Chasing Dreams with Aimee J.

How have your dreams played into what you have accomplished in life? For some people, their dreams remain unchanged over the years, and others see their dreams take detours and U-turns as life progresses. In celebration of our 150th episode, I’ve invited some of my beloved family members to join us for a chat about their lives and how they’ve chased their dreams.

I want you to meet my sister Jamie Joshua, my sister Gina Wright, and my brother-in-law Josh Wright. I’ve assembled them from across the globe for this virtual chat in which there is no script and there are no prepared questions. Let’s have fun getting to know them and putting them on the spot as only a sister can do.

We start by getting their take on the world of podcasting and some of their favorites that they listen to regularly. I’m even sharing some of my newfound faves, so listen closely for one or two that you might want to catch also.

How their dreams have played out in life

A common thread among my siblings is the desire to help people and make an impact. You hear that passion as they share their occupations and if that career has truly been the one of their dreams. Jamie is Director of Diversity Inclusion at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. It’s not something she imagined herself doing in her former life as an attorney, but it allows her to help people and make a deeper impact. She says it’s fun to work with a variety of people who have the passion to be change agents in the world. Josh is a dentist at Cornerstone Dental, as is his wife, Gina. Josh started the practice with his brother, and their goal has always been to elevate dental care into a less fearful experience. He has wanted to be a dentist since 8th grade, and even though there have been detours along the way, he has kept his constant vision. He loves establishing relationships with his patients and not just running them in and out of the chair. Gina always wanted to be a doctor, but ended up a dentist. She likes the hands-on approach of dentistry and finds great pleasure in helping people with their smiles.

TWEET: “Write it down and tell someone. It’s the first step toward getting there.” #chasingdreams

How they see others following their dreams

Jamie works with people who are interested in using education to help them figure out their dreams. She loves being the person to remind them of those dreams. Josh sees patients ages 1-98, but he says part of his fun in dentistry is seeing kids grow, develop, and chase their dreams. Gina sees younger staff in their office who want to learn and make their dreams come true. Most of them are in the work because it’s a career they love, and not just a way to make a living.

TWEET: “Do research on what interests you and keep a log of what you find.” #chasingdreams

How they stay sane and their advice for those who think they CAN’T

With busy and demanding careers, it’s vitally important to have other interests that bring joy and peace. Jamie likes to see movies, collect comic books, and spend quality time with friends. Gina has a lifelong passion for calligraphy and is always seeking to do new things with lettering styles. She says it’s a great stress release and gives her a way to make things for people, who are always appreciative of her efforts. Josh gravitates toward woodworking projects like spice racks, wooden pens, and cutting boards. Sometimes he and Gina collaborate on a special project that includes his woodworking and her calligraphy. To the people who think they can’t take on a hobby or don’t have time for self-care interests, they give the following advice: Josh says it comes down to making time for dreams with small, manageable steps; Jamie says you should learn to multitask in small batches of time and always make time for self-care; Gina’s advice is to be a little selfish in taking care of yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. It’s about the progress and the journey you can take joy in that matters most.

Guest Recommendation: ONE action for a dream chaser to take--

From Jamie: “Write it down and tell someone. It’s the first step toward getting there.”

From Josh: “Take the first step and start small.”

From Gina: “Do research on what interests you and keep a log of what you find.”

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE:

• [2:31] The podcasts that interest them most
• [9:12] What they do today as compared with what they THOUGHT they would do
• [16:59] Their interactions with people of all genders and ethnicities
• [21:28] What they do to stay sane
• [27:54] Their advice to those who think they CAN’T
• [34:46] ONE action for a dream chaser to take

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Po...

Tap into yourself, figure out who you really are, and embrace that.

In this episode, Sylvia and Drew Nixon, share the value of knowing who you really are and walking in your purpose. Life can get too noisy that we often miss the very thing that we would like to do, but we are given the opportunity to recognize our strength and learn the process of chasing our dreams.

WHAT YOUNG DREW AND SYLVIA WANTED TO BE

It’s always an interesting question when someone asks us what our dreams are when we were younger. Some of us may have varying dreams like Drew or one specific dream that will stay all throughout like Sylvia.

Young Sylvia always knew she wanted to be an actress or a talk show host. She was even considered to be most likely to have a talk show like Oprah in her senior yearbook. Life eventually took a different turn for Sylvia but deep in her heart, she still has that dream.

While for Drew, he was (on his own terms) “all over the place but not indecisive” when it comes to his dreams. He’s done a lot of different things thus his background is so colorful.

Although he’s always believed that he can do anything, Sylvia has taught him how to hone a specific skill and know who he really is. It helped build his knowledge and his character.

Now, Drew tells their daughter Chloe that he appreciates every single thing he ventured out when he was younger because it gave him the back-end knowledge and strategies in situations that demanded it.

DREW & SYLVIA’S JOURNEY TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW

When Sylvia was 19 years old she moved to New Jersey in the hopes that her dream of becoming an actress or a talk show host will come to pass. She’s always had the confidence that when she shows up, everything will change.

There wasn’t a single negative thought in Sylvia’s mind during that time. She didn’t think that it was a very competitive world where it was difficult to get in. Sylvia knew that her dream was very natural for her and she just showed up. All she was thinking was that somebody was going to sign her up for projects.

But as Sylvia mentioned, “it didn’t happen that way.” She came from a small town went to a big city with big dreams and big goals. It sure was a chasing dream moment, but Sylvia added, “it was a chasing dream moment without structure and planning.”

This grandiose event in her life served as an eye-opener. Sylvia realized that she didn’t have to give up on her dreams, she just needed to go in a different direction.

She started learning the ropes of the corporate sector and came back to Florida. Although not everything happened according to how she wanted it to be, it brought her acceptance that “without that dream coming to pass, it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen.”

While Drew looks at life from a faith-based standpoint. For him, every encounter he had with life happened for a reason. He uses the turbulence analogy whenever we go through a crisis.

Drew states that “turbulence is a constant reminder that there’s a movement happening and that there’s a destination you’re going to get to.” He embraces all the turbulence that he experiences and believes in the power of pivoting.

Sylvia equates turbulence to new beginnings in our lives. The best example is when someone starts with a new job, she advises, “give yourself the grace to learn and to go through the process.”

A pivot is a learning curve and we don’t always learn instantly, there has to be a process. We go through different seasons in our lives and when we know that a big change is imminent, we have to give ourselves time to comprehend the whole process.

The process may feel uncomfortable but it’s necessary. Don’t be scared of the change because it allows you to go to a destination where you can cruise and roll with everything that comes your way.

We’ve become so acquainted with movies or societal expectations that we’re led to believe that change is easy but in reality, it’s not. We have to learn how to process change and grow where we are placed.

TWEETS

“What you see is what you get.” #chasingdreams

"Turbulence is not always a bad thing, it's movement, growth, and a destination." #chasingdreams

"When you pivot, you have to brace yourself." #chasingdreams

"You may feel uncomfortable, but it's necessary for your changing season. #chasingdreams

QUOTES

"This may not be what I thought it was going to be, but I'm not going to give up on it, I'll just have to go in another direction."

"Without that dream coming to pass, that does not mean it's not going to happen."

"Turbulence is a constant reminder that there's a movement happening. There's a destination that you're going to get to."

"Give yourself the grace to learn and to go through the process."

"Any pivot is a learning curve" <...

We’re halfway through the year, it seems that days went by so fast. Some of us feel like not having enough time to process everything we’re going through. Some days we feel okay, others not so much. But you have to remember, it’s okay to not be okay.

In this episode, we have another inspiring discussion about it’s okay to not be okay. Aimee shares that for the past couple of months, she’s not feeling good. A lot of things happened, she lost some loved ones and this puts her in a space where she felt not okay.

During these days, Aimee didn’t feel like herself. She didn’t feel motivated, excited, or happy to do the things that normally give her joy. These may be the result of creative burnout and unfortunate life events.

Aimee shares her story and journey towards acceptance that there will be days that we don’t feel okay, and we’re allowed to experience and learn from this.

WE DON’T TALK ABOUT NOT BEING OKAY

Have you noticed that we don’t talk about not being okay? It seems like a prohibited topic in our society. According to an article published by Psychology Today, there are various reasons why people are not encouraged to talk about what they need to express.

No one wants to talk about the hardships in life. We fear that this may only cause stress to the listener and additional anxiety to ourselves. But we have to accept that some days are not roses and butterflies.

We also have days when it’s enough to survive and make it until the end of the day. The good thing is that millennials and Generation Xs are setting a good example that it’s okay to talk about our bad days.

This act inspires the younger generation to acknowledge and accept not feeling okay. They see this as the norm and might continue doing it for future generations.

TWEET

"Some days, it's not roses. Some days it's just molasses." #chasingdreams

IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY

It’s normal to not feel okay, to realize that not everything goes according to our plans. We all go through this phase and some may experience not being okay for the most part of the year.

Some people may think that they are not allowed to not feel okay because other humans depend on them. The classic example of this is being a parent. Parents think that it’s against the law to feel worried, out of place, confused, and so much more. because their kids look up to them.

This brings up too much pressure to feel okay despite having a raging fire inside that signals they don’t feel good. When parents do this, they build a notion that it’s undesirable to not have everything handled. And children may carry this belief until adulthood. They may think that not being okay means there is something wrong with me.

What we stand for today impacts the future. Our goal is to bring more awareness to mental suffering so that the kids of tomorrow feel encouraged and supported with their struggles.

The suicide rates for young people (teens and young adults) are the highest according to the article from UCLA Health. This may involve various factors, but it’s also related to not feeling okay and not having the courage or the willingness to talk about it.

We need to take the initiative to show people that it’s completely fine to not feel good all the time. This way we normalize the conversation with our kids, friends, and family about mental health.

This also causes a ripple effect so when a certain member of our family is having mental health struggles, he/she knows that you can help.

TWEET

"It's okay to not be okay." #chasing dreams

QUOTE

"We all go through a period where we're not okay.

"Even the protectors need to be taken care of."

THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH DAYS

Wouldn’t it be better if we have additional days when we can just take care of ourselves? This should be on top of our vacation leaves and sick days, not in replacement.

For the longest time, our sick leaves are only used for being physically sick. Our mental health is not considered as important as our physical health.

In a post by Verywell mind, they’ve outlined the states in the US where students are allowed to miss class for the benefit of their mental health.

This policy will also be beneficial for workers across various industries. There are days when going to work brings too much stress that we just need a day ...

What are the valuable parts of YOUR story? What is the legacy you need to leave for the world? My guest today has a unique perspective on his role as a podcaster, believing he is entrusted with preserving today’s stories for future generations.

Nick Goblirsch has been a podcaster and producer for nearly four years, while having a successful HR leadership career AND running a family household with his wife, Megan, host of the You Be You with Meg and Liv podcast. Despite having graduated with a degree in Fine Arts, design, radio, and video, Nick had long since turned off the passionate part of his life to focus on the NOW of raising children. A close friend of his started his own business, but needed someone with multimedia expertise. In came Nick, who for a small window of time every other week, started drawing on those dormant skills and escaped a bit from the day-to-day grind of his career to do something new and refreshing for a friend. As he started building his friend’s brand, that creative itch started surfacing again, and the passion for creating, sharing, and connecting was alive again. He set a goal of doing 200 full episodes with a few mini-sodes in between, and has set a mission to honestly connect with people around him, discussing timely topics that he can relate to and start a conversational experience that he can learn and grow from.

Fighting imposter syndrome

Have you heard the little voice in your head that says you don’t belong? We’ve all heard it at one time or another, and Nick remembers well the voice that said he would never be good enough in the podcasting world. He finally tired of not celebrating his successes, and when he was asked to speak at a podcast conference, he felt like it was the culmination of everything he had done up until that point. The challenge was to learn something new, get good at it, and expand his network---but he DID IT. Nick shares how he learned to love himself, believe in himself, and take care of himself---and stopped fishing for compliments from others.

TWEET: Challenge yourself to learn something new, get good at it and use it to expand your network. It’s not as hard as you imagine. @dependent_nick #chasingdreams

Finding the spark again

Which of society’s “stupid rules” do you follow? For Nick, he thought making the decision with his wife to start having children meant that everything else in life had to be put on hold. In his mind, parenthood meant forgetting who you are and forsaking the dreams you might have. Fortunately, he found the spark again and the love for all things tech, especially in the world of video production. Being raised by his grandmother and an alcoholic father after his mother’s death put him in the position to embrace his independence, and this skill has served him well as he became The Dependent Independent.

TWEET: Which of society’s “stupid rules” do you follow? @dependent_nick #chasingdreams

Finding his voice

Have you found YOUR voice? What is the legacy you should leave behind, not just for your own children, but for other generations? Nick is thankful that he has found his love for art and media again, and is using his talents to do something meaningful in the world. He shares a personal story about using his podcast to document thoughts and experiences that he hopes his children will appreciate one day in the future. He looks at his podcast as a time capsule in preserving memories that are the gift that keeps on giving for future generations. He says, “Everything you record is a legacy and an imprint on the world.”

TWEET: “Everything you record is a legacy and an imprint on the world.” @dependent_nick #chasingdreams

Guest Recommendation: ONE action for a dream chaser to take--”Don’t be afraid. Fear is crippling. Life is too short. It’s OK to be scared, but don’t let fear dominate your decision-making.”

OUTLINE OF THE EPISODE:

• [:26] How intimidating conferences can be for a newbie podcaster
• [5:43] Tracking down Dave Jackson and other veteran podcasters
• [8:00] Fighting imposter syndrome
• [12:23] Why we doubt ourselves
• [16:29] Finding his spark again
• [21:08] The rules society makes for us
• [25:53] Breaking out of the mold
• [31:45] A pivotal point that led to Nick’s first podcast
• [38:04] Finding a level of fulfillment
• [46:04] ONE action for a dream chaser

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Nick on Facebook

Nick on Twitter

Nick on Instagram

Meg’s Podcast