Your Soulful Career Calling

Why do we know what we should do, yet struggle to actually do it?

After 20 years as an OB-GYN and serving as Chief Medical Officer of a healthcare system reaching over 200,000 patients, Dr. Vian Nguyen realized something profound: More information, better advice, and greater access don't necessarily change human behavior.

That realization sparked an unexpected career pivot. From physician and healthcare executive to entrepreneur and founder of Behavior, a technology company reimagining how we understand ourselves, our environments, and the decisions we make.

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, we explore:

• The knowledge-action gap: Why knowing better doesn't always lead to doing better.

• A courageous career pivot: Walking away from an established executive career to pursue a problem she couldn't ignore.

• Rethinking technology: How Behavior uses simulated environments to reveal behavioral patterns and help people better understand themselves.

• The future of work and human potential: How behavioral insights could help young adults, employers, and institutions make more informed decisions.

• Finding clarity through action: Why uncertainty doesn't mean you're on the wrong path and why taking the first step often matters more than having the perfect plan.

Dr. Nguyen's journey is a powerful reminder that your calling may begin with a problem you can't stop thinking about and the courage to do something about it.

Connect with Kasi:

email: [email protected]

IG: soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Vian:

IG: askdrvianWebsite: trybehavior.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viannguyenmd1/

Building a successful career is one thing. Finding the part of it that feels deeply meaningful is another.

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with Dr. Amir Tahernia, a double board certified plastic surgeon, to talk about his journey from building a Beverly Hills practice to finding greater purpose through reconstructive surgery.

We talk about:

• Finding purpose within your existing career and why fulfillment doesn’t always require starting over.

• Following your strengths and how Amir’s natural aptitude for science, problem solving and complex procedures helped shape his path into plastic surgery.

• The life changing impact of reconstructive surgery, helping patients restore function, confidence and quality of life after living with physical and emotional pain.

• Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), a misunderstood and often underdiagnosed condition that has become an important focus of Amir’s reconstructive work.

• The power of mentorship and why having people you respect and can learn from can shape the direction of your career.

• Hard work and alignment and Amir’s advice for building a career around what you’re good at, what draws you in and where you can make a meaningful impact.

Finding your calling isn’t always about finding a new path. Maybe it’s about finding the place on your path where your gifts can matter most.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG: soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Amir:

www.amirtaherniamd.com

IG: center_for_hidradenitis

IG: amirtaherniaplastic

What happens when the career you were told was out of reach becomes the one you build for nearly three decades—and when unimaginable loss gives you an entirely new sense of purpose?

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with Maria Quiban, longtime Good Day LA meteorologist, author, and certified grief educator, for a deeply personal conversation about trusting yourself, challenging the limits others place on you, and allowing life’s hardest chapters to shape new purpose.

Maria shares how she went from a smaller television market to Los Angeles despite being told the leap was unlikely and how listening to her own instincts helped her build a nearly 27-year career at the same station.

But her story extends far beyond meteorology. After losing her husband, Shawn, to brain cancer, Maria turned her family’s experience with love, loss, and “choosing joy” into a way to serve others. That journey led to her book, You Can’t Do It Alone, becoming a certified grief educator, and creating her new e-guide, The Things They Don’t Tell You About Loss and Grief.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why someone else’s “ceiling” for your life doesn’t have to become your own
• Trusting your intuition when your next career move feels uncertain
• How Maria broke into a major television market and built a lasting career
• Choosing joy and creating memories in the midst of anticipatory grief
• The power of community when navigating loss
• How grief can reshape your identity, career, and sense of purpose
• Turning painful life experiences into meaningful work that serves others
• Why you don’t need every answer before taking your next step

Maria’s story is a powerful reminder that purpose isn’t always something we find. Sometimes it’s something we create from what life hands us and how we choose to use it.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG: soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Maria:

IG and Facebook: @mariasearth

Website: mariasearth.com

Linktree:  linktr.ee/mariasearth

Book: You Can't Do It Alone - https://amzn.to/3Vk00QS

My e-GuideBook:  “The Things Nobody Tells You About Grief” - https://stan.store/MariasEarth/p/get-my-eguide-

What happens when you’ve built a successful career but realize it no longer feels like you?

In this episode, children’s author Chelsea Wallace shares her unexpected journey from corporate marketing to teaching to becoming an award-winning children’s author. Her story is a reminder that career fulfillment isn’t always about climbing higher. Sometimes it begins with noticing what brings you back to life.

In this episode:

• Why career success and career fulfillment aren’t always the same thing
• How to recognize when you’ve outgrown a career path, even when you’re succeeding
• Why returning to a “student state of mind” can spark curiosity and uncover new possibilities
• How childhood interests can offer surprising clues about the work that brings us joy
• Why Chelsea sees a career as a web, not a ladder—where pivots, rejection, and unexpected experiences are never wasted
• The role of community, self-awareness, and perspective in building resilience through rejection
• Why finding meaningful work may have less to do with chasing the next achievement and more to do with paying attention to what makes you feel most like yourself

A refreshing conversation about career change, finding your purpose, creative careers, career fulfillment, resilience, and redefining success on your own terms.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG: soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Chelsea:

IG: chelsealinwallace

linktr.ee/chelsealinwallace

www.chelsealinwallace.com

Top Books by Chelsea:

Ode to a Bad Day

The Boo-Boos of Blubell Elementary

Today is the Day

Emergencies with Ms Bernice

The best careers aren’t perfectly planned...they’re shaped by the experiences that teach us who we are, what matters to us, and where we can make our greatest contribution.

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with a merchandising leader at Nike for an honest conversation about career growth, leadership, setbacks, mentorship, and what it really takes to build a career that feels like your own.

We talk about:

• The career “funnel” — why career paths rarely move in a straight line and how experience helps narrow what fits
• The gift hidden in setbacks — how losing a job became an unexpected turning point
• The power of mentorship — and what happens when someone believes in your potential before you do
• Moving from “me” to “we” — a defining shift in becoming a stronger leader
• Authenticity at work — why vulnerability and emotional intelligence can be professional strengths
• Careers in the age of AI — and why intuition, connection, and human judgment still matter
• Defining success for yourself — rather than chasing someone else’s version of it

We also pull back the curtain on merchandising as a career—the fascinating blend of art, science, consumer behavior, trend forecasting, and instinct that helps determine what people will want before they even know they want it.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need your entire career figured out. Stay curious, pay attention to what each experience is teaching you, and allow your definition of success to evolve with you.

Connect with Kasi:

email: [email protected]

website: www.careerquestinc.com

IG: soulfulcareercalling

There’s a moment in many careers when success on paper no longer feels like enough. You may not know exactly what you want to do next, you just know you’re ready for something different.

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with Nicolas Huneault, who made a major career change in his early 40's, leaving a successful career in fashion to build an entirely new chapter in real estate.

But as we unpack his story, it becomes clear that this career pivot wasn’t really about starting over. The clues had been there all along—from his early fascination with beauty, design and environments to the skills he developed over decades of working with people.

We talk about what it really takes to reinvent your career, especially when you’ve already worked hard to establish yourself.

In this episode, we explore:

• How childhood interests can leave clues about the work that naturally fits us
• Why seemingly different careers often share powerful transferable skills
• The vulnerability of walking away from a successful career, steady paycheck and established identity

• How career coaching and assessments can uncover possibilities you may not recognize on your own
• The importance of mentors, friends and “cheerleaders” who can see your potential when you can’t
• How skills like communication, negotiation, creativity and understanding people carried Nicolas from fashion into real estate
• Why even the difficult chapters of our careers can prepare us for what comes next

Nicolas’ journey is a powerful reminder that career change doesn’t erase everything you’ve built. Your experiences, relationships, strengths—even the challenges—come with you.

Sometimes finding the right next chapter is less about becoming someone new and more about recognizing the common thread that has been there all along.

If you’re considering a career change, midlife career transition, professional reinvention, or simply wondering, What else could I do with the skills I already have?—this conversation is for you.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG: soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Nicolas:

IG: nicolas.huneault

Website: NicolasHuneault.com

A career doesn’t always begin with a plan. Sometimes, it begins with the things you’ve always loved.

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with landscape architect Julia Shuart to talk about building a creative career, trusting the interests that have been there since childhood, and having the courage to let your path evolve.

Julia’s story is a reminder that the classes we take, the internships we try, the people we meet, and even the directions we change all become part of our professional story. A meaningful career isn’t necessarily about choosing the perfect major or knowing exactly where you’re headed. It’s about staying open, building relationships, and paying attention to what continues to pull you forward.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How childhood creativity can offer clues to a future career
• Why parents should encourage creative interests instead of steering kids toward only “safe” career paths
• What college really teaches us beyond the degree or major
• How internships and varied experiences can create career clarity
• Why mentorship can come from many people throughout your journey
• The role relationships and networking play in professional growth
• Finding the courage to start your own business and create a career that supports the life you want
• Why face-to-face connection and collaboration still matter in an increasingly digital world
• How changing direction doesn’t mean starting over, it means bringing everything you’ve learned with you

Whether you’re exploring college majors, considering a creative career, navigating a career transition, or simply wondering what comes next, this conversation is an invitation to stay open to the clues along the way.

Because the parts of you that have always felt most like you may be pointing somewhere worth following.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG - SoulfulCareerCalling

Connect with Julia:

IG - segalshuart

IG - juliaangelika

The most powerful brand isn’t something you manufacture—it’s what happens when the world finally sees what’s been inside you all along.

In this episode of Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with celebrity branding expert Ruth Klein to explore why professional fulfillment isn’t just about becoming more visible. It’s about making sure the person you’re presenting to the world actually matches the person you’ve become.

Ruth has built her career helping experts elevate their visibility, credibility, and impact, but our conversation goes much deeper than traditional personal branding. We talk about finding your “genius zone,” shedding identities you’ve outgrown, owning the next version of yourself, and using your story as a powerful vehicle for impact.

• Branding from the inside out: why your external presence is most powerful when it reflects your values, strengths, and heart.
• Finding your “genius zone”: the work that energizes rather than depletes you and allows your natural gifts to create greater impact.

• The danger of “identity lag” : when your life and accomplishments have evolved, but the way you see yourself hasn’t caught up yet.

• Why your story matters: and how asking deeper questions about what you’ve learned and what you wish you’d known can uncover something worth sharing.
• Books as legacy : how putting your ideas and experiences into words can change the trajectory of a career while leaving something meaningful behind for generations.
• Thought Leadership Live : Ruth’s October event connecting aspiring authors with literary agents, traditional publishers, and producers while teaching them how to pitch their ideas with clarity and confidence.

Sometimes your biggest breakthrough comes when your identity finally catches up with who you’ve already become.

Connect with Kasi:

[email protected]

website - www.careerquestinc.com

IG - soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Ruth:

https://ruthklein.com

IG - ruth.klein

The life you want isn't found...it's designed.

Your greatest transformations in life don't begin with a new job, a new city, or a new goal... but with the environment you create and the story you tell yourself.

In this powerful conversation, interior designer, educator, and Redesign Your Life host Rey Viquez shares how a 35-year career designing luxury spaces became the foundation for helping people redesign their lives from the inside out. From overcoming addiction and depression to discovering the healing power of intentional living, Rey reveals why our thoughts, words, and surroundings have the ability to shape who we become.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How your environment quietly influences your mindset, habits, and well-being.
• The surprising childhood clues that led Rey to a life of design and transformation.
• The personal rock-bottom moment that sparked his journey through recovery and reinvention.
• Why true healing begins by reconnecting with the person you were before the world told you who to be.
• Practical first steps for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or ready for a fresh start.
• How small, intentional changes can create lasting personal transformation.
• Why the people, spaces, and words you surround yourself with matter more than you think.

Whether you're navigating a career change, personal reinvention, recovery, or simply searching for a more intentional life, this episode will inspire you to see your surroundings (and yourself) through a completely different lens.

Because redesigning your environment may be the first step toward redesigning your life.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG - soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Rey:

www.thethirddegree.com

IG: 3rd_degree_furn

Redesign Your Life on The McCord List TV network

Some careers begin with a decision. Others begin with a calling.

This week on Soulful Career Calling, I sit down with nationally recognized dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Lisa Chipps to explore what happens when passion, purpose, and service align. Her story is a beautiful reminder that success isn't about reaching one final destination—it's about continuing to grow, learn, and make a difference along the way.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The childhood clues that revealed her calling to medicine.
• Why success is less about titles and more about loving where you spend your days.
• How bringing your full presence to each patient transforms work into purpose.
• Why medicine is called a practice—and the lifelong commitment to learning it requires.
• The importance of patient advocacy and asking the questions that matter.
• How mentorship and building people up creates stronger teams and better outcomes.
• Simple, practical skin health tips everyone should know.

Dr. Chipps' greatest hope isn't to be remembered for awards or accomplishments—it’s simply to have helped people and made them feel cared for. And perhaps that's the greatest career lesson of all.

Bring your whole heart to your work, and you'll leave a mark that lasts long after the job is done.

Connect with Kasi:

www.careerquestinc.com

email: [email protected]

IG- soulfulcareercalling

Connect with Lisa:

IG - lisachippsmd

www.rodeoderm.com