Life has realities.

Student loans.

Mortgages.

Savings.

This is something that is facing almost everyone of you.

You read about following your dream. Following your passion.

And each time you allow yourself to go there, “reality” smacks you in the face and back you go to drudgery.

But at soon as you are back at work, you feel all of the energy sucked out of you.

You want to scream at your boss…”I DON’T CARE!!!!”

Sound familiar??

I felt the exact same way.

Can’t tell you how many times I ran out of my office in tears and had to walk around the block to compose myself.

I was mad. I was resentful. I was sad. I felt hopeless and TRAPPED.

“Is this IT?” was on my mind everyday.

But what if walking into your boss’s office and quitting without another job just isn’t an option for you? (though you wish it were…)

Then what?

Take a deep breath.

There’s hope.

4 Steps to Making a Career Change

1. Change your mindset – You may be saying, “yeah, blah blah blah” but this is the most difficult and the most important step you will take. You know all of the complaining you do at work and at home about your job? Guess who it is hurting most? YOU!

It is not serving you. There is no “nutritional value” in it. Negativity attracts negativity. It limits you being open to new possibilities. And at the most basic level, people will stop wanting to be around you. At this point, you want to be at your best self.

Turn your resentment into gratitude for your current job. Every night and every morning, write down all of the ways that your job is serving you. “It gives you a paycheck that allows you to…”, “You’ve met…..friends.”, “You’ve learned….”, “You have health benefits that allow you to…”, etc.

2. Become Aware – Start noticing what activities at work you DO enjoy. What comes naturally to you? How about outside of work? Get clear on your values. Yes there are ways that you can apply your natural talents and skills to a new job.

Check out my eBook which takes you through 9 workbooks to figure out your “aha moment”.

3. Get out there – This is the step that a lot of you dread. The four letter word – NETWORKING. Don’t fret. You don’t have to throw on a name tag, pleated pants and a have a stack of business cards in your hand.

But you DO have to be social. Talk to people. Waiting in line at Starbucks? Stop looking at your phone and smile at someone. Strike up a conversation. Go to a meetup. Strike up a conversation online.

Whoever you do talk to, share with them that you are looking for a new job. Allow people to help you.

Send an email to your friends letting them know that you are looking for a new job and list 5 representative companies you are interested in working. Ask if they know anyone at those companies or similar companies that you can talk to?

4. Take Action – Be open and just start doing something. Anything. Take a class, go for an interview that may or may not be right for you. One thing leads to another. And no, you do not know what that thing is until you do it. Be open to possibility. Tell your know-it-all voice to take a backseat.

Life has realities.

But is this really the reality you want to live?

“We fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It’s about a process, a journey. The master is the one who stays on the path day after day, year after year. The master is the one who is willing to try, and fail, and try again, for as long as he or she lives.”~ George Leonard from Mastery

It was 7:30pm.

I had been up since 5:45am (for the third day in a row) with my 6 month old daughter.

I have no cute clothes to wear because I am not yet back to my pre-baby weight and haven’t wanted to spend money on “in between” clothes.

My husband still wasn’t home from work to take over kid duties.

I did not feel like driving another 30 minutes into the city for the second time that day.

I had every excuse in the book last night to not go to my friend Scott Dinsmore’s Live Your Legend meetup last night.

But I went anyway.

Earlier this week, Scott had posted something on his blog inviting people to join him for a Meetup.

I listened to the voice in my head that told me to go.

And I’m so glad I did.

I picked up my friend Erin of Brennan Brand and when we arrived, we didn’t know anyone.

But bless her, she shimmied her way right up to a group and introduced herself.

From there, I met some of the most inspiring and interesting people.

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits who taught me about “UnSchooling” his 6 kids.

Adam Baker of Man vs Debt who shared his experience of bucking the system and traveling the world with his wife and daughter for the last three years.

Everybody there was living their purpose.

Or to be more clear, they were walking the path to their purpose.

Here are the 4 Success Lessons I Learned from Top Bloggers Last Night:

1. Nobody was sitting around THINKING about what they should do – They were DOING it. Everyone started small. They all took small steps. Reaching out to one person. Pushing the “publish” button. Signing up for the class.
2. Everyone talked about a lot of trial and error – No one claimed to have it all “figured out”. Instead they were out there trying different things. Pushing their personal limits. Questioning societal norms. I heard a lot about failure and the lessons learned. I heard about fear and how great it felt to overcome it.
3. They were avid students – Because of the level of passion in the room, everyone was reading constantly. Voraciously. We were all sharing book and website recommendations. The thirst for knowledge felt unquenchable.
4. Fostering Relationships – There was a real feel of everyone wanting to help each other in the room. And an authentic curiosity about what each other did. At the end of almost every conversation, I heard, “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” Networking isn’t this awkward business card sharing (it doesn’t have to be) but instead truly wanting to meet other like-minded people.

Last night’s event reinvigorated me to what I’m doing. To the journey and path that I have chosen.

And that while I had a million excuses, being tired today was worth it.

Where do you have an opportunity to do something different?

To stop making excuses and get out there?

…I have two upcoming events in SF (a great place to start!)

• How to Develop Your Potential & Create a Long Term Career Vision (May 16th, 2012)
• Aha Live – The Food Industry (June 6th, 2012)

Click HERE to register and learn more.

That was the text response I got from my husband when I told him that I was now working  with an incredible startup called Daily Feats.

Because I believe in transparency and I believe in all of you, I want to share my successes, failures, challenges and developments.

To show you that just when you think your brain has figured out how something is or isn’t possible, you prove it wrong. (Your brain thinks it’s soooo smart)

I’ve always wanted to create an online challenge.

• But I don’t know how to create one.
• I don’t have the time or money to hire a developer to create one.

Idea goes dead in the water, right?

Wrong.

Something is always possible.

You just have to believe that it is.

“There is always a way. If you are committed.” – Tony Robbins

I “met” Daily Feats over Twitter.

They have started a company that helps people achieve their goals through small, positive steps.

We both share the value of doing good in the world.

They are doing good by doing what they do good.

And I am doing good by doing what I do good.

Together, we do good.

(yes, I know that was poor english, I was trying to go with the theme…)

So, the point of this post is two-fold:

1. Don’t limit yourself by believing that you “know it all” and what is or isn’t possible.
2. I have my own online challenge!

Here is a little about the online challenge:

It’s called Career Clarity with Suzannah Scully.

It’s FREE!

It is a 2 week challenge to help you figure out what type of career to pursue.

There are 8 steps for you to complete and the app will help you to stay accountable and allow you to share with your friends and other like-minded people.

Just click on the link below to join the challenge! (It’s free, no excuses)

livewellworkwell.dailyfeats.com

I also want to send a big virtual hug to all of you who have been supporting me.

These exciting developments would mean nothing if I didn’t have anyone to share them with.

Thank you.

Now…what is it that your brain has convinced you isn’t possible?

Today is going to be a quick post as I have one kid down for a nap and the other kid listening to Dora music in his room.

He also locked my dog in the room with him and based on the barks I hear coming out of the room, I’m assuming that my dog is not a Dora musical fan.

I digress.

Here is a quick little exercise to help you along your path to finding career clarity.

Imagine yourself at a dinner party and there is someone sitting across from you discussing a topic that has you fired up.

You completely disagree with their viewpoint.

While you are normally a calm and easygoing person, for some reason this topic is something makes you want to stand up and loudly express your opinion.

What is the topic?

What is your opinion on the topic?

What do you know for sure?

Don’t worry if you are not an expert on this topic or frankly if you don’t really know any facts about it.

What I’m interested in is finding out what gets you going?

Of course it could be more than one topic.

Write them all down.

Now look at the list you’ve created and put a star next to the topic that resonates the most with you.

Next step is to learn everything you can on this topic.

Take a class, watch a TED Talk, go to a speaking event, join a Meetup, spend time reading, listening to, researching and talking to people in that field. Soak it all in and view this as your time of research.

Want to know what fires me up?

*Conversations on spirituality – Almost every book I read now has the word “soul” in it. I am immersing myself. This is a topic I would happily engage in because I get excited about it and love hearing other people’s thoughts.

*Over-scheduling kids – We all have an opinion here. Mine is that children and adults need time of quiet reflection. Time to be bored. This I don’t care to discuss with others only because I find conversations around parenting only result in someone feeling bad about themselves or what they are doing. Everyone is doing the best they can and what is right for their kids. Case closed.

*Vegetarianism – I strongly believe in not eating meat for myself. BUT again, not something that I care to discuss with others. I have no judgement against those who do. My kids eat meat! Again, it’s just a personal thing that is important to me for a multitude of reasons.

Do you see the distinction in terms of something that is a calling versus something that you are personally interested in or believe?

This is the distinction between passion vs. purpose.

What did you discover?

*If you live in San Francisco, I will be talking more about this at my next event on How to Develop Your Potential.*

“I think I want to do ____ but then I think about everything else it entails and I realize I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Sound familiar?

Everything has a consequence.

Cause and effect.

Everything involves some form of self-sacrifice.

I recently was having a conversation with someone in my life who is extremely successful.

And when I say successful I mean that she is doing work that she loves, she is helping people, she has the ear of very influential people and is having a big impact on people’s lives.

Because I respect her opinion so much, I shared with her that I have a real fear of success.

That it will change me, that I will have to give up my “normal” life. I won’t be with my kids as much, I’ll have to travel, I won’t be healthy…etc etc.

And she said that yes, that is a part of it.

That taking care of yourself is so crucial and that when opportunities come at you, you have a choice on how you want to move forward.

With every opportunity that comes your way, think “Is it worth it?”

Sometimes the answer is no.

But sometimes the answer is yes.

This is sort of a silly analogy but I think about how sometimes when we want to take our kids out for the day it will entail them missing their naps.

And I know that if they miss their naps, they will be a disaster in the late afternoon.

So, you have to weigh it. Is the great day out worth the meltdown we will experience later?

Depending on the event that we go to, sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes the answer is no.

When it comes to  your career, “Is it worth it” is a very important question to be asking yourself.

There are no right or wrong answers. Only you can know what is right for you.

• Is making x salary worth giving up my personal life?
• Is going back to school and incurring debt worth the education and experience I will get?
• Is quitting and traveling the world worth risking my current career trajectory?

I think that the answer to a lot of the questions also depend on the life stage that you are in as well.

There are many factors to weigh.

Here are 5 ways to determine if the sacrifice is worth it:

1. Intention - Think about what your intention is behind any of your decisions. Why are you doing what you are doing? What do you want to get out of it? If you want to start a family and buy a house and that is your primary intention right now then maybe staying in your current industry where you are making a stable salary is worth the sacrifice. Your intention is not to make money, your intention is to build an environment that is safe and healthy for your family. The way in which you will do that is by making money.

2. Alternatives - Are there ways around the sacrifice? For example if we stay with the above idea, maybe you need to stay in your industry but you can switch companies or switch positions. Or what can you pursue on the side to feed your soul?

3. Think Long Term – Short term pain for long term gain. I often see people making their decisions the other way around. They take a job with a great salary and end up being miserable with no alternative plan in sight. What do you need to sacrifice today in order to get you to where you want to get long term?

4. Use your Gut – I read a great way of thinking about this in the book Start with Why:

“When you force people to make decisions with only the rational part of their brain, they almost invariably end up ‘over-thinking’. These rational decisions tend to take longer to make and can often be of lower quality.  In contrast, decisions made with the limbic brain, gut decisions, tend to be faster, higher-quality decisions.” - Simon Sinek, Start With Why

5. Who are you helping – Studies of happiness prove over and over again that a key factor in well-being is devoting your attention and passions to benefit others. When you sacrifice something but in the end know that you are helping others or making the world a better place, it is often “worth it”. Not just what it does for them, but for how it makes you feel as well.

I think what I am really saying is that I want your decisions to be made consciously.

Living with awareness around your decisions.

“Pursuing happiness takes work, but consider that this “happiness work” may be the most rewarding work you’ll ever do.” – Sonja Lyubomirsky – The How to of Happiness

And knowing that there are not “right” or “wrong” answers.

There are an infinite number of paths that you can take.

But when you lead with your heart, your soul, your gut, your intuition – whatever you want to call it – it won’t lead you astray.

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. – Lao Tzu

It’s the question that everyone wants to know, should I stay or should I go?

The majority of people don’t hate their jobs and they don’t love their job.

“It’s fine.”

“In this economy, I’d be crazy to leave it.”

“I don’t really know what else I’d do so I just stay where I am.”

Is this you?

• Have you been so focused on what you are doing that you’ve lost sight of where you are going?
• Are you waiting for your life purpose to be gloriously laid out for you one divine morning?
• Do you deep down inside feel like you could be getting more out of life?

You aren’t alone.

My very good friend, Scott Dinsmore over at Live Your Legend has created a great multiple choice online quiz that helps you figure out just how bad (or good) things are for you.

It’s a quiz called Should I Quit My Job.

You can check it out by clicking HERE.

**

Here is what Scott had to say about the quiz:

• Are you going to stand back and wait for something to happen for you? (how’s that going for you by the way?)
• Or move to the front of the room and do something?

Then do something.

Anything.

I’m very excited to bring you today’s aha interview with Katy Thomas Fike. Her story is not only inspiring in what she gave up to change careers but also that her passion is so off the beaten path for our generation.

Katy exemplifies all of what I love in profiling entrepreneurs. She is passionate, driven and excited about what she is doing which in turns gets others excited about it.

Here is her story:

Tell me about what you do for work.

I am a PhD Gerontologist and the co-founder of Innovate50, a consulting firm focused on innovation of products, services and environments for the 50+ market.

We work with clients across a broad spectrum of industries including consumer products, healthcare, retail, technology, finance, real estate, travel & tourism, automotive, media, entertainment and fashion.

What type of work were you doing prior to what you are doing now?

After graduating with a degree in Systems Engineering from University of Virginia, I moved to New York to work for Lehman Brothers. I started as an Investment Banking Analyst and later moved to the Corporate Strategy team.

Although the job involved very long hours and endless spreadsheets, it was a “prestigious” first job out of college and I enjoyed working with smart, driven people. Although I always knew it wasn’t something I would do forever, I didn’t have a sense yet of what I wanted to do instead.

What kinds of frustrations did you have with your previous job(s)?

As an investment banker, the strict hierarchy, narrowly defined roles and lack of control over my schedule were certainly frustrating aspects of the job. The experience definitely helped me realize how much I need and enjoy collaboration, creativity and autonomy.

However, my true frustration with the job existed on a deeper level, beyond the corporate culture and day-to-day tasks.

This realization struck me one morning when I was on the subway surrounded by other bankers headed down to Wall Street. I looked around and everyone was devouring the Financial Times (this was before smartphones!). Frankly, where the Dow closed or what the markets did overnight, did not make me tick.

Although I was objectively performing well and could endure the long hours, I knew I would never truly excel in an industry where I didn’t have an inherent passion for the topic and a desire to stay on top of all the latest information and trends.

How did you come to discover this was what you were meant to do?

On the morning of 9/11/2001, I was sitting in my cubicle at the World Financial Center, about fifty yards from the World Trade Center towers. I had been at the office until 2:00 am the previous night working on a presentation. Before 8:46 am, I thought that the presentation was of the utmost importance. After 8:46, that presentation was never touched or spoken of again. Priorities changed. Lives changed. The world changed.

To see my work become completely insignificant in a matter of seconds had a profound effect on me. That day I realized that I wanted to work in a more person-focused field and, in the event of an emergency, I wanted my work to matter more, not less. Although I didn’t change careers for 2.5 more years, September 11^th was the catalyst that began my journey of looking at my professional life and ambitions in a new light.

Not long after September 11^th my mom sent me a book written by a geriatrician named Bill Thomas (Learning from Hannah: Secrets for a Life Worth Living). It was a fiction book about what an ideal Elderhood could and should look like in our society. I still remember reading the book and highlighting virtually every word. The book opened my eyes to issues and opportunities about which I had never given much thought. Which was ironic because I had gravitated towards older adults my whole life, loved talking with them and truly appreciated their wisdom, but I had never thought about a career related to aging or older adults.

After reading Dr. Thomas’ book, I started voraciously devouring everything I could get my hands on about older adults and the aging process. I was hooked. I had found what made me tick!

After exploring lots of ideas and opportunities in the space, I decided to go back to graduate school. In August 2004, I enrolled at the University of Southern California’s School of Gerontology. Although I started in the Masters program, I quickly realized that I wanted to dive deeper and become an expert in the field, so I transferred into the PhD program.

Although most PhD gerontologists stay in academia or work in the government/non-profit sector, that wasn’t the path for me. I wanted to combine my gerontology expertise with my business and technology background to do something disruptive and meaningful in the private sector. Specifically, I knew I wanted to help businesses understand older adults and help them create products and services to delight and inspire these consumers.

What fears did you have to overcome to take the leap?

It feels like I should say I had a lot of fears about taking the leap, but honestly, by the time I decided to leave my job and go back to graduate school, I didn’t have any fears about changing careers. I think this is because I had done my homework and done plenty of soul searching during the 2.5 years between when I first read Dr. Thomas’ book and when I ultimately left my job.

By the time I did, I just “knew”. I knew I was uniquely passionate about older adults. I knew I brought a unique skill set and perspective to the field. I knew the demographics about global aging trends and US Baby Boomers were on my side. I knew I had the potential to make a difference in the space.

But please don’t be mistaken; I’ve certainly had fears and struggles along the way as I have ventured into uncharted territory as an entrepreneur in this space. I think sometimes there is a misconception that once you’ve “found your passion” it is all smooth sailing after that. This is not the case. In fact, in some ways, it is harder because you care so much and see so much potential in what you’re doing.

But on the flip side, it is so much more rewarding. Although I still experience ups and downs and uncertainties, the great thing is that I know it’s all headed in the right direction. Almost 10 years after first reading Dr. Thomas’ book I am more passionate and optimistic about the field and my role in it than ever before.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love being able to combine my passion and expertise in gerontology with my love of innovation, technology and business. I love getting to be both creative and analytical. I love helping corporations empathize with older adults rather than sympathize or stigmatize. I love collaborating with clients to solve important, human-centered problems. I love bringing good design into a category where products have traditionally been big, beige and boring. I love creating products and services that respect, honor, validate and elevate older adults in our society. I love trying to do my part to make the world a better place for all of us to live long, happy, healthy lives. At the end of the day, I love older adults, so I love my job.

If you were to give advice to people thinking about changing careers, what would it be?

Be honest with yourself about what makes you tick and what your unique talents are. From this list, clarify which items are better left as hobbies or elements of your personal life and which items you want to incorporate into your professional life or even build an entirely new career around.

Once you’ve identified the passions that you want to incorporate into your professional life, immerse yourself in that space as much as possible (ideally before you leave your current job). Read, volunteer, attend conferences, do informational interviews, start blogging etc.

Once you’re ready to make the leap, go for it with everything you’ve got!

You can read more about Katy’s company here: www.innovate50.com

Hi. My name is Suzannah Scully and I am an overachiever. And a perfectionist.

This all sometimes feels like an addiction.

The need to do more. Do better. Give. Live up to potential.

All amazing things.

But equally exhausting.

Last week I talked about our inner critics and how they can hold us back in our lives.

As I said in that post, mine is a dinosaur that pushes me hard to achieve.

I’m lucky in that I found a career and created a business where I love what I do.

A career that is incredibly fulfilling.

But what can happen is that because I am so interested and invested in it, my brain can often go into overload.

I am constantly reading articles, watching speaker videos, reading books and thinking of new ways to help and contribute.

Today I started to feel a burnout.

Like the bulb and light in my brain went into overload and sparks flew (not in a good way) and then went dark.

I stepped away from my computer, from my client files from my iPhone and I meditated.

Breathed in for a count of four, held it for four and breathed out to a count of four.

And then I felt called to write. So here I am.

I’m not even entirely sure what my intention is for writing today.

I recently read (and wholeheartedly agree) that in order to bring new things in your life, you need to create the space and take things out. By at least 30%.

I remember when I was trying to get pregnant with my second child and it was taking longer than I thought. (perfectionist went into full force – why didn’t it work on the first try?!). A dear and wise friend said to me, where in your life is there room for this child?

That hit me.

She said that I needed to create space for him/her to come in.

And so I did and it worked.

Now I’m with two kids, a dog, a husband that I love and a business that is growing rapidly and getting bigger than just I can handle.

And I can feel that I am on the precipice of something even bigger.

But I have to be careful. Of doing too much, taking on too much. Trying to be everything to everyone.

And being careful of not beating myself up if I’m not.

I remember someone once saying to me, “Even stress about good things is still stress.”

And that’s how I feel.

It’s the age old question, “Can you have it all?”

From what I’ve read (and trust me, I have! , the answer is “yes, just not at the same time.”

In the spirit of this post, I’m not going to try to have all of the answers and instead am going to open it up to you.

Enlighten me and your fellow readers.

What is the balance?

Is there such a thing as balance?

What do you do when your brain moves faster than what you can physically accomplish?

Where is that sweet spot between effort and ease?

Would love to hear your experience and wisdom.

Now, excuse me as I go back to breathe…

“What’s the point in even doing this, it won’t be right anyway.”

“You don’t deserve it. That’s for other people. Not you.”

“Your such a failure, why can’t you get it together?”

Sound familiar?

It’s our inner critic, that voice in our heads that we mistake for our “intuition” or “common sense” or “reality”.

When in fact, it is the voice of fear.

We are all inherently fearful of stepping out or rocking the boat.

I can’t explain the neurobiology of it but I have seen the manifestations of it every day.

I see people sitting in front of me who are bright, capable, talented and have the world at their finger tips.

Yet they are paralyzed. Stuck. Spinning.

When I asked one of my clients to write a her thoughts on her inner critic, here is what she wrote:

***

I respect him.  I listen to him.  And, I believe him.  When I’m around him, I start to value what he values, and worry about losing control, losing status, losing money, losing respect.  I elevate comfort and status quo over true happiness and fulfillment.  And I start to wonder whether I actually am in the right field and simply incapable of finding happiness and fulfillment.

Just like him.

I let his doubts cloud my ability to see the rest of myself and to explore it, and allow it to flourish.

***

Here is what another client wrote:

***

He sees my gloom. “Are you kidding me?” he whines, shaking his head. “Do you know hard it was it was to get this? Do you know how many people would kill for what you have? Don’t be a moron. You need the money. Just get it done.”

Then he goes back to his chair, puts his fat feet on the desk, cracks his newspaper, and looks for bad news about the economy.

***

Any of this sound familiar?

What I am learning more and more every day is that more than anything, our job is to learn to tame our mind.

The mind is an incredibly powerful tool of ours. And it is up to us how we want to use it.

Unfortunately, most of us let it run wild and control us instead.

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
-Buddha

The truth is, it isn’t easy to control our mind. Particularly when we’ve let it have the driver’s seat for so long.

As soon as you ask the inner critic to move over and hop in the back seat, it becomes very upset and can get quite nasty.

As one client put it:

***

When it’s all said and done, my inner critic leaves me feeling depressed.  Because it keeps me stuck.  Trapped.  Feeling helpless.   Just when I find myself imagining a new life for myself, the same string of doubts and questions comes creeping back in, and I end up feeling angry with myself — “why can’t I just suck it up and deal with it like everyone else?”

I know I should be listening to my gut and following my heart and all of those things.  But my saboteur is always one step ahead – keeping me from hearing my own, authentic voice.

***

So what is one to do with this voice? How do we quiet it?

1. Awareness – The first and most crucial step is to recognize that this is not your true inner voice. Recognize when you hear the voice and call it out to yourself. Give the voice a name and a persona. Mine is “Harry”. He is a dinosaur that wears a suit (don’t ask why, I have no idea) and is always at the front of a corporate conference room. He is a perfectionist and expects nothing less from me. He is always driving me harder and harder and is always disappointed with my results.

2. Put it to work – Inner critics are usually results oriented. They think the proof is in the pudding. “Show me evidence” is a common term. Think about what your true inner self wants. Really wants for yourself. Let your inner critic know that you are not interested in hearing all of the myriad of reasons why it will never happen. Instead, you’d like to use their logical reasoning to figure out a way where it could.

3. Little shifts – Someone once put it well – “would you ever talk to a friend the way you talk to yourself?” As soon as you hear that critic popping up, consciously shift your perspective, your thoughts, your words. Notice that it is only perspective, not reality.

This is what people are talking about when they say, “Mindful living”, “Conscious living”.

It takes work but what I’ve found is that slowly but surely, the voice gets quieter. And comes around less frequently.

It figures out that it is not welcome and that in fact, it is without power.

You actually hold the power.

Use it.

I’m honored to bring today’s interview to you as it is a different angle this week. Jen has exemplified two different aha moments. One is switching her daytime career. And the other is starting a blog…one the side.

Jen left a job that most would be envious of and took a big risk to follow her calling. To me, she represents someone who constantly challenges herself and continues to grow and allows herself to fully embrace and be open to whatever calls her.

Here is her story:

Tell me about what you do for work.

I am a Deputy District Attorney in the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office. I also write a lifestyle blog called A Well-Nurtured Life.

What type of work were you doing prior to what you are doing now?

I started as an assistant at a large entertainment public relations firm a few weeks after graduating from U.C.L.A and eventually left to start my own Entertainment/Fashion event company with another publicist from the firm. I did everything from walking red carpets with actresses to planning parties for international fashion companies and organizing events at the Sundance Film Festival. When you do event planning, your job description really entails so many different things – everyday is different.
What kinds of frustrations did you have with your previous job(s)?

In the beginning I actually loved the job. It was fun, fast-paced and always exciting. I got to travel, attend fabulous parties and events, and worked with a lot of A-list actors. The down side was that the hours were long and the pay was low, especially compared with what some of my college friends were making at their first jobs.

When I started my own business, a whole new host of challenges presented themselves, but I still really liked what I was doing.  However, over time, the glamour and excitement wore off and I realized that I was beginning to define my success by which Oscar parties I got invited to or how quickly I could breeze through a Hollywood velvet rope. I looked in the mirror and saw someone that I didn’t necessarily want to be.

How did you come to discover this was what you were meant to do?

After a lot of self-reflection, I decided to leave the company. I moved back in with my parents and wasn’t sure what to do next. My sister was studying abroad in Florence at the time and my family decided to visit her and travel through Europe for 6 weeks. That was my first trip to Europe and it really opened my eyes to how large the world really was.

For the first time I realized that there was so much more going on outside of the small, little Hollywood bubble that I had been living in. I remember visiting a winery in Tuscany and meeting the jovial owner who couldn’t have been happier or prouder of the beautiful little vineyard he had created. I thought to myself – he has no idea what the hottest Hamptons nightclub is or what actors attended P.Diddy’s MTV Awards after-party. That trip just changed the way I viewed the world and my place in it.

While I was in Europe, the trials of those responsible for the Rwandan genocide were going on at the Hague and I started following them pretty closely. When I realized there were many American lawyers doing the trials, I was moved and inspired by the work they were doing and the victims they were fighting for.

I came home and within a week I had done my research and signed up for the LSAT. I worked in the San Diego District Attorney’s office while in law school and as soon as the L.A. County D.A. started hiring, I applied.

What fears did you have to overcome to take the leap?

I was 25 when I started law school. I was worried about whether I would be able to compete intellectually with the other students in my class. I was hesitant about leaving L.A. for 3 years, where most of my family and friends were.

I was worried about disconnecting myself completely from a world I had been plugged into for years.

What do you love most about what you do?

One of the best things about my job is feeling like I have the ability to help victims of crimes in a small, but significant way. Whether it is a small shop owner who was burglarized and lost his entire inventory or a family who has lost a child, I have the privilege to come into their lives and fight to bring the perpetrators of the crimes to justice.

Knowing that dangerous individuals are off the street and that the victims can be given some type of closure, at least with respect to the justice system, feels really good. To hear the father of a child who was killed say “Thank You,” to you - there isn’t more professional fulfillment you can find.

My job is intellectually stimulating, challenging, and really fun. I also have wonderful co-workers who are supportive, creative and really excellent lawyers.

If you were to give advice to people thinking about changing careers, what would it be?

1. Don’t wait. There will never be a good time to go back to school, change careers, or start a new creative endeavor and putting it “on hold” will only make it less likely for you to actually do it.

2. Nurture your interests. Whether its photography, painting, or sports, set aside time to nurture your interests or passions, especially if it’s not what you are doing for work. With the long hours most of us log at work, it’s easy to rely on our day jobs to derive satisfaction and fulfillment in our lives. But setting aside time to pursue things that inspire and challenge you will inject more happiness into your life.

I’ve always loved fashion and interior design and although it’s not something I would quit my job to do at this point, I’ve found a wonderful creative outlet in my blog. Who knows where it will lead, but it gives me a space to talk about things and people that interest and inspire me.

I think of it as being the editor of my own magazine – something I’ve fantasized about doing since I was a little girl. So sign up for a community class or start an etsy shop and see where it takes you!

3. Do things that scare you. I’ve received this advice since I was in college, but at this stage in life I’ve realized how true it is. Going back to school was one of the best decisions I’ve made, but at the time, I had a lot of fear about whether I was going to be able to do it successfully.

4. Try your best to keep your priorities straight. As a working mom, it is sometimes very hard to make sense of how to reconcile my drive and passion for my job and career related goals with my family life and spending time with my husband and daughter.

I’ll admit to having moments where I felt like my parental responsibilities were getting in the way of work, but every day when I come home from work to my giddy toddler, I’m reminded that for me, my family will always come first.

Check out Jen’s blog: http://awellnurturedlife.blogspot.com/