Lean Out Podcast: Impact with Mary Jeanne Roberts

Part of being a professional is wanting to make an impact. But what if your impact is…

Different?

Unusual.

Slower and less dramatic.

The conversation I had with Mary Jeanne Roberts for the Lean Out Podcast reminded me of this:

Our purpose doesn’t have to be loud and audacious (h/t Jordan Grumet and his excellent book The Purpose Code).

And making an impact doesn’t have to be the typical achievements in the typical professional arena.

Mary Jeanne is a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) with nearly two decades of clinical experience. She’s an AA educator, mindfulness practitioner, and founder of the Awakened Anesthetist, an educational brand built exclusively for the CAA community. 

Mary Jeanne loves to live slowly in her suburban home in Kansas City with her husband and three children. Her favorite time of day is morning coffee on the deck, and her newest expression of self is learning to play the native five-hole flute. She even had a stint as the “hot fudge maven.”

Mary Jeanne begins our discussion by sharing the unique career path of a CAA. This is an important point to make for not only other medical professionals who are confused by the different anesthesia providers out there; it’s also pertinent for anyone who will ever be a patient in the OR (which, presumably, is almost everyone).

Mary Jeanne and I talk about intentionality as a way to balance ambition, and how you can make an impact in your own way, on your own timetable. We also talk about the concept of “enough,” and how the whole landscape shifts when you know you have it. 

Mary Jeanne’s story isn’t a classic burnout journey; it’s more about growing and expanding – herself and her definition of what it means to make an impact.

Tell me: In what ways are you making an impact currently, whether it be at work or in your personal life? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!