Navigating Career Change with ZakkeeAhmad

(Recorded September 25, 2020) Focus. It's something I have not exactly embodied since I walked out the door (on my career) and allowed myself to consider anything & everything a possibility. The positives: I had/have the confidence to pursue anything, I'm flexible, and I ended up trying a huge variety of things (& learning a ton along the way). The potential trap: a lack of focus, which led to decreased productivity and added frustrations stemming from that. The day before recording this episode, I chatted with Jenny Paul (@livelongandhustle on Instagram) and she helped me to see things I just wasnt seeing before (& man it felt like such a relief!). She helped me to see the cohesion (?) in several of the ideas I was already working on and provided some general guidance on how to build it out. The most exciting thing for me was having something real to pursue that accomplished so many of the objectives I've been trying to check off separately: do something I enjoy, help others on similar positions I was/am in, support small businesses, stay in touch with business trends, stay in control of myself/time, and make an income. Hopefully this episode provides some value to you, helps you see the value of focus (see also btw: flow state!), and fills in some more of my own entrepreneurial journey. Also, please do check out Jennys content for small businesses & female entrepreneurs - can't say enough and you'll see why! Thanks for listening ! (Theme music: "U Don't Know" by Jay-Z)

(Recorded Aug 30, 2020) You may be wondering what a fantasy football draft has to do with career change... Fair question. I've been listening to a LOT of fantasy football analysis on Sirius and one of the things that the hosts do is do live drafts on their radio shows. I couldn't help but think how awesome it is that they get PAID to not only study (fantasy) football and talk about it on international radio, but to actually draft their teams live or comment on/interview others' strategies while they draft... So I thought I'd give it a shot and see how I fared. And fare I did... (I think...?). At the end of the day, the point is that if someone offered me THAT dream job tomorrow and asked to see my portfolio, it would now include this podcast episode! Experience, right?! Enjoy & good luck with your fantasy season. Its sure to be a crazy one.

(Recorded May 25, 2020) Basically, when I started my search for a new career, it wasnt just to do something different or make more money. It truly was so that I could be more happy! I knew I could make more money doing something that I loved doing. I saw my high school yearbook quote that said something along the lines of "Pursue your passions" & felt ashamed that I hadn't done that so far... Well, as my wonderfully supportive wife reminded me: "You are!" & the sentiment of "this is who you are". #perspective. I thought it was something to be ashamed of, but it's quite the opposite if i choose to see it that way. It's storytime, kids. Grab a seat.

(Recorded May 20, 2020) Over the May long weekend, I celebrated the launch of allegorychai.com AND my first ecommerce sale. I was vibrating high! Then I crashed into a depressive mindset on Monday and it persisted & was furthered on Wednesday when I recorded this episode. I always knew I wanted the shitty days to be part of the story that I told, but I hadn't been doing a great job of capturing them before this. In typical poetic fashion, life poked me and I paid attention: if I believe that I am the kind of person who has a story worth telling, I have to not only capture it all, but continue to attack my vulnerabilities and push myself to get stronger and better every day. In this episode, I don't describe how I came out of the poor mindset and feelings of depression because I hadn't when I recorded this... I talk about it because it's my truth. Tom Bilyeu posted something on his Insta story recently to the effect of "don't try to suppress the negative emotions or hide from them because they will always exist. The key is to learn how to handle them." I still haven't done a great job with applying that concept, but it is certainly something I want to work harder on. (For the record, Tom's suggestion was about habit loop triggers, which may be a topic for another day on this podcast...?)

(Recorded May 16, 2020) Ok, technically it wasn't quite 1 paycheck - it was actually LESS than 1 paycheck! The paycheck I refer to is the one I made as an engineer. I baffled many people over these 2 years by not working and barely making income. I really appreciated the concern that I got from people about it (& in a sick way, I kinda enjoyed watching people awkwardly ask me about this stuff cause I know how crazy it is how I am the way I am...), but I know that even more people than that wondered and didn't ask. Well, I'm breaking it down in this episode. Spolier alert - there's no overnight formula that I used to stretch my money starting when I quit my 9-5. It was many contributing factors that I know anyone can implement for themselves if they're truly willing to.

(Recorded May 15, 2020) I can't stand the way that society has forced us to attach the value that we do to money. People attach their self-worth to what's in their bank account & give that power to others as well. For a while, I resisted the idea of making a lot of money for myself for this reason (plus some weird act of protest to a societal force & a genuine fear of failure if I actually went for it). Today, I have a different perspective though: it's all relative. It's just a matter of how you choose to view money - is it hard to find, easy to accumulate, does it imply vanity, can it truly be used for good, is there always an evil behind large amounts of it? In this episode, i talk my way through these kinds of thoughts & yes, it still drives me crazy that money is so commonly linked to our sense of self-worth! Don't give that power to anyone (or in this case anything) else. Keep that power for yourself and decide what your own sense of self-worth is OUTSIDE of what's in the bank!

(Recorded Jan 13, 2020) When I left my oil & gas engineering job in February 2018, I started talking to all kinds of people to get advice, insights, and thoughts on different career paths. They were my peers, friends, business contacts, mentors, past bosses - entrepreneurs, corporate executives, CEOs. I certainly held their words in high esteem (?) and they have helped me tremendously through this process. It took me a lot of time and many coffees to get this advice in my journey to finding my next professional chapter and I know that not everyone has the time and access to some of the great minds that I do, so hopefully this helps you in your career change journey! Enjoy the 25 best cups of coffee advice. (Man.. that phrase sounded so catchy and cool when i first thought of it, but now it just seems odd to me... Oh well. #BetterDoneThanPerfect !)

(Recorded Jan 14, 2020) This episode is easily the most vulnerable I've been on social media and outwardly in general. "My Sex Demon" was the biggest contributor to my early days of depression many years ago. I struggled a LOT (& still do in some ways) with my previous perceptions of sex: what it meant to me, to those around me, to society, and to my life! My perceptions were shaken, and, as a "Mediator" personality type who is guided by their virtues and principles, this was a very big deal because it was something that I considered so special and so important. Today, I can look back and say with confidence that these experiences have shaped who I am in a very positive way. I am empowered because this insecurity, this fear, this nemesis no longer controls me. I know that I have the ability to control it and one of the ways that I am is sharing it's story with you: from my new & empowered perspective. I won't lie, it still makes me feel insecure and uncomfortably vulnerable at times (hell, I recorded this 4 months ago & didnt bring myself to post it!), BUT I also know that it has the ability to empower others as well with the things that they go through. People going through things can get berated with positivity that just might not work (it didnt for me - I kept waiting for something or someone to come fix it all and make it go away). While I do believe that everyone has the ability to overcome, I won't sugarcoat it: I believe it starts with a decision. And no one else can make it for you. You have to decide that you will win & that you will take it upon yourself to overcome. "Lord we know who we are, yet we know not what we may be" --Hamlet

I had an interesting conversation with Shaista (my wife) the night before recording this episode. She noted qualities that I displayed when we worked together that I didn't really consider "strengths" of mine. It reminded me that I STILL don't know what my strengths are & I'm actually devoting time to try to figure it out! What chance do people who dont think about it have? If only they knew that their true strengths / skills could probably net them a lot more in life than they think... Article referenced was written by Ayodeji Awosika & read on Medium (unfortunately my Medium app is not cooperating and I can't find the article name...)

Someone gave me some advice a while ago. In a nutshell, it was to find other people whose perspectives resonated with mine. I was eager to change the world, and this advice was essentially to team up with & learn from the people who had a similar outlook. Yesterday I looked through those notes and realized I still haven't really expressed my own philosophy to the world! So here I go. My first draft: 6 points that I think and believe about us as people and about our society. Maybe this is obvious, maybe not. Either way, I also believe change starts with personal declarations. I'm sharing mine. Ps. Be sure to listen to the end for 2 bonuses.... Also on YouTube and Instagram (@ZakkeeAhmad) Intro/Outro: Jay-Z - U Don't Know.

I went to a meeting this evening and delivered a somewhat unfocused presentation. I was (of course) frustrated with myself, but it's become par for the course with me in some ways. I ask myself, "why? Why do I continue to do this??" It's not a secret that I have struggled with so little direction & mentorship in my life - especially recently. I still feel the need to be validated externally (ideas, etc.) before I can execute. It's been an adjustment and I know I'll reach a point where I do this much better. But for now, I struggle with this: executing. Being wrong. Failing and adjusting. Jumping off the ledge... I hope I offer one of you some value in some way....

This one's mostly self-explanatory. Look, if I was on my deathbed and someone told me my religion was a hoax and they orchastrated the whole thing, I'd say, "Ha! Joke's on you, motherfucker!" cause spirituality made my life what it was.... (& "Thank you"). (Sorry for the somewhat short caption, but im semi-rushing so I actually just post this same-day) Soundtrack: Jay-Z - "U Don't Know"

So I'm on vacation, right. I'm in an airbnb in Kelowna with the extended family in a place that overlooks the Okanagen. It's beautiful. I had to bring work with me, but it's fuckin football work, so I wasn't complaining about that! As you get to know current me, you'll learn that I can EASILY have bad days even in such great conditions. I was having a bad day and decided to do something that energized me instead of keep bashing my head against the wall in frustration (you know...inside my head...). I sat on the balcony and recorded 3 podcasts (yeah I love this shit). The guts of this episode is how that recording session started & the intro is how it ended. You can hear the difference in my voice (I'm sure). In this episode, I'm chatting about just this: the value of doing what energizes me! I also discuss the impact and overvaluation of our external environments as they relate to our mindsets - I think that's a massive topic that I only really can get to the tippy top of... Thanks for listening! Theme Song: Jay-Z - U Dont Know

Hey Podcast! I was really excited to record this episode as it was my first ever Instagram LIVE, so I caputured the audio for this and video for my YouTube channel! It was my little kick-off for both my podcasts (the other being "More Than Just Balls with Zakkee Ahmad") and the first time i shared them on social media. The "live" concept is very normal for all my episodes, as I do little to no editing of any of my audio recordings. I also dive into the results of the 1st edition of a game I've been posting on my Instagram stories: Soup or Salad. It's a game that was spurred by my (& others') passion for food! They're fun questions that tend to spark some friendly debate among friends, but believe it or not, seem to be bringing people together as well (why not take a seat at the table to discuss something you love with others who do too??) For example, soup or salad?? Ketchup or gravy?? I share the Insta results & pad it with my commentary. For more fun, check it out on my Instagram @ZakkeeAhmad Thanks for listening! Musical track: Jay-Z - U Don't Know

In my first "Contextuals" episode, I get into my school/career background: high school, University, career path #1. More importantly, I discuss what my mindsets were like at those various stages and how I ultimately reached a very unhealthy place mentally & had to (literally) call it quits! (Pardon my ice cream eating.... ) Thanks for listening to Navigating with Zakkee Ahmad!

Welcome to "Navigating with Zakkee Ahmad"! This is technically my second intro episode, but the hair is down for this one! In this episode, I'm giving you some context on why I wanted to start my own podcast & talk a little bit about who I am, what I enjoy, and what I'm secretly (not secretly) trying to achieve with my podcast and social media presence. Thanks for listening!

Hi. I'm Zakkee. Thank you for your time! The primary purpose of this podcast is the same as my purpose on all other social media platforms: documentation. I don't know what niches or worlds this journey may lead me to, but it starts with this episode. I plan to share thoughts and experiences related to some of my favourite things: the NFL, fantasy football, sports in general, human nature, business, attention, society, and generational change. I also hope to share my platform with guests and listeners to bring value to those who tune in. I'm an engineer by education & consider myself an entrepreneur on training wheels. I enjoy breaking comfort barriers and chalkenging myself to grow every day. Come Navigate with me!