Season 1 Finale - Ep. 31, Karen Solo
Life Leaps Podcast: [00:00:00] Welcome to Life Leaps podcast here. Inspiring stories of ordinary people who made extraordinary life changes. What drove them, what almost held them back. Insights for the rest of us considering life leaps big or small, because hearing someone else do it reminds us that we can too.
Happy Wednesday, everyone So today is our last episode of the season. We'll be back with brand new, fresh content in September, and I'll still share updates and bits of inspiration on the life leaps podcast, Instagram and Facebook pages.
Plus you can sign up for a biweekly dose of updates and inspiration on our website at life leaps, podcast.com. But for now, I want to reflect back. To look forward at what's next for the podcast and share a bit more of my journey to ask for your feedback. And also just a thank you. My amazingly insightful and [00:01:00] loyal listeners, who've tuned in and shown so many ideas and so much excitement since I started this project just over six months ago.
Life Leaps Podcast: So I wanted this podcast to be a space somewhere. People could go to feel like they're less alone in trying or wanting to change their lives. Where they could connect with others and themselves through hearing other people's stories,
Their struggles and making life changes their triumphs, how they realized things weren't quite right in the first place, how they decided what to do about it. And what brings that tiny seed of awareness, that desire for change into reality into an actual life leap. Plus what our guests wished they'd known and what they want you to know as you make your own life changes.
I wanted you the listener to feel like no matter how different the specifics is someone else's journey. Every week, you could walk away feeling that much more inspired and courageous and just like, look, [00:02:00] if that person just like me. Can do the hard thing. Well, I can too, plus maybe a few practical tips on how to do it.
if this podcast has done that for you. I've done my job.
But I can always do it better, which is why during this little hiatus I want to hear from you. I want your ideas, suggestions, feedback. On what you want to hear more of, less of different formats or guest profiles or types of leaps. I'm open to it all because in the end, I'm here for you.
I also plan to take this time to do my own little audit of things. Doing a weekly podcast has been amazing. But I also launched it weeks before leaving my law job and packing up our family toddler included to move from Washington DC to Portugal than to Spain.
And all the surprises along the way. Which has made this sometimes feel like I'm building the plane while I'm flying it.
But I learned. It now kind of feels like the time to go [00:03:00] back, take it all in and glean some of the larger lessons and themes and takeaways.
I'm seeing And figure out how to share those with you. Alongside, of course, the stories and interviews that we've been doing all along.
So, whether you are brand new to this podcast or a loyal listener, taking a moment to reflect back with me. In the last 30 episodes, And I'll put links in the show notes for this episode. you'll find loads of inspiring interviews with ordinary people who have made extraordinary life changes. For moving their young families across the world. Like the jet setting family in episode one and the wind shuttles in episode 21
To leaping from employee to entrepreneur at sometimes quite inconvenient times like Rosie did as a new mom in episode nine, to deciding, to run for elected office like Janell and episode six, becoming a single mom by choice like Lori and episode 22. Or finishing one career and [00:04:00] in your sixties, seventies,
Deciding you're not done. And want to teach in Thailand like miss Livie and episode 11, or open an animal sanctuary like Sandy in her seventies in episode four. Or just stay close to home and build something new that still changes countless lives like Jane and her food pantry and episode 29. All of our life. Leaper's pushed through challenges, professional ones like Travis, who lost a nonprofit job offer
and after unemployment ended up a tech Titan running a program that trains Congress and how to use technology episode three. Or Kristin who lost her law job and decided to turn a side gig livestock farming into her main one. Episode 16. plus personal challenges and heartache like Corey and episode
26, who leapt across the world for love quite successfully, but then struggled with fertility and miscarriage for years. Or when miss Libby got sent home from Thailand twice, [00:05:00] for reasons beyond her control, but in the end says she'd never regret the experience and she's never done. Nobody's leaped turns out exactly as planned, but sometimes the victory, the most life-changing moment is the leap itself.
The having the courage to do and to try the thing. However, it turns out. And to trust in yourself that you can, and we'll bounce back if needed. I keep reminding myself that one, as we still navigate the bureaucratic red tape of getting settled in Spain, plus trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up after leaving my lodge up a few months ago.
Bottom line, everyone navigates something that was not part of their plan. We talked about having a growth mindset with coach G who managed to start a business in a country where he didn't even speak the language In episode 10. We talked about turning chance moments with strangers into completely life-changing ones.
With Chama. Camo and episode seven and Marco and episode 15. And the [00:06:00] identity crisis that can come with leaving a career. Or just what's familiar. And what, you know, with guests like Jody scissors, a teacher turned podcaster and more. And episode five. And with Andrea and episode 19, who went from being super working mom to just mom for the moment and is trying to figure out what that means.
We talked with Yale professor ostrich Baumgartner who made her own leap. And now coaches others about how to figure out what to do next in episode 14.
And we talked about just plain leaping into the unknown and being okay with not knowing yet. With Jason and copy and episodes. 24, 25 and 27. Our leaps took place in the U S Canada, Venezuela, Colombia, South Africa, Italy and Indonesia, Ghana, Thailand, and more. And last but not least. We also tracked a few leaps in progress.
Both mine and some joint episodes with my husband That I'm almost terrified to look back on.[00:07:00] plus Lillia who went from corporate to flight attendant to very recently fashion entrepreneur after her daughter was born and episode 17.
And Andrea's again, our
super working mom turned mom. and episode 19 to see how that format thought. And we did updates on both of them. And just the last few weeks before wrapping this season. So.
Looking forward. I am hoping a, to do more of that amazingness B to offer more kind of lessons, insights and reflections as I synthesize everything I've learned and heard so far and see. I want to hear from even more folks like you. Who, maybe you don't want to do a full interview, but maybe you have questions for some of our life sleepers, or maybe you just want to
Sure how the podcast inspired you or an idea or a tip. You have something I could read at the beginning of an episode. I want to build a community, whatever that looks like. And I've already heard from a few people who've been inspired to make their own life changes by the [00:08:00] podcast.
So I'm definitely on the lookout for more.
all that having been said, I hope that you all have a fabulous summer. And take this time to do some reflecting on where you're at in life and where you might want to be. and maybe any small changes you can make to get there.
But also y'all at summer. So breathe, relax, enjoy friends and family. Whatever it is that makes you tick. And we'll be back to talk about all the serious stuff and just a few months. and don't worry. I know you were terrified, but like I said, I'm not going to disappear completely. I'll be doing personal and again, some life leaps inspiring content for you.
The roux, our Instagram and Facebook pages at life leaps podcast. and I really am going to try to breathe life into a long overdue newsletter format that I've really been wanting to do.
So sign up for that and more at life leaps, podcast.com. That is it. Y'all.
I am so grateful for your support.
virtual hugs. And as I always say till next time,
[00:09:00] Thank you all for being here. We're a brand new podcast, so if you enjoyed it, go ahead and follow rate and review us in your podcast app so that we can know what you liked and others can find us. It would mean a lot. Last but not least, we'll keep you posted on brand new episodes each week when you follow us on Facebook or Instagram at you.
Guested it life leaps podcast. Till next time.
