Our Authentic Careers | Weekly Conversations with

This week’s guest, Fred Baldassaro, offers listeners a front row seat on the incredible journey he’s taking to finding his most authentic career. Show Notes Fred Baldassaro, Fred Baldassaro Photography  Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [1:01] Are you today… The post Capturing The Moments: Fred Baldassaro appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

In this week’s podcast, host Gur Tsabar discusses the career pains many of us feel. The post Career Tracks 014: Career Pain appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

This week’s guest, Brittany Wagner (@Brittany_MSgirl), offers listeners a front row seat on the incredible journey she’s taking to finding her most authentic career. Show Notes: Brittany Wagner, Athletic Academic Advisor, East Mississippi Community College and Netflix: Last Chance U Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m… The post Impacting With Care: Brittany Wagner appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

This week’s guest, Rachel Adams (@racheladamskw), offers listeners a front row seat on the incredible journey she’s taking to finding her most authentic career. Show Notes: Rachel Adams, Real Estate Agent & Life Coach Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet?… The post Seeking Authenticity: Rachel Adams appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

In this week’s podcast, host Gur Tsabar tackles some of the hidden challenges we face in achieving authenticity. The post Career Tracks 013: Becoming Truly Authentic appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

This week’s guest, Wendy Braitman, offers listeners a front row seat on the incredible journey she took to finding her most authentic career. Show Notes: Wendy Braitman, Career Change Coach Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [0:44] What is it… The post Dancing With Life: Wendy Braitman appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

Show Notes:  Sara Garibaldi, SVP NY Brand Practice Director, Ketchum Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [0:43] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [2:45] What is it that you do today? [4:18] What was the earliest idea you had of what you wanted to be when you grew up? [5:50] What is it that your parents do (or did) professionally? [9:29] What impact did your parents have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [10:21] What impact did your siblings have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [12:55] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [13:48] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [15:08] What would you say has been your biggest career aggravation? [19:25] Are there any career highlights that you would tout? [20:50] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [23:29] The post Guiding Light: Sara Garibaldi appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

On this week's episode - I set out to remind you what you might have been like when you were younger. A couple of questions I regularly ask my guests require that they think back to what they were like and what they were thinking about their careers when they were younger. And so on today's podcast, I invited my son, Abebe Tsabar, a rambunctious 9 year old to answer some questions; and in the process, hopefully give you an adorable sense of what you might have been like back in the day... The post Career Tracks 012: Your Younger Self appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

Show Notes:  Jocelin Martinez, Independent Communications Coach Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [0:43] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [3:06] What is it that you do today? [4:12] What was the earliest idea you had of what you wanted to be when you grew up? [4:58] What is the feeling your having that tells you that you are not in the right place nor doing the right thing? [10:52] What part of Jocelin is getting expressed so well in this path of yours? [12:27] What is it that your parents do (or did) professionally? [13:36] What impact did your parents have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [13:57] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [14:37] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [15:21] What would you say has been your biggest career aggravation? [17:58] Are there any career decisions that you would today choose to undo or somehow redo? [19:00] Are there any career highlights that you would tout? [20:25] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [21:13] The post Humanizing Communications: Jocelin Martinez appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

What do you do when you realize at a pretty early age that the idea of helping, promoting and lifting up other women is fundamentally your mission in life? The unstated answer from this week's guest seems actually to be quite simple: you go about the business of doing just that. So, if you want to know what having a clear purpose and mission looks and feels like - then you'll love this week's conversation with Political and Fundraising Strategist Mather Martin (@MissMather). The clarity of her pursuit is incredibly refreshing, in fact it'll likely come off as downright jaw-dropping for those of us whose career trajectories have not been as clear. It's truly an awesome sight to behold. But where I want to point your attention to in particular - is in the opening minutes of our conversation when Mather almost glazes over what I think is an incredibly important driver, she says: I don't think we're here for very long. And in that one simple sentence, you come to understand not only the urgency of her existence and pursuit - but also, hopefully, the urgency of ours. And I say that not from a pressured point of view, but as an impetus to just take a next step down whatever path you may be exploring. Show Notes: Mather Martin, Political and Fundraising Strategist, Sean Parker Group Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:16] What is it that you do today? [4:24] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [5:08] What was the earliest idea you had of what you wanted to be when you grew up? [5:56] Given where you are today, how do you see your career unfolding in the near future? [7:48] What is it that your parents do (or did) professionally? [10:10] What impact did your parents have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [11:20] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [12:38] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [15:19] What would you say has been your biggest career aggravation? [17:50] What's the most difficult part of being in a passion profession like politics? [20:21] Are there any career decisions that you would today choose to undo or somehow redo? [22:59] Are there any career highlights that you would tout? [23:10] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [25:04] The post Lifting Others Up: Mather Martin appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

This week's post Thanksgiving episode of Our Authentic Careers comes to us, of all places, from singer/songwriter Bruno Mars -- who was interviewed last week on 60 Minutes. Bruno closed the interview by telling correspondent Lara Logan in no uncertain terms : I WAS BUILT FOR THIS. And then goes on to say : It's dedicating yourself to your craft. Spending thousands of hours in a studio leaning how to write a song, learning how to play different chords, training yourself to sing. You know, to get better and better. To which Lara replies: Are you there yet? And Bruno answers: No. I'm not even close. I love all of this so much for a few basic reasons: The first: this idea that Bruno was built for THIS -- for singing and songwriting -- is so very perfect. We talk a lot on this podcast about the need to figure out your core expression or your core talent -- and with those 5 simple words - I was built for this - Bruno Mars brings that idea solidly to life. Meaning: he literally believes that this is what he was created to do on this planet -- nothing more, nothing less. And I love that phrasing: I was built for this. Because it's a phrase you can try on for size pretty easily. If you were to look at what it is you're doing today, could you with equal certainty, calm and confidence - say to yourself and declare to the world - I WAS BUILT FOR THIS. And if you happen to be one of those people who do not feel comfortable making that statement about your current endeavor, then perhaps consider asking it of yourself in the form of a question: What is it that I'm built for? What am I built for? And btw, a question I always ask my guests - which consistently helps them get at the heart of that answer - is to think about what kind of advice or counsel your friends, family and colleagues have consistently sought from you throughout the years. What is the thread that weaves how people are accessing our trying to utilize you already? I also loved that after telling Lara that he was built for this ... Bruno went on to explain what exactly that translates to for him : it translates to spending thousands of hours in a studio learning how to write a song, learning how to play different chords, training himself to sing ... etc. In other words, once you've been born to do something, the very next step is to go about the business of doing it - in every which possible way - to whatever depth and breadth is required of you to do it ... no questions asked. And last but not least: I loved that in his stated quest to get better and better, despite being at what appears to be the top of his game, when asked if he was there yet, if he had arrived at that place of mastery, the pinnacle - he answered with an emphatic NO - - not even close. And in that response lies another important clue - that when you're doing your thing, that thing you were built to do, that it is very much a lifelong endeavor, the joy of which - in large part - is simply in learning more and more and more along the journey - and not really worrying all that much about the destination. The post Career Tracks 011: Born This Way appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

What better way to mark the one year anniversary of Our Authentic Careers than to bring on a former career coaching client of mine who, as we speak, is in the process of pulling off one of the most difficult stunts, and that is: the mid-career transition.  As you'll soon hear, Stephanie Weston found herself stuck deep in a job and path that had just taken her too far away from her most core talent and expression; which we discovered, for Steph, is simply her DEEP DEEP NEED to be coaching and guiding others. That expression of coaching, that talent is literally and viscerally in her bones; and now, she's owning it: Steph is off to the races, and is pursuing a much more entrepreneurial path towards a private practice. And what I love about the way she recounts her journey - is the clarity she has about her feelings every step of the way. Steph has a really firm grasp of that thing we call our gut instinct - and has clearly relied on it heavily throughout her career. Show Notes: Stephanie Weston, Therapist & Integrative Wellness Coach Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:20] How would you describe this idea of something 'feeling right'? [3:51] What is it that you do today? [4:20] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [4:50] What are the internal benchmarks you use to determine the feeling of unhappiness? [9:56] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [15:34] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [16:38] What is it that your parents do (or did) professionally? [24:30] What impact did your parents have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [25:32] How would you describe your relationship to fear? [26:44] Are there any career decisions that you would today choose to undo or somehow redo? [28:16] What has been your biggest career highlight? [29:38] How do you tune into your gut instincts? [33:04] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [34:18] The post Coaching From Her Core: Stephanie Weston appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

I'm consistently struck by the consistencies in our paths. One of which - whether we like it or not - is that so many of us see to grow up with dueling concepts of what it is we think we should be or want to be when we grow up. For example, for this week's guest - Seth Jacobson - the lifelong battle appears to have been between the ideas of public service and documentary filmmaking. Spoiler alert: Seth today runs a highly regarded public affairs outfit in California. But as you'll soon hear, Seth looks for every opportunity to let his inner documentarian come out and play -- and more often than not, he does so in the context of his public affairs role. And interestingly, that's usually how it seems to go for so many of us. We end up with a dominant profession, but then strive to find all sorts of opportunities to work in that other less dominant side of us... Show Notes: Seth Jacobson, President, JCI WW Inc. Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:01]Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [6:03] What did you study in college? [10:34] What is it that gets you so hooked about politics? [12:40] What is it that you do today? [17:13] What impact did your parents have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [18:41] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [19:31] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [20:30] What has been your biggest career aggravation? [21:41] What has been your biggest career highlight? [24:37] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [27:36] The post Serving The Public: Seth Jacobson appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

This week I have one simple aim: and that is to further refine what is without question one of the most important ideas when it comes to inhabiting your most perfect and authentic career: and it’s an idea I'm calling “Core Expression” and my personal belief - after conducting nearly 100 interviews (on this podcast and before) - is that nothing matters more to your career path than identifying your Core Expression. As a refresher: your “core expression” is that one singular way that you are needing to express yourself in the world - NO MATTER WHAT. And when I say needing, I mean it in the fullest sense of the word - you are literally, viscerally and desperately NEEDING to express yourself in this one way. So what in the world, you might be asking yourself, does identifying your ‘core expression' have to do with figuring out your most perfect career? Well, consider this: the problem for all too many of us, is that we’ve gone about the job of getting a job, and the job of getting a career, without first having a clear sense of how it is we fundamentally need to express ourselves in the world. Which means that all too many of us are working day-in, day-out without being consciously attuned to how it is we are so desperately and viscerally needing to show up every single day. So let me explain further: I want you for a moment to think of yourself, and each of us for that matter, as a seed - a little round seedling. And actually, broaden it a bit: think of every living thing as a seed first. Think of a red rose that started off as a seed. Think of yellow sweet corn as starting off as a seed. And then, to get even more specific, consider for a second a seed that ultimately yielded a bright orange carrot; and then consider a very similar seed, but one that yielded a purple carrot. And if you just think about those examples: the red rose, the yellow sweet corn, the orange and purple carrots - you start to realize a few things: first) that each little round seedling - which when held in your hand might very well look exactly the same - you realize that each of these ultimately grow into very unique beings: a red rose, yellow sweet corn, an orange carrot and a purple carrot; second) you realize that there’s nothing that those seeds could do to themselves or have done to them by others that would change their trajectory. Meaning: that no matter what, each of those seeds will ultimately express themselves as: a red rose, yellow sweet corn, an orange carrot and a purple carrot - respectively. So let me repeat that: there’s nothing each of these 4 seeds can do, or that can be done to them, that will prevent them from expressing themselves however it is the’ve been genetically encoded to express themselves. And so what I want you to do now is to think of yourself similarly. Each of us also starts off as a seed of sorts, and increasingly, after conducting all these interviews, I’m landing on the belief that each of us - as humans - is also uniquely encoded to express ourselves primarily in one singular way or another. So for example: some of us might be hardwired to express ourselves as teachers. Which is to say: we need - NEED - to be teaching in some form or fashion - NO MATTER WHAT. Some of us might be hardwired to express ourselves as writers. We NEED to be writing, in whatever capacity, NO MATTER WHAT. Both teaching and writing are examples of this idea of “core expressions”. And btw, if you want to hear what this idea of ‘core expression' sounds like, two interviews stick out in my mind: one with Laura Sutphen (Episode #2) - who expresses herself fundamentally as a teacher; and the other with Jesse Hirsch - who expresses himself as a writer. Both are really really fantastic interviews. But here's the refinement: sometimes our core expression might not appear to be so career...ish. Meaning: it might appear on the surface to be more family oriented or otherwise.

This week we are talking about the gut. Our gut instincts. And this seemingly simple - but in reality: really difficult - idea of paying close attention to what those instincts are actually telling us. This week's guest and former colleague of mine, Allison Slotnick, seems to have mastered the art of listening to hers, having relied heavily on her gut instincts to move her into one job and out of the next throughout her career. And I love that Allison's journey focuses our attention on this idea because it is perhaps one of the most potent tools we have in our arsenal. Interestingly, Allison's was fine tuned by something her dad told her early on in her career, which she shared with me after we spoke, and that is that: “You can love a job, but it will never love you back." Cynical? Perhaps. But it very much helped build her confidence to jump ship and listen to her gut throughout the years. Show Notes: Allison Slotnick, Sr. Manager/Customer Insights, Hudson's Bay Company Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:02] What is it that you do today? [5:57] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [6:20] What is it that you parents did or do? [9:59] What impact did your family have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [10:45] Have you today landed on a path that you feel is your path? [11:47] What have been the biggest aggravations of your career? [13:14] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [15:03] What is it about TV production that you realize is not for you? [18:37] What does "listening to your gut" feel like? [21:19] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [26:10] What has been your biggest career highlight? [29:02] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [30:31] The post Digging For Insights: Allison Slotnick appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

This week's episode with human development consultant and entrepreneur, Daniel Pitlik, is A doozie. It is power packed with incredibly valuable and immediately actionable nuggets of wisdom and advice.  One of the best pieces of advice that Daniel shares is this idea of taking small steps, many of them, like thousands of them - to help you get you to where you want to be. I love that idea for its sheer simplicity and because so many of us so often tend to look for and focus on that one big giant step that will move us forward. Furthermore, Daniel offers us some fantastic counsel about what it might ultimately take to make that final leap - after you've taken all those small steps, and that is: to shut close the door behind you. There will likely be a time when you'll need to move forward without the security of a fall back option - because from his perspective and experience - if you don't, chances are that you'll end up falling back on that exact option. Show Notes: Daniel Pitlik, Pitlik Consulting Group Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:07] What is it that you do today? [3:18] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [8:20] When's the earliest you can remember having an idea of what you wanted to be when you grew up? [9:12] When you start to realize that you need to change paths, what steps do you take to move yourself in a different direction? [12:01] How did you go about actually getting business for yourself? [17:32] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [20:11] What is it that you parents did or do? [21:12] What impact did your family have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [21:39] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [23:00] When you are helping people, what does that feel like? [25:06] What has been your biggest career aggravation? [25:34] Are there any career decisions that today you would choose to undo or somehow redo? [28:19] What has been your biggest career highlight? [29:25] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [30:05] The post Developing Humans: Daniel Pitlik appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

What I love about this week's fantastic, open-book-of-a-guest: Christian author and editor: Katara Washington Patton, is her no-nonsense approach to navigating fear. Fundamentally, Katara comes with a deep belief that whatever she's about to do next is gonna work out in her favor; and a deep faith: she relies on good ol fashioned prayer and on her past - on those times when she made changes amidst uncertainty - she uses the memories of those times as proof positive that things will work out just fine. Really refreshing and really inspiring. Katara also had a very interesting and what I think is a very profound view on certain jobs that we have at certain moments in time, she says: sometimes you need a rest; and sometimes having a job that isn't challenging to you can be helpful ... meaning: that it gives you the time and space to deal whatever else might be happening in your life. A really fantastic, and really under-appreciated point of view. Show Notes: Katara Washington Patton, Author and Editor Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:01] What is it that you do today? [3:50] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [7:53] When's the earliest you can remember having an idea of what you wanted to be when you grew up? [5:31] What did you study in college? [7:46] What is it that you parents did or do? [11:07] What impact did your family have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [12:36] How have your siblings impacted your path? [14:03] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [15:18] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [21:22] What has been your biggest career aggravation? [24:01] Are there any career decisions that today you would choose to undo or somehow redo? [25:49] What has been your biggest career highlight? [28:36] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [31:52] The post Praying To Help: Katara Washington Patton appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

On this week's podcast, I am jumping back into some of the nuggets that my 17th (Adrianna AG Bevilaqua), 18th (Allyson Downey), 19th (Gosia Ashby), and 20th (Jaime Schwartz Cohen) guests uncovered for us and will be playing some of their words back to you in the hopes that in some way you might hear them slightly differently than b4 and find them even more useful. And I'd like to start by focusing your attention today on the concept of knowing - or rather - the various bits of knowings that we have about our respective careers along the way. I want you to get a sense of what those knowings sound like… The post Career Tracks 009: Knowing the Signs appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

If ever there was a master class in how to read ones career and in how to course correct - when said career goes spiritually off the rails - this week's conversation with my fantastically open-hearted guest, Melissa Palazzo, would be it. Suffice it to say: that when she was a young girl, Melissa had aspirations of becoming an actress -- but ---somehow -- not unlike what happens to so many of us -- found herself enrolled at a university in pursuit of a path that was not just entirely different, but at the polar opposite end of the spectrum. For Melissa, it was accounting - of all things... As she explains, she was more determined not to fail and not to become homeless than she was to follow her heart. And what I love is that there gets to be a moment on her path when her heart just can't take it anymore - and when she's finally able to deliver some choice words to herself : SISTER, WE GOTTA GET OUR ACT TOGETHER ... THI IS YOUR LIFE! Show Notes: Melissa Palazzo, President, Ant Farm Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [2:06] What is it that you do today? [7:25] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [7:53] When's the earliest you can remember having an idea of what you wanted to be when you grew up? [8:53] On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is a total non-issue and 10 is a big large gloomy shadow, how large a shadow would you say financial considerations have had over your career path to date? [10:44] What is it that you parents did or do? [11:28] What impact did your family have on your career and decision making processes throughout the years? [11:44] When does the idea of being an actress die? [13:02] What do you make of your ability to do so well on a patch for which you have no heart? [15:09] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [17:59] What has been your biggest career aggravation? [24:22] Are there any career decisions that today you would choose to undo or somehow redo? [26:22] What has been your biggest career highlight? [27:12] Knowing what you know today, how would you advise your younger self? [28:28] The post Hearting The Path: Melissa Palazzo appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.

On this week's podcast, a credit analyst and counselor by the name of James Downing. A fantastic guest with a most compelling journey who has a lot of great insights to share. And for me, perhaps the most eye opening part my conversation with James, was the realization that in thinking about our careers - and how it is we each got to where we are today - that we are perhaps being too narrow in our scope. Meaning: that sometimes where we end up in our professional careers might have less to do with our professional desires along the way than it does with our personal ones. For James, from a very early age, his desire was to become a really good dad. Without question, that desire seems to have trumped everything else. And from what I can tell ... he seems to be well on his way to achieving just that. Don't know about you, but I find this idea to be a really interesting nuance as we think about our journeys. Show Notes: James Downing Do you ever think about the concept of purpose or mission; or what it is I’m doing here on this planet? [1:56] What is it that you do today? [3:53] Are you today in your career where you thought you would be when you were younger? [4:51] How early on in life did the idea of being a good dad become important to you? [8:08] What kind of counsel or advice or “services” have people consistently come up to you for? [15:49] When you're giving out relationship advice, what does that actually feel like to you? [18:31] What has been the biggest aggravation of your journey? [25:19] What would be the highlight of your career to date? [26:26] The post Counseling From His Core: James Downing appeared first on Our Authentic Careers.