For the Record, An AACRAO Podcast
For the Record, An AACRAO Podcast
Farewell from Sarah, with Love to the Listeners
This is an episode of love and gratitude from University Registrar and For the Record Co-Host Sarah Reed, with love to the listeners. Sarah Reed is stepping away from co-hosting For the Record and is sharing her reflections about how she stumbled into podcasting, the journey of podcasting, her thoughts about and processing this change of stepping away from something she has deeply enjoyed, and other reflections she learned through the process and from guests directly to the listening audience. She ties her reflections on this experience to the game of life and shares how the lessons she’s learned from podcasting may resonate with the listening audience.
Key Takeaways:
- Sarah’s intention in this episode is to transparently share the impact of the many people who have contributed to this meaningful journey and share so much love back to them and the listening audience (yes, that means YOU!)
- Delve deeper into the shared personal experience (the good, the challenging, and the meaningful) from Sarah’s journey of falling into podcasting and some of the challenges she faced in learning to podcast and co-hosting podcasting on For the Record.
- Hear some of the tips and lessons that Sarah has learned in her journey of podcasting that resonate most with her.
- Addressing the imposter phenomena. Sarah shares some of her own experience with imposter phenomena and what she’s learned about this experience of phenomena from her For the Record guest speakers during the past two years.
Host and Guest:
Sarah Reed, University Registrar
University of California - Berkeley
sjr@berkeley.edu
References and Additional Information:
Video Link: You Are Enough, Motivational Speaker Lisa Nichols
(Sarah’s favorite recording from her favorite motivational speaker)
You're listening to for the record, a registrar podcast sponsored by Acro, I'm Sarah Reed, the University registrar at UC Berkeley. And I'm your host today for this very special farewell to me with love to the listeners episode. Hey, Acro Fam, this is Sarah Reed and I'm your host today for, for the record. Today's episode is a heartfelt message from me to you marking a bittersweet moment as we turn the pages to close my chapter. And for the record for the record will continue, I will be taking a step back. This juncture marks the conclusion of an incredible journey. One that began unexpectedly and blossomed into a beautiful tapestry of connections and self discovery and reflecting on my time before the record, a common theme has been that of stepping into the unknown and becoming a little more than a year ago. And during a really difficult period of my life, I by seemingly happenstance met Doug mckenna and was invited like many of you to sit at the mics and record a response to some prompts during the annual meeting being a relationship based person that I am. I asked an interview if I could interview Doug instead and found myself enjoying this platform when that period of time was over. I asked if I could just keep the fun going and continue to interview others. Of course, Doug was like, sure do it. At the conclusion of the 2021 annual meeting, I was informed that my snippets of recordings that for me were just the equivalent of fun and play would be turned into an acro annual meeting conversation with Sarah series. And to my greater surprise, I was invited to join as co-host for the record, a podcast series that I was completely unaware even existed because I had left the industry during its inception and had only recently returned to the registrar world. I mean, I was so thrilled, excited flabbergasted a whole range of emotions but thinking it through, I accepted only with the condition that this would be a trial period. I mean, this was an established podcast I was just learning about and, you know, there's a lot to be said for creating your own thing. Um So a trial period made me feel more comfortable a time for me to better understand and explore the role and to learn about podcasting without the expectation that it would be permanent. I was thinking that this would give both me and doug the opportunity to explore this potential relationship and to see if it fits also to provide the space to let it dissolve. Should that time ever come and well, friends that time has come, I will be stepping away from for the record, but I will always have love for Doug and for, for the record, I've been reflecting on this wild ride and this experience, I wanted to share the story because while I feel like within it are invaluable lessons about the game of life. And many of you know that I am always trying to extract deeper lessons or study deeper lessons about the game of life through life. Life has this uncanny way of presenting opportunities when we least expect them a chance encounter in a hotel lobby led me to Doug Little. Did I know that accepting his invitation to record on the mics, an invitation offered to every acro member would pave the way for me to explore the world of podcasting as co-host. Life's greatness often reveals itself in the seemingly mundane moments. When we pause, we smile and we make room for the unexpected in the process of learning podcasting. I have also become more flexible, more open to random meaningful conversations and more likely to carry on this behavior of approaching others. I don't know well or don't know at all to strike up a conversation even without the mics, I'm a cancer sign. And so I can be shy, but podcasting has helped me to come further out of my own shell. When I podcast something whispers within me, I haven't fully caught the thread but I'm slowly learning what my own voice is, what my passions are. What subject matter means the most to me. And I'm slowly learning what my podcast arena is. Sometimes I think back on that day of meeting, do at the hotel, at their acro meeting. And I think what if I just stood in line that day? And I didn't say hello? What if I just stuck to myself? What if I didn't smile? What if I just was in my head and, or I was feeling shy and I just kind of was there, got my breakfast and moved on down the hotel, moved to the next meeting room and I didn't really spend any time interacting. I would never have had this experience this almost two year experience. If I didn't have this experience, I would never have realized how much I love chatting with the members and I wouldn't have applied for the acro nominations and elections committee and I wouldn't have that next experience, which is going to begin this sometime this year. I, I don't even know where that's going to lead and what I'm going to learn from that experience, but it's a whole portal of my life that would have never even happened. And that's what life seemingly insignificant opportunities are. They're like a rock that you throw into a calm pool of water that surprisingly doesn't sink. It skips and dances almost miraculously across the water. And that's what life has in store for all of us. If we make space for it, new opportunities, opportunities that may or may not last, but that's not the point. They're the present vehicle for a greater us to emerge. I'd like to take a moment to extend my heartful thanks and deepest gratitude to you Doug mckenna for providing me with this incredible, incredible opportunity. Your unwavering dedication from organizing impactful interviews, crafting scripts, editing the recordings and so much more has been instrumental in creating such a seamless transition for me into this cohos role your support during my newbie learning struggles, your efforts to lighten sessions made a significant difference for me as I was being hard on myself and judging my abilities too harshly at the beginning. Um It really helped me adjust and kind of relax into the space and just try podcasting um and just experience it. So thank you for that. Your guidance in general has been invaluable teaching me so much about the prep work it takes to have successful podcast sessions and ps to the listeners. It is a lot of work, a lot of scheduling, coordinating, planning, uh communicating just a lot of organizational work um in addition to facilitation during a session. So I just want to spotlight a little of so much of what you do to support this space for all of us and all that you did to help keep me afloat, not only as I was learning, but also as I transitioned from the law school to my current position, which is such a and it is still big, such a, such a big transition for me. I just really appreciate um all that you did while I learned how to co-host. And I just also want to thank you on behalf of the profession. Um We at Acro at Nel, so all of us have so much to thank you for, for creating this space, this learning community, this listening community for us, which kind of, you know, created the pathway for all other podcasts to start. And uh we all owe you a debt of thank you. So thank you, Doug for your tireless efforts. This has been a really enlightening experience for me and I'll cherish it forever because I learned so much about podcasting and I really honestly would have never known that I enjoy it. Um without the invitation, I appreciate all the levity you've brought into conversations, your sense of humor, which has always been appreciated and it helps me with riffing off of you. So thank you for all your readership and um definitely continue to wish you and for the record much success and to the guests, the for the record, guests who graciously shared your lives, your stories with us and with me and treating me as a podcast equal, even when I sometimes think you maybe didn't even know who I was or why I was there. Thank you. So very much. I learned so so much from you these last two years, you know, half the time it was exactly what I needed to hear at that time myself. And I don't know if you know how deeply your work uh contributes to us. So thank you a special shout out to my fellow podcasters of admitted her and transfer to Woo woo. Thank you for your unwavering support and partnership, your voices, your courage to lean into this brave space of podcasting and your collaborative spirit has made this journey even more meaningful. I'd also like to thank the incredible acro executives and staff for their unwavering support in our endeavors and just their commitment to the profession, the dedication of hard work that you all put in behind the scenes, both to support our podcasts and just everything that acro puts on from the conferences, the webinars, just all aspects is so invaluable and often unseen by so many, I've just, you know, had the pleasure of being able to watch you all set up and coordinate and, and do all the million things that you do behind the scenes. You know, when I'm in the hallway podcasting, and I just have to say your leadership is so inspiring. Um And I, and I appreciate you so much. Thank you. Thank you for your commitment to our shared goals and thank you for your commitment to excellence. Lastly, I want to thank and express my profound gratitude to the expansive community of listeners and members. I have so enjoyed meeting with you and I have so enjoyed working on behalf of you. This has been such a rewarding experience for me. A special. Thank you. Also goes out to those of you who graciously allowed me to pull you into the podcast booth during annual meetings um to share your stories with me and our listeners, your openness, your trust, your willingness to be vulnerable about the realities of your personal and professional lives and your journeys have left an indelible mark on me. I carry your stories with me with the deepest of gratitude and I am always and forever appreciative of the genuine connections we've established and to all the listeners, just a heartfelt. Thank you. Thank you for always tuning in to, for the record. Thank you for those of you who've reached out to me to give me feedback, uh who responded on linkedin uh to our posts or who just in general uh share your feedback of the, of the podcast of the many podcasts that are all here. You dead to the profession, your willingness to expand yourself to connect to, to hear others, to support them in their endeavors. And just the collaborative nature of our profession is really the reason why I think I've stayed in higher Ed and why, you know, the registrar role feels like such a good fit. It's really this incredible community that always brings me back, helps me feel grounded and rooted and just happy. So, thank you so much. We wouldn't be here without you. Um You, your presence, your challenges, your commitment, your investment, your collaborations, your random, you know, stranger soon to be friend conversations, wherever we meet is always such a pleasure. And I think you're all absolutely amazing superheroes. I want to take this moment to address the imposter phenomena that lives in all of us. So many of you have shared with me before during or even after a podcast that I couldn't ever be on a podcast. I have nothing of importance to share. No one would want to listen to me or after a podcast. What I shared wasn't meaningful is that of any value and other forms of downplaying your greatness, I can relate. I honestly struggle with that too. Yet throughout countless podcasting sessions, one invaluable lesson has been etched into my journey. And that's this, the fears that often grip us telling us that we are not enough or that our words lack significance are simply not accurate and they're not truthful. Each and every one of us is significant. Our words possess impact and our imperfect lives are inherently meaningful. Embracing our imperfections becomes a lens through which we recognize the greatness not only within ourselves, but in others too, whether it's the courage to be vulnerable, the resilience to bounce back from failure or the authenticity to stand firmly in our truth. We are each a miracle. Our very existence is a 400 to 1 trillionth of a chance. I said that right, 400 to 1 trillionth of a chance. A testament to the extraordinary nature of life itself, of our purpose and of our significance even more. So just remember, you don't need perfection experience or the polished veneer of a professional podcaster to contribute meaningfully to an episode. And the same holds true for any pursuit in life, whether that's presenting at an acro conference or creating a new business, whatever it is, what's required is authenticity and a willingness to fully engage in my experience. The most powerful moments emerged when speakers unscripted, shared their truth, embrace their experiences and allow the conversation to flow naturally. We cannot ever overestimate the impact of our lives, bringing this back to the grand game of life. Perfection is never the expectation. Life simply asks us to participate wholeheartedly and perfectly yet with an unwavering commitment to being all in. It's in these moments when the magic happens more often than we can imagine. So remember, you don't have to be flawless, experienced or a seasoned professional to take the next step in your life to try something new to go for your dreams. Just be authentically, you willing to play your part and watch the extraordinary unfold. A personal joy of mine has always been encouraging others to live and lead their best and wildest life. What's that saying, we often teach what we need to know and experience ourselves for those of you, for whom this resonates and you need a sign to step into to try something new to apply for that job that raises to pitch that conference presentation to start your side host to go back to school, to have kids to fill in the blank. This is your sign. Go for it, go for it, go for it, go for it. Always been on yourself. Thinking about stepping away from a podcast that I've enjoyed has brought up so many emotions to process. I've been thinking a lot about and how often it is that something is budding within, but it isn't quite yet established. And so stepping away from what, you know, even when you know, it's the next right step is sometimes really hard. And for those of you who are leaving an established relationship, whether work are personal or experiencing some other significant shift in your life and are wondering what your next step is, you're not sure if what you left was the best you were ever going to get and wondering what else is out there. This is a reminder that you are exactly where you are meant to be. The best is yet to come. The journey of life is a constant unfoldment. Life always wants to bring us the best and life is always moving us towards full abundance on every level. If we accept it like a GPS tracker life re routes us to our next best thing. If we pay attention to the science, follow your intuition, have faith and tap into your inner insights for the next right step for you. And sometimes we need the absence of something and that absence of space to reframe, to re center, to reactivate. Before the next right thing comes in, that space is magic. A time of development before the unfoldment. Enjoy the process. Also, on the flip side, you don't have to know all the right next steps to get started. Just the first step. As you take your first step, the next step will be revealed to you at the next right right time and space sequence. If you continue to pursue it throughout this, for the record process, I've started to learn my voice and I find that I'm right back to where I started in the first place, making connections, talking about the stuff we most often never say to strangers or to those we don't know well, but stuff that's on our mind, the stuff that's real, the stuff that's messy, painful, uncomfortable, but meaningful stuff that literally everyone in life can relate to learning, growing, struggling and the courage to survive, to be better, to lean into our greatness, to be our full selves, to show up magnificently in the world, to sparkle brightly, to impact the lives of others. I'll always have space for those conversations whether I'm affiliated with for the record or not. So when you see me at conferences or linkedin, please don't hesitate to strike up a conversation and I'll be sure to do the same as we gently close the pages of my chapter and for the record, I leave you with a few of my values and lessons I've learned from my journey of podcasting. These are just a few tips, cherish fleeting moments of connection. They are so joy inducing. You are perfect for your destiny. Trust in the divine plan. It act on it. Listen to the whispers of your inner voice. They will never lead you astray. Your present imperfection is perfection. Embrace it. Play the hand that you've been dealt. Don't hold and end up folding. Waiting for the perfect moment to jump in to fully play the game of life. Take life up on the little and big opportunities they are happening for you. Lean into your desires for what you want. Once you praise and reflection are free, share the greatness you see in others. They may never ever know unless you tell them and everything beautiful happens when we live life with vulnerability and authenticity and in connection to our soul and in service to others. If you ever doubt yourself, remember you are enough, you are enough. You are more than equipped for the divine plan of your life. And with that dear listeners, this is Sarah Reed signing off for the last time from for the record. In the spirit of parting Wisdom. I've included my favorite motivational recording. You are Enough by the Inspiring Lisa Nichols. My favorite motivational speaker in the show notes, made that video and its uplifting words serve as a constant companion on your journey. And as we close, remember to carve out time for yourself, nurture your well being and embrace the love that surrounds you. Take care and thank you for being a cherished part of this incredible, incredible journey sending you much love.