by living fully and invites viewers to connect with her through confidential discovery calls for coaching support.

00:00 Welcome to Episode Five

00:53 The Dream Role

02:35 Layoff Looming

04:02 Caregiving Pressures

05:46 Perimenopause Hits

07:23 Loss and Wake Up Call

08:16 Grief and Brain Fog

10:09 Finding Tools to Heal

12:18 Joy and Moving Forward

13:07 Final Thanks and Next Steps

Welcome to this 5-part series designed for women navigating change, transition, reinvention, and intentional living. These conversations are here to help you reflect, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with more clarity, courage, and alignment.

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Off the Jungle Gym: When the Corporate Path Isn't Yours (Episode 4)

In episode four of her five-part series, Garland explains why she stopped chasing the traditional corporate "ladder" and reframed it as a "jungle gym" where careers move up, sideways, and elsewhere—requiring personal ownership and intentional choice. After spending time around executives, she realized the lifestyle, priorities, and the need to carry out top-down decisions often didn't align with who she wanted to be, even in roles that were otherwise a great fit. She shares how rejection led to redirection into consulting and teaching, sparked by earlier experiences, ad hoc coaching, and connections through her network, and how building something on her own terms felt more values-aligned. Garland challenges women—especially those pursuing executive leadership—to ask whether the path they're on truly matches what they want, how alignment feels, and to remember they can change their mind without self-judgment.

00:00 Series Recap

00:38 Off the Jungle Gym

01:40 Why Exec Life Didn't Fit

03:28 Rejection Is Redirection

04:44 Testing Consulting and Teaching

06:49 Building a Values Aligned Path

07:46 Questions for Ambitious Women

09:20 Permission to Change Your Mind

10:21 Closing and Next Episode

These conversations are here to help you reflect, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with more clarity, courage, and alignment.

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The Room Where It Didn't Happen: When Doing Everything Right Still Isn't Enough

In episode three, Garland shares a "job trauma" story she calls "the room where it didn't happen," reflecting on a role where constant manager turnover, working away from headquarters, and being an outsider in a predominantly white, male-dominated environment contributed to feeling unseen and unsupported. After three to four years of raising her hand, training others, and clearly pursuing a promotion, she was devastated when it didn't happen and noticed a broader pattern of people like her not advancing; she was later placed on a performance improvement plan. Coaching helped her regain perspective, name what was happening without being gaslit, and leave with clarity rather than defeat, leading to a better-paying job within three months. She encourages viewers to recognize misalignment, consider stress leave, and reflect on why they may stay too long hoping things will change.

00:00 Welcome Back Episode Three

00:14 The Room Where It Didnt Happen

01:30 Outsider In The Workplace

03:05 Chasing The Promotion

04:44 PIP And The Wake Up Call

05:20 Getting Coached And Pivoting

06:17 Rejection Is Redirection

07:55 Name It And Leave On Terms

08:26 Gardening And Right Environment

09:06 For Anyone In Between Seasons

10:55 Reflection Questions And Goodbye

Welcome to this 5-part series designed for women navigating change, transition, reinvention, and intentional living. These conversations are here to help you reflect, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with more clarity, courage, and alignment.

✨ Book a confidential conversation/coaching call: https://tinyurl.com/3vy9vbs5

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Episode 2 - Table for Two (Just Me and My Kid) Divorce With a 3-Year-Old:

Starting Over, Building Your Village & Redefining Family

Garland In this "Table for Two" episode, Garland shares why she married young to understand the "illusion of marriage," how she realized after seven years that she and her partner weren't values-aligned, and the exact holiday moment she consciously chose divorce. She reflects on navigating divorce with a 3-year-old, moving quickly from filing in February to living in her own apartment by July in California, and discovering her strength by redefining family rituals, routines, and traditions on her own terms. Garland challenges the stigma around single moms, framing single motherhood as protection and resilience, and describes how her mom and an "informed community" of other single moms supported her. She addresses the grief and "failure" narrative many women feel, encourages viewers that it gets better, and prompts them to identify and thank the people in their village.

00:00 Table for Two

00:20 Why I Married

01:40 Signs and Conditioning

02:22 The Divorce Moment

04:00 Filing and Moving Out

04:38 Redefining Family

05:38 Single Moms and Strength

07:09 Finding Your Village

07:57 Reframing Failure and Grief

09:14 You Will Be Okay

10:09 Thank Your Support

10:48 Closing Thanks

Welcome to this 5-part series designed for women navigating change, transition, reinvention, and intentional living. These conversations are here to help you reflect, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with more clarity, courage, and alignment.

✨ Book a confidential conversation/coaching call: https://tinyurl.com/3vy9vbs5

💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections, resources, and future series: https://tinyurl.com/5yvxmdmz

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The first episode is about That One Time I Quit My Job To Travel In episode one Garland reflects on leaving a stable post-college recruiting job at a San Francisco law firm after feeling a growing heaviness in Garland's chest and questioning a monotonous future, despite having a supportive boss and a full life outside work. Wanting travel and self-discovery after years of nonstop school and work, Garland quits and goes to Belize initially planning to volunteer, but briefly consults for family, earning enough to live on before volunteering at an all-girls alternative school. There Garland teaches health, PE/dance, soccer, and career readiness, forms lasting friendships, and gains deeper cultural understanding, identity, and confidence. Garland urges viewers to listen to physical warning signs, take leaps of faith, and share their own "jump before ready" moments. 00:00 Belize or Bust Intro 00:07 Soul Searching After College 00:42 First Job and Mentorship 02:10 Burnout and Body Signals 04:27 Choosing Travel to Belize 05:16 Family Reactions and Leap 07:20 Unexpected Work Opportunity 08:43 Volunteering at Girls School 12:02 Identity and Cultural Lessons 13:53 Listen to Your Body 14:55 Leap of Faith Invitation 16:07 Closing Thanks ✨ Book a confidential conversation/coaching call if you're ready to take the leap: https://tinyurl.com/3vy9vbs5 💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections, resources, and future series: https://tinyurl.com/5yvxmdmz 🔔 Subscribe to the channel and share with someone who may need this too.