While I wouldn’t say I have a phobia of public speaking, it definitely doesn’t feel natural or easy. A very visual person and not one to extemporaneously engage an audience with a compelling story, interviews or any type of improvisation feel scary to me.
So I decided to challenge myself in 2018 by finding an opportunity to be interviewed on a podcast. I asked to be on one, and I was invited to be on another. Since then, I’ve appeared on several. Some turned out great, while othes are (in my opinion) cringe-worthy. It’s still sometimes a bit nerve-wracking, but it feels better and better the more I do it. And it’s fun!
Podcasts can reach a wider audience than blog posts, and episodes often feature evergreen topics, so there’s always something to learn. I’m both a participant and a consumer of many!
Last spring amidst the rapily evolving COVID pandemic, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Brent Lacey, gastroenterologist and fellow speaker at the White Coat Investor 2020 Conference. He later asked me to be a guest on his new podcast, The Scope of Practice.
The episode just published this week, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. This interview touched on so many things I’m about. Things I love to incorporate into my writing, talks, and wellness coaching work. While Brent provides detailed shownotes here, I’ve timestamped the topics for you with my own interpretation so you can see:
- 3:30 My journey from chemical engineer and vagabond rock climber to physician (with some bumps along the way)
- 6:10 Defining balance
- 7:20 The importance of self-knowledge and how to get it
- 12:05 Why it’s hard for professionals to find balance in their lives
- 14:16 How to “have it all”/mindful prioritizing
- 18:06 Getting out of the victim mindset/the power of “I get to“
- 23:12 The role of mentors and coaches/”beta“
- 26:04 Paying it forward through blogging, speaking, and coaching
- 28:18 Why certifications don’t necessarily confer quality/”no one cares where you went to school”
- 29:33 Shifting gears to personal finance/my money makeover
- 32:20 My own version of minimalism
- 35:15 How financial independence relates to finding balance
- 37:38 Working part-tme to avoid the all-or-nothing trap
- 39:32 Balance for men vs. women
- 41:47 The importance of looking at yourself as a unique indiviual
- 42:41 Maintaining balance amidst the COVID crisis
- 45:58 The one piece of advice I like to give other busy professionals and trainees
While I don’t see myself breaking into podcast production any time soon, I’d like to share more thoughts and information with you on different media platforms. I’ll timestamp some of my other (better-sounding) interviews for those of you who like to learn through audio, and I’m trying to get up the courage to start a regular practice of making short video musings and inspirations (gasp). Stay tuned…
Have a listen here, and let me know what you think by commenting below!
Meditation for Skeptics and Busy People
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