How to Pivot From Corporate Success to Creative Fulfillment

LinkedIn: [00:00:00] Linkedin presents.

Jonathan Fields: [00:00:09] And today, we're incredibly excited to be sharing a new feature here on the Spark Podcast, Career Transformation Stories. So we're inviting guests to share inspiring stories of their career change from reimagining the work that they're currently doing. So it just feels so much more alive to leaving behind unfulfilling jobs, careers work to find or create new, more inspired, energized, purposeful, meaningful, and joy filled paths. And we're exploring how they're Sparketype has played a role in this journey. It's all about how we transform work into one of the best parts of our lives. So up first, we dive into one woman's profound journey from the corporate fast track to trailblazing her own path as a creative entrepreneur. It's kind of a tale of overcoming self-doubt and societal conditioning, and that untamed call of explored passions yearning to be expressed. So quick note here you'll hear us mention something we call Sparketypes in conversation. Well, what is that? Turns out we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive. This is your Sparketype when you discover yours, everything, your entire work life, even parts of your personal life and relationships, They just start to make more sense. And until we discover ours, we're kind of fumbling in the dark. And just like today's listener did, you can discover your Sparketype for free at sparketype.com.

Jonathan Fields: [00:01:28] You'll find a link in the show notes. Now, in today's Career Transformation story, I'm joined by Monica Rivera. Monica is currently a podcaster, speaker, consultant, and brand expert who found herself at this fateful crossroads despite skyrocketing success in the marketing and of a large company, and at a remarkably young age, an itch for something more just stirred within her. And through a series of experiments like launching her very first passion podcast, Monica began peeling back layers of limiting beliefs. She uncovered her resonant path, constantly learning, sharing wisdom, and helping others confidently tell their personal stories. Which makes perfect sense because her Sparketype is really well aligned with that. On this candid journey, Monica had to navigate both her inner obstacles of doubt and outer pressures to conform. You'll also hear how her experiences shaped a very early drive for financial security that could not be ignored, yet also forged the courage to eventually start truly listening to her heart's calling. So excited to share this conversation with you. I'm Jonathan Fields and this is SPARKED. Hey, and before we dive into today's episode, a quick share. So if you're a coach, a consultant, or a leader, and you would just love to stand out more in 2024 and beyond with a powerful new credential and a set of results driven superpowers, we have got something for you.

Jonathan Fields: [00:02:56] With nearly a million people now discovering their profiles, the Sparketypes have become a global phenomenon. People want their work to light them up, and oftentimes they would love some help along the way, which is why we developed our certified Sparketype advisor training. As a certified advisor, you will discover cutting edge tools that spark profound work life. Client transformations stand out with a highly unique credential and skill set in a crowded market. Find ease and flexibility with templated engagement flows, you'll become a part of a global network of change makers, and you'll rack up 40 ICF continuing education credits. Our fall cohort is enrolling now with visionaries just like you, and we would love to invite you to uplevel your capabilities as a coach or consultant or leader by becoming a certified Sparketype advisor. To learn more about the fall training and see if it's right for you, just click the link in the show notes now or visit sparketype.com. Slash pros. And I'd like to start out just actually. But if you just share your name and if you recall what your sparketype is and then we'll dive in from there.

Monica Rivera: [00:04:09] My name is Monica Rivera and my sparketype is sage. And if you want all of them.

Jonathan Fields: [00:04:15] Um, sure, you might as well share all of them. Okay.

Monica Rivera: [00:04:18] So. Hi, my name is Monica Rivera. I am a sage, a maven, and my anti Sparketype is essentialist.

Jonathan Fields: [00:04:24] Awesome. Thank you for sharing. So you know it's interesting. I'd love to actually take a little bit of a step back in time and work our way up into the present day, and I'm so curious, as I'm starting to have these conversations, whether you had any sort of thoughts or expectations about work or about the world of careers when you're growing up.

Monica Rivera: [00:04:43] Oh, absolutely. And I think for many of us especially, I'm a first gen Latina to New York City. And so a lot of my conditioning to what work was going to be was formed from my parents. It was a very don't rock the boat, get a stable check, become a doctor or a lawyer. I was actually named after a soap opera character who was a doctor on television. My mom very much thought, well, we can make this happen. I grew up with a rebellious spirit and didn't enjoy science as a child, so dashed those dreams. But really, the foundation of what I remember was to choose something that was very stable And as a child I wanted to do many different things. I was always multi-passionate whenever someone would ask, what do you want to be when you grow up? I had no less than five things. They were all unrelated to each other, and I remember the stares of people thinking, well, she'll just figure it out. She can't possibly do all of these things, but I think I've grown up to become an adult that really believes there is a place to do all those things. Maybe not at the same time, but I think if we're lucky enough, we have a very long life and we can try many things.

Jonathan Fields: [00:05:48] Yeah. So I'm so curious, growing up with sort of like the messages that you were getting about what is, quote, appropriate work or what you should do. How did that influence your your early career choices when it was like when you're sort of like stepping into that world.

Monica Rivera: [00:06:03] So it's interesting because I had something very unusual happen to at 16, my mom passed away, and over the course of the next seven years, I lost my biological family to random illnesses and such. And so even though at the time, if you had asked me at 15 years old, my ambition was to go into something that was very creative. But after that tragedy happened, it almost was an important thing that they told me that because I really did have in my subconscious awareness, okay, I really do need to have a stable paycheck. I need to make sure now that it's all on me. So my career path, Jonathan was very influenced by survival. At that point. There was no safety net, there wasn't a couch to sleep on. And so I went to college very clearly focused, and I'm going to find a job and it is going to be a high paying job. And that was my focus. Throughout the entire span of college, I had multiple internships. At one point, I worked jobs, I tried everything. My roommate would joke that every day when she would come home, I'd have yet another interview book, because I was so focused on nailing that very important interview when companies were to come on campus. And so I was very focused on corporate, corporate America climbing that corporate ladder and really just focusing on the title and also the paycheck.

Jonathan Fields: [00:07:19] Yeah. Which makes so much sense, you know. So for you, it wasn't even just the messages and the conditioning of being a kid. You had this just profound loss in your life over a series of years. So this was practical. This was like boots on the ground. I need to take care of myself. I need to actually earn whatever I need to earn and create some sort of safety net, because it literally doesn't exist outside of me.

Monica Rivera: [00:07:39] Absolutely. And it was really, really tough to think of it that way. And also, there was a lot of growing up very quickly when people were thinking about parties and even prom in high school. I was so focused on other things that I that I needed to think about, that it wasn't until much later on when I realized I did have some stability, that I was able to take a step back and enjoy life a little bit more. But in those early years, it was truly about pragmatism and survival.

Jonathan Fields: [00:08:06] Yeah, which makes so much sense. And it's interesting also because I think sometimes we get messages, um, and especially as adults, it's sort of like, you know, go out there, take big risks, do what you love. And look, I'm a big fan of actually doing things that are deeply meaningful and joyful to you. And so are you at this point. Right. But but oftentimes, like those don't take into the consideration like what's somebody's actual individual unique lived experience? Like what do we actually have to deal with in the here and now? And how do we do this in a way that actually makes sense for us, so that we feel like we can breathe while we're doing it. And it sounds like you were just really deep into this conversation for a long time.

Monica Rivera: [00:08:44] Yeah, absolutely. I think of the bell curve. So I was an economics major. We think of the bell curve. A lot of that advice really services. I think the people that are in the bell, the majority of the population but doesn't necessarily touch upon the outliers. And for me, I was one of those outliers. And what was really frustrating is receiving the advice of follow your passion, living your purpose, but also at the same time, one feeling really frustrated because inside I was still that person that had a lot of interests. But I also, on the other side of the spectrum, had bills to pay and a lot of responsibilities that I didn't really know how to navigate, and I also didn't have anyone to ask, so there was a lot of figuring it out, while also having this internal conflict of wanting to do things that were more creative, wanting to explore the passions and the and the purposes and all of the things that I'd read about, but just not at that time having the luxury to do so.

Jonathan Fields: [00:09:35] Yeah, no, that makes so much sense. So then you go to school, um, study economics. What happens when you get out of school?

Monica Rivera: [00:09:41] I have a job lined up five weeks before I graduated, so I knew exactly it was July 10th that I was going to start my career in banking, but I was working in the marketing area, so that was a little bit of creativity that I found from myself was, I'll work in the industry of banking. My focus is going to be marketing. And very quickly from there. Jonathan, within the first four years I was promoted every year. It was a huge advocate for myself. I learned to negotiate. I always raised my hand for new responsibilities and I really climbed that corporate ladder. So by the time I was 26, I was managing a team. I had the fancy VP title and all of those things that had come with it. But a funny thing happened. I had set a goal for myself, and I haven't been in college in many, many years, but at the time, my goal was the six figure goal that so many people have. But once I reached that, I didn't know what was going to happen next. I couldn't see beyond the horizon of six figures. And then I thought, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. And it felt like this Arrested Development of here I am at this mark that I've always wanted, but I've never thought about what comes to the other side of it. And so I spent many years in my career, I want to say coasting, but I think I was really more trying to figure out what was life going to look like beyond that. And then a lot of pivotal moments came after that.

Jonathan Fields: [00:11:01] Yeah, I mean, and that makes so much sense. You know, when you when you have an experience that forces you to just think so deeply and for years about safety and security, like, that's the prime thing, I want to make sure I'm going to be okay, that I can breathe. There's like, I have to take care of myself. And then, like, for you, it sounds like you had a number in mind. You're like, if I hit this number, if I hit six figures, then I can kind of check that box. Like, I kind of know I'm going to be okay. So you hit it fairly early on in your career, which is incredible, right? And then you're kind of like, okay, so like now what? Like that thing that was a core driver survival for so long. You're kind of like I'm okay. And then you're like okay so but but what do I wake up in the morning? Like what motivates me at this point.

Monica Rivera: [00:11:47] And absolutely. And that's exactly what it was. You could have described it more perfectly. I remember clearly sitting on my couch thinking, I think I'm okay now from a survival standpoint. I think I'm okay. But for a long time it almost felt as if I was in a video game. You're constantly looping and something is chasing after you, and once I pause and almost move to the side, if I think of this video game analogy to let whatever I thought was behind me go by, I realized, I think I have a little bit more breathing space than I had initially thought. And at that point, another thing that's interesting happens is you start asking yourself, well, what am I going to do? This doesn't feel quite as enjoyable. Someone once said to me, they got to the top of the ladder and didn't like the view, and that's kind of what I thought. There were still elements of work that I enjoyed, but ultimately it felt as if I hadn't actively chosen my career. It was something that I needed to do, not that I necessarily wanted to do. So then I started to dive into some of those other things. And what would that look like for me? So I read a lot of books.

Monica Rivera: [00:12:48] I consumed all the Ted talks and tried to figure it out that way. But what I really learned is it's about picking one thing and experimenting. So this is where I fell back onto my marketing background, which marketing is a series of experiments. And you see what works and then you iterate on them. And so I started to apply those same principles for my life. And at the time for me, I said, okay, the thing I'm going to pick is podcasting. So seven years ago I started a podcast not knowing anything about podcasting other than being a listener and a fan, but I hadn't gotten next to a microphone unless it was karaoke. I didn't know anything about technical elements or editing, but I also knew that I could figure it out because if there was anything I was. It was very resourceful, and life had taught me how resourceful I am. So if I could navigate all of that, I could totally figure out how to start a podcast. And so that's what I did. And was that one experiment that really became the pivot for everything else that was to come.

Jonathan Fields: [00:13:42] Yeah. So when you when you start doing that So seven years ago that would put us like 2017 ish 20 2017. Right. Um, so that's about three years after serial actually like launches and completely changes the world, the podcast. But it's it's still pretty early on. Like, this is not something where there's any clear business model like based around this. Um, for for you then was this did you look at this as like, well, maybe this could actually be something that would become a career? Or was it more just like, I just want like, this is interesting to me. I'm curious about it. I want to let me just run this experiment and see what happens. It was.

Monica Rivera: [00:14:17] The latter. It was Julie, let me run this experiment and see what happens. And actually, even before cereal, I listened to I don't know if you've ever heard of Bill Simmons, but he's a sports podcaster, and that was the first podcast I ever listened to before it was even on the phone. It was just a small button on ESPN.com that I would listen to him, talk to his dad and talk to his college buddies, and it felt as if I was eavesdropping on a conversation and I thought, well, this is really fun. This allows me to do something completely different than what I'm doing. So when I started the podcast, it was truly for me just to start in a different path. And I talked about personal development, and I interviewed people that I thought would be fascinating guests. And that's really just how I started it. And the only goal I set for myself was show up every week, because I knew if I did that, it would improve over time. And then I put myself in rooms with people that were smarter than me and asked all of the dumb questions and left ego at the door, and was just very curious about what else could I learn. And I listened to people and then applied it and it got better. And then I applied for a fellowship at NPR, and I was the first podcaster they had ever accepted into the program. And I remember thinking to myself, we're in this room in Seattle, in this newsroom. We're going around introducing ourselves, and people are saying, I'm from the Associated Press, I'm from the New York Times. And I thought they picked the wrong Monica Rivera. They couldn't have possibly chosen the right person. And it got to me and I said, I'm going to own it. I said, my name is Monica Rivera, and I podcast out of my closet. And everyone laughed and I just leaned into the experience of what can I learn during this time that I have here?

Jonathan Fields: [00:15:51] Yeah, I mean, I love that, really. Just saying I'm okay with being a beginner. Um, and this also syncs up really well with what you're Sparketype is the sage, which is all about like, sharing wisdom. And then the Maven, which is all about acquiring wisdom. So it's like, this is like satisfying both of those impulses for you. You get to just learn nonstop, and they get to turn around and figure out, how do I share this in a way that really helps other people? Absolutely.

Monica Rivera: [00:16:14] I love it so much, to the point that I don't think people understand how deep my love of learning is. But if I don't learn something new every day, I almost become fidgety in some ways. But I just I've always loved it. I'm such a curious person. The little girl that would ask why has never stopped asking that so many years later. And then I do. I love teaching other people, and I just have this mix of empathy for everything that my family never got to do, the things my family were never able to see. And as I learn, if I can help other people get to where they want to go, then it's it's a satisfying day in the office for me.

Jonathan Fields: [00:16:51] I love that. So when you're doing this, are you doing this on the side and still keeping a full time gig, or is this something where you're just like, no, I'm just all in now.

Monica Rivera: [00:17:02] So I'm a I like to say I'm about 90% into my business and 10% still in my full time job, but that's really kind of what it feels like. So I balance both, and I've been able to do that. But it is more challenging on certain days, especially as the business grows. And I also have a speaking career. And so I do a lot of speaking as well. So that's when my business really looks like. But right now it's combining both of those things and trying to see how long I can keep the plate spinning.

Jonathan Fields: [00:17:31] Got it. So which which is a pretty common thing. It's it's unusual. I think there's this mythology around starting your own business or private practice, whatever it may be, that you just like you walk out the door, you slam the door, you say, I'm done with this, and then you just go and do this amazing thing. But the reality is, for most people, that's pretty terrifying. And we often spend years just doing this dance of like, okay, I'm going to keep the thing that makes me feel like I can breathe, like I'm going to be okay. And then let me just build this other thing on the side and devote a lot of my time and energy to it, because I love doing it. And also, maybe I can grow big enough where it'll make me feel comfortable, maybe one day stepping into it, or maybe not. Maybe just the balance of the two is actually completely cool with with depending how you are.

Monica Rivera: [00:18:14] Well, I think from what we've talked about, for me it is still rooted in safety. And that thought of where people may have a shorter runway. I tend to think I want a very long runway. I want this to be a jet that needs a very long runway in order to take off. And that's how I approach it, just to have that safety for myself. And a lot of people will say, oh, she doesn't believe in herself enough and all of those things, and it's really not about that. But when so many things happen, especially at such a young age, your brain is informed, yet you start creating adaptations of what life is supposed to look like. It's the way that makes sense for me, and I'm also very okay, Jonathan, with other people not understanding it because it's my lived experience and the way that I want to approach it, and it feels good for me right now. And when something wants to change, then I'll change it.

Jonathan Fields: [00:19:02] Yeah, no, that makes sense to me. I love how comfortable you are just saying, like, this is me. This is what I need to do for myself. You haven't lived my life and so, like, whatever you want, that's cool. But I got to do me. Yeah. So. So tell me what what this eventually it evolves into. So it starts out as a podcast and it ends up doing this this experience with NPR. Take me, take me from there into what it's become now. Yeah.

Monica Rivera: [00:19:26] So once I finished the fellowship with NPR, I was there were a lot of invitations to speak, so I'd speak at different events. So podcasts, movements and other people's ergs, and then later they would tell someone else about me. And so I did a lot of work, and I still do working with companies and corporations and communities about things like employee experience and wellness and those types of environments and cultural changes. But more recently, in the past 18 months or so, I've actually started to merge the businesses. So it didn't feel like one side of it was this coaching consultancy. On helping other people build their personal brand and communication strategies. I now do that also with companies and corporations, because the importance of having a personal brand, I don't think is exclusive to any one industry. I don't think it is for people who are just dancing on social media. I think it is so important for all of us to really think about what are people saying about us when we're not in the room, and is what they're saying what we want them to be saying? I think that's also the critical piece. How much are we influencing that message, and how much are we making sure that we stay top of people's minds for the things that really align with our expertise and also with our next opportunity? So that's what my business looks like now. It's the speaking element, and it's also the one on one coaching and consultancy.

Jonathan Fields: [00:20:44] Got it. And are is is podcasting still a part of the mix for you or is that more of like a transitional thing?

Monica Rivera: [00:20:50] It is. So it pivoted now to line up. And so now because I was able to do these things and I don't feel that same need that I had before, which is to do something completely outside of the box. I came home to marketing essentially, and to business because I did love it. I think there was just I needed some distance, and I also needed to do it in a way that felt more aligned with how I wanted to do it. So now the podcast is you want to do what? It's the same name as my business, and all of the ducks are in a row now.

Jonathan Fields: [00:21:19] Yeah. Do you, do you have a sense for. Because you've been doing this for a number of years now? Do you have a sense for who you love to be in conversation with, who you love to both learn from, and that on the other side? Like that's the Maven side, right. And then when you're sharing like, this is what I know, let me share it with people in a way that really matters for who you're really connected to, sharing information with and insights with.

Monica Rivera: [00:21:43] It's such an important question because for the Maven side. And I jokingly said this with someone actually back in April, I said, if someone wanted to talk to me for 20 minutes about the migration of birds, I would listen to it, because I just think there's something interesting that I would learn about it, and it really lines up with the type of work I do, because when someone is building their personal brand, often they think they're not interesting enough or there's nothing special about them or important about them. And because I have this insatiable curiosity, I think everybody has an incredible story. I also know it's about how you package and share that story. So these things really work very complementary to one another. So when it comes to who I want to learn from, I learn things from my six year old niece every single day. How she views the world, how she may say a sentence in one way, and I would say it completely differently. And how just that tone makes all the difference. It's just like a fun reminder to see that I learned things from cashiers that I started conversations with in the supermarket. So everyone to me is really someone that I can learn from. And then of course, I'm always reading books and consuming more information that way. And then, as I mentioned, when I work with clients or I talk with different companies, I think as long as there's an open mindedness, there is a curiosity and there's a willingness to expand. That's my favorite type of person to work with because they have that capacity to want to do something else, but to also believe that it's possible. I'm not in the business of trying to convince someone to want something for themselves. I think we all have our own agency, but for the people that feel like I think there's something more for me, or I just wish I could have a bit more visibility or get that promotion or speak on a stage, then I'm the person for them. But that's really the ideal person I like to work with.

Jonathan Fields: [00:23:31] Yeah, that's so interesting. Right? So if tell me if I'm sort of like, if this makes sense to you, it sounds like the maven you the, the, the side of you that's all about love of learning literally views the world as a stage like that, like everyone else has something to teach you, right? And then the sage in you, the part that loves to share insight into illuminate. Um. You also seem to have a preference for working with people who genuinely want to learn and grow. Um, rather than somebody just trying to check a box and shortcut something because they were told they have to.

Monica Rivera: [00:24:02] Yes, absolutely. And I've worked with clients, and it's interesting because when you're starting out, there are all different types of people that may come to you, but the clients that I feel have the most impact and the ones that I also want to continue working with do have that curious nature. They want to continue learning and improving, and they're also willing to explore beyond just the strategy and the tactical components of it. Because the truth is, in this day and age, we can Google just about anything we want to know. But do you want a thought partner? Do you want someone to help you explore the parts of your mind that may be a little resistant to things like public speaking, or sharing some elements about yourself, or even the uncomfortable nature of raising your hand to say, I want to do something else. So if you're willing to do that, then I'm game. But for those that feel I just want the strategy, it can be. It can be a little bit challenging and frustrating for me as a coach and as a consultant, because I know that there's more that's happening inside, but they don't want to necessarily go there to figure out some of those things that are really going to lead to the larger breakthroughs. And so I absolutely can help those people. But for a preference for myself, it's really having not just the strategy but also that mindset. So we can re identify and re shift with some of the ways that we're thinking.

Jonathan Fields: [00:25:20] That that is such a sage thing. It's which is like it's not it's not enough to just share what you know. You also want to see the light bulb go on.

Monica Rivera: [00:25:28] I do.

Jonathan Fields: [00:25:29] I love that. Um, so if I were to ask you, um, like when you think about what you're doing now, what's important to you about the work that you're doing, um, what comes out there?

Monica Rivera: [00:25:42] Well, from a personal perspective, when I think of my experience as being a woman of color, I think of all the stories that have been told for us, but not necessarily by us, that I think are crucial. I also think of a lot of the conditioning that we've grown up with, where for many of us and many of the clients I've worked with and even myself, a lot of the lens in which we view things is everything that can go wrong, instead of everything that could go right. And so I tend to think about that and try to help create those shifts with my clients. And even in a speaking engagement where I'm talking to a room, how can I create create that one inciting change in that person to believe that everything can go right. So that's a really important part of just me and who I am and my my own personal philosophy.

Jonathan Fields: [00:26:28] Mhm. No, that makes so much sense when you look back, um, over the last really I guess 6 or 7 years, eight years, maybe longer. Um, and when you think about this journey that you've been on and some really powerful changes and transformation, do you have a sense for looking back at that? If there's anything that really jumps out at you that says, you know, I would have done that differently, knowing what I know now.

Monica Rivera: [00:26:53] There's so many things, but for one, I wish I would have experimented sooner. That is probably the biggest thing. The truth is I bought the microphone Jonathan, in October of 2013, but I did not release the first episode until June of 2017. That is so many years of talking myself out of experiences and opportunities and the potential for everything that could happen because of the doubt that I had in myself, because of the thoughts. Who's going to want to listen to me? Am I going to be able to execute this correctly? What if I fail? It's a lot of years of self-doubt, and so I wish I would have just taken the chance sooner. I can look back and say, well, maybe it just wasn't the right time. I needed to have this level of maturity and all of those things, this EQ, in order to do that. But I still wish that even if it had gone from October 2013 to January of 2014, new year, new me, if I had adopted even that mindset, it could have been different. But I am very grateful for where I am in the journey now.

Jonathan Fields: [00:27:54] Yeah, thank you for sharing that. I think so often we have an idea in our mind and it just it takes a while for it to start to meet the world, because we're really we just don't know what's going to happen when it goes from like, okay, I think this could be really cool to how will it actually feel when I'm really doing it, and then how will people respond to it? Um, so as we have this conversation now, do you have a sense for I have a feeling you're also, uh, you love to learn. You love to share. You're an introspective person. Also, I would imagine that you also look forward, that there's some planning that's a part of you as well. Do you have do you have a sense for what a vision of like work will be for you in the future?

Monica Rivera: [00:28:38] Absolutely. I do have the vision, which is a really beautiful thing because as I shared for so long, I didn't have a vision of what was going to come next. So when I think about looking forward, there are some stages that I still want to speak on, some ways that I want to help influence people at a bigger level. And then I truly want to write a book. I've had this idea since I was a child. I remember I wrote a murder mystery when I was a kid and asked my dad to do my book cover and the artwork and all of that, but I've always wanted to write a book, and so that is one of the things that's on the horizon for me, and no publisher as of yet, but also no proposal. So what is that? And once I have that, I believe it can happen. But that is something that I see for myself and for my business. And also, I would love to just continue to connect with companies that see the value of personal brand for their employees. Beyond thinking that it's an exit plan. I've had a lot of people say, well, you're just going to encourage everyone to leave my company. And that's not the case at all. But I think it's important for all of us to be able to one tap into our story, two, to be able to have this presence about ourselves and this confidence to map out our own visions for ourselves and then really be able to talk about that and communicate it in a way that leaves back some of the old notions of it's not it's not humble to talk about yourself or it's bragging to share those things. I think for people to know what it is that you do, you have to talk about it. And so that's that's part of my mission now.

Jonathan Fields: [00:30:06] I love that final question. Um, yeah. And really just more of an invitation. I wonder if there's any sort of parting words of wisdom you might have for our community.

Monica Rivera: [00:30:15] Absolutely, I share this. Not everyone has your vision, so please don't let them block your view. So many of us will tell things to our friends, our families, our coworkers, and look for that approval. And if we don't get the approval in the right way, or there's any sort of skepticism, it will stop us in our track. If we are wanting to do something that looks unusual or unlike somebody else, it will stop us in our tracks. So just remember, not everyone has your vision, so don't let them block your view.

Jonathan Fields: [00:30:45] I love that. Thank you so much.

Monica Rivera: [00:30:47] Absolutely. Thank you.

Jonathan Fields: [00:30:51] And if you'd like to share your career transformation story on the SPARKED podcast to inspire others to maybe feel less stuck or unsure about their own career paths, We encourage you to apply to be a guest and check out the form in the show notes, because we believe that everyone deserves to find fulfillment and purpose in their work. And remember, if you're at a moment of exploration, looking to find and do or even create work that makes you come more fully alive, that brings more meaning and purpose and joy into your life, take the time to discover your own personal Sparketype for free at sparketype.com. It will open your eyes to a deeper understanding of yourself and open the door to possibility like never before. And hey, if you're finding value in these conversations, please just take an extra second right now to follow and rate SPARKED in your favorite podcast app. This is so helpful in helping others find the show and growing our community so that we can all come alive in work in life together. This episode of SPARKED was produced by executive producers Lindsey Fox and Me, Jonathan Fields. Production and editing by Sarah Harney. Special thanks to Shelley Adelle for her research on this episode. Until next time. I'm Jonathan Fields and this is SPARKED.