Latest / ROI of Peace / I am successful, anxious, and quietly wondering if this is all there is?

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I am successful, anxious, and quietly wondering if this is all there is? · ROI of Peace

• Courtney Koenig: Welcome to the ROI of Peace podcast. I'm so excited you're here. I'm sending you lots of hugs and loves and all the things. I see all the work that you're doing. I see the great things that you're becoming. So when I started out pivoting from a marketing in my market research career, so I had this 15 year marketing market research career that I just kind of fell into. I think I've told you guys, but I ⁓ got a degree in marriage and family therapy and I was like, I want to do this. And then I was... When I was graduating, I was like, just kidding. I do not. And we were having kids at the time and stuff. And so I was like, okay, I want to focus on having my kids. And so I've kind of fell into marketing and market research, various clients, Fortune 500s, mom and pop shops, you know, all the things. And so that was working. It worked with having kids, but it definitely was not something I was like, yay, so excited about doing. It's so fulfilling. So around COVID is when I decided that I was going to... do something that felt more aligned, more fulfilling. And I am so glad I do. Now, of course, you know, everything is hindsight. Looking back on that, I worked on that for about a year before I got MS. And I am so glad that I just listened to myself about that pull and going into that direction and just seeing what's there for me. And I never, when I started in developing my business, I never thought I would have like a human design, some of those development piece, investment in business, you know? Last year I was like, okay, my focus for last year was going to be scaling my podcast, right? I always say like, focus on one thing and scale that one thing, you know? Really get into it and scale that thing. And so as I was doing that and working with my podcast strategist, we were developing this and I pitched a couple ideas because we're going to change the name of the podcast. I was pitching some ideas to her and she was pitching me back some and she's like, I found one, I can't even remember what it was now, but I thought I loved it. I was like, this is it. I had some friends who were like, yeah, that's great. I love it. And she's like, no, it's not quite there. And I'm like, seriously? But I am so glad she kept pushing me to the ROI piece. And I came up with ROI piece and I was like, huh, I think she might like this one. So I pitched it to her and she's like, that is it. I love it. And from there, it has scaled even more. Like we've seen YouTube grow so much. We've seen Spotify and Apple grow excessively because of this new brand name. And I wouldn't have gotten to it unless I took the time to refine and to scale and to grow it in the way that it did. And it took us like a year, you know? I started working with her, I think in like February or so, and had the brand launch with the podcast party. in November and I thought, surely this at the beginning of this rebrand launch, thought surely this is not going to take that much time, but it does. Things that are good take a lot of time. There needs to be freedom to have decisions. There needs to be freedom to have these moments. And I don't think I could have done it any other way. I, looking back on it, I think scaling for me was all about listening and trusting myself. and listening and trusting myself over and over again. And then that's how I developed the idea to have an app too. I'm like, that would have never come to me if I would have just rushed the process. And this episode is all about freedom, freedom and trusting ourselves and how do we trust ourselves, making those pivots and really lining up with that. I cannot wait for you to meet Nicole Maloney. I can't wait for you to meet Nicole Maloney. She is the founder of Azzurro Advisory. It's an executive infrastructure and she works with one to five million service firms that have outgrown their currently founder led operating model. So it's really about this restructuring. She has the best spirit. She also is ⁓ a part-time nomad and she travels with the sun. and she's going to Italy and spending the summer in Italy. I'm like, ⁓ my goodness, eating lots of pizza. cannot wait. That's so amazing. And we dive into her human design chart and how the gifts that she was born with, she's a manifestor and how she sees those ebbs and flows of energy and supports herself during that time. I can't wait for you to meet her and become friends with her. And I can't wait for us to spend more time together. You can grab your human design. In the show notes, we can work together and spend more time together inside the app in my mastermind and link arms. I always love seeing your comments. I always love seeing all the listeners throughout the world. And it really is, I think to myself, like what a lucky girl I am, you know? And I think luck has something to do with it, but I also think intention has something to do with it. But for me, my formula is just to slow down and listen to myself. And I think that's for most of us is slow down, listen to yourself. You got this. I'll see you inside the episode. breath. You've got this. Welcome to the ROI piece. I'm so excited that we get to dive into this episode. And Nicole, thank you so much for being on the show today. I'm so excited to have you here. ⁓ thank you so much. I am absolutely thrilled to be here and talk with you. Before we dive into your amazing story and your awesome freaking awesome human design chart, I cannot wait. We are going to do a game called Pick Your Piece. Now this comes from my app and this is the screen of the interferers. Now interferers are, there's 12 of them and there's 12 sabotaging patterns that we do over and over again that interfere with our success, our peace, all the things that we want personally and professionally. They're like, it's like overworking and people pleasing and perfectionism. And we all have patterns that we fall into and everybody can take their assessments in the show notes and find out which ones that are existing within them. But what we're going to do today is you're going to choose a number between one and 12 and I've randomized it. And you're going to choose the visualization story that we do today. What number would you like? feel like it's going to be all of them. I'm just kidding, but let's go for six. Six. Okay. We have the over-worker. How fitting. ⁓ my gosh. Okay. That is, that's actually perfect with your story. My goodness. This is awesome. Okay. So. All our friends listening and Nicole, you can go ahead and close down your eyes. If you're in a seated position, close down your eyes. And in these few minutes, you're investing in peace and that investment starts working right now. The overworker believes that worth is measured in output. That slowing down means falling behind, but that's a lie. Rest isn't weakness. It's a return on all that you've invested. Let's let the story begin. There once was a woman who believed time was something she had to conquer. Every morning she flipped a glass clock, an hourglass filled with shimmering sand and watched it fall. She worked faster than the grains could settle. Each project, each goal, each promise was measured by her worth in the speed of completion. The sound of falling sand became her heartbeat. But no matter how quickly she worked, she always felt behind. The more she achieved, the faster she flipped the glass, never realizing that in her race to beat time, she was losing herself as well. One night long after everyone else had gone home, she sat in her office surrounded by finished work, paper stacked, project signed, deadlines met. She reached for the hourglass again. but her hands trembled and the sand and hourglass fell to the ground and scattered across the floor. Tiny grains sparkled in the lamplight. She bent down to gather them, and for the first time in years she really looked. The sand wasn't escaping, it was simply being. Each grain caught the light differently. Each one its own moment, its own reflection. Her breath slowed down. She felt the softening and awakening within her, and it occurred to her that maybe time wasn't something to manage, but something to meet. She stopped picking up the sand and just let it rest where it fell. The next morning when she came in, she saw the sunlight stream through the window. The scattered sand shimmered like a constellation. She realized she hadn't lost time. She had found it. And as she sat in the glow of the sunlight, she whispered, I'm not running out of time. I am exactly where I need to be. Where in your life have you been racing time instead of walking with it? Where do you need to slow down and celebrate even for a moment? to recognize all that you're doing. What would presence look like more in your life right now? You can take a deep breath and exhale. And when you're ready, open your eyes. Tell me what you were feeling during that time. What came to you? mean, every piece of it is resonates with me fully because, here it is building a career and measured by the output, doing things faster. And I think that was just like, yup. Every part of it was just a yup, yup. And my brain, you know, unfortunately, think people get stuck in that beginning piece. I'm fortunate that I've I call myself reformed hustle culture, but I very much lived and breathed that part of it where every piece of my self-worth was tied to, you know, my work, my title, my output, my promotions. And I, you know, that's, that's, was driven. I was passionate, but I think that there's certain boundaries and lies that you kind of tell yourself that you forget about who you are and what you actually want to do in life. So I think it was so just every part of it was. Yeah. Yep. Yes, totally. know. And I have to tell myself, because I have this inner fear that is just always there and being like, why can't you go faster? And especially with having an autoimmune disease with MS, I've thought about over these last four years. I was actually comparing, someone was on Instagram and I was reading their story about like, ⁓ what they've done in the last four years. And I was like, ⁓ my gosh, I have not accomplished. And I feel, and I have, you know, like, and I have like, worldwide programs and an app and all these things. But then when we see it in that minute framework of, I should be doing more, but more isn't necessarily better. ⁓ space has really been what creates ⁓ creativity and real problem solving instead of just, you know, hopping to the next thing. Do you have a hard time celebrating yourself? Like slowing it down enough to be like, okay, instead of jumping onto the next thing, you know? ⁓ for sure. And I try to be intentional on thinking about my wins and lessons now, because again, I was, it was very much ingrained in me to not recognize my self accomplishments. was team. And again, I do truly believe that, you know, those types of wins are team-based. I'm not taking away from that, but I also removed myself from that team. It was the team doing this and the team building this. so. You know, it was all about say, uh, you know, we instead of I, and so for me, yeah, it was very hard because I was told essentially it's, it's not good leadership. It's not good to kind of have that self promotion. And so even internally I was doing that as well. And I do think they're like, we get to have like, be humble, you know, not like, and also at the same time. really share what we've been doing and really celebrate that. think about even after I go on a walk, I take a walk each morning and I come back and I'm like, look at me, I took a walk, good job. You know, like, cause I can easily not. ⁓ it is those like small accomplishments that add into better and better that really help us to see all that we're doing and combat that inner fear because that inner fear is like, Hey, you need to do more. And we don't, we just need to keep going. and be that steady, consistent, resilient force. And it kind of goes hand in hand with what you were talking about, comparison. And comparison is the thief of joy. And so I really love that trend of romanticizing your life. Because if you truly stop and look at what's around you and the beauty of what's around you, it is beautiful and amazing. And what you're doing is great. And I think that I love that trend because it's like, it is beautiful no matter where you are and what you're doing. And you have your family, you're your pets, you're your friends. There's so much about your life that other people wish they had. And again, it still kind of goes back to working so much for what? And that comparison being that thief. Yes, totally. And I love that your story really helped you to see that your life was being taken away by what you were doing, by your career. And so you had a lot of experience and your career kind of ping ponged around, which I think is the best way to do things. You you went from fine jewelry to emergency rooms to financial firms and operations across different industries. tell me about that. Who was that woman and what was she really chasing? Yeah, I think she was chasing value and validation. because in every aspect of those roles, I would pretty much get to where I could be. Okay, what's next? How do I get higher? Like what's the next title? What's the next raise? What's the next promotion? And I think I was really searching for ways to feel things, but I was putting that within my work and within the validation of work. And I, a hundred percent. believed in some of those corporate lies that we all hear. ⁓ I was selling them. When I tell you, it's like, yes, your team is your family and, you know, different aspects. You know, looking back now, I'm like, ⁓ my gosh, let me just bang my head into a wall. But there, there's so many parts of it where I was just searching for things to fulfill myself. And I think I was putting that stock into different, into the wrong avenues. And so, you know, there were times even in the emergency room where, you know, my blood pressure was, had already been astronomical for years for stress. And I remember I'd been checked in because I was sick and still working and I couldn't get discharged because my rate, my, my like heart rate and everything wouldn't go down enough. So I'm like, if I lay down on the ground and you take it, it gets better because you're, you're laying down, you're not sitting up and the doctor's like, no, we can't. I can't discharge you like that. But just things where, you know, I was not taking care of myself. I was prioritizing everyone else. I was prioritizing the company. But I was also a complete hypocrite because I wanted my teams to have the life I didn't have. But then I wasn't leading by example because I was searching for that next thing, that next fill, that next validation of like, yes, you are good at this. If I just stopped and looked, I was badass at what I do and I love what I do. And so I think it's just part of how you're looking at things, but I was sucked in. The 16 hour days, six or seven days a week, was, and I loved it, is what I was telling myself. Yes. And was there like, so you were like, getting hospitalized because of the stress and the anxiety and the work and that wasn't enough, was there a moment, maybe it was, was there a moment that you knew something was off or did it just accumulate quietly? I think it just kept accumulating. I saw it in the health, I saw it in my relationships with my friends. I wasn't a great friend where I didn't have time to put that effort in that my friends were doing. And I think for a long time, I kind of had to play it as a joke because if I took more thought about it, I think it would be more upsetting. But if it's a joke, I can kind of write it off. can kind of, okay, next thing. And so I didn't, even though little things were happening, I was not taking the care that I needed to. And I was playing it off so that it wouldn't bother me, I think. Yes. Yeah. And I think that kind of shoving it down and ignoring is what so many women do is we're just going and we're pushing and we're pushing past what we feel is necessary. And we're giving so much to the job that is not really supporting and giving to us in that way, you know? Right. 100%. Yeah. And so ⁓ what was the moment where you're like, okay, this is enough. I am... cannot do this anymore. know I've been hospitalized. I know I have no friends. I mean, that type of thing. I know that this work doesn't really fulfill me. What made or break your next steps? Yeah. So I kind of keep my family on my toes, and I joke that I have a quarter-life crisis every few years where I just turn my life around entirely, hence kind of where I am today. But I... had left one of my jobs, sold a house, and I'm like, you know, I'm going to go volunteer in South Africa for a month. That's like a bucket list item for me. I'm a huge, huge animal person. And so I did just that. And I didn't have work issues. didn't have to check, you know, connection was spotty. Wasn't constantly checking anything. I was taking beautiful pictures. I was in the moment more. was working, you know, manual labor or pulling milkweeds in the fields or walking elephants, like whatever that was. Lion enrichment, which is literally running with meat on a stick. So no way. It really is. But there, you know, I felt happiness for the first time since I could remember an actual true. happiness and just satisfaction of where I was. And so for me, that was a huge, like, what am I doing? Why, you know, I'm not, I'm not feeling this from work. I'm getting other highs when I'm, you know, climbing the ladder and doing things, but what am I actually doing for myself? And I did have to go back and, and jump in back, back into normal work, but it always stuck with me where. You know, why can't we have a business that supports life instead of consumes it? Why can't we have the best of both worlds? And I think we've been, again, that, that kind of lie about balance. don't necessarily think it's so much about balance anymore, but alignment. Like, what does that look like for you? What is the balance of your time or whatever you want to call it? ⁓ and so it kind of just stuck with me. Like, wait a minute. jump back into the grind for a few years. And then it's finally like why I'm doing this for everybody else. Why don't I do something for myself that can really represent what I actually want out of my life. And so that's exactly why I started my firm. That's exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing. And so yeah, that South Africa moment was just a actual, and I keep going back to it because it's the feelings that it brought up. And I can even go back and look at pictures and just remember that. feeling of how I felt and how carefree and just how, you know, I was, one of the oldest in the group, which was kind of funny. So kind of like the mom of everybody, but you know, just the friends and the just, just had true, true happiness of doing not only just really cool stuff, cause it was a lot of hard work too, but just, just how calm I felt. And that just was a huge changer for me. Yeah. And I think that's part of it. think is that when we're in this hustle, when you're in this corporate hustle, there's not enough time to think about, is this really what I want or are there other options? You know, we talk about, you know, like fulfilling our dreams and ha but it starts with having dreams, you know, like sometimes when that overworking and over busy interferes come in, there's not enough time to dream. There's not enough time to see what's on the other side. And I, that's why I love like being in nature so much. And with animals too, it's like, you're so present and you're so joyous. And it just brings about this like, ⁓ life is meant to be fulfilling. Life is meant to be full with purpose. And it can be hard work too. Like we're not discounting any of our businesses are not hard work. You know, they are work, but there is this other level. I was telling my husband the other day, I was like, Cause I started my journey around COVID, but around the same time I got MS and I thought, I was telling him, I'm like, you know, it's amazing that I had this inkling, this intuition to start building my own business because now that I cannot work for someone, I am actually working for myself and doing the hours that is good for me. But also it's so fulfilling, you know? Like I just absolutely love it. And I don't think I would have. given myself space to go forward if I didn't have already a foot in the ground. know? absolutely. And change is scary. Let's be real. Change is scary. if you're like me, 99 % of the people around you are like, don't do it. You have a great job. Why are you late? know, there's so... Change is scary. And I think that's the bottom line. But if you are not willing to make any changes today, don't expect a different tomorrow. I think it's so hard to talk to people who really don't have goals for their life. It's just kind of like, and I don't mean that they need to have a vision board every year, but just what do you actually want for your life? Like, what do you want it to look like? And people don't take the time to think about it because I think change is scary. It's hard to imagine that you can actually get to that point. I mean, we're talking about other fears here that people have to address, but... I think they all kind of cohabitate in that environment. And so it is hard and it is scary. But again, if you don't decide to do something about it, you're not going to be at that next step or be at that next level that you're looking for. totally. And one thing I love about what you're doing with change is you're living semi-nomadically. You kind of like go around and you're just telling... So you're in the Midwest right now, but you're going to head to Italy in a... couple weeks and I was like, what made you shift into that? Because that's a big change too, you know? And, you know, how do you, ⁓ how do you, how did you get to that point? Yeah, so I have created a life that allows me to do this. It's very intentional that I have set this up, but I chase the sun. I hate cold. I don't function well when it's cold. And so the Midwest is where my mom and my sister and family, know, niece and nephew, So I love to spend time up here. ⁓ In the summertime, I do go overseas to Italy. I bought my childhood home there. My dad and his family are over there. So it's quality time with that part of the family. And then in the winters, I go down to the Texas coast because again, I'm chasing the sun. I don't like the cold. And I did live in Texas for many years. And so that, you I'd love to live there more. But as of right now, that rotation is just perfect for me because it's working and living where I am my best and where I can kind of fill my different buckets that are bringing me joy outside of work, like family and things like that. Yeah, and I think that's so amazing that you saw even the possibilities of where you're living because your business can take you anywhere. It doesn't matter the time zone. It doesn't matter the location. You've built this business to be able to serve your clients wherever you are in the world. So why not? I think that could like that phrase of like, why not me? You know, like we need to use that more. ⁓ a hundred percent. And it's funny because I've actually been doing this for five years now, maybe. And it started, I set this up in my prior role cause I was a COO so I could create the policies to make this happen. And obviously, you know, everything was approved to do that. And when I first was thinking about this, you know, my, my stepdad's always kind of been someone who is like, just try it. Just try it. You know, like, why not? Just try it. If you don't like it, you do something else. And so I kind of appreciate him being where, you know, my mom is on the other side, like, I don't know if this is a good idea. You may not like Larry's just like, just, just try it. So I do appreciate him kind of being an advocate for maybe stepping out of what is the norm or what was my norm. And so that was kind of nice to have that like, yeah, all right, let's just try it. And so far it's been going great. Yes. Well, and freedom is really an anthem within your human design, actually. It's so crazy and so wild. everybody who's, let's make sure we're on the same page about what human design is. Human design is a personality test. So like Enneagram and Strength Finders, if you love that, people love human design 10 times more because it goes into 10 times more depth. It's kind of like a puzzle system. I've read hundreds and hundreds of human design and no human design is alike because it- brings in all these different elements into the picture to paint a picture of who you are. So instead of being like, is this boxing me into a certain way? No, it's it's supporting you in the way that you serve personally and professionally best, how you operate best, how you make decisions best. And the first place that we start in with human design is your type. And so a type again is this, how do you operate best? So how is Nicole operating best? Let's support her instead of being like, well, you should do it this way or Pinterest said this way, you know, or this book said, or this guru said this way. It's like, well, how do you operate best? What's your thumbprint on your soul say? So you are a manifestor. Now there are five human design types. So you're a manifestor. Manifestors are this initiator. They're this leader. Think about when you throw a rock into a pond and has this ripple effect. You're the rock. You're rippling and making changes and it creates ripples and you're a vision caster. Now you don't want to sit back and wait for people to give you permission to create those ripples, to lead, to say these big things, to create these big changes. You have this internal pull and you have this always this gift of communication. And so you want to not shush yourself. You want to say these things and really lean into how can you speak more? How can you... step into this natural leader role because people are drawn towards that. see this energy of like, you're doing things in a unique way. You also have this ebbs and flows of energy. You can go a hundred miles an hour, but then you need a break. You know what? You are not always on. So you need to honor that flow within yourself, you know? So the mantra for this is for your design is I initiate, I rest, I rise. That is your... I love that. Yeah. ⁓ So I would love to hear. So you're, you're laughing. You're like, ⁓ my gosh. So tell me your gut reactions to that. This, mean, it's just dead on because I am that person. I will go pedal to the metal, full throttle. And then I will just crash because it's like, okay, too much. Like I need a rest day. And so that just speaks to me entirely because that my whole life I've been like that where I'm like, go, go, go, go, go, go, go. And then. All right, I cannot take it, I cannot do, I cannot think, I cannot see, I'm like, I just need to sit here and exist. So that's a hundred percent. And then next day turn around and it's like, all right, let's go again. We revitalize. Yeah. What's your, one of your favorite ways that you rest and restore? I definitely like being outside. And I think. It depends on where I'm feeling the most hired. And what I mean by that is obviously working on my laptop a lot, a lot of technology. And sometimes I just like to go do manual work outside because it gives my brain a break, but it moves my body and kind of keeps my blood flowing and gets those endorphins going because I'm moving. So if I'm really, if I've had like a long week at work, I like to go out and do something, whether even if it's just walking, if there's nothing for me to do, but I do like kind of pairing it with something still kind of productive feeling. When I've gotten to the point where I'm just fully crashed, it just depends. It can be a nice bath, it can be like a self-care day, you know, just a kind of shutting out and being in my own little bubble is definitely a helpful spot for me. Yes, totally. Well, and you mentioned kind of this alone time, whether it's in nature or by yourself, like at home. That's really important because you take on a lot of energies of other people as a manifestor. And so in order to kind of shed that, you need some time away from other people's energies, you know, and that restoring your own energy comes from spending that quality time with yourself, you know? So one of the strategies for manifestors is to really inform, so really communicate. So think about communicating as you're making these big moves, you know? It reduces resistance, you know, personally and professionally, but you're meant to share, you're meant to speak. So think about, okay, the more I communicate, the more I'm going to see things happen. And that's how you make those things really land. let's see. Yeah. I mean, I feel like I've shifted more to that in my professional life. And that's very much why now with clients that I'm deciding to work with, I'm very clear that I'm very direct. Like I'm going to be very clear and direct in what's happening. I'm not going to fluff it unless it's something where it's like, okay, maybe they need a little fluffier, but it's still, I'm going to be very direct in how I'm speaking and what I'm talking about because I feel like that's the best way that I communicate. So it's funny that, part of that, because I've definitely shifted to that over the past, you know, five to eight years or so. Yeah, ⁓ that's so amazing. I know it's so neat because you that it's that building that trust within yourself and listening to those that soul. And another way that you can listen to your soul is through your inner authority. Now, inner authorities are how do you make decisions best, and you have a map of how you make decisions best. And yours is a heart inner authority. So this is about listening to your heart, you know, what your heart wants. is what it gets. Where your heart is leading is where you should go to, you know? And it's not a... It doesn't feel very pragmatic, you know? It's not a pros con-less situation or an Excel spreadsheet. It's like, but my heart is just saying I need to go do this, so I should go do this, that type of thing, you know? And did you feel this when you were deciding about South Africa? Because that was a huge turning point where years you're like... This does not make sense, but I just kind of feel like led by this. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. And I think it's across the board in any decision that I make, I do still take a very analytical side, I think to either support or kind of, I think that I have to have that piece as an operations person just because it's like, I need to have some of the data or things around it. But ultimately, yeah, there's definitely, I run a lot of not my gut feeling, I would say, but maybe it is. Maybe it's my gut and heart kind of talking, you know, the same type of feeling where it's like, no, this is the right way to go. I, yeah, I definitely see that. Yeah. And it's kind of that, yeah, like this internal feeling, like this invisible string pulling you towards that thing. And, and you can back it up with the analytics that work for that thing. You know, you can always find analytics that work for the thing. Let's be honest, but it can help you to feel. a little more calm, you know, but you don't want to lean on that, like that lines of the, all the analytics are pointing in the right direction because often or in sometimes it will be the opposite, but just step into that and trust yourself even more. So the mantra for this is my heart knows I just have to listen. listen. Okay. I definitely think that's something I need to lean into more. So I love hearing that. Yeah. And then the strategy for this is. Before making a decision, ask yourself honestly, do I actually want this or do I think I should want this? Sometimes that gets in our head about what I should do, what others are telling me, whether it's family or business. But like ask yourself honestly, do I really want this? And then that will help kind of digest like where you want to go to. Yes. Yeah, that's so true. I love that. Cause I feel like we're so again. what about my whole career? I was seeking validation and affirmation of that I was doing well and doing a good job. And I think sometimes that outer influence can be so strong and it's, you know, listen and take it kind of with a grain of salt, but then ultimately you have to decide what's best for you. So that's amazing. I love that. Yeah. It's so good. You know, now one other part on your human design chart that stood out to me is your profile. Now your profile is like layers of your characteristics. and gifts. It's made up of two numbers. So you're a two four and the title for this is the easy breezy genius. So the number two is this you have this natural genius about you, you know, so like the things that come easy to you just come easy and people like how did you do that? You're like, I don't know. I just did it. You know, that's totally how you do things. And And that's a superpower. You don't have to have qualifications for that. Oftentimes we think, ⁓ well, I have to have this qualification in order to be able to say this, but you don't. You have qualified yourself through this genius operations within you and this gift that you have. Now this four is a networker. You love relationships, you love community, you love like building within this unit of togetherness. And that's, that impact is really, really strong. So the mantra for this is my gifts are natural. My network is my power. yeah. So as I would love to hear like, as a, like a no, as a semi-nomad, as you're moving around, how do you keep this a network going and network with people? Yeah. I feel like in the past when I was very driven in my work, that I let it fall to the wayside. And so I really appreciated being able to be more intentional with my community now. And that is kind of a, an issue, not an issue, but an obstacle that I'm having is, you know, I don't have a solid in-person community where I am all the time, but I really put time and effort into my virtual community, into communities where I've built in the past at prior, you know, prior jobs or prior people, cause I've moved around a lot as well. And, know, just like, Hey, like, what are you working on? What's going on? And, and a genuine interest in, you know, what people are doing and what they're building and how can I help? How can I connect people together? But it has to be intentional. And so I love, I love the virtual community that I'm in and putting a lot of time into, and then also just making an effort to, to just check in with. the ones that I know in real life from past work and things like that. Yeah, totally. And I think about how much like, because I do a lot of social and how much I really tried to come at it at an angle that it is about true connection. It is about true voice, you know? And that's like, I started off when I was jumping into my own business about that I wanted to do social media, but in an authentic way, because I was using my marketing background and I thought, ⁓ okay, this is a great avenue. Let's start here. But I still is the same thread that like, I want our voices to, I want my voice to be, if you meet me in person and you see me online, we're the same people, you know? And so I really want that connection. And I think that can be such a great networking element is to have that presence and really like. find there's so many great ways online for with communities or with social to really have that connection and power. Yeah, and it just has to be intentional. And I think that's the biggest piece. And I do love what you say about the social piece of it as well, because that has been something where, you know, I do make an effort to post consistently on LinkedIn and it's my voice. It's me. This is how you get me. This is how you're going to get me in a zoom call in real life. Like I am the same across the board. And so it's just kind of one of the, I feel like we're kind of in a trust recession. I've heard that so much. And I do feel like the same thing where, you know, what is real and authentic anymore. And so I'm like, I can just promise that I am who I am. Like I'm, cool people. will say I'm very happy. And, you know, I'm like, go with the flow. But when my head is down and I'm working, I'm like, I get a little bit of a serious face on. I'm like, all right, let's go down. Yes. Yes. Totally. Totally. And I think that's why people are so like, you know, you can kind of sense, and of course we all use AI and stuff like that and to tidy things up and of course, that like, what I think we're sensing is this real value for authenticity. We can tell those kind of pictures where it feels a little off and I'm like, it doesn't quite connect us. And we want that connection piece. And it's such a great way to really communicate together is through those messages. think there's been a big shift too, because again, looking at my history of working and how I've worked and what I've been told. It's always a very professional lens. You only post very professional. You only act certain ways. You only post about specific topics. And so I really had to kind of break that learning of years upon years to change how I come across, you know, in socials and things like that, because that was a hard shift to be like, I want to be who I really am. But then you go, you know, pen to paper and it's like, wait, this, you need to not do this, you need to sound this way, you need to not talk about this." And I think that was a hard unlearning to do in order to be a little more authentic. Yes, totally. I agree. It's stripping back that mask. And we really do connect when we actually really do connect, you know? And it doesn't have to be this buildup of things. And that really is with your human design, pointing so many of the ways to freedom. to following your heart, looking at yourself as this easy breezy genius and you're there for a reason, you're authority for a reason. And I love that in business that we're really turning away from, you know, of course, including the ROIs in business, you know, the measurable markers, those metrics, proofs, performance, sales, all those things. But the ROI of peace is this new way of looking at things, a new indicator of clarity and. resilience, joy, alignment that can take us really far as well as those metrics. So which area in your life are you asking for more peace right now, personally or professionally? And what would bringing peace into that area actually look like in your daily life? Ooh, that's a great, I think more peace into my business is probably my biggest focus at this point. think there's just parts of it that feel hard. They are hard. I think the getting comfortable, well, I've gotten very comfortable with being uncomfortable lately. I think, ⁓ but that's just kind of part of it. It's the feelings that go around it, even though I know what I'm doing, I know what I'm building. I feel confident in that. It's still like the weight. It's all those second kind of guessing moments that may happen. ⁓ so definitely peace in my business, but it's. a work in progress and I think that it's a fun work in progress. it is. And I feel like too at every new height that every business owner reaches, they're like, ⁓ I don't know about this. But I also think everybody's figuring things out and you figure things out, we figure things out. And that's the magic of it all is like figuring things out and blazing your own trail to figure that out. Yeah. And then making sure that I don't lose sight of why I'm doing what I'm doing, that I still make sure that I maintain my relationships, my life out of work, my, you know, I don't have kids, I do have fur kids, but finding things to do outside of work that still fill my cup, where it still can feel productive, but it's not working, or it still can feel exciting, but you know, it's not the next promotion at work, where I'm finding different ways to fill my cup that are still intentional. Yes, right. Yeah, exactly. Well, Nicole, this has been so amazing. I just absolutely love this. This has been so great to have you on. I love this conversation. There's so much when you're talking about the human design and the story and the fear where I'm just everything. I said it before, was just yes, yes, yes. Yeah, like, okay, yep, that's speaking to me. That's speaking to me. So this has been amazing because it definitely just kind of confirms. how I think I am and how I think I'm working and just kind of brings it full circle for myself, which is kind of funny. know it's so crazy how right on the human design. It's so like from a date of time and date of birth in place. I'm like, well, look at this. You know, it's crazy. So I know that everybody wants to get into your world and get connected with you. Where's the best place to jump into your world? I love all things LinkedIn. So, you know, find me on LinkedIn and send me a message. And yeah, I love connecting there and learning more about what people are doing. And, you know, if there's a connection that I can help them make, or if they just need a sounding board, I want everyone to do well. That's amazing. ⁓ I love that. Well, Friends, thank you so much for being on. Thank you so much for listening. This has been such a great conversation about freedom and peace and alignment. And would love for you to continue to follow the show and rate the show if you haven't so you never miss an episode. Of course, grab your human design. It's in the show notes. And your piece is the most profitable thing you will ever invest in. And we'll see you next time.