Whether it's been one year since you graduated college or 10 odds are you've learned a lot and grown a lot since you were a bright eyed and bushy tailed college graduate. Since graduating I've lived in three different cities, made new friends, lost a few friends, and done a whole lot of learning on what it means to be an adult. Adulting is not something that ever comes with a manual. No one teaches you about how to let go of something you wanted so desperately to work out or how to overcome getting rejected from a dream job. No one tells you what to do when it feels like you're not moving forward or how to start taking a step 1 when it comes to having good financial habits. We will dive into that and so much more in this weeks episode. Enjoy!

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

This podcast episode is probably the most personal and vulnerable one I've put out, but I'm doing it in case anyone has encountered similar situations previously. There are certain life moments that are such curve balls they leave you feeling shocked and unable to (emotionally) move. And yet at the same time you aren't really given time to stop and process - life keeps moving forward. In this episode I talk about the duality of life: of balancing joy and grief, of being there for yourself and also others, of wanting to make a life for yourself in a new city and still feeling deeply rooted in your hometown. There is no perfect recipe, but this is me just trying to figure it out myself.

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

We've all more than likely stayed in situations, jobs, relationships long after we are no longer feeling fulfilled by them. We do this because there is a sense of comfort in remaining in the status quo. What we don't realize is the damage we are doing to ourselves by remaining in this situation we've outgrown. In worse case scenarios, this damage long outlives the situation we were trying to leave in the first place.  This episode dives headfirst into this difficult and oftentimes uncomfortable conversation.

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

New Years is upon us and with it a slew of New Years resolutions and intentions. As we are encouraged to hit the ground running this 2024, I wanted to give you some thoughts from the heart on lessons I learned the last few weeks of 2023 and how I'm taking them with me in this new year.

If you're reading this and listening in my second year with this podcast thank you so much!! Please always feel free to DM me on instagram with thoughts, follow ups, or topic requests for future episodes. 

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

Somewhere, somehow, something changed. The things that used to excite you, now feel like one more item on the to-do list. Every day you wake up 5 minutes later until you just barely roll out of bed in time for work. There are subtle remains of your morning routine, but everything feels like a big jumble.

Whether due to seasonal depression or adjusting to new change in your life, here are some tips on how to move forward when you've realized you're starting to lose motivation.

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

This episode was recorded pre-NYC marathon, as I was feeling both incredibly excited, but also nervous at the daunting task that lay ahead - 26.2 miles. While this episode discusses me about to take on the NYC marathon, it is not running specific. There are many things in life that both excite us and make us nervous at taking them on - maybe it's moving to a new city, taking on a new job, starting a new hobby, etc. 

Hopefully this helps you breathe a little easier and take that first step no matter how daunting the path ahead may be. We've got this!!!

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

The say that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life and boy if it were only that easy. As kids we are encouraged to be curious, to try new things, to fail, to try again - to really just have fun in the journey. However as adults the pressure is on to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life and stick with it.

Yet many people find themselves in decades long careers unhappy and unfulfilled. Today I walk you through the journey of my life calling; what I've learned so far, where I stand, and what is yet to come.

May this episode make you feel a little less alone in your own journey and empowered to make career pivots even when it's hard.

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

The NYC marathon is only 2 weeks away and this seemed like the perfect time to do some reflecting on what the past few weeks of marathon training have looked for me. A lot of these lesson are applicable even beyond the running world; from the importance of community to chasing big scary dreams and more!

If you want a full on Q&A episode on all things marathon training let me know on Instagram!!

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

Seasons of change -- whether a change in relationship status, careers, general adult pathways-- can be difficult. Our first instinct may be to reject the situation or to question why a certain opportunity didn't present itself when it felt so perfect so...*aligned*. I've been through my fair share of these (and am currently going through so many shifts in my own life!!) so I thought I would share a reflection and meditation exercise that helps ground me when it feels like everything around me is changing. I hope it helps you as much as it's helped me!

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!

In today's episode we talk about how to listen to those intuitive nudges that begin to push in the direction of making a potentially uncertain (yet exciting!!) decision. How do you listen to it and move forward. From moving across the country to deciding to leave my corporate job, I walk you through how I navigate big seasons of change and figure out what opportunity feels most aligned with my highest timeline.

Connect with Jess on Tik Tok and IG: @ilayalith_jess

Buy Spread Your Wings and FLI: How to Effectively Navigate College as a First-Generation, Low-Income Student wherever books are sold!