126 episodes
The John Poelstra Show John Poelstra
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- Business
I believe we are each the sole owner of our lives. Are you a true “owner” or an “employee” of your life?
All too often it’s easy to play small and think there’s nothing better. This mindset encourages us to find creative ways to cope and tolerate our circumstances instead of actively looking for ways to find all that is possible, often beyond our wildest dreams.
I believe there’s a better way to live, one where you lead and act as the driver of your life instead of being its passenger. In that spirit, this show covers a variety of topics around the themes of personal ownership, effective personal leadership, productivity, co-active coaching, and being a better human.
Along the way I'll share the things I'm learning myself and through other people as guests.
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126: Out of the Job Hive, Into the Beehive: Nick Accordino’s Layoff to Apiary Tale
Nick Accordino shares the emotional rollercoaster of being laid-off, searching for a new job, and landing a new fulfilling role.
Key Takeaways
* Take conscious breaks from the job search process to recharge when needed.
* Look for opportunities aligned with your authentic values and passions.
* Focus your search locally to increase human connections.
* Craft targeted, personalized applications rather than generic submissions.
* Seek out volunteer experiences to reengage with your community.
* Be open to unconventional or surprising paths.
* Know when to pivot strategies if your current approach isn’t working.
* Job searching takes an intense emotional and mental toll.
* Not getting feedback from potential employers is demoralizing.
* Expect ups and downs – the process is a rollercoaster.
* Set a sustainable daily routine, likely only a few focused hours.
* Generic job boards yield a lot of noise and unhelpful opportunities.
* Losing your job can feel quietly disorienting at first.
* Take time to recenter on your identity outside work.
* Know your limits and don’t overcommit energy to any one opportunity.
* Even short breaks from routine tasks can provide perspective.
* Tap your local professional network for insights on roles.
* Look for transferable skills you can highlight for new paths.
* Combine personal interests with professional strengths.
* Small companies offer chances to wear multiple hats.
* Hands-on volunteering provides an engaging change of pace.
* Share your story and be open to others’ for mutual support.
* Get out of the house regularly to avoid isolation.
* Finding joy and flow in simple, repetitive work.
* Embrace serendipity when exploring options.
Mentioned
* Bee Downtown website
* Bee Downtown Instagram
* Volunteer Match
Other Title Possibilities
Claude2 helped me with the title for this post. Here are the runner-ups which I thought were equally funny and creative.
* Stinging Insights: Nick Accordino on Life After Being Laid Off
* The Buzz on Bouncing Back: Nick Accordino’s Winding Path from Corporate to Bee Maven
* From Red Hat to Beehive: Nick Accordino’s Unexpected Career Pollination
* Corporate Refugee Finds Sweet Success with Bees: Nick Accordino’s Unlikely Pivot
* A New Honey Pot: Nick Accordino Rebuilds After a Layoff, One Bee at a Time
* The Birds, The Bees, and a Layoff: An Unconventional Metamorphosis for Nick Accordino
* Laid Off and Stung, But Not Down: Nick Accordino’s Apian Rebound
* From Pink Slip to Honey Dipper: How Nick Accordino Cultivated a Sweet New Career
Credits
* Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund
* Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod
All songs licensed under Creative Commons -
125: Avoiding Networking and Job Search Futility with Stephen Warley
Stephen Warley joins me to explore why your job search and networking strategies aren’t working and what to do instead.
Top Takeaways
* Stop relying solely on online job applications and start talking to real-live people!
* Create and maintain a list of your existing contacts and reach out to them with curiosity and honesty.
* Understand your desired lifestyle costs and calculate the income needed to sustain it–don’t chase an arbitrary salary number.
* Learn to articulate and demonstrate your value proposition to potential employers/clients.
* Be open to unconventional paths like consulting, freelancing, or non-traditional roles.
* Continuously invest in improving your skills and curating a portfolio of your work.
* Market and promote yourself proactively, don’t just wait for opportunities.
* Identify companies/organizations aligned with your values and interests.
* Explore volunteering or gifting services to showcase your abilities.
* Ask for additional connections/introductions in every conversation.
* Adopt an entrepreneurial, empowered approach to managing your career.
* Form a job search community for support, perspectives, and accountability.
* Don’t undervalue your worth, but remain realistic about market rates.
* Follow up consistently–a lack of response doesn’t mean you should stop pursuing.
* Get out of your head and take action–even in small steps.
* Challenge assumptions about what’s possible or conventional.
* Align your work with your personal values and find the right fit.
* Consider interim/temporary roles as potential paths to something more permanent.
* Embrace lifelong learning as industries and roles evolve.
* Focus on continuous self-improvement, not just securing any job.
More About Stephen Warley
Stephen Warley has been a serial solopreneur for the past 25 years. He’s the founder of LifeSkillsThatMatter.com. He’s a career and business coach on a mission to help you create work that works for you in alignment with your values, needs and abilities. He believes work is fundamentally changing as you know it and we’re all going to have to manage ourselves whether you work for yourself or someone else. Learn how to start making your work, work for you at www.lifeskillsthatmatter.com/about
Credits
* Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund
* Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod
All songs licensed under Creative Commons -
124: Seth Vore–Wouldn’t It Be Crazy If…
Seth Vore joins me again to recap the final leg of his family’s 6,000 mile boat journey. We also revisit the original question that turned this dream into reality.
Learn More about Seth Vore and His Family
* Previous conversations with Seth:
* 121: Captain Seth Progress Report (June 2023)
* 112: Checking in with Captain Seth Vore (June 2022)
* 110: Boats and FIRE with Seth Vore (December 2021)
* The Great Loop is a 6,000 mile, year-long boating trip Seth and his family are on
* onFIREfamily – Website
* onFIREfamily – YouTube
Credits
* Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund
* Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod
All songs licensed under Creative Commons -
123: Searching for a Job in Today’s Market with Greg Sterling
Greg Sterling joins me to share his experiences navigating a layoff and finding a job in the current market.
Conversation Summary
Losing a job is never easy, even when the economy seems strong. Greg Sterling was was part of a layoff at Red Hat after 13 years with the company. He spent the last 7 months searching for a new position. We talked in November 2023 to get his insights on the current job market and advice for others trying to find new work.
Key Takeaways
* Job searching can be very discouraging with extremely low response rate
* Companies can receive an overwhelming 500-1000 applicants for a single role in minutes
* The current job market is very tight with companies being extremely selective
* Networking continuously is crucial, though even close contacts may not respond
* Self-care through exercise or other outlets helps manage the emotional toll
* Finding local opportunities rather than remote roles yields better results
* Asking for feedback after rejections can provide useful insights to improve
* Regularly tweaking your resume to polish message and fit is important
* Recruiters tend to only work with those they can easily place in a role
* Set limits on job search time to avoid burnout -
122: Learning About the Landmark Forum with Michael Marvosh
Michael Marvosh joins me to share his experiences and perspective on the Landmark Forum. I’ve heard a variety of things about it over the years and I was curious to get Michael’s take on it.
Conversation Highlights
* Taking responsibility rather than blaming external factors
* Staying present in relationships
* “Choosing” (open) vs, “Deciding” (limiting)
* Letting go of judgment traps–“right vs wrong” and “good vs bad”
* Learning to be more unconditionally present
* Exploring “integrity” – Michael aims for authenticity
* Tightening up the wishy-washy areas
* Michael realized how he wasn’t showing up fully in key relationships
* The paradox between the past and future self-improvement
* Landmark courses are very affordable–Michael has taken several and is planning to take more
Credits
* Original photo source: Michael Marvosh -
121: Captain Seth Progress Report
We’re checking in again with Seth Vore and his family. So far they’ve completed 5,000 miles of their 6,000 mile journey. Last time we talked it was June of 2022, and they had just bought their boat.
Learn More about Seth Vore and His Family
* Previous conversations with Seth:
* 112: Checking in with Captain Seth Vore (June 2022)
* 110: Boats and FIRE with Seth Vore (December 2021)
* The Great Loop is a 6,000 mile, year-long boating trip Seth and his family are on
* onFIREfamily – Website
* onFIREfamily – YouTube
Credits
* Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod
* Original photo source
All songs licensed under Creative Commons