Welcome to episode 2 of the “How She Did it” mini-series where I’m interviewing 8 inspiring women who have kindly agreed to share their stories about how they found their passion and purpose, started their businesses, and left their day jobs.
Today I’m speaking to Kirsty Waite and Kirsty is sharing her story about how she spent years trying to figure out her passion and purpose and always knew she was made for more but didn’t know what more was. She knew she felt out of alignment, but she couldn’t work out how to fix that. Kirsty eventually became exhausted by having to put so much energy into a job she wasn’t aligned with that she hit burnout and was told by her Psychiatrist that she couldn’t carry on like this or she would end up not being able to work.
So she set off on her personal development journey to soak in as many books and podcasts as she could, and learn as much as she could. And she realised she had been looking for her passion and purpose in the wrong place all along!
In this episode, we have great conversations about:
- Where we all look for our passion and purpose, why this doesn’t work, and where we need to look instead
- The pressures society puts on us to follow a certain path and how we end up feeling trapped by accident, without even realising it
- The personal development work that Kirsty did and how this helped set her on the right path that led her to be where she is today, living her purpose
- Kirsty’s best piece of advice that she would like to share with you
- Kirsty shares the biggest fear she had on her journey and how she overcame this. It’s all about money fears which I know so many of us can relate to.
So listen now to enjoy this conversation that’s filled with golden nuggets!
Links
You can find out more about Kirsty, her journey and her business here:
If you would like help to find your passion and purpose then take a look at the links below:
Timestamps
2:40: How Kirsty spent years trying to figure out her passion and purpose and always knew she was made for more but didn’t know what more was.
4:40: How Kirsty ended up in a 9-5 corporate role even though her passion was travel and she was a freedom seeker.
5:30: When Kirsty turned 25 she had an overwhelming feeling that this wasn’t for her and she felt like she was a different person at work, something who didn’t feel aligned with who she was.
6:40: What happened in Kirsty’s personal development conversations at work - her main answer to where do you want to be in 5 years time was “not here!” Luckily her manager got it and was really supportive.
7:14: What was the thing that prompted Kirsty to do something about the fact she didn’t feel aligned? Everything in her home and work life came to a head and she eventually realised that she hit burnout.
8:40: When you’re out of alignment with what you do you end up having to put 110% in to get 100% back and it’s exhausting. It was only a matter of time before it had a detrimental impact on her.
11:10: How Kirsty went to see a Psychiatrist who introduced her to mindfulness and meditation. He told her she couldn’t carry on like this or you’re going to end up not being able to work.
12:02: Kirsty embarked on a huge personal development journey, reading books, exploring her passion.
12:25: Kirsty never knew her passion and she would always look externally for it - asking her friends and family thought what she was good at. Until she realised that she needed to look internally at what brought her joy. This was never talked about in her corporate world.
14:25: How we’re not told everything we need to know at school and university age to be able to choose our subjects, degrees and careers. There’s too much pressure to make a decision and stick with it when we actually have so much time to change direction no matter how old we are.
17:03: The expectations that society puts on us to follow a set path. And how we upgrade our lives based on job promotions and this actually makes us trapped by an expensive lifestyle and a big mortgage. The gap you need to make up with your business is then much bigger and feels so much harder.
18:20: How Kirsty is changing her life to look at it from a creative and intentional perspective and not live on default.
18:40: How you have probably ended up where you are by following the default path - not by choice.
19:25: Having children while in a corporate job and the expectations that come with this.
20:05: Kirsty shares the note she wrote in her notebook when she started working with a coach back in 2018 and how she forgot all about this until the end of 2020. When she read it she was amazed how everything had come true and it gave her goosebumps.
23:25: How things Dudley start to work in your favour once you decide what you want. You don’t need to know how.
24:15: Kirsty talks about her personal development journey - how she surrounded herself with books and podcasts and started to learn as much as she could. Then she introduced meditation and affirmations and started learning about the law of attraction.
25:40: How Kirsty committed to be curious and explore what else was out there for her.
26:00: How surrounding yourself with the right people is so important. It changes your outlook on the world and your life.
26:55: How Kirsty was so sick of hearing herself say "I don’t know what I want". "What's my passion"….so she just decided to take one little step every day and see where it led her.
27:40: How a growth mindset is so different from how we’re taught to think in a corporate job. How Kirsty focused on connecting and relationships both in her job and business.
30:00: How Kirsty left her job and started her business within a few months, but the actual journey began 8 years earlier.
31:10: The snowball effect. How all of the pieces of the puzzle just fall into place once you begin your journey. Just pick something and start.
32:25: How Kirsty took the pressure off herself and tried not to focus on “I need to get out, I need to get out” and gave herself the space to be creative.
33:22: The pressure of time and how it stops us from being free and creative and blocks the ideas we so desperately want.
35:40: How finding your passion is like a jigsaw puzzle - but all of the pieces are scattered around your brain and you can’t find them or see them because you’re cramming your brain full of so much other stuff. You need to take a step back and find each piece one at a time so you can get the pieces out of our heads and put the puzzle together.
36:40: Why can’t I find my passion when I can figure all this stuff out for everyone else?
37:10: There is a way out of this. You’re not the only one who feels like this.
37:40: Your purpose is you! It’s what you bring to the world. Whose lives are you going to change? It’s about being confident to share your authentic self and your true voice so that you can create a life that’s aligned to you.
39:05: Ask yourself what do you want to do? And do that.
42:00: How Laura would talk about her business at work and she was asked not to - because she might influence other people to quit! How jobs try to keep us trapped and not seeing our true potential.
43:40: How the Public Sector needs a big shake-up to change the way it operates and to allow people to reach their potential.
44:50: How it’s my job to switch a lightbulb on in people’s heads to show them just what is possible for them.
45:45: Kirsty shares her one piece of advice for you.
47:10: Kirsty shares the biggest fear she had on her journey and how she overcame this. It’s all about money!
53:40: How to know when it’s time to leave your day job.
54:40: How you can find out more about Kirsty and how she may be able to help you.
