Arika Pierce is a Law Educated Corporate VP turned Author, Leadership Coach, Entrepreneur, and Keynote speaker. She uses her knowledge, experience and skills to help organizations and individuals make and become better leaders.
Arika’s journey is inspiring— coming from a corporate top level management career and leaping into Entrepreneurship.
In this episode, we’ll hear her story and how Arika found her way into both Writing and Coaching. You’ll also hear how mindset and mantras become a key to her pursuit of her passion and calling.
Listen in here:
Subscribe: Apple | Google Play | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify | AmazonIn this episode you’ll learn:
- Arika’s transition from VP to coach entrepreneur
- The role of Arika’s Book in her career shift
- Arika’s Experience during her career shift
- How Arika started coaching
- How and when she decided to become a full-time entrepreneur
- Arika’s thoughts on being ready and the right time to shift careers
- Fear and how it affects us
- How Arika got into writing
- Arica’s Mantra and her new book
- How to improve your mindset game
- How to Identify what is holding you back
- Arika’s advice on moving forward with your goals
- The power of sharing and talking to people
Resources Mentioned:
Arika’s Website
Arika’s Instagram
Software Generated Transcription:
Dan: Erica, thank you so much for joining me. Welcome to the show.
Arika: Thank you, Dan. I am excited to be here. Thank you so much for having.
Dan: Yeah. Uh, the question I, I always like to begin with is how do you begin to talk about the work that you do?
Arika: Wow. Okay. Good question. . So, you know, I think on, on, on its face, a lot of people would say, Oh, you’re a career coach, right? You come in, you help people maybe with their resume interview skills, things of that nature. Um, but that’s not quite how I would describe what I do. I. I’m really looking to help people who are, you know, in the middle of their career, get to the next level.
And that could mean a lot of different things, and a part of that could be preparing for a leap to change jobs, um, or to change their career path. But to me it’s really about elevating themselves, be building out their competence, taking those career risks and doing those for fear experiments. Having someone that can push them, uh, along the way.
So, Career coach kind of sounds, I think a little bit too simplistic for some of the things I’m focused on.
Dan: I love that, and I love, I love some of, I don’t know, maybe I’m, I’m projecting my experience onto you. Um, but like I, people always, always often ask if I’m a, you know, a life coach, career coach because of the work that I do. And I was like, No, I’m definitely not that
Arika: Yeah.
Dan: I mean, like, I kind of am, but I’m definitely not that.
Um, do you have a similar, do you have a similar
Arika: No, absolutely, and I, and I think some people have personalities, right? Where, you know, we just can’t help it, right? If we hear, you know, that if someone’s going through something, we immediately wanna help them navigate it. So I think that’s why being labeled quickly a career coach, you know, life coach is easy, but it’s like, no, I can’t.
I could probably do it, but that’s not exactly
Dan: yeah. It’s more interesting. That’s what I was gonna say. It’s much more interesting than that,
Arika: Yes. Yes, absolutely.
Dan: I love it. Well, I’d like to just kinda rewind the story a little bit and just ask, how did you get into this? What? What brought you here?
Arika: Oh wow. So, you know, really what, um, brought me to the work that I do now is when I was probably, um, you know, fairly early in my career, but not just. You know, right outta college or anything like that. Um, my career just really started to, uh, you know, fast track and I was promoted to a vice president position before I was 30.
And when it happened, when I got the promotion while I was excited, I definitely was like, Oh my God, what’s, what do I, how do I make sure I don’t fail at this? And so, as a. That really started me to, um, learn more just about both professional development and personal development. And I really started to go very deep, um, into other people who were focused on leadership.
Um, John Maxwells, who I discovered at that time, um, and other people who really talked about how do you really position yourself, you know, as a leader, how do you become someone who. Fluent who people want to, you know, listen to, um, who people want to follow, who they trust, all of those things. And so as a result, you know, I really just spent a lot of my, a lot of my career, you know, of course doing my day to day job, but really also focus on developing myself.
And so a time came where I decided to a, write a book that was focused on all of my advice that I would give to people. It was called the. Playbook to adulting . And so from there I started to really realize that there was opportunities to transition out of my corporate career, to focus full time on helping other people, um, who really need that, that push to get outside their comfort zone, um, to think about, you know, how they approach their career and taking control of their career in a different way.
And that’s how it all happened. And if you had asked me a few years ago, Oh, will this be what you do full. Never would’ve, never ever
Dan: Yeah, he
wouldn’t imagined it.
Arika: but that also helps me in my own business because it helps me show people that, you know, what you commit to your first, you know, five, 10 years of your career doesn’t have to be your story forever.
Dan: That is so, such a good, such a good point. And I feel like it’s, uh, I mean, out of all the podcast interviews, you know, uh, we’ve just, at the time we’re recording this, um, we just passed past a hundred, a hundred shows. Um, all the interviews that we’ve done along the way, so few. People that I talked to actually knew from early on what they wanted to do with their lives.
Um, so few of them even went to school for, you know, where they, where they ended up. And so it’s just, I think it’s, I mean, but, but still that, that myth of, um, I don’t know, I don’t know if it was that the myth is the right word, but just that idea. That like you’ve gotta have it all figured out. You gotta choose your one thing and commit forever.
It’s just like, has such strength, It like has like this gravitational pull that everyone, even, even as we’re doing it, as we’re seeing other people doing it, we still feel like we’ve gotta have it figured out and have to choose and have to stay the course no matter what.
Arika: That That’s so true. It’s funny, I have an intern working with me this summer and I can see in her mind that because she doesn’t know what she wants to do, It’s almost stifling her growth a little bit. Right? You know, we can sit in that analysis paralysis because we’re like, Ugh, I don’t know if I should, you know, if I still wanna stay in this job, or if I wanna stay with this company, or if I wanna do this.
And so, as a result of overthinking it, a lot of times action doesn’t happen. And sometimes I always tell people, just think about what’s that. Small step that’s gonna give you that momentum to keep moving forward and then you keep going and you know, sometimes we just have to figure it out along the way.
You know, I went to law school, I’m a lawyer by education , and so, you know, do I use my skill set from law school? Absolutely. But you know, I’m, I’m don’t obviously practice law. Um, and that’s okay. And I’m perfectly okay.
Dan: Yeah. Yeah. I love that. I love that. And I, I think just that, that call to not, to overthink it, to take, to take action, you know, I think that oftentimes we try to solve these big questions of what am I gonna do with my life? Which way am I gonna go by analysis, which like, is really helpful. It’s really helpful to be self-aware.
It’s really helpful to know who you are and, and, and, and know your story, but at the same time, you can’t solve your future. Starting to take action and, and really should treat it as an iterative process of you take some steps, you learn more about yourself, you learn more about who you are, you learn more about what you want, and then you use that to decide what the next steps after that are.
Which I hear you, you know, saying with your, with your intern. And it’s so great that you have, you know, that she has someone, um, like you, um, helping her think through, um, think through those things for herself. Just to kind of rewind a little bit. So just tell me about, you know, that I wanna really talk about that transition from, from VP to being, you know, entrepreneur,
um, and, and going out on your own way.
But what, what industry were you in? What, Tell me a little bit about that, That company or, or like that, that career.
Arika: Sure. So I have always worked for healthcare technology companies, but I always worked in growth and strategy roles. So my job for companies was really to be, um, the person that would take a look at where the company is and think about where we wanna be in the next. Three to five years, and then creating, you know, that strategic growth plan to get from, you know, A to B.
And so what’s interesting about that, when you think about the work that I do now, it’s actually very similar, right? When I, when I work with either an individual or, or even when I work with companies, um, I’m looking at, okay, where are you right now, Dan? Um, and where is it that you wanna be? And then let’s kind of talk through.
Think through, what are those actions, what are those tactics? And let’s create that career action plan to help you execute on it. So, um, it’s funny how the skills that you may use, you know, in one skill set or in in one job are often very transferable when you kind of, you know, pull back the layers. So, um, so strategy, I, I love to strategize and I love to solve problems, and I love helping.
People, um, get from, you know, where they are now to where they they want to be. And it’s literally, when I think about it, it’s very similar to the work I did when I was back in my corporate career.
Dan: I love it and I love how it, it often works out that way, right? That you don’t know it, but you’re acquiring these skills along the way to prepare you for your next thing.
Arika: Absolutely. And I think the biggest difference now for me is that the work that I do, especially when I’m working with individuals, for me it gives, it’s, it has a more purpose to it than when I was doing it in my corporate career. And this isn’t a knock, you know, I’m not someone who believes everyone should quit their job and become entrepreneurs.
Right. That’s not, that’s not my ministry. But what I would say is that, um, you know, oftentimes, um, we don’t move in the right direction because we don’t have someone that can, you know, push us and that can move us along. And so, um, for me it was great to recognize how I could transfer that out and, and do it on my own as an entre.
Dan: Yeah. And is that how you think of yourself as being that kind of push, you know, the person to kind of push people along and help them, help them take those steps they need to.
Arika: Yeah, absolutely. And, and I think a lot of times too, you know, it’s accountability. I mean, that’s why people hire trainers, right? For working out. That’s why people go to coaches, all of those things. And so a part of, But you know, I, I can be that push, but really I’m always. I would say I’m strategy first and then I can help you execute.
But at least let’s get that strategy down. Let’s think about what your goals are. Let’s think about, you know, what are, what are your strengths? What are your passions? What’s missing? What does your network look like? Who do you need to be, you know, interacting with? Um, let’s look at your LinkedIn profile.
Let’s let you know. It’s all of those components and, and literally thinking through how they fit together. How are you showing up every day? How are. Bearing to you, Do we need to do something to change that? And so that’s how my mind is always, you know, um, always goes to, you know, how do we kind of make those tweaks, those changes to get you faster to where you wanna be next.
Dan: I love that. That’s really, Yeah. Really, really. Yeah. Fantastic. I’m curious, have you always, so it sounds like a big part of that, that leap for you from the corporate world to going, going out on your own, going solo. Um, was the book and did the book really serve as a, and maybe I’m misinterpreting so maybe I should ask, was the book a big part of that or did it and, and in what?
Arika: Yeah, so what happened, Dan, is that I wrote the book, The Millennials Playbook to Adulting in 2018, and I actually wrote it because people would always just come to me for, you know, advice about career or about. You know, just life after you finish college and you’re starting your career, you know, not just how to get a job, but how to keep a job, how to excel at your job.
And so I actually wrote the book more as a creative outlet, um, because I had a very demanding job. And it was just a way for me to kind of decompress and to kind of pull all of the things that I was like sharing people into one place. And what happened was really, Expected was a, as a result of doing the book, I started to get these requests to, you know, do workshops, to do trainings, um, to really do a lot of the professional development that I loved receiving.
Right. When I was in my career, now was being asked to come and actually, you know, Teach a training on personal branding. Teach a class on, you know, our workshop on this, speak at a conference. And what I realized was, ugh, I really like this . And I was like, you know, when I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher.
My mom always says, I was like, maybe this is how it all is coming into play. And so, um, so I actually, for the, from 2018, Until, uh, 2020, um, I actually just kind of did, it was my side hustle, I guess is what you would call it. I still worked my corporate job, but on the side I would do workshops, I would do some coaching, um, at that time, and I was, you know, kind of started my business.
And so in 2020, um, You know, sort of in the early months of the pandemic, while I was sitting at home and no longer traveling and on the move, I decided, you know what, If not now, then when I’m gonna go all in on this company and really stepping out to build a community where I can help professionals who are looking to advance that next level, who are looking to further develop their leadership, um, and who are looking for, you know, all of these things that sometimes we don’t.
We we’re just, Trained on in school or even, you know, on the job. And so that’s kind of how that evolved. Um, and from there, the company really has been growing since 20, you know, in the past two years. Um, which then kind of led to my, My Net, my most recent book that just came out as, as well, so wasn’t planned whatsoever.
Dan: I love it. I love it. Well, just to, just to, you know, kind of follow up that, that, um, question. So when you went at that moment of going all in, like it was a scale of, you know, one, one to 10, how scary was that?
Arika: uh, T , 10 plus
Dan: 11
Arika: Yeah, so, you know, the, in full transparency, um, I had decided that I was probably going to leave the corporate role that I was in and go full time in my company. Um, and at that point, probably in the next two to three years, right? So I was thinking more like 20 23, 20 24. Um, I, I was actually a senior vice president.
I reported directly to the ceo. I had about five departments reporting up to me. It was a big job. I mean, it was a, It was a lot. Um, and the day that I quit my job, I did not wake up that morning thinking I was going to quit. Um, it was just the job was, you know, And then with Covid, again, lots of time to think.
And that morning I said, You know what? I think I’m, I think I’m ready to just go. I think I’m ready to go. And so I made three phone calls. Um, I called Fidelity, which is where my 401k and money was to see how long, long term I could sustain myself if by closing my job that day. Um, I called my mom, um, after that to kind of just do a gut check.
Like, Mom, what do you think if I, you know, resign today? You know, and she said, Worst case scenario, you will have to move back home with us. Right? And I was like, that’s pretty worst case scenario. So
Dan: okay. She was okay with that
Arika: Yeah, that’s exactly what she told me. I mean, my, a great support network. And then the third call was to, um, the CEO who was my boss.
And I told her I, um, I, I, the words I said to her as I said, I think I’m ready to wind down my time here. And it was a Friday. And she said, Do you want time over the weekend to think about it? And I said, No, I, I’m pretty confident. But you know, she said, Let’s talk Monday, which we did. She asked if I could stay actually about, um, eight more weeks, which was actually a good thing.
I got a few more paychecks ,
Dan: you go.
Arika: so,
Dan: That’s great. Great for both parties and, and it sounds like you, I mean, that’s, that’s the right way to do it,
right? To, to leave on good terms. Maybe leave the door open just in case
Arika: Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Never burned any bridges. You know, I, I, a few years ago, I think there was that story where, I think it was that flight attendant or someone who quit her job and she, like,
Dan: Yes.
Arika: the stuff and it was like, No, don’t do
Dan: No, Don’t
do that. That’s, that’s a good way to get into a lot of trouble , um, financially. So I, I hear you saying, you know, you, you called Fidelity, make sure you have your investments there. Did you have income that you, or did, like, was there a bridge in place or any other, like, did you already have that, that business kind of up and going a little bit to, to know that you could sustain yourself a bit?
Arika: So, you know, I had been doing workshops, right, and different speaking engagements, and I had a couple of people who I was kind of coaching, but I mean, it wasn’t anything compared to, um, you know, a full-time income. And, you know, I’ll, I’ll say this to people. Whenever someone does come and they ask me about advice, You know about staying in their corporate career and, um, or, or, you know, moving into full-time entrepreneurship.
You know, you definitely wanna have a safety net. I do believe that. And you wanna make sure that, and I think you have, and you have to have the mindset, right? You can’t have that scarcity mindset of, Oh my God, I’m broke, I’m not gonna make money. That’s one thing I will say, you know, even in times where I’m a little bit have been panicked, um, I know like I’ll, I’m gonna find a way and I will say, When you do go into full-time entrepreneurship, um, when you’re all in and like, you know, whether or not you eat depends on like, you know, what you sell and who you connect with and all those things.
It’s a different ballgame versus when you’re doing it on the side. And so that’s just, you know, everybody’s different. But for me, um, probably if I had just kept doing it on the side, the timeline for when I left would’ve gotten like, uh, another year, another year. . So for me personally, um, it was a leap that I felt, okay, if I’m gonna really build this to be a scalable company, I gotta just completely go in and do it.
Dan: I love it. I love it. For folks that are listening, and I think you could speak to this, both from your expertise, working with people around these very questions as well as from your own story, for people who are listening in their, you know, They’re maybe in a space where you were, where they’re like, I know that, like, you know, in the next few years, let’s say, let’s, you know, 3, 4, 5 year, whatever.
how should they think about when they’re ready or when, And maybe the question, the answer shouldn’t be, or the question shouldn’t be ready, but when to make that leap. Let’s put it that way. Whether or not they feel ready. Cuz some people will never feel ready. But how do you, how do you know it’s time?
Arika: So I, I actually, I, I give a talk called Ready is a Lie. and I, I fully believe that, you know, ready is an arbitrary goal that will never, ever feel attainable, right? So you have to start before you’re ready. You have to take that leap. Um, there’s a great book called Fear is My Homeboy by Judy Holler, and I f.
Fully subscribe to, you know, start doing things that make you a little bit afraid. Um, cuz that will exercise the muscle of fear and courage. And so it makes doing those really big, scary things, you know, it makes it a little bit easier. So if you, if, if you, for example, you wanna take that leap, well what’s something that could be, you know, a small step that will get you closer but still feel scary, right?
So maybe a part of it is just for some people. Just setting up the LLC feels scary cuz it’s like, oh my God, it’s real now. And or, or I’m gonna spend the money to set up an llc. Right. People, Cause whenever people tell me, I was talking to someone recent, they were like, Well I gotta do that llc. And I’m like, you know, it’s the process, right?
It’s just.
Dan: not that bad.
Arika: But to some people that makes it feel real and that’s what makes it feel scary. So start making a list of those things that would get you closer and feel and start crossing them off. And then that is when you will start to feel like, Okay, I’m moving in that direction. But already the idea of ever feeling ready or being, it was never, there’s.
A great time to quit your job unless you’ve won the lottery. I as assume that might not even be the right time, or there’s never a great time to apply for that, you know, promotion. Um, unless you’re a shoe in for it, right? I mean, there’s all these things that you can come up with that could be blockers, but you’ve gotta just, at least.
you know, you could push yourself, um, and see what happens. And even if you fail, fail forward, nobody gets a success without failure. So welcome those failures and just keep moving forward.
Dan: that is such, such good advice and it feels like it kind of circles all the way back to, to where we started about like just taking action and that by taking that first step and that first step isn’t necessarily quitting your job, right? But that first step towards your fear, you find that like it’s, then it’s easier to take the next step and then the next step and the next step.
And then pretty soon you’re, pretty soon you’re running right , and you’re pretty soon you’re actually.
Arika: Absolutely. You know, when I wrote my first book, um, What I now realize was, that was sort of my way of kind of testing of, okay, I have a lot to say and share, but you know, unless people ask me for it, I don’t really, you know, provide this information just to the, you know, general public. And I, Yeah. So, and I realized even in writing a book that is kind of a, you know, a non-fiction professional development book, it’s a little scary cuz you’re now having people to come in and say, Well, that’s not how I would do it, or that’s not how I would say.
So it was actually my, you know, some of my first steps to really putting myself, um, out there. And I remember my editor said when she did my first edit, she said, You say in your book, I think too much. I think this, I think you should do this. She’s like, If someone picked up your book, they don’t want, they, they, they, they picked up because they wanna know what you think.
So you don’t have to keep telling them. I think just own what you’re saying.
Dan: Well, that’s good. That’s
Arika: those are things we have to work on.
Dan: I love it. I love it. Well, I think that, um, yeah, just, just thinking about that, that action step, the fear, like you were saying, like the fear piece. I think that it’s so important to, um, Like to, to note that like our fear often is more painful than the thing that we fear.
Like we make, we make it feel so big and scary, and then when we actually get there, it’s not that bad. Um, and so to actually, like you’re saying, like break down your fears, make your lists, and then just start taking, you know, knocking, knocking them out one, one at a time is just a really, I think a really helpful process.
So, yeah, it’s really, it’s really good. I’m curious about, um, just about you writing, Like have you always thought of yourself as a.
Arika: No, , definitely not. Um, I think that is certainly where going to law school does come in handy
Dan: Oh, I bet.
Arika: do a lot of writing in law school. And I think, um, you know, writing, um, is something like many things, the more you do it, the better you get at it. And, um, and now I actually, I, I really enjoy writing.
Um, I wish I had more time to do it, but, you know, it’s, it’s really cathartic and, um, I, I think it’s just, it’s a great outlet.
Dan: Yeah. That’s great. That’s great. Well, I, I have not had a chance to get ahold of your new book yet, but I’d love to, you know, I’d love to hear a little bit about it and hear, you know, I guess the, the argument, the, uh, the story, the journey that you, you take readers on in that book.
Arika: Yeah, and we’ll have to make sure you get a copy of it. Um, it’s called, I Can, I Will Watch Me How to Not be Overlooked, underpaid, or undervalued. And the, the title is my personal mantra. Um, it’s a mantra that I have used for many years. If you, you know, were to come to my home, you would see, it’s like on Post-It notes in my bathroom, on my computer.
like everywhere. Um, stuck inside different things like I can, I will watch me. You know, it’s just something that I, I wanted to share because I think having a personal mantra that pushes you in those times where you doubt yourself, um, or when you’re holding yourself back or when you’re letting fear, you know, get in the way.
It’s imper, it’s important to have something that you can, you know, say to yourself that’s gonna remind you to remove those blocks. But the book. Is really a roadmap, um, on how to, you know, really build that strategy around your career. So again, going back to my back background, it was, you know, working with companies and strategy and growth.
Um, what I know is that for individuals, being ambitious is not enough to really move your career forward. You have to also be very strategic. And I think a lot of times, um, some people subscribe to that notion of, I’m just gonna keep my head down and work really hard, and I’m sure you know, great things are gonna happen.
Um, Or you have people who are just drifting, you know, in their career without any idea of, of where to go next. And you know, what I find is people will spend more time planning a vacation than they will planning out their career. . So
Dan: true,
Arika: So this book is really, it’s, it’s meant to be a roadmap, but it’s also very actionable and tactical. It’s really helping you think about, okay, when someone says I’m overlooked, all right, let’s dig deeper into that. Who are the people who you, who need to, you know, know who you are? What is it that they need to know about you? Um, and, and really creating, again, that plan around that, if you wanna be promoted or, or get a raise or change jobs.
Okay, where do you wanna be next? What does that action plan look like? What’s that timeline look like? Um, so it’s, it’s really, you know, Forces you if you take it seriously in the book. There’s lots of action assignments to really go on this journey of mapping out all of these things that really will help you have that more strategic, um, you know, insight to execute on what’s next for you as far as your career journey.
Dan: I love it. It sounds like a really, really helpful, uh, and really practical, um,
Arika: Very practical.
Dan: I look, look forward to, uh, yeah, look forward to getting, getting my hands on a, on a copy of it. Um, how do you think in, in your work, just to zoom out a little bit, like how do you think about words like whatever words fit you, um, whatever words are in your vernacular, but words like calling or passion or vocation.
What words apply and how do you, how do you define them when it comes to what you do?
Arika: So, uh, I would say the work that I do is definitely, um, it’s definitely, you know, my calling right now, you know, I, I, again, I don’t commit that this is forever. I don’t think it’s necessary to commit to forever. If it is fantastic, but, you know, who knows? Maybe I wanna open up a bagel shop one day, I don’t know.
Right. So,
Dan: I love it. I love
bagels,
Arika: that’s ok. That’s okay. Um, what I do know is, um, you know, as far as passion, yes, I, I know I, I get excited about the work that I do. It’s, it’s, um, it’s purposeful. I love it when individuals have those aha moments or when people can really push past. Their barriers and blocks, especially when it’s mindset.
Um, so definitely I, I’m energized by it. So because I’m energized by it, uh, I know that it’s, I’m working in my strengths, right? Um, I know that my passion and what some the things that I do well are intersecting. And it’s great to be in that moment. Um, right now. So that, that is fantastic. Is it a lot of work?
Um, in terms of my hours and I mean, that’s the part that people don’t wanna always talk about. Yes. Your own business, you know, you, your marketing, your business. I spent two hours this morning on the phone with an accountant going, trying to categorize my QuickBooks. Like it’s a lot, but , it’s worth it for me.
Dan: I love it. Love it. Thank you. That’s such a good and, and just practical answer, which I, I really love. I know you’re, I’m talking just there, you just mentioned your mindset and earlier you talked about, a little bit about scarcity, uh, the scarcity mindset. How, uh, how. Dangerous, I don’t know. Dangerous is the right word.
Uh, yeah. Limiting. Maybe that’s a better way to think of it. It can, it can be. Um, and I’m just curious if you have thoughts for listeners who maybe they’re, they wanna, you know, upgrade their mindset, improve their mindset game, um, or identify the gaps in their mindset. If there’s anything, you know, in particular that you would invite people to, or maybe, you know, practical, um, exercises to help them become more aware of their, you know, of, of their current mindset and, and, um, Yeah.
How to improve their mindset.
Arika: So I’m a big believer in I am statements. Um, I have 10 I am statements that I write out almost every single morning. Um, that’s something I do, but it really, you know, these are things that I want to either, um, see, play out in my life or it’s also things that I just wanna maintain. Every single day. Right.
So one of my very first I am statement that I say every single morning is that I am, um, operating at my highest level or vibrating at my highest energy level all day. Right. Does that always happen? No, but that’s how I wanna start my day. Right? I’m, I’m at. My highest vibration. Um, and so, you know, just ha sometimes just taking that time to either do meditation on those statements, um, or to look at them, um, anything of that, anything of that nature, I feel is from a mindset standpoint and doesn’t have to be 10, maybe it’s one.
You know, I, I’m an overachiever, so of course I Um, but having those, those I am statements and I think actually the exercise sometimes of just writing them is really important, but also reading them, meditating on them, um, and then having that personal mantra as well. And so I always tell people, still mine, create your own.
It doesn’t have to be something, you know, over the top. Um, but my personal mantra as I shared it has really come in, you know, I can remember. One time I was training for a triathlon and I was working with a swim coach who wanted me to swim the length of like an Olympic size pool. And I was like, I don’t think I’m there yet.
And she’s like, No, do it. And I was like, I can, I will watch me, I can, I will watch. So it doesn’t, you know, these mantras can come into play at any, you know, point in your life, not just for your career, but, um, but, you know, but. Sit sometimes in your thoughts. Sit in what is limiting le limiting you. And a lot of times when, especially if I’m working with an individual, And we’re talking about, you know, what’s next, especially as it relates to their, to their career.
And they say, Yeah, I don’t wanna do that. And I say to them, Is it that you don’t wanna do it because you’re not interested or because it scares you if, if you’re not interested or if it’s something that is just, you know, off the off. You know, the table or we don’t even wanna discuss it, no problem. But if you’re not doing it because it’s scary to you, then I want to dig a little bit deeper.
And so sometimes I have to ask myself that on my that question as well. You know, did I not email that person and ask them to do this for my business or do this because I wasn’t interested in it or because it scares me, because they might reject me, they might not respond, or I. Answer that I want. So sometimes you have to check your own self on, Are you, you know, we, we, we can tell ourselves easily, No, I don’t wanna do that.
I don’t wanna go there. I don’t wanna, you know, send that LinkedIn request or whatever it might be. But that’s where you have to really kind of check yourself, Is it my mindset that’s holding me back? Or is it fear?
Dan: I love that. That’s super, super helpful. Great, great questions for people to, to consider. Um, I’m, I’m curious for, for folks who, a lot of people listening to the podcast are thinking about some sort of life change, um, whether or not they’re, whether or not they’re calling up at that yet. Um, but oftentimes they don’t know what.
Like they don’t know what to change. They want, they, they don’t know what their next thing is. They’re looking for their next thing. And um, yeah, maybe they just don’t know how to move forward. Maybe they feel stuck. But I’m curious if you have any words of encouragement and or, you know, practical steps, um, to offer folks that are in those kinds of, in between, I don’t know what’s next spaces.
Arika: Yeah. So I would say, you know, one of the things I, So a couple of things. Number one, um, know that it’s okay to not always know what’s next and just, and maybe sometimes it’s just what’s next for you. Is just, you know, A month, a year or whatever. I, I think it’s the idea that we feel like we have to figure out everything long term is what sometimes can feel extremely overwhelming.
So give your, give yourself space to just dream or to think out loud, um, in a short term basis, and then get to the long term piece so that, that’s one of the. I would say first, um, second, you know, I’m a big believer in journaling. Um, I, I love to do morning pages, which is where you, you know, you set the timer for maybe 10 minutes and then just let free flow.
If I could be doing anything I wanted to do, what would it be? And just like, don’t edit yourself, just like let it come out of you. It doesn’t have to make. Sense and just let it, like, maybe it’s a list, maybe you’re writing in detail. I woke up this morning, I went to this job, or I didn’t go to this job, or I lived here, or you know, this is the, I went to school, or whatever it is.
But just allow yourself to like, let it out and then let it sit and then come back and be like, Okay, what can I pull from here? And start to add maybe, you know, or start to create a little bit. Framework for what I want my life to look like. Um, and so we don’t always allow ourselves to do those types of things or we’re like, uh, I don’t have time, but 10.
You can journal for 10 minutes. I’m sure everyone can find that 10 minutes to, to do something like that. And then the other third thing I would say is, Talk to people. Um, think about people who are doing stuff. That sounds cool, that sounds interesting, that, you know, maybe you wanna be a podcaster. Find some podcasters that go and like, you know, what, what does it mean to be a podcaster?
How do you make money? What are the challenges? And so, you know, expand your circle and just be curious, um, because you never know where that might lead you as, as well. You know, I do a lot of public speaking. Which I never entertained or never thought about that being a career path, and I had no idea, number one, how much money some of these people make, who are, you know, the, the top, not speakers, but you know, now I study them like Mel Robbins, I s.
Study Mel Robins. Um, I got to see her speak recently in person and so I’m like, you know, I’m like, I’m so curious. Like I just, I wanna like, I, you know, I just, I wanna get a better sense of what that really looks like because I want a piece of that as part of my career as well. So that’s the other piece about it is just be curious and talk to people.
Dan: I love that. And I think even as you’re talking to people, I know sometimes, especially if it’s friends, right? Telling friends where you’re at. Like sometimes there can be a lot of shame around, like feeling like I, I, I should have it all together. I should have it all figured out. But then what I find is that as people have those conversations, as you let people into your process, they become advocates for you.
And then they start thinking about you when they’re in another conversation. Like, Hey, you should go talk to Dan or talk to Erica. You know, and, and that like, even just that. Of, of inviting someone in having that conversation then like creates, like, it kind of expands your network of what’s possible.
Arika: A hundred percent. Dan, I, I have a friend who she worked in a corporate career for a long time, decided that she wanted to become, do something more creative, and she literally started telling everyone that she knew, um, this is what you. I know you know me is this way, but this is what I’m looking to do next.
And that just her sharing that led her to have conversations, um, where they were like, you know, I know someone you can talk to. And she now has had her own talk show on Bravo. She has a radio show on Sirius xm and it all came, and she always says this, it just came because she’s like, I would literally just tell everyone, like, this is where, what I’m looking to do next.
And I, it may not make sense, but I just want you to know because you never know. Who you might be sitting next to on a train one day that you could say, Oh my God, I was just talking to someone. Let me introduce you. So don’t, And, and the more you start saying it out loud and sharing it, the scarier, the less scarier it, it starts to be as well.
Dan: Yeah, I love that. It’s so great. Well, this has been just so fun. Erica. Thank you so much for coming on the show. For folks I wanna connect with you or follow along with your work. Do you have anything in particular you’d like to invite people to?
Arika: Sure. So, um, please definitely go to my website. It’s erica pierce.com. Um, if you’re interested in the, the book, I can, I will watch me. You can also, um, access it there and even download. Um, I believe it’s the first maybe two or three chapters for. Free. Um, and then also I’m on social media at, uh, Erica l Pierce on Instagram and for all of my, um, business people out there, you can find me also on LinkedIn.
Dan: I love it. Well, thanks so much and looking forward to, uh, to staying connected.
Arika: Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much, Dan. This was a lot of fun.
