Showing Up for Yourself with Jahaan Blake | Hope Motivates Action Podcast

S07 | 12 – Showing Up for Yourself with Jahaan Blake

Lindsay Recknell Hope, Podcast, Workplace Mental Health Leave a Comment

We can be our own worst enemy sometimes. Some days we just don’t feel motivated, and sometimes we let fear and lack of confidence keep us from going outside our comfort zone. But how well is this really serving you?

It’s time to step up to bat for yourself. 

Jahaan Blake joins me on this episode of the podcast to talk about showing up, even when it isn’t easy. Even when it isn’t comfortable.Even when you just don’t think you have it in you to make your goals a reality. Because that’s how you make progress! 

Listen in for meaningful advice on how you can show up for yourself to reach your fullest potential in your life and career, and do what it is that you actually want to do.

About Jahaan Blake:

Jahaan Blake is a sports executive turned career coach who helps high-achieving women in the sports and entertainment industry who feel stuck, frustrated, and defeated to find their voice and tackle whatever it is that’s keeping them from getting exactly what they want out of their career. During Jahaan’s 18 years of working in sports, including working for 3 major league teams (the Red Sox, the Dodgers, and the Cubs), her favorite part of the job was helping others see their full potential. So, she made a business out of it!

Whether her clients want to break into sports, take their performance to the next level, or own a place at the executive table, Jahaan provides customized coaching programs to accelerate their career. Jahaan is also the host of the Game of Her Own podcast, which highlights the inspiring journey of influential women working in the sports and entertainment industry. These candid interviews offer unique advice and strategies to help empower women in the industry. 

To learn more, visit her website and follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Transcription:

Lindsay Recknell  0:03  

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Hope Motivates Action podcast. I’m your host, Lindsay Recknell. And it is my pleasure to have Jahaan Blake here with us today. Hello, good morning. How are you?

 

Jahaan Blake  0:15  

Good morning. How are you?

 

Lindsay Recknell  0:16  

I am doing awesome. I’m so excited to have you here. I think you have such an interesting life and career. And I can’t wait for people to hear more about how you see hope in your life and in the lives of your clients as well. Let me introduce you a little bit more formally to our listeners so that they can understand a little bit more about who you are and what you do. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  0:38  

So Jahaan Blake is a sports executive turned career coach who helps high achieving women in the sports and entertainment industry, who feel stuck, frustrated and defeated, to find their voice and tackle what is ever keeping them from getting exactly what they want out of their career. During Jahaan’s 18 years of working in sports, including working for three major league teams, the Red Sox, the Dodgers and the Cubs, her favorite part of the job was helping others to see their full potential. So she made a business out of it, whether her clients want to break into sports, take the performance to the next level, or own a place at the executive table. Jahaan provides customized coaching programs to accelerate their career. Jahaan is also the host of the game of her own podcast, which highlights the inspiring journey of influential women working in the sports and entertainment industry. These candid interviews offer unique advice and strategies to help empower women in the industry. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  1:32  

Welcome to the show, I can’t wait to hear more about how you helped to empower women. And really how you got into this journey yourself. Please tell us your story.

 

Jahaan Blake  1:44  

Yes, so I started, Okay, I’m gonna make I can make the story super long or super short. And I have to be mindful, sometimes I’m a storyteller. But I started my career at the Boston Red Sox, so almost 20 years ago, which is so crazy to think about, but I was getting my masters and I, you know, went straight from undergrad to get my master’s. And I remember, everyone’s like, getting a Master’s like you’re so good. And like, I just don’t know what I want to do yet. 

 

Jahaan Blake  2:11  

So instead of like, just taking you know, a job as like a bartender or a waitress, nothing wrong with that, right things I wanted to do to make extra money, but I was like, maybe I’ll just keep going to school. And I’ll figure it out as I go along. And I worked as a assistant soccer coach as well for my Emerson College. And that’s when about a year into school, I saw this man on TV, talking about working at, you know, for the Red Sox at Fenway Park and doing all this work and don’t quit your day jobs. It’s part time. And I don’t know why I was like drawn to it. There’s like, work in sports. This is my plan, I was just going to figure it out. Somehow I was going to get into sports. And that was it. 

 

Jahaan Blake  2:52  

And so I applied 4000 other people applied. And three months later, 25 of us got the job. And that’s how I started my career to sports. And so I knew I just loved that. And loves that fan services. That’s the department where I just loves that aspect of the sport side, just making sure fans had a memorable moment. And I grew to run the department that I was hired in. And then I learned a lot about myself learning that I love solving problems instead of just maintaining programs. And so after we had done a lot of the work that we were set out to do, I went out to work for the Dodgers, then came to Chicago to work for the cubs. 

 

Jahaan Blake  3:34  

And then I met my husband and well I’m ready to like settle down and like just kind of like start moving from city to city and I love moving actually it’s been 11 years so I kind of have the itch again but I just want to stay and just be like for a little while. But I know that I can’t stay at the Cubs forever. So I’m like I’m gonna start my own business, right? That’s what you do. Like No, no, like audience No, like listen, I said this amazing network and I was like, I know that I can find a client and so I started talking about it and you know, just anyone who would listen to me I’ve talked to I even talked to my boss about it just because we were trying they were trying this thing I don’t know if they still do it where you have like open conversations and like say what you want to do even if it’s not aligned to what you’re currently doing. Try them out 

 

Jahaan Blake  4:25  

and so one person said to me well he didn’t work for me but he validated my fears and he said well you know you should get consulting experience before you start your own consulting firm. Well I said yes, you’re right so I was gonna do consulting I was a guest you’re right so I went to the week. Love Deloitte, a great company, not for me, like worst year of my life like I just was not a fit for me at all. So I quit. I said okay, you can leave as soon as you get your first consulting client. And I did lens at my first consulting client worked on Super Bowl improbable left too late within a year. I started that just my hit the ground running, just working on consulting. 

 

Jahaan Blake  5:04  

And then probably two years into it. I was like, Okay, I’m bored. Right? It was just that I just felt like something was missing. And I was still in these like boardrooms like having these conversations and still, like, getting more access to executives and I did, you know, President than I did when I was back in my old job, I was like, there’s something missing. And then I decided to miss helping people. I don’t have a big team right now. I was like, I miss helping people grow within sports. And I said, Oh, it’s my business. I can start another one. 

 

Jahaan Blake  5:33  

So I started the coaching business, did some market research, interviewed a bunch of women. And then four of those six women that I interviewed said, Can I have your rates? I was like, absolutely. I was like, tonight, I’ve wanted to do something else. Put together packages, and I haven’t looked back since. And that’s how I started doing coaching for women. And that has become my main focus.

 

Lindsay Recknell  6:00  

Amazing, amazing. I mean, I love all of the, I don’t know, I hate using the word pivot. We hear that word a lot, right? But it right that, okay, I, I’ve done the thing. Now, I’m kind of like, not sure what I want to do next. But it’s got to be something, and then you make a decision, and then you go do that thing. And then you be successful, and that for a bit, and then you go, Oh, that’s my own business. I’m just gonna start another one. Like, it just feels so it feels so hopeful. It feels so practical, it feels terrifying. I can only imagine the things that we’re going through, you’re there your mind at those times?

 

Jahaan Blake  6:40  

Yes, definitely. Definitely terrifying and exciting. And like, I honestly credit all of the ways that I’ve gained since I left corporate to starting my own business. Like That was my thing. You know, everyone has their thing. And like, I just ate a lot of food. Like, I just been pulling out my hair. And then I, you know, having a day and like, what am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing? And then you know, pizza, and I’m lactose intolerant, and it’s stupid for me the pizza, but like that would be my my saving grace. And then when I land a big client, let’s go get some pizza. Bad, bad cycle of a lot of a lot of food, to say the least.

 

Lindsay Recknell  7:21  

But kind of cool. So the self awareness piece of that, right, like, as your pizza in my head, I’m replacing the word pizza with pretzels and Diet Coke, because that is how I cope. You know, I remember long study sessions at night with pretzels and Diet Coke. You know, if I start languishing in the middle of the afternoon, it’s pretzels and Diet Coke that I go to ridiculous, but it works. Because entrepreneurship is the most awesome. And the most awful job out there. In my, in my opinion, of 12 years of doing this kind of work. Does that? Does that resonate at all? What do you say to people who want to start their own business?

 

Jahaan Blake  8:02  

Absolutely. You know, I feel the same way and I’m very careful not to and I know we’re just having a conversation but like I try not to like project my own eating. I mean like experience. However, everybody that I come in contact with, that’s an entrepreneur is saying the same thing. So like, okay, it’s just not me, like so I feel the need to tell people like, here’s some things you need to do. Like, while you’re still working doesn’t even need to take clients, but here’s some things you need to prepare yourself with. 

 

Jahaan Blake  8:29  

And that self awareness, I thought I was self aware before. Like, I mean, I recommend to people like if if you’re into therapy, like Get it, get a therapist, if you’ve had it before and it worked. Do it if you thinking about trying it. Now like now’s a really good time to get a therapist. I mean, I remember I just had like one conversation with a therapist, and I was like, I say something out loud to her and then like, Oh my gosh, that’s so silly. Why am I thinking that like I’ll say like, I literally will like just like coach myself or like, you know, just help myself through things but while talking to somebody else, but as soon as like you get it out. That helps. I think the self awareness piece is something I talked to people about because it is really it’s really difficult to start your own business be out there without that safety net. 

 

Jahaan Blake  9:20  

You know, everyone’s like, Oh, well, if you have a job, you can get fired, but it’s different. Like, like the likelihood of you getting fired. I say what is the likelihood of you getting fired is tough, but I got fired from the Dodgers, which is a whole story. I was in good company. 15 of us got fired in the same day. But like it, the likelihood of you getting fired really is slim, right likelihood of you losing a big client. Not closing a deal. Like those things seem so much scarier

 

Lindsay Recknell  9:48  

and much more likely.

 

Jahaan Blake  9:51  

Right. And so it’s hard. I think the hardest part, what I tell people is you can’t you have to be ready for that fear that comes along with it, but you also have to figure out how to manage it. Because you can’t operate under like the pressure of fear, like, That won’t work. Like you won’t do your best work if you’re scared, like I remember COVID started. I was like, for like a month, I said, Ah, this is why I’m not producing. I’m scared. Like, right, like so it’s really that’s I think that’s a difficult thing to learn a lesson to learn.

 

Lindsay Recknell  10:21  

What do you attribute to like, your success as a small business owner over the last couple of years, you know, managing that fear? Is that your resiliency? Is it your grit? Is it your start? Really, you know, is there a characteristic of yours that you attribute tribute, your continued success?

 

Jahaan Blake  10:41  

You know, no one’s asked me that question. And I don’t know that I’ve thought about it. I think it’s just one of those things. That’s, I call it stubbornness. But like, I don’t, I don’t want to, I don’t want to fail. And yes, I have to, like, you know, pay my mortgage and pay, you know, for my car. But that’s not it. Like, I just, I think it’s that just, well, this is what I always wanted to do. And this is, it is so much fun. And like, I get to do this. So like, let’s just, let’s keep going. Right? Like, I can always go get a job like that, that you know what I mean? Like I have a I get calls from recruiters like I like I just like, but that’s not it. 

 

Jahaan Blake  11:28  

So I honestly think it’s just the I get to be my own boss. I get to like, I was having lunch with friends yesterday, and I hadn’t seen it, like almost all summer. And he was like, I was like, I’m going on vacation next week. And he was like, you’re going on vacation all summer? And I was like, Yes, I have because I read my own business. And what you don’t know is those were working vacations. This one is not but like, Yeah, why not go stay with my family for two weeks in Boston? Why not go, you know, see my in-laws in South Carolina. It’s fun. Like, I can’t do that if I have a, you know, a real job or have to be in an office every day.

 

Lindsay Recknell  12:11  

And also, I like that language you get to, you know, it’s that mindset shift that you work your butt off. So you get to do that work life integration in the ways that matter to you. Yes, right. Yeah, it doesn’t matter to you. And funny that you use the word stubborn because as I was asking you that question about the character qualities in my head, I’m like, or is it stubbornness, because for me, it is stubbornness. It’s that it’s, I like to call it tenacity. But it’s that kind of willingness to continue taking that action and continue to take that next step. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  12:48  

And for me, that language is also hope, right? This is the hope podcast. This is all about the signs of hope. And what that word, that language, that feeling means to follow us. Do you have a definition of hope? Or what comes to mind when I use that language with you?

 

Jahaan Blake  13:05  

You know, I just feel like when it comes to hope, it’s just again, I think it’s just something that comes naturally to me. I make the assumption that it comes naturally to other people, but it does not. It’s just, it’s that it’s like a feeling. I can’t quite articulate. And I have it every single day. Like even me, like I just have it every single day. Every time I open my eyes like, Oh, I’m, I’m, I’m still here. not to make this morbid. 

 

Jahaan Blake  13:37  

But like, I’m here. It’s like, what do you think it’s just so like, I don’t know, like, I’m getting spiritual here. But like, this is so beautiful. Like I am here and I get to do this, like, I’m on this earth. Let’s go like, what are we gonna do today? What are we gonna do to make today? Great. What are you gonna do to make today better than you know? Yesterday, I was actually giving myself a pep talk this morning because I was mad, because I had so telling you a lot of Oreos last night. I was so mad at myself and not because of the calories because I felt sluggish, you know, and I felt like off night. How many more days? Am I gonna do this to myself? 

 

Jahaan Blake  14:10  

I was okay, what are we going to do today to make it better? So tomorrow, you don’t feel like this? Like, it’s just, I get to be here. And I think for me, that’s what hope that’s what really what hope means. Like, they just come to me naturally. I’m so happy and I feel so lucky. Right now.

 

Lindsay Recknell  14:30  

Yeah, beer, it’s beautiful. You and you feel very intentional, like you know, even just just that story that you shared about not feeling like yourself today. But going come on Jahaan, get it together. Here’s the things we get to do next so that we don’t have to feel this way later. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  14:50  

So my definition of hope is that the future will be better than today by taking action over the things we can control. 

 

Jahaan Blake  14:57  

Yes, 

 

Lindsay Recknell  14:57  

You know, and it is That, that intention is that future thinking it’s that taking the action to do the things. And, you know, finding those pathways to overcome the obstacles that are going to get in our way, because we are going to eat the Oreos. In my case, we are going to eat the pretzels. It’s just what we do with it afterwards or how you know, where we lower the opportunity or we figure out what the trigger is. So that we, you know, change the habit or whatever, whatever that looks like. It’s Yeah, taking those actions and figuring out what it is we can control. 

 

Jahaan Blake  15:36  

Yeah, and so you say that and I it makes me think I just someone, just a woman I went to college with, she runs her own business, and we’ve lost touch. But like I saw, obviously the joy of social media, you still know what everyone’s doing. And she wrote something in a very long post. 

 

Jahaan Blake  15:53  

But there’s one line that stuck out, she’s like, I just think we need to let go of this idea that you have to be motivated every time you show up, just show up. Like that’s using me on Monday. That’s usually me. Like, sometimes it’s just the act like this weekend, I had to work to prepare to get ready for vacation. And I didn’t want to, and I was like, but just show up. And as soon as I sat down, like within 20 minutes of working, I was going right. And I started to feel those feelings of hope and all the things I just talked about. And like I started to get that happy feeling. 

 

Jahaan Blake  16:25  

But I was not motivated to do it. But I showed up because I owe it to myself, right? Like today I’m not and I really want Oreos later, but I need to just show up and for myself and not eat the Oreo. So I don’t even realize I don’t feel the same way as I did. And like, I don’t know, that just really resonated with me when she was like we don’t like sometimes she just showing up is the best thing. And then I think everything else, what you constantly consistently practice follows in like, sort of just will pick you up.

 

Lindsay Recknell  16:57  

Yeah, well, and you know, anybody who’s familiar with habits and routine and have ritualizing some of these things, right? If you just take that first step, then it starts to build the confidence that you can take the next step like so if you just sit down at your computer, you just show up for yourself, then you know, you, you just did that hard thing. So now you can do the next hard thing because you’ve got a little bit of confidence to do that. And then it starts to snowball into this awesome thing. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  17:30  

I also sat down at my computer last night, and I was on vacation for the last 10 days. And the thought of coming back to work this morning, this is Monday morning that we are recording this. There was totally demoralized, it was not the word. But like it was, the thought of it was really tough. But I sat down on my computer last night, I got through a whole list of things. Once I got into it once I showed up for myself exactly what you said, uh, once you show up, then you can get into that flow, it’s just showing up and getting there. That’s the hardest part. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  18:08  

And I imagine, that must be some of the things that you counsel your clients on. Because if they’re in a place in a corporate career, or they are in a place where they want to do something new, and they don’t know what to do next, is like how do you encourage them and motivate them to show up for themselves?

 

Jahaan Blake  18:30  

You know, I love the coaching sessions, they’re, you know, they’re one on one, and they’re so it’s so much fun these week. How I encourage them is talking through what’s getting in their way. Right? And so if they were to get on the call beforehand, they wouldn’t know where I was, you know, that’s what they were gonna talk about, right? 

 

Jahaan Blake  18:50  

But it’s always the history, okay, I want to pitch to my boss that I want, you know, this new responsibility, I’m creating this job in this new position, and I obviously want more money, right? And so we talk through it. And a lot of the time it’s mindset, it’s not so much about the process. 

 

Jahaan Blake  19:09  

So it’s just uncovering what’s really bothering you and like really digging in, and then realizing, oh, yeah, you’re right. Like, I can do this, I am making up a story. Like I am, like, you know, I am listening to my limiting beliefs. And then you know, we talk about process and like how to get it, but the majority of the college is the mindset. And then we work on the process, usually towards the last 10 minutes. And they’re like, but then it flows and it’s easier for them to do the work. 

 

Jahaan Blake  19:37  

So it’s just a beautiful thing to watch them just actually just be like, oh, like, I can do this. You were like You’re so right. Okay, let’s let’s do the work. And then like the work is easier, because they’ve kind of sat and spent some time and thought about what they were feeling, why they were feeling it. And like I always like to say, what is the worst thing that’s going to happen? Okay, now What’s the best thing that’s gonna happen? Let’s go.

 

Lindsay Recknell  20:02  

So don’t worry about the mindset of it. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  20:04  

So speaking of self awareness, mindset, and the importance of mindset is the biggest thing that I have learned over the last five years. On the woo factor on the Woo scale, I am on the science, practicality rational, give me the data, give me the analytics to explain all the things do not talk to me about cosmic Whoo. However, mindset absolutely is on that scale, and needs to be, should be, and is more important than I’ve ever given it credit to prior to the last five years. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  20:45  

How do you coach, I imagine these senior leaders, executive, high-profile powerful women who are on the same end of the woo scale as I am on the practical ScienceBase side, to actually recognize the value and the importance of this mindset preparation work.

 

Jahaan Blake  21:09  

So interesting. You say that, because I think there’s a disconnect, right? Not Not everyone recognizes the value of mindset. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  21:19  

Totally. 

 

Jahaan Blake  21:20  

They talk about it. And they realize that, like, you know, others need to work on it, right? Like, it’s always like, oh, like others need to work on their minds. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you know, Dominique does, and that is not her name. But why am I the gymnast is escaping me. Simone Biles, oh my god. Do not tell Simone, who I don’t know. I just did that. But she’s like, everyone’s like, Oh, yeah, she like mental health is important. Yeah, she should take care of herself. But no one’s thinking about like, really, no other people are thinking about themselves. 

 

Jahaan Blake  21:48  

These people I’m working with, right, they’re thinking up, they’re thinking about others, they’re taking care of others. And honestly, it’s for me, as a coach, I gotta, I can’t, I’m not going to tell you, I’m just going to coach it out of you. And so if that, in fact, is a roadblock, mindset, we’re going to get to the bottom of it in the session. Like right away, like we usually do, the first session is a 90 minute, like sort of assessment. And like we I, every time, every single time the call ends, people say to me, I was worried what in the world are you going to talk about for 90 minutes? Like, what is this going to be? And I feel later and I feel better? 

 

Jahaan Blake  22:24  

So it’s just for me, my process is to uncover what’s the roadblock and 90% of the time. It’s mindset. It and that’s when they’re like, okay, yes, okay, I want to work on that. But I guess if it doesn’t, it’s not as direct like, okay, we’re gonna work on mindset, right? Like, it’s just, like, that’s not what I sell, if you will, yeah, because I don’t think anyone would buy it.

 

Lindsay Recknell  22:51  

My truly, it’s like, it’s like, when I talk about hope as my leading sentence. People are like, cosmic Whoo, we can talk about God and faith, maybe, or we’re gonna talk about science, you know, wherever you want to be on that scale. But if I lead with that, people go Nope, not for me. So I totally get it

 

Jahaan Blake  23:13  

doesn’t doesn’t work. But when I talk about it through the lens of what they’re trying to do, it becomes crystal clear. Like and I wonder sometimes at the end, I always ask like, biggest takeaways No, no one ever really says the word mindset and I wonder what they say to like their, you know, partners or friends. You know, if they do, in fact talk about it afterwards, like, what they’re working on. 

 

Jahaan Blake  23:35  

But a lot of, you know, it’s just more of like, yeah, my biggest takeaway is I’m gonna stop making up stories, right? Like about what my boss is gonna say when they go to him or her like, like, just things like that. So I actually have a free What do you call them? Free freebie, download whatever. And it’s on mindset. It is not popular in terms of people downloading it for free. It is very popular though, among my clients. Isn’t that interesting? 

 

Jahaan Blake  24:06  

Like Yeah, like once we do the work and like, try this, I want you to be intentional and I don’t feel like I’m a doctor. I prescribe things to them. Right and like an oversight to everybody but I do get I do offer it to a you know, a lot of my clients and then they’re like, Oh, so helpful. But if I tell you on Instagram or my email list or whatever, that I have this, it’s not as popular.

 

Lindsay Recknell  24:27  

Interesting. Well, we’ll definitely link to that in the show notes. And maybe a title change that says, This is not a mindset workbook.

 

Jahaan Blake  24:41  

Seriously,

 

Lindsay Recknell  24:44  

you know, but, but it’s, you know, it’s so interesting the language we use to describe to other people or to describe to ourselves what it is that we’re working on. It really matters and is it a shame thing? Is it an uncomfortable thing? I mean, I like to say that my superpower is making uncomfortable conversations into ones you actually want to have. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  25:08  

And it’s because I like to change people’s mindset around words and language that we typically rebel against, you know, I think hope has a PR problem. And I am setting out to solve Hope’s PR problem very similarly. I think using the word mindset has a PR problem. And helping people to recognize the value and impact of that is huge. In all of the work that both you and I are doing, that’s right, right, cool. Yeah. Um, how do you recognize hope and other people?

 

Jahaan Blake  25:51  

Honestly, from a client side, or just a friend side, it’s, I think it’s easier to answer on the client side, right? Because they call me like, you have taken the first step or you sign up for a challenge, you know, that I did the shoot your shot challenge and had a great turnout. Like, it’s, it’s that like, it’s just taking that step to, like, I don’t want to improve, right, that’s not the right word, and prove yourself, but it’s just growth, right? 

 

Jahaan Blake  26:22  

Those, you know, when you’re taking that step to do some of the activities that I have, or whatever I’m doing, or listening to the podcast, and then emailing me about, like, how that episode helped you. Right? And how it helps you grow. That, to me is just his hope, like that, to me is, oh, well, I see the future. And I’m just trying to get there, maybe a little bit quicker, at an accelerated pace and add a you know, and make sure that I’m doing it the best way that I know how, And to me, that’s how I see it. Definitely in my clients, for sure.

 

Lindsay Recknell  26:57  

So talk to me about so we have listeners, and if anybody is listening to you speak and they’re going well, crap, I really want to do something new with my life, I really want to get into sports, I really want to, you know, get into consulting or coaching, whatever it is, and then they think, but I’ve been climbing this corporate ladder, I’m in a senior executive leadership position, I make X amount of money per year. And if I quit all of this, I have to give up my lifestyle and go live in a, you know, in my car. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  27:31  

Clearly not as dramatic as that but that is going on in our head. I mean, I have that thought every single day. Um, what do you say to people that are listening that are going? I don’t want to live in my car, Jahaan.

 

Jahaan Blake  27:45  

It’s really interesting. I, the people who are listening who are thinking, I really want to start something. That’s right, it starts out like as a whisper, and then it starts to get louder, and it’s not going to go away. Like trust me, it never went away for me, right? And finally, you just gotta figure it out and do it. Because you’re going to be like I, I’m extra. So like, how much more time like, Am I going to waste thinking about it? And just like romanticizing this or making it you know, catastrophizing it and saying I’m living my car, but like what, like, what, how much longer are you going to do that, and you’re going to get to this point where you’re like, I’m done. 

 

Jahaan Blake  28:23  

And like you’re gonna, like, I’ll give an example, I had a client. And the only reason she’s not my client is because at the end of the story so great is that she, we started during that assessment, she talked about something she wanted to do had nothing to do with sports in the work that she was doing. And I was like, Can we talk more about that? She’s like, No, no, no, it’s just something like we, you know, my friend, and I always talk about, but I don’t want to do it. And I was like, Okay, and so I asked her like three more times I sensed it. Like, she has been thinking about this for a long time. 

 

Jahaan Blake  28:54  

So we go through the whole process, we have our sessions, you know, she wants to, you know, get a promotion, we work her job and obviously get a raise. And so we like have a bunch of strategy sessions on what the new jobs gonna look like. And then you know what that title should be and what the money should be. And so proud of her. She went in, and she did it set boundaries, because she has three kids, and she was, you know, like, the boundaries are definitely being pushed. So did all the work got exactly what got what she wanted. 

 

Jahaan Blake  29:25  

Then we have a session, we have like one or two left, and we’re talking and she’s like, I’m not happy. I feel like I did all this work with you, Jahaan. And I’m not unhappy with this new job that I got. And I go, what is it that and like, let’s just be honest, what is it that you want to do? And it went back to that one thing that she talked about? And she’s like, I just I think I think I have to do it like well and so we talked through it and so our next three i’m not i’m not a business coach, but I became one and so then the next like three sessions became putting together a plan For going and doing that, and they’re killing it, so she’s a partner as well. And they’re killing it. Like she’s doing so well. 

 

Jahaan Blake  30:09  

And I mean, she just started in May, and they already have a community on Instagram, like 6000 people, not paying her followers or anything, right, like just natural, like, engagement, people sharing. And people like really, really love what they do. So it’s just if the whispers are not gonna go away, and I’d love to tell everybody that she’s not living in her car. And her business partner is also not living in her car. Everyone’s doing very well, she has three children, and she is providing for her children. 

 

Jahaan Blake  30:41  

So, um, you know, I think it’s the whispers gonna get louder, and it’s going to, it’s going to just kind of eat at you until you do it. So if you’re in that point, it’s time to pull the trigger. And I always recommend that people get support when they’re doing that. So before you leave, like, before you give your notice, like come up with a plan, and what that’s gonna look like and don’t do it in a bubble. bring someone in to help you. Who has been there before? 

 

Lindsay Recknell  31:10  

Yeah, Yeah. two really important points that came to mind as you’re talking about that story. So what’s the plan? Like, you know, don’t just get to the point where you throw your hands up and go, I’m done. I’m out of here. You know, forget you people. I heard this podcast that said, Show You should have one finger on the way out the door. And it shouldn’t be your middle finger, right? 

 

Jahaan Blake  31:40  

Yes, 

 

Lindsay Recknell  31:41  

Thanks very much thumbs up. Glad to be here. Don’t get to that point where that one finger is that little finger and and because then you potentially jeopardized all of your things, your three children, your maybe you won’t even have a car to live in, because you had to sell it for groceries. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  32:00  

So have a plan, have support of people who have been there, that’s exactly the work that I know you do. That is exactly the work that I do. And it’s have that plan to figure out what that get out is because that was going to get louder. And the thing about that whisper is it starts to permeate everything else in your life. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  32:23  

So I know for me, I was saying to my husband last night like I’m, I have been, I’ve not been myself for the last six months. Like I know that there’s something scratchy, I know that there’s something causing friction, I know that I need to do something different. I need to take the next action. But I’ve been avoiding it. And I’ve not been doing it. And it’s affecting every other aspect of my life. And it’s making me do things twice, or having to do things longer because I’ve waited too long. And it’s worse, like, you know, it’s that whisper is going to affect, like poison, like mold everything else in your life. So it’s I think it’s

 

Jahaan Blake  33:03  

well said,

 

Lindsay Recknell  33:05  

That was a lot of words. But the point is, you know, it just does whatever that whisper looks like for you, don’t discount it, don’t think that it can’t be a thing. Because it can be a thing with support and a plan. And that was a lot of words. Usually I like you to do all the talking.

 

Jahaan Blake  33:27  

We’re just having a conversation. I love it.

 

Lindsay Recknell  33:30  

It is amazing. I so loved this conversation. And I can’t believe that we’re coming to the end of our time together. But I always ask my guests one last question at the end of every show. And that is Jahaan, what gives you hope?

 

Jahaan Blake  33:44  

I have a little bit before, so I’m gonna stick with it because I feel this way. Truly, it’s just honestly being here, like opening my eyes every day. Like, I get to eat again today, you know, and some days I’m just like, goodness, I’m so tired. Like, how do I do? That’s what gives me hope is like, you’re you’re here. 

 

Jahaan Blake  34:07  

There are people who do not and not to be morbid, but like there are people who also had hope and didn’t get to open their eyes today for whatever reason. So you’re here like, what are you gonna do with your time? Like, it’s so easy to waste away, it’s so easy to let fear and anxiety which I am. I’m the most anxious person ever. I talked about it all the time on the podcast. So it’s so easy to let those things dominate, right and kind of keep you from doing the things that you want and going after the things that you want. 

 

Jahaan Blake  34:39  

So for me, it’s just I have to remind myself when anxiety or fear start to creep in and take over. That’s sort of how I kind of push through the clouds and the noise and, and, and kind of grab onto hope is just please leave here. So what are you going to do with your time here? What’s that? Look like what are your friends? You know, what are your friends, family? And what would they say about you? And for me, it’s, you know, I always battle with the, I’m tired, I’m stressed, I just want to sit on the couch and like encounters my best threatening or navy and like, I don’t want to do anything. 

 

Jahaan Blake  35:16  

And so that’s not the story that I want people to tell. That’s not the legacy I want to leave behind. It’s helping others. So that gives me hope.

 

Lindsay Recknell  35:26  

Love it amazing. You are a very hopeful person. This conversation has made me feel excellent about the rest of my day. Thank you so so much for being here with me today. And I know that the listeners would take a lot away from your lived experience and just how you’re, how you’re living your life, and how you’re showing up for yourself and for other people. So thank you for being here.

 

Jahaan Blake  35:48  

Thank you for having me. And thank you for this podcast. This was so much fun.

 

Lindsay Recknell  35:52  

Take care, I’ll talk to you very soon. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  35:57  

I hope you enjoyed this latest episode of the Hope of Motivates Action podcast. These episodes are a labor of love. inspiring conversations with hopeful people make my heart happy. If you also love this episode, it would be amazing if you could go to Apple podcasts and leave a review five stars if you’re into it. It’s these reviews that encourage Apple to promote this podcast to their network and the more people that listen, the more hope we can spread into the world. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  36:20  

Don’t forget to check out the show notes of this episode to find all the links to my guests’ books and other resources referenced in this episode. You’ll also find the link back to my website where you will find additional support and resources for you, your team and your community. I truly believe that the future will be better than today. By taking action over the things we can control and hearing from these guests on these episodes. I know that an even more hopeful future is totally possible. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  36:44  

I’m always looking for inspirational guests so if you or anyone you know would like to be a guest on the show please reach out you can find me on the contact form of my website at expertinhope.com or by email at Lindsay@expertinhope.com. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  37:00  

When I was a teenager and my sisters were leaving the house to go out for the night, I always made it a point to remind them to call me if they need me. It was my way to tell them that I cared and would always be there for them. I’d love you to know the same so all of you listening out there Call me if you need me. 

 

Lindsay Recknell  37:15  

Again, thank you for your love and support of this podcast, my work in hope and your intentional focus on making your future better than today. After all, hope without action is just a wish.

 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Lindsay Recknell | Expert in Hope | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

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