- Publisher |
- HubSpot Podcast Network
- Media Type |
- audio
- Podknife tags |
- Business,
- Careers,
- Millennials,
- Personal Journals
- Categories Via RSS |
- Business,
- Careers,
- Education,
- Personal Journals,
- Self-Improvement,
- Society & Culture
- People |
- Premiere Date |
- 2022-02-15
- Related Hashtags |
- #NoStraightPath
- Frequency |
- Weekly
- Explicit |
- No
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Submit ReviewGrowing up, most of us will remember being asked what we want to be when we grow up, rather than who we want to be, conditioning us to base our identity on what we do rather than who we truly are and what we value. But focusing solely on achievement and prestige can lead you down a path of isolation that ultimately doesn't provide you with any of the happiness and satisfaction you thought it would. This was the position that today’s guest, Jordana Confino, found herself in. She had spent years tenaciously pursuing a prestigious law career, earning awards, and excelling at elite institutions, all while wrestling with intensifying feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and unhappiness. It was only once she decided to pursue therapy that she realized what her true values were and that she was living and working in direct opposition to them. This prompted her to learn everything she could about the principles of positive psychology and human motivation theory which she has used to transform her life and bring her career and personal life into alignment with her values.
In our conversation, Jordana reflects on her journey of self-discovery, the lessons she has learned along the way, and why she still feels she has a long way to go. She describes the challenging moments that propelled her to become an overachiever, why she felt a need to exert control over whatever she could, and how she realized that none of the achievements she was chasing would ever make her feel worthy enough. Our conversation also delves into what it means to cultivate feelings of self-worth and how you can improve your relationship with yourself before providing a gentle reminder that none of this can be attained overnight. Jordana has walked an incredible path and continues to do so. As a law school dean and life coach, she is embodying her values of love, connection, and authenticity by helping others find alignment, flourish, and get out of their own way so they can live the life that they want — not the one that they think they should!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaningful content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
No Straight Path Podcast: What Success Feels Like with Jenna Kutcher
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
Today, we have another inspiring episode about an athlete pivoting to a different world. Jelani Jenkins, a five-year NFL vet and certified mental performance coach, joins us to tell his story. In response to his challenges after leaving the NFL, Jelani founded Postseason, an app facilitating athletes’ journeys to growth, success, and fulfillment beyond sport. During today’s conversation, Jelani shares some of the blockages he overcame and how he works to help other athletes in a similar space do the same. We touch on defining and measuring success and explore the connections between Postseason and Jelani’s journey out of sports—identity challenges, community, and eliminating isolation through a platform made by athletes, for athletes. Jelani also shares advice for those transitioning from one career into another and for tech CEOs, all with a basis of embracing fear, tapping into the power of the mind and focusing on goals. Jelani weighs in on parenting, marriage, and maximizing the time you have, and much more during today’s incredibly rich conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
"You Can’t Lie to Yourself with Spencer Paysinger Part I"
"You Can’t Lie to Yourself with Spencer Paysinger Part II"
The No Straight Path Podcast Kickstarter
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
Desta Tedros Reff is a remarkable writer and director who has written for shows like Sorry for Your Loss, The Last Tycoon, The Purge, and Grand Hotel, and currently serves as an Executive Producer on the popular Amazon television reboot of A League of Their Own. Growing up as a Black, queer woman in the rural Midwest, Desta used writing as a tool to help her process her otherness and her passion for filmmaking revealed itself to her one summer when she found her grandparents’ video camera. Yet, she didn’t consider entertainment a viable career option until after she had graduated from Harvard Law School, turned down a prestigious position in the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau in favor of the Harvard Law School Documentary Studio that she co-founded, and spent several years in the Mississippi Delta working as a social justice advocate. All of this had an important influence on the way that Desta approaches storytelling and her dedication to bringing marginalized perspectives into the mainstream through authentic portrayals of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters. In this episode of No Straight Path, Desta shares the human story behind her success as we delve into what it looks like to intentionally follow your joy and purpose and the challenging emotional work that goes into being a minority in the entertainment industry. We also touch on the importance of pausing to take care of yourself, Desta’s advice for choosing a creative path over the one that guarantees your success, and so much more. For an inside look at what it means to forge your own path and find the courage to put a unique piece of yourself out into the world, tune in today!
No Straight Path's One-Year AnniversaryWe are celebrating one year of meaningful content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Desta Tedros Reff on Instagram
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
At one point or another in all of our no-straight-path journeys, we are bound to face setbacks, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on our dreams! To continue our celebration of the one-year anniversary of No Straight Path, I share some personal anecdotes from my journey thus far and tell the story of how one setback set me up for success. After encountering a major stumbling block in the Hubspot Creators Accelerator Program, I had to take my own advice: honor your feelings, put things in perspective, normalize the setback, and move forward. To take stock of my past accomplishments, I looked back at the first six months of the podcast and not only reinvigorated my passion for storytelling, connected more deeply with friends, and made new connections with guests but also started building a community of like-minded people whose values aligned with my own. I learned so much about self-affirmation, becoming my own best teammate, reframing my attitude, and reconnecting with my ‘why’ for guests like Ros Gold-Onwude, Kristin Turner, and Christopher Rivas that I knew for sure that I was on the right path. In today’s episode, I share some clips from those inspiring conversations, reflect on the five steps I took toward peace and clarity, and look back on some of the 33 lessons I learned in 33 years of life, plus so much more. One year and more than 50 episodes later, I’m still finding the silver linings in the pain points and I’m ready for the next chapter, so stay tuned!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaningful content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lessons Learned After One Year of Podcasting with Ashley Menzies Babatunde
Mental Toughness with Ros Gold-Onwude (Part 2)
Becoming Your Best Teammate with Kristin Turner (Part 1)
The Power of Storytelling with Christopher Rivas
'33 Lessons for 33 Years of Life'
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
In the age of social media, there’s a lot of pressure to gain instant virality online and appeal to a massive audience. But there are countless ways to achieve, measure, and define success. And it’s important not to underestimate the value that comes from growing your brand or business slowly and sustainably. Today's guest, Laurelyn Harrig is an entrepreneur, brand photographer, and strategist with a passion for supporting small, female-owned businesses. Over the past 13 years, Laurelyn has done the hard work of taking her photography business from being her side hustle (while working a demanding corporate job) to a full-time occupation. In our conversation, she recounts some of the biggest lessons she’s learned as a business owner and breaks down the five principles she recommends for growing sustainably while avoiding burnout — including setting boundaries and getting on top of your numbers. We also discuss the notion of having an impact, why you shouldn’t always monetize your hobbies, and how easy it is to forget that success doesn’t happen overnight. Today’s conversation is full of practical advice from someone who has intimate knowledge of building a business from scratch. Tune in for a powerful reminder that you shouldn’t let anyone define success for you and why it is possible to build a thriving business sustainably!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaningful content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
My Brand Photographer on Instagram
My Brand Photographer on Facebook
My Brand Photographer on Pinterest
No Straight Path Podcast: Lessons Learned After One Year of Podcasting with Ashley Menzies Babatunde
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
When you reach an important milestone, it’s natural to take a moment to reflect on what came before. It’s an opportunity to take stock of what you’ve experienced, how you’ve changed, and what lessons you have come away with after everything you’ve been through. Today’s episode is one such milestone, and marks the one-year anniversary of the No Straight Path podcast! It has been a year of wonderful interviews with truly incredible human beings, and I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who’s been on this journey with me. Since starting this podcast I have discovered a lot about myself, and in this episode, I take a step back and share the most important lessons I’ve learned over this past year. From realizing that even doing work you love will sometimes feel like work, to uncovering how monetizing your passions can come at a steep cost (and what it takes to find balance) it has undoubtedly been an enlightening journey. Doing this podcast has taught me a lot about my relationship with work, and the ways that societal pressures will always exist, no matter what industry you find yourself in. But I’ve also learned that I can be certain I’m on the right path when I am living in alignment with my values. I’m so grateful to be on this journey, doing work that I love. Thank you for tuning in and for being a part of it!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaningful content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
No Straight Path Podcast: Success Is Not a Destination with Michelle Odemwingie Part 1
No Straight Path Podcast: Success Is Not a Destination with Michelle Odemwingie Part 2
No Straight Path Podcast: The Pivot with Ashley Menzies Babatunde (Part 1)
No Straight Path Podcast: The Pivot with Ashley Menzies Babatunde (Part 2)
No Straight Path Podcast: You Can’t Lie to Yourself with Spencer Paysinger Part I
No Straight Path Podcast: You Can’t Lie to Yourself with Spencer Paysinger Part 2
No Straight Path Podcast: Redefining Success with Ashley Menzies Babatunde
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
During today’s episode, we have another entrepreneurial story to share with you! Sterling Smith is a software engineer turned startup founder and the mastermind behind LaunchPartner.co, Sandbox Commerce, and Black Freelancer, the number one diverse platform for top-vetted talent globally. During today’s conversation, you’ll hear his story of turning a pain point into purpose, having experienced the challenges of being a Black freelancer first-hand. Hear highlights from his entrepreneurial journey, where he has developed perseverance through extreme challenges, fueled by deep relationships with his loved ones and a meaningful connection to his faith. He also gives us some insights into the new platform he is developing, Womxn Freelancer. Sterling hopes those with founding aspirations will follow an untraditional path, dedicating themselves to their passions to change the world. In closing, he teases us with a glimpse into his wild ambitions for the future before reminding us that enterprising pursuits are a form of self-love and encouraging listeners to find a side hustle of their own. Join us today to hear all this and more from an inspiring guest empowering others toward success!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaning content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The Brown Freelancer Insider Substack
No Straight Path on Apple Podcasts
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
Joining us today is the incredible comedian known for Comedy Bang! Bang! and Party Over Here, Carl Tart, who tells us all about his non-traditional path to becoming an actor! In this episode, we hear all about how Ashley met Carl in elementary school, why Carl and his mom moved to Los Angeles, what his childhood and family were like, how his mom influenced his career, and much more! We delve into the realization Carl had about his purpose in life before he tells us about his interests in college and what pushed him into comedy. Carl even tells us why he struggled with what people would say about his career choice, why he started doing comedy secretly, how confusing inner voices can be, and his love for improv comedy. The acting and comedy industry is incredibly precarious and exceedingly difficult and today, Carl shares some of the challenges he has faced with us and how he overcame them. We discuss why you need to remove yourself from situations that aren’t good for you, why you shouldn’t compare yourself to other people, how the writing portion of his career started, and how he deals with external pressure. Carl goes on to tell us all about his incredible sitcom, Grand Crew on NBC, and how it came to be, what brings him joy outside of work, and what advice he would give to people taking a non-traditional career path about not limiting themselves and saying yes! Finally, Carl tells us why he feels like he hasn’t changed since becoming successful. You don’t want to miss out on this incredible episode!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaning content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
No Straight Path Podcast on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
The majority of people spend a large proportion of their lives at work, so naturally, workplace culture has a massive impact on every aspect of our lives. The power couple who are the guests on today’s episode are on a mission to make people’s lives better one workplace at a time! Leanne and Al Elliott, the realist and the dreamer, are living out their shared passion for creating a human-centered workplace culture through the founding of Oblong (a one-stop-shop for leaders who want to build a great culture) and the Truth, Lies & Workplace Culture podcast. During this episode, Al and Leanne talk about the unusual circumstances under which they first met, why leaders need to pay attention to generational differences, and their approach to enhancing engagement, well-being, and fulfillment in the workplace.
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaning content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Truth, Lies & Workplace Culture Podcast
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
Black businesses fail at an alarmingly higher rate than others, and Black voices are not heard nor valued as much as they deserve to be. These (in addition to her desire to find a husband) were the forces that drove my cousin, Dupe Babatunde, to found Black Social, a new social network for dating, business, and entrepreneurial networking.
During this episode, Dupe talks about her upbringing as the child of a Nigerian father and American mother, and how she reignited her innate qualities of passion and outspokenness that she lost touch with as she grew up. After being on the straight-and-narrow for nine years while she worked as a consultant for Deloitte, Dupe made the decision to carve out her own path, simultaneously taking on a new role at Amazon and becoming an entrepreneur, and although the journey is full of challenges, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tune in today to hear Dupe share the approach she is taking to fulfill her dream of celebrating and elevating Black voices, as well as her thoughts on Black love, the importance of giving yourself grace and setting boundaries, and living a life of purpose and joy!
No Straight Path's One-Year Anniversary
We are celebrating one year of meaning content, connection, and storytelling. If the No Straight Path Podcast has added value to your life, please consider contributing to the Kickstarter here.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Rate & Review:
If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!
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