SPARKED
We’re all in a moment. And, we’re asking the big questions. Especially about work. Should I join The Great Resignation? Should I stay and just keep on, keeping on. Or, reimagine, reinvent, maybe even start my own thing? Can I really expect more than just a paycheck and stability from work? How do I navigate the overwhelm, burnout, and work-life-bleed that’s turned work-from-home into never-stop-working? What about purpose, joy, excitement, time to breathe, and live? What about that nagging tension between money and meaning, the desire to feel secure and the quest to do something that makes you come alive - that sparks you? These are the questions we’ll be diving into on the SPARKED podcast. Every week, we invite a listener to share what’s going on in their work & life, then pose a specific question. Then, our host, award-winning author, advisor, and founder, Jonathan Fields, and a rotating lineup of wise mentors from the SPARKED Braintrust will share insights, ideas, strategies, resources and tips to help us all better align what we do with who we are, so we can find and do more of what makes us come alive.
Episodes
May 30, 2023 • 42 mins
We’ve all heard the phrase, “don’t escalate things.” Especially, in the context of work. But, what if there were moments when escalation, done in the right way and with the right intention, was actually the right move?
Are there situations when staying silent, or refusing to push an issue further, actually makes a difficult work circumstance worse?
That’s where we’re headed in today’s SPARKED Hot Take episode, where we look at hot...
Mark as Played
May 23, 2023 • 35 mins
Have you ever struggled with a problem or decision where the solution seemed impossible to see, yet obvious once someone pointed it out? You start kicking yourself for not seeing something that now appears so simple and clear. You're not alone. Nearly everyone has moments where we get stuck, limit our solutions and can't "read the label from inside the jar." How do we gain clarity on our own situations and start making better decis...
Mark as Played
May 16, 2023 • 59 mins
We’re often told, the only way to succeed in work - and, in no small part - in life, is to pick one or two things, focus intensively, go all in, and say no to anything that distracts you from that path.
But, is it true? Is that really the only way to be both happy and successful? Or, is there a place for a multi-passionate, diversified “portfolio of pursuits” approach to career-building that can lead not just to never having FOMO,...
Mark as Played
May 9, 2023 • 26 mins
You’ve heard about it everywhere - AI, ChatGPT. But what does AI have to do, if anything, with how you live and work and play? With the choices you get to make, and the choices that might be taken from you? With the ability to do more of what you love and less of everything else? Especially in the context of work?
These are just some of the big questions and ideas I’m exploring with none other than truly visionary thinker, Kevin Ke...
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May 2, 2023 • 41 mins
Do you feel like you're constantly sacrificing your own well-being for the sake of your patients or clients? Do you struggle with burnout and feel like you have to leave your job to take care of yourself? Do you feel isolated and guilty when you try to advocate for your own well-being? You’re not alone, and as Yvonne proposes, there is another way.
A deep irony about those in caring and helping professions is that often they care s...
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April 25, 2023 • 34 mins
There’s this myth in the world of business that, if you’re tough enough, practiced enough, and motivated enough, you can push hard, 24-7, for months, quarters, years even and endure all manner of obstacles, stressors, adversity, circumstances and cycles without the need to ease off, step back, recover and refuel along the way. That capacity, we’re told, is somewhere between the expectation and the aspiration. It’s where the magic h...
Mark as Played
April 18, 2023 • 42 mins
Have you ever felt like you're on a hamster wheel, constantly running, but not getting anywhere? It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine of life and business, losing sight of the bigger picture. But what if you could hit pause and take a moment to reflect on the past year and plan for the future? In this Sparked Hot Take episode, Sparked Braintrust mentor, Jadah Sellner, and I explore a powerful practice, built around ...
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April 11, 2023 • 34 mins
Ever notice how, the moment you step into a new level of accomplishment and visioning, it’s amazing, but it almost always comes along with a success-sized helping of struggle, fear and uncertainty that leads to suffering? Our guest today, Laura Gassner Otting calls this, "wonderhell,” that moment where you’re both celebrating and simultaneously grappling with the burden of your potential to do more, be more, achieve more. It’s both...
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April 4, 2023 • 36 mins
Are you unknowingly harnessing the power of anxiety to drive your success? In today's fast-paced, high-pressure world, it's no secret that anxiety is on the rise. But what if we told you that anxiety could be the key to unlocking your true potential? Welcome to our podcast, where we dive into the world of anxious achievers, and explore how mental health plays a crucial role in the success of leaders everywhere.
In this riveting epi...
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March 28, 2023 • 27 mins
Are you tired of the 9-to-5 grind? Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a fulfilling and sustainable portfolio career? In today's SPARKED Hot Take episode, we’re back with Joy Batra for part two of our fascinating conversation on community building as a freelancer and how to approach a portfolio or freelance career as a whole.
If you missed the first part of our conversation with Joy, I encourage you to scroll back and lis...
Mark as Played
March 21, 2023 • 36 mins
Got a career or business question for the Brainstrust? Submit here.
Have you ever found yourself stuck in the endless cycle of indecision, unable to make a choice, and constantly seeking input from others? What if we told you that the key to making better decisions lies within you, and that decision by committee may not be the best approach?
In this episode of SPARKED, we dive deep into the art of decision-making and explore the di...
Mark as Played
March 14, 2023 • 46 mins
Got a career or business question for the Brainstrust? Submit here.
Question - when it comes to work, do you really care about being more productive, or is the real goal to get all the important stuff done, but in a way that actually gives you back more free time to do the things, in both work and life, that you’re genuinely passionate about and excited to do? Because, they’re not the same.
Sometimes, we talk about productivity as...
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March 7, 2023 • 46 mins
We constantly encounter complex problems at home, in our places of work, and in society at large. Even if we had all the time and money in the world, sometimes no good solution can be found. So, what should we do, especially when we can’t wait? The answer: a workaround.
For ages, global corporations have been lecturing small organizations and not-for-profits on how to get things done. As it turns out, it should have been the other ...
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February 28, 2023 • 35 mins
Over the last few years, there’s been a massive acceleration in the trend of people leaving mainstream jobs to start their own business, from freelancing or private practices to portfolio careers. Largely in the name of freedom. But, many are also finding, they’re giving up something big along the way. A sense of community, comradery, and belonging. And, it may even lead to increasing levels of social isolation or even loneliness.
...
Mark as Played
February 21, 2023 • 35 mins
Following on from last week’s episode we dig deeper into how to ask for help in a way that is more likely to actually get you the support or guidance you are looking for. Deborah shares supportive guidelines and a powerful shift in approach that will change how you look at asking for help.
She shares that it is worth being bold when it comes to asking for what you need and reminds us that the right ask, at the right time, with some...
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February 14, 2023 • 30 mins
Got a career or business question for the Brainstrust? Submit here.
There’s a mythology in work and in life, of the individual who goes out and does all the things they want to do, completely on their own. The Self-reliant, capable of anything and everything human. We have a misguided story that that kind of self-sufficiency is an achievement, that anything less than that is a burden, and asking for help is a sign of weakness, lac...
Mark as Played
February 7, 2023 • 34 mins
It’s a challenge we all deal with. We show up, work incredibly hard, strive to create something powerful, unique, impactful. And, yet, it lands with a thud. Maybe not an outright failure, but also nowhere close to what you thought could or would happen.
Creative disappointment is a part of the process of making anything great. Whether it’s a book, a brand, a company, product, culture, or beyond, you will, inevitably, be disappoint...
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January 30, 2023 • 75 mins
What if this was the year you actually did the thing that you have dreamed of doing, the thing that’s been in the back of your mind for months or years, maybe even decades? The thing that when you think about it, your whole body responds – exhilarated in part, energized. You can feel it in your heart. And if you’re being honest, maybe along with that tingling of excitement, there’s even a touch of fear and doubt.
Well, what if this...
Mark as Played
January 24, 2023 • 36 mins
Got a career or business question for the Brainstrust? Submit here.
You’ve spent years becoming really good at what you do. Expert level. And, you’ve reached the end of your ability to serve clients on an individual basis. It’s time to scale. But, how do you scale a business and find ways to duplicate yourself when offering highly-skilled, one to one services? Especially, without degrading the quality of the service you envision? I...
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January 17, 2023 • 33 mins
Got a career or business question for the Braintrust? Submit here.
So many of us look at the world we live in, and wonder how we might make a bigger impact. After a decade in academic setting, with a focus on career advising and HR, today’s guest, Claire, is now a parent to two children at the beginning of their teen years, and a new leader in elected government. And, she’s proud of how she accomplished this, even in light of her A...
Mark as Played
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