How To Find Your Purpose & Passion When You Feel Lost In Life
This post firs appeared on Cultivated Culture, written by Austin Belcak.
“Why are you here, what are you passionate about?’
If we look at the big picture, this question – in one form or another – is present from the time we’re able to walk. Remember when your parents and teachers asked you what you wanted to be when you were 4? The possibilities seemed endless and awesome.
The question persists as we grow up, but each new ask comes with a layer of additional pressure. In high school, we’re asked what we want to study in college. In college, we’re asked to choose a major and understand the implications it has on our career. After graduation, it’s asked by everyone from interviewers, to friends, to colleagues, and parents. But at this point, the stakes are high.
Earlier on, things were a bit more fluid. Didn’t like a class? Drop it and pick another one. Found out your major wasn’t for you? No worries, there are 30+ others to choose from and you can start tomorrow. Once you enter the real world, not know what you want to do can be one of the most crippling things.
It’s not as simple as hopping between industries and roles every month until something makes sense. On top of that, it feels like every moment you spend trying to figure it out is delaying your success and your happiness.
This is one of the most common frustrations I hear from the Cultivated Culture community, so I brought in passion, purpose, and soul-searching expert Jessica Smith to help you find some answers.
Jess built her site Jessness Required on the concept of “ness.” Your “ness” is your mission, your calling, your purpose. It’s what you’re meant to do. What makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning and what helps guide you when tough decisions need to be made. Everything that you stand for is your “ness,” and it’s great because you can wrap it all up in one word simply by adding “ness” to the end of your name.
I have my Austiness, Jess has her Jessness, and you have your “ness.”
In today’s interview, Jess is going to share her advice for getting in touch with yourself and discovering what you really want to do with your life. She talks about her personal journey, the steps she recommends for her clients, and shares some amazing stories along the way.
If you love what she has to say, Jess recently released a book called Your Twenties: No One Ever Teaches You How To Grow Up which is your “syllabus” for managing your twenties and all the struggles that come with it.
Full Interview Transcript
Austin: Hey everyone, welcome to another Cultivated Culture expert interview. I have Jessica Smith here with me and Jessica is the founder of jessnessrequired.com where she’s doing a whole lot of awesome stuff. Jess, you are helping people find careers they love, you’re helping people start side hustles with work that’s actually meaningful to them. On top of that, you wrote a book called Your Twenties which is helping people who are in the early stages of their career actually find themselves and find what they want to do. I’m super excited to have you here today, thanks so much for joining me.
Jess: I’m super stoked. Austin, you reached out and I got to tell you, our conversation, you had done your research, you had looked at all of the different avenues, and it’s just really good to know that the message that I’m trying to express is coming across. I’m super stoked for the conversation we have today.
Austin: Definitely, so am I because you’re going to be talking about something that I find really fascinating but I also think that I have a little bit of trouble getting across, and that is, as you put it, finding your ness. For everybody listening, and I think you could probably explain it better, but I think the way that I got it was basically your ness is your essence, if you will, what you’re all about, your purpose. I think that’s so cool because, without that, you’re not going to be able to have a job that you love. You may stumble upon one that’s okay but chances are low that you’ll be able to actually go out and find something that you truly love because you just don’t know what that is.
For me, when I started my career, I knew exactly what I wanted. I was one of those lucky few people who just was dead set on a single goal and that worked out. I did have to make a couple pivots along the way but that was the end game the whole time. I think a lot of people– We spend four years in college, we get our degree, but we don’t get a lot of experience to what the real world is actually going to be like. Then, a lot of things get thrown our way, like bureaucracy within companies, and job descriptions that silo you in red tape, and all this stuff. Then we think, “Okay. I went to college for four years and that should be worth something. I don’t like what I’m doing, maybe I’ll be able to hop into something else.” Then that process turns out to be really really hard. I’m really really excited to have you here to basically share with us how to find your ness, how to find what you’re all about. Tell us a little bit more about, first, what you do and what ness means to you, and maybe what what jessness is all about?
Jess: Totally. You touched on a couple things that are really meaningful to me. One of the things that inspired me to write my book is that the essence of when you graduate, whether it be high school or college, you have all of these years that are structured, that are step-by-step, that guide you to each next step in your life, from an educational standpoint. Also, somewhat at an experiential standpoint too, but the whole idea of having, “Hey, you get to that next grade, or that next level, in school and you have a syllabus, and it spells it out, what you can expect.”
To touch on what you said about all of the career world is, after you graduate, it’s just up to you to figure out what that next step is. It can be very confusing, in today’s world, in that there’s all these different messages coming at us, there’s all these different things and questions. Especially, one of the questions that I talked a lot about in my book, is that, “What are you doing next? What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?” You’re supposed to have it all figured out. You’re raised to know, when you have that question approach you, have the answer. Yet, I think a lot of people have the answer but not yet trust the answer inside.
The whole idea of your ness is really this distinguished approach to what your logical mind is telling you. Your logical mind is, you’re supposed to have it all figured out, you’re supposed to have a game plan, you’re supposed to have the perfect answer, you’re supposed to do this, this, and this, the external pressure and expectations that come at you. Your ness is that inner voice of wisdom that I think that each of us is born with, and it’s that voice that we don’t always trust, initially, because it doesn’t match what our external expectation view is asking us to do.
I’ll give you an example, like I lived in New Zealand for two years, after I graduated from college, and I had it all figured out. I had this guy, I was living with this guy, and I was like, “This is my person forever.” I had a great job in the tourism industry that I loved, and I thought, “God, this is great, I’ve got my bus route memorized, I’ve got this great guy, and I’ve got this perfect job,” when, in reality, what happened was that was my logical mind. Yet deep internally my ness was just whispering to me this quiet message of, “It’s time to go home.” While it didn’t make sense at all from my logical mind, from a deep internal wisdom perspective, if I hadn’t have listened to it, I would have never left New Zealand and never would have been on the path that I am now. Your ness is that voice that you don’t initially trust that doesn’t always make sense right away, however, your ness is that voice that’s going to guide you to each next best step in your life. It’s this transition from your head to your heart.
With career, if you can guide your career through your heart, I think you’re not always guided to the most what makes sense to everyone else in your life but it’ll make the most sense to what your purpose is and what will lead you to that perfect job, if you will.
Austin: No, definitely. It’s interesting I find that that little voice it usually doesn’t make sense logically like you said when you first hear it but then if you do follow it and you take action against it and build towards it when you get there you realize that, “This is actually what I was meant to be doing.” It’s so tough because your logical mind is saying, “No, that’s crazy. You want to be a photographer and quit your job, get out of here, there’s no way you can do that,” or anything. That’s the cool part about it, because I think that we do truly know what we want on a certain level, but then we have the societal expectations and the expectations of our parents.
I love that you mentioned the fact that we’re supposed to have it figured out. I still work full-time and I just had a meeting with my manager, she wanted to put together my career plans, there were boxes for the next two to three years, five to seven years and nine to ten years. She’s like, “What do you want to be doing nine to ten years from now?” I’m like, “That’s like 33% of my life.” I’m 27 and in the past five years I’ve had four different jobs and now I’ve started this business on the side and all this craziness has happened. I don’t even know what I’m going to be doing a month from now.
I have no idea how you could expect me to know nine or ten years down the road, but people get asked that in interviews. It’s like, “Five years from now what are you going to be doing?” It doesn’t seem like it’s acceptable to be like, “Well, I don’t know, I’m still figuring it out.” I’m really glad that you mentioned that because it really resonated with me. When people are trying to figure out their ness and listen to this little voice, let’s say that I’m just coming to you and I’m confused, I’m 22, 25, somewhere around there, I just got out of college. I followed everybody else’s advice, I’m not satisfied, I don’t really know what I want to do. What’s the first step?
Jess: The first step is to find a way to connect with that voice within. For some it’s working out and it’s being active and for some it’s shutting the heck up and taking some time in the morning to be quiet with yourself, for others it’s journaling. I think that’s what makes it so fun when I’m coaching people, is that, that little voice within you will be accessed in different ways. Part of it is about cultivating a relationship. I used your word cultivating-
[laughter]
Jess: -a relationship with yourself. If that’s self-care, if that’s writing, if that’s pausing before you make a decision and asking yourself, “What is my ness asking me to do?”
The fun part about this is actually you add ness to the back of your name and there’s a customized fun vocab word for your own. You don’t have to say to your friend like, “I’m listening to that inner voice of wisdom.” You could say, “I’m just listening to my awesomeness,” and they’re like, “Okay, cool that sounds like awesome.”
Austin: I love it, yes.
Jess: It makes it a little bit more broad. The first step is just to start asking yourself, and for me it started very small and it started with I think trust is the seed that’s planted with listening to this voice, in trusting what it’s saying to you and then just testing it out.
For me it started with, “What am I going to do this weekend? Okay, this is what my logical mind is telling me to do and here’s what my ness is telling me to do.” Then after a couple different trials and error you’ve realized that, if I do what my logical, what everyone else is expecting of me and what is being asked of me in all these different ways then that’s what my weekend looks but when I trust my justness and I do what it’s asking me to do from an internal perspective, that’s what my weekend looks like. The outcomes are quite different. You’ll start to notice that your inner voice of wisdom will never lead you astray, it never will. Even in a work setting. You mentioned earlier the external pressures of what today’s world looks like, especially in the career world, and moving up, and all of that, there’s going to be a lot of conflicting views and opinions and options that come at you. Especially when you’re interviewing for a new job, it’s almost like every single person that you’ve ever met in your life suddenly is an expert on what you should do with your life. Isn’t that funny? It’s like, all of a sudden, everyone’s just like, “Oh no, that’s a horrible job,” this and that. That’s a real test, if someone is interviewing and applying for a job, that’s a perfect way to check in with your ness, like, “Should I apply for this job?” and give it a try. If you apply and have that first-round interview, if that first-round interview, if your ness says, “Yes, interview for that job.” If that first-round interview is just perfect, then great. If your logical mind’s like, “No, this is what my parents will want of me, this is what everyone would expect of me,” and you interview for that job, it’s just start noticing how it feels when you make decisions from your head and your ness.
Austin: Awesome. Yes, definitely. It’s a huge difference. I always tell people, “The worst thing you can do is accept a job just because it was offered to you.” I think a lot of people out there feel like the job search is so arduous, as it is, and you’re just so happy to have gotten so far and gotten that interview, that it’s so easy to just accept it and overlook any of the little red flags or things that bothered you. Because maybe there’s a bigger salary or, like you said, mom and dad will be happy, or your friends will be like, “Oh, you work at where? That’s so cool.” If it’s not for you, then who cares?
I love that you mentioned connecting with your ness, that little voice inside of you, you mentioned exercise, you mentioned journaling, you mentioned meditation, or mindfulness. In some aspect, talk to us a little bit more about that because I think– I’m one of these people, when I first got into this whole game of wanting to try to figure out my career but then, also, starting my side business, I thought all that stuff was- except for exercise -was all like, “Meh.” Journaling? Not for me. Maybe for middle-school girls who are going through some stuff, or mindfulness for Tibetan monks or people like the crunchy granola folks. No offense to any of those people, but I just thought that wasn’t for me, and now I do all of these things.
Every morning, I sit down and I meditate. I go to the gym with my fiance and I have a journal where I write down some stuff. I think that it’s very personal, but one of the toughest things, in my opinion, was getting started. Because people are like, “Meditation is good,” and then, you go read about meditation and there’s like 600 different kinds and how long should you do it, and how do you know if you’re doing it right. How do people decide first between those three things and what’s the best way for them just to get started?
Jess: Just to dive in. Yes, [laughs] I’m laughing because I’ve been– You jump into something, you’re like, “Okay, I’ll see what it’s like online.” You look at it online, there’s 600 articles [chuckles] about it, and you’re like, “Okay, now I’m not going there.” Sometimes the self-care world, the meditation and the mindfulness world can be super overwhelming when you’re going online because it’s like, like you said, how do you know you’re doing it right? If you’re a type A Capricorn like me, or just someone that wants to do good at everything they do and is somewhat obsessed with that, then you want to know that you’re doing it right, you’re doing it effectively.
Here’s the catch with all of that stuff. If you’re thinking about going online and looking at all these articles to make sure that you’re doing it right, you’re already focusing too much away from yourself and you’re relying too much on external reassurance and validation for what you’re doing. My first piece of advice would be stop looking online, stop asking every single other person what they’re doing on LinkedIn, or Instagram, or whatever, because that is where I get caught up every single week when I’m not sure and I’m just in that incubated space of like, “I’m not sure if this idea is right or this is the right approach or whatever.” That’s where I get stuck in this external validation and external expectations where I start to look for other stuff outside of myself.”
My first piece of advice would be take a couple minutes every single morning before your brain is inundated with other people’s ideas, thoughts, and opinions, and just put the first question that comes to mind on a piece of paper like, “What do I need to accomplish today? What is essential to me? What questions do you have?” and just start to cultivate a communication between your inner voice of wisdom, like your ness and stop relying so much on these external pieces because it’s easier said than done for sure. It’s still something that I have to check in with daily but in today’s society, in today’s world with everything being so instant we need to remember that sometimes the deepest wisdom and the most strong guidance that we have within isn’t going to be immediate. That’s the other thing it’s checking in with yourself isn’t going to be as easy as going online checking your notifications and saying, “Oh, I have 15 today, yesterday I had 10 whatever. I’m better today than yesterday”. Sometimes it’s just being patient and I think that’s sometimes the hardest part.
Austin: Yes, definitely. When you do get started and you’re getting the flow, you’re understanding a little bit more about what your ness wants versus what other people are asking of you and with that external validation that you mentioned, it’s still not very easy at least in my opinion to then take action on it. You may be getting a little bit more clear and you may suddenly know, “Oh, hey I want to do this thing.” I mentioned dropping everything and being a photographer before but if you are in this job or this position, where things are somewhat stable or you’ve met the expectations, it can be hard to just drop all of that and dive right into this new thing. Your advice so far has been, just dive right in. I’m curious to know once you reach that stage, where you start to get a little bit more clear on what it is you are looking for. What’s the next step? Do you test it out first or do you just say, “Screw it” and jump right in? How would you handle that?
Jess: I think, I’m always a big proponent of testing it because part of it, it’s a balance. You have to trust yourself and sometimes dive right in and choose the decision that doesn’t always make sense logically. Part of it is that, but however, if we’re talking about leaving your day job that pays your rent, pays your electricity, your phone bill, and feeds you. No, diving right in is probably not the best approach however, you can test it in today’s society with like meetups.com. You could start a meetup.com group for 15 bucks a month and test out if your idea is something that is gaining traction around a certain topic. You can reach out on LinkedIn and have informational interviews with people that are in the role that looks somewhat interesting to you and start to research what is the career path that got those people to that role and set up some networking opportunities there. You could also, while you have a day job, something that I’ve been a big proponent of in my own career is going to different trainings in the topics that I want to learn more about and invest in yourself while you do have this job that’s paying for your rent and all this other stuff. Start to strategically set aside some money so you can start to network with the people that are doing what you want to do. Those are all ways that you can test if the path, if what your thinking is, and what your ness is guiding you to do. You can set up these assignments to see if your logical mind will get on board and that usually helps to align the two.
Austin: Awesome, definitely yes. I like the point about, taking courses while you still have your job and a lot of times I found companies will pay for some outside training if you can tie it back to the company. Some company where like– At Microsoft, we actually have access to all. We’ve bought LinkedIn, we just acquired them, now LinkedIn learning which used to be Lynda, we have access to that. If you’re lucky enough to have that, that’s amazing but at some startups before, I wanted to get involved in– Everybody at some point who didn’t know what they wanted to do. I thought of software developer because you hear about all the money they make and all this stuff. I wanted to take a coding class and it was 3,000 bucks and I did not have 3,000 bucks. I talked my company into paying for it and I was like, “Here’s how it’s going to help me in my day job X, Y, and Z.” They kind of got on board with that. If you can make that connection too that’s a great way to do it and have the company pay for it. It’s also you’re getting your salary it’s paying your bills but then you’re also getting this added bonus. If they pay for a $3,000 course that you would want to take anyway, that’s like a $3,000 bonus after taxes right in your pocket. That’s awesome. I love that one.
Jess: Be your own biggest advocate. No one’s going to care about your career more than you. Start to strategically think about how you can use your day job to leverage what you want to learn about and also where you want to go. I think that’s a great point Austin because it’s like, “Hey if you see this opportunity if you can connect the dots for your employer then boom it is like a bonus exactly.”
Austin: Yes. no, definitely awesome. When we’re doing this stuff like when we figure out kind of what our ness is there’s going to be pushed back from those external sources, from friends, family, even the people that you trust the most and go to for advice and all this stuff. There will be some friction there. How do you recommend kind of overcoming that and just trusting yourself to know that you’re making the right decision? Because those people tend to get on board later.
Once it’s all good and it’s worked out everybody’s like, “I knew you could do it.” and you’re like “That’s not what you said on day 10.” How do you handle that?
Jess: That’s so true and that is something that I think I go through every single new time that I make a new decision. There’s all– And the people that are like that are some of my most trusted people in my life. Like my boyfriend, for instance, he’s not going to be like, “Great idea, awesome.” for everything I say. He’s going to want to know and he helps me from a different point of view walk through why each– Especially, business decision because I initially I always want to do everything and do it all and do it right now. He’s always like, “Now how does this fit in to the overall plan?” and it’s like, “Yes, [chuckles] it’s good to have those people.”
Austin: Yes. Don’t ask me that it’s not important to me, you just need to do it.
Jess: I just need to do it, yes. It’s also like when he sees me completely overwhelmed and just beside myself he’s like– There is- I think it’s identifying the people that truly have your back, want you to be successful and understand your why. I think what’s helped me in identifying who I want to use as my life adviser is if people understand my why and they understand what gets me out of bed in the morning around that topic then I will trust and give weight to their opinions. If there’s somewhat– Because like I said before as soon as you start interviewing for a new job everyone seems is your perfect life adviser or something they want to know your life best.
It’s like you have to pick and choose which people those are but if people are understanding your why and you do a good job of explaining what that is then listen to them, hear them out, see if they have ulterior or alternative points of view that maybe you haven’t thought about and the rest leave it at the door. Forget about it because there’s going to be tons of people like that the tall poppy syndrome where they don’t want you rise into the top and making us all look bad, that’s always something.
There’s also people that are just going to be forever doubters but if they understand where you’re going and you can identify that it’s genuine then I think it’s just kind of again, checking in with your ness. Is this person genuine, is this person aligned with what I’m hearing inside me and your ness will get louder. The more you trust it, the more conversation you’ll start to have with it, the greater it will be. Soon after a while it’ll speak louder than your logical mind because sometimes it’s the doubter.
Austin: For sure. It’s really interesting and I actually did a couple of studies on your why which you just mentioned. People who were pretty clear on their why and they could give you the reasoning behind why they were doing something and it was aligned with their personal vision. They were much more likely to stick through to the end despite obstacles and challenges et cetera than people who couldn’t really tell you why they were doing something.
That really resonates with me because you know it’s never going to be easy. Anything that you do in life whether it’s finding a career, or starting a business, or getting married, or having any kind of relationship there’s going to be ups and downs. If you know deep down why you’re doing something then it means a lot to you. You’re so much more likely to push through those hard times and actually make it work whereas if you’re not quite sure it’s very easy to just be like, “Aah whatever.” and move on to the next thing so know definitely.
There’s a ton of crazy stuff out there when it comes to figuring out what people should be doing and how they should find themselves. You talk to a lot of people who are struggling with their why and their ness and figuring it out, what is the craziest misconception or a mistake out there right now that people are making when it comes to figuring out what they’re truly all about and what their purpose is?
Jess: I think the biggest thing that I hear over and over is that once you start something, like if you start off in a career you have to stick in that career forever. There is no pivoting there is no turning around. Realizing that I am driving the bus here I can make a left, I can make a right, I can turn this whole bus around, I can make this bus fly, I can take it underwater. I think people get into this mindset of– I recognize why and part of it is because I’ve spent all this time in this career.
Why would I waste all this time, all this energy, all the stuff that I’ve gained and all of this expertise that I’ve built in my career why would I leave that? I know starting over sucks, it completely sucks. I was meditating daily up until last Thursday I was on day 93. I had not meditated since then because the thought of starting over drives me insane.
I have to start, I’m going to start again, but I’m just waiting because I’m not ready to come to terms with me skipping a day. That’s not the point the point is I am driving this bus I can start over every single day and if I have to start over every other day then I’ll do that. I think people a lot of the times give away their power to the company they work for, or the employer that they’re interviewing with, or just the career path that they signed up for in the beginning.
When in reality it’s like you can change career paths if the company that you’re interviewing with isn’t valuing your time or your skills you can say no you never have to go to the next round with them. Then the third is just if you’re at a company and it doesn’t value you they don’t own you. I think it’s the empowerment piece that I find over and over that sometimes people just need a little kick in the butt but also just a reminder that you are the owner of your life.
If your ness is guiding you to say something different than what it looks like in the direction you’re going, you can change directions at any time.
Austin: Definitely. I love your little meditation anecdote too. My fiancee and I use insight timer I don’t know if you–
Jess: Me too.
Austin: Yes, awesome. She got to like day 93 as well somewhere up in the 90s and then she missed one and she was devastated. I’m not nearly as disciplined so we just stopped paying attention to the daily thing because it was too stressful. We try to do it daily and we do it on weekend but yes, it’s funny because you’re on that streak, then it ends and then you feel like instead of just getting right back on the horse you’re like, “I put in all that work.” It’s so funny but– Go ahead.
Jess: The same with a career. You spend 10 years in a career and you’re like, “I can’t switch directions.” You stay on this miserable path when really, as you said, get right back on the horse and start again. Yes.
Austin: Definitely. One of the coolest things that I’ve found everybody always says you read it all on the Forbes articles and stuff like– You’re the average of the five people you hang out with so hang out with amazing people or whatever. I definitely think that’s true but I think it’s even more true when you’re trying to make a pivot because one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten is only take advice from people who already have what you want.
That was a big light bulb moment for me in my career when I had done all the stuff that I was supposed to do and I was taking my parents advice, my friends advice, my teachers advice, the career counselor at my university’s advice and none of it was working and I just couldn’t figure it out. Then I heard that and I was like, “Wow, that makes total sense.” Because none of these people– They’ve all done very well in their own but none of them have walked the same path that I’ve walked.
Whether it’s a career, or starting a business, or even a hobby like finding a place where people who are already doing that hang out and inundating yourself is one of the most helpful things you can do. You mentioned meetup.com, reddit it’s one of my favorite sites for that because there’s a subreddit for literally everything out there. I just started brewing my own beer and there’s a homebrew subreddit and you just learn all this stuff by hanging out in there.
You don’t even have to participate, you can just sit in there and soak it up. Then I think if people also put themselves out there and be like, “Hey I am currently doing X but I want to be where you guys are at, has anybody else had experience with it?” Chances are you’re not the only person out there that’s tried to go through this and there’s a lot of people who have successfully done it. Those people exist and they’re the best people to learn from by far. That’s just something that I’ve seen that I’ve found to be really, really helpful.
Jess: What you’re talking about right now is the expand, you’re expanding your mindset to know what’s possible. Sometimes I think it takes seeing it, and seeing it in action and hearing about how someone went from A to B to C to D to know that it’s possible for you.
If you can recognize yourself in someone whether it be on a reddit forum, or in a group on LinkedIn, or someone that you see on Instagram, if you can recognize part of yourself in that person it expands your mindset. Just enough to go, “Okay.” To start thinking outside the box and thinking about how you could potentially put that into action for your own life, I love that.
Austin: I get made fun of because we have a 400 square foot apartment here in New York and they’re under my bed and my fiancee is like, “Am I sleeping on top of beer now?” I don’t even know what’s happening.
Jess: Yes, basically.
Austin: Then you talk to people in the subreddit and they’re like, “Dude I’ve been doing that for 50 years. My wife doesn’t give a crap anymore.” and you’re like, “Oh, there are other people that are get in it.”
Jess: Yes. It’s under the bed is fine, you got it.
Austin: [laughs] Awesome, cool. Jess you’ve shared a ton of great advice with us today. What is your number one piece of advice your number one takeaway for people listening who are feeling lost they don’t know quite what they want to do? What would you tell them to take away and take action on immediately after listening to this?
Jess: Is it bad to say buy my book? [laughs]
Austin: I don’t think so.
Jess: Here’s why, and this isn’t just like tooting my own horn because I hate that which you have to get good at, let’s say change or grow your career. You have to be okay with your– Here I am setting an example I guess of that. My book talks about what your ness is, it talks about how to connect with it, and then there’s five key sections in the book that helps you connect with your ness in all those different areas in your life.
There’s a career section, you mentioned Austin, there’s a healthy mind-body acceptance relationships, and also self-love. I’ll tell you in order to truly progress in your career and take it to that next level you have to be taking good care of yourself and thinking of all those five areas of your life. I would really recommend joining the book club that I have to connect with other finded people. Really the book will guide you through how to connect with your ness and then also has interactive activities that you can do in terms of journaling or taking action in different areas. That’s from a toot my own horn perspective but also it would be practical as a next step.
Austin: Now I love it. You can buy it on Amazon, how much is it?
Jess: It’s 11.99.
Austin: Perfect, awesome. Yes. The same as any other book but this is exactly if you’re not sure what you want to do and you want to take the next step in your career, 11 bucks for all that information to make it happen is a crazy return on investment. I love it as a next step and beyond that people can find you at jessnessrequired.com. Then you have your two podcasts, you have Expressness radio and you have- is it Valley Vibe?
Jess: That Valley Vibe.
Austin: That Valley Vibe. Awesome, cool. Well thank you so much, Jess, I really, really appreciate you stopping by. I learned a ton and I had a blast chatting with you I’m sure everybody listening did as well. Thanks so much and we’ll talk to you again soon.
Jess: Thank you so much.
Austin: Take care.
[00:34:02]
Photo by Tom Pumford
071 | How to find a mentor and sponsor to advance your career and get support
On today’s episode, we’re discussing the difference between a mentor and sponsor, ideas on how to obtain them in your life and ways to take action to establish them.
BECOME A PODCAST SUPPORTER ON PATREON IN EXCHANGE FOR SOME AWESOME MONTHLY REWARDS - bit.ly/jspatreon
GET MY BOOK on Amazon - bitly.com/yourtwentiesbook
JOIN THE BOOK CLUB, an ongoing book club for twenty-somethings and beyond - bit.ly/yourtwentiesbookclub
FLIP THRU MY ESSENTIAL OILS GUIDE - bit.ly/jsgetstarted
GET ACCESS TO MY FREE CAREER SUCCESS RESOURCES at www.jessnessrequired.com/lovemyjob
CONTACT ME
Email - www.jessnessrequired.com/contact
Instagram - @coachjessness - www.instagram.com/coachjessness/
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? LEAVE THE POD A REVIEW!
This helps more people find the show, and in turn, I get to help more people like YOU.
Support the show - bit.ly/jspatreon
Photo by Sarah Dorweiler
070 | Christine Coleman • Intersectional feminism, privilege and the power sisterhood has on healing and well-being
w • Christine Coleman
BUBBLY • AMBITIOUS • COMPASSIONATE • INTELLIGENT • WOKE
Christine combined her longtime passion for creativity with her professional experience as a Mental Health clinician to found Sol Sisters Inc. Over the years, a growing fascination surrounding women's rights blossomed as she climbed the ladder of higher education, along with exposure to community organizing and direct community advocacy. Christine obtained her Bachelors degree in 2007 at Azusa Pacific University with a major in Psychology. In 2012, she graduated with a Masters in Counseling Psychology at the University of San Francisco. As a result, her activism has been focused on gender and racial equality. She has served as mental health counselor for low-income students, is diligently working towards her Ph.D in Marriage and Family Therapy at Eastern University, all while leading Sol Sisters network towards our goals to empower women of all backgrounds. She also sits as board member of the University of San Francisco's Latino Alumni Society. She is married to her husband of 2 years and recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. When she's not sleeping, she enjoys photography, concerts, and dance.
"My wisdom and insights in life come from my personal faith. My faith challenges me to be a better human being, compassionate human being. Secondly, along side that comes from the work that I do with women and girls. Being surrounded by the sisterhood of women from various backgrounds has taught me a lot especially about being a women and a now a mom to a daughter, even more. The inspiration, the support, the challenges of being a woman and then being surrounded by women has been so pivitol in helping me define my -NESS."
TELL US, CHRISTINE, WHAT DO YOU DO?
I founded and direct a nonprofit that aims to empower women of all backgrounds. I am in the final stage of my doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am in love with mama life to my 4 month old baby Queen, Alessia.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK YOU DO?
I get to take part in empowering women, who in turn empower me. I get to assist people in their healing and tenderness toward self through therapy. I get to uplift under-resourced women with kind words, enriching tools, and a community of women who love and care for them.
SPECIAL TREATS JUST FOR OUR LISTENERS!
I can provide a Sol Sisters tee! They can choose from 2 designs.
NESSessary ● READS
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Do you want to do your part to keep this pod alive? The podcast takes an amazing amount of time & effort to create, design, record (which I love), edit + post each episode. It even costs me money to host the podcast and get it on iTunes.
CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE
069 | Tracy Murphy • Queerness, Sobriety, Language, Heteronormativity & Creating Community
w • Tracy Murphy
SOBER • FEMINIST • THOUGHTFUL • LESBIAN •ENTERTAINING
Hey. I'm Tracy.
I’m a lesbian. I’m cis. I’m sober.
My passion is making sure people can see themselves represented in the recovery community. I started my blog, LGBTteetotaler, and my monthly feature We’re Here, We're Queer! to do just that. These are both platforms for myself and others to share our experiences with sobriety, recovery and, Queerness/Transness. My end goal is to help foster a truly intersectional recovery culture where all sorts of people can see their experiences reflected back to them and be inspired to make changes in their lives. Or, at the very least, know that they aren't alone.
But, that's not all!
I live in Portland, Oregon but I'll always be a New Englander. I juggle. I hike. I read. I create art. I listen to A LOT of 90's music. I have an obsession with queer lady movies, TV shows and, web series. I spent 16 years working in the health insurance industry. I'm pretty funny.
Oh, and I like cats.
"I find inspiration in the people that I know. I know some really awesome people who are doing some really awesome things. Being able to have conversations with them and seeing them move past their hard times."
TELL US, MURPH, WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am interested in helping to create a more intersectional recovery community. It is very important to me that all people feel they belong in the recovery community so, I want them to see their experiences reflected back to them. I am currently working to increase visibility for LGBTQ+ people through sharing my own story/experiences and the stories of other queer/trans people in all kinds of recovery.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK YOU DO?
Creating community, connecting with people, Helping people feel less alone
NESSessary ● READS
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Do you want to do your part to keep this pod alive? The podcast takes an amazing amount of time & effort to create, design, record (which I love), edit + post each episode. It even costs me money to host the podcast and get it on iTunes.
068 | Christina Enneking • Discover who you are, the importance of life and uncovering the true meaning of why we're here
w • Christina Enneking
KIND • DRIVEN • ADVENTUROUS • OPTIMISTIC • EMPATHETIC
Who am I? I am a mom. I am a friend. I am a teacher and a lifelong student. I am a coach, consultant, and professional in leadership and change management. I am a health advocate: physically, emotionally, and mentally. I believe when we offer our skills and services to others, we uncover passion and purpose within our own lives. I help clients uncover their own purpose, authenticity, and personal A'has. My leadership coaching and consulting work is in partnership with Simplified Coach, Inc. I work with brilliant partners and coaches leading communication, leadership, and relationship-building workshops across Silicon Valley. I teach yoga and meditation at a place I and others call their Spiritual Sanctuary, Breathe Together in Los Gatos. I work with private clients and at corporate workplaces. My heart and head are operating more fully, together.
"I was at a silent meditation retreat and I was out on a hike thinking about what's most important for me and all of a sudden it dawned on me, my most important thing (the two sides of a coin) is freedom and grace."
TELL US, CHRISTINA, WHAT DO YOU DO?
I wear multiple hats. As a consultant and executive coach, I help others realize their full leadership potential. As a yoga teacher and mindfulness coach, I provide insights and tools to allow people to create balance in mind, body, and spirit. As a person, I try to be the best mom, wife, friend, daughter, sister (etc...) I can be, following the code of living "Do small things with great love."
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK YOU DO?
Inspiring, Empowering, Serving
SPECIAL TREATS JUST FOR OUR LISTENERS!
Happy to offer a 30 minute free consultation for discussion needs/wants for a potential coaching chemistry fit.
SHOW MENTIONS
FAV SPOTIFY PLAYLIST - Dana Trixi Flynn
LOCAL WELLNESS
- Breath Together Yoga in Los Gatos
- Acupunturust, Pacific Healing Quest in Los Gatos
APPS
- Insight Timer
NESSessary ● READS
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Do you want to do your part to keep this pod alive? The podcast takes an amazing amount of time & effort to create, design, record (which I love), edit + post each episode. It even costs me money to host the podcast and get it on iTunes.
CONNECT WITH Christina
067 | Natalie Walstein • Using astrology to find the work that only you are here to do with
w • Natalie Walstein
MAGICAL • CREATIVE • LIGHTHEARTED • CARING • PEACEFUL
Natalie Walstein is one part intuitive astrological counselor and one part down-to-earth life & career coach. She is passionate about translating the ancient wisdom of astrology into simple, modern and easily understood guidance to help creative & intuitive truth seekers tap into their inner power and reconnect with their soul mission to bring more of their personal brand of much-needed magic into the world. Natalie has gained her expertise by studying under several highly acclaimed professional astrologers who are well known for their unique & innovative approach in the field of astrology. She was also voted in the top 3 for Best Astrologer and #1 for Best Horoscopes from Spirit Guides Magazine as part of their annual reader’s choice contest for 2017.
"When you're born, you're imprinted with the stars."
TELL US, NATALIE, WHAT DO YOU DO?
I'm a Career Astrologer at Soulshine Astrology for both spiritual entrepreneurs and intuitive truth seekers on a mission to align who they are with the work they do using their astrological blueprint as a guide. Sharing both my knowledge of astrology with a modern twist and my experience working as a business consultant to creative entrepreneurs, I help you work in tune with the universe to embrace the work you were always born to do and leave behind unfulfilling work that makes you feel heavy and blah to focus on your amazing soul purpose and higher calling.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK YOU DO?
1. Inspiring people to go after their dreams simply by being their true self and harnessing their natural abilities to their advantage.
2. Getting to talk to people every day about the things that matter to them most deep down.
3. Getting to use all of the experience I have gained throughout my life and being able to combine all of my favorite things into my own dream career that I've created for myself.
SPECIAL TREATS JUST FOR OUR LISTENERS!
They can get a free moon calendar and my Moon Magic Guidebook by signing up at http://bit.ly/soulshine-signup.
SHOW MENTIONS
BOOK: Heaven knows what - https://amzn.to/2GeYPH7
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Do you want to do your part to keep this pod alive? The podcast takes an amazing amount of time & effort to create, design, record (which I love), edit + post each episode. It even costs me money to host the podcast and get it on iTunes.
CONNECT WITH Natalie
066 | Chelsea Peitz• Personal Branding and Online Engagement Strategies
Join me for a new series for the pod! This series started originally in my private facebook group, the wellness squad. The wellness squad is a private community for exploring mind body spirit wellness with essential oils.
MORE ON THIS SERIES...
The Expressness series is where I invite one special expert to come share their wisdom when it comes to one of the five areas of wellness we cover in the Wellness Squad essential oil community.
Those five areas are.....
1. Self-Love
2. Relationships
3. Body-Acceptance
4. Healthy Mind
5. Career
This week Express'ness Expert: Chelsea Peitz!
This week's topic: Building a Personal Brand & Online Engagement Strategies
Check out the video interview in the wellness squad FB group here -
www.facebook.com/itsjessness/vide…835180286731229/
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHELSEA
I design strategies that showcase our company's thought leadership and position our brand as a resource for the real estate community. My niche is teaching real estate professionals to build an authentic and relevant brand through social media and digital marketing.
I help people design a clear core message that speaks to their ideal audience and help them develop camera-first marketing strategies that satisfy today’s consumer demands.
Daily, I work with professionals who are overwhelmed by social media and don’t know where to begin their digital branding strategy. I work with the industry’s top real estate data providers, marketing agencies and tech resources to develop education and programs that will help them create an abundance of targeted leads which means real business for them and dollars to their bottom line.
As a national speaker, I share how camera first platforms like Snapchat and live video are critical to reaching modern consumers, how to communicate authentically and storytell not story-sell.
Buy Chelsea's book, Talking in Pictures - amzn.to/2EjSrBd
Buy my book, YOUR TWENTIES - bitly.com/yourtwentiesbook
(psst we're both IN each other's books! how neat is that!)
Want to know what I’m currently up too? Get the lowdown and all the deeds here: bit.ly/jessness
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? LEAVE THE POD A REVIEW!
This helps more people find the show, and in turn, I get to help more people like YOU.
Photo by Kari Shea
My book YOUR TWENTIES is now available on Amazon
Buy the book on Amazon - bitly.com/yourtwentiesbook
Get the Kindle - bitly.com/yourtwentieskindle
Join the wellness squad community on facebook - bit.ly/wellnesssquad
Flip thru my getting started with essential oils guide - bit.ly/jsgetstarted
Connect on instagram - @coachjessness (bit.ly/instajessness)
Use the hashtag #YOURTWENTIES to connect with the community
Contact me hellojessness(at)gmail.com
Watch the unboxing video of me opening the very first copy of my book EVA - bit.ly/yourtwentiesunboxing
Share YOUR TWENTIES with a friend - bit.ly/shareyourtwenties
Photo by STIL
065 | Holly MacCue • Rewrite the Rules and Design Your Own Career
Join me for an exciting new series, first ever appearing on the pod! This series started originally in my private facebook group, the wellness squad. The wellness squad is a private community for exploring mind body spirit wellness with essential oils.
Check out the video interview over in the group by going to:
MORE ON THIS SERIES.....
The Expressness series is where I invite one special expert to come share their wisdom when it comes to one of the five areas of wellness we cover in the Wellness Squad essential oil community.
Those five areas are.....
1. Self-Love
2. Relationships
3. Body-Acceptance
4. Healthy Mind
5. Career
This week Express'ness Expert Holly MacCue!
This week's topic: Rewrite the Rules & Design Your Own Career Success
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOLLY:
Holly MacCue is a Career Success Coach, Leadership Trainer and Brand Strategist who passionately helps women all over the world to find the clarity and confidence to ‘re-write the rules’ for their career success and achieve more balance, fulfillment, and happiness in their work. Using powerful techniques, she supports her clients to unlock their most courageous selves to create a career of their design, whether this is launching their dream business, or making the corporate world work for them.
PS - SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Holly has a ridiculously good special offer right now for her 2018 planning masterclass where she shares her BEST techniques and strategies at a fraction of the price of my coaching programs. If you're looking for support and want to go BIG this year, learn more here: hollymaccue.lpages.co/bundle-2018-masterclass/
For more of Holly, check out her website at www.hollymaccue.com/
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? LEAVE THE POD A REVIEW!
This helps more people find the show, and in turn, I get to help more people like YOU.
Want to know what I’m currently up too? Get the lowdown and all the deeds here: bit.ly/jessness
Love + hugs,
COACH JESSNESS
Photo by STIL
064 | The top books for setting yourself up for success in 2018
Where have I been: Working on my book titled, YOUR TWENTIES…no one ever teaches you how to grow up, ya know?
FOCUS: ON LIFE IN YOUR TWENTIES
Your Twenties by Jessica Smith (set to release JAN 1 2018) - bit.ly/jsyourtwenties
My book, YOUR TWENTIES, is all about finding your why, getting to know yourself and owning your OWN your life. It focuses on five key areas of change and transition that happen in our twenties:
* Self-love
* Healthy Mind
* Body Acceptance
* Relationships
* Career
FOCUS PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Let Go Now by Karen Casey - amzn.to/2AZZARF
On empowerment and how to set healthy boundaries and take back the ownership in your own life!
The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz - amzn.to/2CGnjGS
On change and creating a life you love and are proud of.
The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown - amzn.to/2ByFRcT
On purpose and finding meaning in our lives. Brene shares her research findings on Authenticity, Connection, and Courage which she’s been studying now for over 20 years.
FOCUS: BUSINESS
Essentialism - amzn.to/2yZvKuu
On Prioritization, Organization, and Productivity. It’s not about doing it all but focusing your attention on the stuff that actually matters.
The E Myth Revisited - amzn.to/2BABTAm
Before you build an empire you first have to build a business that works! The author, Michael says, “Great people have a vision of their lives that they practice emulating each and every day."
FOCUS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FYI: For Your Improvement by Michael M. Lombardo - amzn.to/2BA1R6Y
THE one-stop shop people - short and sweet write-ups on every competency you need to know for learners, managers, mentors, and feedback givers. A great book to buy if you’re not sure where to start!
Talking in Pictures by Chelsea Peitz - amzn.to/2CExNX6
On branding, marketing, growing an audience and building a community. Even if you’re NOT in marketing or branding or whatever, you can learn a lot from this book when it comes to how to connect with others. That’s it, at the end of the day people want to feel connected, heard and engaged and that’s exactly what this book will help you do.
The Law of Divine Compensation by Marianne Williamson - amzn.to/2BhsvVD
On work, money, and miracles. Based on the spiritual text A Course in Miracles. Marianne teaches about how spiritual principles can help you overcome financial stress and unleash the divine power of abundance regardless of what your current situation looks like.
FOCUS: WELLNESS
The Essential Life by LCC Total Wellness Publishing - amzn.to/2B1Er9E
On modern day wellness with essential oils. This book will teach you how to incorporate solutions when it comes to your health and wellbeing so that you can show up and do your best work in the world. A GREAT way to counterbalance work’s busy schedules, deadlines, and to-do’s.
Growing your Inner Light by Lara Owen - amzn.to/2B1Er9E
You could use this book as a 13-week guidebook by reading one chapter per week.
This podcast includes affiliate links for products mentioned. This means that Jessness Required may earn a small commission on items that have been purchased through those links.
To learn more about my book, YOUR TWENTIES, and to sign up to access the book bonuses TODAY go to jessnessrequired.com and tap BOOK at the top of the homepage.
If you have any suggestions on where to hold my LAUNCH party, please holler at me on Instagram, find me at coachjessness.
Photo by STIL
063 | Work and Wellness - Redefine success with empowered self-care and essential oils
Today's show is a little different! Instead of focusing on tactics, strategies, and the fundamentals of career success, this show focuses all on YOU and how to take good care of YOU too.
Lezzz be real…
In order to show up 100% and do our best work in the world, the work we were born to do with our unique talents and natural skills we have to take care of ourselves.
In today’s show, I share with you how I take care of myself in the fast-paced world of tech and guess what? You don’t hide inside all day to do so! And it’s not about working yourself to the bone, having no time for fun, or feeling burnt out 24/7.
Wellness at work for me comes down to these three things…
1. inspired action
2. empowered self-care
3. essential oils
I invite you to try essential oils to see how incredibly can support you in living an empowered high-vibe lifestyle.
When you establish the right tools and practices to support a high-vibe lifestyle, you rise + thrive in all areas of your life.
Here’s why I trust and chose doTERRA...
- doTERRA essential oils are 100% pure, therapeutic grade (CPTG).
- Every oil is tested by a third party, not once, but EIGHT different ways to ensure they are pure and up to quality standards.
- doTERRA essential oils are unique in that every oil is harvested in its prime environment throughout the world. Their oils come from every part of the globe.
- Their global sourcing model brings jobs to local communities where they are supported with the right equipment, training, equal and on-time pay, and best of all provides a platform to build a global community. One that leans on each other and admires each other’s strengths.
- Over the next 10 years, doTERRA will play a key role in helping integrate essential oils into western medicine as a preventative supplement to current health practices. This would increase the doTERRA business opportunity and also help more people have access to pure high-quality oils.
- Their vision for healthcare is to set up training centers all over the US for healthcare professionals. doTERRA does an incredible job of educating the world about the power and benefits of essential oils. I can’t wait help have a hand in this wellness movement!
Learn more about dōTERRA essential oils:
Flip through my getting started guide: bit.ly/jsgetstarted
Set up a call with me: meetingbird.com/l/jessicasmith/oils
Purchase oils for 25% off: www.jessnessrequired.com/buyoils/
Start your essential oil journey: www.jessnessrequired.com/oils
doTERRA is the real deal. And that’s what I love most about the company, the products, the culture, and the equal opportunity available to anyone inspired to take this journey. doTERRA’s ability to infuse their products with love and high-vibe energy mixed with the pureness and quality of the oils, it’s next level. There really is no one else in this space doing what doTERRA is doing at the level they’re doing it.
Photo by Bench Accounting
062 | Internal Interviews - How to prep for an internal interview for a role at your current company
This week on the podcast I open the show telling you about how I’m redesigning my path to success. This new path goes by the name: heart-centered hustle.
Heart-centered hustle means to work hard, but not so hard, you work yourself to the bone and feel burnt out 24/7. It’s about living an empowered high-vibe lifestyle that supports the work you're here to do in the world.
A big part of heart-centered hustle is taking good care of your mind body + spirit along the way. I invite you to join me in this new way of work movement.
I’m offering classes every Tuesday at 6:30 pm PST until the end of the year on how to incorporate heart-centered hustle into your new path to success too!
* new * EVENTS
Online classes: www.jessnessrequired.com/onlineevents
Local classes: www.jessnessrequired.com/localevents
For today's topic, the main thing I want you to keep in mind when interviewing with people you know is that you still want to be as descriptive as possible when answering, almost as if you didn't know the people who are interviewing you.
PRO TIP: It's common for people to be more casual and answer questions in less detail because it's easy to assume they know what you did. But it's not just about the facts that are important (the who, what, where and when. While you'll need to share those details in your answers, you should always be focused on sharing what you can't see on a resume. (Which is typically the why and how which is made up of your own unique skills and personality).
Listen to this week's show to learn more about all the tips I share for interviewing internally.
Here are the three things I did to help move from tech recruiting to my new learning and development role: (watch the video in the Career Cafeé for more deets! video: www.facebook.com/JessnessRequired…150521305047721/)
1. Formally expressed my interest for the position to my manager and her manager
2. Meeting with the VP of HR to showcase interest and also present L&D vision and ideas
3. Do an assignment or put together something above and beyond your job to help impact the other business
LINKS MENTIONED
To access my 'Get Started with Essential Oils' guide text my name @JessSmith to the number 81010 and I will send it directly to your phone!
Here are the other podcast shows I recommend for topics on interview prep, working with your manager to express your needs/wants/goals in your career, and how to shine by creating a strong personal brand within the company you work for.
* Episode 11 - Get Noticed part 1
* Episode 12 - Get Noticed part 2
* Episode 13 - Final Round Interviews
* Episode 2 - Interview tips
* Episode 28 - Tough Convos
I recorded a live video going over the three things I did to help me internally move from tech recruiting to my new learning and development position in more detail in the career cafe, link in show notes for that: www.facebook.com/JessnessRequired…150521305047721/
FREE STUFF -- CHECK OUT MY FREE CAREER SUCCESS RESOURCES at www.jessnessrequired.com/lovemyjob
FOMO is no joke…NEVER MISS A SHOW AGAIN…Sign up for my rockstar email list and I’ll send you a heads up on every new episode: www.jessnessrequired.com/careeradvice
See you next week for another episode of CAREER COACHING WITH JESSNESS.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? LEAVE THE POD A REVIEW!
This helps more people find the show, and in turn, I get to help more people like YOU.
internal interviewsinterview prephow to prep for an interview
Photo by STIL
061 | When to Quit Your Job - How to know when it's the right time to quit and find something new
We're back for another SEASON of the Career Coaching with Jessness Podcast, wooo! I couldn't be more excited.
This season has some awesome stuff in store for you. For the first time ever I'm going to have guests on the show. Not every week, but here and there I will bring someone on who specializes in a particular work-related area. I, of course, will still be the coolest one on the show BUT it will be great to get some new perspectives as well. ;)
In today’s episode I share with you a simple strategy for assessing your unhappiness at work. Without knowing what specifically is making you unhappy, guess what? You’re going to stay unhappy.
I also share how to use the information so you can make the tough choice: whether to stay or quit and find something new. This is no easy question to answer and today’s show will give you a solid process for figuring out what you should do.
The best part about this strategy is that when you take yourself through each of the steps, by the end you will know with 100% confidence what to do next. This strategy gives you a process to follow so you know when you decide to quit you made the decision from a thoughtful and logical place.
Here’s a mini overview of the four steps we’ll dive into during the show:
1. Assess the situation - first we’ll figure out what specifically is making you unhappy
2. Determine the owner - then we’ll figure out who is responsible for the things causing you unhappiness
3. Take action - there are two roads of action to take, we’ll look at how to take action in both and how you can start TODAY
1. Either make changes yourself
2. OR ask for what you need form your boss/company/etc.
4. Make a decision
Making a tough decision like this takes time. The reason it takes time is because we have to move out of our head and center into our body. When we make decisions from that kind of place, we know we’re making the best possible choices for ourselves.
Continue the discussion in the Career Café FB group: jessnessrequired.com/careercafe
The café is yours to ask questions, share your experiences, and get the support you need to be successful in your career.
PODCAST PROPS
- Jennifer Todd from the Women Who Podcast FB Group
- Elsie Escobar and Jessica Kupferman, from the podcast and Fb group: “She Podcasts”
Photo by STIL
060 | Resume Essentials - 7 things your resume must have in 2017
It’s been an AMAZING first season of the Career Coaching with Jessness. I started recording shows in Jan 2016 during my commute home from San Jose, CA to Pleasanton, CA. 30 miles at 8 miles an hour. I had to do something to pass the time. And that was when this podcast show was born! In the last year and a half, I’ve had a blast creating content and I look forward to coming back with SEASON 2 in the Fall.
Photo by Liana Mikah
059 | Non-Tech Startup Tactics - Success tips for entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley's HustleCon 2017
Jessica Smith: Career Advice | Interview Prep | Job Interview Questions | Personal Brand | LinkedIn Tips | Salary Negotiation
Hustle Con is a one-day startup event where the world's most successful non-technical founders:
1. Tell their origin stories
2. Teach the practical tactics they used to start and grow their startup
3. Share behind the scenes insights on their wins and losses
I had an absolute blast at this year's Hustle Con event. It was my first time there, but it definitely won’t be my last. Big thanks to everyone who made the event possible!
Each year Hustle Con invites the world's most interesting entrepreneurs, leaders, and do-ers to tell their 'behind the scenes’ story. Learn more at hustlecon.com/
Tune into today’s episode for the best success tips shared during the event. It will feel like you were actually there…ooooo neat, time travel.
ROLL CALL (in order of mention in the show)
- Casey Niestat, YouTube Star and founder of Beme
- Miguel McKelvey, co-founder of WeWork
- Mayfield Fund featuring Tim Chang and Rishi Garg, a Silicon Valley VC firm which has partnered with the founders of Lyft, Marketo, and SolarCity to name a few.
- Jen Rubio, founder of the first-class company, Away
- Manish Chandra, founder, and CEO of Poshmark
- Shan-Lyn Ma, founder of Zola crushing the $300 billion wedding industry (GO GIRL!)
- Tom Bilyeu, founder of Quest Nutrition and Impact Theory
- Tucker Max, founder of Book in a Box and the well-known book, 'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell'
SHOUT OUTS - It was so great meeting each of you, I wish you all the success in the world and will be rooting for you as we continue to grow our businesses!
- Gus Shultz, VP and Head of Talent for ScaleLab
- Josh Edwards, Senior Accounting Manager at RiskSense
- Austin Gaydos from Arena Solutions
- Yoon Kim, founder, and creator of Starboard
- Lucas Ho, start-up entrepreneur for VR apps concentration on museum industry
Photo by Breather
NEW online course | Career Success Training - the fastest most strategic way to find a job you love
Let me guess...
You get home from a full day of work, change into chill clothes the minute you get home and then find yourself back online hunting for a job.
Wake up. Go to work. Come home. Apply for jobs. Sleep. Repeat.
I've been there. Not fun.
You're ready for something new.
A new strategy, a new way to get you to where you want to go and I have the exact roadmap to get you there.
This training will help you eliminate the busy work that comes with finding a new job. It will help you finally get clear about what you want and show you the fastest, most strategic way, to get there.
Photo by Roman Bozhko
058 | Personal Brand - Create a unique and authentic elevator pitch with Brandon Maslan from AWE
Today’s podcast is all about creating an elevator pitch. (An actual elevator not required) Elevator pitches aren’t just for sales people, everyone needs one, even if you’ve never been inside an elevator before in your life you need one.
This show is jam-packed with content, tips, and the exact steps you need to take to create an elevator pitch that ROCKS. I was inspired to talk about this topic after participating in a career development workshop hosted by XACTLY CORP a couple weeks back.
The workshop was led by Brandon Maslan, an Executive Advisor for AWE (Advancing Women Executives) organization. AWE's mission is to increase the number of women in senior management and on boards. They coach others on branding advancement strategies and inspire people to take action in their own career development. Ummm RIGHT.UP.MY.ALLEY.
I admire Brandon for the passion, enthusiasm, and sense of humor he shares with others. I had the opportunity to attend Brandon’s Personal Branding workshop last year when XACTLY previously hosted him so it was really neat to see him again and soak up more of his juicy advice.
Look for episode 19 to listen to last year’s show where I feature Brandon’s tips and tricks from his personal branding workshop! Or go here: Coachjessness – Branding
TOPICS COVERED
- An elevator pitch is a short, less than 20 second, description on who you are, and what you do.
- It’s about figuring out what you want people to remember about you.
- It’s about building on where you’re at now to express where you want to go.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Sign up to access my online career success hub so you can use the free resources to support a happy work life with massive career advancement:
- Stay tuned for more info next week about my 4-part career success course I’ll be launching in less than 2 weeks!!
OTHER PODCASTS MENTIONED
- How to answer the tell me about yourself question (episode 52) - this show will help you create a solid personal branding story in which you can build your elevator pitch: Coachjessness – Job-interview-questions-how-to-answer-the-question-so-tell-me-about-yourself
- Resume (episode 1) - this show will help you be super specific and make sure the work examples you share are tangible: Coachjessness – 001-resumes-what-to-highlight-how-to-stand-out-key-strategies-to-land-your-next-interview
Photo by Marius Masalar
057 | LinkedIn - What to put in your LinkedIn profile to make sure you show up in recruiter searches
LinkedIn - What to put in your LinkedIn profile to make sure you show up in recruiter searches’ first appeared on www.jessnessrequired.com/career-coach…ness-podcast.
In today’s episode I go over LinkedIn’s latest platform updates! LinkedIn is continuously changing, updating, and rearranging their platform but this year alone I’ve seen BIG UPGRADES. I think back to what my profile used to look like when I first created an account in 2011, man was it different! They’ve transformed the look, feel, functions, features, options, search functions, literally everything.
During the show I go over the latest 2017 LinkedIn updates and explain why you should care about them! Most of the changes effect whether or not you’re going to show up in search results when recruiters and hiring managers are searching for talent online. This is definitely a show you need to listen to.
Even if you’re not looking for a job RIGHT NOW I highly recommend keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date. You never know when the next perfect opportunity is going to come your way, but if your profile doesn’t have the right information in it or certain features enabled I guarantee you will be waiting forever. This episode goes over exactly what to do to make sure that isn’t the case for you.
Photo by Bookblock
056 | Manager Advice - 3 ways managers can retain, motivate, and keep millennials engaged at work
Don't miss out on my new LIVE video series called Express'ness Experts going down in my private FB group. Our next event is tomorrow, May 11th at 6:00pm PST and the topic ROCKS! ome join us for tomorrow's topic: Rewrite the Rules & Design Your Own Career Successwith Holly MacCue. Link to join: www.jessnessrequired.com/shop/#join
It all started with that one season of Survivor, didn't it? When it became Millennials versus the WORLD. No, it's been happening long before that! But why? Why is there so much talk about Millennials? We're the largest generation in the workplace today so of course, that's going to throw some attention our way!
Today's episode is for anyone with an open-mind interested in learning about millennials. The show is primarily focused towards managers, but the content will be relevant to anyone who works alongside, even just one, millennial at work. Maybe you have a son or daughter who's a millennial? I'll bet you'll find value too!
I dive into three major ways managers can retain, motivate, and keep millennials engaged at work.
1. Mix Up the Meetings
(You'll be a managerial DJ by the time you're done!)
2. Watch out for Routines
(No more 5, 6, 7, 8 routines, work should not be treated as a choreographed dance!)
3. Approach it from an Agile Methodology
(Put your software development hat on and *raise the roof* for a whole new way of productivity!)
This show is jam-packed with ideas, suggestions, and gives you specific areas of work to focus on. After listening, you will have more insight into the millennial generation at work, and you'll walk away with concrete ideas and action items to take in order to best manage and work alongside them. Enjoy!
LINKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW
- Get access to my private password protected Career Success hub on my website for downloadable PDFs, worksheets, email templates, and whole lot more {pssst they’re free}: www.jessnessrequired.com/lovemyjob
- Watch my ‘Rock Your Next Interview Webinar’ on YouTube: www.jessnessrequired.com/video
Photo by Melinda Pack
055 | Age Discrimination in the Workplace - How and why it happens and what you can do about it
Age discrimination….
- Is it a real thing?
- Does it actually happen?
- How?
- Why?
- Where does it really coming from?
One thing we know for sure is that...it’s illegal.
But hey...doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
If you’ve been listening to my show for a while you know I’m not one to just bitch and moan about a topic, have a hay day and leave you to it. My objective for every show is to share my insight on a career-related topic and provide you with action steps to help you go BIG in your life and career.
In today’s episode, I share with you insights on the topic of age discrimination over the last 4+ years as a technical recruiter working in the hiring world, but also a little bit about my personal experience when it comes to how age affects the workplace.
The truth is, our age is our age, there’s nothing we can do to change it.
This episode is designed to empower you to look at why age discrimination happens and what you can do about it.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:
- Catch my new Express’ness Experts Series by joining my private online coaching group: www.jessnessrequired.com/JOIN/
- Download my Career Success Guides {pssst they’re free}: www.jessnessrequired.com/lovemyjob
- Watch my ‘Rock Your Next Interview Webinar’ on YouTube: www.jessnessrequired.com/video
Photo by J. Kelly Brito