Women with Cool Jobs
Women with Cool Jobs
Doing Something New? You're One of the Brave Ones, with Host Julie Berman
If you're in a season of change and find yourself wanting to try new things, the idea of possible rejection and failure can stop you before you start.
As I'm in a season of evolution myself, I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to start something new. I've also been reading Worthy by IT Cosmetics founder and entrepreneur, Jamie Kern Lima.
One of my absolute favorite learnings she shares from her experience building a business that started in her living room to then selling it for $1.2 billion to L'Oréal is that rejection is a reminder that you're one of the brave ones.
If you're feeling called to start something new or you're in the midst of doing so now, know that I'm cheering you on!
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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.
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Julie. Hey everybody. I'm Julie, and welcome to Women with cool jobs. Hello everybody, this is Julie Berman, and welcome to another episode of women with cool jobs. So I am in this season where I have so much going on, and it feels very new, like a lot of it. I have kids who just started school, and if you've been in this spot where kids are starting school, it's like they're they're going through this time of of transition, and things are new, with new teachers and new friends in their class and new ways of going about things, maybe before school, during school, after school, like they're just learning new classroom norms and and rules and activities. And then also, there's all this stuff going along with new school. So it's like everything from meet the teacher to learning about what they're going to be learning to, you know, play dates, and just, there's a lot of newness and buying school supplies. So we've been doing all this for last few weeks. It's been a really, a really, really busy time. And then also, at the same time, I am building a business, and is a really interesting point, like an inflection point, because it's something, it feels like something that's really aligned with me having done this podcast for so long, with the fact that, like I love speaking with incredibly smart, driven, feisty women doing such cool things in the world, and I love the idea of sharing women's Stories, of empowering you, of empowering other women and girls, and just showing what is possible and helping women to get to these really incredible places where you are able to make change in the world and do what you want to do and impact and like make money that is so important to me, and so I'm figuring out this business, and, like, knowing that I have all this experience and ways that I can help, I'm, like, doing something completely new, so I'm in the midst of that, and I'll share more of the details about specifically how I'm going to help women in the near future. But there's this whole season of, like, new things going on. And I was someone who, maybe you were like me, you know, maybe you're totally opposite. But I was someone in the past, especially, who's like the ultra planner, researcher type. So I would decide this is my goal, and I would figure out so much research about it, I would figure I would like look at all the options, look at all the paths, and then make a timeline, make so many different like milestones and everything that had lots and lots mapped out. And this was actually how I achieved a lot of things that were important to me. So it's like a really beautiful skill set to have, and also, right, like sometimes with our skill sets, as with everything, like if we go too deep into it, or if we get too obsessive with it, it can be come something that's challenging for us. And so sometimes I would use this as a crutch, like I would do too much research, and I would go down too many avenues, and I would never actually take action. And luckily, I realize this now as like, something that I have to navigate and realize that I'm doing it. And so, of course, it's much easier for me to recognize I don't always do the right thing by, like, getting out of that research or sort of the indecision quickly all the time, but it is something that I am that I am doing more actively, like being so much more aware of, and I can get out of it much quicker because I know I'm doing it. So it's so interesting. But this has always been a really big skill set, and so now I'm in this stage where I'm doing something new. I'm doing something uncomfortable. And the last time I was doing that was actually when I was creating this podcast. I was starting this podcast in February 2020 if you've been listening, you've heard the story before. If you're not and you're new here, welcome, welcome. And so I started in February 2020 right before the pandemic, and I had this woman lined up to help watch my middle son. He was my youngest at that time, and I was like, Oh my gosh, yes. Once a week, I'm gonna finally have someone who is going to be able to watch my kiddo who I trust. And it's gonna be a regular thing, because I want to work on this podcast. I wanted to start the podcast. Lo and behold, a few weeks later, not even the world shut down. And I was so determined to do this podcast, I had never opened the app on my phone. I had never listened to a podcast before. I had to do so much foundational research on like, understanding what even was a podcast. I listen to so many podcasts, like, at least well over, I'm sure, 100 podcasts, just like, trying to understand, what is the format, what kinds of questions people ask, what kinds of guests do people have on? Like, how do I want to structure my podcast, and how do I reach out to people? What, you know, like, what was the timing for it? What tech did I need? So many kind of, like, key foundational things. And I also had no idea at the beginning what was the difference between a blog and a vlog in a YouTube channel and a podcast? I just didn't know. And so it was really interesting to think back in the space that I'm in and the place that I'm in, that I am starting over again. In a way, I'm creating this new business. I'm doing something uncomfortable that's outside of what I know. And now in in podcasting, like there are things that were so they felt so scary or overwhelming or uncomfortable at the beginning, and now I'm just, like, so comfortable. I don't even think about them like it doesn't even dawn on me to worry about it. One great example is that when I first started podcasting, and you have to remember right when you're like starting anything, you don't have any content to share with people. So I had no example of what the podcast was going to be, who the guests were, they didn't have anything to listen to. They didn't have any way to vet me. And so when I was reaching out to these really incredible women who I admired, and I thought they were so cool, and they, of course, had cool jobs, and initially asking, like, Please, will you be a podcast guest? I'm so and so I, you know, this is my podcast. This is what it's going to be. This is my vision for it. I would love to have you as a guest. And I was so honored when women said yes, and they had this like faith in me and my vision. It was, it was just such a cool thing to be trusted like that, and for people to to give me their time and share their wisdom, even without knowing me, because so many of them, I just like was pitching. It was like cold pitches to them. So that was so uncomfortable, and now I really have very few times when I'm nervous about pitching someone. I have waited over a year to from initial pitch and asking someone to please be a podcast guest, to actually doing the recording. I have had people say no, and usually so kindly, and none of that really bothers me or faces me or makes me uncomfortable. And so it's just so interesting. So looking back and then being where I am now, starting this new thing, I've been thinking a lot about just this idea of doing new things and starting from a place of curiosity and hope, and sometimes being naive, like what we don't know about starting can actually be sometimes like a beautiful benefit and of like, like a step up, like a leg up. And also this idea of following your instincts and what feels really aligned and like, what you're excited about, those are all beautiful things. And it's also if you have kids. It's also the things like, even if you don't have kids, like, if you have like, you're an auntie, or like you have a best friend who you love and adore their kids. When we think about kids doing new things, like, we celebrate them leaning into curiosity, trying different sports, trying different arts and crafts, going into different programs to like, maybe do drama or music. We celebrate them trying new things, and we don't worry about if they don't do perfectly, if they look silly, like if they're just having fun and and enjoying the process. We're often just so proud of them being willing to do it, and we never, often apply that to ourselves, like we never give ourselves sort of that same grace and space to try something new. And I think there's something so powerful that we can do for ourselves when we are starting something new, I know with the way that the world is going right now, it is very it's a very crazy place to be, and I think a lot of people are making different shifts because they want to. They are recreating themselves and figuring out what they want to do differently. They are sometimes doing it because they don't have a choice. And I think either way, if we approach things with this with this mindset of curiosity and like giving ourselves credit for being courageous, then I think the next thing is, was just I wanted to share in this episode. On top of all that, another layer, for when you are doing something that is outside of your comfort zone, that is new, where you're doing something courageous, is this beautiful concept that I learned from Jamie Kern Lima. And if you're not familiar with Jamie Kern Lima, she has two books that are really wonderful. I'm reading her second one. Worthy, and I read her first one. She is a really wonderful businesswoman. She is just like an incredibly cool, authentic, kind human who is trying to share her wisdom and particularly help women to like, live their best lives and be more confident in who they are and celebrate who they are and all that they've achieved. So I really love her and her work. She is a founder. She created this company, called it cosmetics, after she was in broadcast journalism, and she has rosacea, and so she found that with the makeup that she was using when she was on air, it would start to like crack or get greasy, and sometimes you could see the rosacea show up, and people would question it like, Oh, are you okay? Are you feeling well? And so she ended up creating this company because she knew that there has got to be other women out there who needed great quality makeup and who maybe were struggling with some of the same challenges or other challenges that she was and so she founded this company, and she started it from her house. She had so many instances where she had nos and where people were rejecting her in like different ways over years and years and years. And the crazy thing about her story is that she ended up building this huge company that people loved, and she did it in her own way, and because she did it in her own way, it really resonated with her clients. And so she was able to sell her company for$1.2 billion to L'Oreal, and it was their largest US acquisition to date. So it was really crazy to think about her, you know, originally, when I heard her story, to think about her being rejected, and how, how she had had, obviously this, like massive success in her business, but yet she or but yet, she had been rejected so many times over the years, and so she has this great section in her book that I love, and then I wanted to share with you, because I think it's so valuable, and it's something that I'm trying to apply to my own life, stepping into this new chapter, this new focus that I have, and it's the section is rejection is A reminder that you're one of the brave ones. And this is on page 55 in her book, worthy, if you want to look this up like if you end up getting it. But she says, In in particular, she says, I've decided I'm going to believe this truth, that every time I face another rejection or failure, it's an exciting reminder that I'm one of the brave ones willing to go for it. I'm not one of the majority who's going to live sitting on the sidelines of life, scared to try while criticizing others who do. I'm one of the brave ones, and every time I'm rejected or fail at something, I've trained myself to feel joy and to feel this inspirational, wholehearted, Soul filling gratitude. I've convinced myself that the victory isn't in the outcome, it's in being one of the brave ones taking the chance. And I'll read that last part again, because I think it's so powerful. I've convinced myself that the victory isn't in the outcome, it's in being one of the brave ones taking the chance. I love this so much because it's celebrating us in the fact that we are willing to go for it, that we are willing to make mistakes and do things that are uncomfortable and do things that others may question be like, Why are you doing that I don't understand, but yet, you know, feels like so fun or so aligned, or you have so much energy and passion around it. And I think that's one thing that I've learned through interviewing so many women in so many different fields, that we each have these beautiful things and experiences and education and brilliance that is individual to us. No one else has that. And because of those things combined, we're able to do things in a way that, like no one else would. We think different thoughts, we would take different steps. We would solve problems differently. And that allows people to, like, tackle these completely different areas, have cool jobs, make change like impact in different ways, all because of the individuality of who we are and what makes us, us like what makes you you. And I think there's something so beautiful and special, and along with that, if you have something where you're like, oh my. Gosh, I've had this on my mind for a while to do, or, like, I've had something in my heart. I just have this great idea, and I feel like I should do it. I want to encourage you to, like, totally go for it. I'm going to be cheering you on. And I want to also say that I think this is the most beautiful thing that Jamie kerlima shares, is that this idea of you are one of the brave ones, like, if you say to yourself, This is what I'm saying to myself recently, I am one of the brave ones. I am willing to go for it. And there's something so special about that. So if you're in a season of change, you want to try something new, or you're already trying something new, I applaud you. I celebrate you. You're courageous. I think you're awesome, and you're one of the brave ones. Keep going. And thank you so much for listening to this podcast. I hope that you enjoy these solo episodes as much as you do the ones with the amazing guests and women who have cool jobs on please make sure if you are loving it, to leave a five star rating and a review in Apple and Spotify, it means so much because it helps the algorithm say, ooh. People are liking this. I should share it with more people. And also I read all of my reviews. I truly appreciate them so much. Hey everybody, thank you so much for listening to women with cool jobs. I'll be releasing a new episode every two weeks, so make sure you hit that subscribe button, and if you loved the show, please give me a five star rating. Also, it would mean so much if you share this episode with someone you think you would love it, or would find it inspirational. And lastly, do you have ideas for future shows, or do you know any rock star? Women with cool jobs? I would love to hear from you. You can email me at julie@womenwithcooljobs.com, or you can find me on Instagram at women cool jobs. Again, that's women, school, jobs. Thank you so much for listening and have an incredible day. You.