Ask the experts

[Gennelle R]

Hello Kristen!

I can identify a bit with Abby too. I tend to get bored easily, but have helped that by having a full time job and a couple of part time jobs. People always ask when will I quite my other jobs but I don’t think I ever will because I enjoy the variety each of them brings me. My ideal goal would be to work less at my full time job and have more time to pursue my side projects which include my volunteering group and travelling too. 🙂

[Kristen W]

Thanks for sharing your similar experience with this, Gennelle! It’s great to hear more examples of people who are doing the multiple-job thing and really enjoying it. Other people may never fully understand why you want a couple of part-time jobs in addition to your full-time job, but in the end, it really doesn’t matter if they “get” it — as long as you’re happy! 🙂

[Abby G]

Thanks for the response, Kristen. I’ve definitely considered both of the paths that you mentioned above. I think the single career with built-in novelty and learning sounds more appealing because even though I am a side hustler, I also value security and knowing that I have a paycheck coming in on a scheduled basis. The idea of having to juggle multiple jobs sounds like it would definitely keep my engaged, however, I’m not sure I could handle having to figure out how to make all the numbers add up. Especially with a freelance business, the idea of having to go out and find clients is really overwhelming to me.

On the other side of that, I would love to be able to pursue hobbies outside of work but find that I’m exhausted by the end of the work day and week. Of course, I make time for working out, family, and friends, but having a full-time job just takes a lot of my energy. I wish I could work 32 hours a week and still get a full paycheck (don’t we all). Do you have any suggestions on how to balance work and personal interests? I find that when I’m at work I’m constantly thinking of all the things I’d really rather be doing. I know that is probably partly due to my lack of engagement in my current role. Thanks for all your help!

[Kristen W]

Hey Abby!

Sounds like you know yourself well enough to know that trying to figure out how to fund your life through multiple part-time jobs (instead of one stream of income) would be more stressful than motivating. I totally get that!

As for not having the energy to do things outside of work that you enjoy, I totally get that as well. It’s so frustrating to be sitting at work, bored, having all kinds of grand ideas of the fun things you could be doing instead … but once you “clock out” for the day or week, you’re too tired to actually do those things. That’s so normal! And the reason it’s so normal is that most of us are spending more of our time on things that drain our energy than replenish it. If most of your work day feels draining, then you’re going to leave work with an “empty tank” when it comes to your energy — you’re running on fumes when it’s time to do the fun stuff! So I want you to start keeping a running list of thing that naturally energize you. Do you get energized by meeting new people? Or by taking a short walk outside? Or having fun plans on the calendar? Or listening to good music? Anything that gives you an energy boost (even just a tiny one!) goes on the list. Then try adding more of those “energizing” things into your day. The more ways you can try to fill up your energy tank throughout the day, the less drained and exhausted you’ll feel once work is over.

I’d love for you to give this a try and come back to let me know how it goes! 🙂

[Abby G]

Easy enough! I’ll start compiling my list this week. Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions and understanding. I loved the Passion Profile Short Course and the insights it provided. This forum itself has already provided me with immense value in being able to ask you questions and get feedback. Thanks again!

[Kristen W]

So glad you got so many insights from the Short Course, and thanks for asking such great questions here in the forum! I love getting to hear how the course is going for people and what kinds of questions it brings up. And I’m certain your questions are helping other people who are feeling the same way — so thanks for speaking up! 🙂

[Anonymous]

Hi Kristen!, I really have enjoyed this course, is not an easy task because requires a lot of introspection, but takes time for that, just that, is a great gift.
I have a question, my profile is Firestarter, but when I read the Tribe members I was confused because I felt identified with both, and to be honest there are some aspects in the Firestarter profile that for me were more aspirational than true. However there was something that you explained in the course that for me was so clear and helped me to identify my profile. I have worked in multinational companies for decades, I have achieved important positions and for many time that was my Nirvana, however some time ago I have felt so lost because I realized I have almost cero motivation, following the ideas of others, implement projects that others said, executing process that others designed, etc etc is like “What I’m doing with my life?”. You explained in some point of the course that for some people care about the mission is crucial, for another people have a key role is the most important thing, and for others must be both. In my case and with all these years of experience I have had the second one, an important role, however being someone important following something that I don´t care doesn´t make sense for me at all. That’s was my deal breaker! I love to be someone important in the company, of course, but be part of something I care is not negotiable, especially at this point of my life. I have followed the lead for so many time, that I’m done!. You also said that a Firestarter is not necessarily an entrepreneurship because you can find a company that fit with your values, however in my personal perspective something or someone in some point is going to clash. That doesn’t mean when you have your business everything is going to be perfect but at the end you can lead change and transformation when things are not good according to your values. This course came just when I start playing with the idea to have my own business, this is a long journey, not an easy one for sure, but everything is so clear for me now, I understand why I had so many time unmotivated and frustrated thinking I was not good enough. Is impossible to be successful when you are not in your element.

there is a question can help to identify what is a deal breaker between these profiles? If there is anything that you can share with me, especially with my dilemma between Firestarter and Tribe member or anything additional that you think can help. I’m going to star with the “Making real” part. So I’m thinking is crucial to be super clear on that before to start making the plan! 😉

You are doing an amazing contribution.
Keep doing it.
Thanks

[Kristen W]

Hi Ivana,

Wow, thanks for sharing your story! I love how much insight you’ve gotten from this course. It’s like a lightbulb came on and now you fully understand why some of your previous jobs weren’t the right fit, even though you had a key role and did a great job. Knowing that it’s non-negotiable for you to be fully passionate about the mission of a company — maybe even needing to create the mission yourself, through your own business — is a hugely helpful insight. There was never anything wrong with you for feeling frustrated, unfulfilled, and unmotivated — you just weren’t aligned with the overall company mission!

If you haven’t yet watched the video about “Secondary Passion Profiles,” I think that might help clear things up about why you’re drawn to both the Firestarter and Tribe Member profiles. I’m betting that one of them is your Primary (likely Firestarter, if that was your original quiz result) and the other is your secondary. It’s not always easing having “competing” Passion Profiles (I have a secondary Passion Profile myself, so I understand!), so you’ll have to find a balance between the two that works for you. For example, you may want to start a business (Firestarter) where you eventually intend to hire a small team of likeminded, engaged employees (Tribe Member) to create that balance. Or you may want to work at a company with a great work culture and a mission you’re passionate about (Tribe Member) but that gives you a ton of autonomy over your projects and your schedule (Firestarter). I don’t know what the ideal balance looks like for you, but you’ll need to keep both of your Passion Profiles in mind as you make future career decisions.

Hope that helps! Thanks for sharing your experience here! 🙂

[Christian V]

Your short course gives a ton of insight into work environments! Like many others who have taken your course, I’m excited to set myself up for success, sunshine and rainbows in my next position. I do have a question after taking my first action steps.

Question: As a Thriver, my values are centered around creativity, time and demands on personal freedom. I would like to work fewer hours or have work that is periodic on-site/on-call. Something along the lines of a consultant or designer, where you show up, do your thing, and then leave your happy little clients with a finished product.

However, my skills and background are very technical and supportive (think: information systems, administrative, editing, all computer/office-based work), and it’s tricky to find a job where those worlds overlap. It seems that jobs with the environment I’m seeking doesn’t typically align with the skills I have. I have considered starting a small copywriting or design business, but am concerned that it will turn into too much pressure.

Any suggestions on getting off the job boards and finding a job that aligns with my personal skills and Thriver values (but NOT my passions)?

Thanks so much!

(Side note: Could there be a section of text missing in the Thriver profile? It looks like there is a heading: “You’re always up for the next
adventure”, and the page ends there.)

[Kristen W]

Hi Christian! I’m glad you’ve gotten so much insight from this course! I wish you lots of success, sunshine, and rainbows in your next position. 😉

Really good question about being a Thriver and wanting to work on your own time (or at least fewer hours), while also continuing to use the skills you already have. It sounds like you’ve been considering what I call having a “lifestyle business.” It’s different from traditional entrepreneurship in the start-up mentality sense (which is all about growth and expansion), and instead it’s focused on having a business that supports the lifestyle that you want. Clarity on Fire is a lifestyle business — it allows Rachel and I to work as much (or little) as we want, from any location we want, and it allows us to seamlessly integrate work into our daily lives. Those are generally the perks of most lifestyle businesses, but there are downsides, too — there can certainly be some pressure, especially at the beginning when you’re getting things off the ground, to provide for yourself.

There are a few ways to alleviate that pressure, if you do decide to create your own freelance or consultant-type lifestyle business. You could, of course, work part-time alongside your new business to provide some financial stability as you’re starting out. You could also consider full-time or part-time jobs that allow you to work virtually — there are more and more of these kinds of jobs available, especially in some of the areas you mentioned (administrative, editing, copywriting, etc.). I’m even wondering if you might like being a Virtual Assistant, or something along those lines. It would tie in your skills/experience, while allowing you to work completely virtually and set your own schedule. Might be worth looking into.

Hopefully that gets you thinking of more ideas!

[Merin S]

Hi Kristen,

I really enjoyed the course and the Thriver profile is exactly me. I am an accountant and my job is not my passion at all, I really enjoy the life I can live because of my position. However, I still want to enjoy my job and I value stability, flexibility and learning and I am not getting that at my current job. How do you suggest I search for positions because most of the jobs that I have found basically tell me what I will be doing but don’t give me an idea if they suit my values. The positions seem interesting but I am just not sure if it’s a 9 or 10 because there are not a lot of details, maybe things I would find researching the company?

Thanks!

[Kristen W]

Hi Merin,

So glad you’ve enjoyed the course so much, and I love hearing that the Thriver profile fits you so well! This is such a great question, so I’m glad you asked it here in the forum so other people who are wondering the same thing can benefit.

You’re right that standard job listings are unlikely to give you much insight into whether or not the position will match with your values. You’ll likely just get a list of responsibilities and requirements, and maybe (if you’re lucky) a short blurb about the company. But that’s not particularly helpful in determining whether a job is a 9 or 10 for you.

Since it sounds like your working environment might be even more important to you than your specific role (which is very normal, particularly for Thrivers), I’d suggest changing up the way you’re looking for jobs in the first place. Instead of using job boards to search according to position or job title, start by searching for some cool companies that seem to share your values. Don’t even start out looking for specific positions — just focus FIRST on finding a handful of companies that seem to put a strong emphasis on your values of stability, flexibility, and learning. (The Muse does a great job of highlighting companies who have a great work culture.) Then, once you’ve come up with your short list of companies where you’d LOVE to work, then go check out their job postings to see what might align with your skill set. Or, reach out to someone in the HR department to ask if they have any openings for someone with an accounting background. The good news is, every single company needs someone with accounting expertise, so it’s likely that at least one of the companies on your list will be looking for someone like you!

Let me know how this works for you!

[Christian V]

Thank you for reassurance that a lifestyle business can be tackled by a Thriver! I will try out your excellent advice to Merin too, because I think that will help in finding a part-time role where the company values the same things I do: creativity, learning, wellness, autonomy, and time.

Thanks for your support, Kristen!

[Kristen W]

You’re welcome, Christian! Glad this validated what you were already thinking, and sparked some new ideas, too! That’s what I love about having a forum like this — sometimes other people end up asking the exact question you didn’t even know you had! 🙂 Good luck with creating and building your lifestyle business! Sounds like you know what you want and you’re on the right track.

[Ashley H]

Hi Kristen & Rachel,

I am so happy to have met you! I am enjoying the short course so far and am looking forward to completing it. I’m a Side Hustler 100%! I’ve always had multiple jobs and the only times I have had only one job I’ve always been creating/doing other things either within the company our outside on my own. If you can guess, I’m a Jane of all trades! I get excited about a lot of things, dive in and learn what I can, then the next thing catches my attention (usually as I’m researching the first thing), and before I know it I’m off learning about the next thing. They are usually related so I can typically build on all my knowledge but my brain gets over loaded sometimes.

About 4 years ago I purchased an existing franchise to escape my job as a project manager for a commercial builder. One of the main reasons for going in that direction was to stay at home with my kids. Over the past few years I’ve been working from home and growing the business. It’s been great and I don’t think I will ever want to punch a clock again! Recently though, I’ve decided I want to start my next “project”. The business is okay but it’s not ideal (24/7, franchise restrictions, and I’m not really passionate about it – although I do get to help families in my community).

I’ve been reading a bunch of books and trying to figure out my life plan but I’m struggling to decide what I’m REALLY good at. I’d like to start an online business that helps people because that really resonates with me but how can I do that when I’m not an expert at really anything??

Any advice? I was contemplating getting my coaching certificate but I really want this to be a success and not just a new shiny object.

Thank you for your insight!

Best,
Ashley

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