Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai
By Jennifer Shinkai
Join the Tokyo based, British born facilitator and coach, Jennifer Shinkai and her guests to hear real-life stories of how regular people found and integrated their ikigai. Be inspired by how they took their first steps and how their lives have changed.
Still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? Looking for practical tips to find your ikigai? Then this show is for you.
Ikigai with Jennifer ShinkaiMar 24, 2021
Episode 11: The rest is the work - the art of “Time off” and your Ikigai with Max Frenzel
Max Frenzel makes his own sourdough. What a guy! He obviously makes time to do this. In Episode 11 of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai, he talks about the benefits of rest and something he refers to as (Insert American accent here) “Noble leisure”. If you have ever wondered how you can improve your life through choosing your activities more carefully, then this is the episode for you.
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Come and find Jennifer and Max here on LinkedIn.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- The idea of work ethic vs rest ethic
- Why Japan is losing 3% of its GDP from overwork
- A western history of celebrating being busy instead of rest
- What is “noble leisure” and why we should do more of it
- Why boundaries are critical for deep rest
- The importance of sleep for productivity and creativity
- How to reframe time off to avoid guilt
About Max
Max Frenzel is the co-author of the international bestseller Time Off: A Practical Guide to Building Your Rest Ethic and Finding Success Without the Stress. His ideas have been featured in Fast Company, Financial Times, Thrive Global, Entrepreneur Magazine, and other publications. After receiving his PhD in Quantum Information Theory from Imperial College London and working as a postdoctoral research fellow at Tokyo University, Max has been involved in several tech startups, focusing on the intersection of AI research and product design. Most recently he has been interested in the applications of AI and deep learning to creativity, design, and music. Some of the AI-art Max has been involved in was exhibited at places like the Barbican Centre in London, and he is a regular public speaker on topics such as AI and creativity. In his time off, Max enjoys good coffee, tries to perfect his bread baking skills, and produces electronic music and performs around Tokyo.
Connect with Max
Website: https://maxfrenzel.com
Time Off: https://timeoff.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-frenzel-60597361/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mffrenzel/
Connect with Jennifer
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/
Episode 10: Finding your Ikigai in your community with Nina Cataldo
When Nina Cataldo moved back to Japan after finishing college she was surprised to find that even though she considered it her “motherland”, having grown up in Tokyo, she was seen as an outsider. This set her on the path to creating a community for women who identify as Hafu (mixed-race Japanese person) called “Hafu Women”. A proud Hafu herself, Nina advocates and educates for recognition and the fair treatment of marginalized communities in Japan. Nina is someone making waves and following her passions, so I just knew I had to interview her to find out more about her ikigai.
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Come and find Jennifer and Nina on LinkedIn.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- How Nina’s experience of being shy at a young age has helped her in her life and career as an adult
- What Nina did when she noticed a lack of support for Hafu Women like herself
- Nina shares her Brave and Bold Mastermind for Asian Women and how it helps entrepreneurs to accelerate their businesses
- The importance of Asian women being even more visible in spite of racial tension and discrimination
- Nina’s challenges with her own energy when her work is also her passion
About Nina
Nina Cataldo is a DEI Facilitator and Multicultural Communications Specialist based in Tokyo, Japan. Originally from Tokyo, Nina grew up in the Pacific Northwest of the United States before returning to Japan at the age of 23. She is the founder of Hafu Ladies and co-founder of the Brave & Bold Mastermind program for Asian women entrepreneurs.
In 2019, Nina quit her full-time job in order to sail around the world on Peace Boat for 4 months as an English-Japanese interpreter. Upon returning to Tokyo, she began her career in the fields she’s most passionate about: communication and fostering human connections through the DEI lense.
Connect with Nina
Website - www.ninamcataldo.com
Brave & Bold Mastermind - https://kristymariko.wixsite.com/bravebold2021
Hafu Ladies - www.facebook.com/hafuladies
Connect with Jennifer
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/
Episode 9: Leaving glamour, gaining health through your Ikigai with Violet Pacileo
Have you been thinking about leaving Tokyo and finding your own piece of paradise in the Japanese countryside? That’s exactly what Violet Pacileo did when faced with the reality of her highflying but stressful life in Tokyo’s financial industry. However, moving her family to the slowly dying town of her ancestors in Otoyo in Kochi, Shikoku was not all freshly dried green tea and yuzu baths!
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Come and find Jennifer and Violet here on LinkedIn.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- What drove Violet to create a dream life and career for herself in finance that didn’t make her happy
- Her experience during an Ikigai workshop with Jennifer that helped her to make a huge change in her life
- The benefits of speaking about your ikigai with someone who isn’t invested in the outcome or in a group setting
- What happened when she landed in rural Kochi with her international mindset and some of the surprising opportunities that came her way
- Why networks are so important in Japan and how Violet built a new one at lightning speed in a traditional rural area.
About Violet
Violet is a seasoned finance professional with over 15+ yrs working in Tokyo, London and LA for Japanese and international investment banks and asset managers. Her background is in Japanese equities where she spent her time selling Japanese stocks to institutional investors, researching and analyzing Japanese listed companies, introducing Japanese companies to foreign institutional investors, advising Japanese companies on their institutional investor strategies including ESG and corporate governance strategies and most recently consulted for a HK based hedge fund. She relocated to the countryside in Kochi in Aug 2020 to promote economic development in the region. She is of mixed heritage, born in Tokyo and raised in both Japan and the UK, giving her the advantage of connecting with Japanese and English speakers on a native level. She has been a passionate advocate for women’s rights and has hosted many female networking and speaker events including for Women in Finance Tokyo. She is the host of NHK World's Otoyo: Bringing Fresh Life to a Traditional Community, and is scheduled to host more episodes along the theme of Genkai Shuraku ("Marginal Village"). Her company VP Advisors K.K. is also building a Crossfit retreat in the town of Otoyo, which is due to open in Spring 2022.
Connect with Violet
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violet.daike.pacileo/
https://www.instagram.com/otoyostrength/
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-pacileo-949b1815/
Website: https://www.otoyostrength.com/
VP Advisors: Coming soon.
Links mentioned in this episode
Violet’s NHK appearance: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/2007418/
Jennifer’s Ikigai workshop Special offer for listeners for this episode
https://20210610poyikigai.peatix.com/
Episode 8: Dr David Sweet - Ikigai and Arete (Pursuit of excellence)
In this episode with renaissance man, Dr. David Sweet, we talk Shakespeare, Stoicism, the parable of the talents and the evils of the snooze button.
With the pursuit of excellence in all things as the essence of his Ikigai, David surprises me with a thoughtful moment of connection and celebration and shares his perspective on "Consistent persistency".
You will also learn about how to structure a THREE HOUR (I know, right?) morning routine, the importance of mentors, and how it doesn't actually take athleticism to be a runner. He also offers some great advice on how to drive in fog as a job seeker and I embarrass him by saying what a positive impact he has had on my life and in the last year especially.
Hope you enjoy listening to this and please go out and tell someone what they did to have an impact in your life.
(You can also check out Can Giraffes Swim? over on Amazon https://amzn.to/3uBiAlh)
Mini bio
David Sweet is an author, poet, entrepreneur, executive coach, and runaholic. In the Sweet Success series, his books include Sweet Success, Sweet Sales and Recruit!. His poetry includes Pop Rocks and Split Infinity Forward. He lives in Tokyo with his wife, sons, fish, ukuleles, and running shoes. He can be found at www.drdavidsweet.com
Episode 7: Jessica Gerrity Ikigai as flow and identity
Jessica Gerrity was born in Auckland, New Zealand.
After graduating her Masters she came to Japan to work as an English teacher with no Japanese language ability.
Jessica has worked in the Japanese media industry for over 15 years. Often appearing on television to talk about her home country.
Jessica currently writes for GekkanNZ a Japanese language magazine based in New Zealand, and for Kyudo Nippon, a quarterly magazine for all things related to kyudo, the Japanese martial art of archery.
Jessica practices kyudo in her spare time. She started 3 years ago after watching a practice she decided that she would start too.
Jessica is the Saitama Prefecture tourism and PR Ambassador: Love Saitama Ambassador.
Jessica is a mother to three children, 11, 10 and 7. Her youngest child was born with microcephaly and has intellectual and physical disabilities. This month her youngest was also diagnosed with epilepsy.
Social Media Links
Instagram- https://instagram.com/jessintokyo
Twitter- https://instagram.com/jessintokyo
Youtube- https://youtube.com/c/jessintokyoblog
FB-
Episode 6 Dr Ashley Dash: Finding your Ikigai in Positivity
I loved talking about recovering a positive mindset, practical tips around unemployment and the thrillingly disconcerting moment when everyone gets behind your idea. I just loved chatting with Dr. Ashley Dash and after we stopped recording we went on for another 30 mins! Wish I had a director's cut!
Dr. Ashley Dash inspires action through her lived experiences in person and online. She often shares her greatest life challenges, including how she went from being an unemployed college graduate to landing a $100k+ job in Human Resources with Mercedes-Benz. Or revealing how years later, she restarted her life after facing foreclosure and unemployment, shifting back to six-figures with an international move to Japan. Dr. Dash is known for her ability to help individuals identify the patterns that keep them stuck and move them into action. She is determined to create safe spaces for black business professionals in Corporate America through speaking, coaching, and courses using her high energy and direct approach. Her mission is to help people overcome personal circumstances, regain control of their lives, and find purpose through career freedom. A self-proclaimed information junkie, she believes in Faith over Facts and Facts over Feelings. Dr. Ashley Dash has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, an MBA, and a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership. She is also a Certified Job and Career Development Coach and Job and Career Transition Coach. However, celebrating and loving Black men remains her best and all-time favorite superpower. Facebook: https://facebook.com/drashleydash LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleygaryroper/ Career Breakthrough Strategy Session: www.workwithdrashleydash.com National Black Man Day™ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natlblackmanday Website: www.blackmanday.com Speaker Sheet: bit.ly/drdashleyspeaks Show Notes 01:35 First culture shock - what do you mean by countryside? 02:48 Ikigai as a positive mindset Revisit your genius level as a child 03:47 Getting back to being ready to take on the day with positivity 5:11 When did the joy stop showing up? 6:58 Ashley’s journey back into positivity - talking about issues that need to be dealt with 8:35 Gratitude in a box 9:13 Music as a mood shifter and a big plug for Goal Cast! Don’t force positivity but find ways to lift yourself up 11:29 Curation of information 13:20 Innovation around Black Man Day 14:23 Who is supporting multi-layered Black men in a positive way? 16:16 Curating what a whole Black man looks like- building empowered and positive hub of resources 17:50 The power of sharing your idea - making it real 19:53 but how it can be a bit disconcerting when you are used to people pushing back! 20:48 How your ikigai can resonate with others 21:18 Magical moments - against all odds - short time, pandemic, time zones 22:43 August 8th 2021! 23:31 Don’t make finance a barrier to service 24:43 Make it Matter Book - Make your Legacy 25:31 The power of choice and intention. Integrating all the information that you have 26:55 3 pieces of practical Advice for those furloughed or laid off due to Covid 29:34 Stay in practical mode for 48 hours and then you can grieve 30:19 Why positive mindset is essential for the long term unemployed 31:01 How being open AND having clear criteria brought Ashley to Japan 31:56 Be specific and people can help you 34:55 Friday Career Affirmations - turning her homesickness into gratitude 37:50 The power of amazing bosses 39:94 Even in difficult situations you still have control 41:34 the power of the F* off Fund 42:23 Finances first 43:11 Believe you are the right candidate for the job 43:57 Interviews aren’t the time to be humble - but you don’t need to be braggadocios either! 45:30 An extra tip for when you are laid off - get your appraisals printed outa and your factual achievements on your linked in profile! 46:31 Do all Japanese people have ikigai? 47:33 Yes, but are they always connected to
Episode 5: Dr Justin Sanders: Finding your Ikigai in Lifelong Learning
In episode 5 Dr. Justin Sanders and I talk about the connection of lifelong learning to Ikigai, the 60 year curriculum how it helps the brain, how to approach study when there are almost too many options available.
We also touch on how credentials can be away to increase your impact in the world - not just about the skills you learn but the different doors that will be opened for you.
If you are wondering if you are too old to go back to school be inspired by the 92 year old at TUJ!
Bio
Dr. Justin Sanders is the Director of Temple University Japan's Continuing Education Program, one of the oldest and largest providers of personal and professional development to Tokyo's international community. With over 15 years in the international and higher education sectors, before coming to Japan, he served as a Research Specialist and then Global Recognition Manager for the International Baccalaureate (IB), a leading global international education organization. Prior, he spent several years supporting good governance in community colleges around the United States with the Association of Community College Trustees, and served a two-year tour as an education volunteer with the US Peace Corps, working in rural Azerbaijan. Justin received an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Arizona, an MA in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University, and a PhD in Education from the Graduate School of Human Sciences at Osaka University. His research focuses on international education and national development, institutional international strategy development, and adult learning.
Links
https://www.facebook.com/TUJContinuingEd
https://www.linkedin.com/school/35437867
Episode 4: Sarah Liu: Ikigai as Influence
1:44 The ability to Influence as Sarah’s Ikigai
2:50 Leaving a mark and having an impact on others
4:10 How Sarah discovered her focus of influence - women’s leadership
5:18 How wanting to solve a problem for herself became a way to solve a problem for more people and The Dream Collective was born as a side hustle
7:20 Combining passion and profit by bringing value both in the content and commercial sense
8:31 I’ll give it a year - committing to the side hustle
8:56 “Borderline burnout” - inability to do onese best
9:55 Chūtohanpana 中途半端 the issue of doing many things incompletely
11:08 How finding your Ikigai is like losing your car keys
11:57 Bringing seasonality and life stages into your ikigai
14:04 Evolution of Sarah’s ikigai in terms of how it manifests itself and shows up in the world
15:53 Differentiate between a core belief and the method
18:50 She Pivots - one of the ways that the ikigai core stays the same but the delivery method changes
20:09 Outsider advantage in She Pivots
20:59 Keeping your ikigai relevant to the reality of the world
22:52 What happens when your ikigai is too focused in a single role or aspect of your life
25:07 Ikigai is not a singular destination
25:55 Ikigai in Marriage
28:15 Starting small with integrating ikigai before you are “ready”
28:46 Bringing Ikigai into team goal setting
31:04 Balance and priorities
31:41 What do you care about the most? And do you spend most of your time doing what you care about?
32:25 How to keep your motivation when things are not progressing externally
33:12 Passion and Professionalism
Professionalism is waking up, not wanting to do it, but do it anyway
37:47 Show me your wallet and your calendar and I’ll tell you what your priorities are!
39:46 What will you need to deprioritize to follow your ikigai
42:00 Say yes to thinks as a way to find your ikigai
Bio
Sarah Liu, Founder and Managing Director of The Dream Collective, is an international thought leader, speaker, trainer and facilitator on next-generation leadership, diversity and inclusion and the future of work.
Having represented Australia in the G20 YEA since 2017, Sarah also served as an APAC advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister’s Cabinet and sits on the judging panel for Forbes Awards. Sarah is invited to train leaders around the world across private and public sectors on leadership transformation and is an appointed regional partner for Google, lead trainer for National Women in Construction, Engineering, Media and Technology across AUNZ. She is also a member of the UTS Industry Advisory Board.
Whilst she manages a diverse portfolio of career and businesses, there is only one common thread across them all and that is to see more women in leadership and to transform the way we work.
Links
Website: http://www.thedreamcollective.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyLGBD/
Instagram:
Episode 3: Noemi Inoue: Ikigai in Public Service
Noemi Inoue is the first foreign-born woman to be elected as a local councillor in Japan. Originally from Bolivia, Noemi talks about how her ikigai around public service led to her starting an NPO, changing her nationality and then becoming a three-time elected politician in Sumida ward in Tokyo.
We had some issues with sound quality as is the joy of online recording but I loved hearing about Noemi’s story as a proud Sumida resident who is not ready to give up my British passport. I am in awe of her!
And so impressive to be interviewed in her third language too. I hope you enjoy it!
2:50 From Bolivia to Tokyo
5:30 Coming back to the workforce after 10 years
6:40 Mr Inoue suggests “why don’t you become Japanese and work for the UN?!”
7:20 And now why don’t you become a councillor?!
8:20 Changing nationality as part of a commitment to her Ikigai
11:40 Rights and Obligations
12:58 The trigger between idea and action to run for office
15:01 Seeing the challenges of foreigner living in Japan and wanting to ease that
17:00 “It’s not part of my job…” but doing it anyway from an act of service
20:50 Motivation to support those in needs in daily life
22:30 Being a voice for the disenfranchised
22:42 Talking about the Sumida Koen renewal project
25:55 Challenges as a politician - how Noemi keeps going
28:42 Her secret weapon - an approachable politician!
30:30 Being not only a councillor but a friend
31:55 Where does she get her energy from?
33:21 Advice for foreigners in Japan
35:08 Taking your first step in public service
38:30 Noemi announces the next iteration of her Ikigai! (just kidding!)
Bio
Noemi Inoue, Born in La Paz, Bolivia in December 5th 1961.
Noemi Inoue completed her studies at the San Andres University where she majored in Economics. She started a high-powered career at the Banco Central de Bolivia which she left years later for a career at the United Nations, a move, she calls, “the turning point in my life.”
Eighteen years ago, Noemi moved from New York city to Tokyo to become the first non-Japan born woman to join local politics. Currently, she holds the official post as Councillor of Sumida ku which Noemi describes as "a busy but rewarding career."
HomePage: Noemi Inoue | 井上ノエミ墨田区議会員公式ホームページ
Blog: http://noemiblog.at.webry.info/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noemi.inoue.7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/inouenoemi?lang=en
Episode 2: Robin Lewis Ikigai in Social Impact
It was a delight to talk to Robin Lewis about how he moved from inspiration to action to integrate his ikigai and purpose around sustainable living. He talks candidly about the challenges of being so engrossed in your ikigai that you fail to look after yourself, finding an ikigai partner, about being an intrapreneur or volunteering as a way to bring even more fulfilment into your day.
We also talk about home karaoke, the Princess Bride and a future career as a snowboarder.
Robin has 10 years of experience working in the fields of social impact and sustainable development, including as a consultant at the World Bank, and has led humanitarian operations in countries including Haiti, Nepal, and Mozambique. He is the Co-founder of mymizu, an award-winning initiative to tackle plastic waste, and is the Representative Director of Social Innovation Japan, a platform for social good. In 2017, he took on a sponsored expedition, walking 600+km along Japan’s disaster-affected coastline to document the recovery from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. Robin is a Board Member of the Shibuya QWS Innovation Council, a TEDx Speaker, and graduated with an M.A. in International Business.
Where to find Robin
www.mymizu.co
Social Media
@mymizu.co (IG/FB)
@robinlewisphotography (IG)
@robintlewis (twitter)
@Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinlewis88/
Shownotes
3:30 The experience that raised Robin’s awareness around the need for reducing plastic waste
4:30 moving from “Somebody should” to “I will”
6:30 Fall in Love with the problem was from John Saddington Blog: john.do
8:45 Sharing your ikigai with others - the value of a partner in your quest
10:13 Starting small
10:42 Moving to Hakuba and the perils of an all encompassing ikigai
12:45 Learning from negative experiences
14:00 My plans for home karaoke
16:16 Unconscious processing”
https://jennifershinkai.com/2020/01/07/need-inspiration-pop-to-the-loo/
17:08 Revenge as Ikigai learnings from the Princess Bride
"Inigo Montoya:
Is very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
Westley:
Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts."
18:41 How Ikigai shifts
22:04 The 3.5% rule
22:39 How volunteering may be a way to integrate your ikigai
26:08 Be an intrapreneur to integrate your ikigai
28:43 Listen to the nagging voice and take action
30:42 dealing with challenges and building a morning routine
32:52 A book he was “semi forced” to read
Max Frenzel and John Fitch Time Off https://amzn.to/35E6KMA (Amazon Affiliate Link - support my reading habit!)
34:20 Talking about the Ikigai venn diagram’s origins and how we can use it
38:09 Robin imagines his sliding doors moment where he does not take a walk along the beach
39:36 How to get in touch
Episode 1: Zane A. Zumbahlen Ikigai in a Blue Chip Company
"Can I have a corporate role and still integrate my ikigai?"
I hear this question a lot in my Ikigai workshops and write about it in Ikigai Myth Busting
Zane and I chat about walking beans and the power of knowing what your ikigai is NOT, taking risks, influencing others, and how to keep your focus as you become more senior in an organisation.
We take a trip down memory lane talking about the volunteer work we did back in 2018 for Deepen the Dialogue to advance women's participation in the workforce in Japan.
Let us know what you think and please like, subscribe and share
Zane A. Zumbahlen
Chief Human Resources / Talent Officer
A human resources leader with global expertise in large-scale innovation to drive strategic transformation and growth, Zane Zumbahlen is the Chief Human Resources / Talent Officer for Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA). In this role, he is focused on driving business value, optimizing performance, reinvigorating continuous learning, driving the ongoing evolution of talent attraction and fostering engagement, diversity and inclusion.
Zumbahlen joined CTCA® in July 2020 following a 25-year career at IBM where he held various leadership roles in the United States, Sweden and Japan. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Human Resources supporting the synergy efforts for IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat in Armonk, New York, which helped strengthen the company’s position in the hybrid multi-cloud sector.
With a passion for servant leadership and service to the community, Zumbahlen has held board and other volunteer positions throughout his career for IBM as well as various nonprofit organizations. Most notably, he served organizations supporting women in business and has volunteered for charitable organizations such as InnVision in San Jose, California, which provides interim housing and support services for the homeless population.
Zumbahlen earned a Master’s degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois.
#1 Welcome to Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai
Welcome to "Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai"
You’ve probably heard of the Japanese concept of “Ikigai” but are wondering how you can successfully apply it to your life. How do you start living a life of purpose, jumping out of bed, excited to face the day?
Join the Tokyo based, British born facilitator and coach, Jennifer Shinkai and her guests to hear real-life stories of how regular people found and integrated their ikigai. Be inspired by how they took their first steps and how their lives have changed.
Still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? Looking for practical tips to find your ikigai? Then this show is for you.
Episode Notes
Find out about a little bit about Ikigai, the type of guests we'll be speaking with and what to expect.