Combating Imposter Syndrome and Career Uncertainty with Human Design

What is it that truly drives you? What if your work could be a reflection of your unique purpose, aligning your deepest values with what you do every day? Many of us struggle with feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome, wondering if we’re really in the right place or living up to our true potential. Imagine a path where you uncover your natural strengths, connect with your authentic self, and let go of the pressure to be someone you’re not. When career and purpose align, work becomes more than a job—it becomes a fulfilling extension of who you are, empowering you to face challenges with confidence and clarity. Embracing this alignment can transform how you navigate your career, letting purpose guide you toward both fulfillment and success.

In this episode, we talk about how human design could be a tool to achieve your dreams and find your motivation and purpose in your work with a returning guest, Zach Carlsen. Zach has been coaching and educating professionally for the last decade. The core and foundation of his work is human design, a modern science containing ancient systems for exploring the nature of being. He holds advanced academic degrees in pedagogy, literature, and French, as well as certifications from Gallup Inc. in Clifton Strengths coaching and SSC in human design coaching. In 2021, he obtained his master coach certification from Elementum Coaching Institute.

Tune in!

What You Will Learn:

• [00:01] Intro and a bit about our guest today, Zach Carlsen
• [06:26] What human design is, and how it works
• [09:00] Why human design is an important tool for understanding career alignment 
• [14:16] A practical example of how human design can help you shift your career
• [19:25] How to use human design to uncover your professional strength
• [24:47] How human design can help you reconnect with your authentic self
• [30:01] How human design can help navigate imposter syndrome and burnout
• [38:16] Aligning your purpose with your career choices
• [43:17] Zach's advice on how to pivot to a more purposeful career 
• [48:04] Leveraging human design to balance work and personal fulfillment
• [53:11] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

• “A purpose is a state of being, shifting from a purpose being something we do, to something that we become, can unlock greater possibilities for ourselves.” [10:01]
• “If you experience imposter syndrome you’re with the rest of us, we still meet that part of ourselves, but how we meet it is what has changed, don’t let it drive the boss.” [30:38]
• “We’re who we are for a reason, and this is true for everybody.” [44:52]
• “We got to where we’re for a reason, and we can get where we want to go for other reasons, and human design can be a tool in that journey.” [47:15]

Resources:

https://www.mybodygraph.com/

Let’s Connect

Zach Carlsen

Website: https://zachcarlsen.com/

Chandler Stroud

Website: https://healingheroespodcast.com/

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00)
Hey guys, it's Chandler, and welcome to The Healing Heroes. I promise you. I'm Chandler Stroud, an executive wife and busy mom of two who after years of living with anxiety health struggles and an unshakeable feeling like I should be happier, made a profound discovery that changed everything. Join me on a journey where unexpected paths lead to healing and more happiness. On this show, we will explore unconventional ways to unlock more joy in your own life. Own with the help of my very own healers and trusted advisors, the healing heroes. Hey everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Healing Heroes podcast. Very excited to be back today with our human design expert and hero. Zach, if you have ever experienced imposter syndrome burnout at work, career indecision, or simply feeling like there's something better out there for you, then this episode is for you.
(01:15)
We're going to be talking about how to align yourself with a career path that is meant for you based on the principles of human design to open. I would love to share a famous quote that came across my inbox just yesterday, actually shared in a weekly newsletter from Danielle Canty, co-founder of Boss, babe, and household name. In the digital marketing space, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous, but actually who are you not to be? This resonated with me in a really big way knowing what I know now about how low self-worth can present for women subconsciously taking root and impacting how we show up each day. There were times in my old role, even as a vice president leading a huge team, I'd shy away from presentation opportunities or spend time highlighting and talking up my peers work instead of my own.
(02:27)
Certainly something every strong leader should do at times, don't get me wrong. However, even as a people leader, it's important to also keep an eye toward the opportunities best suited for your own professional and personal growth. I think for me, especially as of late as I've really given a lot of thought to career alignment and what my purpose is in this world, it's pretty cool to reflect on the 10 years I spent at my old job at American Express specifically because I think the reason I spent so much time enjoying those roles and that company and feeling so fulfilled by the work was because it offered me the three things that I find most important in any job role opportunity that I decide and feel passionate about tackling head on. The first is that I had a ton of autonomy to make decisions and create a path forward.
(03:26)
I was able to create every day and imagine what was possible while bringing a team of people, not just along with me, but inspiring them to also co-collaborate on that vision. And then I think finally the third thing that really resonated in my old role was that I was able to lead and mentor people. I was able to help them achieve their dreams. And doing that for the better part of 10 years with the company was so fulfilling for me. And I think the blend of those three things, the autonomy, the ability to create all day long and inspire and motivate people to better themselves was really what kept me engaged and excited to come to work every single day. And I think ultimately at the turning point in my career, when I decided it was time to make a change, I still had those three things.
(04:24)
But doing the show and bringing these amazing healers and humans to all of you through the Healing Heroes podcast was like basically achieving those three things on steroids. I get to create all day long. I get to decide the vision of where the show goes and how that comes to life, but I'm also most importantly, helping people to better themselves and find that happiness and find their own fulfillment in ways that expand way beyond just a professional capacity. Now we're going to turn it over to Zach to share some more insights on how human design could be a tool and helping you to achieve those same dreams and to drop within yourself and really understand what your motivations are. What could you be doing to reflect what your life's purpose is in your work each day? And so with that, I'd like to welcome Zach. He has been coaching and educating professionally for the last decade. The core and foundation of this work is human design, a modern science containing ancient systems for exploring the nature of being. He holds advanced academic degrees in pedagogy, literature and French, as well as certifications from Gallup Inc. In Clifton Strengths Coaching and SSC in human design coaching. He obtained his master coach certification from Elementum Coaching Institute back in 2021, and he is here with us today. Zach, thank you so much for coming back on the show. Speaker 2 (06:03):

Hey, Chandler, I love being here with you. Thanks for having me back. Speaker 1 (06:05):

We are always so thrilled to have you and love talking about your work. So I think before we dive into this very important conversation for so many, for anyone that missed our previous episodes together or simply just new listeners tuning in for the first time, can you share a quick overview of what human design is so we're all on the same page? Speaker 2 (06:26):

So human design is a fairly modern system, and it's an awareness system that uses astrology, the E ching, genetics, science, biology, western psychology, the Hindu Braman chakra system. It lays all these systems on top of each other, finding where the patterns overlap, finding where there's sympathetic energy, seeing where they're saying the same thing, seeing where maybe there's a little bit of tension to explore, all in service of learning more about who we are. We have an MRI, an EKG, we have a lie detector test that measure these things inside of us. And human design is the best tool that I've found for measuring what we might call the deep inner world, the spirit of us, the soul level, but also the practical level. And so it's really a system that encompasses all of life and it gives us a blueprint or a map that we can follow every day. Right at the end of this interview, I'm sure there will be at least one practice that you can apply later this evening. It's a practical system that relies on ancient and modern tools for self-discovery. Speaker 1 (07:46):

That was a beautiful recap of what human design offers and the different components of it. So thank you for sharing that with listeners. And I of course would encourage you all if you want to learn more about it, to go back and listen to the previous episodes on human design with Zach, where we really go deep and he even has a great visual that he does with a pencil and note cards if you want to watch that on YouTube. So highly recommend going back to give those a listen because human design is so multifaceted and there's so many different pieces to understand. But that was a beautiful summary, so thank you for offering that. Now we can get into the focus of our conversation today, which is really all about career alignment and helping people, women in particular really pinpoint what is it that drives them, what type of work would be aligned with their higher purpose if they know what that is, and even if they don't, how human design can serve as a support system and tool for understanding what that might be a bit better. So my first question for you, Zach, is why is human design such a valuable tool, understanding career alignment with respect to understanding the different types of work that might suit a person? Speaker 2 (09:00):

If I may jump back to your testimony at the beginning of the recording here, where you describe your journey going from a high level in a corporate world to really doing what you're doing now, which I think is the dream that most people have, is they want to find what they're passionate about. They want to be able to go in fully with that all in energy. And the reason I bring that up is because from the outside looking in, it kind of looks like you just woke up one morning and this thing worked out for you. And here you are with the podcast and this beautiful team around you. And the details of that is where human design to me gets really practical, right? You weren't sitting in your room thinking about what do I want to do with my life? What's my purpose? My deepest belief, and this relates to human design, is that our purpose is not something that we come up with in a lab and then go out into the world and do instead, our purpose is a state of being.
(10:05)
So shifting from this thing where a purpose is something we do to our purpose is something that we be, it can be an idea that unlocks greater possibility for us. And if there is a lab where we discover our purpose, it's life itself. It's the way we wake up in the morning, the conversations we have, it's the work that we're currently doing. And if we want to get from point A to point B, we have to acknowledge that we're at point A. We can't be at point B without actually getting there. And so what I would draw out from that beautiful story that you shared is that you just kept getting after it and you kept following the energy that only you can know is there, that invisible force driving you and really acknowledging it, honoring it, and then acting from that place step by step.
(11:02)
It's not a human design doesn't offer this. If you do this one thing, life looks better, but instead it's a tool and the carpenter shows up to the work site with many tools. And so I'm not a human design evangelist. I'm not saying this is the only tool, but I'm saying that it's a tool that gives us perspective into a certain kind of invisible force that animates our lives. And so with that as kind of my preamble, I would say that the insights offered here in the human design system are hard to get anywhere else because it is dealing with a spirit in us, something that we're very familiar with, but we might not understand, we might not name, and it gives us names for these patterns that we have. It gives us a container for the type of energy that we have. And I mean physical energy, there's five different types in human design. And the type means your energy type, your aura type, and there's certain types that have an unlimited amount of energy. I'm pointing at Chandler and me. And then there's other types that have an energy wave where it comes and goes, and there's different ways that we can recharge that battery. And so when we're completely exhausted, when we're burnt out, when we feel out of alignment and disconnected, most of our decisions are made from what we might call like a survival state.
(12:43)
And so most people I know who are miserable in their jobs, they don't feel like they have a direction. The urgency to get out of that often puts us back into that pattern that got us there in the first place. So human design gives us this map that we can look at, and if you can talk to somebody about it, it doesn't have to be a coach, it could be a friend, just someone to reflect back. It can give us that moment to pause, to breathe, to really acknowledge, okay, I'm at point A, right? Can I accept that? And then from point A, we can use the tools, the strategies, the insights from a human design perspective to take the next step. But it's not about leaping. It's not about this quantum leap of going from A to Z, the roadmap provided by human design. It's like A to B, B2C, C to D. And that's really that thing about we live into our purpose, we don't discover it and then go do it. But instead, it's a series of actions and steps that we take. Human design helps us take the best next step. Speaker 1 (13:49):

I love that. I think that's such a cool way of reframing human design as a tool for helping you progress in that journey. Thank you for sharing that. Can you maybe to bring this to life for listeners even more, can you share a story or example of where human design has guided someone, whether a friend or a client to shift their career based on what felt intuitively right for them? Speaker 2 (14:16):

Yes. So I give a lot of these readings, and so I see this happening every week. There's some highlights that I could share. The thing that I've noticed is that there aren't these outliers where human design, when it's applied to a person's life, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Studied these systems from StrengthsFinder very corporate to Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, astrology. And the win-loss ratio was so much higher there and it felt unpredictable when I was using those systems. Maybe I just got lucky at this point in my career, human design is a science. It's one that is a little bit metaphysical. There's definitely some woo woo in the language, but it really is a science. And so from that perspective, what I see most commonly is people really getting honest with themselves about their physical energy capacity. And again, that's one of the first things that we learn about our charts in human design is what we call the energy type.
(15:32)
And so I had a client who I worked with for three months. She was a projector, and projectors are one of those energy types. They're really here to guide. They have a very penetrating vision. They can kind of see through all the BS and notice where systems are dysfunctioning, but it really is the energy of a guide and less the energy of a leader out in the pack. Very public, lots of energy, very dynamic. Think to yourself, what's the difference between a guide and a leader as you listen to this? Or do you feel more like a leader? Do you feel more like a guide? What's the difference to you? And we had that conversation and she was constantly burnt out simply because she was always out there really following this program of a leader looks this way, a leader is very public, a leader is always on and active and always available. And that was not working for her. She was getting sick all the time. It had gotten to that point where the energy out was really draining her system of life force. Speaker 1 (16:45):

And Speaker 2 (16:45):

So our first step was just to get honest with that, and it involved a little bit of grief. She really, really wanted to be the leader that we often see and kind of celebritize on Instagram and social media. And she got very, very clear with herself that this was a self-destructive pattern. And using the chart, we were like, okay, so what's the constructive pattern? What experiences have you had in your life that were so fulfilling that gave you this feeling of success? We did kind of a life inventory using human design as the motor in that. And from that place, she was able to reset really her expectations for herself. And she's got her own totally soul aligned coaching business today. And again, that did not happen overnight. And it wasn't like I know my human design and now I'm going to start a coaching business.
(17:45)
But for her coaching was the kind of leadership, it was that guidance that was really attuned to her. And so I would say that that's kind of more of a bell ringer story. What I see every week are people with having an aha moment. There's a coach who I love named Rich Litvin, and he coaches around insight and he does not schedule with people for an hour. He schedules with people until they have an aha moment. And so he might be working with a head of industry for 10 minutes and 10 minutes in, they go, huh. And he says, session's over, right? That's your insight. Go and work with that now. And sometimes it takes 90 minutes. I imagine sometimes it takes two hours, but he just works with them until there's this moment. And that's really what I see in human design. And by studying it on our own, we can give ourselves those insights really whenever we want. The system is so multidimensional that I've been in this now all in for over five years and I still read things and I'm like, I did not know that. I say that as a warning too because we don't need to know all the little details of our chart to use it. There's really three things that we'll talk about today. I'm sure that they're the big moving parts, and it's really where we get the most bang for our buck when it comes to this stuff. Speaker 1 (19:16):

That's great. Thank you. Zach. How does understanding one's human design chart reveal insights into their professional strengths and natural tendencies? Speaker 2 (19:24):

So some of these systems, they kind of tell us who we are. Astrology, I think brings a lot of that insight in, but it can put pressure on us to then be that and human design when it comes to exploring the kind of nature of our being, Speaker 1 (19:46):

Right? Speaker 2 (19:46):

It's a low pressure system, sound like a meteorologist, but it's a very low, low pressure
(19:54)
System in that it says, Hey, we actually need your input. Human design is considered a grand experiment and it's relatively new. And so there's a lot that we just don't know about because we don't have the data from the real world. And so it's a conversation, it's a reciprocating dial dialogue. It's dialectical. It requires input from both sides. And so getting some insight from a chart, and again, it might be what do you feel in your body when you sit in a chair without anything to do for 10 minutes? That's an experiment. And it gives us insight into all of these unconscious ways that we might move through the world that ultimately not serving this vision, this higher vision that we have for ourselves. The way that I use human design in the context of helping somebody find their alignment is a thousand tiny steps, not one big leap because we can short circuit our nervous system if we move too fast without any kind of support or plan.
(21:11)
But then also kind of opposite to that, helping us decide what are the kinds of risks that will be valuable to us? What are the changes that we could make that might be kind of out of character for us, that will give us data that we can then use in our next step? I believe in transferable skills. And so I've been a bookmaker, a publisher, a professional writer, a coach, a landscaper. Back in the day I worked at restaurants, all of those had skills that I was developing and then applying to the next phase of life. I never got stuck in this trap where it's like, oh, I can't do that because I was just this. Right? To me, it's possible to reframe it around strengths and skills and are those things transferable, right? I don't Speaker 1 (22:02):

Agree with that more. Speaker 2 (22:04):

Beautiful. Speaker 1 (22:04):

Yeah. Speaker 2 (22:06):

And one other quick note just around the language. We talk a lot in this world about alignment, and I think it's a buzzword that is really useful and it points to something real. And I see alignment when it comes to our career or making these shifts in three ways. And the first is just does it align logistically with the reality of our life? And so for example, somebody has five kids under 10 years old and they want to travel the world and blog about it. Does that align logistically? Of course, people figure out how to do that, but it doesn't happen in just one step. And so alignment practically, does it align with the logistics of life? Does this thing that I'm doing align with my values? Is this something that aligns with me at my core and only we can know our values? And then the last one, this is where human design really comes in, is how does it align energetically electromagnetically?
(23:14)
What does the chart say about energy in energy out? What does the chart say about our mental energy? Do we have a chart where we tend to think about things that don't matter? Do we have a chart where our self-evaluation of our worth might need to be approached very intentionally? For example, in MyChart, I have what's called an open heart center, so I'm constantly undercharging for my services. It's in the book. They're like, look out for this. You're going to do this, you're going to work on that. And so I've been consciously in my own process with this stuff too. I use human design every day because it works. Sometimes I look at myself and laugh because I can't believe this is the thing that I do. I was very skeptical, very opposed to anything that sounded like this for so long, and I use it just because it works and I don't get into this. Why does it work so much anymore? Because again, if it's an experiment and we go out and experience this and collect our own data for ourselves. Speaker 1 (24:19):

Very cool. Well, I'm so glad that you decided to experiment with it and are with us today because you are certainly an expert in human design, and I've loved all the insights you've shared with me. I'm just curious to build on what you just said, I think many women feel really disconnected from their authentic selves due to whether it's societal pressures or past conditioning. How does human design help women reconnect with who they truly are? Speaker 2 (24:47):

I love this question and all the different ways that my mind can approach it. The first thing I would ask is how are we defining authentic self? I think that when we start doing this work, we get into a lot of the buzzwords that make sense at the surface, but do we even know what we truly mean? Are we aiming at a target? Speaker 1 (25:12):

I think it's a great question and a good push I would define that is not letting your head and conscious thought lead the way, but really dropping down into that heart space and feeling through decisions instead of thinking through decisions. Speaker 2 (25:30):

Yes, yes. The only thing that I could add to that because I completely agree, is that human design has a perspective where no one is here to make big decisions with their mind. The mind in human design is there to be the compassionate witness of our lives. It's the thing that records everything that we do, which is kind of a trippy thought to me. Our eyes, our ears, our eyes, our cameras, our ears are these microphones. Our mouth is a speaker and the brain is there just witnessing it, and it's there to record it unbiasedly. And we obviously all were taught the opposite, right? Think through things with your mind, do a pro and cons list, figure out how to avoid catastrophe and how to maximize abundance and prosperity, joy, and all of that is a good goal. But the way that we get to it in human design is literally in the body. Like you said,
(26:39)
There's some exceptions to this, but we all have an authority that's in our body and learning how to listen to the gut. There are these centers in human design. They function like a chakra, an energy center, and each one has a special kind of awareness that it attracts and that it kind of processes emotional awareness, physical awareness, adrenalized pressure and stress. How do we manage pressure, mental awareness, awareness of self, and taking the decision out of the mind and bringing it to the body is its own work. But I have seen that it only benefits folks. I was thinking about this last night. I have never seen human design make anyone's life worse. Sometimes it might keep us holding steady for a bit, but really making that switch from mind centered decision-making to body centered decision-making the roadmap is literally in human design, how to do that and where we can best do that for us, our unique system. Speaker 1 (27:57):

That's great and very helpful. Glad we're on the same page of what that means. I think that's great. Good gut check. Thanks for sharing that, Zach. This feels like a great time to take a moment to hear a word from our sponsor, but don't go anywhere. We'll be back in just a minute to answer some of the deeper career questions for Zach, like how to combat imposter syndrome, burnout, or career indecision. So stay tuned. That's coming up next. I promise you one of the best ways to start any healing journey is to take care of yourself in small ways that have a big impact. And getting a good night's rest is an essential part of feeling good. That's why I'm obsessed with the luxuriously soft bedding from Cozy Earth. It's the softest bedding I've ever owned and promotes healthy sleep habits. So I wake up feeling my best cozy earth's bamboo sheet set was a true game changer for me.
(28:58)
Their sheets are breathable, insanely soft, and help regulate my body temperature so I don't sweat through my T-shirts anymore. Their sheets also get softer with every wash. And now our listeners can get an exclusive discount of up to 40% off by going to cozy earth.com and entering the Code Heroes. If you get a post-purchase survey, just let them know you heard about Cozy Earth from this podcast. That's code heroes for up to 40% off by going to cozy earth.com. Don't miss out on a great night's rest. Wrap yourself in luxury this fall with Cozy Earth. Welcome back. We are here with Zach talking human design and career alignment. And the next question that I was about to ask Zach before the break is I'm curious how human design can help women navigate challenges like imposter syndrome, burnout or career in decision that they might be facing in their current day-to-day. Speaker 2 (30:01):

Big topic, important one. In my work, I work one-on-one with folks as a coach, as I may have mentioned. And the first thing that I want to do is to normalize the experience of imposter and to say that it's not there as a punishment, it's there for a reason. It was created at some point to protect a part of ourselves from distress or from embarrassment or from perceived stress, distress or embarrassment. And so I would start there and say that if you experience imposter syndrome, you're with the rest of us. I've been at this work for over a decade and I still meet with that part of myself, but how I meet with that part of myself is what's changed. I don't let it drive the bus. And the reason why I don't let it drive the bus is because I know my chart and I know my own experience, and I also have a lot of reference points where these coaches who I admire, they're like, yeah, dude, I experienced that as well.
(31:11)
So I think in service of just helping us get out of our own way a little bit, I needed to acknowledge that my experience in this space is that it's a natural thing. It's a natural energy that we meet with. And so then how do we meet with that? The first step I think, is to learn just the basics of what your chart design is. We all have a type, like I mentioned, you're either a reflector, a projector, a manifester, a generator or a manifesting generator. You can look this up online for free. Don't pay to have a chart generated for you. There's lots of websites where you can get it for free and they'll all have the same result if you put it in website A or B or C, they should all generate the same chart. It's not something that changes. Next, I would say after learning your energy type, which will kind of guide you in broad strokes of maybe how to rethink or reevaluate physical energy perspectives, the places that your mind might naturally go is to explore what your strategy is.
(32:22)
And each, each of the five types have a specific strategy. Some people are here to really initiate and lead the way. Other people are here to lean back and respond a little bit, be a bit more intentional about what we're saying. Yes to other people are here simply to offer a mirror to reflect back the state of the collective, the health of the community. And so we have a type that's the big broad strokes. It's like your sun sign and astrology if you're a Leo or an Aries. And then we move down into strategy, which kind of gives us a frame river banks really for our energy to flow through in terms of how we approach life. And then the third piece is your authority. And the authority is that little center, which is like a chakra in the body where we are best equipped to make decisions from.
(33:24)
Some people need to really be aware of their emotional state and their emotional wave, and we all have emotions, but some people, that's their authority. Other people, it's more of a gut check. It's a simple yes or no. It's more of a primitive or uhuh that can be developed and listened to. I never used to trust my gut. I used to question it, and if my gut was right, it was like I got lucky, and if my gut was wrong, it was like I must not have listened properly. I missed something. And this system helped me completely get out of my head on that. And that really is what I hear more often than not, is it doesn't provide the solution where it's like, here's what to do. It provides clarity so that we can hear our own solution. And so those three things, type, strategy and authority, those are the big three to focus on in the beginning if you're new to the system. And I think it's about 90% of the work is just really, really getting good with those parts of our design. Speaker 1 (34:36):

And I love what you said about it's not fearing the imposter syndrome or the career in decision. It's learning how to be present with them and experience them and change your relationship to them in a different way. And there are a lot of ways that I think women can think about doing this, but I do feel like human design is a really accessible tool for anyone to start understanding what that feeling means, their experience of it, and how to become more comfortable with it so that they can navigate and move through it in a way that's productive instead of, oh no, I'm feeling that way again, this is really bad and judging themselves for it because that's when you get in this loop and you stop pushing yourself, you stop reaching for more. You start listening to that feeling when to just be present with it and kind of get curious about it can open so many doors in terms of deeper self-awareness and understanding and guiding you into the right space for you if you let it. So I love that you framed it that way at the jump because I think it's so true. It really is. At least I've found that to be true in my own life, that oftentimes that discomfort is a trigger for me in a positive way. It's like, yeah, I don't want to feel that, but it's telling me something about myself that I need to get curious about or listen to.
(36:02)
And so I've really found that to be helpful when I'm experiencing those moments of, let's just say I've, of course, career indecision, burnout, we've all had them, but imposter syndrome in particular, I'll use that as the first example. I mean, whenever I'm feeling like, Ooh, I don't know if I really earned this or I should be here, it's like, what is that feeling? What's behind that? Why do I feel that way? And then tapping into my chart to really understand how I can think about it differently than I have in the past. So it's really powerful. Speaker 2 (36:36):

I completely agree. And if I can add just one thing, use the word curiosity, and I was writing about this the other day, this idea of self-judgment, and most people listening to a podcast like this are probably aware of their harsh inner critic,
(36:56)
That part of ourself where even if we do something great, it could have been done better when we internalize maybe a belligerent person in our life so that they don't even need to be there anymore. We'll just beat ourselves up now with their ideas and voice. The opposite of judgment is not non-judgment. The opposite of judgment I think we could see is curiosity. And I love that you brought that word in, is that human design. Because it's such a unique perspective and system, it is almost inevitable that we will get curious about it because there's so much to know and explore. And that all by itself can retrain some of the patterns that we get into mentally where instead of judgment, we might learn through studying human design, how to bring a little teeny bit more curiosity to life, and that builds and builds and builds on itself until that eventually could be the new norm. Speaker 1 (37:56):

I totally agree. I think that's a really good call out and I'm glad you shared that with everyone. Thank you. To build on that, human design often touches on the idea of aligning with one's life purpose. How does this translate to career choices, especially for women who may feel disconnected from their Speaker 2 (38:15):

Passions? There's a few approaches, one that is human design centric and another that's a little more straightforward. And what did you love to do when you were a kid? I believe that we become the way we are for very good reasons. If we lose touch with our purpose, if we lose confidence, there's a reason for that. It wasn't a punishment, it wasn't because we did something wrong. What I've noticed is 99 times out of a hundred, it's because we needed to protect ourselves in some way, emotionally, physically, mentally, psychologically. And so starting there with just creating a foundation where we're not needing to beat ourselves up for not being where we want to be or where we think we should be or where we wish we were, but really acknowledging that we have gotten to where we are for a reason. And they're not excuses, but there are reasons.
(39:16)
And so getting clear on that, a way to see that transformation, if there is one for you, is just what did you like doing when you were a kid? When I was a kid, I would sit on the outside of the playground and I would observe for about 15 minutes before I would go in and play. And over time I stopped doing that because I felt like I needed to be more extroverted, more courageous, more social, and it was a disaster. I hated myself for years because I was operating in a way that just did not align with who I was. And so we have hundreds of those experiences that are slowly taking us away from what we might call our true self. And then we reach a point where we're like, I don't know who I am anymore. I'm buried under all these layers of cardboard, it feels like.
(40:12)
And so if that was the more general approach, kind of non-human design, how human design would address this idea of really coming into purpose, coming into our own, again, aligning with ourselves is just at that very high level. What is your energy type? The big broad strokes when it comes to energy type is just where are we best suited to offer our gifts? Generally, are we here to initiate and to lead and to move forward? Whether we've got people's permission or their acceptance or not. That's what I think a lot of us really want to be. Human design would offer 10%, 9% of folks, the ones who are truly designed to do that effortlessly
(41:05)
With the full force of the universe behind them, really generating that flow might take a projector who is considered a non-energy type. It sounds kind of like an insult, but it's just a descriptor where they're really here. Kind of like me, when I was a kid, I always thought I was a projector before I knew my type. I was like, that's got to be who I am here to observe. I heard a coach describe it where projectors are kind of like the birds on the Savannah in Africa observing from a high tree at the movement of all these animals. The animals are the generators, the elephants, the rhinoceros, the giraffes. They're out there moving and eating each other and eating plants and doing all this stuff. The projectors are up there just kind of observing. And so what would change in your life, those of you listening, if you had more clarity about which energy type you were and if that clarity could then offer you a next step that felt like it had more flow in it. So human design for beginners, people who are brand new to this, the first step is really going in and just exploring that big part of the chart that's going to give insight into how do you channel energy physically, mentally, emotionally, and that can be enough. It can be so validating. I hear two things in almost every call. One is that was very validating, and two, that isn't what I thought it would Speaker 1 (42:48):

Be. So interesting and polar opposite reactions. Thanks for sharing that, Zach. I think that's a really new way for women to evaluate some of those deeper questions they might be asking themselves. So I really appreciate you sharing. What advice would you give someone who wants to pivot to a more purpose-driven career, but is uncertain where to start using their human design chart? Speaker 2 (43:17):

I would start with the intention and what's motivating that desire in the first place. If I spend enough time on Instagram, suddenly I want to be a professional skydiver. I want to be a professional skateboarder. I want to save all of the animals of the world whose habitats are being destroyed. Too many Speaker 1 (43:45):

Same, by the way, same Speaker 2 (43:47):

Too many chefs in the kitchen. And so really, I might be a broken record, but really getting the basics of the chart down, figuring out what are these big broad strokes in terms of how energy circulates through your system, but then also I think just a casual life review is helpful, especially at the beginning of our journeys of answering the question, what are the reasons? Who are some of the key players in my life that offered me my strengths and encouragement and recognition? Some people got more of that than others, others less. And then the other side of that, what are the events in my life that shaped me and told me it wasn't safe to be who I am? Not to blame those people or those experiences, but to contextualize them so that it's not this situation where we're like, I'm flawed. There's something wrong with me.
(44:52)
We are who we are for reasons. I truly believe that I've seen that to be true in my own life. And then coaching hundreds of people. It seems to be true for everybody. Nobody is born hating themselves. No baby ever came out hating themselves. And so we developed something as tragic as that through life experiences. And so getting clear about just some of the timeline and history, and then we can start plugging the conditioning and the programming that doesn't work for us into the chart, right? If I was a projector, I'm talking a lot about projectors today, and I felt the pressure to always be on and to be initiating and to be leading the way, it wouldn't help me in any of this realm because it's more of just trying to be something that we're not. Human design doesn't say this is who you are, but it says, here's some wiring that's there.
(45:57)
Look at all the different possibilities. Have you explored these or you still in this very narrow culturally defined version of what success is and success and intelligence? Those are social constructs. We have a narrow view of what intelligence is. We have a narrow view of what success is. For example, we honor certain professions over others. I know that at least one of your listeners is a stay at home mom, and how do we hold that as a culture? How do we honor or not honor that? I think we're moving a little more towards honoring it, but really we define success. We define intelligence. We define growth in ways that are totally human generated. The squirrels outside don't care what I do with my time and energy. They're completely passive to that. But I can think of a few people who I want to be sure that they see me succeed and that they think certain things about me. And I obviously can't control that anymore than I can control the squirrels. But really landing in this place where it's like we got to where we are for reasons and we can get to where we want to go for other reasons. And human design can be a tool in that journey, one that I've seen and see almost daily. Speaker 1 (47:30):

I would agree. I think it's a really powerful tool, and I'm so glad that we're building awareness so that women people know that it's at their disposal to use as they want, as they wish. Zach, one more question for you before we go. I know we're running short on time, but I want to squeeze this one in because it's something that all women navigate and deal with if they work in a corporate setting, especially Zach. How do you see human design empowering women to not only find the right career, but to also create that balance between work and personal fulfillment? Speaker 2 (48:03):

Yes. When we look at a human design chart, there's often a right side where we see this infographic really of all the different centers and how they connect to each other or not. And then on the right, we see things like manifestor sacral authority one three profile, and using that as a map. Again, getting out of this mindset where everything has to happen overnight. In my field, we call that a quantum leap, and they often happen, but it's not overnight. It looks like overnight maybe to the people around us. Your story is a good example of that. Suddenly Chandler has a podcast and oh, she makes it look easy. Well, it's part of a lifelong journey to get to this place where you've developed all these skills peripherally to the work that you were doing specifically in corporate landscape, and then applied them to this passion, this totally heart aligned project where other people are benefiting from it in a reciprocal exchange of energy.
(49:18)
You're giving energy. People are getting that energy, they're giving it to their downline. I mean, it actually makes me tear up to imagine how big of an impact we have and can have on the world and that we'll never know about it. We all have a downline. I used to do network marketing, so there's this downline structure to it where other people are benefiting from the work we're doing and vice versa. And to me, that's really the dynamic. And if we want to see what that looks like personally, and no two charts are the same, right? Mine, yours, even twins who are born a few minutes apart, their charts can look a little different. And so we're getting to see a blueprint of the circuitry inside of us, how emotional, mental, physical, social energy circulates through us. And kind of like having instructions to put together a piece of furniture from ikea. We could figure out how to do it through trial and error without them. But isn't it a lot better to have that piece of paper where it's saying, put this bolt here, screw this in next. Human design offers that template and we can choose to work with it or not. It's a tool that resonates with some and not with others. Again, I'm not here to evangelize. I'm just here to inform, Hey, y'all, this tool that is tried and true, it seems to work for a lot of people. Did you know that it was there? Speaker 1 (50:53):

Very cool. So it sounds like you're coming at that question from the lens of this tool can help you understand where that perfect balance lies in your own life. As we think about work and personal fulfillment, you can understand your chart and figure out what energy type you are and where you make decisions from, what your life strategies are, and then start to leverage that information and intelligence to say, how does this apply to my work life? And what does that mean in balancing my personal goals and objectives? And I think doing that within the lens and framework of a human design chart can be really helpful to your point, because it can help you avoid burnout. It can help you trust maybe some of the intuition you're already experiencing, but don't really know how to acknowledge what that feeling is just to name a few. So I think that's a really cool way of looking at it. Speaker 2 (51:55):

Yeah. Yes. And it can even get as simple as, am I a quality over quantity person when it comes to my social relationships? There's nothing wrong with either one of those. Am I a quality versus quantity person when it comes to my work and when evaluating work life balance? I don't think that it's 50% work, 50% life. I think that we can know for ourselves what that balance is. And I would almost call it work-life harmony. Speaker 1 (52:27):

Ooh, love that, guys. I'm stealing that phrase work-life harmony. That's beautiful, Speaker 2 (52:34):

Zach, thank you. Speaker 1 (52:36):

Much more appropriate. Speaker 2 (52:38):

Yes, I agree. It just works so much better because there's seasons in my life when it's 90% work, 10% life, and I'm just flying high. I'm as happy as can be. And then other times when that balance needs to be a little bit more equal 50 50 because I might burn out or I might kind of lose track of what's important. And that's all that I would add to what you shared. But thanks for that summary. Speaker 1 (53:04):

That's great. Thanks, Zach. Work life harmony. You heard it here first, guys. I love that. Zach, this was so much fun as it always is. Thank you for joining us and sharing your knowledge, experience wisdom with our listeners, and we usually put the resources in the show notes of our conversations, but we will be sure to link out to a couple human design sites for all of you to access your charts for free. And then of course, you can always schedule time with Zach and get a reading directly with him. And if you want special discounts and to know how to do that quickly, you can go to healing heroes podcast.com and sign up for our monthly newsletter where we give you access to discounts with our heroes on their services and advice, one-on-one conversations, so as well as our brand partners. So don't forget to go to healing heroes podcast.com to sign up for that newsletter. Zach, this has been amazing. Thank you so much for joining us today. Speaker 2 (54:09):

Thank you, Chandler, and thanks to everyone who's listening Speaker 1 (54:12):

And to all of you tuning in, if you found today's conversation helpful, please share it with friends you think would also appreciate the information. And don't forget to follow the show on Apple or Spotify. You can also visit healing heroes podcast.com to get resources, meet the heroes, and share your ideas for future episodes. Thanks for listening everyone, and until next time, remember, be curious, be courageous, and be kind to yourself. You've got this.