Radical Self-Love: Career Break Style with guest Katrina McGhee

Do you ever feel like you're living life in grays and whites and drab colors? Do you ever feel like you wish you could just take a break maybe three to four months to just go travel the world? Do you ever look at people that travel and live a fantastic life and wonder how in the world do they do that?

Do you ever say to yourself,  "I wish I could do that."  Well, today's guest is here to help us learn how to live life in Technicolor, as she likes to call it. Her name is Katrina McGhee, and she's a career break and sabbatical coach that helps Nine to fivers, quit their jobs, and design mind-blowing breaks to create happier, more fulfilling lives.

By big takeaways:

• As you're preparing for your career break, your sabbatical, your career change, whatever it is you're doing, make sure you are spending in alignment with your goals.
• Scared-cited: being excited and scared at the same time
• Saying Heck Yes!  to a sabbatical or career break may mean saying no to some income stability- so make sure you are making decisions that are in alignment with your integrity.
• Everyone can take a break & everyone should take a break. Start small with a one-week break where you are truly present.

Contact Katrina:
IG : @kmcgheecoaching
www.bestbreakever.com
Get Katrina's free gift:
Offer: Free consult

Lead Magnet: Best Break Ever (free video training)

I would love to connect with you!
Come DM me on Instagram: @tiphanykane
Heck Yes! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/342632431144317/

Come join my Heck Yes! Be too Much Workshop

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Produced by: KaSa Media Prodcutions. LLC
Edited by: David Sais (aka: The Sexy Sound Guy)

Transcript

Katrina McGhee

[00:00:00] Tiphany: Do you ever feel like you're living life in grays and whites and drab colors? Do you ever feel like you wish you could just take a break maybe three to four months to just go travel the world? Do you ever look at people that travel and live a fantastic life and wonder how in the world do they do that?

[00:00:25] I wish I could do that. Well, today's guest is here to help us learn how to live life in Technicolor, as she likes to call it. Her name is Katrina McGhee, and she's a career break and sabbatical coach that helps Nine to fivers, quit their jobs and design mind-blowing breaks to create happier, more fulfilling lives.

[00:00:50] She helps her clients create fail-proof plans so they can return from their breaks recharged & Inspired happily employed and forever changed. And this conversation this little bit of time that I got to spend with Katrina today, I feel like changed me as you guys know, I am on the brink of a big career change and I just, I found this conversation so fulfilling and reassuring and calming and fantastic. I hope you guys enjoy this conversation as much as I do.

[00:01:33] Welcome to the Radical Audacity podcast. I'm Tiphany Kane, your host. On this podcast, you are going to meet people that walk their own path, and live life on their own terms. Let go of other people's rules and expectations and the “shoulds “in life. And instead of live life in their own truths, Integrity, and authenticity, this podcast will give you the inspiration you need to live your own radically audacious life.

[00:02:03] Enjoy the episode. Hello, everyone. Welcome to Radical Audacity. As I told you in the introduction, we are here with the fantastic Katrina McGee and she does such a cool job. She is a sabbatical and career break coach, which I'm absolutely fascinated by. And I think most of us at the, after the pandemic are totally fascinated by it as well.

[00:02:29] So Katrina, welcome to Radical Audacity. 

[00:02:31] Katrina: Thank you for having me. Yay. 

[00:02:33] Tiphany: We're so happy to have you here. All right. I'd love to just dive right in and hear a little bit about your story and what brought you to this really special niche of being a sabbatical and career break coach. 

[00:02:48] Katrina: Yeah, well, so much of it is informed, you know, by my story and my own journey.

[00:02:52] So I started a corporate career right out of college. I was a math major and I accidentally found myself in actuarial science. I didn't know what an actuary was. I didn't know what they did, but they are always in need of actuaries. So I was recruited into an actuarial job within the healthcare industry, moved to Atlanta, worked in that field for about eight years and learned a lot, but also knew that wasn’t the place I wanted to end up. It wasn't really aligning with the things that light me up was interesting, but it wasn't my forever. And so in that moment, what I thought would be the best decision was going back to get my MBA because I realized that would unlock a lot of opportunities. It seemed like the smart thing to do.

[00:03:32] I wouldn't sacrifice the great salary and the benefits. And so I went to get my MBA and that was actually an amazing experience. But, you know, when I came out of that and pivoted into career number two, which was market research, I landed in a great job on paper, but I could not help, but realize that it didn't connect with me personally at all.

[00:03:53] Like it was interesting and there was a lot to learn, but once the learning happened and I was really in that job, I looked around and I thought. This is not who I am, and this is also not what I want for my life, but the problem is everybody I know at this point, right, is an MBA or has the corporate job, you know, every job I've had has been corporate.

[00:04:15] I now have all these business school friends. And so it just keeps reinforcing that this is all that there really is. Yeah. Whoever could live without employee, employer-sponsored health care, like and health insurance, you know, like all of the things, right? Just so many reasons why there is no other option.

[00:04:29] You've got to make this work, but it wasn't working for me. And there was a moment where I suddenly felt like the cliche of a person that wakes up at like 65 years old and looks back at their life and is like, where did it go? Where did my dreams go? Like, how did I get here? Right. And I just knew in that moment, if I wasn't the one.

[00:04:48] Taking charge of that. No one was going to come swoop in and give me the life that I'd want. I had to find a way to create this thing, which was a life well-lived, a life, lived in Technicolor and I didn't know how to do it. So I actually ended up hiring a life coach, which I didn't even really know what a life coach was at the time.

[00:05:05] But I had a friend who referred me to someone and I was like, Life coach. I don't even know what that is, but someone is going to listen to me and help me fix my life. And so I started working with her and it was in the process of really letting go of a lot of things. A lot of limiting beliefs, a lot of rules that I thought I had to live by.

[00:05:24] I just had this epiphany sitting on her couch one day. I just want to quit my job and travel the world for a year. I don't want a third career. I don't want, you know, nothing of the sort I just wanted to be. And I wanted to travel and I wanted to explore. And I only had about $1,500 in my bank account. So, I had to make a plan to save that money cause I really didn't have any, so I saved $40,000 in 18 months.

[00:05:48] Quit my job. And yeah, I went hard on that, Tiphany. Okay. I had to make that happen.

[00:05:57] Tiphany: Yeah. Top ramen and applesauce 

[00:06:01] Katrina: It was for a hot second, but that was not sustainable. And I had this moment, I remember crying on my floor being afraid to leave the house because look, everything costs money, gas costs, money, ice cream cost money.

[00:06:11] So I had to switch it up, but it, for me, it really came down to spending and that's something, I help my clients with, but there's so many ways that we're leaking money spending money, and we think I need this to be happy. I deserve this. I worked so hard. This is what comfortable is. And yes.

[00:06:27] There's a sacrifice, right? There is a cost to that. And if you're sending money, ie: energy out to these things that aren't actually filling you up, you could be directing that instead to something that will, and for me, that was my career break. Right. And so there were so many ways I just changed how I thought about money and where I was really putting my dollars to align with my values.

[00:06:46] And it just kept growing and growing and growing, and I made different decisions, but they weren't even. Deprivation-based, they were alignment-based. And so, you know, I achieved this amazing goal. Once I had the money, I was like, I'm out. And so I gave my job eight months notice cause I was on such track to save.

[00:07:04] I knew exactly when I was going to be done and I left and I traveled around the world until I ran out of money, which was about 20 months. And I had a really amazing life-changing experience. And then I came back and decided I wanted to get my financial freedom. I wanted to become debt-free. And so I used those same principles and I paid off the last $42,000 of my MBA loans and just 21.

[00:07:25] And that included taking a $20,000 pay cut halfway through when I switched jobs. I was on a mission and once I connected to my purpose and my truth of what I was trying to create, I just leaned all the way in and I went. And then I got certified as a life coach. Once I became debt-free and it sort of bloomed from there, and this is, you know, this is the medicine that I want to offer to people because it is what healed me.

[00:07:51] It is what, you know, fueled my life. It is a pivot that created so much more opportunity in my life and, you know, just so many good things came from it. So I basically was like, well, yeah, if I'm going to coach people, I'm going to coach them on how to do this fantastic thing. When I came back from my first career break, I landed five job offers in five weeks, which was something that people would have said wasn't possible.

[00:08:13] And I think it just shattered for me, all these perceptions about what the path to success has to look like. It has to be a straight line and it only moves over and over and over and up. And it just shattered all of that for me. And so I was like, you know what? I can help people. And I know for a fact, They can come back from this experience and create even more success.

[00:08:33] However, they want that success to look. If they just plan their breakthrough. 

[00:08:38] Tiphany: Okay. Okay. Okay. I am so fascinated by so many parts of your story. I'm like I'm jumping out of my skin. I'm so excited. So there's a couple of things I just have to dive into before I get into what my community wants to know from you.

[00:09:00] So, I loved how you talked about life lived in Technicolor. That was so beautiful because I do think a lot of times we get caught in this hamster wheel life and it becomes pretty dry. Right. Like it's, it's wake up super early in the morning, get the kids ready for school. Get them off to school, go to work, drink your coffee, do your work.

[00:09:28] Sit in your traffic to commute home, pick the kids up from school, make dinner, Bubba, Bubba. And you're just in this hamster wheel. And as much as you love your children and you love your family, like it, it does feel not quite Technicolor 

[00:09:45] Katrina: Technicolor mean to you. Yeah, for me, it means feeling really alive and appreciating the moment.

[00:09:52] It's almost like the moment becomes four D you smell that moment. You taste that moment. You see that moment. Right? So it's being able to sit outside on the porch for 30 minutes and just really be with how magical it is to be sitting outside. 70 degree weather on the porch that day. Right. Or it means, you know, cooking a meal and really just instead of like hustling through it and just being as efficient as possible.

[00:10:15] Okay. First I'm going to chop the peppers then, while the peppers are doing this thing, I'm going to saute this along tango. I'm going to put that. It's just like playing music. Being like, these are gorgeous peppers and I'm going to, I'm going to cut them and really just enjoy it. Right. It's taking the moment to really expand the moment and just be in it.

[00:10:31] Right? Like this is life. This is living, even though we feel like we're rushing to something, what ultimately are we rushing to? Like, what is the end goal? Because it's like, we're trying to hoard time, but just to like, be more efficient with our time, but what does all this time for? And so. If somebody took my life away tomorrow, right?

[00:10:50] These memories are all that I, all that I have in those last moments. And so can I be fully present for them? And can I enjoy the gift that is life and really just do it from a place of joy and do things that bring me joy and do more things that feel like fun. 

[00:11:05] Tiphany: Oh my goodness. I love that so much. It's so much sitting in the present moment being there right now, enjoying that moment.

[00:11:12] Oh, I love that. Okay. The next piece I want to dig into is your aligned spending. I love that. Cause my question to you was, oh, did you live on top ramen and apple sauce? You know that time, because I think that's a lot of times where people's mindset goes, you know, there's a lot of financial coaches out there that have all these steps and you know, the first couple steps are, you know, cut.

[00:11:38] Like it's a good deficit. Deprivation, don't go out to eat. Don't do this. Don't do that. Dah, dah, dah, um, which also can make life feel very dull and drab and difficult. So. My big question for you with that aligned spending piece. And I'm asking, because I'm raising my hand right now. I feel like this is an area that I really need.

[00:12:05] I've I've been very clear with my audience. Like my money mindset is something that I'm working really hard on. And so having my spending in alignment with my. Goals is really important. So this aligned spending, aligning it with your values, what are some decisions that you made that really helped to save that giant amount of money in such a short time?

[00:12:33] Katrina: Yeah. Oh, such a great question. You know, there were a couple of really simple things that made a big impact. The first one was deciding to actually get my information and to have all the information. So that means I actually tracked every penny that I spent for one to two months. And a lot of people, you know, in my clients, if they're working on saving, I make them do this.

[00:12:54] And there is a lot of resistance because it is painful. And sometimes you don't want to know and what you can't change a single thing that you were under. So if I'm doing stuff with my money right now, that is not helpful. I won't have any I'm guessing. Right. I don't actually know. And so it's having the courage to just look at it for information.

[00:13:11] You don't have to change anything, but what are you actually doing? What decisions are you unconsciously making with your money? And when I tracked my spending for two months, all of this information just came to late. Like, you know, I was spending $700 a month on groceries because I was a whole food shopper.

[00:13:29] I was a party of one. Right. But I would go to whole foods and I would impulse shop. And it would be like this joyful release on a weeknight. When, you know, it was too tired to go out and do anything. And I wasn't involved in activities or like fitness classes or anything, but I was like, I'll go to whole foods and I'll see what they have.

[00:13:44] And it could be a $12 box of cookies, you know, but it was, it was just that impulsive spending at an expensive place. My values are aligned with whole foods. Right. I didn't change where I shopped, but just that piece of information. Gave me a feeling of like, wow, that doesn't really align with my goal.

[00:14:02] Like $700 feels excessive. How can I continue to support this company? I believe in and buy my groceries at a place I want to buy, but how can I do it and save money? Um, one, I started shopping with a list, right? That curves, the impulse shopping. I can buy whatever I want. I just have to decide before I get in the store and get dazzled by like all of the beautiful packaging and my hungry urges.

[00:14:24] And the second thing was really paying attention to what was on sale. So if I'm making a salad, instead of being like, I'm going to go get the big lettuce. If Kayla was on sale, I was getting kale that week. Right. And so being able to just be like, I'm getting fruit and I don't need to have exactly this.

[00:14:38] It's just like, I need some fruit. Right. And just being able to make different choices that saved me like $300. To $330 right off the bat without having to change anything else about that. That tracking gave me a few hotspots that were really obvious ones, where I was spending too much money and it didn't feel good.

[00:14:56] And I'm like, well, that doesn't feel good. Let's change that. The other one, one of the big ones was, you know, when you have a goal, I think it's really important to when you're trying to save for that goal to have an outlet for joy, for fun. Adventure for learning. And so I started this concept, um, when I felt really stuck, I told you I had that moment on the floor.

[00:15:18] I was like, it costs money to leave. I felt trapped in my apartment. It was an awful moment. I created an exploration fund and I decided to put $200. Into this exploration fund and it wasn't a nice to have, it was a must spend. I had to spend it and the theme had to be exploration. So that could be taking a cooking class.

[00:15:38] It could be, you know, one time I bought a Vitamix, um, and that actually was two months of exploration fund, but I wanted to learn how to make smoothies and make my own nut milk and salad dressings from scratch. It was such an adventure to trial all these recipes. And I was a really healthy eater and I had a gluten allergy.

[00:15:53] And so I was trying to discover new ways to deal with food. And so that was really fun for me. You know, I took community ed classes. I went on day trips and I, I remember one time I bought a Groupon for an AirBNB to go overnight somewhere that was like two hours away. I could do whatever I wanted to do. It just had to embody the spirit of exploration, but I found that.

[00:16:12] Having an amount of money I had to spend on fulfilling myself, created so much of the feelings that I wanted and thought that buying those beautiful shoes or having a really expensive dinner out would give me, but it wasn't giving me. And so I created that feeling. So I wasn't lacking when I was taking money away from other places, you know, and I just, I really made different decisions.

[00:16:33] I still went out to eat, but I would have a snack before and I would go out to this beautiful restaurant and maybe I would have an appetizer and  dessert. Because I'm having like a whole meal or, you know, I would go for happy hour and have a drink with a friend instead of going at prime time.

[00:16:46] And it was just little things I did where I'm like, you know what? It doesn't feel good to me to spend $30 on two glasses of wine. Like that's silly. So I'm going to have wine, but when I want to I'll do it at home or I'll do it with a friend at their house or for happy hour. And so it's just making different choices that feel good.

[00:17:03] Tiphany: Oh, that is so powerful. And it's so nice to hear. And I am definitely going to talk to you more about this. It's not the whole topic for today's discussion, but I feel like I want to talk to you more about this, like offline. Oh my God. It's so good. It's so good. It's so juicy. All right. So I told my community that I was going to be talking to you and I said, What questions would you have for this person that talks about sabbaticals and career breaks?

[00:17:35] What would be your questions be? So I wanted to tell you what some of those questions are and have you answered them. So the first question comes from a wonderful person in my community named Debbie Messenger. And she's like, okay. This, this question. I don't know if, if it seems like a good question or not, but she says, I've heard people say I'm going on sabbatical.

[00:18:02] And I know that means they're usually gone for a few months, a few months. So I get that it's longer than a vacation, but where are they going and what are they doing or not doing. So I think that the essence of that question is right, what is this? What are people doing on sabbatical? How long should it sabbatical be?

[00:18:22] Like, let's get some definitions and get some concrete ideas. 

[00:18:26] Katrina: Yeah. So, you know, I think, I think they're used interchangeably, but they're technically different. And a lot of people, I think it's like such a new concept that people aren't really sure how to use one term sabbatical versus career breaks. But the nuance between them, right?

[00:18:39] So technically sabbatical is company-sponsored. So if somebody wants to stay with their company and they want to go away and take a trip, a vacation, or just, you know, go on an academic sabbatical where they're learning something or exploring something there, they're staying with their company. And they're just taking basically like an excused absence that usually lasts from, you know, three to six months.

[00:19:00] Although now, in a pandemic they're offering sabbaticals, as sort of these mini-breaks about a month-long for companies, but typically you would see three to four. Now career breaks are literally a break in your career. That is you leaving your job and your company for the.dot dot, right. I don't know what next I've had.

[00:19:19] People come back to their company unexpectedly. I've had them be hired away by old managers and to new companies and new roles. I've had them, you know, start whole entire third career. So many ways that that ending could go, but a career break is, is definitely, um, you know, this period where you've left that behind you, left the safety net of your job behind.

[00:19:38] And so at the end of the day, what they both have in common is that they're a period of intentional unemployment, right? It's for personal development. Sometimes people use it for professional development, but it's this intentional period for you. To just let go of employment and to have all the space in the world to do what you want to do.

[00:19:56] And so to answer the question, you know, how long does it last. I've seen them last on average, the average is usually six to 12 months. I've seen some people take a three month, one and myself. I took almost two years, so it can go from three months to two years, but I would say six to 12 months is the norm.

[00:20:13] And what you're doing with that time, the answer is whatever the heck you want to right! Whatever you want to I've had people write. Stay home with their family, travel the world, take a class, get certified. I mean, there's just no, no limit to what you could do. And the question is what do you want and need from this experience to make it successful?

[00:20:33] And that is the right answer. Oh, 

[00:20:36] Tiphany: that's so beautiful. I love it. I love it. I love the idea of it's an intentional unemployment and I think so many of us, and I'm definitely in that. Realm. So many of us have been raised with the, you need to be gainfully employed. You need to be a contributing member of society and you need to be gainfully employed.

[00:21:00] And, um, we kind of get fed what that gainfully employed means. Well, and I'm the daughter of an entrepreneur. You know, my father started his own plumbing contracting business, so it's interesting to me that even though I grew up with an entrepreneur, this idea of you must stay gainfully employed in some sort of traditional job was really drilled into me, really drilled in.

[00:21:30] I recently have decided, I'm switching, I'm starting my own thing and Katrina. It's at it's simultaneously. Absolutely elating and exciting and thrilling and utterly bone-crushing. Terrifying. Yeah. Yeah. I've been in profession in, um, public education for 20 years, you know, so I have a retirement.

[00:22:02] I have a good, 403 B I have good health insurance. I know when my vacations are, I know I get 10 paychecks a year. It's never enough, but I know what I get, you know? And so leaving that, what I call bookend job to then go to the sky is the limit is so exciting, but it's scary. 

[00:22:29] Katrina: Yeah. I like to call that scared-cited and 

[00:22:32] Tiphany: scared-cited.

[00:22:34] Oh my God. Yeah. 

[00:22:36] Katrina: Yeah. And that's how you know that you're on the right path. Right? I think there's absolutely no way to do your little. Your way and not feel scared, cited. Cause here are the facts, Tiphany, no one else has done it your way. So you can't look to a bunch of other people and find safety and knowing how the story ends or feeling like you can assess.

[00:22:56] And pre-assess all the bumps in the road and the highs and the lows. Right. So when you're doing it your way and you're following your blueprint, Absolutely filled with a bunch of scared-cited moments. Right. It's sort of leaping into the thrill of the unknown and also the terror right. Of the unknown and the uncertainty.

[00:23:17] Tiphany: Oh, that's so great. Okay. So you answered that question beautifully, beautifully. I am so glad you're a guest, cause this is just exciting. All right, let's go to the next one. This is, and I think you talked about this,  a couple of people, Kimberly and. Vasselmoy. Is that some way I believe that's how you say her name?

[00:23:43] Vasselmoy she's from Norway. So I'm, I'm hoping I'm not destroying her name. She's so lovely, but they both want to ask, how do you plan for this financially? How do you both? Both Kimberly and Vasil might say. How do you plan for this financially without eating, sucking your savings dry. And, and then because of that, going into some sort of scarcity fear mode, I know you talked about this a little bit in the beginning.

[00:24:16] Do you have anything 

[00:24:16] Katrina: else? Oh, I do. I definitely, I have 

[00:24:20] Tiphany: no 

[00:24:21] Katrina: doubt about that. Yeah. Okay. So number one is exactly where you, where that question ended, right? So much of this is mindset. So what I have found time and again, with like the dozens of people I've coached into and through career breaks is that it doesn't matter how much money I, I could give you.

[00:24:38] And your brain will tell you that's wonderful, but what if something happens? What if I got cancer? What if my house, like something happened in my house and I had to fix, right. So there will always be another competing thing, especially in the realm of like trying to create a false sense of safety. There will always be something that's competing for that money.

[00:24:55] So recognizing that, you know, half of the battle is getting to the mental place where you realize that there is always a. Right and doing something and there's always a cost in not doing that something. And so you've got to weigh that out. Right. So when I took my break full disclosure, I saved $40,000 and I traveled until it was all gone, which meant.

[00:25:17] I didn't have savings at the end of it. Right. And I'm not saying that everyone needs to do that by any means, but I also traveled the world with $42,000 worth of student loan debt. Right. And I put it into deferment and forbearance. Um, so that, you know, I wouldn't have to make those payments, but I felt very clear in my bones.

[00:25:34] This is my moment. And I'm not going to miss it because nothing is guaranteed. I'm going to go do this because I didn't. What will come from this, but it's something very meaningful. And the experience I had mixed with the way I learned to think about money and saving for that break, I became, debt-free so much faster than I ever would have become.

[00:25:51] Debt-free just plodding through life and doing life the way I'd been doing it, pre break. Right. So it's just really getting your mindset around, what am I risking by not going and, and like, what is that number and kind of agreeing with your. You know, before, before you have it, because it'll never be enough, but that said there are tactical things.

[00:26:07] So number one is you can take one of two approaches, but in and around estimating your break. So you can have a fixed number and you can say, you know what? I feel like I can get my hands on $20,000. And I would like to take, you know, six to 10 months off, but I'm going to make this work on $20,000 and I'm going to sort of engineer it from that fixed number and make it.

[00:26:28] And then there's the other path, which is the one that I took, which is what is my sort of dream scenario for this break. It's a three-month road trip through the U S it's living abroad for X number of months. It's spending three months at home for the holidays. Right? So as I was designing the big pieces, I was estimating how much might that cost.

[00:26:46] And so that's how I came up with the $40,000. I like did some spreadsheets. I was like, I think it's about 38,000. Cushioned it, you know, with money for just in case or if something bad happens, but once you've got that estimate, then it's time to figure it out. What are my real finances? How much am I spending?

[00:27:04] How much do I have saved? Where is it saved and seeing how far you are from your goal. And once you realize what that distance is, that's where you start tracking your spending and doing the aligned, you know, the aligned, saving, the aligned spending. To really bridge that gap, right. To be like, I'm going to put money towards this goal.

[00:27:21] I know what that gap is. And it's so important to have a specific number. I can't tell you how many people are like saving for sort of like a rainy day where it's like, I need to save a lot of money. Well, any given point in time when you're making a decision between something that feels fun or feels good in the moment versus some nebulous sort of like vague a lot of money.

[00:27:42] The now is always going to win, right. That impulsive thing, or that fun thing is always going to win. But when you're like, I need to save $38,000 and I have $27,658 saved. Now I know where this $12 or this $100 is going to go and it's so much more tangible and it's so much more motivating. So, you know, that's kind of why you want to estimate what that break would cost and then work, work with that number because.

[00:28:07] Once you've bridged that once you've realized that gap, it's so much easier to bridge it. And it's so much more motivating to keep tracking your progress along the way. 

[00:28:15] Tiphany: I love that. I love that. Oh, such a good answer. Okay. Next person that had a very good question is, and this one is the juicy one, and this is going to be my last question from my community.

[00:28:32] This is from Hilary Russo and she says, how do you drop the shame and guilt from taking over. 

[00:28:40] Katrina: I love this question. See, this is so juicy. Thank you, Hilary. So, you know, guilt is a really effective way to control behavior, right? Like having the societal sense of guilt is a great way to keep people. I mean, this is going to be a very dramatic, you know, analogy, but to keep them in cages, right.

[00:29:00] To have them do and to keep them on the conveyor belt, doing whatever is, you think is best, you know, for, for society or best for you. Uh, you know, we do it on a micro level with like parents, kids, partners, right? Like, we're just sort of. I have my mom jokes, she's Catholic. And she loves to like, do the she's, like, I know I'm doing Catholic mom guilt right now, but you know what I mean?

[00:29:19] It's like, it's like ways things should be done and it sort of passed down. And so I think the first thing to ask yourself, if you really want to start releasing the guilt, the shame that's just sort of finding permission is you have to ask yourself, okay. If I can't do this, who said, so, and actually give yourself a name who is the person or the people that say I can't, they not good at.

[00:29:41] People, you know, people in the distance, the peanut got not good enough who, who is going to be upset? Who do I feel guilty too? Like, who is telling me I can't do this? And then whenever you find that voice, it might be your parents. It might be your peers. That might be just this pervasive fear of what people might think of you.

[00:29:59] Then you have to consciously decide, okay, that is their belief. What do I choose to believe? And that is so simple, but it's so important, right? Absorb other people's beliefs and just sort of take them on as our own. And you have to decide in this moment, what do I want to believe? Right. So there's a fact that everything that you want to do comes with a risk, right?

[00:30:22] We talked about scared-cited, scared it exists because it's unknown and there's a risk, but there's also a risk to the things that you don't do. And so another activity that I like to have my clients do is to, I like to call it the reality of. 360 degrees, right? What are you risking by staying? What are you risking by not going?

[00:30:40] I mean, for me, you know, I was, my story was featured in Forbes. I was never going to be featured in Forbes being a market researcher at a job that I like didn't love. And going through the motions, I was never going to become debt-free and two years doing that, going through those motions, the friends I have, the business I've had the impact and the other people I've helped.

[00:30:58] Right. Those were all at. When I didn't take a break. And so it's important to evaluate the whole equation and not just the part of what you're scared to lose. What do I have now? And I'm going to lose that. That's a piece of it, but the other piece is like, what do I risk if I don't? And at the end of the day, for me, you know, the big question that really that all boiled down to is what is the.

[00:31:22] The service I would argue the biggest disservice is being, given your one precious life and wasting it on a bunch of stuff that feels like crap, that is not lighting you up. And at the end of your life, looking back and saying, well, that's what I had to do. I don't, there really wasn't a choice, right?

[00:31:42] Tiphany: You're almost bringing tears to my eyes with what you're saying, because it's so important. Our one precious life, are we doing the shoulds? Are we doing the things we quote unquote have to do? Or are we doing the things that light us up and Katrina you're 100% correct? I am so passionate about this. When you are living your life in alignment, when you are doing the things that light you up.

[00:32:11] The people you touch the changes you make, the differences you make, the connections you make. It's so expansive and it happens pretty darn quick. Like the minute you start going, well, this is not in alignment. And this is your world expands. You don't. I don't think you realize what a teeny tiny box you were living in before.

[00:32:36] Now. I'm going to be very clear with say, There are people that, that need the structure that need the 401k that need the nine to five. That's very healthy for them. That is in alignment with them that gives them safety and security and structure, and they are quite happy. They're beautiful. We are not. You know, saying that everybody needs to take this path.

[00:33:02] To me, this is the path of radical audacity. This is a path not everybody takes. This is the path that takes a great amount of courage, a great amount of strength, a great amount of audacity. People are not going to understand you. People are going to have things to say about it, but you know, it's in alignment with you and you know, it's right, because doors open left and right.

[00:33:25] Katrina: Yeah, but, you know, I just want more people to take them and see the magical gifts waiting for you on the other side, so that we can just continue to create, you know, this avalanche of possibility for other people. I feel like it's entering, you know, more of our awareness as an opportunity or an option to consider, and we're human beings, not human doings.

[00:33:45] And I just feel like we're all allowed to take a pause. Not everybody to your point needs to take six to 12 months often, you know, do a big thing. As people, we should be spending more time on the things that might've been taking time to really just be humans, enjoying the moments of life that are here for us to enjoy.

[00:34:00] There are 

[00:34:01] Tiphany: so many people that don't even take their two to three weeks of vacation given to them by their work. And it's almost like a badge of honor. I know it's been seven years since I've taken a vacation.

[00:34:16] And the thing is we are all replaced. Oh, yes, that is the way corporate is set up. Is it is a beautiful machine that works very well by putting somebody in it. Yes. You take somebody out. They will put somebody else in. We are all replaceable. And so that seven years without a vacation, that's seven years missing your kids, soccer and football and ballet like that.

[00:34:43] Seven years of Swimming in the ocean and, and playing with the person you love like that seven years of never getting back. And when you have that health and a lot of times it takes a health crisis. So we have a health crisis, you know, that that person that didn't take a vacation in seven years has a heart attack.

[00:35:01] And then suddenly they're like, whoa, what have I been doing? Yes, I'm, you know, on the verge of death. And I haven't spent any time with the people I love. I mean, I think maybe. And for those of you where the three to six months doesn't feel in alignment where the complete career break and starting something new, doesn't feel in alignment, take a vacation, take that two weeks.

[00:35:23] Yes. See that work will go on without you take that two weeks and enjoy life. Without your computer and just 

[00:35:34] Katrina: enjoy. Absolutely. Oh yes. 

[00:35:39] Tiphany: Oh my goodness. Katrina. Okay. Before we move into that, the fun part, which honestly, this has all been really fun, but before we move on to the fun part, do you have anything else you want to say to people that are.

[00:35:54] White career breaks. Sabbatical this is a thing. This is something I can do. Tell me more. 

[00:35:59] Katrina: Yeah. Well, I mean, I think to piggyback off of what you just shared, you know, if, if it feels overwhelming or scary, try it out. Try one week as an intentional break, right? Not the chasing. I got to go party hard or play hard because I work so hard, but really, truly just.

[00:36:15] Can you be for one week? Can you read, can you nap? Can you wake up without an alarm clock? Can you take the time to meditate that you said you always wanted to spend, but like never can find the time. Can you have quality time with your favorite people and make time for that barbecue? Right. Just live.

[00:36:33] Really live in Technicolor for that week. And when you find that good things come from it, then ask yourself, oh, wow. What would that be like if I did it for three months or six months. Right. And if that's not accessible, you can make it happen on a shorter time, but just try it out, right? It is, it is literally life changing.

[00:36:53] Healing. And I have seen so many clients come in with physical ailments, with emotional heartbreak. My brother passed away very unexpectedly one week before my career break started and I had been planning for 18 months. And, you know, I attribute that break with also basically healing my soul and keeping me, you know, here and present and finding some good in life when it felt like there was none to be found.

[00:37:17] And so, you know, this is your one life. You've got to make the space. No, one's going to give it to you. So I just encourage, however, however that looks for you and however much space you can find, start somewhere and see where it takes 

[00:37:28] Tiphany: you. That is beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful advice. Thank you. And I'm so sorry for the loss of your brother.

[00:37:36] Thank you. Alright on that note, let's move in to get the fun part.

[00:37:43] Katrina: I'm ready.

[00:37:49] Tiphany: Okay. So I'm a big giant book nerd. And so many people in my community are big giant book nerds as well. So we always love to know. What book are you reading 

[00:37:59] Katrina: right now? Oh, okay. So I just started this book, but I'm reading Siddhartha. And the reason is if you read in high school, I have had two separate people.

[00:38:11] And just very casual conversation mentioned this book, and I feel like the universe does this thing where there's repetition and I'm like, all right, fine. So I actually like got it as audio book, uh, through my library and I just, I just got in the queue now. And so I just downloaded it actually yesterday.

[00:38:25] And I'm so excited to dive in, but it keeps coming up. So I'm ready to read. 

[00:38:30] Tiphany: Oh, it's great. It's it's very, I remember reading it in high school. I remember it being life-changing and I actually wasn't allowed to read it because my, uh, religious upbringing wouldn't let me read it, but I still read it because I was so curious.

[00:38:45] And, um, yeah, it's a great book. I'm excited to chat with you about it after. Yeah, it's very interesting. Okay. So they're making a movie of your life. And you get to pick three songs for the soundtrack. What are those three songs? 

[00:39:01] Katrina: Okay, so this was a tough one, but I'm so ready. So the first song is now that we found loves by heavy D.

[00:39:07] And the reason is because that was basically a soundtrack to every family reunion, barbecue that I had growing up. Feels the spirit of that and the joy of that, and sort of having that as the backdrop just feels very appropriate for that first sort of big chapter in my life. And then we would fade into.

[00:39:27] Janet Jackson's control. And I think that's really, yeah, that's really about coming into my own. Right. You know, like having that first job and moving far away and making money for the first time and really just feeling like I get to own my decisions and trying to make decisions and continue to make decisions that represent who I am and who I want to be.

[00:39:47] So, um, you know, Fade into the third song, which I feel like really captures the whole career break and travel aspect of my life, which is Ends of the Earth by, Lord Huron. And it's really about a wanderer seeking out the ends of the earth and just having this. Fantastic sense of wanderlust and being in love with life and love with people, but also like knowing that that wanderlust, uh, is a, is a valid thing to, to, to prosper culture, cultivate and, you know, pursue as well.

[00:40:19] So, 

[00:40:21] Tiphany: Great soundtrack. And I'm going to check out the Lord Huron song, not familiar with it. I love being introduced to new music, so thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Okay. Last question. I'm a little sad as last question, cause I don't want to stop the conversation. Um, okay. But last question, we're all about radical audacity over here.

[00:40:42] And we're all about those moments that are heck yes. And I heard you say earlier in your conversation where you're like, oh yes, So I'm the heck yes, coach. So I am all about those heck yes. Moments. Okay. So the last question is what is an act of radical audacity you have done yesterday, lately? That you're really glad you said heck yes.

[00:41:01] Katrina: To, okay. So I'm, I'm going to keep it super real and I'm going to dig really deep on this one. So my most recent act of radical audacity Paying $7,500 to sign up for a three month mastermind to help me with the dating and inner healing so that I can call in my life partner and that on so many levels, I can't even, like there are like 10 levels, 10 different ways that that is radical audacity, but that is absolutely like, that is absolutely my answer.

[00:41:36] Like hands down, drop the mic, like just in so many ways. Okay. So 

[00:41:40] Tiphany: I have a couple of things I want to say about that. Number one, I think it's really beautiful as you're talking to us about spending money in alignment. That again, you're still choosing yourself. You're saying this is in alignment, so you're not deficit.

[00:41:54] You're not going, oh, I can't spend money on improving myself because I want to save money. You're saying very clearly I am investing in myself and this is in alignment with me. I think that's so powerful. And number two. I did the same thing. Several years ago, I invested it was about $5,000 with a relationship coach.

[00:42:19] Honestly, I've been in her community for years. So I probably have invested about 10 grand with her, with all her programs. It was the smartest thing I ever did. I am now in a two year long. Absolutely loving relationship. I just had surgery, I'm podcasting from bed and he waits on the hand and foot.

[00:42:37] And I am so loved and he loves my children and, um, it was absolutely the best investment I ever made in myself.

[00:42:44] Katrina: So this is what I needed to hear. I was just like loving this, like when I was talking about taking a break, I'm feeling that right now. Like, it just feels so good to hear, but yeah, I feel like you have to be brave and.

[00:42:58] You do the stake in the ground for what you want. So that's me trying to change old patterns, old beliefs that we're always doing the work and just go for what I want, you know, and 

[00:43:06] Tiphany: I think there are so many places where coaches are so helpful and so necessary, and yet people feel a bit of shame about having that coaching.

[00:43:17] Relationships are one of those places, but relationships are one of the most valuable, powerful things we can have in our life. They make our life so rich and they are so hard if we don't know how to do them, right. Especially romantic relationships, but what you learn with your romantic relationship, you can apply to familial relationships, to friend relationships, to.

[00:43:39] Relationships, it's all about those boundaries and that honoring yourself in the self love and how to communicate like it's such powerful work and I'm just a huge proponent I'm on a soap box right now. I'm a huge proponent for coaching. Like I truly believe coaching and self-growth and education is a powerful thing.

[00:44:00] To invest in. So I applaud you. I think that's a beautiful radical audacity act. 

[00:44:06] Katrina: Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm excited. 

[00:44:09] Tiphany: Thank you so much, Katrina. Now you have been lovely enough to offer a little free gift to the people in the community. Will you tell us about that? And then tell us how people can find.

[00:44:20] Katrina: Yeah, absolutely. So I have a video training it's called best break ever, which just feels like the best name. I love that name, but you can download best break ever. Um, it explains a lot more about where you would start planning for a break or exploring it for break could be right for you. Um, and I also do.

[00:44:38] Free consult. So if you want to connect with me and explore your personal story and, you know, really consider what a break could look like for you, or if it's even possible, I'm so happy to connect with you and walk you through that and sort of look at it holistically to kind of help give you some information.

[00:44:53] People can find me on Instagram. I love to show up there and share. Lessons stories, uh, client wins and the pictures of them and their amazing career breaks and amazing sabbaticals. And I'm also on my website, which is best break ever. Dot com. 

[00:45:09] Tiphany: Wonderful. I'm so excited. Thank you so much for the free gifts listeners, please, please, please go check Katrina out.

[00:45:16] I really hope you have enjoyed this conversation as much as I have because I've been blown away and I am absolutely thrilled and I'm so glad. You came on as a guest today, Katrina, I feel uplifted and excited and elated and a little scared cited as well, but you know, it's awesome. So thank you for being here today and I hope you have a beautiful day Katrina.

[00:45:45] All right, everyone. What did I tell you? Isn't Katrina. Fantastic. And I want to think that people in my community that sent in questions, Vasselmoy from Norway. And I do apologize. I know I'm not saying your name correctly. It's such a beautiful name. Debbie Messenger. Kimberly Wheeler, Kendra McGaha all of you.

[00:46:08] Wonderful people that sent in questions that was so fun. This was the first time I took audience questions and use them in a conversation with a guest. And I had a lot of fun with it. And I hope you guys did too. Here's a few takeaways I had from the conversation with Kendra. Number one. As you're preparing for your career break, your sabbatical, your career change, whatever it is you're doing.

[00:46:38] Make sure. You are spending an alignment with your goals. I feel like this is so important. And in fact, I'm going to leave this conversation and I'm going to really dig in to my financials and see if there's anywhere that I’m spending that's not in alignment. As you guys know me working on my money mindset is a continual area of progress that I am always making.

[00:47:09] And I love being on this road with you guys and hearing the progress you make in your different areas. We each have a different area to work. So I love this idea of aligned spending. She's not in a deficit mindset with it, with her spending. She's not in a restrictive mindset with her spending, but she really wants her spending to be in alignment so that everything that she doesn't need to absolutely spend money on, she can put towards saving for that career break.

[00:47:43] And that goal. That sabbatical. And I think that is just so beautiful. I also love how she talked about the idea of being scared-cited with these career breaks and sabbaticals. And it is a little bit scary taking that time off and wondering, what am I going to do is, you know, breaking the shame cycle, breaking the fear, but, but being okay with that scared, excited feeling that I am scared.

[00:48:16] And excited at the same time. It's the thrill of the unknown alongside the terror of the unknown and that's oh, okay. It's a good place to be in. She also talked about the reality of the risk and this is something I've talked about before. So I love that her message is so in alignment, we are always.

[00:48:41] Quitting on something or leaving something out or saying no to something. So it's what are you saying? Heck yes. To what are you saying? Heck no, to, and for each of us that's going to be something different. So if we're saying, heck yes, I want to keep my nine to five. I want to keep on this path. I, I really like where I'm going a, I like what's happening with this company then.

[00:49:02] That's great. That's your heck? Yes. You're also saying heck no to other things too. You know that, that life different aspects of the life, if you're saying heck yes to. I'm leaving my nine to five, I'm going on this sabbatical and going on this career break, I'm going to have these adventures. I'm going to start my own business saying heck yes.

[00:49:25] To that is also saying heck no, to a lot of this stability and safety and security that comes with the traditional nine to five. And you have to balance that out and make the decision that is right for you in no way, shape or form. Anybody that they have to live life in a certain way. I think there are so many ways to be radically audacious and this starting your own business, starting your own company, going on sabbatical, taking a career break is one way to be radically audacious.

[00:49:59] So look at your life. Is the risk that you're taking any decision that you're making and just be comfortable and an alignment with that risk and make sure it is the right decision for you. Thank you, everyone. It has been absolutely beautiful talking with you. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend.

[00:50:22] It is the biggest way to help this show grow and to have more people here it is. You set telling somebody, Hey, you've got to listen to this show. It's a great one. So I do appreciate everybody that shares it with a friend and it means so much to me. If you subscribe to the show, so you get to hear it every week and leave a rating or review.

[00:50:43] And let me know what you think of the show, the more reviews. The more people get to hear radical audacity. I hope you have a beautiful day. .