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621. From Overwhelmed to Overjoyed: Designing a Life Aligned with Joy with Jess Kaskov · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the daily influence where our mission is to deliver a daily dose of positive influence that can uplift you personally or be shared within your sphere of influence.
• 0:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: While not every episode may directly apply to your unique circumstances, we strive to provide insights and inspiration relevant to most people's daily, weekly, and monthly lives.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether you are tuning in during the morning, noon or night, the daily influence is here for you.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, share, and embrace the power of influence in your life.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm your host, Greg Kulino, and today I'm joined by Jess Kosko, a number one best-selling author, coach, and creator, whose work centers on helping people realign their time and energy with what truly brings enjoy and fulfillment.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just as legacy, state and says it all, I make a profound impact on the world by spreading love and joy broadly, starting with me.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: through her bestselling book, Soul, Salary, and her newest digital course overwhelmed it overjoyed.
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's helping people move from burnout to balance, and reminding us that joy isn't a luxury, it's life-skipped.
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jess, welcome to Daily Influence.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks so much for having me, dear.
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just could you start by sharing a bit about your background and what inspired your journey towards helping others find alignment balance and joy?
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I definitely can.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I actually had a 15-year career in engineering and food manufacturing.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, quite a difference from the author speaker, Coach, I am today, but in that career, I was enjoying it.
• 1:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was successful.
• 1:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: But we had a round of layoffs that came through and it was one of those kind of weird ones, but they said, well, let you know in a month, whether you have a job or not, now it's a little too long in my opinion, but they announced the directors and above levels and I didn't see my department in there.
• 2:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so we had a month to probably found out about a job or not.
• 2:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I said, you know what?
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm gonna start doing some soul searching and some reflection.
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because if I don't have a job, do I wanna just continue and do the same thing?
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: Do I wanna actually change it up?
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: This could be one of those life-quake moments that they call them.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: And maybe it's something we could change.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I did some reflection and said, what's been my most impactful part of my career so far?
• 2:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the two manufacturing plants that I had worked at actually were closed at that point.
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: They had been shut down.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it was not the process improvement I made, the equipment improvements that I made.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was truly the impact on the people that I managed and interacted with daily.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: That was the legacy I had left.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that seems really simple, but like it was a little eye-opening to me of, you know, I put all that effort and so I was processing the equipment improvements.
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's great and good, but it's really what impacted me to the people that was the legacy.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then I asked myself, what was my favorite role?
• 3:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it was not operations management or continues improvement.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was actually a human resources cross functional role I did when the plant was closing.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: They gave me a cross functional role to work on climate and culture as our plant was closing over the next year and a half to help people support them through the transition, keep the motivated and safe as we kind of closed out the plant.
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I just felt like it was one of those moments where the role was so heart-centered.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: um, that it made a huge impact on me.
• 3:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: I managed most of the departments by then.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it was a kind of healing way to also process the plant closure by supporting others going through it.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it was a little surprising to me when I reflected that that's the one I chose because that's, you know, my shortest role and also, you know, not or my degree is not or the majority of my career was, um, but it was only opening.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so I did end up having a job.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: I did have one.
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm coming out of it, but you can't unsee what you've seen.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: Right, so I did the work, the reflection, and so I actually started this journey of what I call my dimmer switch.
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I pitched part time, which in 24 seven manufacturing is not normally granted, but my was and then I ended up doing a sabbatical where I wrote the book and slowly just turned off my engineering career and turned on my motivational joy legacy career.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love that story.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you said your legacy statement is about spreading love and joy starting with yourself.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: How is living by that compass shaped the choices you make personally and professionally in addition to the one you shared about that job.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, no, I think that's a good question.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I did reflect, I do reflect on this a lot.
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Spreading love and joy broadly, I said starting with me.
• 4:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I want to emphasize that because if I'm on an empty cup, I can't spread love and joy broadly and so you know there's a quote that I really resonates with me and I use often with my clients and it's if you don't make time for your wellness you'll be forced to make time for your illness and so number one for me is the self love and self care and doing what feels joyous.
• 5:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that I am filled with love and joy, and then it's so easy to spread it broadly when you feel that way.
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so that's really where my legs you statement.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: Every day to the every day is a choice to choose self-love and joy.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then spreading it through my book, my coaching, my speaking, and most recently, my digital course overwhelmed over joy.
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love that statement.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is very powerful.
• 5:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
• 5:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: And unfortunately, I've neglected my wellness in the past and had to deal with my illness.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's happened a few times.
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you think you learn the lesson, and sometimes you get to learn it multiple times, and that's okay.
• 5:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I still might learn it again.
• 5:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: But it's definitely one that is a lesson I learned and hope to spread that knowledge to those who are burned out over awhile, so they don't end up in a situation where they have to make time for their illness.
• 6:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, in your book Soul Salary, you help readers align their time and energy with what truly feels fulfilling.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: What was the aha moment that led you to write it?
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And how has it changed the way people view success and balance?
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, well, I was burned out overwhelmed, you know, barely making time for my needs much less my joy, right?
• 6:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I realized this actually a pretty broad issue.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Society pressures us to work like we don't have a personal life and be present in our personal life like we don't work.
• 6:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's absolutely impossible and unsustainable.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, that seems to your broad issue and that was what originally had me starting to reflect.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so, soul salary is a book and work book in one.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: I feel like that's important to note because you write the book you need and I certainly did here.
• 6:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was doing these exercises in real time as I was changing my life, as I was deciding to pay myself more.
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, soul salary is,
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: your time and energy in alignment with what feels joyous and fulfilling.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you determine your paychecks, which is what feels joyous and fulfilling.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: You give yourself raises information to add more of that.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: You pick your binder bills, which is what I call soul suckers and joy killers.
• 7:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: What's in the way of your joy and your fulfillment.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: And how do you reduce your eliminate those bills?
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Till you tell you become a high earner in soul salary.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Till you pay yourself a high soul salary.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I wrote the book I needed.
• 7:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: I started demanding minimum wage for myself, which is meeting my basic needs, then I went through the book, and I'll tell you what, I don't know that I would have quit my corporate career without this book.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because I wanted to walk the talk, and I did the exercises seriously, and I continue to go back and do them.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think I might have stayed stuck in a part-time situation.
• 7:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: part-time part-time in both of these careers and not taking the leap if I hadn't written this book because it truly showed me where I wanted to go and that it was worth trying it because you can always try something, deep-reave, if it doesn't work out, go back, I kind of do something different, you know, like we seem to be so scared of this change, but not changing is also a choice, doing exactly what you always do is also a choice.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's you choosing that.
• 8:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I decided to choose differently and see how worked out.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: in coaching.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you share one client story that stands out to you as an example of a positive and responsible influence and action?
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, time and again, I'm helping others like pause and identify what feels joy is and fulfilling because often we'll try to take action based on what we think will.
• 8:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, for example, one person's getting a massage is not somebody else's joy, you know?
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so you might just say, oh, I'll just do a spadot.
• 8:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe that's not actually what feels joy.
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I know that's like a very,
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: say, for example, but the point that point is if we don't actually take counter-reflect personally fills us up and feels is a paycheck, right?
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: Feels joyous, feels fulfilling, and fills us up.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're not going to take action that's in alignment with that.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that's number one is every coaching client is starting there.
• 9:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: Don't take action until we identify where you're going, right?
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: I could see end point.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: But one example is a client I had who had just had a major
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: They were very overwhelmed or weren't not happy in their job.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so we took a minute and did that.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: We did, actually, I call it my, what's your ideal job scratch that life?
• 9:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's actually a chapter in my soul salary book, where you envision what your ideal life looks like.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we started doing that with her, and then we said, okay, what's the gap?
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then we started to move towards the end goal.
• 9:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: And this was the big one of the biggest transformations that I've had it from a client.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: Not only did she completely change careers, she moved to a cross country, to a totally different state because that's the state that she felt called to.
• 10:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: She keeps visiting it and she's like, why am I just visiting it?
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like, I love it.
• 10:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: She's there to this day.
• 10:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: She's in this career to this day, and the health issues disappeared.
• 10:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And by disappeared, I mean,
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: And in a way that feels joyous, lustrousful, more intimate with who you are.
• 10:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it does help the nervous system and that helps everything in your health and wellbeing, right?
• 10:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, what a beautiful story.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for sharing that.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, reflection is such a key part of the work you do.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's something our Iron Team series often highlights as essential to responsible leadership.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: How do you help people slow down enough to notice what truly fills them up?
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so I'm going to use my overwhelm to overjoy an example for this.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: So the new digital course that I had, because the first module and the first step in my overwhelm to overjoy an approach is to go out and go from chaos to clarity.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: And what I mean by that is, I don't care if you're overwhelmed or I do care if you're overwhelmed, but I don't use that as an excuse to not get clear.
• 11:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because if you're already overwhelmed, you're not making choices from a grounded intentional
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: So in overall, to avoid the very first step is cast a clear, which is identifying and even ranking priorities in your life.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then everything else from the course, when you talk about your mental load, you're to do less, you're an environment, you're inputs as in digital input, social inputs, and all those types of things, you're a calendar.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: It needs to align with your priorities.
• 11:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: So what do we need to take out that is not an alignment with your clear intentional priorities?
• 11:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I know that seems very intuitive or obvious.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: But until you have those written down, you may be thinking you're working towards the correct thing but it's not the rock pause.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it's starting there.
• 12:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then once you have clear under priorities, you just have two of my approach is addition by subtraction.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're going to delegate.
• 12:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're going to reduce.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Step three is kiss, keep it simple, sis.
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: Or keep it simple, sir.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's really automate, simplify, and batch.
• 12:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then whatever's left, you had fun too, right?
• 12:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it has to start with the reflection.
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like you, in this journey, overwhelmed to overjoyed must start with chaos to clarity.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then the rest of the course is addition by subtraction and keeping it simple until what you have left is what's absolutely necessary and the things that you find joyous.
• 12:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's where you end up overjoyed.
• 12:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's a great process.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, okay, many of our listeners are curious about using technology thoughtfully.
• 12:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are you using AI in your work, whether you're writing a coaching or course creation if so, how are you using it to enhance connection and creativity rather than replace it?
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love this question because as you as we evolve, we need to start taking advantage of what's available to us.
• 13:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: I do use technology in my work, of course, but in a very intentional and heart center way, I will say that it's an intentional and heart centered way.
• 13:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: where I talk about the lived experience, the intuition, the storytelling, and deeply emotionally connecting with the woman I support.
• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it's a beautiful resource that helps be in the back end, so that I can focus on the human and heart aspect of my work.
• 13:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the writing from my heart, right?
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's a great way to use it.
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're new digital course overwhelmed overjoy as such a beautiful extension of your mission.
• 14:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: What message or words of encouragement?
• 14:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Would you like to share with those who are ready to reclaim their joy and make a positive difference in the world?
• 14:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm going to get real passionate here because hard for me to talk about this, I'm not getting passionate at, because somewhere between doing all the things.
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: the home, the work, the responsibilities.
• 14:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Joy became optional.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: We tell ourselves it's indulgent.
• 14:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: We need to like to rush to breathe to really just be it's indulgent.
• 14:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: But joy is not a luxury.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: It is life's gift.
• 14:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: It is literally life's gift.
• 14:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so the fact that we're putting it in this optional category is devastating to our joy and it's devastating to what could be, right?
• 14:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you deserve more than just getting through the day.
• 14:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: You deserve to literally feel alive.
• 14:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that's why I created overwhelmed overjoyed.
• 14:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's a roadmap like back to yourself.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it helps you quiet your mind, lighten your load.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: Really design a life that feels peaceful, purposeful, and profoundly joyful.
• 14:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you don't have to earn joy.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: You just have to return to it.
• 15:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's what this kind of course helps you to do.
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm going to say, ask yourself, are you ready to start that joy journey?
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: I really think you can get there.
• 15:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's in bite size pieces.
• 15:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's in a way that weekly you do a module in five weeks, you'll end up in a much more joyous place.
• 15:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just, thank you for sharing your wisdom and light with us today.
• 15:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your work reminds us that responsible influence begins with self-awareness and that when we fill our own lives with joy, we naturally elevate those around us.
• 15:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you, what's the best way to do so?
• 15:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, so on my website, www.justcascob, which is KASKOV.com.
• 15:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's where you can get in touch with me, but I'm also on social media, same name, every single handle is JustCascob, KASKOV.
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you can always get a hold of me there for my website, and also has my digital course, et cetera, et cetera.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Awesome.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll put that information in the show notes.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your stories and advice.
• 16:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so grateful for you, Jess.
• 16:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for having me.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm so glad our path crossed.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am too.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And thank you for tuning in todayly influence.
• 16:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope today's conversation brought you insight and inspiration.
• 16:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: If it's spoke to you, share with someone who could use a little positivity today.
• 16:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember small actions create big impact, keep showing up, leading, and growing one day at a time.
• 16:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive response to