WEBVTT
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:07.599
How do you get there in tiny small steps without burning down the house, without ripping the band-aid off?
00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:16.160
Because quite frankly, a lot of us are living real lives with real responsibilities, and we need to maintain those until we figure out what's next.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:26.000
Welcome to Next, the show where we talk about career pivots, small side hustles, giant leaps, and the way AI is changing the equation for all of us.
00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:33.679
I'm Erica Parker Price, a career coach with a background in tech and the host for this show where I help you find your next.
00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.520
Hi, it's just me today, no interview.
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:45.280
Although I have had a lot of fun doing the interviews that I have shared out recently, I've been meeting primarily with two different types of people.
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:50.320
First set of people are those who have already discovered what's next for them.
00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:57.280
Maybe they have intentionally pivoted, maybe the ground has shifted underneath them and they've had to figure out their new next.
00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:01.679
But either way, they have been through that journey and they shared their wisdom.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:02.799
I love hearing that.
00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:04.480
I think they're great inspiration.
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:08.480
Sometimes they can save us from making some of the mistakes they made along the way.
00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:15.280
Although, to be honest, I think we're all just messy humans living this very unique and messy human experience.
00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:22.159
Despite all of the AI inventions that are coming at us every day, we're still just living our own lives here.
00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:27.200
So I hope you're taking inspiration from people who have been on this journey.
00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:32.400
I also like to sprinkle in some experts, people that help you along the way.
00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.879
And they have a particular point of view and a particular bit of wisdom to share.
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.680
And I think those can be very helpful as well.
00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:44.480
But that doesn't mean that I don't have a whole lot to say on the topic of what's next.
00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:49.680
And so I'm also going to be jumping in here and just sharing what's on my mind right now.
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:56.480
When it comes to finding out what's next, I am finding that I'm meeting people in a couple of different categories.
00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:00.480
Some people have been laid off, so the ground has shifted underneath you.
00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:05.200
And while you may not have chosen it, you're being forced to find what's next for you.
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.919
And maybe that's the same job, same industry, or maybe it's something very different.
00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:18.000
Another category that I have is people that are quite frankly burned out, or maybe not quite to that burnout place, but know that they're no longer in the right place for them.
00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:26.639
They want to be doing something completely different, even if this is what their education is in, even if this is what all their experience has led them to.
00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:39.039
You're very talented individuals in so many different areas and you have so many different passions and curiosities, and you're looking for this next phase of your life to be something that maybe aligns more closely with that.
00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:48.080
And then sometimes we have people that are retiring, they've been through a long career, they know they want to do something else, but they're unclear what that is.
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.520
And if you're not in one of those three categories, that's okay.
00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:56.479
Everybody comes to this place from somewhere different and we have room.
00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.039
It's all about just what do you want to do next?
00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:03.599
And when I talk about what do you want to do next, that doesn't have to be tomorrow.
00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:14.479
So today, what I want to talk about is how do you get there in tiny small steps without burning down the house, without ripping the band-aid off.
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:27.439
Because quite frankly, a lot of us are living real lives with real responsibilities, and maybe the paycheck and the benefits and the things that we're getting right now are important, and we need to maintain those until we figure out what's next.
00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:29.280
So that is what today is about.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.479
I'm gonna give you 10 small steps that you can take.
00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.520
And some of them you may be able to just do today.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:42.719
Some of them they may take several days or weeks to actually execute on, and you get to decide: do you want to do one of these?
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.560
Do you want to do all of them?
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:46.719
It is all up to you.
00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:58.159
When I talk about doing these small steps, it is coming from the perspective that there is something that you have maybe in the dark recesses of your mind that you would like to do.
00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:01.199
Now, some of you may be saying, I have no idea.
00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:05.919
I've been doing the same thing my whole life, and I don't even have an idea.
00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:09.280
I'll definitely have more episodes for you in the future.
00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:18.720
Today is more focused on people who have a tiny idea, but maybe they have no idea whether that's actually going to be possible for them.
00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:24.800
And so it's all about just getting out there, dipping your toe in the water, maybe privately.
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.439
Not everything in this world has to be public, right?
00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:32.000
But if you're one of those people who thinks I have no idea what I would be doing, that's okay.
00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.519
Come along, listen.
00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:35.360
You can listen while you're driving.
00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:36.639
I will keep sharing.
00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:46.319
There's a reason that you're here on this podcast, there's a reason that you're listening to other people who have done this, and I know that you're gonna find some inspiration along the way.
00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:48.879
So just come along for the journey with us.
00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:54.720
I come to this from a perspective of somebody who has changed careers many different times.
00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:08.800
I've been in sales and marketing, I've done program management, I've been a product manager, I've been on the software and the hardware side, enterprise, tiny companies, almost all in tech, but that tiny company was in construction, so vastly different industry.
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.439
I have definitely done a lot of pivots along the way.
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:14.639
Some have been intentional, some have really just evolved.
00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:23.360
But when I think about what I'm talking about here with the small steps, I'm specifically going to talk about how I became a coach.
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:35.680
What are the things that I did that helped me on this path even before I was ready to say out loud that I was doing it, before I was ready to start actually doing it?
00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:40.240
We're gonna start with one of the things that I think is easiest.
00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:45.199
Number one is to follow people who are already doing this thing.
00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:51.360
So we're gonna assume for the rest of this episode that there is this tiny idea that you have in your mind.
00:05:51.519 --> 00:06:00.240
So maybe you're an engineer, for example, and you want to be moving more into the AI space, whether that's AI implementation, AI strategy, or something.
00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.720
First step, I would encourage you to follow people who are already doing it.
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:18.240
LinkedIn is an obvious place where you can do this, but but depending upon what it is that you're looking for, maybe you want to go start a tiny cottage bakery and you want to sell, I don't know, cinnamon rolls at the farmer's market on the weekend.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:19.360
Who knows?
00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.399
What I'm saying is figure out where those people would be.
00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:26.319
If you're on the baking side, maybe it's more of an Instagram or a TikTok thing.
00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.519
In the business space, LinkedIn is always a safe bet.
00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:32.720
But you can go follow absolutely anybody you want up there.
00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:34.639
LinkedIn, everything is public.
00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:39.439
You can just click follow, even if Connect isn't showing when you look people up.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:45.920
But go ahead and put whatever job title, play around with the search feature and see what it takes to find some people.
00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.519
And what that does is it just changes changes the feed.
00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.560
It changes what it is you're seeing.
00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:57.120
Now, this assumes that you have some sort of social media that you're that you're part of.
00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:03.199
If you're not on any social media and hate looking on LinkedIn, then this one may not be for you.
00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:20.480
But for those of you that have something that you're scrolling through on a regular basis, I want to challenge you to take some of what it is that you're just have that tiny dream towards and put it in that feed and see if that doesn't start to just get inside your brain a little bit.
00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.000
See if it doesn't make you start thinking of new ideas.
00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:28.319
Number two is to research jobs.
00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:39.439
And regardless of what it is that you're looking for, I think it can be very interesting to go on LinkedIn and to just type in a couple job titles and then read those job descriptions.
00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:42.480
See what kinds of companies are hiring people for this.
00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:53.360
You may be thinking entirely of an entrepreneurial route to go, but sometimes when you're on that journey, it can be helpful to go get some job experience doing what you do.
00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:59.839
Maybe you are in a particular part of, let's say, finance right now, and you want to pivot to something that's adjacent.
00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:09.519
Just go look at job descriptions, see what it is that they're asking for in terms of experience, see how much they pay, just see what you can learn about it.
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.519
I think a job description can be a fascinating place just to do research.
00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:15.759
And it's super easy.
00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.319
You could do that just in the next few minutes.
00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:26.800
Okay, number three, because we are here listening to a podcast, that's gonna be my third recommendation is go listen to a podcast.
00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:33.440
The search feature, whether it's on YouTube or Apple Podcasts or Spotify, can actually be really helpful.
00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:39.200
If there's something that you're thinking about doing, I can almost guarantee that there's a podcast out there for it.
00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:52.080
When I was on this journey myself, I've shared the story probably before, but as I would drive to work at the construction company where I was working, and I was running marketing and operations for them, but I knew it wasn't the right fit for me long term.
00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:55.279
I would listen to a podcast called Don't Keep Your Day Job.
00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.720
It was done by Kathy Heller.
00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:57.919
She still has a podcast.
00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.879
It's been through several iterations of name changes.
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:12.639
That podcast was what led me, first of all, to podcasting, which then led me to coaching because my very early podcast listeners were actually the ones that encouraged me to become a coach.
00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:14.559
So listen to a podcast.
00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:17.200
Obviously, I have a huge bias in this space.
00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:20.000
I have found podcasts to be super interesting to me.
00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.320
And I don't even know how I stumbled upon that one of Don't Keep Your Day Job.
00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:29.039
There were far less podcasts back then, but somehow I found one that was kind of perfect for me.
00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:44.639
For some of you, I hope this is that podcast that continuing to listen to this, you'll find the person who is speaking your story, the person who has already done what you're doing, or can give you just that one tiny kernel of an idea that's gonna get you on your path.
00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.759
Okay, number four is read a book.
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:51.440
I am still a big believer in hard copy books.
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.440
I still check books out from the library.
00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:56.879
Of course, Kindle audiobooks, I do audiobooks too.
00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:06.960
I'm not so much a Kindle person, but there are so many different ways to get this content and literally millions of books out there.
00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:19.519
So again, if you just do a search on things that are interesting to you, you will likely find somebody who has written a memoir about being on the exact same journey that you are on.
00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.039
All kinds of possibilities around this.
00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:28.320
And if I think way back to when I very first heard that coaching was even a thing, I did go buy a book.
00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:29.679
It's probably still on my shelf.
00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.159
I don't even remember the name of it anymore.
00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:33.759
But I can picture it.
00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:36.480
I know that it is black, red, and white.
00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:40.159
And I learned a lot about the concepts around coaching.
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:44.080
Number five, I think, is probably the most important one here.
00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:51.679
It is not the easiest lift, but for anybody who's been listening to me, you know how important I think connection is.
00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:58.080
So number five is to make a connection with somebody who's already in this space that you're dreaming of.
00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:12.879
By make a connection, I really mean go beyond just following people on LinkedIn or Substock or wherever you are and actually reach out and see if you can build a relationship with this person, see if you can schedule a coffee with them.
00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.600
This is something I did that was very impactful for me.
00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:24.320
Right around that time that I was reading a book about what it meant to be a coach, I found somebody in my local community who was coaching.
00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.600
And I want to say that she had an ad in the local newspaper.
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.600
We had a tiny, tiny little newspaper.
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:32.480
I'm fairly certain that's how I saw her.
00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:39.840
And I sent her an email and I said I was interested in that same career, and I was wondering if she'd be willing to meet with me.
00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:41.360
And so she did.
00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:46.399
And we met and she told me what it was like to be a coach, and I was still interested.
00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:48.159
And kudos to her.
00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:49.840
I think she did a good job with this.
00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:02.639
Her suggestion to me was that if I was interested, but unsure on all kinds of different things related to it, that maybe I should hire her as my coach and we could explore that as a topic.
00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:07.600
My probably first introduction to career coaching, I was the client in this case.
00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:16.000
And what's so fascinating is that through that process, maybe six sessions, something like that, I discovered that what I really wanted to do was be a writer.
00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:21.039
And I did go on to write a couple of middle grade and young adult novels.
00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:26.960
And I really think that did spark my passion that lives in me today to be a writer.
00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:37.679
So one of the things that I think is so interesting is that when you go down these paths, it does not necessarily lead to the destination that you were aiming for, right?
00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:53.279
So I went and met a coach, I hired a coach, we talked about how I wanted to coach, but in some open discussions around it, what I found was that my passion and maybe what I was suited for right at that time was really more aligned with writing.
00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:01.440
So coaching went on the back burner for probably a number of years at that time, and I really did focus on the writing.
00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:06.320
I focused on fiction writing, I did freelance writing, and I don't regret that time at all.
00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.840
Speaking of writing, that is gonna be number six for me.
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.679
And like I said at the beginning, some of these will work for you, some of them will not.
00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.879
Take what makes sense for you, leave the rest behind.
00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:19.519
But number six is to start writing.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:28.799
You can do it privately, you can write a journal about what it is you're dreaming about, how you think you're gonna get there, whatever comes to mind for you.
00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:34.879
But also another version of this that I have seen really work is for people who start writing publicly.
00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:43.039
And in doing so, not everybody's ready to very publicly say, hey, I don't want to do this thing that I'm really successful at that I've been doing.
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.639
I want to do something totally different.
00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:52.879
So I've seen some very successful anonymous accounts, particularly on Substack, because that's where I've been recently.
00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.440
LinkedIn doesn't lend itself to anonymity.
00:13:55.600 --> 00:14:01.360
But on Substack, I'll see people who are like, you know what, this is the last year that I'm gonna do this job.
00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:05.759
I am fully intending to pivot into something else.
00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.799
I think it can work for people who are on the job search too.
00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:19.840
I think some people want to share exactly what they're going through, but they don't necessarily want that to be tied back to them when they are out and interviewing, you know.
00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:26.960
So if you're wanting to explore this space, I think there are absolutely anonymous ways that you can do it.
00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:32.399
And the reason for that, one is to protect your current identity, what you're doing, etc.
00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:34.080
I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:41.279
I think, yes, we want to show up authentically, but that doesn't mean that everybody has to see every single version of you.
00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:45.200
But in doing so, you can crowdsource some ideas.
00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:54.159
You can really get some feedback from strangers because we all know that the people in our lives have lots of biases, but you can start to get some feedback.
00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.919
You can find other people to connect with, maybe on the same journey, and it can just be a learning experience.
00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:07.200
So that's a possibility out there is to maybe write publicly but anonymously about what you're thinking of.
00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.639
Okay, number seven is to go to an event.
00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:19.679
So I think that live in-person events can really move the needle in terms of what you learn about something.
00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:26.480
I have been to all kinds of different in-person conferences, of course, many of them when I was in the corporate world.
00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:33.039
But I have also attended a lot of workshops, conferences, introductory events.
00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:37.200
In particular, I want to focus on kind of the just one and done type of thing here.
00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:43.679
So when I was looking at becoming a coach, I went to two introductory events for two different coaching companies.
00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:47.120
Both of them were very well-known coaching companies.
00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:53.600
And I went to maybe 90-minute, two-hour presentations on what their methodology was, all of those things.
00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:01.360
I didn't join either one of those, but it taught me a lot about the industry and it showed me maybe some of what I wanted and some of what I didn't want.
00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:07.679
In the end, I went to an Amy Porterfield conference on online marketing, I think because I had my podcast at the time.
00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:14.399
And it was people that I met there that kept saying that I seemed to be this certain type of coach and wondered if I'd been certified there.
00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:18.320
And I kind of took that as my sign, like, hey, maybe that's what I'm meant to be.
00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.039
And I worked my way backwards through the list, by the way.
00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:26.240
On the flight on the way home, I listened to the podcast of the person who ran that particular school.
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.080
And so that's what led to it.
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.039
Number eight is to take a class.
00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:41.519
These can be online, these can be in person, it can be a single day workshop or a couple hours, it can be a full semester at MIT or Harvard.
00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:44.799
There is such a wide range of what is available to you.
00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:51.120
If there's something that you want to learn more about, just to try it on, just to see if it works for you.
00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:58.080
By all means, take a class, start doing it so you can see if this is realistic for you or not.
00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:08.480
Okay, number nine is probably going to be the biggest of these small steps, but I want you to still think about it in a way that could be small.
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.680
And that is to get your first client.
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:18.240
Now, when I say get your first client, it depends upon what kind of business you're going into, whether this makes sense or not.
00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:23.920
But I know people, for example, that have decided I want to design people's websites for them.
00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.839
Now I know that's changing dramatically here in the last couple of years.
00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:31.680
So this may or may not be super relevant today.
00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:40.400
But what they did was they found somebody they knew in their network who had a not great website and just ask them, can I build you one?
00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.839
Can I build you a new website?
00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:47.440
Sometimes you can even do it without asking them and present it to them and say, hey, I was learning.
00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:50.400
I just wanted to try something out and I did this for you.
00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:56.079
Now, today that might be building somebody an AI agent, for example, for their business.
00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.839
You know the people in your network and in your world, so you know better if it is better to have a conversation or to just go do it on your own.
00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:06.079
Am I talking about making lots of money with this?
00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:07.119
No, not really.
00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:15.279
Because the the value of doing it for free is you get to do it on your timeline, you get to decide how big of a scope you're gonna have.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.680
And it's really just about the learning.
00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:30.079
Depending upon what this next thing is that you're looking for, I do think that there are frequently ways that you can do a tiny version of it for somebody and think of yourself as a consultant.
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:37.759
Now, if you're able to get out there and say, you know, I want you to be my first customer and it's gonna be$10,000, go for it.
00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:38.640
Do that too.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:43.440
Okay, and number 10 on this list is to write your future.
00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:56.000
Yes, some of these are definitely tending towards the writing side, which is my own bias here, but I think it can be really powerful to write a letter to yourself from the future.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:05.279
And so what I'm talking about is write something that talks about what a day in your life in this future place looks like.
00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:10.960
Let's say you're in this future career and you just want to write your old self about what it's like.
00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:12.880
So write it from the present tense.
00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.759
You can choose how many years in the future you want this to be.
00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:22.079
It could be one year, five years, ten years, whatever it is, but just write what it is.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:24.160
What's become possible for you?
00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:26.319
What do you love about that life?
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:29.920
What do you love about the choices that you made to get there?
00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:44.000
And it can do some really powerful work on your brain to just orient you to that position, to put you in place, doing it already, living that life as if it had already happened.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:45.839
That is my list of 10.
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:47.440
I'm gonna go through it quickly here.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:49.839
Number one, follow people already doing it.
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:57.920
Number two, research jobs, read job descriptions, three, listen to a podcast, four, read a book, five, meet with someone.
00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.920
Six, start writing about it anonymously but publicly.
00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:05.200
Seven, go to an event or a workshop.
00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:11.200
Eight, take a class, nine, get your first client, and ten, write your future.
00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:19.519
All of those steps are something that you can do without upsetting what it is you're doing now.
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:24.240
Those of you who aren't working right now, maybe some of that transition has already taken place.
00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:27.119
Maybe you get to go out and you get to do all of these.
00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:30.480
But choose the ones you like and learn from them.
00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:34.480
That's really what I'm recommending that you do, is that you learn from these.
00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:39.599
Remember, I did many of these steps and they led me on a different path.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:44.960
Several years later, I came back around again and I ended up back on that path.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.359
But it was meant to be, it is a journey.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.880
It is not a straight line, right?
00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:53.759
We tend to live our lives in very squiggly fashion, and I am no exception to that.
00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:03.839
And the final word for anybody who has made it all the way to the end and still thinks, I have no idea what I want to do next.
00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:06.720
I appreciate that you listened this far.
00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:15.279
There will definitely be episodes dedicated to that in the future, but the one thing that I would encourage you to do is to be open and curious.
00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:17.599
Ask people that you meet about their jobs.
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:23.359
Ask people that you work with regularly what it is they like and don't like about what they're doing.
00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:33.279
Talk to people that are younger than you, talk to people that are older than you, watch different shows, listen to different podcasts, just continue to be open.
00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:38.240
The fact that you're here and listening to this podcast tells me that you have a curiosity.
00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:45.119
And so just keep following that curiosity and realize that we are each on our own timeline.
00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.160
Thanks for listening and have a great week.
00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:49.920
Thanks for listening to next.
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:55.359
To find out more about working with me, including upcoming events, visit EricaParkerPrice.com.
00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:58.319
I promise you, you are not alone on this journey.
00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:08.240
Two things that could help me and help other people just like you discover the show would be first to follow and review this show on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:10.960
Second, I'm sure you have friends on this journey as well.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:13.680
So please share a favorite episode with them.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.680
We're all on this journey together.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:07.599
How do you get there in tiny small steps without burning down the house, without ripping the band-aid off?
00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:16.160
Because quite frankly, a lot of us are living real lives with real responsibilities, and we need to maintain those until we figure out what's next.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:26.000
Welcome to Next, the show where we talk about career pivots, small side hustles, giant leaps, and the way AI is changing the equation for all of us.
00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:33.679
I'm Erica Parker Price, a career coach with a background in tech and the host for this show where I help you find your next.
00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.520
Hi, it's just me today, no interview.
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:45.280
Although I have had a lot of fun doing the interviews that I have shared out recently, I've been meeting primarily with two different types of people.
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:50.320
First set of people are those who have already discovered what's next for them.
00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:57.280
Maybe they have intentionally pivoted, maybe the ground has shifted underneath them and they've had to figure out their new next.
00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:01.679
But either way, they have been through that journey and they shared their wisdom.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:02.799
I love hearing that.
00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:04.480
I think they're great inspiration.
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:08.480
Sometimes they can save us from making some of the mistakes they made along the way.
00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:15.280
Although, to be honest, I think we're all just messy humans living this very unique and messy human experience.
00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:22.159
Despite all of the AI inventions that are coming at us every day, we're still just living our own lives here.
00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:27.200
So I hope you're taking inspiration from people who have been on this journey.
00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:32.400
I also like to sprinkle in some experts, people that help you along the way.
00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.879
And they have a particular point of view and a particular bit of wisdom to share.
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.680
And I think those can be very helpful as well.
00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:44.480
But that doesn't mean that I don't have a whole lot to say on the topic of what's next.
00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:49.680
And so I'm also going to be jumping in here and just sharing what's on my mind right now.
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:56.480
When it comes to finding out what's next, I am finding that I'm meeting people in a couple of different categories.
00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:00.480
Some people have been laid off, so the ground has shifted underneath you.
00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:05.200
And while you may not have chosen it, you're being forced to find what's next for you.
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.919
And maybe that's the same job, same industry, or maybe it's something very different.
00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:18.000
Another category that I have is people that are quite frankly burned out, or maybe not quite to that burnout place, but know that they're no longer in the right place for them.
00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:26.639
They want to be doing something completely different, even if this is what their education is in, even if this is what all their experience has led them to.
00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:39.039
You're very talented individuals in so many different areas and you have so many different passions and curiosities, and you're looking for this next phase of your life to be something that maybe aligns more closely with that.
00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:48.080
And then sometimes we have people that are retiring, they've been through a long career, they know they want to do something else, but they're unclear what that is.
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.520
And if you're not in one of those three categories, that's okay.
00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:56.479
Everybody comes to this place from somewhere different and we have room.
00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.039
It's all about just what do you want to do next?
00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:03.599
And when I talk about what do you want to do next, that doesn't have to be tomorrow.
00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:14.479
So today, what I want to talk about is how do you get there in tiny small steps without burning down the house, without ripping the band-aid off.
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:27.439
Because quite frankly, a lot of us are living real lives with real responsibilities, and maybe the paycheck and the benefits and the things that we're getting right now are important, and we need to maintain those until we figure out what's next.
00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:29.280
So that is what today is about.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.479
I'm gonna give you 10 small steps that you can take.
00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.520
And some of them you may be able to just do today.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:42.719
Some of them they may take several days or weeks to actually execute on, and you get to decide: do you want to do one of these?
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.560
Do you want to do all of them?
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:46.719
It is all up to you.
00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:58.159
When I talk about doing these small steps, it is coming from the perspective that there is something that you have maybe in the dark recesses of your mind that you would like to do.
00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:01.199
Now, some of you may be saying, I have no idea.
00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:05.919
I've been doing the same thing my whole life, and I don't even have an idea.
00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:09.280
I'll definitely have more episodes for you in the future.
00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:18.720
Today is more focused on people who have a tiny idea, but maybe they have no idea whether that's actually going to be possible for them.
00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:24.800
And so it's all about just getting out there, dipping your toe in the water, maybe privately.
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.439
Not everything in this world has to be public, right?
00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:32.000
But if you're one of those people who thinks I have no idea what I would be doing, that's okay.
00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.519
Come along, listen.
00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:35.360
You can listen while you're driving.
00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:36.639
I will keep sharing.
00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:46.319
There's a reason that you're here on this podcast, there's a reason that you're listening to other people who have done this, and I know that you're gonna find some inspiration along the way.
00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:48.879
So just come along for the journey with us.
00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:54.720
I come to this from a perspective of somebody who has changed careers many different times.
00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:08.800
I've been in sales and marketing, I've done program management, I've been a product manager, I've been on the software and the hardware side, enterprise, tiny companies, almost all in tech, but that tiny company was in construction, so vastly different industry.
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.439
I have definitely done a lot of pivots along the way.
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:14.639
Some have been intentional, some have really just evolved.
00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:23.360
But when I think about what I'm talking about here with the small steps, I'm specifically going to talk about how I became a coach.
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:35.680
What are the things that I did that helped me on this path even before I was ready to say out loud that I was doing it, before I was ready to start actually doing it?
00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:40.240
We're gonna start with one of the things that I think is easiest.
00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:45.199
Number one is to follow people who are already doing this thing.
00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:51.360
So we're gonna assume for the rest of this episode that there is this tiny idea that you have in your mind.
00:05:51.519 --> 00:06:00.240
So maybe you're an engineer, for example, and you want to be moving more into the AI space, whether that's AI implementation, AI strategy, or something.
00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.720
First step, I would encourage you to follow people who are already doing it.
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:18.240
LinkedIn is an obvious place where you can do this, but but depending upon what it is that you're looking for, maybe you want to go start a tiny cottage bakery and you want to sell, I don't know, cinnamon rolls at the farmer's market on the weekend.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:19.360
Who knows?
00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.399
What I'm saying is figure out where those people would be.
00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:26.319
If you're on the baking side, maybe it's more of an Instagram or a TikTok thing.
00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.519
In the business space, LinkedIn is always a safe bet.
00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:32.720
But you can go follow absolutely anybody you want up there.
00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:34.639
LinkedIn, everything is public.
00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:39.439
You can just click follow, even if Connect isn't showing when you look people up.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:45.920
But go ahead and put whatever job title, play around with the search feature and see what it takes to find some people.
00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.519
And what that does is it just changes changes the feed.
00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.560
It changes what it is you're seeing.
00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:57.120
Now, this assumes that you have some sort of social media that you're that you're part of.
00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:03.199
If you're not on any social media and hate looking on LinkedIn, then this one may not be for you.
00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:20.480
But for those of you that have something that you're scrolling through on a regular basis, I want to challenge you to take some of what it is that you're just have that tiny dream towards and put it in that feed and see if that doesn't start to just get inside your brain a little bit.
00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.000
See if it doesn't make you start thinking of new ideas.
00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:28.319
Number two is to research jobs.
00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:39.439
And regardless of what it is that you're looking for, I think it can be very interesting to go on LinkedIn and to just type in a couple job titles and then read those job descriptions.
00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:42.480
See what kinds of companies are hiring people for this.
00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:53.360
You may be thinking entirely of an entrepreneurial route to go, but sometimes when you're on that journey, it can be helpful to go get some job experience doing what you do.
00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:59.839
Maybe you are in a particular part of, let's say, finance right now, and you want to pivot to something that's adjacent.
00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:09.519
Just go look at job descriptions, see what it is that they're asking for in terms of experience, see how much they pay, just see what you can learn about it.
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.519
I think a job description can be a fascinating place just to do research.
00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:15.759
And it's super easy.
00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.319
You could do that just in the next few minutes.
00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:26.800
Okay, number three, because we are here listening to a podcast, that's gonna be my third recommendation is go listen to a podcast.
00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:33.440
The search feature, whether it's on YouTube or Apple Podcasts or Spotify, can actually be really helpful.
00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:39.200
If there's something that you're thinking about doing, I can almost guarantee that there's a podcast out there for it.
00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:52.080
When I was on this journey myself, I've shared the story probably before, but as I would drive to work at the construction company where I was working, and I was running marketing and operations for them, but I knew it wasn't the right fit for me long term.
00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:55.279
I would listen to a podcast called Don't Keep Your Day Job.
00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.720
It was done by Kathy Heller.
00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:57.919
She still has a podcast.
00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.879
It's been through several iterations of name changes.
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:12.639
That podcast was what led me, first of all, to podcasting, which then led me to coaching because my very early podcast listeners were actually the ones that encouraged me to become a coach.
00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:14.559
So listen to a podcast.
00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:17.200
Obviously, I have a huge bias in this space.
00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:20.000
I have found podcasts to be super interesting to me.
00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.320
And I don't even know how I stumbled upon that one of Don't Keep Your Day Job.
00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:29.039
There were far less podcasts back then, but somehow I found one that was kind of perfect for me.
00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:44.639
For some of you, I hope this is that podcast that continuing to listen to this, you'll find the person who is speaking your story, the person who has already done what you're doing, or can give you just that one tiny kernel of an idea that's gonna get you on your path.
00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.759
Okay, number four is read a book.
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:51.440
I am still a big believer in hard copy books.
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.440
I still check books out from the library.
00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:56.879
Of course, Kindle audiobooks, I do audiobooks too.
00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:06.960
I'm not so much a Kindle person, but there are so many different ways to get this content and literally millions of books out there.
00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:19.519
So again, if you just do a search on things that are interesting to you, you will likely find somebody who has written a memoir about being on the exact same journey that you are on.
00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.039
All kinds of possibilities around this.
00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:28.320
And if I think way back to when I very first heard that coaching was even a thing, I did go buy a book.
00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:29.679
It's probably still on my shelf.
00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.159
I don't even remember the name of it anymore.
00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:33.759
But I can picture it.
00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:36.480
I know that it is black, red, and white.
00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:40.159
And I learned a lot about the concepts around coaching.
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:44.080
Number five, I think, is probably the most important one here.
00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:51.679
It is not the easiest lift, but for anybody who's been listening to me, you know how important I think connection is.
00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:58.080
So number five is to make a connection with somebody who's already in this space that you're dreaming of.
00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:12.879
By make a connection, I really mean go beyond just following people on LinkedIn or Substock or wherever you are and actually reach out and see if you can build a relationship with this person, see if you can schedule a coffee with them.
00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.600
This is something I did that was very impactful for me.
00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:24.320
Right around that time that I was reading a book about what it meant to be a coach, I found somebody in my local community who was coaching.
00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.600
And I want to say that she had an ad in the local newspaper.
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.600
We had a tiny, tiny little newspaper.
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:32.480
I'm fairly certain that's how I saw her.
00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:39.840
And I sent her an email and I said I was interested in that same career, and I was wondering if she'd be willing to meet with me.
00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:41.360
And so she did.
00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:46.399
And we met and she told me what it was like to be a coach, and I was still interested.
00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:48.159
And kudos to her.
00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:49.840
I think she did a good job with this.
00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:02.639
Her suggestion to me was that if I was interested, but unsure on all kinds of different things related to it, that maybe I should hire her as my coach and we could explore that as a topic.
00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:07.600
My probably first introduction to career coaching, I was the client in this case.
00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:16.000
And what's so fascinating is that through that process, maybe six sessions, something like that, I discovered that what I really wanted to do was be a writer.
00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:21.039
And I did go on to write a couple of middle grade and young adult novels.
00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:26.960
And I really think that did spark my passion that lives in me today to be a writer.
00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:37.679
So one of the things that I think is so interesting is that when you go down these paths, it does not necessarily lead to the destination that you were aiming for, right?
00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:53.279
So I went and met a coach, I hired a coach, we talked about how I wanted to coach, but in some open discussions around it, what I found was that my passion and maybe what I was suited for right at that time was really more aligned with writing.
00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:01.440
So coaching went on the back burner for probably a number of years at that time, and I really did focus on the writing.
00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:06.320
I focused on fiction writing, I did freelance writing, and I don't regret that time at all.
00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.840
Speaking of writing, that is gonna be number six for me.
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.679
And like I said at the beginning, some of these will work for you, some of them will not.
00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.879
Take what makes sense for you, leave the rest behind.
00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:19.519
But number six is to start writing.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:28.799
You can do it privately, you can write a journal about what it is you're dreaming about, how you think you're gonna get there, whatever comes to mind for you.
00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:34.879
But also another version of this that I have seen really work is for people who start writing publicly.
00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:43.039
And in doing so, not everybody's ready to very publicly say, hey, I don't want to do this thing that I'm really successful at that I've been doing.
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.639
I want to do something totally different.
00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:52.879
So I've seen some very successful anonymous accounts, particularly on Substack, because that's where I've been recently.
00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.440
LinkedIn doesn't lend itself to anonymity.
00:13:55.600 --> 00:14:01.360
But on Substack, I'll see people who are like, you know what, this is the last year that I'm gonna do this job.
00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:05.759
I am fully intending to pivot into something else.
00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.799
I think it can work for people who are on the job search too.
00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:19.840
I think some people want to share exactly what they're going through, but they don't necessarily want that to be tied back to them when they are out and interviewing, you know.
00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:26.960
So if you're wanting to explore this space, I think there are absolutely anonymous ways that you can do it.
00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:32.399
And the reason for that, one is to protect your current identity, what you're doing, etc.
00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:34.080
I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:41.279
I think, yes, we want to show up authentically, but that doesn't mean that everybody has to see every single version of you.
00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:45.200
But in doing so, you can crowdsource some ideas.
00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:54.159
You can really get some feedback from strangers because we all know that the people in our lives have lots of biases, but you can start to get some feedback.
00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.919
You can find other people to connect with, maybe on the same journey, and it can just be a learning experience.
00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:07.200
So that's a possibility out there is to maybe write publicly but anonymously about what you're thinking of.
00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.639
Okay, number seven is to go to an event.
00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:19.679
So I think that live in-person events can really move the needle in terms of what you learn about something.
00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:26.480
I have been to all kinds of different in-person conferences, of course, many of them when I was in the corporate world.
00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:33.039
But I have also attended a lot of workshops, conferences, introductory events.
00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:37.200
In particular, I want to focus on kind of the just one and done type of thing here.
00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:43.679
So when I was looking at becoming a coach, I went to two introductory events for two different coaching companies.
00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:47.120
Both of them were very well-known coaching companies.
00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:53.600
And I went to maybe 90-minute, two-hour presentations on what their methodology was, all of those things.
00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:01.360
I didn't join either one of those, but it taught me a lot about the industry and it showed me maybe some of what I wanted and some of what I didn't want.
00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:07.679
In the end, I went to an Amy Porterfield conference on online marketing, I think because I had my podcast at the time.
00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:14.399
And it was people that I met there that kept saying that I seemed to be this certain type of coach and wondered if I'd been certified there.
00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:18.320
And I kind of took that as my sign, like, hey, maybe that's what I'm meant to be.
00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.039
And I worked my way backwards through the list, by the way.
00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:26.240
On the flight on the way home, I listened to the podcast of the person who ran that particular school.
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.080
And so that's what led to it.
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.039
Number eight is to take a class.
00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:41.519
These can be online, these can be in person, it can be a single day workshop or a couple hours, it can be a full semester at MIT or Harvard.
00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:44.799
There is such a wide range of what is available to you.
00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:51.120
If there's something that you want to learn more about, just to try it on, just to see if it works for you.
00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:58.080
By all means, take a class, start doing it so you can see if this is realistic for you or not.
00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:08.480
Okay, number nine is probably going to be the biggest of these small steps, but I want you to still think about it in a way that could be small.
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.680
And that is to get your first client.
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:18.240
Now, when I say get your first client, it depends upon what kind of business you're going into, whether this makes sense or not.
00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:23.920
But I know people, for example, that have decided I want to design people's websites for them.
00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.839
Now I know that's changing dramatically here in the last couple of years.
00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:31.680
So this may or may not be super relevant today.
00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:40.400
But what they did was they found somebody they knew in their network who had a not great website and just ask them, can I build you one?
00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.839
Can I build you a new website?
00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:47.440
Sometimes you can even do it without asking them and present it to them and say, hey, I was learning.
00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:50.400
I just wanted to try something out and I did this for you.
00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:56.079
Now, today that might be building somebody an AI agent, for example, for their business.
00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.839
You know the people in your network and in your world, so you know better if it is better to have a conversation or to just go do it on your own.
00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:06.079
Am I talking about making lots of money with this?
00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:07.119
No, not really.
00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:15.279
Because the the value of doing it for free is you get to do it on your timeline, you get to decide how big of a scope you're gonna have.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.680
And it's really just about the learning.
00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:30.079
Depending upon what this next thing is that you're looking for, I do think that there are frequently ways that you can do a tiny version of it for somebody and think of yourself as a consultant.
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:37.759
Now, if you're able to get out there and say, you know, I want you to be my first customer and it's gonna be$10,000, go for it.
00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:38.640
Do that too.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:43.440
Okay, and number 10 on this list is to write your future.
00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:56.000
Yes, some of these are definitely tending towards the writing side, which is my own bias here, but I think it can be really powerful to write a letter to yourself from the future.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:05.279
And so what I'm talking about is write something that talks about what a day in your life in this future place looks like.
00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:10.960
Let's say you're in this future career and you just want to write your old self about what it's like.
00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:12.880
So write it from the present tense.
00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.759
You can choose how many years in the future you want this to be.
00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:22.079
It could be one year, five years, ten years, whatever it is, but just write what it is.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:24.160
What's become possible for you?
00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:26.319
What do you love about that life?
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:29.920
What do you love about the choices that you made to get there?
00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:44.000
And it can do some really powerful work on your brain to just orient you to that position, to put you in place, doing it already, living that life as if it had already happened.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:45.839
That is my list of 10.
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:47.440
I'm gonna go through it quickly here.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:49.839
Number one, follow people already doing it.
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:57.920
Number two, research jobs, read job descriptions, three, listen to a podcast, four, read a book, five, meet with someone.
00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.920
Six, start writing about it anonymously but publicly.
00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:05.200
Seven, go to an event or a workshop.
00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:11.200
Eight, take a class, nine, get your first client, and ten, write your future.
00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:19.519
All of those steps are something that you can do without upsetting what it is you're doing now.
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:24.240
Those of you who aren't working right now, maybe some of that transition has already taken place.
00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:27.119
Maybe you get to go out and you get to do all of these.
00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:30.480
But choose the ones you like and learn from them.
00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:34.480
That's really what I'm recommending that you do, is that you learn from these.
00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:39.599
Remember, I did many of these steps and they led me on a different path.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:44.960
Several years later, I came back around again and I ended up back on that path.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.359
But it was meant to be, it is a journey.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.880
It is not a straight line, right?
00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:53.759
We tend to live our lives in very squiggly fashion, and I am no exception to that.
00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:03.839
And the final word for anybody who has made it all the way to the end and still thinks, I have no idea what I want to do next.
00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:06.720
I appreciate that you listened this far.
00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:15.279
There will definitely be episodes dedicated to that in the future, but the one thing that I would encourage you to do is to be open and curious.
00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:17.599
Ask people that you meet about their jobs.
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:23.359
Ask people that you work with regularly what it is they like and don't like about what they're doing.
00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:33.279
Talk to people that are younger than you, talk to people that are older than you, watch different shows, listen to different podcasts, just continue to be open.
00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:38.240
The fact that you're here and listening to this podcast tells me that you have a curiosity.
00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:45.119
And so just keep following that curiosity and realize that we are each on our own timeline.
00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.160
Thanks for listening and have a great week.
00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:49.920
Thanks for listening to next.
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:55.359
To find out more about working with me, including upcoming events, visit EricaParkerPrice.com.
00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:58.319
I promise you, you are not alone on this journey.
00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:08.240
Two things that could help me and help other people just like you discover the show would be first to follow and review this show on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:10.960
Second, I'm sure you have friends on this journey as well.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:13.680
So please share a favorite episode with them.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.680
We're all on this journey together.
