Career Relaunch®
The Career Relaunch® podcast helps you navigate the dynamics and emotions of a major career transition. Hosted by career change consultant and keynote speaker Joseph Liu, each episode features candid, honest interviews with professionals around the world who have changed career paths to find more fulfilling and meaningful work. Their stories of reinvention can provide you with inspiration, companionship, and reassurance as you relaunch your own career. Check out episode show notes, access free career change resources, or join our global community of listeners in 170+ countries at https://CareerRelaunch.net.
S7 E106 · Thu, April 24, 2025
Crafting Your Ideal Life with Sadaf Raza
What does it mean to live your best life? Is it achieving professional success? Financial freedom? Being physically fit? Having a loving family? Pursuing a clear purpose? All of the above? In episode 106 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Sadaf Raza , a former investment banker turned brand marketer turned founder of Leadearly , a business school admissions consultancy. Sadaf provides unique perspectives on changing industries and shifting from full-time employment to running your own business. We discuss how to avoid the trap of doing what you feel you should do in your career so you can focus your efforts on what you want to do to honor your own values and priorities. She also shares a few helpful perspectives on how attending business school can enable your career pivot. 💡 Key Career Insights Speaking to people doing things you’re doing is an effective way to make a major transition rather than trying to do it all on your own. Taking small actions can give you much more clarity than analysis alone. You have to act in order for the path to emerge. You have to define your own measures of success so you can feel good about your own choices and live a life that makes you happy. 💪🏼Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel® segment, I challenged you to identify the top pillars you’ve been dedicating your energies to in your life and career recently. Name them. Then, look honestly at what you’ve been prioritizing and consider whether you’ve been investing your energies into the right pillars that bring you joy. Avoid fixating on achieving the standard, societal definition of success. Dedicate your energy and resources to what makes you happy, not what you feel should make you happy. 📖 Episode Chapters 00:00:00 Overview 00:01:07 Introduction 00:03:16 Chat with Sadaf 00:46:53 Mental Fuel 00:55:06 Listener Challenge 00
S9 E105 · Thu, January 30, 2025
Knowing Yourself with Sally Chamley
Have you ever fallen out of love with your job, even one you initially enjoyed? All of our careers go through ups and downs, and sometimes, we go on much-needed detours to clarify who we are and what we want our professional experiences to be. On Career Relaunch ® podcast episode 105, Sally Chamley shares her journey of professional reinvention, going from a primary school teacher to a business school program coordinator. She shares the emotional challenges of leaving a beloved teaching career behind, the dynamics the transitioning into a new sector, and developing new skills along the way. We discuss how our work environments can have a huge impact on career satisfaction and the importance of recognizing when your job no longer aligns with your true self. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I also share practical advice about how to figure out if your job still aligns with who you are and who you want to be. 💡 Key Career Insights When you start to dislike my weekdays or if you feel unfulfilled and disconnected from yourself, it may be a sign you’re misplaced in your career. If you’re not engaged in professional activities or behaviors you feel align with who you are, at some point, you have to ask yourself how long you can continue living that way. You may feel your skills are not transferrable when transitioning into a new sector, but you will only know if this is true by trying out new things. You may be surprised how much your past experiences help you in seemingly unrelated roles. 💪🏼 Listener Challenge For this episode’s Mental Fuel® segment, I’d challenge you to take a moment to assess your current professional situation. Find a few minutes to consider how energized you feel by your work. Consider how happy you are with who you are. Decide whether you still feel like yourself. Take stock of where things stand right now. Consider whether your responses are satisfactory to you. If they are, great, you’re in good shape. But if
S8 E104 · Thu, November 21, 2024
Channeling Your Curiosity with Laura McIntyre
Curiosity is something we’re all born with as humans. Most of us come into this world with an immense amount of curiosity. If you ever watch young children around a new set of toys, they’ll excitedly try them all out. Similarly, during the early stages of our careers, we’re thirsty to explore, absorb, and learn as much as we can on the job. However, over time, that curiosity can get dampened and even shut down as a result of work pressures, life realities, or societal expectations around how we should be spending our professional time. Keeping your curiosity alive is one way to open new doors throughout your career. In episode 104 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Laura McIntyre , a professional opera singer turned business change consultant at Deloitte, describes her journey of going from the world of performing arts to the corporate world of management consulting. She explains why she decided to walk away from singing, how she managed her transition while making ends meet, and what steps she took to eventually land her job at one of the world’s leading professional services firms. After our chat, I’ll also share some thoughts on the importance of remaining curious in your career during the Mental Fuel ® segment. 💭 Key Career Change Insights Sometimes, your career puts immense amounts of pressure on you in ways you don’t fully register until you hit an emotional or physical limit. When you cross that threshold, you owe it to yourself to recalibrate and reassess where to take your career. Transitions are inevitably messy, often resulting in rejection and setbacks that may lead you to question your original decision to leave your former career behind. Understand that transitions take time, and the ups and downs are par for the course. With enough dedication, exploration, and proactive connection-building, you can increase your chances of eventually identifying and landing a role that better aligns with your interests, skills, and lifestyle. 📚 Resources Mentioned Read this CareerShifters article featuring an interview with Laura where she describes her career journey in more detail. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I referred to Ethan Mollick’s book Co-Intelligence which radically reshaped my views on AI’s role in our work. 💪🏼 Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu
S8 E103 · Thu, August 15, 2024
Finding Where You Belong with Dorna Lakayan
Have you ever felt a bit out of place in your current job? Do you ever feel more like an outsider than an insider at your company? Have you ever struggled to fit in at your workplace? In episode 103 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Dorna Lakayan , an architect and designer, describes her international journey to figure out where she belongs, the challenges of penetrating new professional circles, and the emotional dynamics of running your own business I also share some thoughts on fitting into new environments during the Mental Fuel ® segment. 💭 Key Career Change Insights While your instincts can serve you well, over time, logic and reason can overwhelm that instinct as you progress in your career, which can stop you from making brave leaps that align with your true ambitions. Some days, you may wake up and feel like you’re making zero progress, but you still have to find a way to bravely put one foot in front of the other and make consistent efforts to keep moving forward both socially and professionally. You often hear stories of success, but what lies beneath the surface are often lonely, challenging days where things haven’t gone according to plan. It’s part of the journey and helps you get where you ultimately want to go. When people don’t respond in the way you want them to, it may not relate as much to you as it does to their situation or own struggles. If you’re going through a tough time in your career, trust that this shall pass and life will go on. As long as you’re enthusiastic about what you’re doing and excited about your future, opportunities will arise. 💪🏼 Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel ® segment, I challenged listeners to find an anchor point that’s consistently served you well, kept you grounded, or just helped you feel more in control. Identify an activity, skillset, person, or place you can reconnect with regularly to create that sense of familiarity
S8 E102 · Wed, June 26, 2024
Adding Your Unique Value with Sandeep Achanta
The start of a new job or chapter in your career can be a sensitive, delicate time. It’s a moment when you’re trying to convince yourself you’ve made the right move. It’s also a moment when you’re trying to convince others you can do something, which may be very different from what you were doing before. Moving onto something new is harder than holding on to what you already have, even if what you have isn’t bringing you joy. In episode 102 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Sandeep Achanta , a former fitness professional in India turned service designer in the UK describes how you can discover what ignites you, bravely leap into a new professional role, and embrace your unique career journey. I also share some thoughts on overcoming the mental hurdle of starting over during the Mental Fuel ® segment. 💭 Key Career Change Insights While you may be in a comfortable job with relative stability, you might still feel like something is off, like you could be doing more. When this happens, you have to ask yourself when you will cross a tipping point and make the leap to do something else. The decision to change careers is separate from the transition process. The actual transition could take months or years to execute, which is just part of making a major pivot. If you’re dissatisfied with your current role, you have broadly two options. You can either find a way to tolerate and manage your situation, or you can proactively attempt to do something else. Humility is a critical component of making any career change. You may have to start over a bit, drop down to a lower rung on a corporate ladder, or report to someone who may be younger than you. During a career change, we tend to discount or dismiss away our previous experiences that don’t directly relate to a new role. Those experiences are exactly what enables you to make your unique contribution. 📚 Resources Mentioned Sandeep mentioned he began his exploration of service design with the Interaction Design Foundation . Learn more about CrossFit at the official CrossFit website . 💪🏼 Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/
S8 E101 · Thu, March 21, 2024
Stepping Back with Gisela Prunes Garcia
When was the last time you took some time off from work? I often feel this pressure to keep plowing ahead in my career, to not take detours, and to not slow down. However, taking a momentary pause during a job transition is often the only real opportunity you have to slow down, recalibrate, and reconsider where you want to take your career next. HR professional Gisela Prunes Garcia shares her thoughts on the complexities of living and working in different countries, putting yourself out there before you’re ready, and managing your internal thoughts during uncertain career transitions. In episode 101 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, I also share some thoughts on the tension between professional achievement and periodic reflection during the Mental Fuel ® segment. 💡Key Career Change Insights Returning to your home country after living elsewhere may not always fill you with the comfort you might expect from familiar surroundings and can instead leave you feeling confused about where you belong. Talking about your career when you’re working for an established, well-known company is much easier than discussing your transitions or messy periods in your professional trajectory. While uncomfortable, career transitions can be a very fertile ground to explore other interests and paths that you may have otherwise ignored or overlooked while being focused on climbing the corporate ladder. 🚀Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel ® segment, I challenge you to periodically permit yourself to slow down, even if it’s just for a day, and allow yourself to have a bit of a metaphorical palate cleanser. During these momentary pauses, ask yourself: What’s my level of satisfaction with where my career is headed right now? What action can I take to better align my work with my natural strengths and interests? Where would I like my life to be a year from now, both personally and professionally? 5 y
S7 E100 · Thu, September 28, 2023
Embracing Change with Anne Tumlinson
Today marks our 100th episode of the Career Relaunch ® podcast!🎉. For the past seven years, we’ve shared the personal stories of people around the world who have reinvented their careers, and today, I’m thrilled to have Anne Tumlinson , CEO of ATI Advisory and founder of Daughterhood , join us again on the show. Anne was the very first guest I interviewed for this show over seven years ago before it even launched, and today, we’re going to talk about how her career and life have evolved since then. She’ll share her reflections on her journey as a founder turned CEO, the complex dynamics of growing your own organization, and the impact changes in her personal life have had on her outlook on life, career, and her own perspectives. During a special Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll summarize my top takeaways from the nearly 100 guests I’ve featured on this show, including a montage of key highlights to help you understand the dynamics, challenges, and upside of changing career paths to pursue work you find truly meaningful. 💡Key Career Change Insights Consistently showing up is half the battle when embarking on any major career endeavor. Your unique collection of gifts, talents, skills, and interests can fuel you to do work you find truly meaningful. You just have to open yourself up to fully tapping into them. Even when you’re building momentum and achieving “success,” still questioning whether you’re completely on the right track is normal. 📒Resources Mentioned In the book Great By Choice by Jim Collins, he describes the 20-mile-march concept. Past Career Relaunch® episodes mentioned: Creating Steady Progress with Anne Tumlinson – episode 3 Deciding What Matters with Bruce Daisley – episode 26 Giving Yourself Room to Explore with Audrey Lemargue – episode 9 Embracing Uncertainty with Stephen Satterfield – episode 15 Setting Realistic Expectations with Chinwe Oneaygoro – episode 59 Creating a New Image with Deepak Shukla – episode 51 Letting Go with Karen Hing – episode 52 <a
S7 E99 · Thu, August 31, 2023
Making Things Work with Carla Stickler
Think for a moment about the original blueprint you once had for your career. What did you want to be when you grew up? How did you envision your life would look? And what has your actual experience been like? If you’re like most people I cross paths with, your career trajectory has been very different from what you imagined. Your ability to roll with the punches and absorb the shocks that inevitably come up along the way of any professional journey can make a huge difference to where you end up. Broadway musical star turned web engineer Carla Stickler explains how she managed to balance multiple career endeavors while pivoting into a brand new industry on episode 99 of the Career Relaunch® podcast. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll also explain how to embrace and manage the inevitable messiness of career transitions. Key Career Change Insights Sometimes, you can just tell when you’re excelling and making the most of your strengths in your career. The more positive feedback you get from others, the more this reinforces the fact you’re on the right track. You never know when you’re going to turn a corner in your career. With enough patience and persistence, you may eventually have your big breakthrough. Think of your first job in a new sector as an opportunity to clarify exactly which aspects of this new work appeal to you and aligns best with your interests. When you’re considering opportunities that may feel like a reach, instead of just saying, “why me?” try saying, “why NOT me?” Resources Mentioned Carla mentioned a couple of resources to help people learn coding including Freecodecamp.org , the Grace Hopper bootcamp , and the Flatiron School bootcamp that episode 77 guest Erika Russi joined. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-510x510.png 510w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1080x1080.png 1080w" sizes="(m
S7 E98 · Thu, July 27, 2023
Advocating For Yourself with Claudia Bruce-Quartey
If you’re like most people I cross paths with out there, talking about your accomplishments or showcasing your achievements may not come that naturally to you. Communicating your successes can feel like you’re bragging or shamelessly self-promoting. Asking for what you want can feel intrusive or presumptuous. And just sharing your own accomplishments with others can feel awkward or forced. At the same time, if you don’t advocate for yourself, you run the risk of disappearing into the background. If you don’t drive visibility for your work, no one may be aware of your accomplishments. And if you don’t ask for what you want, opportunities are unlikely to just fall into your lap. In episode 98 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Claudia Bruce-Quartey , a political scientist turned key account manager shares her thoughts on why making a career change often involves a leap of faith and why you have to be the one to advocate for what you want. I also share some thoughts on how I manage the delicate balance between modesty and self-advocacy during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Change Insights Focus on the things you can control, not those you cannot. Sometimes, you just have to take a leap of faith in your career and jump. The onus is on you to make yourself seen and heard in your career. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel ® segment, my challenge to you is to pick one aspect of your work that you feel deserves more support . . . and to advocate for it. Maybe it’s a project you feel deserves more visibility within your organization. Or an overdue promotion you feel is worth getting onto your manager’s radar. Or a piece of career news you’ve been keeping to yourself but want to share with your network. Whatever it is, take ownership of your career and proactively promote it. If you don’t advocate for it, you can be sure others won’t either. And you might just be su
S7 E97 · Wed, June 28, 2023
Leaving On a High Note with Aisling Drennan
When you’re not happy with your job, deciding to make a career change may seem more straightforward. However, when things are going well, do you keep riding the wave or make the leap and try something new? In episode 97 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Aisling Drennan, a Riverdance Irish dancer turned artist shares her thoughts on shifting from an international stage to an art studio. We’ll discuss the deeply personal choice of when to walk away from an established career, the inevitable challenges of starting anything new, and the importance of championing your own work. I also share some thoughts on when you can tell the time has come to move on during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Change Insights You can’t know everything from the start. You have to figure it out along the way. It’s about giving yourself time and accepting the inevitable mistakes along the way You can’t be the champion of everything, but you have to be your own champion of your own work and ambition. If making a career change was easy, everyone would be doing it. You have to constantly ask yourself, is this what I want to do? If yes, you must find a way to make this work. Deciding exactly when to leave your job behind is a very personal choice . On the one hand, you could leave on a high note, knowing you may still have left to give and gain. On the other, you could leave after you feel like you’ve given everything you can, although it can result in dissatisfaction, burnout, and even resentment. Expect the early days to be tough. Starting is often the hardest phase when you’re embarking on a new career path. However, if you know you’re doing what you want to do, with enough hard work and tenacity, you’ll turn a corner. Episode Chapters 00:00:00 – Overview 00:01:07 – Introduction 00:03:05 – Discussion with Aisling Drennan 00:45:54 – Mental Fuel 00:51:10 – Listener Challenge 00:51:43 – Wrap Up Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-con
S7 E96 · Thu, May 25, 2023
Dealing With Insecurities with Rina Takikawa
Making any major career pivot involves a lot of bravery, risk, and complication. You’re dealing with not only the practicalities of switching career paths but also the insecurities associated with starting over. On Career Relaunch ® podcast episode 96, professional ballerina turned Mooch product designer Rina Takikawa describes what triggered her to walk away from a career that was years in the making and the surprising links you can find between two seemingly unrelated careers. This sort of decision to let go of a dream you once held onto so tightly turns out to be quite a common one amongst the clients, listeners, and audiences I cross paths with in my line of work. Rina and I talk about why people make these brave leaps, what you can do to manage the pivot, and how much you end up learning about yourself when you’re forced to reconsider what truly makes you happy. During today’s Mental Fuel segment, I’ll also share a few of the insecurities I wrestled with when I started over in my own career. Key Career Takeaways Your goals can change over time. When you lose the passion you once had for your career, you owe it to yourself to try and move on. Making the decision to walk away from a lifelong dream is never easy, but if you can manage the complexities of letting go of the investment, you may just end up finding much more career fulfillment. If you look hard enough, you can find the surprising, common threads across your seemingly disparate professional endeavors. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel ® segment, I challenged you to identify, name, and share one of the insecurities you’ve felt recently in your own career so you can identify it when it shows up, accept it, and not allow it to paralyze you. Remember, having doubts doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong choice for your career. It just means you’re dealing with a common dynamic that emerges when you make any unconventional move.</
S7 E95 · Thu, April 27, 2023
Setting Clear Boundaries with Ali Jawa
Setting clear boundaries in your career is critical to maintaining a good work-life balance, positive professional relationships, and your own mental sanity. And setting boundaries is especially important when you’re a doctor, where you not only experience a lot of stress and pressure, but your own well-being can affect your ability to take care of the people depending on you for care. On episode 95 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Ali Jawa , a practicing endocrinologist turned medical director shares his thoughts on setting boundaries, acknowledging career stagnation, and making a non-traditional move within one’s industry. I also share some thoughts on defining your walkaway points in your career during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Takeaways At some point, you have to make a choice about the boundaries you’re going to set between your personal and professional life. The intellectual challenge in one’s career is crucial for personal and professional growth, as it encourages continuous learning and the development of new skills and perspectives. Having your feet on two different boats moving in different directions is extremely challenging. While you can bounce back and forth for a while, at some point, you have to leap and commit to one or the other. You need to get clear with yourself about “why” you want to pursue a specific career path. You can’t keep planning forever. You have to take action to honor those things you value most in your career and life. Resources Mentioned Ali mentioned Rich Dad Poor Dad , which was a pivotal book that helped me redefine how he thought about his own career. He also mentioned Marshall Goldsmith’s description of our different identities (programmed vs. created). Listener Challenge During th
S7 E94 · Thu, March 30, 2023
Controlling Your Narrative with Maura Lightfoot
Controlling your own professional narrative is especially important when you’re changing career paths. Proactively taking control of your own narrative helps you ensure that your unique value and aspirations come through clearly and convincingly. On episode 94 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, HR adviser turned executive coach Maura Lightfoot shares her thoughts on finding your voice in an environment where you’re an outlier and the importance of identifying the common thread across all your diverse professional experiences. I also share some thoughts on the importance of owning your own narrative during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Takeaways Working abroad gives you an opportunity to find your unique voice when you are an outlier and minority in your workplace. When you’re proud of the work you do and an organization values someone with your unique skillset and background, that’s a sign you’re working for the right employer. Working in a mission-driven world doesn’t preclude you from burnout. In fact, you may be more susceptible to burnout because you’re so passionate about your work. Find the common thread across your work. Everyone has the power to author their own story. Often, you must go through a bit of messy upheaval in your career before you eventually find your way. It’s just part of the journey. Listener Challenge My challenge to you is to take some time to identify the common thread across all the work you currently do and have done in the past. What’s been your common motivation across your roles? What’s the singular purpose that gets you out of bed each day? Try to capture it in words and see how it sits with you. Share that statement with others to see how it lands with them. Making an effort to articular this can hopefully provide you with some clarity and direction when exploring new opportunities and communicating what you bring to the table in those situati
S7 E93 · Thu, February 23, 2023
Adapting to New Surroundings with Stefania Tosini
Moving abroad for a job can be tough emotionally and practically. Leaving familiar surroundings and loved ones can lead to homesickness and isolation. Adapting to a new work environment, language, and way of life adds to the pressure. However, it can also be a broadening and enriching experience that expands your world in unexpected ways. Stefania Tosini, a press officer turned talent acquisition specialist is going to talk about what she wrestled with when making her decision to move from Italy to Germany during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. In episode 93 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, I also share some thoughts on the struggles I had when I moved from the US to the UK during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Takeaways Leaving one’s family behind to pursue a career can be a difficult decision to make. It can bring up a variety of emotions, ranging from fear and anxiety about leaving a loving environment to excitement for new opportunities and experiences to come. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs support from time to time. Expectations can be a tricky thing, especially when it comes to your career decisions. Don’t assume that everyone will react to your choices in the way you hope. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel ® segment, I talked about moving locations for your career. My challenge to you is to look forward instead of backward. To trust that you made the best decision you possibly could to serve what you felt was most important to you. Focus on doing everything you can to make the most of your current circumstances rather than dwelling TOO much on what you left behind. Start small and decide on one action you can take right now to more fully embrace your chosen path. About Stefania Tosini, Talent Acquisition Partner at Zalando <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-27622" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/
S7 E92 · Thu, January 26, 2023
Pursuing Your Hobbies with Jenny Goh
Pursuing hobbies and interests outside of our daily work can be incredibly beneficial for our personal and professional growth. Hobbies can help us relax and reduce stress, increase creativity and productivity, and even open up new opportunities and networks. However, it can be difficult to make time for hobbies when we are busy with work, family, and other responsibilities. Jenny Goh , a former conference event planner turned IT firm manager discusses the unique role transitional jobs play in your career and how side activities outside of work can be so useful to pursue. In episode 92 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, I’ll also share my thoughts about how hobbies have influenced my own life and career during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Takeaways Admitting your own limitations and weaknesses can help you to re-evaluate your priorities and goals, and open up new opportunities for you to pursue something you might be more passionate about or better suited for. Having a hobby or passion project that you look forward to outside of work can help recharge your batteries and give you the energy and perspective you need to tackle the challenges at work. There will be a day when you aren’t working in your current job anymore. Learning from the successes and failures of others, as well as listening to the advice and guidance of mentors and peers, can help us navigate the professional world and make informed decisions about our own careers. If you feel you’ve learned and given all you can in your current role, you should consider seeking new opportunities to continue your personal and professional growth. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel ® segment, I invited you to pursue a new hobby this year. Perhaps an interest of yours that you’ve always thought about investing more energy into but just haven’t made the time for. Allow yourself the freedom to do something you think would be fun. Th
S6 E91 · Thu, December 29, 2022
Heading in a Better Direction with Tom Keya
Our guest on Career Relaunch ® podcast episode 91 is a lawyer turned workplace wellbeing consultant Tom Keya. If you’re like me, your stereotypical image of lawyers may involve fast-track professionals in slick suits working at a high-rise office in a big city, working with high-profile clients, and earning lots of money—the kind of stuff you might see on TV. Tom’s career in a law firm kind of started like this. He lived and breathed the life of a high-flying lawyer in central London, earning a high salary with big bonuses, and in many ways, he felt like he was at the top of his game. However, the pressure of being a high-performing lawyer began to whittle away at his mental and physical well-being. He lost his health, his purpose, and self-worth by ruthlessly trying to succeed in an intense industry. After eventually suffering a complete mental breakdown, he took a year-long career break and decided to stop practicing law entirely. Tom discusses his vicious and dangerous spiral that involved drugs, alcohol, and pushing his body and life to the point of total collapse. He also explains the realities of corporate life in a big city and what he did to rescue himself from what became an unhealthy downward spiral. Finally, I’ll share my perspectives on how I think about where I want my career to head in the future during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Takeaways Your job has a direct impact on your lifestyle. You must remain mindful of whether your work is taking your life in the direction you desire. Hitting rock bottom often forces you to reassess who you are and what you want for your life and career. However, paying attention early on to any signs that suggest you’re headed in the wrong direction can help you avoid a lot of unnecessary pain. Healing in the environment where you got sick is very difficult. At the same time, leaving even a bad situation behind can be quite scary. If an environment is unhealthy for you, you owe it to yourself to explore other avenues. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="Mental Fuel" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-510x510.png 510w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel
S6 E90 · Thu, November 24, 2022
Reconnecting With Yourself with Samantha Tovera-Agustin- CR90
When does it make sense to let go of stability to boldly pursue the unknown? In this episode of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Samantha Tovera-Agustin , an HR professional turned founder explains why she chose to move her career, family, and life from the Bay Area to the Philippines. We’ll discuss the challenging balance between work and parenthood, signs that suggest you may need a change in your career, and ways you can prevent career regret. I also share some thoughts on the importance of reconnecting with old friends during the Mental Fuel ® segment. Key Career Takeaways When you work hard to get to where you are in your career, letting go of all this investment is incredibly hard. People often regret the inactions they took in their careers to do something bold and brave that honors their values. Surrendering to the unknown and allowing yourself to potentially fail enables you to open the door to new, exciting opportunities in your life and career. To be there for others, you have to make sure you’re taking care of your own health and well-being first. Societal expectations can lead us to feel like we need to be working and hustling all the time. But slowing down is not only okay but also necessary sometimes to see more clearly and reconnect with yourself. Resources Mentioned We discussed the topic of regret. The book I mentioned is The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink, which I would highly recommend! Listener Challenge I’d challenge you to reconnect with a long-lost friend from your past. f you’re like me, I find it a bit awkward to suddenly drop a note to someone you haven’t spoken to in years. I’d still challenge you to do it—just to see what happens. Even if you don’t rekindle the relationship, at the very least, you can let that person know that you’re still thinking about them. And
S6 E89 · Thu, October 27, 2022
Waiting For the Right Moment with Kessler Bickford
When you figure out where to take your career, you shouldn’t feel like you have to chase after it right away. On Career Relaunch ® podcast episode 89, Kessler Bickford , a former magazine editor turned psychotherapist, discusses the challenges of deciding where you take your career when you have multiple interests and the distinction between identifying and actually pursuing your passion. We also talk about the importance of timing when making a career pivot, and during the Mental Fuel ® segment, I also reveal the impact moving at different speeds in my own career had on my overall professional trajectory. Key Career Takeaways Not knowing exactly where you belong professionally is okay and totally normal. Sometimes, you just have to trust your gut to guide you. Even if you know there’s something you’re meant to do, there’s a balance between going after it and waiting until you’re fully ready to make the leap. Timing is key. You likely have more than one gift inside you. It takes some courage to decide exactly where you ultimately want to direct your energies then go for it with everything you’ve got. Just like fit matters when you’re choosing a place to live or even a pair of shoes to buy, our overall job satisfaction has a lot to do with fit. Be patient with your moves. Don’t let fear run the show. Resources Mentioned We mentioned the Sept 2022 WSJ article, The Next Pandemic: Anxiety Over Life Itself The 13 best books for managing anxiety, according to psychologists – Business Insider, Oct 2022 How to use anxiety to your advantage – BBC, Oct 2022 Kessler also mentioned the importance of working with a professional therapist when trying to tackle struggles related to anxiety or shame. Your Guide to Getting the Most From Online Therapy from Everyday Health could be a helpful way to get a lay of the land. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.pn
S6 E88 · Thu, September 29, 2022
Being Honest With Yourself with Melody Mack
What happens when the initial excitement of your new job starts to wear off? Or the work you’re doing becomes misaligned with the person you want to be? In episode 88 of the Career Relaunch ® podcast, Melody Mack, an neurodiagnostics business owner turned project manager shares her thoughts on managing your relationship with work, letting go of a business you created, and taking an honest look at who you are. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll also share a glimpse into a few of the issues I seem to have dragged around with me from job to job. Key Career Takeaways Divorcing yourself from your professional identity is extremely difficult, which is one reason why saying farewell to your job can be so difficult. When the challenges and frustrations you’re feeling in your professional life seem to follow you from job to job, the issue may have more to do with you than your employer or work itself. While professional transitions and gaps in your CV can feel uncertain and stressful, those periods of transition are a part of the journey. Slowing down and taking the time to figure things out is not only okay but also necessary to make the right career choices moving forward. If you focus too much on what other people are saying, thinking, or doing, you can lose track of yourself. It’s important to stay true to yourself in order to feel at peace in your career. Tweetables When you blame and criticize others, you are avoiding some truth about yourself. Deepak Chopra Tweet This Resources Mentioned I talked briefly about Attribution Theory, which you can read more about here . Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, h
S6 E87 · Thu, August 25, 2022
Beginning a new Journey with Andrew Graczyk
Professionals in academia have certainly not been immune to the current Great Resignation movement. An assistant professor of economics turned data science practice leader gives a candid glimpse into the world of academia and reveals his motivations behind pivoting from a university into the private sector. On Career Relaunch ® podcast episode 87, we’ll discuss the unique challenges of academic careers, the importance of being open to new sectors, and why confidence is one of the most important assets to have during career transitions. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I also share my thoughts on why so employees are choosing to change career paths right now. Key Career Takeaways Studying one subject then going into a completely different field professionally is not uncommon and can actually provide you with a more unique perspective compared to others who follow more traditional career paths. When the people you’re surrounded by in your current industry have spent the majority of their careers in that same industry, the natural tendency is for them to promote career paths similar to their own because it’s the world they know. You may inevitably have to jump through some hoops to ascend the professional ladder you’re climbing, but at some point, the payoff may no longer be worth the effort. When you’re on an exhausting, depleting career path, you sometimes don’t realize just how much of a toll it’s been taking on you until you completely step away. You know more than you may be giving yourself credit for. Especially during career pivots, you must find a way to garner the confidence to unabashedly convey your unique value to others. The first person you have to convince is yourself though😉. Related Resources Read the full findings from that Prezi poll I mentioned about hybrid work survey findings that found evidence of employer proximity bias. Picking up on my Mental Fuel® segment where I discussed the importance of understanding how you prefer to work, check out this Slack article, Inflexible return-to-office policies are hammering employee experience scores Great Resignation articles- related to academia Calling it quits – Inside Higher Ed, July 2022 Has the ‘great resignation’ hit academia
S6 E86 · Thu, July 28, 2022
Getting the Help You Need with Norma Kimber
Leaving a corporate job behind to start your own business is never as straightforward or simple as it may seem. Norma Kimber, an operational excellence director at an established, global financial services firm who pivoted to become a virtual assistant and business owner shares her journey of walking away from her stable, senior role in the corporate world to start her own business. In episode 86 of the Career Relaunch® podcast, we also discuss what impact organizational politics can have on your psyche and the relationship between your own health and your career decisions. Norma and I have crossed paths a few times in the past because she’s joined some of my virtual firesides, and I’ve also personally chatted with her about some of her virtual assistance services when I was exploring the idea of hiring a virtual assistant myself. She shares some of the realities of not only leaving a full-time job behind but also the impact it can have on your psyche when your spouse still works at the well-known, global company you left behind while you try to build your own business from the ground up. Key Career Takeaways When you’re in a corporate environment, it’s very natural and almost expected to keep up with your peers and climb the corporate ladder. Consider how much you thrive on or get disillusioned by the politics of your organization. Delegate a task when doing it detracts from your ability to focus on what you’re uniquely good at or from your income-generating tasks. Finding the right assistance isn’t about identifying someone who not only has the skills necessary to do the job but also a work style and approach that clicks with you. Tweetables to Share Find the right people to support you, and ask for help when you need it. Norma Kimber Tweet This Hiring the right people to help you is an investment that often pays off. Joseph Liu Tweet This Freelancer Resources Mentioned Virtual Assistance : check out Norma’s <a href="https://www.pink-spaghetti.co.uk/cont
S6 E85 · Thu, June 30, 2022
Starting Somewhere with Nicole Webb
Making a major geographical move can certainly be exciting but also disruptive, jarring, and disorienting. Becoming a new parent is such a privilege but also life-altering in a way that creates both benefits and challenges. Nicole Webb, a journalist and news reader turned media consultant and author, describes what she experienced when moving from Australia to Hong Kong and eventually to China while adjusting to life as a new mother. She’ll discuss how she managed to adapt and thrive in the midst of tremendous professional and personal change in Career Relaunch® podcast episode 85. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll also share my own thoughts on the importance of just starting somewhere when you’re trying to figure out ways to turn your side interests into an actual business. Key Career Takeaways Persistence pays off in the long run even if you don’t feel like you’re immediately gaining the traction you want as quickly as you want Going from fulltime professional to fulltime parent can be incredibly jarring, resulting in a loss of identity and confidence in yourself. There’s nothing wrong with doing something for free, at least initially, as a way of proving yourself and testing the waters until you decide whether it makes sense to monetise your skills. Tweetables to Share Stepping back into the workforce after you have a baby is not easy. Nicole Webb Tweet This This is your career, and you get to do what you want to do with it. Joseph Liu Tweet This Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-co
S6 E84 · Thu, May 26, 2022
Taking Imperfect Actions with Julia Taylor
When you’re trying to build anything new, the hardest part is often getting started. In this episode of Career Relaunch®, Julia Taylor , a former US government defense intelligence officer turned web developer and founder shares her thoughts on building a helpful community, thinking outside of the box, and creating your first website. I also share some thoughts on the importance of being okay with taking imperfect actions and my own challenges I faced building my first website. Key Career Takeaways Just because you’ve never done something doesn’t mean you can’t do it in the future When it comes to community-building, there are no shortcuts around the blood, sweat, tears, and time required to fully engage with people Thinking outside the box of what you’ve assumed your career should look like can really open up new possibilities for your career and life It’s very easy to focus on what doesn’t go well, so it’s important to take a moment to be proud of the work you’re doing and progress you’re making Resources Mentioned How to Set Up Your First Website in 7 Steps – Joseph’s blog 8 Reasons I Left Rainmaker Platform for WordPress – that blog post I mentioned during the episode that I wrote about why I shifted to WordPress Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel® segment, I challenged you to think about something you’ve been trying to perfect before putting it out into the world–whether it’s your CV, social media profile, product, service, or website. Focus on getting a version out there that’s good enough . Sometimes referred to as a minimum viable product (or MVP), this can be something you f
S6 E83 · Thu, April 28, 2022
Finding What Fits You with Aimi Elias
How much should a company’s culture factor into your decision to work there? A lot it turns out. Civil engineer turned software developer Aimi Elias explains the importance of feeling like you fit into your workplace and the role culture plays in your day-to-day job satisfaction. Afterwards, I’ll share my own thoughts on how culture has had an impact on me during my own professional pivots. Aimi’s actually a long-time listener of this show, and we first connected when she dropped me a note last year mentioning how Career Relaunch podcast episode 8 (featuring Zai Divecha) got her thinking about her own moments of flow, including those moments when she lost track of time as a teenager tinkering around with code. Now, many years later, she’s tapped back into her own flow state working on software development and machine learning at Sky. Key Career Takeaways Although a job can sound “cool” and interesting on paper, it doesn’t mean the day-to-day realities of that work will necessarily be interesting to you. The cultural influences of your company can have a huge impact on your day-to-day satisfaction and comfort in a job. While securing a sought-after certification or credential in your field may seem like a way of dealing with job dissatisfaction, it only goes so far if you’re still fundamentally misplaced in the wrong sector. Tweetables to Share I didn't realise how much of my identity was tied to my career until I changed careers. Aimi Elias Tweet This Resources Interested in shifting into a tech career? Learn more about Sky’s Get into Tech programme that Aimi mentioned. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://j
S6 E82 · Thu, March 31, 2022
Remaining Resilient with Roman Havrysh
Beyond the humanitarian crisis resulting from the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war there has also taken a huge toll on Ukrainians’ careers and professional lives. In Career Relaunch® podcast episode 82, Roman Havrysh , owner of the Aimbulance marketing agency in Ukraine and lecturer at Kyiv Mohyla Business School, fled Kyiv after the war began. He describes his story of trying to remain afloat both personally and professionally amid the destruction and tragedy there. We’ll talk about what’s happened to his agency, team, and own perspectives on his professional future there. I’ll also share my thoughts on resilience during times of crisis. Key Career Takeaways Even under the most challenging of circumstances, it may still be possible to take some small steps to pivot, adapt, and survive. During times of crisis, you have to decide how you want to fight for your life and career. If you don’t do something about your situation, you might lose everything. Preoccupying yourself with something significant in your life can actually help you cope with volatility in the world around you. Tweetables to Share You have decide how you want to fight for your life and career. You have to find a way to survive. Roman Havrysh Tweet This Work can provide some normalcy in times when everything else seems uncertain. Joseph Liu Tweet This Call for donations to 🇺🇦Ukraine The millions of Ukrainians who have had to flee and leave their lives and careers behind due to this unprovoked attack on their country are really not all that different from me or those around me in the UK just trying to live their lives, make their professional contribution to society, and give their kids a happy childhood. Please do your part in providing assistance to these displaced families by making a donation today on my fundraising page at https://careerrelaunch.net/ukraine . As of this recording, we’ve already raised over £3000,
S6 E81 · Thu, February 24, 2022
Charting Your Course with Eloise Skinner
As the global Covid-19 pandemic now enters into its third year, professionals are now beginning to return to their offices, daily commutes, and ways of life pre-pandemic. On the one hand, it’s encouraging that life is returning back to “normal,” but on the other, it feels strange that things just are going back to the way things used to be. At the very least, this pandemic should be a big wake-up call for us all to reevaluate whether the ways we were living and working before this pandemic can and should be the ways we continue to live and work moving forward. Former corporate lawyer turned author and founder Eloise Skinner describes her own professional awakening catalysed by the pandemic in episode 81 of the Career Relaunch® podcast. We talk through the challenges of balancing multiple career endeavours, the seemingly inextricable link between our professional jobs and personal identities, and the importance of honoring your own values and interests no matter what others think. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I also describe what I would consider one of the biggest professional tragedies of this pandemic. Key Career Takeaways Balancing multiple career endeavors between your full-time job and side projects often means you can’t fully commit your energies to either, forcing you to decide where to devote your focus. Feeling grounded is often directly tied to having a defined professional title and clear career path, so leaving either behind is not easy. Figuring out what you want to do with your career starts with focusing on what YOU want instead of how you think others will react to your choices. Consider your values, what excites you, and what gets you out of bed in the morning. The pandemic has resulted in each of us letting go of things we assumed were just part of everyday professional life (regular hours, commute, etc), but we all have an opportunity now to reevaluate exactly how we want to work. Listener Challenge During this epi
S6 E80 · Wed, January 26, 2022
Making an Impression with Brad Stewart
How can you get your foot in the door of a new industry if you don’t have the traditional credentials, experiences, or education required? Brad Stewart went from being a tattoo artist to a real estate professional to a marketing manager in the financial sector in spite of lacking the formalised experience or education of most other candidates. In this episode of the Career Relaunch® podcast, we’ll discuss how he pulled off his major career changes by overcoming judgment, imposter syndrome, and adversity along the way. I also share some thoughts on how I manage the opinions of others during my own career transitions. Key Career Insights One way to figure out if you’re on the right path is to look at the people around who have been in your industry for longer than you and asking yourself whether you want to turn out like them. It’s inevitable that people may initially judge you based on your appearance, but the onus is still on you to have your work and results speak for themselves. Career change often involves a total life change too, including your circle of friends, lifestyle, habits, and attitudes. Imposter syndrome faces us all, but doing your best to be logical rather than emotional about how you react to it can help you manage it. Be careful who you listen to. Always seek feedback, but be careful what you take on board. Tweetables to Share Be careful whose advice you listen to. Feedback is often more about the person giving it than the person receiving it. Brad Stewart Tweet This Resources Mentioned At end of the Mental Fuel segment, I mentioned a quote from Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen” song, originally from Mary Schmich’s 1997 Chicago Tribune article . Here’s the full music video: https://youtu.be/sTJ7AzBIJoI Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x102
S5 E79 · Thu, December 30, 2021
Opening New Doors with Bommy Lee
If you’re not happy with your current job, but you don’t know exactly what you would prefer to do instead, what should do do? Bommy Lee, a journalist turned communications head of life sciences venture capital firm Sofinnova, shares her career insights on the power of professional relationships when relaunching your career, the importance of reconsidering your earlier career choices, and why being content with where you are doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll happy with where you’re headed . Originally from Canada, Bommy is now based in Paris, France. I first crossed paths with Bommy when she spoke on an alumni career panel after a career change workshop I hosted for Executive MBAs at HEC Business School in Paris. I decided to invite her to share her story on the show because I felt like she provided some especially thoughtful perspectives on navigating career changes, and thought you might also enjoy hearing her thoughts and advice on topics related to networking, mindset, and career decisions. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll also address a listener’s question about how to figure out your next career move when no particular direction jumps out to you. Key Career Insights Networking is about building a safety net for the future. Try to make meaningful connections so that if and when the time comes, your network can work for you. Try to go into networking focused on serving and giving rather than taking. Focus on being authentic and useful. Career change is something that’s difficult to do on your own. Just because you feel content with all the things you currently have in your life, it doesn’t mean you’re necessarily happy with where your life is headed. A job can really define your identity. When you begin to question your career path, it often leads you to also question other parts of your life beyond your career. Career change can feel very lonely and solitary at times when you struggle to find people around you who truly understand your situation. There’s a point where you’re willing to leave everything behind because the opportunity ahead is so much great. Once you realize that the limitations you’re experiencing are actually self-imposed, you’re able to get over those limitations. Tweetables to Share Being happy with your current career doesn't necessarily mean you're happy with where it's headed. Bommy Lee Tweet This Bommy referred to this quote during
S5 E78 · Wed, December 29, 2021
Climbing the Right Ladder with Alex Spencer
Teacher turned marketer Alex Spencer shares her perspectives on the importance of climbing the right career ladder and why she decided that taking a temporary salary hit to pursue more meaningful work was absolutely worth it in the long run.
S5 E78 · Thu, November 25, 2021
Climbing the Right Ladder with Alex Spencer
Teacher turned marketer Alex Spencer of Prezzybox shares her perspectives on the importance of climbing the right career ladder in episode 78 of the Career Relaunch® podcast. She explains how taking a temporary hit to her salary was worth it to her in the long run because it ultimately gave her the chance to do work she found more meaningful. We also discuss the true measures of your professional success and satisfaction (hint–it’s not just salary!) and the importance of being selective and specific about your next target role. Key Career Insights Being specific about what you’re offering and what you’re looking for is critical when making a career change to have a chance to standing out amongst the sea of traditional candidates out there. Taking a pay cut can feel like a big blow to your career, but if you can weather it for a while and it means being able to move toward doing something that would make you happier, in the long run, you will then be climbing the right ladder to hopefully reach your previous salary again. A nice job title and salary isn’t everything. You have to do work that gives you joy and energy, and no amount of salary can buy you these things. Tweetables to Share You spend more time at work than you do with your family and friends. Life's way too short to be going to a job every day that you don't enjoy. Alex Spencer Tweet This Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about how money can
S5 E77 · Thu, October 28, 2021
Taking Care of Yourself with Erika Russi
As if making a good impression at work and figuring out where you want your career to head wasn’t wasn’t hard enough, managing a medical condition on top of all is even more challenging. In this episode of the Career Relaunch™ podcast, Erika Russi, a former tax consultant turned data scientist shares her story of interrupting her own career to address her medical condition. We discuss how your health can affect your career choices. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I also describe my own tendencies to overwork and why hustling all the time isn’t necessarily the healthiest habit in the long run. If you’re someone who’s been working nonstop lately or if you’ve had to deal with emotional or physical challenges yourself, Erika’s story is a good reminder to us all about ensuring we’re always mindful of our health and wellbeing no matter how busy work gets. or if you’ve had to interrupt your career to take care of a health concerns I first heard about Erika’s career change story in this Muse article , where she discussed how she managed to make this big career change from accountancy to data science through a combination of upskilling, coaching, networking, and finding her inner confidence to overcome imposter syndrome. So we’ll also discuss why having a nontraditional background can be an asset rather than liability, even when entering a field where most people have more linear careers. Key Career Insights If you’re someone going into a new role from a nontraditional background, your best strategy for demonstrating your value may be to lean in rather than explain away your past experiences. Attempting to compete with traditional candidates on more traditional metrics will just be an uphill battle. Your health should always come before your work. You only have one body and one life on this earth, and if you don’t take care of yourself, your body may force you to do so when you least expect it. Believing in yourself is half the battle when trying to execute a major career transition. Comparing yourself to others is certainly natural, but not necessarily great for your own psychology. Tweetables to Share Prioritize your health. You only have one body. You only have one life. Erika Russi Tweet This <a href=https://ctt.ac/d0CJw target="_
S5 E76 · Thu, September 30, 2021
Overcoming Barriers to Change with Tommy Kelly
Have you ever had an idea for product you feel should exist but does not exist? For some, they would just leave it at that, but in Tommy Kelly’s case, when he struggled to find a natural, sparkling caffeinated beverage in the supermarkets, he decided to create one himself. In episode 76 of the Career Relaunch® podcast, Tommy Kelly, a former nuclear plant engineer turned cofounder of the organic sparkling drinks company Sound, shares his thoughts on figuring out the ideal time to make your carer pivot, building your ideas patiently and persistently, and finding a great cofounder. I thought Tommy would be a great guest for the show because he made quite a radical career change, which I hope can inspire you to also make a change. Also, he has a firm belief that career changes, while incredibly daunting, can also be life-changing in a good way. He wanted to share his story as a way of inspiring others to turn their side hobbies into something more. I hope you enjoy hearing his journey as much as I did. Key Career Insights If your idea doesn’t sell right away, it doesn’t mean you should give up, especially if you know some people have reacted positively to it. You can continue to iterate and improve, until you have your breakthrough. Learning, improving, and iterating are a necessary part of any career change journey. Our careers are in many ways security blankets in our lives that provide stability and predictability. Moving on from a job, even one you don’t like, can be incredibly daunting. Tweetables to Share When embraced and accepted, negative emotions can be a powerful catalyst to positive change in one’s life and can lead to a deeper feeling of meaning and authenticity. Dr. Paul TP Wong Tweet This More Resources How to Handle Toxic Emotions That Hold You Back From Changing Careers , my article in Fast Company- August 2021 Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, h
S5 E75 · Thu, September 02, 2021
Trying Things Out with My Ly
Is it ever too late to explore your other career interests? Marketer turned voiceover artist, actor, model, and writer My Ly doesn’t think so. Her firm belief is that it never hurts to give something a shot, even if your background experience is unrelated or when you think your chances of “success” are slim. In this episode of the Career Relaunch podcast, My shares her story of pursuing a few different side hustles during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and discusses what opportunities have emerged from these explorations. We talk about the trade-offs of full-time employment versus self-employment versus contract work along with the importance of maintaining a positive mindset when exploring new career possibilities. Key Career Insights Dabbling in different areas without layering on too much expectation can be a really effective way of opening up new doors in your life and career. Things may not work out exactly the way you think they will, but at the very least, you’ll learn something along the way. Timing plays a huge role in the career pivots. Even if you feel like this moment isn’t the right one to make a leap, reframing your attitude to focus on just giving things a try rather than trying to succeed can enable you to take action. Anything is possible at any age. Just because you haven’t dabbled in something before doesn’t mean you can’t get into at a later age. Tweetables to Share If it's possible for someone to achieve something, why can't that person be you? My Ly Tweet This Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, my
S5 E74 · Thu, July 29, 2021
Finding What Fulfills You with Pam Katz
Do you ever wonder if it’s too late for you to start your second career? You should never say never. But only you can create the change you seek. No one will do it for you or hand it to you on a silver platter. Having spent 20 fruitful and fulfilling years in the business world, including operating her own successful digital marketing company, Pam Katz is now happily immersed in her second career, nursing. I decided to have Pam on the show because, first of all, given the current pandemic, we’re long overdue for having a nurse on the show. And also, because she’s going to share some useful insights on what it takes to completely shift directions in your career, even if that journey’s a little more challenging than you expected. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll address a listener question about what to do next after you’ve been let go of a job you didn’t like very much in the first place. Key Career Insights and Tips You’re not necessarily going to reach your moment of happiness overnight or your first foray into something new. Putting in some extra exploration and legwork upfront will increase the chances of you finding your way toward a more fulfilling job. When you are starting a new job, you have to lean heavily on the skills and talents that have gotten you to where you are in your life. Those skills aren’t completely irrelevant, even if you feel a bit like a fish out of water. Just because you have a bumpy start to a new role doesn’t mean it’s been the wrong move. Every new job has a steep learning curve, which is par for the course. You're not necessarily going to reach your moment of happiness overnight. Pam Katz Tweet This Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel
S5 E73 · Thu, April 15, 2021
Changing Course with Youssef Salameh
What happens when the career you originally pursued is no longer working for you? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Youssef Salameh , shares his story of relaunching his career from running a family restaurant in NYC to becoming a realtor in Las Vegas. We’ll talk about the emotions of walking away from your career, the barriers that stop you from moving on, and the realities of leaping into a new industry. I decided to have Youssef on the show because his story is one that you might be relate to. Sometimes, we invest a lot into one path in our career, and even when we know we’re not completely happy, we keep hanging on. But as Youssef is going to describe, sometimes, when the writing’s on the wall, you just have to change course. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I also address a listener question about whether your next career move should be one that’s practical or aspirational. Key Career Insights Walking away from something you’ve built from scratch will inevitably involve a range of emotions including sadness, disappointment, anger, and fear. Even if you can see the writing on the wall about your need and desire to change careers, people tend to hold onto the careers they have to maintain the stability it offers them. Taking a mental break can actually be very productive and clarifying. Pride can often stand in the way of letting go of a career that is no longer working for you. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about the importance of getting very clear with yourself on what specific metrics you’ll use and hurdles you’ll need to cross that will trigger you to pursue something else in your career and define where you’ll draw that line. Will it be a certain number of days each week you truly enjoy your job vs. dread your job? Or accumulating a certain amount of savings so you can feel comfortable weathering a temporary hit to your income? Or will it be something more personal? For
S5 E72 · Thu, February 18, 2021
Starting a New Chapter with Christine Snow
One of the hardest hit industries during the Covid-19 pandemic has been the airline industry. With global travel drastically reduced, many in the airline industry have had to make some tough choices about their careers. In this episode of Career Relaunch, flight attendant turned coder Christine Snow shares her story of stepping away from her 7-year career as a flight attendant to pursue other interests. We discuss how you can tell whether now is the right time to make a change in your career and also talk through some common hurdles, both emotional and practical, that stand in the way of starting something new. Afterwards, I address a listener question about the other parts of your life you may want to reevaluate when you’re rethinking your career. Key Career Insights Whether maintaining the current trajectory of your career makes sense. When a job isn’t fun anymore, your entire view of the industry can change. A crisis can force you to make the changes you’ve desired for so long One of the biggest hurdles in leaving your career behind is fearing that your current role is as “good as it gets” and you may ultimate just end up returning When you’re doing a job that brings you so much fulfillment, it enables you to feel like you are where you should be in your life. If you know deep down that your current job isn’t quite right for you, not knowing where you want to take your career instead can often leave you feeling stuck. Resources Mentioned Learn more about Zip Code Wilmington , the software development bootcamp Christine graduated from. I mentioned James Clear’s book Atomic Habits , a book I’m reading right now, which is really reshaping how I think about habit formation. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about the import
S5 E71 · Thu, June 25, 2020
Handling Setbacks with Aaron Leventhal
I’ve heard from so many of you recently who have suffered a career setback in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic. So today, I wanted to feature someone whose career has also been hit hard by events. Commercial airline pilot turned heavy goods vehicle truck driver Aaron Leventhal shares his story of dealing with personal loss, managing career upheaval, and finding a way to pivot toward something else. Aaron Leventhal- former FlyBe pilot turned Tesco truck driver During the Mental Fuel segment, I also share some examples of setbacks I’ve been dealt in my own career along with my three strategies of dealing with setbacks. If you’ve been dealt a blow in your own career for whatever reason, I hope you find this episode reassuring, inspiring, and most of all, a reminder that you’re not alone. Key Career Insights When you’re managing loss, all you can do is look ahead to the future and find a way to bounce back. Having a plan B in place is a good idea even if you feel like you’ve “made it” or achieved your dream. Setbacks are a normal part of any career. Your ability to manage them is a muscle you can develop and strengthen over time. Related Resources Read Aaron’s LinkedIn post that describes how he shifted from flying airplanes for FlyBe to driving trucks for Tesco. Access job search resources to help you navigate the challenging hiring environment during the Covid-19 pandemic Unexpectedly laid off? These 6 Steps Will Get You Back on Your Feet , my Fast Company article, May 2020 Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="15
S5 E70 · Wed, April 22, 2020
Managing a Crisis with Liya Dashkina
In addition to the enormous human toll the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has had throughout the world, the virus has also had a significant impact on people’s careers. Some have seen their jobs eliminated, work projects cancelled, roles furloughed, industries turned upside down, and businesses completely shut down. After thinking really carefully about who I wanted to feature in this episode of Career Relaunch, I decided that financial controller Liya Dashkina would be the perfect individual. Liya, who’s also a listener to Career Relaunch, decided a few months ago to resign from her job in London and move back to Australia to be with her partner while continuing to work remotely. Her three-month notice period was supposed to wrap up at the end of March, after which, she was planning to explore new career options in Australia. Then, the pandemic hit. The sudden uncertainty and upheaval she’s now facing in her career is similar to other stories I’ve heard from clients and listeners who have suddenly had their career plans upended. I hope you find this conversation helpful as you figure out how to bounce back from whatever setbacks you may be experiencing in your own career during this COVID-19 crisis. Key Career Insights During times of uncertainty, you can only focus on what you can control. Building relationships takes time. Sometimes, you need to go into it without counting on the fact anything will necessarily come out of it. To be truly successful, you have to be truly invested in what you’re doing. Try to figure out what drives you, what makes you tick, and what gets you out of bed in the morning rather than just “doing what you love.” Now that the world has stopped due to coronavirus, it actually enables an opportunity for you to get creative and reassess where you want to take your life & career. Tweetables to Share Not everything has to be a success in life. Sometimes, the experience is what really matters. Liya Dashkina Tweet This Related Resources Liya mentioned the Business of Fashion is hosting some online events you may be interested in checking out, especially during the coronavirus lockdown. If you are looking for some career resources to guide you during the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve compiled useful articles on job hunting and virtual interviewing on my <a href="https://josephliu.co/covid19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferre
S4 E69 · Thu, December 19, 2019
Wearing Different Hats with Sophie Scott
We all have to sometimes wear different hats in our lives and careers. You’re often required to wear different hats in your career if you’re balancing different professional identities or just trying to maintain a certain image at work that doesn’t always reflect how you’re truly feeling inside. In Career Relaunch episode 69, Sophie Scott describes how she balances the work she does as both a psychotherapist and founder of Balance Media . We had a nice conversation about wearing different professional hats, managing your own wellbeing, and of course, maintaining balance in your life. I’ll also describe how those people who seem to have it all figured out in their careers may still struggling with their own issues. Key Career Insights The losses you experience in your life can be a huge tragedy but also a blessing that can inform the career choices you may that can provide the most meaning. It’s so important to connect with not only others but also with yourself. Use your purpose as your primary motivator to guide your decisions. All of us are still works-in-progress. Although it may seem like someone has the perfect life, earns an incredible income, or has everything figured out, the reality is that most of us are still trying to figure things out. Having several career changes is not unusual these days. If the idea of switching careers feels “weird” to you, consider thinking about your career as a series of chapters rather than as one continuous vocation. There’s incredible strength in being an adaptable generalist rather than a specialist because you’re able to connect the dots amongst disparate disciplines. When you’re burnt out, it’s not a good time to make a decision. Instead, it’s a time to rest, recuperate, and ask for support. Tweetables to Share I want to lead my best life and be as true to myself as possible because it can all be over quickly. Sophie Scott Tweet This Resources Mentioned Sophie mentioned that psychological projection and transference both have useful applications to understanding professional relationships in the workplace. Here’s a helpful article from Psychology Today about projection and another on transference . Sophie
S4 E68 · Thu, December 05, 2019
Figuring Things Out with Pip Murray
Career pivots often involve shifting into an industry or role you know little about, which can make the move that much more daunting. In episode 68 of Career Relaunch, Pip Murray , a former science museum producer turned founder of Pip & Nut, shares her thoughts on what it takes to start your own company, how to build your confidence during transitions, and why taking action is so important to turn your ideas into reality. During the Mental Fuel segment, I also share some thoughts about how to do something you have no idea HOW to do. Key Career Insights You don’t need to quit your job the moment you decide it’s time to move on. The decision simply shapes how you approach the upcoming months or even years until you’re ready to make the leap. At some point, you have to cut the cord and turn your side hustle into your full-time job if you want to really give it the attention it deserves. You absolutely can learn anything you need to know in order have a shot of cracking into a new industry if you devote yourself to educating yourself, connecting with the right people, and filling your knowledge gaps. When you’re trying to test out a new idea, err on the side of doing. Otherwise, your idea will always be an idea. Getting where you want to go involves a series of improvements as you test out various approaches. Tweetable Start doing. Otherwise, your idea will always just be an idea. Pip Murray Tweet This Listener Challenge <p
S4 E67 · Thu, November 14, 2019
Standing on Your Own with Lola Scarborough
Making a career transition always seems to take longer than you initially expect. It’s hard to know exactly how long you should give yourself to make the progress you want. In this week’s episode of Career Relaunch, legal secretary turned yoga studio founder and instructor Lola Scarborough describes how grit and determination ultimately allowed her to get her yoga studio off the ground. We discuss the downside of having a job that’s too comfortable and what you learn about yourself when you’re forced to make a sudden career pivot. During the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll also share my own personal experience with my own career transitions taking longer than I wanted. Key Career Insights The comforts of a stable, corporate job can often lead you to stop asking yourself tough questions about what you truly want from your career and life. When you make tough changes, you discover both things you like and things you may dislike about yourself. Discovering who you really are comes from a place of discomfort, which is exactly what a career pivot forces upon you. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I challenged you to take a step back, reevaluate whether you’re being realistic with the timeline you’ve given yourself for a specific career transition or project you’re hoping to complete in the near future. Then build in a little extra buffer. And if you don’t get as far as you want as quickly as you want, just remember not to beat yourself up too much because it’s not unusual for things to take a litt
S4 E66 · Thu, October 31, 2019
Knowing Who You Are with Tod Jacobs
When you follow a non-linear career path, it allows you to diversify your skills and experiences, but it can also create challenges when trying to explain your career narrative to others in your professional network, interviewers, and colleagues. Identifying the common thread that unifies all your experiences is one way to connect the dots for yourself and others. In Career Relaunch episode 66, journalist turned Wall Street analyst turned rabbi Tod Jacobs explains why having a life outside of work is so critical to your overall happiness and what it takes to figure out where to focus your career energies. In the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll explain how I discovered the common thread that unifies the wide range of experiences in my own career. Key Career Insights If you look closely, you may realize your disparate career experiences have some common themes that unite them. Find the overlap between the things you’re good at and the things you love . That’s what you should be devoting your energies. You have to take the time to figure out who you are and what you find meaningful before you dive head-first into a certain career direction. Make sure you develop other aspects of your life outside of your actual work, which allows you to derive more meaning from both. Focusing on what you can give in your life and career (rather than solely on what you get) allows you to focus on those things you can control and ultimately reap the benefits you deserve. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, my challenge to you, especially if you find yourself struggling to pitch your story to your target employer or client, was to: #1: dedicate some time to capture a written inventory of your skills and experiences, and #2: selectively hone in on those you feel are the most relevant to your future work . Try to highligh
S4 E65 · Thu, October 10, 2019
Taking a Step Back with Ana Wagner
Getting laid off from your job can be one of the more jarring experiences in your career. When it happens to you twice, how can you bounce back? And how can a career setback help you clarify and redefine what’s important to you? In this week’s Career Relaunch podcast episode, automotive industry professional Ana Wagner explains how she dealt with being laid off when she was eight months pregnant and once again during the Great Recession of the late 2000s. We’ll talk about a range of topics including how to avoid being defined by your job and why career detours can give you an opportunity to reevaluate your priorities and gain some healthy perspective. During the Mental Fuel segment, I address a listener’s question from Japan about how long you should hold onto a job you don’t like . Key Career Insights You have the freedom to NOT define yourself by the title you have or the company you work for, as tempting and natural as that may feel. While you may not like every aspect of your job, you need to enjoy the majority of the work you do for a living. Otherwise, it’s miserable. Being laid-off doesn’t necessarily hurt you in the long run, and in fact, can be a blessing in disguise. Similarly, taking a step down in role and/or salary can actually serve you in many, less obvious ways. Tweetable to Share You may not like every single colleague, boss, or project at work, but you need to like what you do most of the time--otherwise, it's miserable. Ana Wagner Tweet This Listener Challenge During t
S4 E64 · Thu, September 12, 2019
Keeping the Right Company with Tamiko Kelly
The company you work for and the people you work with can have a huge impact on your perspectives, outlook, and self-belief. In episode 64 of Career Relaunch, Retail merchandiser turned baby sleep expert Tamiko Kelly explains why surrounding yourself with the right people can have such a profound impact on your career. She’ll explain the steps she took to move from the corporate world to set up her own independent business. We’ll talk about the importance of starting even if you don’t have a plan fully mapped out, getting yourself out of bad environments, and letting go of things that no longer serve you. Key Career Insights Doing 1-on-1 work that feels unscalable can actually allow you to develop deep insights that enables you to create more scalable offerings. You don’t have to have a fully ironed out marketing strategy to get your business off the ground. You just have to start somewhere. At some point, you have to let go of the things that are no longer serving you and trust that things are going to work out. Getting yourself out of a toxic environment is the first step toward getting back the confidence you need to relaunch your career in a more positive direction. Tweetables to Share You're doing yourself more harm staying in a situation that's no longer serving you. Tamiko Kelly Tweet This Resources Mentioned I mentioned the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory on today’s show. You can read more about Myers-Briggs and take the survey yourself to find out which of the 16 personality types you fall into. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-
S4 E63 · Thu, August 22, 2019
Finding Validation Beyond Work with Colby Chilcote
Leaving one of the “best places to work” in the world like Google is a really tough choice, but that’s exactly what former Google marketer Colby Chilcote chose to do when she left to become marketing director at Huron Pines, a nonprofit organization in northern Michigan. In this episode of Career Relaunch, we’ll talk about finding meaning outside of work, coming to terms with difficult decisions, and trusting yourself especially when you’re making seemingly unconventional career moves. I also share some thoughts on how my sources of validation have evolved over time. Key Career Insights As an employee of a large company, sometimes you have to step back and recognize that your job will go on with or without you, which is especially important to remember when you have personal events or situations arise that demand your attention. Having a stable job at a reputable company can be a major source of validation, so if you lose that, you have to think about other ways you can still feel complete. Sometimes, other people can more easily see how unhappy you are before you’re able to admit it to yourself. Just because others think you’re at the perfect place to work, it doesn’t mean you should feel the same Resources Mentioned Colby was featured in this March 2019 Fast Company article, I took a huge pay cut for a more meaningful job, and it was nothing like I expected . Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I challenged you to think about where you seek validation from . How much of your own sense of validation comes from within? How much it comes from others? And are you happy with this blend? Take a moment and jot down what makes you feel good about the choices you’re making in your career and life . Decide if those sources of validation feel r
S4 E62 · Thu, August 01, 2019
Focusing on the Present with Caroline Yeats
When it comes to your health, you never really know when things can take a turn. Caroline Yeats shares her story of relaunching her career as an investment banker to become a nutritionist after being diagnosed with incurable Stage IV bowel cancer in her early 30s. We’ll discuss investing your time in only those things that matter and treating each day as if it’s your last. The week we had planned to record this conversation, Caroline actually had to have a sudden, emergency heart surgery, but she very generously insisted on still doing this recording, which gives you a glimpse into her positive attitudes about life and work. During today’s Mental Fuel segment, I’ll share the steps I’m trying to take to create the future I desire. Key Career Insights When you’re in a balanced place in life and invested your time doing things you care about, you can truly enjoy each day. Doing things that make you miserable is not worth it because life is just too short. Thinking about important questions can potentially change the rest of your life. What do you want? What makes you happy? What makes you unhappy? What can you do about it? Imagine what you want your ideal life to look like in 5 or 10 years. What can you do right now to make that happen? You have to decide which issues you will allow to consume you, then reconsider whether it’s worth the stress. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about deciding exactly what you want your life to look like in the future. Decide what specific actions you’ll take right now to maximize the chances of making this vision come true. While there are no guarantees things will turn out exactly as you hope, you might as well do everything you can to try and turn your hopes into reality. About Caroline Yeats , Nutritionist <a href="http://www
S4 E61 · Thu, July 11, 2019
Seeing the Bigger Picture with Michael McEvoy
Walking away from a family business comes with its own unique set of challenges and emotional dynamics. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Michael McEvoy shares his story of walking away from being a partner at a law firm, the same firm his father spent his entire career, to found his own public adjusting company. We discuss making time for those who matter in your life, the importance of following a path that makes you truly happy, the impact your career can have on the people in your life, and dealing with the judgements of others. During the Mental Fuel segment, I also explain how much your job satisfaction can affect your life outside of work. Key Career Insights When you walk away from a career you spent years creating, people will have different reactions to your decision, some positive, some negative. As long as you’re doing it for the right reasons, you have to stay focused on the upside it provides you in your life regardless of what others think. Even when you’re an adult, the judgement of your parents can still have an impact on your career decisions. Your family’s wellbeing can and should be a factor in any major decision you’re making in your career. Inevitably, it involves trade-offs. Letting go of your professional identity is never easy. It forms so much of who you are, so it’s completely natural to feel a sense of loss when you step away from it. Even if you’re not happy in your job, reflecting on what drew you to that path to begin with can be very useful. Certain elements of your job may still make you happy and could be worth carrying over into the next chapter of your career Resources Mentioned What Color is Your Parachute is the book Mike referred to in our conversation that helped him uncover where his interests were. I actually read this myself after college, and to this day, the book has informed how I’ve navigated my own career pivots over the years. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-510x510.png 510w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1080x1080.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 2180px) 100v
S4 E60 · Thu, June 20, 2019
Walking Away From Your Career with Kelly Price
Making the decision to leave an entire career behind is never easy. It becomes even more daunting if you don’t have your next role lined up. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Kelly Price, a former consultant in the pharmaceutical industry explains why she made the decision to move on from her stable career in the industry to pursue a career path more aligned with her personal values and interests. We’ll talk about dealing with “golden handcuffs” and how you can navigate a transition when you aren’t 100% certain what lies ahead. In the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll talk about how I managed the times in my career when I left one job behind before having my next one lined up. Key Career Insights If you’re working within an industry with practices misaligned with your values, it’s worth considering making a move to be more at peace with yourself. It’s not unusual for it to take an extended period of time to move on from a role you dislike because the costs of leaving, including creating a break in your CV or disruption to your steady income, can feel very daunting. The “golden handcuffs” of chasing a better title and higher salary can feel very alluring, but can result in you continually moving the goals posts of what will truly make you happy. Leaving one job behind without having another one lined up definitely happens, although can feel less common, which makes it both daunting and exciting. You can never go wrong investing more time pursuing your interests. Doing this leads you down the path toward being who you’re meant to be. When you allow yourself to pursue your interests, you can become who you're meant to be. Kelly Price Tweet This Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/201
S4 E59 · Thu, May 30, 2019
Setting Realistic Expectations with Chinwe Onyeagoro
Finding the right balance between pushing yourself to achieve and not overextending yourself is never easy. In this episode of Career Relaunch, former McKinsey consultant turned CEO of PocketSuite Chinwe Onyeagoro will explain how she made some tough choices to bring a better balance to her life and approach her work with even more joy. In the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll talk about setting reasonable expectations for yourself so you can maintain a sustainable pace to your work and life. Key Career Insights Rather than spreading yourself too thin, focusing your energies on one particular sector helps you add significantly more value. Instead of simply chasing credentials and resume building, focus on what you can learn and what exposure you’ll have to people with the functional skills you’re hoping to develop. Given all the sacrifices you have to make whenever you’re devoted to a professional cause, you have to approach your work with a sense of joy. Otherwise, it’s simply not sustainable. In order to turn a side gig you have for supplemental income into a real, full-time business, you have to enjoy finding clients and building a business. Returning to full-time employment after running your own business can be a tremendous opportunity, but it may involve re-skilling up and training again so you can reintegrate into your former industry that’s potentially evolved. Resources Mentioned What makes a workplace experience “great.” (according to Great Places to Work ): Purpose – People have pride in what they do. Camaraderie – Sense of connection with others. Trust- believing other people in your organization “have your back.” For unique insights on how to start and run your own business, you can text PocketSuite at +1 415-841-2300. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Me
S4 E58 · Thu, May 16, 2019
Taking a Brave Leap with Luke Tonge
Figuring out whether to turn your side project into your full-time day job is rarely easy. Agency designer turned freelance creative & festival organizer Luke Tonge explains how to tell when it’s time to devote yourself more fully to your side gig. We’ll talk about how you can tell when to move on from your current day job, the importance of reminding yourself of your “why,” and why stepping out of your comfort zone can be so powerful. I’ll also share 5 questions you could ask yourself to clarify if and when the right time is to turn your side hustle into something more. Key Career Insights Once you squeeze as much as you can from your current experience, you owe it to yourself to move onto the next challenge. Divorcing work from the meaning behind the work is not easy. You have to consider what legacy you’re leaving. How you treat people really matters. They’ll remember how you made them feel. Your potential partners, clients, and advisors will likely be former colleagues or professional contacts. Investing in yourself and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone can open up opportunities doing those exact activities that you initially shied away from. Tweetables to Share Ambition drives you to achieve what you didn't think was possible. Luke Tonge Tweet This Relevant Resources Meet Luke Tonge: the man behind Birmingham Design Festival – Moo feature 7 Signs Your Side Hustle Could Turn Into Your Full-Time Job – Forbes In deciding whether to leave your full time job to pursue your side hustle, I suggested considering these 5 questions: Family – Is this a reasonably good time to do this considering my family situation? Viability – Can I see a path to profitability? Mitigation – Do I have a concrete, viable backup plan in place if things DON’T work out? Opportunity cost – Have I been saying “no” more than “yes” to side opportunities due to my capacity or any other conflicts from my day job? Finances – Do I have a reasonably solid financial cushion? Listener Ch
S4 E57 · Wed, April 24, 2019
Making Patient Moves with Jeff Shih
How can you successfully shift roles from a technical to managerial role? How about shifting industries from management consulting to product management? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Jeff Shih, a former Deloitte consultant turned product manager at Unity Technologies shares his thoughts on how to successfully navigate an industry and role shift. In today’s Mental Fuel® segment, I also share some thoughts on how I decide when to turn down career opportunities. Key Career Insights You have to be patient when you’re trying to shift careers so you can wait for the right opportunity to come up. Doing something new allows you to keep your career fresh, drive career satisfaction, and career satisfaction. Don’t just take the first opportunity that comes along, especially when it means sacrificing something else important to you. Tweetables to Share Wait for the right opportunity. Don't just take a job that makes you sacrifice what you value. Jeff Shih Tweet This Related Resources Check out Jeff Shih’s Medium article on Transitioning from Consulting to Product Management and his follow-up article with a few FAQs related to the transition The Journey from Consulting to Product Management – Redcat Digital Quora discussion on switching from management consulting to product management 5 Tips on Transitioning to Product Management from a Business Background – Lisa Zhu on Medium Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" wid
S4 E56 · Thu, April 04, 2019
Doing What Excites You
Moving to a new country is never simple. In this episode of Career Relaunch, lettering artist Alex Trochut will share his story of moving from Barcelona to New York City. We’ll discuss the importance of paying attention to your professional desires and ways to rekindle your relationship with your own work. After our conversation, during today’s Mental Fuel, I explain what I do to keep my own work exciting and interesting. Key Career Insights Starting is the hardest part, especially when you cross paths with people who question and challenge your plans. You have to pay attention to what you actually enjoy so you can then transform those desires into something valuable. Our careers are like marriages. Routines can take over, so you have to find a way to rekindle your relationship with your work. It’s difficult to do great work when you’re bored. Tweetables to Share Being comfortable is easy, but also boring. Alex Trochut Tweet This Resources Mentioned Check out this short film by Daniel Soares featuring Alex Trochut on what it’s like to be a freelancer in NYC. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, my challenge to you was to find one way to make your work more exciting for yourself by changing one part of your work routine. It could be something as simple as listening to music or working in a different café or it could mean investing
S4 E55 · Thu, March 14, 2019
Believing in Yourself with Jamie Love
How can you survive the ups and downs of a bumpy career journey? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Jamie Love a former house cleaner turned professional photographer shares her thoughts on how to deal with hitting rock bottom and how your mindset can have a direct impact on the trajectory of your career. I’ll also explain how I’ve thought about my own self-worth, especially as it relates to pricing my services as a self-employed consultant. Key Career Insights Believing in your own self-worth is such a critical part of being able to promote yourself to others. You don’t have to have everything figured out, especially where you want to focus your energies, when you’re embarking on a new path on your career or starting your own business. You can put out a range of feelers to see what ends up gaining traction with both your audience and also yourself. Clinging to a negative mindset and outlook related to your career and life will likely not serve you well and can in fact lead to a downward spiral of even more negative events. Tweetables to Share Too much self-doubt can ruin everything. Jamie Love Tweet This Resources Overcoming the challenges of getting hired by your first client – from my blog Listener Challenge So my challenge to you is to put yourself out there, and start charging what you feel you’re worth, even if you don’t feel 100% ready yet. I’m talking about putting a price on
S4 E54 · Thu, February 21, 2019
Gaining Perspective with Ben Mallinson
What can you do to gain some much needed perspective and take a fresh look at where your career’s headed? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Ben Mallinson , a former public services employment advisor turned government public servant shares his thoughts on the difference between working for a public and private institution and the steps you can take if you’re feeling stuck in your career. I also share a moment in my own career when I had to take a step back to gain some much needed clarity. Key Career Insights While working for a reputable, well-known company can be quite alluring, you have to invest the time necessary to ensure your life there will truly align with your broader career goals. Creating some distance between you and your job can provide you with the headspace to figure out exactly where you want to take your career. Mirroring the exact language an organization uses to describe their mission and culture in your own job search materials can help you stand out in a very precise manner with those organizations. Don’t forget that there will always be other opportunities for you. Your narrative isn’t limited to only how you’re defined within your current organization. Tweetables to Share Having purpose is so important to your career. Ben Mallinson Tweet This When was the last time you took a moment to just stop and reflect on where you want to take your career? Joseph Liu Tweet This Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/w
S4 E53 · Thu, January 31, 2019
Reassessing Your Priorities with Jay Kali
How can you feel more empowered in your career? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Jay Kali , a former prison guard turned strength coach shares his thoughts on how adopting an empowered mindset and the relationship between hard work and luck. During the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll explain why it’s important to take stock of how you’ve changed over time. Key Career Insights While your job may have suited you in the past, it doesn’t mean that same job will continue to suit the person you’ve evolved to become. The harder you work, the luckier you may get (building off a quote about the relationship between work and luck from film producer Samuel Goldwyn ). You don’t necessarily have to change everything or make a drastic move to create the career and life you want. You could start small, doing something on the side, or testing the waters in a way that’s low-risk. Tweetables to Share Making progress starts by getting just 1% better in one area of your life. Jay Kali Tweet This What's on the other side of fear? Nothing. Jamie Foxx Tweet This Resources Mentioned We discussed the Japanese concept of the Kaizen Principle . Jay is also really passionate about the Catch A Lift Fund that enables post 9/11 combat wounded veterans all over the U.S. to recover and rehabilitate both physically and mentally through physical fitness, motivation and support. We referred to the Growth Mindset, something we touched on in Episode 41 with Victoria Crandall. Jay has also graciously offered his book Educate, Demonstrate, Motivate for free to Career Relaunch l
S4 E52 · Thu, January 10, 2019
Letting Go of Outcomes with Karen Cheung-Hing
In this episode of Career Relaunch, Karen Cheung-Hing , a former doctor turned English pronunciation teacher, shares her thoughts on procrastination, relocating to a new country, and upside of changing careers. I also share some thoughts what happened when I let go of how I thought things should look in my career. Karen and I first crossed paths after she attended one of my career change talks in London. She later applied to be on the show, and I found her story to be really refreshing and unique. I could also relate a bit to some of her sentiments about leaving medicine behind because I also walked away from a career in medicine many years ago. I hope you enjoy hearing her career change insights. Key Career Insights You may not have a clear moment of epiphany that you should move on from your current role. Instead, it may just be a lingering feeling that things won’t get any better and that you owe it to yourself to at least try to do something else that you truly enjoy. You can’t fully compartmentalize your personal and professional lives. They’re interconnected, and if you’re feeling dissatisfaction in your career, it may be worth considering whether something in your personal life is affecting your career and vice-versa. There’s a fine line between procrastination and just not wanting to do something. How do you feel inside when you think of the project. Although moving locations and even countries may seem like a drastic change, you may be surprised at just how similar your day-to-day life may be, especially since much of our lives are now online. Letting go of your fixed ideas about outcomes can really lift a lot of stress from your life and allow you to feel better. Tweetables to Share Your world gets bigger when you change careers. Karen Cheung-Hing Tweet This Letting go of one goal creates space for another. Joseph Liu Tweet This Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt=""
S3 E51 · Thu, December 13, 2018
Creating Your New Image with Deepak Shukla
Have you ever met someone who used to be a tax accountant then became a rapper? Me neither. But that’s exactly what our guest on this week’s Career Relaunch episode did. Deepak Shukla, a former Deloitte tax accountant turned rapper and SEO agency founder shares his thoughts on what it’s like to break into a new industry when you don’t exactly look the part. We’ll also talk about putting yourself out there, dealing with judgement, and focusing on the future rather than the past. I’ll also address a listener question about balancing your current role and identity with your future ambitions. Key Career Insights Just because you don’t make it in a certain industry doesn’t mean that the experience was for nothing. You have to courageously put yourself out there to at least give yourself the opportunity to succeed. This helps you become better and more effective with your work. The only way to build up your tolerance to judgement and critique is to put yourself in situations where you HAVE to face this . . . so you can get used to it. Minimize the amount of time and effort you devote to analysizing what went wrong during a failure and instead try to focus on the actions you can take to do better next time. Tweetables to Share No one thinks about you as much as YOU. Deepak Shukla Tweet This Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. Tony Robbins Tweet This Related Resources We talked on the show about how you shouldn’t be overly concerned with other’s opinions of your career progress or trajectory. This article in the Book of Life entitled No One Cares is a good reminder that we should focus more on what choices make sense for us rather than what others think of those choices. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://j
S3 E50 · Thu, November 22, 2018
Making Healthy Career Choices with Kelly Cara
How do things REALLY turn out when you make the brave decision to relaunch your career? Do things actually end up working out? Or does leaving behind a stable career end up coming back to bite you? In this very special 50th episode of Career Relaunch, I’m excited to welcome back Kelly Cara to the show. Kelly was my very first guest when this podcast launched back in Sept 2016, and she was voted by listeners as the guest they most wanted to hear from again. We’re going to check in with her to hear how things have actually turned out for her since she made the decision to leave her job behind as an educational researcher in Springfield, Missouri to become a nutrition researcher, educator, and health-supportive chef in Austin, Texas after finishing culinary school. We’ll talk about doing work you love, the impact of money on your choices, and when to move onto the next chapter of your career . . . even if you’ve just recently made a change. Key Career Insights After you make a leap once, it becomes easier to make another leap in your life because you will have built up that muscle. When you’re feeling motivated to do something, it’s important to take an action that seizes on that motivation because you may not have a similar level of motivation down the road. There’s more to wealth and richness than how much money you make. The richness of your life is also driven by the fulfillment and satisfaction you gain from the work you’ve chosen to dedicate your energies to. Tweetables to Share There's more to wealth than money. Kelly Cara Tweet This Resources Mentioned Kelly referred to Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken . Check out this TED animation of his poem: https://youtu.be/yGB_K_xlHdI Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFue
S3 E49 · Thu, November 01, 2018
Building Your Confidence with Heather Monahan
Sometimes, getting fired from your job can be a blessing in disguise. This was true for Chief Revenue Officer turned professional speaker and author Heather Monahan. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Heather will share her thoughts on the power of sharing your vulnerabilities, asking for assistance when you need it most, and the steps she’s taken in her career to become more confident. In the Mental Fuel segment, I also share some thoughts on how asking for help made my transition from the US to the UK much smoother. Key Career Insights Journaling allows you to look back and gain strength from seeing how far you’ve come Getting rid of negative people in your life opens up opportunity for positive people to come into your life. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and being very transparent with the kind of help you need gives you an opportunity to receive that help. Done is better than perfect. Tweetables to Share Done is better than perfect. Heather Monahan Tweet This You gain strength from seeing how far you've already come. Heather Monahan Tweet This Resources Mentioned Check out Heather’s book Confidence Creator , filled with her personal stories of her own career turning points and how she built her own confidence along the way. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-c
S3 E48 · Thu, October 11, 2018
Handling Career Turbulence
Living with less can sometimes allow you to do more. In this episode of Career Relaunch, JB Adkins , a pilot turned founder of Skyryde, a flying taxi service startup, shares his honest, humble story of walking away from aviation school after receiving a full-ride scholarship so he could pursue his entrepreneurial interests instead. He’ll explain the tradeoffs he made to make things work, including living in an RV with his wife and two young boys to reduce costs so he could fund his Skyryde venture. I’ll also reveal exactly what happened to me on the exact day I decided to quit medical school. Key Career Insights Walking away is always difficult and might involve some tradeoffs, but if you can ride out the rough waves, you may just emerge on the other side doing work you find much more rewarding. If you have to, you can learn to live with less, which can allows you to reinvest into more important things that truly drive your happiness. Whatever has made you successful in the past will play a role in empowering you during a complicated, confusing transition. Tweetables to Share You can learn to live with less. JB Adkins Tweet This Resources Mentioned Read more about JB’s Skyryde business featured in the Washington Post . Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I challenged you to
S3 E47 · Thu, September 20, 2018
Serving Others
When you’ve had a successful run in your career, leaving it behind can be especially difficult. So how can you tell when it’s time to make a change even when you’re good at what you do? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Shawn Askinosie explains how he relaunched his 20-year career as a criminal defense lawyer to found his own chocolate company. We’ll discuss how your intuition can be more precise than your logic and how to create the space you need to make a clear decision about your career. Afterwards, during today’s Mental Fuel segment, I’ll talk about how serving others helped ME figure out where to take my own career. Key Career Insights How your body feels physically can send you clues about your job satisfaction that you may not be able to fully rationalize logically. Pay attention to the signals your body is trying to tell you. Don’t get lost in endless research. It can paralyze you and send you into a bottomless pit of choice. You have to also allow yourself to just listen to your own intuition. If you’re feeling stuck about what to do next in your career, shifting the focus from yourself to serving someone else can create some space in your mind for the answers to come more naturally to you. Tweetables to Share Find some way to serve someone else without expecting anything in return. Shawn Askinosie Tweet This Resources Mentioned Check Meaningful Work: A Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling and Feed Your Soul , by our guest Shawn Askinosie & daughter Lawren Askinosie. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-510x510.png 510w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uplo
S3 E46 · Thu, August 30, 2018
Being True to Yourself
What’s it like to take evening classes while working full time to expand your career options? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Chris Donovan , a former telephone repairman turned high-end women’s shoe designer, shares his thoughts on doing work that’s authentic to who you are and how to deal with being an outlier when you’re pursuring a new career path. Afterwards, during today’s Mental Fuel, I’ll talk about being who you are, but doing it in a way that still allows you to resonate with the right people. Key Career Insights Stability is nice, but at some point, you have to decide whether that stability is fulfilling enough for you. You are always going to face obstacles when you’re starting down a new path. You just have to keep talking to more people to figure out away around those obstacles. You can’t give up because you never know when you’re going to stumble upon the right person who can open a door for you. Fear and excitement are related feelings, especially when you’re doing something you never thought you would be doing. Face it. Embrace it. Tweetables to Share To make big things happen, you have to face your fears. Chris Donovan Tweet This Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about the importance of identifying one aspect of your personality that could serve you well in getting there. I call this a personality asset. What’s one part of who you are that you’ve maybe been holding back, for WHATEVER reason, but could actually benefi
S3 E45 · Thu, August 16, 2018
Giving Yourself Credit with Lani Love
What does it feel like to do what you love on stage in front of a ton of people? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Lani Love will explain how she relaunched her career from working at an advertising agency to becoming a professional deejay. Lani shares her thoughts on how to evaluate which opportunities to pursue and how to balance your career and family interests. During the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll discuss the importance of giving yourself some credit, especially when you feel like you’re constantly falling short. Key Career Insights At some point, you have to learn to trust yourself and give yourself credit for all your accomplishments rather than being so hard on yourself. There may be times in your career when you have to take a step back in order to focus on more important things in your life like family or health. That’s okay. Some opportunities that seem really perfect for you may simply not end up working out, but you have to trust that another opportunity can and will come up if you’re patient and persistent enough. Tweetables to Share Even if a perfect opportunity gets away, you have to trust that another opportunity will come around. DJ Lani Love Tweet This Wondering if I could do more also means constantly feeling like I’m not doing enough. Joseph Liu Tweet This Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephli
S3 E44 · Thu, July 26, 2018
Choosing Your Crowd
Who are the people you should surround yourself with when you’re making a major career pivot? Who are the people you should avoid spending too much time with when you’re facing some career challenges? In Episode 44 of Career Relaunch, Adrian Knight , managing director of Knight Franchises, shares his perspectives on how to handle the range of people who affect your career plans. He’ll also share some insights from his experiences helping professionals transition out of corporate life into franchise business ownership and discuss how franchising can be a doorway to career change. I’ll also share my personal thoughts on the importance of being selective about who you allow to be a part of your career and life decisions. Key Career Insights Sometimes, you have to take a hiatus from people who may have some preconceived notion of how your life should look so you can focus on what you really want. Be careful about allowing others to critique your career decisions. They may not share the same outlook on life, values, or perspectives on what truly matters to you. Remember that your choices are not always going to make sense to others. Make sure you surround yourself with people who believe in the agenda you’ve decided is best for your life. Tweetables to Share Make sure the advice you take is coming from someone whose life you admire. Adrian Knight Tweet This Resources on the people you allow into your life 3 People You Should Connect With When Changing Careers- Joseph Liu’s article in Forbes Great quotes on how to handle negative people in your life- Pinterest 37 quotes on how to deal with negative people- Bryce Lewis Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-cont
S3 E43 · Thu, June 28, 2018
Making Brave Career Choices
When you no longer feel your work, company, organization is the right place for you, that sometimes means choosing to walk away from your job before you have another role lined up. In this episode of Career Relaunch, former retail apparel buyer Maddie Potvin , explains what made her decide to move away from the Bay area to pursue other interests and how she’s managed her transition. During the episode, she shares honest perspectives on the emotions of career change, the challenges of leaving your corporate identify behind, and the importance of taking control of your future. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll talk about defining your walkaway point as a guide to deciding when to move on to something new in your life and career. Key Career Insights Your environment matters. Consider joining a coworking space is a great way of socializing with others who can support you. When you’re feeling knocked down, it’s important to make sure you’re kind to yourself and avoid making things worse. You may not feel like you have a choice about what sort of job you have or how long you stay in your current role, but you always have choice about whether you want to make a change. So much of your identity can be wrapped up in your job. It’s a big piece of who you are and a sense of purpose. Just recognizing this can help you understand what may be keeping you in a job you don’t necessarily enjoy. Listener Challenge During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about defining your walkaway points in your career. For some help in doing understanding what will and will not be acceptable to you in your career, download my “Where Will You Draw The Line” Worksheet. This resource is available exclusively to my Career Resource Hub members. If you're not already a member, you'll need to first register below. If you're already a member and see
S3 E42 · Thu, June 14, 2018
Uncovering More Inspiration
Former hotel lounge pianist turned pharmaceutical digital marketer Rei Lim discusses why he chose to leave his life as a professional musician behind to instead pursue a corporate career. In this episode of Career Relaunch®, we’ll talk about the importance of role models, feeling good about your future, and being proud of the work you do. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll address a listener question about how to prioritize your interests and head down the right path for you in your career. Key Career Insights If you can’t find any role models in your industry you aspire to become like, that could be a signal that you may want to reconsider your career path. If you’re not proud of your response to “What do you do?”, that could suggest you may be doing work you don’t find truly meaningful. Make sure you feel inspired by the target role you’re trying to land Tweetables to Share Think about whether someone in your industry who's 10 or 20 years further along than you has a life you want. Rei Lim Tweet This Ask yourself WHY a goal you're trying to reach is so important to you. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources & Quotes Mentioned “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.” -Stephen Covey Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-400x400.png 400w, https://jose
S3 E41 · Thu, May 17, 2018
Following Your Instincts
Where should you be devoting your energies as a professional? Part of answering that question involves getting clear on which endeavors you feel naturally drawn toward. Former journalist Victoria Crandall shares her unique journey of leaving the US to become a managing director of a cocoa exporter in the Ivory Coast. We’ll talk about the power of curiosity and using your natural interests as a way of guiding your career choices. In the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll also explain the importance of identifying your professional “center of gravity.” Key Career Insights We all have things we’re naturally drawn toward in life. The key is to pay attention to what you keep returning to again and again as a clue to where you could take your career. We live in an age where incredible amounts of information are available at our fingertips. This information can be such a powerful enabler for the change you desire for your career. “Learning on the job is riddled with uncertainty and is therefore uncomfortable, even painful. But, if you’re willing to embrace the discomfort of making mistakes and adopt a growth mindset, you will benefit immensely.” -Victoria Crandall, guest on Episode 41 Tweetables to Share If you’re curious and you’re hungry for information, you can become an expert relatively quickly. Victoria Crandall Tweet This Your professional 'center of gravity' is where you can do your most rewarding, gratifying work. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned I referenced a quote from Stephen Speilberg about listening to the whispers in your life. Here’s the full video . https://youtu.be/l2Im25BdQ8M I also referenced this episode of Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman featuring Ev Williams. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size
S3 E40 · Thu, May 03, 2018
Show Highlights & Update
In this special 40th episode of Career Relaunch, I’ll be drifting from our regular guest interview format to instead share some news about the show including a few exciting milestones we’ve crossed, three of my main takeaways from doing all these interviews with career changers, and some highlights from past episodes. You can also help me pick the guest who returns for episode 50. Key Career Insights Making your desired career change may involve “ an imperfect start .” Sometimes, the process of getting where you want to go is a little bit clunkier than that. Your ability to achieve your career pivot is going to directly relate to your ability to deal with and quickly bounce back from rejection . Rejection is not a sign you’re on the wrong path, but instead is just part of the process. To move beyond the career you’ve had, you have to adopt a mind-set that says, “ My past isn’t going to dictate my future .” Where you truly believe that you actually CAN take your career in a different direction. Because, before you can work on convincing others of your new path, you have to first convince yourself. Tweetables to Share My past isn't going to dictate my future in my career. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned In this special episode, I referred to the following former episodes, which I’d encourage you to go back and check out: Pursuing Work You Enjoy with Kelly Cara Being Open to Opportunities with Polly Aspinall Embracing Uncertainty with Stephen Satterfield Being Your Own #1 Fan with Sandeep Johal Pick the Guest Who Returns for Episode 50 <img width="96" height="96" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Sandeep-Square.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" type="divi" columns="4" link="none" ids="12179,12178,12180,12177" orderby="post__in" include="12179,12178,12180,12177" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="h
S3 E39 · Thu, April 19, 2018
Letting Your Plans Evolve
What happens when your career plans don’t end up working out? Independent artist turned community founder Jamie Smith will explain why it’s okay to allow yourself to shift away from your original goals and move forward with “imperfect” ideas. Afterwards, during the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll share one of the plans I had for my own business that didn’t end up panning out. Key Career Insights You have the power to create the community you need. If you can’t find an existing, likeminded group of people, don’t forget that you can also take the initiative to organize a community yourself. Don’t remain too rigidly attached to your original goals. Listen to what you need and what others need, then adjust. Sometimes, you need to get out of your own way and stop fighting against the natural evolution of your career. Instead of trying to get a perfect idea out there, get your best available idea out the door, then iterate & improve based on the feedback you get. Tweetables to Share Don’t let goals run you. It’s okay to let those go when they no longer serve you. Jamie Smith Tweet This Giving yourself room to walk away from one idea opens up space for you to pursue another. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned I was first introduced to Jamie by our guest Sandeep Johal from Episode 20 . Check out that episode if you’re interested in hearing more about another artist’s journey. Jamie mentioned Asana as a free tool she uses to stay organized and Canva , which you can use to create polished graphics and visuals to help you market your ideas. If you would like to hear more about the importance of letting your goals evolve, check out Career Relaunch episode 23 with Krishelle Hardson-Hurley If y
S3 E38 · Thu, April 05, 2018
Choosing Happiness
What’s the key to being happier in your career and life? What choices and tradeoffs must you be willing to be make to achieve this happiness? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Samantha Clarke , a former digital manager turned happiness consultant, shares her thoughts on how you can become happier with your work and explains why refuelling yourself is so critical before you can serve others. During today’s Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll talk about how I deal with the pressure I put on myself. Key Career Insights You have to be willing to let go of some things in order to make room for happiness. Chasing an “overextended” version of yourself will only lead to burnout and an inability to give all you can to the work you care about most. Happiness is about making sure you carve out enough time for those things that refuel you. Tweetables to Share Be cautious about chasing an overextended version of yourself. Samantha Clarke Tweet This Get very clear with yourself on what would be enough to make you happy, knowing you could always chase more. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Samantha mentioned a few strategic questions to ask yourself to keep yourself happy: What do you need to put down or make peace with? Allow yourself to be open to receiving? What you can do to make space for self-care? What support system do you need to keep going? How can you keep challenging yourself, to destroy & rebuild Samantha has hosted classes at The School of Life , a global organisation dedicated to developing emotional intelligence. We apply psychology, philosophy, and culture to everyday life. Read more about Samantha’s Guardian Masterclass on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/2016/mar/15/how-to-build-a-portfolio-career-an-evening-class-with-samantha-clarke" target="_blank" rel="noopener norefe
S3 E37 · Thu, March 15, 2018
Discover Your Career Path
How can you figure out how you should be devoting your professional efforts? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Sacha Romanovitch, CEO of Grant Thornton UK, explains why she decided to take a hiatus from work to figure out where to take her career. We’ll also talk about what you can gain by stepping away from your work and how you can be more intentional in your career. During the Mental Fuel ® segment, I’ll explain how you can use the concept of Ikigai to clarify where you belong as a professional. Key Career Insights Thinking about the intersection of what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, what the world needs, and what can I earn money from can clue you into your place in this world. Even if you’re not 100% happy with how things are going in your career, if you can be clear on what really matters to you as early as possible in your career, you can usually find a path that navigates you through that well. You have to be clear with yourself about what you’re okay failing at so you can focus on those areas where you want to succeed. Tweetables to Share Choose what you’re going to fail at so you can define what’s really important and what’s not. Sacha Romanovitch Tweet This Invest the time to understand where you can excel and thrive in your career. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned I referenced the book The Little Book of Ikigai, by Ken Mogi. Learn more about Ikigai in this video by Ken Mogi and this fantastic visualisation by Information is Beautiful (pictured here) <a href="https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/ikigai-ja
S3 E36 · Thu, March 01, 2018
Find Your Unique Voice
What steps can you take to build and shape your own personal brand and freelance business? What choices will you have to make to define who you are? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Redd Horrocks , a former circus stage manager turned professional voiceover artist shares her thoughts on how to choose the right professional pursuits, the importance of saying “no,” and how you can tap into online marketplaces to build your freelance business. I also share some thoughts on why saying “no” is so important to building your personal brand. Key Career Insights As a freelancer, feeling like your clients or business could suddenly disappear is a very common feeling. Planning is useful, but you should also stay focused on the present. Don’t look too far ahead. Things can always get better or worse, and it’s not always easy to tell. You don’t have to be hustling all the time. You have to make sure you practice some self-care so you don’t burn out on the business you’re trying to grow. It’s okay to say “no.” Tweetables to Share Work with integrity. You don’t have to work with every client or on every project. There will be another one. Redd Horrocks Tweet This Saying 'no' opens up space for you to say 'yes Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Although we focused on the importance of saying “no” in this episode, I referred to Episode 4 with Polly Aspinall about the importance of saying yes. Redd referred to the online marketplaces Fiverr , Freelancer , PeoplePerHour , Upwork , and Voice Bunny , where she markets her voiceover services. You can find Redd featured in Business Insider
S3 E35 · Thu, February 15, 2018
Building Your Professional Network
How can building your network pay off in your career? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Aaron Fung , a former change management consultant turned Talent Brand Strategist for LinkedIn shares his thoughts on how your professional network can be an incredible resource for you in your career and why your job should be an extension of your authentic self. I also share some thoughts on how my professional network has unlocked some great opportunities for me in my own career. Key Career Insights You can get feedback from people who are close to you, people in your peer group, and someone further along in their career who can provide more experienced perspectives on your situation. Tap into your strengths, but be aware of your vulnerabilities. Even weak connections can be incredibly fruitful and open up new opportunities. Take the time to expand your network because you never know who can open up the next door for you. To expand and maintain your professional network, you have to invest the time to keep your contacts “warm,” so try to build in some sort of a ritual to make reconnecting a habit. Tweetables to Share It's hard to ask for help, but if you're willing to put your ego on hold, it can create an opportunity for you. Aaron Fung Tweet This Some of the best opportunities have come from my efforts to stay in touch with someone. Joseph Liu Tweet This Relevant Resources Aaron mentioned the Hogan Assessment as a way of identifying your strengths & weaknesses. Aaron also mentioned that you can boost your LinkedIn profile by publishing posts. Here’s an overview on how you can do that. He also mentioned that you can let recruiters
S3 E34 · Thu, February 01, 2018
Defining What You Want
What’s it like to be homeless during your career transition? Helen Wix , a former secretary turned Reiki Master, healer, and coach describes her experience being evicted from her home and spending 3 years being homeless in Washington, DC. She shares her thoughts on paying attention to signs that point you in a different direction, declaring what you want for your career, and clearing out your own emotional baggage before you can truly move on. I also share some thoughts on the importance of defining the standards you want for your career and life. Key Career Insights You have to surround yourself with likeminded individuals to help you get out of your ruts You have to WANT to get yourself out of your circumstances and BELIEVE there’s another way your career can be in order for you to improve your conditions. We have a lot of emotional clutter you have to clear out before you can make room for other, more authentic, positive things in your life. Tweetables to Share I know that I was created for more than this, and I'm going to figure out what it is. Helen Wix Tweet This Improving your situation starts with first getting clear on the fact that you want something more for yourself. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Helen mentioned her special report on “ How to Make Your Soul Sing ” to help you do more of the work you love and live the life of your dreams. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/M
S3 E33 · Thu, January 18, 2018
Climbing the Right Career Ladder
What does it really take to find the right job for you? Claire McTaggart , a former management consultant turned founder of SquarePeg Hires, explains how she relaunched her career from being a management consultant to the founder of a new job hiring platform. We’ll discuss which factors really matter in hiring and some interviewing tips . Afterwards, during today’s Mental Fuel®, I’ll share my reflections on the stubborn appeal of job promotions . Key Career Insights You have to make sure the promotions you’re pursuing would actually bring you the career and life satisfaction you desire. If you can’t imagine yourself enjoying your manager’s role, or your manager’s manager’s role, you may want to consider making a career pivot. Dropping your belief that promotions are the only road to professional success allows you to explore other career aspirations that could drive more career fulfillment. Tweetables to Share Are you learning enough, are you satisfied, and are you motivated to come into work every day? Claire McTaggart Tweet This I gave myself permission to explore other career interests that allowed me to feel so much more fulfilled. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Claire alluded to the Founder Institute as a way of nurturing your business ideas and connecting with other aspiring entrepreneurs. The Definitive Guide to Interviewing for a Startup: What I Learned After Screening 42 Candidates for One Position – Medium article by Claire that expands on a couple of the interview strategy topics we touched on in the podcast. <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40451360/these-personality-tests-might-know-your-dream-job-better-than-you-do" targ
S2 E32 · Thu, December 28, 2017
Moving on
What is the life of a professional tennis player REALLY like? Former professional tennis player Rina Einy who’s played in the Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics, gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the realities of being a professional athlete , why she decided to move on from tennis to become a finance professional, and how to balance your career choices with your personal relationships . In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll explain why quitting is sometimes the best thing you can do for your career and life. Key Career Insights Certain professions can look much more glamourous from the outside looking in than they actually are in reality. You have to consider whether you still have something left to “prove” in your current career path. If you don’t, perhaps it’s time to move on. Your career path will always be a balancing act between your professional aspirations and personal priorities. Tradeoffs are inevitable, so you have to be willing to make those difficult choices that compromise one for the other. Tweetables to Share It's okay to accept your heart's no longer in something. Rina Einy Tweet This If you have nothing left to prove, move on. Rina Einy Tweet This Resources Mentioned Dress for Success is that charity Rina mentioned at the end of the episode, whose mission is to “promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional clothes, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.” Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w,
S2 E31 · Thu, December 14, 2017
Starting Over
How can you make sense of all the emotions involved with starting over in your career? Erika Boissiere , a former investment banker turned couples counselor, shares insights on the emotions of letting go of one career for another, the impact your career has on your relationships, and the art of starting over. In the Mental Fuel ® segment, I also share some thoughts on the how I dealt with the “loss” I felt after leaving one career behind to pursue something else. Key Career Insights Thinking about your future self can help you can clarity on your present self. Can you look yourself in the mirror and say, I’m proud of what I do for a living. Leaving one career behind for another can mimic the emotions of loss. Tweetables to Share You can't ignore unhappiness. Erika Boissiere Tweet This Sometimes, you just know when you're exactly where you're should be. Erika Boissiere Tweet This Resources Mentioned Understand how to manage the emotions of change by downloading my free 7 Stages of Career Change Roadmap . You can also check out a little animated video of the 7 stages below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83LPVejgujw Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalF
S2 E30 · Thu, November 30, 2017
Being Brave
What can bravery do for your career? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Raluca Comanescu , an architect turned productivity trainer shares her thoughts on an emotions-based approach to setting authentic goals, the power of accountability, and the importance of self-love . I also share some thoughts on how you can inject more bravery into your own career decisions. Key Career Insights People too often “borrow” goals from others that sound good on paper but don’t really carry the same meaning or importance. Finding and having an accountability partner can help you stay on track with your goals. Emotions are a big part of goal setting. That means you need to pay attention to which emotions are serving you and how you can recharge those emotions. Tweetables to Share To make real progress, be brave. Raluca Comanescu Tweet This You have to love yourself first before others can. Raluca Comanescu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Raluca mentioned that she got her first client on Odesk (now Upwork ). Read more about where you can hire freelancers. Brave businesses learn to love failure – great article about bravery from the Drum Marketing Magazine. Geared toward marketers, but applicable to anyone who’s interested in the topic of bravery. Listener Challenge <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-10514 alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MentalFuel-300x300.png" alt="Mental Fuel®" width="141" height="141" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MentalFuel-200x200.png 200w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ment
S2 E29 · Thu, November 16, 2017
Making Your Next Career Move
What does it take to make a bold career move? How do you know when the right time has come to change careers? Khai Yong Ng explains how he relaunched his career from being a pharmacist to a digital marketer & growth strategist in the tech education sector. We’ll discuss not letting your past degree dictate your future and how you can hustle your way into an entirely new industry. Afterwards, during today’s Mental Fuel ® , I’ll explain how to decide when it’s the right time for a career change. Key Career Insights Having a backup plan or two can be a great enabler to making that career change you’ve been pondering. You have to take it upon yourself to continue building your skills and staying current if you want to keep up with the rapid evolution of jobs these days. Knowing when to make a big career change is a mix of believing in yourself and taking some bold steps to put yourself out there so you can eventually find your way–even if it takes a few steps. Tweetables to Share Having a backup plan helps you make a bold career move. Khai Yong Ng Tweet This An educational degree doesn't have to dictate your career path. Khai Yong Ng Tweet This Resources Mentioned Khai alluded to Tim Ferriss’ Four Hour Workweek Ramit Sethi I Will Teach You To Be Rich Jon Loomer’s blog focuses on Facebook advertising Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFu
S2 E28 · Thu, October 26, 2017
Balancing Work & Motherhood
Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to balance everything in your work and life? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Lisa Abramson shares her story of how she relaunched her career in mobile advertising and PR to become a maternal mental health advocate and mindfulness coach. We’ll discuss the impact of motherhood and post partum depression on your professional outlook and the importance of self-awareness in your career . In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll share my own challenges staying present in the momen t, and a couple ways I stay focused in my own career. Key Career Insights Ambition doesn’t just disappear once you become a parent. You can burn out doing work you hate AND work you love. Staying mindful of what drives you and fulfills your purpose can help you create a life that’s rich with moments that make you truly happy. Tweetables to Share You can burn out doing work you hate AND work you love. Lisa Abramson Tweet This Being an overachiever doesn’t just stop when you become a mom. Lisa Abramson Tweet This Relevant Resources More on postpartum mental health issues: Learn more about postpartum depression from WebMD. Learn more about Lisa’s struggle with postpartum psychosis in her Medium post . Read more about postpartum psychosis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Find more links to Lisa’s motherhood resources she mentioned in her bio below. <a href="http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/10/31/mindfulness-matters-how-spot-mental-health-issues-your
S2 E27 · Thu, October 05, 2017
Working Well With Recruiters
How can you find the right recruiter when you’re job hunting? What are some of the biggest mistakes candidates make when working with recruiters? What really makes the difference when it comes to getting invited for an interview? Ben de Grouchy taps into his 10+ years of recruitment experience to explain how to work effectively with recruiters and headhunters during your career transition. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll address a listener question about what tweaks you could make in your career to improve your career satisfaction. Key Career Insights When you’re working with recruiters as a candidate, honesty and transparency are key to having a solid relationship. Remember that attitude and interest can trump skills and qualifications if you’re really passionate about landing a specific role. Being on LinkedIn is close to mandatory for any serious professional right now, as it tends to be one place recruiters consistently go to quickly learn more about candidates. Interview Summary How do find the right recruiter to work with? Find specialist recruiter who aligns with your specific professional aspirations (industry, role, geography) Consider Google & LinkedIn as a starting point to find the key recruiters who specialise in your specific area Don’t be too concerned if you haven’t heard of the recruitment agency you identify. Some of the best recruiters run very small, boutique operations. Trust is key! What’s the best way to establish contact? Email- great place to start for a first introductory point of contact. Be specific about what you’re seeking. Phone- can be especially effective if you have a less traditional background, or if you’re making a nontraditional change. Face-to-face- the most powerful way to connote whether you’re a good fit for a specific company. If you take the time to do this, you might also have the opportunity to receive some guidance & feedback on your interviewing skills How much follow up is effective? There’s no exact rule of thumb Best practice is to clarify what cadence is best with the specific recruiter you’re working with. Generally, no need to follow up multiple times a week. Make sure you check a recruiter’s website, and if you spot a role, it gives you a good reason to reconnect with your recruiter and drive top-of-mind awareness with them. Where do recruiters go to find candidates? They start with their known network Referrals from other candidates Advertising network LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool these days. Make sure you keep your profile up to date and ensure you’ve <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/career-interests/" target="_blank" rel="no
S2 E26 · Thu, September 21, 2017
Deciding What Matters
What have you spent your time chasing in your career? Fancy titles? The role of CEO? The opportunity to say you manage a huge team of X people? Have you ever stopped to think about why those things matter to you so much? What drives you to focus on that goal? In this 1-year anniversary episode of Career Relaunch, Bruce Daisley , Vice President of Twitter, EMEA shares his insights on drivers of happiness in the workplace and the motivations behind his own career shifts from Google & YouTube to Twitter. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll explain how focusing on the wrong driver of happiness initially led me astray in my own career and the realization I had that got me back on track. Key Career Insights Job titles and material possessions may create short term bursts of happiness, but they don’t lead to true, long term happiness. What creates happiness at work is not what people give you, but rather, what you accomplish. Happiness is a direct output of what you pay attention to. So pay attention to those things that are truly important. Tweetables to Share Happiness is driven not by what you get, but what you’ve accomplished. Bruce Daisley Tweet This Clarify WHY your goal matters so much to you. Joseph Liu Tweet This Related Resources Bruce’s LinkedIn article entitled Can We be Happier at Work gives a snapshot of the conversations on his podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat. Richard Reeves, author of Happy Mondays, talks about importance of having good friends in the workplace, a topic Bruce covered in the Friends & Flow Episode 1 of his Eat Sleep Work Repeat podcast. Also, this article in Harvard Business Review on <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/10/forming-stronger-bonds-with-people-at-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener
S2 E25 · Thu, September 07, 2017
Handling Rejection
Hear about the the limitations of always playing it safe and why the ability to handle rejection can be such an incredibly powerful asset during your career. Andy Whelan shares his story of how he relaunched his career from being an actor to a small business owner and eventually a career coach. Afterwards, I’ll share my thoughts on how I manage rejection in my own life and career. Key Career Insights When you’re thinking about career change, try to focus on the people you’re going to serve or the value you’ll have an opportunity to provide rather than just focusing on what you gain. Our tendency to avoid pain can prevent us from truly pushing the boundaries of our career and finding work we find more meaningful. Tweetables to Share Challenges are welcome because that’s when I learn. Andy Whelan Last Tweet This Be kind to yourself. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Andy mentioned his involvement with Young Storytellers , inspiring young people to discover the power of their voice. If you’re interested in hearing more career insights from Andy, he’ll be speaking at the Adobe Max Creativity Conference in Las Vegas, Oct 18-20, 2017. Listener Challenge <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-11013 alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fuel.png" alt="Mental Fuel®" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fuel-157x157.png 157w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fuel-400x400.png 400w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fuel-510x510.png 510w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mental_Fu
S2 E24 · Thu, August 24, 2017
Turning Ideas into Action
International cover model turned food entrepreneur Colette Russell Smith shares her thoughts on handling setbacks and the importance of turning your ideas into concrete actions. I also explain how I move forward with daunting goals during the Mental Fuel® segment. Key Career Insights If someone says “no,” it may have absolutely nothing to do with you. Persistence is about continuing on in spite of the rejection. By paying close attention to your own behaviours, it can offer clues into what you’re truly passionate about. Maintaining balance requires mixing rigorous planning with time to just decompress. Tweetables to Share Getting 'no' as an answer may have nothing to do with you. Colette Russell Smith Tweet This It's not about what you do. It's about what you get done. Colette Russell Smith Tweet This Relevant Resources Colette mentioned Touker Suleyman from Dragon’s Den. This is a good book on Getting Things Done, by David Allen . If you’re interested in learning more about the modelling agency Colette mentioned in London, it’s Nevs Models . Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png" alt="" width="150 height=" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png 2180w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-150x150.png 150w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-300x300.png 300w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel-768x768.png 768w, https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFue
S2 E23 · Thu, August 03, 2017
Redesigning Your Goals
How can you apply design thinking to your own career? In this episode of Career Relaunch, former high school teacher turned Site Reliability Engineer for DropBox , Krishelle Hardson-Hurley explains how she relaunched her career, sharing useful tips on how to use design thinking to plan out your next career move, investing time to create a clear & consistent career narrative, and the opportunities that come from making audacious moves . In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll talk about the benefits and drawbacks of setting firm goals. Key Career Insights Focusing too singularly on a rigid goal too soon can sometimes blind you to other options that could be better for you. You have to invest the time to clarify what you want so you can clearly communicate your career story & aspirations to people who count. You should ensure your online narrative aligns with what you’re verbally communicating in person while networking. Tweetables to Share Confront yourself when you're not getting what you want from your career. Krishelle Hardson-Hurley Tweet This When I let go of one goal, I was able to make room for others in my life. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Check out Krishelle’s helpful blog posts on career change topics 3 Ways to Design Your Career Change – Hackbright Academy blog So you want to be an SRE? – Medium.com The Most Important Lesson My Sister Ever Taught Me – It’s Never Too Late To Change Your Life – HuffPost Krishelle mentione
S2 E22 · Thu, July 13, 2017
Reimagining Your Career
Your past professional experiences can often play an unexpected role in shaping your future career. In this week’s episode of Career Relaunch, Dinara Kasko explains how she used her training as an architect to now create beautiful architectural desserts as a pastry chef . We’ll discuss the importance of persistence, how to get your work noticed, and how to put yourself in a position to get lucky . In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll share a few thoughts on how to leverage your past experiences to create a way forward with your future career ambitions. Key Career Insights Even if you don’t plan to follow a traditional career path built on your educational training, those experiences can still play a part in your career of choice. Persistence and patience are so important when you’re trying to get your work noticed. You never know when you’ll turn a corner and gain traction. Before moving in a new career direction, consider how you’ll create a clear narrative that gives you a “right to play” in that industry. Tweetables to Share Sometimes, you have to do something that scares you to get your work noticed. Dinara Kasko Tweet This Since you can’t change your past, you might as well embrace it. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Dinara got her big break when she was featured in SoGood Magazine . I discussed the idea of having a “right to play.” You can read more about this topic in this McKinsey article Strategy Under Uncertainty and this Harvard Business Review article on Growth Outside t
S2 E21 · Wed, June 28, 2017
Finding Happiness
What does it take to move to a new country and relaunch your life? In Career Relaunch Episode 21, Manuel Chilet shares his unique story of transplanting himself from Valencia, Spain to London, UK, shifting from Sales to the Hospitality industry. He now works on the concierge team at the W Hotel in London. During the episode, Manuel shares some useful tips on the impact a positive attitude can have on your career prospects, how to recreate your life and career in a new country, and a glimpse into the world of hotel hospitality. In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll answer a listener question about how to manage having lots of different career interests . Key Career Insights Societal norms often put pressure on us to build lives that may look good from the outside, but can leave you feeling unsatisfied within. Being comfortable with your life can and often does make it much more difficult to make a change, even if you know that change can bring you much more happiness Just like when you’re in a new city, you have to be open to exploring new paths in your career because you might be surprised about what ends up resonating with you. Tweetables to Share Be open to things you’ve never tried before. You have to allow life to surprise you. Manuel Chilet Tweet This Dabbling in a few different areas of interest can actually be very productive. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Career Relaunch has been named as one of the Top 10 Business Podcasts for Entrepreneurs by AllBusiness. Check out the full list of Top 10 podcasts . Learn more about connecting with people outside our immediate network with marketer turned interior designer Noz Nozawa in <a href="https://josephliu.co/podcast/managing-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="no
S2 E20 · Thu, June 15, 2017
Being Your Own #1 Fan
Sandeep Johal , a former nonprofit teacher turned artist shares her thoughts on breaking through cultural barriers, the impact of becoming a parent on your career, why connecting with people & community is critical, and how to become your own #1 fan. I also share some thoughts on the importance of believing in your own work . Key Career Insights Even when you know your career passions don’t align with the work you’re currently doing, cultural barriers can have a significant impact on your willingness to make a change. Connecting with community that can support you in your career endeavors can make an enormous difference to the progress you can make. Believing in yourself is one of the first steps toward convincing others to believe in you. You have to be willing to invest in yourself to create the life you want. Tweetables to Share I stopped being my own worst critic and became my #1 fan Sandeep Johal Tweet This I’ve seen how self-critique can sabotage me. And I’ve seen how confidence can propel me. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Sandeep referred to her former role at Immigrant Services Society of BC , based in Vancouver, which helps immigrants and refugees acclimate to life in Canada. Sandeep talked about how Thrive Art Studio , a community of female artists for female artists founded by Jamie Smith and run with Tara Galuska, and how the art consultant Pennylane Shen , helped her get her art career off the ground. Driving with Selvi is the documentary Sandeep mentioned about the first female taxi cab driver in South India. Listener Challenge <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-9332 size-full alignleft" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MentalFuel.png"
S2 E19 · Thu, May 18, 2017
Building Career Bridges
Adrian Granzella Larssen explains how she opened new doors in her career, shifting from her editorial role at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC to eventually becoming the Editor at Large at The Muse in New York City. During the episode, she shares some useful tips on taking charge of your career trajectory, networking for introverts, and making manageable steps toward landing the job of your dreams . In the Mental Fuel® segment, I’ll talk about the concept of creating professional bridges between your current role and target role . Key Career Insights Don’t limit your network to only those who seem to directly linked to your target role. You never know where your next lead could come from. If you want to build the case for tweaking your role, consider not only what you want, but also how you can add more value to the organization so the idea can be more compelling to your managers. Small steps can add up to the big changes you desire for your career. You don’t need to do everything in one fell swoop. Taking the first step is often the hardest. Networking doesn’t have to involve showing up at a big event, slapping on a name tag, and working the room. You can instead focus on 1-on-1 meetings, which can work especially well for introverts. Tweetables to Share The person who helps you reach your goals could be anyone. Adrian Granzella Larssen Tweet This Making small changes one at a time is often what gets you where you want to go. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Adrian mentioned MediaBistro , where she took some online courses. Joseph referenced one of Adrian’s articles on How to Get Experience in a New Field Without Starting at the Bottom . Joseph alluded to t
S2 E18 · Thu, May 04, 2017
Expanding Your Horizons
Hear what can happen when you leave a fancy finance job behind to “give back” to the community. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Scott Lee , a former money markets broker in London who left his job behind to feed the homeless shares his thoughts on creating value, making a contribution to society, and how reading books can really change your life. I also shared a couple of my favorite books that had a major impact on my career. Key Career Insights You don’t have to make professional decisions that make sense to everyone else. Doing work that feeds your soul can help you figure out what really matters to you. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. A wealth of resources exist out there. You just have to take the initiative to seek them out and tap into the information. Tweetables to Share You won't know what you can overcome unless you push yourself outside your boundaries. Scott Lee Tweet This The lessons you learn can add value to both your life & the people you serve. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Scott mentioned the term “ Planned Obsolescence ,” (which I admit I had to look up afterwards) in reference to the increasing discomfort he felt working in the financial sector. In describing helpful books and thought leaders whom he found helpful in his career journey including Guy Kawasaki , Brendon Burchard , and The Millionaire Fastlane . Scott recommended Mark Pearson at Fuel Ventures if you have a promising business idea at seed stage. The books I mentioned during the Mental Fuel segment that I’ve foun
S2 E17 · Thu, April 13, 2017
Living Authentically
In this week’s Career Relaunch episode, David Pullara explains why he decided to leave his job at Google and instead focus his energies on his family and a few passion projects. We discuss respecting your authentic self and pursuing projects that feed your true interests. During today’s Mental Fuel segment, I described what happened when I decided to pursue a couple of my own side interests. Key Career Insights Your authentic self is who you are, how you enjoy spending your time, and comes to life when you’re doing work you enjoy. If you’re working hard at something you love, it doesn’t feel like work. Walking away from a reputable organization is never easy, but if your work there isn’t allowing you to be your best self, there’s nothing wrong with moving on. Exploring your personal interests doesn’t mean you have to necessarily transform those interests into a career per se. Simply giving yourself permission to pursue some side interests allows you to feed your soul, live authentically, and uncover some surprising opportunities along the way. Tweetables to Share I stopped trying to collect titles and instead tried to collect skills. David Pullara Tweet This If you try to do work that goes against your authentic self, you’re going to be unhappy. David Pullara Tweet This Allow yourself to explore the range of interests in your life. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned David wrote this blog post, Why I
S2 E16 · Thu, March 23, 2017
Recalibrating Your Career
Solonia Teodros discusses her international moves and shift from working in the PR world to co-founding The Change School, an organization focused on helping people navigate change. We’ll talk about how your cultural upbringing can affect your career choices and the importance of creating boundaries between work and the rest of your life. Afterwards, during today’s Mental Fuel segment, I’ll share a couple ways I maintain my own work/life balance. Key Career Insights Proactively defining your own career narratives helps you manage multiple career changes and maintain a compelling, professional trajectory. You can’t please everyone, so if you are going to seek the approval of others, focus only on those people who truly matter the most to you. Any major career endeavor can take its toll on you, so you have to make sure you take care of yourself and allow yourself to recharge, recalibrate, and rest. Tweetables to Share Being clear about your intentions helps you let go of things you can't control. Solonia Teodros Tweet This Give yourself the space to step away from things and clear your mind. Solonia Teodros Tweet This Sometimes, it's productive to be unproductive. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned I mentioned I love browsing the news to get my mind off my work. I use Flipboard for consuming news, which helps me “check-out” a bit and read about non-career related topics. Solonia loves using Feedly
S2 E15 · Thu, March 09, 2017
Embracing Uncertainty
Becoming a freelancer has plenty of benefits including independence, freedom, and control over your time. However, it also involves many ups and downs, doubts, and uncertainty along the way. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Stephen Satterfield , a former restaurant manager turned freelance writer and founder of an online food magazine shares his own unique career journey and thoughts on how to patiently manage upheaval and uncertainty in your career. I’ll also address a listener question about how to stay motivated each and every day . Key Career Insights Building a new career is like building a business. It requires patience, time, and an ongoing commitment to create the change you desire. Uncertainty is a common part of career change that people don’t always talk about, but your ability to acknowledge and manage it is critical. Even if you’re not doing “what you love” full time, taking small steps in that direction still creates progress. Tweetables to Share Changing careers is like building a business. It requires patience and commitment. Stephen Satterfield Tweet This Uncertainty is a natural part of pursuing something new. Stephen Satterfield Tweet This Inspiration is a form of mental adrenaline. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Podcasts The Competitive Edge podcast by Scott Britton- great for entrepreneurial business insights and inspiration. <a href
S2 E14 · Thu, February 16, 2017
Letting Your Career Evolve
Your career can take turns outside of your control, and when that happens, you have a choice between taking charge of the situation or allowing yourself to get knocked down. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Anne Lipton a former neurologist & dementia specialist turned writer & speaker discusses doing what you love, not just what you know and embracing the idea of stepping off the beaten path in your career. I also share some thoughts on how allowing your career to evolve can open up exciting, meaningful new doors in your professional life. Key Career Insights When life throws you an unexpected twist in your career, you always have a choice about how to make the most of the situation and embrace the change. You are braver than you may imagine . Career obstacles are a way of testing our limits, and you may be surprised how much you can accomplish if you rise to the challenge. Don’t just stick with what you know . Pursue what you love in order to create the most fulfilling story for your career. Tweetables to Share You're braver than you think. Anne Lipton Tweet This Write about what you love, not just what you know. Anne Lipton Tweet This Deviating from the beaten path can uncover new ideas. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources mentioned Anne mentioned National Novel Writing Month if you’re looking for a good writing online & offline meet-up community. Anne shared the concept of being a Plotter vs. Pantser or as George R. R.
S2 E13 · Wed, February 01, 2017
Putting Yourself Out There
Sometimes, your career can evolve in surprising ways, and you can either fight those changes or embrace them. In this episode of Career Relaunch, Julian Mather a former army sniper turned TV cameraman turned magician discusses the importance of letting go and embracing the twists and turns of your career. I also share some thoughts on the importance of putting yourself out there to create new opportunities in your career. Key Career Insights When you’re exploring a new career path, you really have to immerse yourself in every aspect of that new path in order to understand whether it can fit into your desired career trajectory. Even when your career takes a turn for the worse, you always have the opportunity to bounce make , make the most of the hand you’ve been dealt, and reinvent yourself. New opportunities often emerge when you take the initiative to bravely put yourself out there and just give things a shot, especially during those times when you don’t quite feel 100% ready. Tweetables to Share You have to let go first before you can start something new. Julian Mather Tweet This Even when I'm off-target, I'm always going forward. Julian Mather Tweet This The best things happen when you do something audacious. Joseph Liu Tweet This About Julian Mather, Cameraman & Magician <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-9307" src="https://josephliu.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ireland.CameramanJulianMatherinCountyCork.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="562" srcset="https://josephliu.co/wp-content
S2 E12 · Thu, January 05, 2017
How Work Changes You
What impact does work have on your personality, attitudes, and behaviors toward others, both within and outside work? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Vicky Dain , a former corporate lawyer turned clinical psychologist discusses why she decided to say farewell to working in a fancy law firm to pursue other career interests during her “fertile void” of professional exploration. I also share some thoughts on the how work can radically change you without you even noticing. Key Career Insights Your job has a way of changing who you are, how you treat others, and who you’re becoming, whether you realize it or not. If you’re making major decisions about your career, opening up a bit of breathing room and headspace for yourself can be incredibly clarifying. When you’re getting so much fulfillment from your work, you may no longer need as many material job perks that once made you happy. Tweetables to Share Do work that allows you to be yourself. Vicky Dain Tweet This Get out there and try as many things as possible. Vicky Dain Tweet This Your work has a bigger impact on your personality than you may realize. Joseph Liu <a class="tweetbutton" href=http://ctt.ec/O1642
S1 E11 · Thu, December 15, 2016
Season 1 Key Takeaways
Wow, we’ve finished the first 10 episodes of Career Relaunch, which brings us to the end of Season One! Thank you so much for being a subscriber and loyal listener. With the holidays upon us, this week’s episode is going to be a little different. I’m not featuring a guest, but instead, I’ll be sharing my own reflections and lessons I’ve learned from our first 10 guests on the podcast. If you’ve enjoyed the show, I’d love for you to write a review for the podcast, which helps build our community. Also, if you have feedback, suggestions, or questions you want covered in the next season of Career Relaunch that kicks off Jan 5, 2017, please leave me a voicemail . I’d love to hear from you! My takeaways from Career Relaunch Season 1 Making a career change isn’t easy, but you can pull it off if you can be patient with the practical and emotional challenges. You don’t have to get things exactly right the first time, you just need to take manageable steps in the right direction. When you’re feeling confused or uncertain about what to do to, learn to trust your instincts, which often guides you to the right solution. Tweetables to Share Making a career change is tough, but it can be done. Joseph Liu Tweet This You don’t have to get things exactly right the first time. Joseph Liu Tweet This Your intuition often tells you what must be done. Joseph Liu <span clas
S1 E10 · Thu, December 01, 2016
Redefining Your Identity
What does it take to leave an office job behind to become an independent Freelancer Writer? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Kat Boogaard, a former Marketing Assistant for the Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau turned Freelance Writer shares her thoughts on not allowing yourself to be defined solely by your job and managing the people who critique your career choices. I also share some thoughts on more meaningful ways to respond to the question, “What do you do?” Key Takeaways Taking charge of your own career future and doing something really scary can also be really exciting. Taking the decision to leave your full-time job is often the most challenging part of the career change process. Keeping your eye on what you’re working toward and celebrating the small wins can help keep you on track. What you do professionally in your career does not define you. You have an identity outside of your day job. Don’t limit your response to the question “What do you do?” to simply your job title. When you share more about yourself, others get a more complete picture of who you are. Tweetables to Share No two career paths are the same. You have to rely on your own instincts. Kat Boogaard Tweet This What you do is NOT who you are. You have an identity outside your day job. Kat Boogaard Tweet This Respond to the question 'What do you do?' with more than your job title. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Visit blog <a href="http://www.lemonadelinings.com" ta
S1 E9 · Thu, November 17, 2016
Giving Yourself Room to Explore
What does it take to leave your international corporate job behind to return to school and pursue your true passions? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Audrey Lemargue, a former Cosmetics Export Manager turned Naturopath shares her thoughts on the importance of career exploration, respecting your emotions, and trusting your career instincts. During the Mental Fuel segment, I share thoughts on the upside of “career dabbling.” Key Takeaways Give yourself the time and room to explore. With patience, the answers will come to you, and you may just stumble upon something perfect. Never neglect anyone you meet. You never know what you can learn from people you cross paths with. Discovering your true passions is like falling in love. It feels fresh and exciting, but also very familiar. Tweetables to Share It didn't matter what people thought because I knew this career move was right for me. Audrey Lemargue Tweet This Trust your gut instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it's because it isn't. Audrey Lemargue Tweet This When you give yourself permission to explore, you can plant seeds that may grow in the future. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Visit Iswari to learn more about the superfood products Audrey manages. She mentioned Buddha’s Awakening , which is the produ
S1 E8 · Thu, November 03, 2016
Finding Your Flow
What’s it like going from working in Silicon Valley to starting your own welding business? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Zai Divecha , a former software marketer turned metalworker and designer shares her thoughts on what it’s like to be “in flow,” how to prepare for a career change, and the benefits of connecting with liked-minded people. I also share some thoughts on the difference between doing energy generating vs. energy depleting work . Key Career Insights When you’re doing fulfilling work, a “flow state” can emerge, where you lose track of time, reach a state of extreme concentration, and you can actually enjoy thinking about your work at all moments of the day, both the weekdays and weekends. The emotional highs of running your own business gives you the fuel to navigate some of the inevitable lows. The fear of the unknown can actually help to force you to really hustle and quickly get the right pieces in place to create the career you want for yourself. There’s a difference between doing energy generating and energy depleting work . Taking stock of which type of work comprises your days can give you an indication of whether you’re in the right role or not. Tweetables to Share Whenever you have one foot out the door, but you're not through the door yet, it's hard. Zai Divecha Tweet This The more I've shared what I'm struggling with, the more support I've gotten from people. Zai Divecha Tweet This When you're doing work you enjoy, it fills you with #energy. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Men
S1 E7 · Sat, October 22, 2016
Reflecting on Wealth
What does having “wealth” mean to you? Do you think of material possessions and money? Or do you think about less tangible things you value? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Byron Trzeciak , a former Security Analyst turned Online Marketing Agency Founder shares his thoughts on why money isn’t everything, the importance of being able to control your time, and the toll your job can take on you when you’re doing unfulfilling work. I also share some thoughts on what it means to be truly “wealthy.” Key Career Insights Reaching a career goal doesn’t always lead to career satisfaction. In fact, it can make you question whether that goal was a truly meaningful one to word toward in the first place. When money’s the main reason you’re happy staying in your job, it can lead to a vicious cycle of rewarding yourself for doing work you don’t enjoy then continuing to do that work so you can reward yourself. Material wealth (assets, money, stuff) is distinct from personal wealth (happiness, flexibility, freedom). Which matters the most to you? Tweetables to Share When people are passionate about their work, Monday's actually their best day! Byron Trzeciak Tweet This Point yourself in the direction of having a rewarding life--we only get one shot at it. Byron Trzeciak Tweet This Does the kind of wealth you've been building match up with what you truly value? Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Byron’s Medium Article, <a href="https://medium.com/career-relaunch/the-day-i-earned-a-six-figure-salary-was-the-day-i-quit-my-job-1d4
S1 E6 · Sat, October 15, 2016
Managing Emotions of Change
How do you manage the ups & downs of starting your own business? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Noz Nozawa , a former Tech Marketer turned Interior Designer shares her thoughts on the emotional impact of running your own business, how your perceptions of self worth can get intertwined with your work, and the importance of support networks. I also share some thoughts on where you can create some support structures in your own career . Key Career Insights Formal training can be valuable, but not always necessary—research and explore your options and listen to your instincts when preparing to make the leap. Your road to success may not resemble anyone else’s. If you experience a loss of momentum and confidence, consider seeking knowledge from outside of your immediate professional network to connect with others who have had the same difficulties. Surround yourself with people who support and inspire you—or both!—to avoid feeling isolated. Tweetables to Share You don't need just one passion. You can have many, and honor them all at the same time. Noz Nozawa Tweet This Don't forget to look beyond your immediate network for advice & mentorship. Noz Nozawa Tweet This Surround yourself with people who share your ambitions. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Connect yourself to other entrepreneurs and join our community on the Career Relaunch Facebook Page . I mentioned this <a href="http://www.goodreads.
S1 E5 · Fri, October 07, 2016
Creating a Portfolio Career
What’s it like to take evening classes while working full time to expand your career options? In this episode of Career Relaunch, David Gulbransen , a former Software Startup Founder & IT Consultant turned Intellectual Property Attorney & Director of IT shares his thoughts on attending law school while holding down a full-time job, managing failure, and creating a diverse, portfolio career. I also share some thoughts on the importance of investing in yourself . Key Career Insights Returning to school to pursue an additional degree is a major investment of time, money, and energy. However, it absolutely can be worth that investment, especially when it opens up new opportunities to diversify your career and feed all your interests. Experimenting and exploring many options can help you gain clarity about what your true passions are. If you have a unique product, service, or technique you’re developing, you should take the time up front to connect with an IP lawyer to consider securing a trademark or patent. Investing in yourself to learn a new skill can be an incredibly powerful catalyst to creating change in your career. Tweetables to Share I recommend everyone fail. It's okay. Life goes on, and you can try something else. David Gulbransen Tweet This I took a big leap of faith to pursue a law degree knowing I didn't want to practice most types of law! David Gulbransen Tweet This I’ve always had to invest in myself to unlock the next stage in my career. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned David talked about
S1 E4 · Thu, September 29, 2016
Being Open to Opportunities
What’s it like to leave your stable agency job behind to become a creative freelancer? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Polly Aspinall, a former Creative, Producer and Account Director at London-based agency turned freelance Set Designer shares her thoughts on the importance of creating connections with a diverse set of people and allowing yourself to be open to new ideas. I also share some thoughts on being open to opportunities, even when they’re not exactly perfect. Key Takeaways The best things happen in your career when you stop saying “no” all the time and instead start saying “yes” to new opportunities. Meeting up with everyone you can allows you to expand your network, to make connections with people who may just turn out to be surprisingly helpful. Sometimes, saying yes to imperfect opportunities can open up new doors and uncover unique career ideas that never crossed your mind Tweetables to Share The more open you are to opportunities, the more likely good things will happen to you. Polly Aspinall Tweet This The best things happen in your career & life when you say YES. Polly Aspinall Tweet This Sometimes, taking a job that's not 100% right can still be useful & informative. Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Polly referred to an “Opportunity Mindset,” where you say yes to things and remain open to new ideas. Here are a couple articles on this topic: Entrepreneur article on Recognizing Opportunity is the First
S1 E3 · Thu, September 22, 2016
Creating Steady Progress
What does it take to leave your stable corporate job behind to launch your own business and venture? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Anne Tumlinson, a former Senior Vice President at a Consulting Firm turned Business Owner shares her thoughts on how to recognize when it’s time to change careers, the importance of daily discipline, and embracing the ups AND downs of your career journey. I also share some thoughts on how you can start gaining some traction with your own goals. 3 Key Takeaways Making progress toward your career goals is not about talent. It’s about commitment and hard work. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean you’re never going to succeed. Sticking with a disciplined, daily routine of action will help you make the most progress toward achieving your career goals. Tweetables to Share Just because something's hard, doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Anne Tumlinson Tweet This Time, effort, commitment & consistency matter more than talent. Anne Tumlinson Tweet This Sometimes, it comes down to finding just 1 person who says 'yes.' Joseph Liu Tweet This Resources Mentioned Visit daughterhood.org & subscribe to Anne’s newsletter and get involved in the conversation of caring for your aging parents at Daughterhood’s Facebook page Daughterhood Cir
S1 E2 · Thu, September 15, 2016
Understanding Your Values
What does it take to leave your corporate marketing job behind to create your own app? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Aniefre Essien, a former Consumer Goods Brand Marketer turned music streaming app Founder shares his thoughts the importance of conviction and being authentic to who you are. I also share some thoughts on how you can define what matters to you. Key Takeaways Find what’s meaningful in your life, and determine the mark you want to leave on the world. Clarify your values to evaluate which actions and decisions serve you, make you happy, and lead to fulfillment. Give yourself permission to pursue what you really want. You will be more at peace with yourself and your career path. Tweetables to Share I wasn’t going to find happiness chasing that next promotion. Aniefre Essien Tweet This Having supportive people in your life is instrumental to taking a career leap. Aniefre Essien Tweet This Which career choice will allow you to be the person you want to be? Joseph Liu Tweet This Free Tool: Clarify Your Values During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I talked about the importance of clarifying what matters to you in your life & career. To help define your values, you can download my “Values Questionnaire” Worksheet <!-
S1 E1 · Thu, September 08, 2016
Pursuing Work You Enjoy
Welcome to the debut episode of Career Relaunch! What does it take to leave a comfortable, stable job behind to pursue your lifelong dream? In this very first episode of Career Relaunch, Kelly Cara, a former Educational Researcher turned Health-Supportive Chef & Lifestyle Wellness Educator shares her perspectives on giving yourself permission to do work you enjoy, taking the brave steps to start that journey, and understanding the tradeoffs involved when you leave stability behind . I also share highlights from my own career reinvention story then share thoughts on how you can start reinventing yourself . Key Takeaways Acknowledging you’re not satisfied with your day-job is the first step toward moving onto something more fulfilling and meaningful. Career change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens by taking small, manageable steps toward the life you want, then being brave enough to leave the status quo behind and take the plunge to make it happen. Initiating a change is the hardest part of change, but sometimes, you just have to force yourself to start somewhere. Tweetables to Share When I gave myself permission to do what I wanted to do, it was a big moment of relief. Kelly Cara Tweet This If you've been thinking about a change, you eventually have to DO something to make it happen. Kelly Cara Tweet This Things don’t have to go perfectly. What’s important is that you just start somewhere. Joseph Liu Tweet This Free Tool: Define Your Starting Point <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-fu
Trailer · Tue, September 06, 2016
Career Relaunch podcast trailer
https://www.youtube.com/embed/mH1yMMZN5T0 Don’t Miss an Episode. Subscribe Today. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes Stitcher Android RSS Welcome to Career Relaunch Many of you had told me that hearing other people’s stories about career change can be incredibly helpful, motivating, and inspiring. I’ve always found that learning from others can be a great way to catalyse the changes you want to make in your life. When I thought about how best to curate these stories, I decided the most useful way for you to learn from people, is to hear directly from them. So I’m launching a podcast that profiles people who have made career changes. Career Relaunch is an inspirational podcast that helps you navigate the ups and downs of a career transition. Each episode features informative, insightful interviews with people who have stepped off the beaten path in their careers to pursue more meaningful work. Learn from their unconventional career experiences and gain courage from their brave decisions. Changing careers can be daunting, and my guests are here to provide advice, companionship, and clarity as you relaunch your own career. Check out my free Career Hub for more helpful career change resources. You can also meet the team behind Career Relaunch. Join the Career Change Discussion If you haven’t already done so, be sure to join the Career Relaunch podcast community on Facebook , Twitter , and <a href="https://instagram.com/CareerRelaunch" target="_blank" rel=
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