Episodes

Ever found yourself caught in the gap between wanting to act and taking the actual step? You're not alone. This episode tackles that very struggle. After my routine got thrown off a couple of months ago, I’ve been feeling frozen. I was a lot clearer on my goals, but I was stuck in the mud not moving toward them. So, I started asking myself: Why can’t I just get out of my own way? Turns out, fear has been quietly driving a lot of what I do (or don’t do). But what exactly am I scared of? In this...

In a world that tells us to walk straight lines, Dr. Elijah Nicholas' story is a powerful testament to the beauty of the paths less trodden. From aspiring lawyer influenced by Malcolm X, through the disciplined ranks of the military, to the embrace of religion and a spiritual life as a trans man, Elijah's journey isn’t one story, but many. This episode isn’t just about one man's transitions; it’s about the transformative power of acceptance—of oneself, by others, and within a community. In thi...

People say rest is revolutionary, but how often do you take time for yourself? And in the rare case you do stop to take a breath, do you (like me) feel guilty? The world is rigged for us to do, do and do. We’ve been told that to get ahead we must aim higher and work harder than anybody else. The problem starts when our health - physical, mental and emotional - suffers from all of this doing. Enter Erayna Sargent, my guest today. Erayna is a burnout expert, an author and a speaker. Her company...

Ever found yourself behind the wheel of a car that wasn't yours, metaphorically speaking? It's a ride down a road paved with expectations, signposts pointing towards someone else's dreams, and a destination that feels oddly unsatisfying. That's where Mahdi Davenport found himself, in the driver's seat of a life that was more about pleasing his father than fulfilling his own soul's desires. This week, we peel away the layers of societal shoulds and familial expectations to uncover the raw, unfilt...

My guest today is Karyn Parsons - author, film producer, and the founder of Sweet Blackberry, an award-winning series of children’s animated films and books sharing stories of unsung black heroes in history. However, you might know her better as the one and only Hilary Banks, the character she played on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Karyn's leap from the world of acting to becoming an author and the brains behind Sweet Blackberry wasn't something she'd always planned. And that's exactly what w...

Ever wondered what drives someone to dive into the whirlwind world of politics? I sure have. Personally, I'm all about making a difference from the sidelines. Politics? Not my cup of tea. But I deeply admire those who can juggle the pressures and the puzzles that come with holding office. Today, I’m chatting with Rafael Espinal. He's one of those brave souls who not only ventured into public service straight out of college but also embraced it wholeheartedly. When the chance to run for City Cou...

“Am I fooling everyone? When will they realize I am not as good as they think, or I don’t know anything, or I’m not good enough?” If these thoughts are familiar then you, like many of us, also suffer from impostor syndrome. Now, I’ve talked about impostor syndrome a lot of times in my lifetime. There is so much research behind this phenomenon - everything from how society has created it and why women suffer from it more than men to how it is not a “syndrome” and we should stop pathologizing it....

In today’s hustle culture, where we’re always going and busyness is glorified, daring to hit the pause button feels like a rebellious act. Yet, this pause might be exactly what we need in order to show up better for ourselves and others and to unlock the most beautiful and true path for our future selves. Personally, I’ve been riding a rollercoaster of emotions regarding my own career hiatus and period of introspection. Some days I feel like I deserve this time and enjoy every second of it, oth...

To dream big is scary. What if you don’t make it? What if you never get what you yearn for? I know for me, this is a constant struggle - I can’t seem to get out of my own way. My guest today - Dawn Kelly - did. Once a celebrated PR executive, Dawn's world turned upside down when her role was unceremoniously scrapped. But rather than bowing down to defeat, she channeled her resilience into founding The Nourish Spot, a haven for healthy food in her community. Dawn's story isn't just about entrep...

Hi friends - If you’ve ever found yourself questioning, "What the heck am I doing with my life?" or pondering the vast expanse of your dreams, only to be paralyzed by the fear of never achieving them — you’re not alone. After a friend (and past podcast guest) shared with me the documentary Finding Joe, I found myself fascinated by Joseph Campbell’s concepts of the Hero’s Journey and following your bliss. The question of bliss — of finding that thing that makes me get into the flow, that makes ...

My guest today is Petra Vujaskovic and she is one of my people - she quit her job without a plan. After starting her recruiting career in New York at JP Morgan, Petra took a detour and went to Miami. She had plans of working there for a while but in her heart, she knew she should go closer to family, to the place where her parents had come from: Croatia. But, COVID hit so her plans changed for a bit. She had a baby and soon after quit her job and moved half-way around the world. This conversat...

Patrice Tanaka is on a mission to make the planet more joyful. I met Patrice through our shared passion of empowering women and girls, and her story has always been one I’ve looked up to because it’s a masterclass in crafting a life that’s not just successful on paper, but also rich in joy and purpose. Patrice's transition from the fast-paced world of public relations to founding a consultancy dedicated to cultivating joy and purpose is a bold testament to following one's passion. Through our c...

Last week I shared the beginning of my conversation with Kristy Wallace, former CEO of Ellevate Network. Kristy and I worked together for years, and when she left her role I was the person who stepped into it. In last week’s episode we talked a lot about Kristy’s time before the two of us met, how we started our work together and how we survived through COVID. In this episode we cover Kristy’s time after leaving the job, the team and the company she loved; how she dealt with the change and how ...

Kristy Wallace and I worked together for almost a decade at Ellevate Network. She was the CEO and I worked with her side by side to bring the company vision to life. We had so much fun building a great team and a great company. Oh, and did I mention we used to co-host a podcast? When Kristy left, I was promoted to CEO, the job I quit a year later and which led me to start this podcast. Part one of this conversation takes us on a deep dive into the first part of Kristy's career, from finance to ...

Hey there, welcome back to another episode of Sh*t I Just Quit My Job! Today's chat is all about the age-old saying, "It's not personal, it's business." But let's be real, when did we all turn into emotionless robots? In this episode, we're diving into why blending the personal with the professional is okay, and sometimes it’s actually just what you need. It's the genuine, heartfelt relationships that not only bring joy and fulfillment but also open new doors in our careers. Mixing the persona...

Since the moment I left my job I’ve had different moments of high anxiety when I ask myself - how am I going to do this? Yes, I left my job knowing I had resources and a way to support myself for a while. I took an intentional break, but I am not naive. I know that at some point I need to get back to the grind. As the months pass, I keep getting more and more nervous. My guest today, Tirza Barnes, shook me when she asked me “who told you you need to work to make money?” How’s that for a questi...

It’s been a while since I’ve shared my journey and what’s going on in my head. The last few months have been pretty rich in introspection - lots of thinking and feeling and trying to get to know myself again. Listen to this minisode to hear where I’m at as we close out 2023 and my first six months after quitting my job. Wishing you all the best this holiday season and may 2024 be a much better year than this one! Hugs, M. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with othe...

Sandra Iseman always felt like she didn’t belong. Realizing in her thirties that she had dyslexia and being diagnosed as an adult with ADHD she realized she wasn’t the problem, she was just not like everyone else and so many things started to click. Sandra spent 30 years working in IT until she decided that the pain in the job was not worth it. As someone who was in a constant search for something novel and exciting, she decided to do the thing she always knew in her heart was her calling. She l...

A few years ago Arshiya Malik left her job at a non-profit, ended a relationship and moved to Goa to fulfill her dream of living at the beach. While there she began to work on a start-up, eventually becoming a co-founder of the company. This year Arshiya went through another transition. She left her role at the company she co-founded and is undergoing another period of reevaluation and reinvention. I sit down with Arshiya to talk about her self-described never ending quest for stability, what i...

Sometimes, the things we most struggle with are the keys to unlocking the next part of your journey. We hear it from founders: they find a problem, for many of them it’s one they are personally facing, and look for a way to build a solution. Similarly, some coaches start their business practice after they themselves have had lots of trouble with one specific area. Madeline Schwarz was shy, hated public speaking, and had seen first hand how many problems were created by communication breakdowns....

There are so many types of jobs out there that we can’t even imagine. From panda cuddlers, to professional bridesmaids and professional mourners, you might be able to find the right thing for you if you look hard enough. What is it that limits us to think of the possibilities out there? My guest today is Laura Dillon. She was an accountant and had been at her company for 14 years. After a particularly long and hard project, and as her company was going through lots of changes, Laura felt like i...

The dream: Find work that is meaningful, that makes you happy, that keeps you engaged. Find work you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. But what if you find that job, you spend years and years and years doing it, and then something happens that, without warning, makes you question everything? It maybe something big like a big reorg in your company, or it might be something small — maybe a comment from someone you know that makes you look at things differently. What if that little co...

If you could do anything in the world, what would you do? “What if” is a powerful question. What if I followed my dreams? What if things worked out? What if I make the wrong decision? There is a famous Lewis Carroll quote that says that, in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. Tina Pettigrew knew following her dreams was risky, but it was riskier for her to live a life that didn’t fulfill her. So, she took the chance. After finding martial arts when she was 27 — think, much olde...

What’s your nature? It’s an incredibly deep question to ponder but one that can be the clue to finding out how to feel fulfilled. When faced with a turning point in his life, my guest today, , spent some time trying to discover his nature and figure out what was next for him. Enrique was a consultant turned tech entrepreneur. After living abroad for many years, he decided to move back home to Mexico City and start a coding bootcamp that, he believed, was going to make a huge impact on the count...