Spark Something New
What would it look like to be in love with your life? What would it take to live as you to show up as your full and authentic self? What would you need in order to find rest? It would take a spark of something new! Something to help you think differently, act differently, build relationships differently, and lead differently. You'll find that spark here, on the Spark Something New Podcast!
Spark Something New
Episode 29: Leave Your Fear at the Mountain with Rahwa Teklai
On this episode, I sit down with the remarkable Rahwa Teklai—SVP and Market Leader at Key Private Bank. She's a certified financial planner, ultra-endurance athlete, and radiant force of optimism. Rahwa shares her powerful life story, starting with her early years in East Africa and her family’s immigration journey from Eritrea to the U.S., emphasizing how resilience, mindset, and community helped shape her path.
Key Themes and Insights:
- Optimism vs. Positivity: Rahwa defines optimism as long-term hope and positivity as the daily practice that helps you get there. Both are necessary—and deeply intertwined.
- Leave Your Fear at the Mountain: Drawing from her experience as a mountain climber and ultra-runner, Rahwa introduces this beautiful metaphor: fear will always be there, but we can choose to leave it behind when we decide to climb.
- Acclimatizing to Growth: Just like mountain climbers must ascend and descend to adapt, personal growth requires dips and failures to prepare us for greater heights.
- Pursuit Beyond the Summit: Rahwa and Katie explore the idea of the “second mountain” from David Brooks’ book—moving beyond personal success to purposeful contribution. Rahwa is on that journey, seeking to give back in the same way others poured into her life.
- Purpose-Driven Mindset: Whether in finance, fitness, or life, Rahwa attributes her progress to desire, intention, persistent practice, and a community of supporters. She challenges listeners to find their mountain and start climbing, setbacks and all.
- Unconventional Truth Bomb: Rahwa questions the saying “time is more valuable than money,” suggesting that without resources, time alone can be limiting. She believes in the harmony of time, money, and adventure as essential to a fulfilling life.
This episode is a beautiful fusion of personal story, practical wisdom, and deep encouragement. It reminds us that our comfort zone isn’t where growth happens, and that mindset, like a muscle, gets stronger the more we stretch it.
EPISODE RESOURCES:
- Connected with Rahwa on LinkedIn
- Book Recommendation: "The Second Mountain" by David Brooks
Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.lightecho.co.