Did you learn growing up that it’s important to have it all figured out – with no room for trial and error? That’s the corporate model and very familiar. But Adele Wang, our guest on this episode of She Turned Entrepreneur, asks the simple question: “Do you enjoy it?” For many, the innovative spirit of entrepreneurism feels like a far better fit. But making the move can be a challenge, especially since not knowing what comes next is part of the process. Giving ourselves permission is the first step – and not always an easy one.

Adele offers guidance and support to clients in transition, walking with them through unsettled feelings. It’s a gift she uncovered through a similar process of her own. Growing up in a conservative home that defined success by conventional measures, it took a dark passage to embolden Adele to the kind of spiritual awakening and authenticity that she believes we all deserve. She came through that crucible and found on the other side her talents as a mentor, speaker and inspiration to women who want to veer in a completely new direction. It takes bravery, a willingness to challenge the status quo – and the ability to sit with some discomfort!

You’ll learn from Adele about key things to consider when envisioning a new life pursuit as well as how to manage stress and fears associated with the inevitable risks. And most of all? Adele urges us to find ways to stay relaxed. Minds and bodies that are cramped and constrained aren’t free to flow or conjure heartfelt, creative ideas.

You can click here to learn more about Adele and her classes as they become available.

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Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Suffering depression? Struggling in relationships or with unmet needs? Welcome to your invitation to reassess – and locate your authentic life force.

• A lot of independent business owners have gone through “the eye of the needle” and come to a spiritual awakening that freed them to pursue their truth.

• Finding out what you want to do is a big part of determining who you’re going to be.

• Figuring out your career path is a lot like dating: A process of trial and error (and luck!).

• Adele’s No. 1 Suggestion: Stop figuring it out. Start trying.

• It’s okay to be seen just trying things – however imperfect the fit or outcome!

• Try to be: More curious. Less critical!

• If you’re really wanting to transform, focus on staying relaxed so ideas can flow.

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• Coming from an academic and corporate home, Adele didn’t have a particularly high opinion of entrepreneurs (who were perceived as people who couldn’t get a job!).

• After 33 years in which she had done all “the right things,” Adele recognized that she was miserable and struggling to make it work only worsened matters.

• What Adele came to understand: How to live a life worth living isn’t necessarily limited to the conventional formulas (i.e. work hard = success).

• If – like many of us – you haven’t grown up around small business people or independent operators, you have to investigate. Determine for yourself what genuinely drives you and might inspire a journey.

• Things to consider when figuring out what your entrepreneurial venture might look like:

o What kind of business do you want to own?

o Do you prefer a large team or a solopreneur structure?

o How much contact do you want to have with people and what kind?

o Do you want to sell a product? A service?

o Are you more of a teacher? More of a cheerleader?

• Adele is more interested in where her clients “naturally bloom” than in crafting business plans, sales sheets or marketing collateral.

• Rather than coming up with endless rubrics and spreadsheets, just take a step and see what happens. Each effort yields valuable information to shape the next.

• There are different archetypes for serving, including:

o Teacher – information and guidance.

o Coach – solidarity and collaboration.

o Sage – bigger picture and more generalized observation.

• About the women with whom Adele typically works:

o More than half come out of corporate backgrounds, but want something more.

o She helps clients transition through uncertainty about what next.

o Her coaching embraces challenges to the status quo.

o She sits with clients in their discomfort, part of coming into something new.

• Personal growth and an identity shift are a necessary part of bridging between a corporate career and the entrepreneurial ventures we wish to undertake.

• Feeling vulnerable about stepping away from a secure corporate structure? You don’t have to perform for anyone (and probably no one is noticing anyway!).

• Individual Value-Add: Information is out there in abundance. The wisdom that coaches, mentors and guides offer is specific and very personal to each client’s situation.

About Adele:

Adele is a leading mentor for professionals struggling with stress and craving lives of more purpose, meaning, and connection. As a spiritual teacher, speaker, and energy healer, she has helped hundreds of leaders around the world reduce anxiety and attract more fulfilling careers and relationships. She is a frequent speaker on consciousness, business psychology, and personal development. As the host of the “All Things Human” podcast, Adele is the only wisdom teacher who combines the power of storytelling with mindset, embodiment and spiritual practices to help people create success at a time when there’s more change and uncertainty than ever. She has an MS in Industrial Relations and a BA in Economics from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her family, a puppy, and two cats.