What Should I Do With My Life? with Steph Horwitz

Today, we just DIVE RIGHT IN - we go deep, we go there, right away, and it’s a very different and layered chat than any other that I have had on this podcast. I’m very excited for you to meet the one-of-a-kind Pamela Wise on the Podcast!

Pamela wears many many many hats– Pamela is a senior Talent Agent, she is a personal branding expert, an acting coach, an educator, and an exquisitely sensitive mensch who loves to go dancing!

Today, we talk all about our instincts, gut feelings and intuition - in the world of talent management as well as entrepreneurship, and just plain and simple as human beings, we talk about the Ted Lasso-ness of being a talent agent, we chat a lot about figurative stovetops and why YOU need to figure out what’s boiling and simmering on yours, and we deep dive iton personal branding and the importance in the consistency of being YOURSELF when it comes to your personal brand, and how to do that!

You’re going to hear us talking about this cool cat Jonas Altman peppered throughout the conversation  - that is how we know each other, through the shape of work program when Pamela was a visiting presenter–so  - shout out to Jonas!

Listen closely, and eat it up  like a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup. Here is Pamela Wise.

Today we have Tyler Hall on the pod! Tyler is a successful founder, CEO, tech leader, investor, advisor, motorcycle enthusiast, dad and husband. Tyler is a serial entrepreneur who has founded several companies, one of them being recently acquired automotive tech company Drivably. Today, he works closely with early-stage tech CEOs to help them achieve the balance between personal well-being and business success through various coaching offerings and unique services for founders. In this episode, Tyler shares the life-changing moment that made him re-evaluate his career path, he shares how we can all operate in our Zone of Genius, and he shares what exactly you need to write down with a pen and paper when you are trying to figure out what to do with your life.

Today, we are talking about innovation, we are talking about risks, and we are talking about change!

I am excited to introduce you to Sammar Farooqi. Sammar has over 20 years of experience working in the tech industry in various roles– as a tech consultant, in change management, transformation, in industry. He currently works as the vice president of strategy, cloud innovation, and business development, Leading the SAP Industry Cloud Strategy for Consumer Industries. His love and passion for technology and innovation started at an early age which we will learn more about shortly. In this episode, we talk about what it really means for organizations to come face to face with change and what those implications are, Sammar shares about the risk he took that didn’t go his way, and we chat about personal branding and why we don’t JUST need to represent our employer’s brand online.

Meet the incredible Ashley Sutton! Ashley is the Founder and Creator of Hustle and Hope, the first inspirational greeting card company that embeds digital guides– helping women level-up in their career, mindset, and spirit. A true multi-hyphenate (side note– she has written a book called Overtime is SO over, she had a career in acting and singing, she truly has and does so much), Ashley  is also Marketing Director at Penguin Random House, and has over 13 years of experience in corporate marketing, working at some of the biggest companies in beauty and toys. Plain and simple, Ashley had a goal to channel her career experiences into a product with a purpose, and boy has she delivered! In this episode, we talk about what it really means to hustle, why you should never refer to your business as a side hustle or passion project (even if it’s in addition to a full-time job), and talk about how she married her passions and experience into Hustle and Hope. You are going to just love her. This episode is going to make you think, and I’m extremely confident it will inspire you. 

Meet the amazing Arianna Ratner Dell! Arianna is a talented voice actor, voice over artist and coach. You may have heard Arianna voicing Sorbet Shark Cookie from Cookie Run Kingdom, Brelshaza from Lost Ark, in Baby Shark Brooklyn or while you were watching promos on The Food Network- and you had no idea it was her! Today we got to meet the face behind the voice (even though for those of you listening, you are getting the voice behind the voice!) In this episode we talk about cultivating creativity and energy when you are alone in the recording booth, what it means to be in a career that is a bit less understood, and we talk a bit about the current state of voiceover and what its increased accessibility means for the profession and for accomplished voice actors.  We also had some fun and did a little voiceover challenge!

Meet the wonderful Shana Recker, a business coach and mindset strategist! Today’s episode is a special expert edition. While still learning about Shana’s story as in typical What Should I Do With My Life? chats, this episode is more of a deep dive into insights and actionable advice for our listeners from our expert. Shana is a coach for new coaches, helping them start their businesses and launch their first group coaching programs, using the quantum leap strategy. Today Shana shares about the importance of making a financial investment in our transformation journeys, talks about why we should set big goals and dream big, and discusses where we should begin if we have no idea what to do with our lives. A lot of us are scared to take that first step into change and achieving our goals, and Shana really helps us break down how to step into action. 

Stay in touch with Shana!

Meet the incredible Dr. Adia Gooden! Adia is a licensed clinical psychologist, podcast host, public speaker, and teacher with a focus on empowering others to embrace their own unconditional self-worth. She also happens to be a TED Talk superstar with an inspiring talk on cultivating self-worth that has garnered almost 1,000,000 views! In this episode, Adia shares about her own personal self-worth journey, discusses how we can evaluate where we fall on the self-worth scale, and talks about tips on how we can tap into our own internal wisdom and trust our intuition. I stumbled upon Adia’s TED Talk about a year and a half ago and have been following her since and told myself that I needed to get her on the podcast one day. Her work really resonates with me and I have learned so much from her on my own self-worth journey. We only scratched the surface here, there is so much more we could get into.

Meet The Goal Guru, Meg Wagner! After Meg’s 2nd grade Career Day ignited her passion to become book editor when she grew up, Meg spent her professional journey wanting to work in books,eventually landing her “dream job” at Penguin Random House. After shifting her focus and working in digital production at HBO, Meg’s journey, skills, and tools she has shared with others have all culminated in her latest role (which she has been deep down all along) - The Goal Guru! Today, Meg is a leadership coach and team vision builder who helps teams, individuals, and leaders break down their goals into actionable steps so they can make progress on things that are important to them. In this episode, Meg shares about expectations vs. reality when it comes to your dream job, teaches us how we can all become collaborators in our own job descriptions, and talk about how (and if!) we can really separate our careers from our identities. Please enjoy Meg Wagner, the Goal Guru!

Meet the spectacular Erica Davis! From the court to corporate (get used to me saying that a bunch in this episode!) Erica is a multi-talented marketing professional, leader, athlete, world-traveler, and... she happens to be my colleague and friend at SAP! Erica is currently a Marketing Design Senior Specialist for SAP Customer Experience.

In this episode, Erica shares about her journey to become a professional international basketball player, talks about how she transitioned from working the court to working a corporate job, and discusses the power and life-long impact of being on a high-achieving team. You’re going to love her.

Meet Vanna Sann! Vanna is the owner of Dorsu, an ethical garment manufacturing brand in Cambodia. Vanna is a multi-talented, global, passionate  go-getter with expertise in brand & marketing strategy, business development, event production & management, luxury retail, media, photography, travel, and more. From working at the Gap in high school to being tapped by a recruiter for the amazing opportunity to open up a luxury retail store in Cambodia, Vanna’s story is full of unexpected opportunities, and his flexible mindset is something we all need to take on.

In this episode, Vanna gives pro tips for navigating a new job that you might feel underqualified for, talks about how moments of crisis actually presented opportunities and changes in his career path, and shares why he loves the hands-on and tactile nature of the garment industry, especially in our ever-digital world.

Meet the incredible Ava Szilagi!! Born and raised in New York, Ava is a firecracker - business owner, freelancer, mom, queen, and everything in between. Ava is a certified pilates and yoga instructor, Zumba teacher, 305 fitness instructor, and a personal trainer. In this episode, Ava talks about the role that dance played and plays in her life, we discuss the aftermath of living and breathing something you’re so passionate about in such an intensive way, she shares about the challenges and perks of mixing freelancing and motherhood, and talks about how 305 fitness is shaking up the industry. This really was a talk between girlfriends, it was so much fun, and you wouldn’t even know that I lost internet about 5 times in this conversation! Ava always makes me laugh- I am a huge fan of her and her work, so much so that I am in a group chat with friends called Ava’s Fan club! Ava is currently taking new clients, so please check out the links below to get in touch.

Meet Richard Bachmann! Richard is currently getting his PhD in history from the University of Michigan. Born and raised in East Germany, Richard’s family ties to the past and social activism in the early 90’s helped lay the groundwork in setting his passion for social engagement and education. Richard is a teacher, a student, a role model, and a very unique person who is not afraid to deal with some discomfort in order to grow.  In this episode, we talk about what sparked Richard’s interest in Holocaust history and reconciliation work, what it means to carry a backpack of history in the present, and how finding your passion should be likened to growing in love instead of falling in love.

Meet Stephanie Lee, CEO & Founder of SELFMADE, an emotional wellbeing brand whose mission is to create a radical self-love movement for all of us to build our own self-worth story.  From the makeup counter at MAC cosmetics to the East Wing of the White House working with First Lady Michelle Obama, the themes of creativity, impact, taking risks, and the greater good are constant and interwoven in Stephanie’s story. Stephanie shares about the big yet complex role the beauty industry has played in her life, the constant work she did and does (and we all should be doing) to maintain her mental health, why she quit her job to travel the world, and the genesis and vision of SELFMADE.

Check out SELFMADE and use discount code "Life15" at checkout!

Meet the one and only Noa Matz! Startup Psychologist, and Operating Partner at F2 Capital in Tel Aviv and Founder, Noa has been using her strong intuition and unique talent to guide startup founders to success. From helping founders navigate high-stress situations to building a flourishing team dynamic, Noa is making a huge, first-of-her-kind impact on the startup and venture capital ecosystem.  Aside from my constant fan-girling, in this episode, we hash out many a-topic -- we talk about what it means to be a startup psychologist, the role of self-doubt in the entrepreneurial process, what ingredients make a satisfied employee, and the 3 elements to consider when selecting a co-founder. Enjoy!

Follow Noa & F2 Capital:

Meet Anthony Ware! Founder and Principal of AWare Catalysts and Founder Mental Wealth, Anthony is a serial entrepreneur that has truly taken his life experiences and transformed them into his life’s work: to empower, lift up, and promote other entrepreneurs and their mental well-being.  An advocate, consultant, researcher, and a teacher in its truest form, Anthony shares about the role of entrepreneurship in his life from an early age, key findings and actionable insights from the Founder Mental Wealth research report, and how being open to the potential of what's next was and is a north star throughout his journey.

Follow Anthony!

Meet Phatry Derek Pan! Derek moved to the US at the age of 4 after his parents survived the Cambodian genocide. An entrepreneur, activist, and media maven, Derek’s north star throughout his career path has been shining the spotlight on the stories and talent of the Cambodian community and diaspora. In this episode, Derek talks about what inspired him to found news media outlet Khmerican, discusses the tools gained during his monkhood that he uses in his every-day professional life, and talks about what inspired him to create Perfect 10,  a Cambodian modeling agency currently celebrating its second anniversary.

Meet Katja Kolmetz! A Dortmund, Germany, native, Katja is a passionate entrepreneur and international traveler, who went from the large corporate world to co-founding and running her own startup, Human Deluxe, a design studio focused on human-brand experiences.  In this episode, Katja shares how she helps businesses integrate their values with their products and branding, why failure is so important for success, and dishes out words of wisdom for those afraid to leave their comfortable jobs to start their own ventures.

Meet Eden Adler! Her whole life, Eden dreamed of being a doctor, and was on a focused path to pursue a career in medicine. Fast forward 4 years, and today, Eden is not only a successful software engineer, but a thriving leader and advocate in Israel’s tech community. Eden shares how she went from pre-med to programmer, how her curiosity for coding transformed into a passion, and how others can open their minds to find new opportunities and interests.

In today’s episode, we will be hearing from Sara Klaben Avrahami, an entrepreneur and adventurer who inspires others to live their best (flexible) lives! After figuring out early on in her career that a traditional 9-5 wouldn’t cut it, Sara began creating her own ventures, and mixing her passion of traveling with her day-to-day. From dog-sitting in Panama all the way to Beijing while working remotely, Sara shares her unique experiences of living an alternative lifestyle, gives amazing advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and much more.