#5 How to Become Ready for the Next Big Role (Even When You Don't Feel It) with Silvia D’Anna

"Whatever you do for yourself is never crazy enough." That's what Silvia said in our conversation, and knowing her, she really embodies that motto. She has a very inspiring career spanning BCG, Nike, and now she's VP Sports, Kids and Underwear at Best Secret, the role she says that “ticks all the boxes of what I was looking for”. How did she build a career like this?

What people might not know behind the scenes (and what you'll hear in the conversation) is that she didn't get this far by accident, she's very intentional with her choices and stays open to grow. 

For example she decided to go back to university 2 years ago. That's right, mid-career and as a Director.

What you'll hear:

• How do you become ready for a bigger role when part of you still doesn't feel ready?
• What do you do when your career looks right on paper but something quietly doesn't add up?
• Is it crazy to add a full-time degree on top of a full-time leadership job, for no one but yourself?
• How to recognize your inner knowing and intuition?
• What if success was never the job title, but the person you become getting there?

Some of my favorite lines in the conversation:

• "It's your responsibility to go get them" (the opportunities to grow)
• "You have full power to make your own journey and create your own destiny"

Want to follow Silvia's journey or reach out directly? Find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviadanna/

If this conversation sparked something or if you have a "crazy dream" brewing, join the next Career Accelerator, a 3-month experience of Coaching + Community to speed up clarity, confidence and satisfaction in your career. 

Head to humancareers.com/contact to join the waitlist.

Transcript

Meet Silvia

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Welcome to Easy Crazy, the podcast where you find stories of crazy ideas turning to career and life success. Every episode I sit with someone who is breaking free from the traditional path and we talk about the behind the scenes, the decisions, the turning points, and the moments of courage that most people never talk about. This is where they do. I'm your host, Eleonora, career and business coach, founder of Human Careers, and today I sit with Silvia Dana. Silvia is vice president for kids underwear at Best Secret, and she was at Nike NBCG before that. I love this conversation because she shows that it's totally possible to find your own path in corporate. She did. Sylvia is someone who, in the middle of a successful corporate career, decided to go back to university to become the person she knew she could be. This is just one example. And she took other brave decisions in the process. In the conversation, we go into the moments of doubts and frustration, but also we talk about what she did to actually make real change in her career. With coaching, but not only, you'll hear. And she found out her own true power, and you'll see why she loves mentoring others in the same journey. Let's dive in. Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode, and today I'm so excited to have here Silvia Dana, who is now VP Sports, Kids and Underwear at Best Secret, and also someone that I personally admire and that I met from my Nike days working together. But I'm so happy that years later here we are connected again, and I get to witness your growth and all the contribution that you want to give. And today we're going to explore your story. So welcome Sylvia.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Hi Ayla, thank you so much for having me.

I got the role that ticked all the boxes

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Yes, it's a pleasure. And I invited you because you recently went through a big career move. And I know also you have a deep passion about women empowerment, of creating leaders in your organization. So all big themes that are connected to what we are discussing here in the podcast that is creating really career worth living, and sometimes even saying yes to the crazy ideas that we have in our head. But let's start from right now. Tell us about your current career and what do you love about it?

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Yeah, um recently I moved into indeed a role at uh Best Secret, and uh I feel like sometimes this role has literally been designed for me. Um, it's everything that I was looking for in a, you know, you know, when they ask you, oh, what do you want to do five years from now? And I think, you know, right when I even started at Nike many, many years ago, um, my my goal was always lead a business that has a cross-functional component to it and that can actually make a change in the world. Uh and I think I think I I got as close as I could have felt like so far in my career. Um, there's there's components about this job that really, really excite me. One of them is more external facing. This is um it's not entirely new to me, but it's definitely newer. And uh, it's a part that is super exciting. I feel like one of my superpowers has always been to build relationships, and this is a whole other level of how you interact with people and how do you create win-win situations that you know it's the foundation of a of a of a good relationship. And then the team. There is a bigger team that I am so honored to to lead. And I think one of the again, in I guess in the same theme as relationship, and as uh we'll we'll go deeper into that, but one of the things that I always found most how do you say, uh fulfilling uh as a as an individual and as a professional is to help someone else drive forward their career, their passions, their goals, whatever that is. And having a bigger team simply allows me to do that at a bigger scale. Um, so that is amazing. And then the third component would be the leading the business part. Uh I have three actually, as you as you just mentioned. And uh obviously coming from sports and leading now sports in a in a retail environment, they're different, but it's extremely satisfying on one side to learn the different side of the of the coin if you want, and on the other side is just you know driving success. Uh really see how your strategy comes directly into the execution and how you see the numbers and then you see the team excited about it. And I just find that pretty amazing. So it's not just about leading the business and hitting KPIs, it's also about what that work does to how we bond together as a team and to how we drive towards yeah, just one direction together, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Yeah, this is one of the things that I find really inspiring about you because I know how passionate you are about it and how people around you really benefit from this support and this care that you give them. So this is amazing. And I think a lot of people that will listen will recognize the desire, the wanting, the hoping that the career of that you were hoping for, the position that the thing that will match your dreams will actually happen. So, can you tell your story? How did that happen? Because now we're here just talking about yes, yes, it worked out, but there's there's a story behind, and especially I know that there is at least one is it crazy

Alignment over the how

SPEAKER_01 6:12

idea that you had before all this happened, uh, and very unique choice that you made in the middle of your career to go back to university. So, can you tell us about that?

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Yeah, of course, and uh I think there's a couple of things, right, in uh in there. Uh, one is how did this happen? And and I think university is one component. I've I would say there's always many, many components that are at play when you're able to make a shift like this, or any kind of shift really, uh, anything that moves you closer to alignment and to what you are supposed to do and what you are here to achieve uh for yourself. And so I would say if I would have to summarize it in a word, how did this happen? I think it's alignment. It's me moving closer into that space. And university has definitely played a role, but it it definitely wasn't the only thing. It was a number of things, I would say. Um I think in terms of, and I'll get to the university last. Uh, you maybe want to talk about that a little bit more, but um, in terms of alignment, I feel like um getting ready to even accept a higher responsibility, uh, to be um how do you say to see yourself like that, to allow yourself to imagine you acting in a position of responsibility where people are gonna look at you for a decision, a guidance, or whatever it is, and it's you know it's an adjustment. And it does if you don't see yourself in it, it's just not happening. And to see yourself in that, you need to very much work inside of you and figure out what it doesn't it. I I don't mean to say that you're never gonna feel the imposter syndrome ever again if you reach that state of alignment. Not at all. I've had like every other day, I've been thinking about this exact concepts and uh thought about, oh my god, maybe they made a mistake. And then the next day, oh, I think I got this. So it's always a bit of a cycle that uh you know you go through as you as you adjust to things. So I don't mean to say that you are like perfectly there and and here you are, and therefore then it happens, not at all. But I think it's uh I think I saw it in in an I I heard this in in some in some podcasts of this the alignment shows up in a million micro ways that you behave, talk, and choose to put yourself in contact and conversations and uh just micro actions really that move you closer to that goal. And again, everything works together. I don't know if this sounds too much abstract, but what I mean to say is first of all, picturing it. Secondly, deciding that you are worth it. Third, actually show up that way in your work today, whatever that work is. There's always a way that you can take what you're doing and adapt it to your dreams and your goal. There's always space for you to shape your role to your own desires, really. Um, there's always parts that you're not gonna like, despite how, you know, regardless of how dreamy that role is, there's always parts that you're gonna be like, I do not want to do this. But there's so many more parts, regardless of whether that is the move that you've always wanted uh for yourself or not, or the place where you always wanted to be or not, that you can shape and you can exercise and flex muscles that you may not have today, but you're like, this is this is what I want. Um, so I would say that move into alignment, definitely. Um, and for me, university was a huge component of that. Uh so to your point, me going to university, I think that was, I thought it was the craziest thing I've ever done. And I've done some crazy stuff. I think that one, oh my god, uh, literally every day, I'm now almost done with my second

Success is the work you do on yourself

SPEAKER_00 10:18

year, and it's three years in total. Um, and every single day since I started, I think I have one person at least every other day that asked me, How do you do this? Yesterday there was this classmate of mine. We were doing this project work uh after uh yeah, after after school, I guess I'll prefer for them after work for me. Um and uh they were they were like, How how do you do that? What do you do and how do you fit this? And their day was like, Oh, I slept late this morning and I I don't know, I forgot to eat or whatever, and you know, they have the the student life.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

Exactly your day, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:59

And then I was like from a brand meeting, a team meeting, and whatever other, I don't know, um, stuff that I had to get done that day, and then I was doing the assignment. And they find that really crazy. And uh, and I mean I don't mean to say that it's not, but I for me it's been it's been a foundational element of me being able to get into alignment. And I don't know, I don't know that um I don't know how to articulate the the reason for why it's it's been so foundational, but I think I'm studying psychology and I feel like when you relate it to the various components of the job that I've just described, as well as the getting yourself into alignment, I think for the nature of the topic, it's even more obvious how that helps. But I think any subject, if I would have, if really the dream was to get into university, uh, go back to university, whatever you study does that as well. Because it's not it, it it really puts you in a position of trading off your time, heavily prioritize what you're doing, and um, and just f you're really following a passion. And I love when people ask me, why do you do that? Just because I can and because I love it. Uh, and there's no pressure of I'm not doing it for anyone else, uh, it's just for me.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Yeah. I think what I'm hearing from you is that there were two different questions in elaborating it, and a lot of people get stuck in the how, how am I even going to combine it, or how am I even make this growth that I want to do, or how can I complete a in your case it's a psychology degree, in some other cases it could be a course or a preparation, anything. And you didn't stop at that, like the how came really later, because the biggest consideration for you was why. And and and the why is I want to get in alignment, I want to become the person who is ready to be in the leadership role, have a certain impact. And and I think from what I know from you is that not no specific position is like the end result, but your your ambition to grow or your um willingness to have an impact, you still have uh steps and things that you would like to keep expanding on.

The body knows when it’s right

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Yes, and I would say success is not the move into the job, or having obviously that is a tangible validation of a lot of work that you put into things, but it's not the goal. The goal is to me, the goal is actually the work that you do on yourself and the getting yourself to the best version of you that you want to be, and whatever the kind of impact you want to have, you can achieve it regardless of any job moves or anything else. You you are always empowered to find your space and to put yourself in situations that allow you to fulfill your goal and your mission, regardless of your job. But ideally, and if you if that is really something that fires you up, then it will also put you in a situation where the job moves will also come and will happen. Uh, but indeed, the the why you do what you do has to do with your bigger goal and the vision that you have for yourself. I have my own strat house. And on top of that, I want to be that visionary leader that takes people with me and help them grow on the journey to that vision. That's just a dream that I have for myself. Am I there? No. Am I there in some shape or form? Of course, because I did the work to get there. And I also wanted to add that as much as answering very clearly and in an articulated way, why did I go to university or why did I want to go now, after two years that I'm in, it's very easy. Um in the moment, I don't know that I was I would have been able to articulate a clear why. And I'm gonna mention this because it's very important. At some point, you're gonna do something crazy in your life. Um, and you're not gonna know why. How do you know that that is the right thing for you? Your body's gonna tell you. If you feel such a pull and if you feel such a warmth and such a like hell yeah, kind of feeling in your body, just don't even try and rationalize that. If that is the feeling that you're having, just go do it. If you feel any kind of resistance for some way and you feel like your body going like physically backward or something, your body's gonna know. And so if you put in a situation of silence and reflection and uh just meditation almost, you're gonna find your answer regardless of any rationalization that you can maybe give many, many years later. Um, that doesn't matter. What matters is how you feel about the crazy thing that you're trying to do. And I wanted to mention

The doubt and fear before the upgrade

SPEAKER_00 16:19

that because I've always struggled with how do I know that this is the right thing? And now this has become my guidance uh more and more. And I've exercised a lot following my intuition from even most basic things like do I go left or do I go right to get to my endpoint, to do I go to university or not.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

I recognize from what you're saying, one, that your strategic planning background comes so handy, you put it into practice in your own view of yourself and your career, and that is so powerful. This is something that uh yeah, it's a great example to give and to learn from you. But this topic, I would have asked you also what is your definition of success? And what you say is the goal is to keep working on me and and and know that I am going towards the vision of myself that I know I can do, and so important when you mentioned how to recognize the pool because so many people might feel it. Do I do it? Do I not? And we all dance in this maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't. And the hardest thing is to keep following it when things don't work. And I know that you had a moment like that when yes, okay, I took the decision. I'm uh like I'm working on my development, I'm going back to university, finding I'm studying psychology, it makes so much sense for my future. And it wasn't sunshine and rainbows right away.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Yeah, no, is that right? Not at all. I think one semester in I was questioning what I was gonna do wrong with my life, and uh and uh I wasn't I I was not in a great place and I felt highly overwhelmed. Um, this is also a full-time program, it's not like an online course that you do in the weekends or anything else, it's just a regular university, and I study with like at that at the time they were 18, 19 year olds,

The compass that shifted everything

SPEAKER_00 18:21

so it's it's like as classic as it gets. Um so it's full-time on top of full-time, and uh I know I can handle it. And as you said, I'm a strap planner, so I plan. That's that's just what I do. Um, and so my days are highly organized, and I know how to get all of that done, and I'm still doing it two years in, but one semester in, I was like, probably am I most miserable, and it had nothing to do with university, actually, that gave me so much joy, but I think there were a lot of other things in my life that I wasn't addressing, uh, other domains that were not giving me giving me as much joy, and so any joy that I was getting from my studies, uh, it was being offset by the whole context that wasn't working for me. And uh, and I think that's when I met you, and you were actually the first shift in me starting to believe again that I could do it. Um, and I remember one of the first exercises that you gave me was the career compass, was it called? Um, there were a lot of questions to very much specify my career compass. Yes, and I think part of the reason why I was feeling so miserable is because I was feeling this uh push and pull towards um I know I'm building a foundation, and I know that I've designed my life right now in a way to get me to a goal. I've always wanted to have my own side hustle or like little business, uh, let's not call it little, my business, um, to uh do something that was just mine and nobody could take away from me, um, and that I could nurture and grow to my own wish, basically, and and desires. And I felt like um, yes, I was studying and I was doing something pretty amazing, I thought, uh, for myself. Um, but that was a foundation that was gonna take me a very long time. And I felt the pressure of everyone's doing something. Am I being gonna be am I gonna be left behind? Um and together with all of the yeah, the that whole context was just like it got me into spinning and you know, like a really bad uh how do you say, downward spiral. Um and that's when I think you reached out very out of the blue uh and asking me, hey, saw your name on LinkedIn. I think I maybe I posted something about I don't even remember. I posted something and you reached out saying, Hey, say your name. We haven't talked in a long time. And then we did, and boy, we talked for a very long time that day. And my ask to you was I have all of this energy in my mind, but I don't know how to put it out in the world because I have all of this interest and I'm doing uh university and I'm at a job that I actually like, but I don't know how it fits with everything else. Like it was just a like a mushy thing of words and ideas, and was very hard to uh find the thread. And that was literally the ask uh for help towards you. And the career compass exercise was was beautiful because you asked me was uh what success was for me as a professional, and uh and there was space for my corporate career, but there was space also for my own business idea and what I was looking for from these spaces. What was in it for me, what was in it for other people around me, and fast forward. Two years, I think, a year, no, one year. Fast forward one year, I went back to that document and I was like, wow, must have, nice abs, all checked. It's it's incredible. The moment and the moment when I started um that conversation with you for me was I committed to myself. I committed to saying yes to that state of alignment. And that's why going back to the beginning, uh, the first question that you asked me, the university was the crazy thing, but the alignment is that was it was it's what it was one component of a full alignment because I needed to find it at home into my vision. And at that point, I needed to articulate that why basically. I think that's what I started feeling. Um, and while I knew there was no question that it was gonna be a yes, but I had I needed to articulate it to myself why I was doing that, what kind of purpose was that serving? Um, and uh, and that was a beautiful, beautiful journey.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

No, it's so great to hear for sure. Like I can see how the clarity helped, like having a purpose into all the things that you want to do and all the things that are important to you, and at the same

Becoming ready to say yes

SPEAKER_01 23:15

time knowing that you are on a path to to change and to that that moves towards where you want to go. So, what I'm hearing from you that was that moving from yes, I've done these things, but why do I not feel energized? Why things feel so heavy and to moving now into I have the career that ticks the boxes that I set, and I know where things fit, and I also know that I have a strong passion to empower women, and there's a space for that too in the vision, and we'll will also get into some of your uh dreams for the future. But now, what what I want to ask you is one was the personal compass, but what else helped you really to move from I want a certain type of change, I want to have a certain type of growth, and this is happening. Um I am becoming that person. Were there other key moments that gave you that confidence and that drive to go ahead?

SPEAKER_00 24:25

I think it was a at some point it became a necessity to evolve because at some point you do all of this work, and I um I literally just said to you that in whatever context you are, you can always shape it to your own desire and level of impact that you want to have. I really believe you can do that. At some point, it's not gonna be enough. You're gonna want more, you're gonna, you're gonna need a different, not more necessarily, but either more or a different context to continue to drive vision. At some point, you're gonna outgrow your container and whatever space you're finding yourself into. And I think realizing when that happens puts you in a situation of very much opening yourself to whatever is next. And I think organically that's where I got myself very quickly after that work with a compass. I think it puts my mind, it put my mind into this is the vision. It's like the the letter to yourself that you, you know, the that you write. I don't know if you've ever done that exercise. Um you write a letter to yourself like five, 10 years from now, and then you read it at that point in time and you're like, well, that happened. Um, and those are what I called all those micro adjustments into your actions and the way you speak and the way you think and the the things that you do that bring you to that result. And so uh opening myself up to conversations, deeming myself enough for a different role, and also getting myself to a point where I was gonna be able to say yes to that role. When the sticker came and when they offered me this role, I remember I I told very clearly to my boss, I said, if you would have come a year a year before, I wouldn't have been ready for this. He told me that he sees me so much imbalance, and I took that as such a big compliment. Um and I told him, said this was hard work. And again, if you would have come here before me reaching this point, you I would have not been ready to say yes to this. I would have freaked out, and I would have found every possible excuse to say, no, this is not for me. And it wasn't that it was and and that would have wouldn't have been true. It's just that I wasn't ready for it. I wouldn't have been ready for it. And uh I think getting myself ready mentally and emotionally for a change like that, um, I think that was then the next step. And it started with a compass exercise, but obviously it continued by uh really and honestly asking myself the questions on what exactly do I want, how do I want to go about it? And I don't know that there is a magic formula, but that that openness, I would say, that was the other unlock. And always a little bit of luck. You always need it in these scenarios, I think.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

But as you said, then luck can come. Sometimes you don't even recognize it, but in that time you were ready, you recognize it, and you you were not gonna let this opportunity go because at that point it was the right time. You were ready, you had done, and this is what's so beautiful that I'm hearing from your story is yes, it's the being your do your job really well because you are an incredible profession. Let's not like forget about it. Like, but you've always done your work, you've always done brilliantly at your work, and for a lot of people, they're so dedicated, but then they still complain. Like, I'm still showing up, I'm still doing the hard work, and I'm still not growing as fast or where exactly I want to go. So

You have full power to create your own destiny

SPEAKER_01 28:18

the external, like the work and working hard is one piece, but it's not the whole game. What you are describing is putting yourself on the line to say, what do I want as a person? What is important for me? What is the vision I have for myself? What are my beliefs? And they go hand in hand to make sure that things go in that direction of um of alignment. This is what I'm hearing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:45

Yes, then the main message that I want to give is that although not everything is in your control, most of it is. If you're finding yourself like I did in a moment where you felt spiraling, you felt that you weren't going in the direction that you wanted, that you weren't growing or getting the opportunities or whatever it is, it's your responsibility to go get them. And what I've described so far is my way of how I went to go get them through some crazy things that I added in on my plate. Uh, it's not the only way, but whatever's right for you, you have full power to make your own journey and create your own destiny. I really, really believe that.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

Beautiful. And what's in store for you? What are some of the other things you're passionate about and that you are working on and you still want to expand on if you're open to share?

SPEAKER_00 29:50

Yeah, of course. I think I think right now what I'm very much expanding on is uh adjusting to this new role and this

Lifting others up

SPEAKER_00 29:58

business, and uh, of course, continuing my studies. I'm in my second year, I have one more semester left, um, luckily. So I'm now at a point where I'm closer to being done. And um, as I said, this is a foundation to something. And uh I hinted a few times at uh wanting my own business. Um I see as my personal mission to give back in the same way that I've received in my life. I've met people that have supported me, that have lifted me, and that have given me the opportunities that without which I wouldn't I wouldn't be here today. And so I want to make my mission, and it is my mission, to give that back to someone else, be that person to as many people as I can. How do I do that? That's to be seen, and that's what uh the future of my business will uh will be. And so right now I'm very much at peace with the fact that I'm continuing to build this foundation. I'm very close to the end of it, and but that is my only focus at this moment. Um, once that step will be done, then it I will move into business building mode to realize that mission, whatever that looks like.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Beautiful. And we've covered many things today, but I still want to give you the space if there's any other anything else that you would like to share, especially for the people who are in a career that on one hand fits, on one hand, on paper seems uh good, but there's something that doesn't add up, there's something that is somehow missing, but is not sure. Are my ideas worth it? Should I move? Should I consider something else? So, in that moment of uncertainty and blurriness, what is the

Advice for when you feel uncertain and misaligned

SPEAKER_01 32:00

advice that you would give?

SPEAKER_00 32:02

Yeah. Um, you're probably gonna have many moments like that. That would be the first thing. So, my first advice is buckle up. Um, as much as it's uncertain and you will feel that it's a little crazy, uh, it's a beautiful journey. Whatever you do for yourself, it's never crazy enough. Um, that would be the first advice, really buckle up for that journey because it's gonna transform you foundationally, really. Um more tangibly, what to do when you are not sure is ask ask questions to yourself. And if you yourself don't have the answer, ask outside. People around you know you really well. And I've I've done this as well. I've asked my friends and people, even at my work, ask ask them about how they see you. The layer of how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you is sometimes so different that you're not gonna you're not gonna know unless you ask. And those inputs are gonna be able, are gonna help you to build your not certainty, but help you get there closer to to certainty. If there's stuff that you doubt, why do you doubt it? That's also a good question. Um, and if it is a perception that you have for yourself, then other people will help you correct that um in uh in many ways. So asking for help and asking for perspectives outside, it's always a good uh a good one, as well as asking yourself the questions of why and ask yourself many times. Like just don't stop at the first why, go at least five times deeper or seven times deeper, as many times as you feel like. If you feel like you could ask yourself one more why, you probably can, so then go. Um, and try and push yourself until you get really to the crux of it. Why do I want a business? Why do I want this job? Why do I want this kind of career? Why do I want to, I don't know, move across the world, or why do I want to uh shift from this industry to this other industry? You need to know how that connects to your own identity as deep as possible. Because when it does, then the how, as you said before, comes into full alignment. But if you're not able to articulate all of those whys, then listen to your body. The body knows. There is there is no hiding from it, the body really knows. And what I would also say as an advice is follow, follow that. Regardless of all the layers of why, if you're able to answer them or not, if your body is a yes, you have to go for it. Because if you don't, you're gonna stay in a situation that eventually is gonna burn you out. And if you start hearing yourself giving excuses, I don't have time, or oh, but what if it doesn't work? Yeah, what if? Think about that question. Give yourself that answer. What is the worst that can happen? You go back where you came from, or you find something else. It's really, I don't know, it's it's I think it's uh it's a beautiful feeling to know that you can design the chart of your life and achieve whatever you want with it. And uh I think that's very empowering. And I don't know, it makes me smile because I find always happy I find happiness in like wow, I actually wanted to have this day. And I get to the end of it and like wow, that was really nice. And I always every day write uh two or three bullet points very quickly because um I would I'd rather make it a habit than something I don't do of gratitude of what I found that day that made me smile, that made my day that I'm just grateful for because in that moment that's how I feel. Um, and that's how you remind yourself um what's important for you.

SPEAKER_01 36:08

Yeah, I can see you have that very strong connection, and you've been so generous, so insightful, sharing these tools, these exercises, these reflections, these questions that you've gone through and they've helped you. I think this is going to be very useful, even to really listen to it, uh, to allow others to do it for themselves. Because when we feel like, oh, okay, I don't know what's

Don't wait. Just do it

SPEAKER_01 36:33

next, it is helpful to know okay, this worked, and then I can build this on my day at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day. How can I have this reminder? And if my life is going so fast, you also mentioned one of the points before that you weren't sure, and you took time, you took a little bit of silence because in the craziness and in the frantic movement of a or corporate career or life in general, it's so hard to hear the mind, feel the body. So having that cool down moment to ask the question and really be able to listen is not something that is so immediate. So be conscious and make time for it. It's going to be one of the habits, then that is really gonna help. And if you have that time, then in this episode, you shared a few things that you can do. So that's beautiful. And one thing that I've heard, and I want to reflect it because I felt it was key in the things you were sharing, and I got very uh excited and emotional when you were saying that is if you feel the pool, do it, follow it, even if not everything is clear, because you also mentioned it, the why got clarified over time, and this is so important to remind everyone because I hear it so often, I'm not moving because I want to clarify, I'm not moving because the thing is not clear, or is this the right move? It's such a paralyzing consideration. We cannot know upfront if it's going to be the right thing. But what I was hearing from you is that it's not even the most important thing. Because if you go for it, whether it's the right thing or not, what happens is that you get to evolve and you become the person who will be able to find the other answers. And I felt it was so such an important reminder.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

Yeah, and what you describe in terms of that moment of paralysis, I've felt it for years. I feel like I've wasted so much time precisely because I couldn't answer that question, and I was afraid of, oh, what if it's wrong? And I've tried many things and they were all wrong, and that's okay. But I was trying, and somehow I was moving and I got here. But the waste of time that I spent just by not doing anything because I was giving myself excuses because I was yeah, paralyzed by the very concept of doing anything that was you know outside the playbook that I was given growing up. That was probably the the it's not a regret by all means, but if I could go back to my younger self and tell her something would be just don't wait. Just do it. It's the best thing you can do for yourself. Yeah, don't wait. There's nothing, there's nothing bad that can come from it, and that's why I keep pushing on the alignment with yourself. Like as long as you're doing it for yourself, it does it, it may, it may turn out great, it may not. You're gonna have you're you will have learned something, and that is invaluable. And for me, what I know, because I've talked a lot about my own business and I've just changed job. For me, the combination of the two together, I know right now, because you've asked me many times what is your vision for yourself? How do you see yourself uh operating as a professional? And for me, having those two things right now feels so right because I very much enjoy my career. I actually like working in an environment where I can make an impact at a corporate level, which sounds weird. I know. I really I hear myself uh saying that, and I know it sounds weird, but um you can actually make an impact in that way, but you need to be very mindful of what kind of impact you can make. And again, does that align to your own vision? Right now, it really does for me. I love the environment that I'm into and the business and the team and everything, and I cannot see myself not doing that, but I can also not see that it's important, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

Yeah, it's important that you mention that because by all means, I part of this podcast is the belief and the philosophy that you can make your career whatever you want, and you will probably change the version of it in different moments of your life. So, in in your case, that's great. It's not simple, and it's very important to say yes, you can have an impact in corporate, in startup, in volunteer, like anything you decide to do. So, by all means, I don't mean to say that you need to run off and start your own thing in order to make it impactful, valuable, or have a lifestyle that you enjoy. So it's great that you that you brought this perspective. Absolutely agree. Yeah, Silvia, it was such a rich time. So many other things that uh we could go deeper, but because you also mentioned that mentoring, being supported, being guided has been such an important part of your growth. Um, I would also invite others to connect with you if they feel like your story, your experience um made a connection. So, how can people find you where and how to connect with you?

SPEAKER_00 42:26

Yeah, definitely love to hear from anyone who'd like to hear some thoughts or uh just have questions, happy to help. Uh, people can find me on LinkedIn uh very easily and uh definitely connect with me and uh get in touch.

SPEAKER_01 42:41

Okay, we'll put that in the show notes then. Thanks again for the conversation and thank you for being here. Thank you for listening, it truly means a lot. Before you go, if this conversation opened up something for you, I'd love to know what it is. Feel free to share it with me or on social media. This is how stories travel. If you enjoyed this episode, you're already part of this community, and this is how you can help us grow. You can leave a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you're listening from. You can follow the show or you can turn on the auto download so you never miss an episode. Any of it helps more than you know because it helps other people find the stories when they need them the most. And it really does take just one of us acting on a crazy idea to change not only our life but the lives of everyone around us. And if you two have a nudge, a crazy idea running in your mind, and you're looking for guidance to turn it into reality, follow the show notes to connect with the guest and find more resources from human careers. Thank you for being here and see you in the next episode.