Clarity On Fire

I recently heard Sam Laura Brown get interviewed on a podcast I occasionally listen to, and I immediately had three visceral reactions:   This woman deeply understands what’s behind perfectionism and talks about it in a way I’ve never heard before.  I really want our listeners to hear her wisdom, because I know so many of them will relate.  Uh oh, I think I might be more of a perfectionist than I thought…

In the 17-or-so years that I’ve been working, I’ve quit a LOT of jobs. I could probably do an Ariana Grande-style 7 rings musical rendition of all the jobs I’ve quit … but I’ll spare you.    (Though if you did want a list, you could just go back and listen to us recount all the (embarrassing) things we’ve quit on the podcast.)   From the Old Navy store at the outlet mall, to nannying, to investment firms, to law firms — I’ve quit ‘em all.    The longest I ever had any job was about a year-and-a-half — hardly long enough to achieve anything, but certainly long enough to know I hated it!     So, how did someone practically allergic to employment end up doing a job (I’m talking about coaching, obviously) for 10 years without quitting?   That’s what Kristen and I are diving into in a brand-new, super in-depth Side Chat! Listen in as we talk about:   Learning the hard way what a job is, and isn’t, meant to do for you  How your enjoyment of a job can magically change, even if you hated it before, when your mindset

Ever been so burnt out that you were ready to up and quit your job with no plan?   We’ve been there — and actually done it … more than once.

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from:   Tiffanny, a Thriver (on the Passion Profile Quiz) who works full-time and has spent the last 2 years trying to get a business going on the side. She’s changed directions multiple times, spent countless hours on webinars, classes, and consults, but can’t seem to stay on course and make something work. Could this be an indicator that entrepreneurship isn’t for her? Is she chasing something she wants, that doesn’t want her? Tina, who’s wondering how people who struggle with their mental health navigate finding their passion and having a fulfilling career. Even if they get what they want, what if their brain doesn’t allow them to enjoy it? Bea, who’s eyes have recently opened to just how many of her beliefs were influenced by her cult

Calling all fellow bookworms, library nerds, and general lovers of literature — it’s time for another book club episode of the podcast!    Whenever there are five Fridays in a month, we devote the extra Friday to a book that we can’t get enough of. In this episode we’re diving into Atlas of the Heart by the one and only Brené Brown.   You’re going to love this book, and this conversation, if you value emotional intelligence and want to learn how to help yourself — and everyone around you — become more fluent at expressing thoughts and feelings.   Listen in as we dive into…   The eyebrow-raising stats about just how emotionally unaware most people are. Why things like rejection and failure feel so uncomfortable, and how to lessen the pain. How choosing the right words to describe how you feel actually changes those feelings. The difference between stress and overwhelm, and how to cure them. New ways of seeing common experiences like jealousy, envy, resentment, hope, and belonging that will totally change your

Well, we totally were not intending on doing another message from the Universe episode so soon after our last one, but the expert guest we have for you couldn’t make it work until next month, so here we are. Apparently the Universe really wanted to talk to all of us!   So, listen in as we find out what was so important it couldn’t wait another month. ;)   Today we pulled a few cards from The Enchanted Map deck by Colette Baron-Reid. One or all has a message for you — come find out what it is!    Check out the cards and written descriptions here. And after you listen, leave a comment to share how this one spoke to you!   WANT TO WORK WITH US 1:1?   There comes a point where you’re ready to stop hoping things will change and start knowing they will. You’re probably very clear about what you don’t want out of your life and career, but know you need to dive a whole lot deeper into what you do want. You might be a little nervous about the prospect of massive change … but at this point in your life, you deeply und

In the past few weeks multiple clients have come to us with the same question (so you know it’s time to talk about it on the podcast):   I’m afraid I can’t get what I want because I don’t know enough yet. How clear do I REALLY need to be?   So, in this month’s brand-new Side Chat we’re demystifying the hazy line between what counts as “clear enough” and what doesn’t. Listen in as we talk about…   The (incorrect) assumptions you’ve made about what you believe you must know in order to get what you want—a new job, a relationship, or whatever else! The things you definitely don’t need to know (yet … or maybe ever) The 3 things you definitely do need to know if you want hope of finding direction or getting anything that will make you happy   Leave a comment after you’ve listened to share how this episode resonated with you!   PSST … WANT TO WORK WITH US?   A little secret just for people like you, who pay close attention. ;)   In a few weeks we’re going to be relaunching our site, raising our coaching rates, an

Full disclosure: Ever since my client Terece first told me she was planning to write a book (a lifelong dream of hers), I knew I’d eventually want to bring her back on the podcast to talk about it.    I’ve had the joy of seeing Terece’s massive transformation over the last few years from a self-doubting people-pleaser (see my original interview with her on ditching perfectionism) to someone who’s confident in who she is and is committed to expressing herself authentically.    Because of that, I knew her book-writing journey would be profound.    Now that she’s completed her book and is in the final stages of editing and promoting it (make sure to check out her pre-sale campaign!), she’s back to share just how intense, vulnerable, emotional, and ultimately satisfying it’s been to turn her vision into a reality.   Listen in to hear Terece and I talk about…   How she’d ignored her dream for so long that she actually forgot about it … and what she did to bring it back to life. The fears that have come up along t

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from:   Concerned Daughter, who has a very supportive mom—so supportive, in fact, that she tells her kids she doesn’t need a fulfilling career, even though she’s not content with the job she has. Making her kids happy is enough! Concerned Daughter isn’t convinced … she thinks her mom might not be owning her full desires. Should she push her mom to pursue what she really deserves? Maggie, who started a new job about a year ago and received a lot of validation right off the bat—praise from her boss, an “employee of the month award,” and her work getting shown off in meetings. Now, the parade of positive feedback has all but died out, and she’s worried her boss isn’t pleased with her work. Should she be concerned that the external validation

Honing your intuition is one of the most important parts of getting clear on who you are, what you want, and where you’re headed. Without it, you’re like a GPS with bad reception — you’re not going to get very clear guidance, and you may end up driving in circles.   But that takes time and practice, so sometimes it’s nice to piggyback off of another GPS you can trust, even if it’s just long enough to check your directions.    In that spirit, here’s another Message from the Universe episode for you! Tune in if you need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up.    Today we pulled a few cards from the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck. One or all has a message for you — come find out what it is!    Check out the cards and written descriptions here. And after you listen, leave a comment to share how this one spoke to you!   MORE ABOUT THIS READING   The Tarot card descriptions from today’s reading were written by the fabulous Madeleine Joan, aka the Village Witch! Madeleine is a Tarot card reader, intuit

One of my favorite quotes from any movie, ever, is from Men in Black—when Tommy Lee Jones is talking to Will Smith about the existence of aliens (I may have written and recorded a whole blog about it years ago):   “Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.”   Humans are pretty good at getting wrapped up in our own experience. We forget that “how it is” is often not how it’s always been, or even how it is now in other places around the world.   One of those things we’re convinced is true now, but hasn’t been true for most of human history? That your life revolves around your career.   So, in this month’s brand-new Side Chat we’re taking you on a journey that might make you squirm, but you most definitely need to hear. We talk about…   What humans were obsessing over before they started fixating on their c

I know a lot of you are already well aboard the “woo woo” train. You booked yourself a ticket on a day when Mercury wasn’t in retrograde, and you’re chilling in a first-class compartment that you saged before unpacking your crystals.   Some of you probably nervously boarded the train, wanting to believe more in the mysteries of the Universe, but skeptical of where it’s going to take you (or if it’ll take you anywhere).   And a few of you are shouting at me from the platform like, “Shut up and just do what I came here for! Teach me how to get a job I love, thanks!!” (I can totally do that … but I’d rather teach you how to manifest one. All aboard.

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from:   Leslie, who’s interested in an array of potential careers from HR to wedding coordination to photography to therapy! She’d like to follow her curiosity and explore them all, but she doesn’t have infinite time, money and energy. How can she scratch her curiosity itch without making a big commitment to anything? Positive Perseverant, who has done all the personal development—coaching, counseling, networking, reading—but found herself at the end of 2021 still single, still in the same job, still waiting on life to change. What else can she do when she’s done all the right things and still isn’t getting results? Dreamer, a Canadian who took a high-paying job at a tech company in the U.S. while her green card application is processing.

Raise your hand if, when you think of “job searching,” the list of to-dos that come to mind sound something like:    Update resumé, write cover letter, apply, wait, repeat.   What if we told you that LITERALLY NONE of those things are how you get a job in 2022?   If you’re skeptical, you won’t be after hearing our interview with Emily Liou, former recruiter, career coach, and total genius when it comes to helping you find (and get!) your dream job.   Listen in as Emily doles out some seriously great advice, like:   What’s really happening behind the scenes when you apply for a job you found online How to completely avoid throwing your application into a black hole, never to be seen again How to get people to notice you—and get hired for jobs that previously ignored you, or jobs that don’t even exist What to do if you’re worried about gaps on your resumé, changing industries, or being too young/too old for a job And how you can find a job with WAY less work than you’re used to with traditional job searching 

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”    Just quoting some casual Hamlet at you today! But hey, the Bard was right—most of what we perceive as good or bad, right or wrong isn’t set in stone. How we decide to label things matters.    And maybe it’s not so much our thoughts that are the problem, but our thoughts about our thoughts.   On that philosophical note we’re diving into a brand-new Side Chat. Listen in as we get into…   A conundrum a client brought up recently—should she heed the impulse to burn everything down and start over, or mistrust that desire? Signs your thoughts are untrustworthy and unhealthy And what to do if you can’t figure out whether to trust your thoughts or not   Leave a comment after you’ve listened to share how this mind-bender resonated with you!   JOIN THE CLARITY ON FIRE COMMUNITY!   You should definitely come check us out on Patreon!   Join the $3/month tier (The Spark) for access to occasional bonus episodes and other special content. Think of this l

Ever seen The Tower card show up in a tarot reading? In the classic image, lighting strikes the top of a stone structure while two people hurtle through midair, falling toward the rocks below.    Yeahhh, so, it’s admittedly not anyone’s favorite. It heralds shocking change, chaos, and things crumbling around you. But … sometimes, you’re trapped in the tower. And the only way to liberate you is for it to fall apart.   My former client, Samantha, had a series of “tower moments” a couple years ago that sent her careening onto an entirely new life path.    Listen in to this month’s brand-new interview with a normal person, as Samantha and I dive into…   The waves of chaos and grief she struggled through, including natural disasters, the pandemic, the loss of an old friend, and the end of a long-term romantic partnership. How experiencing so much turmoil, back to back, affected her outlook on life. How, inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s story of coming back to life after heartbreak, she created her own version of t

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from:   Holly, whose business partner is her total opposite. She’s upset about something that could negatively impact their business, but he can’t see what the problem is. How can she get him to take her concerns—and her feelings—seriously? Stacy, who’s recently been told by a potential romantic partner that they “need time to love themselves” before they can love her. What advice do we have for someone waiting on another person to be ready for a relationship? Alex, a parent with a job that leaves plenty of time to spend with their toddler—but that’s the only good thing it. Alex’s partner (and even their therapist!) says not to go looking for another job, because what if the next one isn’t as flexible? Should Alex try to be happy with the

Honing your intuition is one of the most important parts of getting clear on who you are, what you want, and where you’re headed. Without it, you’re like a GPS with bad reception — you’re not going to get very clear guidance, and you may end up driving in circles.   But honing your intuition can take time and practice, so sometimes it’s nice to piggyback off of another GPS you can trust, even if it’s just long enough to check your directions.    So, in that spirit, here’s another Message from the Universe episode for you! Tune in if you need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up.    Today we pulled a few cards from the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck. One or all has a message for you — come find out what it is!    As usual, the messages were BANG ON. You’re going to want to hear this one.

Last month during the side chat where we processed 2021, I shared that one of the big lessons I got hit with (and am very much still trying to learn) was about pain. Namely, that just because you’re in pain doesn’t mean that something is going wrong.    The more Kristen and I mulled that one over, the more obvious it became that we needed to have a whole separate conversation about it to do the thing justice!    So, in this month’s side chat we’re getting into …   When is pain necessary vs. unnecessary? Where’s the line between pain, suffering, and plain old torture? And how do we end up torturing ourselves without meaning to? How to use pain and turmoil as a catalyst for growth, rather than end up stagnating in it.   Come leave a comment after you’ve listened to share how this one resonated with you!   1:1 COACHING IS BACK!   If some of the pain you’ve found yourself in lately is of the “confused, overwhelmed, lost, no idea what to do with myself” variety, then you’re in luck, because …    One-on-one coach

Francine Mends’ life is unrecognizable from several years ago when she was feeling trapped and miserable in her highly specialized field of neuroradiology, with no escape in sight.   After a series of personal tragedies that emotionally shook her to her core, she decided to finally make some serious (and scary) changes in her life, including doing something she never imagined she could do: take a year-long sabbatical from work.    Since then, she’s quit her job, lived internationally, worked as a digital nomad, and started her own business.    Listen in to this replay interview with a normal person from 2019 that’s even more relevant now than it was back then! You’ll hear Kristen and Francine talk about…   How she broke through her self-imposed limitations to finally make big life changes that she never imagined she could make. How she was able to take a year-long sabbatical from work to travel the world and get right within herself. Once she realized she wanted to work for herself, how she figured out what