The Unemployment Diaries

Aisha Ommaya
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

This podcast isn’t about work. It’s about the beliefs, systems, and expectations that “employ” us. Through interviews with experts and honest conversations with people who’ve chosen a less-known path, we explore what it takes to break old patterns and choose differently. Become “unemployed” from anyone else’s definition of a life well-lived, and design your own.

  1. Sep 22

    Opera, Wall Street, and a Career Nobody Could Have Written

    Jen Litwin is my favorite kind of guest. Her story started with one thing (opera), embarked into a seemingly opposite career (Wall Street), and somehow found herself exactly where she needed to be. When you hear it, it all makes perfect sense even if getting there was anything but perfect.  Jen trained as an opera singer at Oberlin and Yale and went on to perform professionally at the highest level. Then, a leader at AIG (where she took a temp job on a trading floor just to pay the bills) told her something that would change everything: as an opera singer, she had all the skills necessary for the trading floor. She wasn't sure she believed him. But the offer was on the table, and Luciano Pavarotti wasn't calling. So she stayed. She spent decades in financial services, then started moderating panels, then coaching. Then someone sent an email with the subject line "The world is not right if you two do not know each other" — and she landed at Speeko, an AI-powered coaching platform where she now leads coaching and strategic partnerships. Today she still teaches music, still performs, and coaches leaders and teams on the one thing she's always understood better than most: the power of your voice. At every step, she felt like she didn't quite fit the box. So she stopped trying to fit it and built something better. This episode is about what happens when you stop trying to be one thing, and what it means to finally find the container that holds all of you. We talk about: What opera training actually builds in a person (hint: it's not just a voice) The conversation that changed the trajectory of her career (and why she almost said no) What presence, gravitas, and confidence actually mean (and how anyone can build them) Her practical advice on navigating the unknown with grace Why your network isn't a strategy, it's infrastructure The communication mistakes even the most high-performing people don't know they're making Jen's voice, both literal and figurative, has been her through-line all along. She just needed time to figure out what it was all for. Chapters  (00:00) Introducing Jen Litwin (01:03) From Opera to Wall Street (04:00) The Conversation That Changed Everything (09:13) Learning the Floor: What Wall Street Actually Taught Her (11:26) The Long Way Around: From Trader to Facilitator (16:25) The Snowstorm That Made Her Career (21:55) The Moment She Knew Voice Was Her Work (27:34) When the Mosaic Finally Came Together (32:01) Why Relationships Are the Real Infrastructure (36:27) Presence, Gravitas, and the Myth of "You Either Have It or You Don't" (39:30) The One Thing That Fixes Almost Everything (It's Your Breath) (44:27) How to Reframe Nerves as Excitement (50:46) What Speeko Does That Coaching Can't (54:09) The Communication Mistakes Even High Performers Make (1:03:04) The Script She Most Needed to Quit (1:05:32) What She's Proudest Of Where to find Jen https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlitwin/ https://www.speeko.co/ Spotify For more from The Unemployment Diaries  https://substack.com/@aishaommaya https://www.instagram.com/theunemploymentdiariespodcast/

  2. Sep 2

    On fear, faith, and finding a way back to the heart

    Mira Tarabeine might be an internationally recognized Islamic mindfulness coach, author, and yoga teacher, but her introduction to her faith wasn't peace: it was fear. Sitting in a fourth grade classroom in Syria, she remembers a teacher describing hell in vivid detail, and going home convinced she'd already lived her life wrong. She'd spend years struggling with the faith she was raised in. And that struggle stayed with her as she immigrated to a post-9/11 Los Angeles and started down a political activism path that left her inflamed, exhausted, and disconnected — before she reconnected with Islam in the unlikeliest of places: a hot yoga studio. We talk about those who gatekeep religion (in this case, the "haram police"), why practicing Muslims often have less access to their own tradition's depth than outsiders do, and how concepts like Tawakkul (trust) and Sukun (stillness) show up in traditions far outside Islam from Buddhism to Stoicism to Christianity. This episode isn't about picking a side in the secular-vs-religious debate. It's about the projected fear so many of us carry, and what's waiting for us on the other side of it. Chapters  (00:00) Meet Mira Tarabeine (01:25) "I've lived my life wrong": a childhood shaped by fear (06:07) From a hot yoga class to "behind two mountains" (08:53) Different prophets, same message (12:06) The Haram police: "I know I'm doing something right" (15:08) Who gets to be the gatekeeper? (18:09) Dropping the bag of rocks (20:53) From Damascus to Los Angeles (23:59) Why Friday prayers were an act of resistance (26:52) Walking out to face armed soldiers (and feeling safe) (30:01) "I was the fighter" and it broke me (39:38) A bar of soap changed the whole room (42:35) Decision fatigue in an AI-driven world (51:14) E + R = O: her framework for letting go (01:00:14) Signs are always there if you look for them( (01:09:09) The belief she had to leave behind Where to find Mira https://www.instagram.com/mindful.mira/ hello@mindfulmira.org For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

  3. Aug 19

    The science behind the heart’s intelligence

    On this podcast, we explore the beliefs and systems that hold us back. But what if our mind isn’t the only source of intelligence and discernment in the body?  Jeff Goelitz is the Director of Education at the HeartMath Institute where they’ve spent the last 35 years studying science-based tools to access your heart’s intuitive wisdom, transforming how you navigate stress, make decisions, and connect with others.  In this conversation, we get into the mechanics of heart rate variability and coherence, what the research shows about non-local intuition (the kind of knowing that has no clear rational explanation) and how regulating our nervous system directly affects the quality of our decisions. Jeff also shares findings from HeartMath's work with nurses, doctors, and the military, where building resilience through simple daily practices has measurably changed outcomes under high-stress conditions — plus how you can use those same practices to access your own heart's regulating and intuitive power. Chapters  (00:00) Introducing: Jeff Goelitz (01:01) From teacher to HeartMath's Director of Education (03:11) What HeartMath discovered about the heart's intelligence (09:33) Measuring the heart's rhythm (it's not just fitness) (15:53) Coherence vs. optimization (18:44) The practice of heart-focused breathing (25:24) Random number generators and mass emotion (30:27) Is the heart the source of our energetic field? (35:21) Inside hospitals, schools, and the military (40:27) Why stress hijacks decision-making (47:01) From "California new age" to hard science (50:12) Making coherence a daily habit (56:11) Non-local intuition and sensing beyond time (1:00:35) The origin story of HeartMath (1:05:57) One belief about the heart worth dismantling (1:08:05 )Where to start practicing today Learn more about The HeartMath Institute http://www.heartmath.org https://www.youtube.com/user/HeartMathInstitute For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

  4. Aug 4

    Why rest alone won’t fix burnout with Dr. Talissa Dorsaint

    As a licensed clinical psychologist who's spent over a decade at the intersection of mental health, burnout, and creativity, Dr. Talissa Dorsaint makes the case that most of us have burnout completely wrong. It's not just "doing too much at work." It's the gap between what you want and where you actually are.  And she should know. She experienced burnout herself amidst a windstorm of racism, mounting debt, and a pandemic she was not professionally equipped for.  We get into what burnout really looks like versus depression, the seven types of rest almost nobody talks about, and why quitting the systems that aren't working for you isn't failure. Talissa also shares how she found her way back through creativity: learning to DJ, taking up salsa dancing, and getting comfortable being bad at something in public again. If you've ever wondered whether you're burnt out, quitting too soon, or just finally being honest with yourself — this one's for you. Chapters (00:00) Introducing: Talissa Dorsaint (01:57) Becoming a psychologist and burnout specialist (05:21) Racism, debt, and therapy during a pandemic (10:13) The journey to burnout (14:05) When to quit (21:57) TikTok and rediscovering creativity (28:07) What burnout REALLY is (30:17) The 7 types of rest (33:10) Overcoming the inner critic (36:44) Getting creative on purpose (40:31) Taking small (salsa) steps (42:37) Recognizing the signs of burnout (46:08) Reconnecting with your creativity (49:20 ) The belief she had to change Where to find Talissa https://www.instagram.com/talideephd/ https://www.tiktok.com/@talideephd https://www.drdorsaint.com/ For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

  5. Jul 23

    Writer and data scientist on building a life without a finish line

    Today’s guest trained almost every day for five years chasing a national championship and still lost. But that loss taught him something he's used ever since: how to play a long game without needing to see the finish line. Ryan Boyd is in his 20s, working full-time as a supply chain data scientist, coaching rowing, and writing the Substack newsletter Present & Progressing… all at once. He doesn't treat the job as an excuse to put life on hold. Instead, he's using this decade deliberately: building financial stability, acquiring skills, and setting up a foundation now for a future he's not in a rush to define. But this conversation isn't just for people in the first quarter of their lives. Ryan's approach to delayed gratification, discipline over motivation, and detaching from outcomes is a mindset anyone can use.  We talk about the "pillars" he uses to structure his life around what actually matters to him, a practice most people have never heard of and what it looks like to build a full, intentional life without waiting for permission or the "right" job to start it. If you’ve ever wondered how to balance your ambition with your ability to enjoy the current moment, this episode is for you.   Chapters (00:00) Introducing: Ryan Boyd (00:57) From rowing to writing (06:42) Building your perspective (09:40) The philosophy of Present and Progressing (11:22) Outcomes are overrated (14:43) A crash course in delayed gratification (17:34) Time management vs. energy management (22:36) Discipline vs. motivation (25:53) Handling setbacks and maintaining momentum (28:23) Tools to shape your mindset (35:29) Writing letters to his future self (41:00) What if you're in the wrong job? (45:33) Self-comparison and community (47:47) How to really be ambitious Where to find Ryan Substack: https://presentandprogressing.substack.com/ For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

  6. Jul 8

    The opera singer who cracked the code on being heard

    On this podcast, we talk a lot about the process of becoming unemployed from beliefs and systems that hold you back. But what happens when you know what you want to say, but can’t figure out why you’re not being heard? Before he coached executives to command a room, Michael Hewitt spent a decade commanding rooms himself performing opera without a microphone for audiences of over a thousand people. Then the pandemic hit, the performances stopped, and Michael did what most people don't: he didn't just find a new career. He found himself. Today he works with founders, CEOs, and enterprise sellers who know their material but can't figure out why they're not landing. The answer, according to Michael, is almost always the voice. In this episode, Michael shares his story and: Why he walked away from opera and how his friends are singing at the Met What it cost him to let go of the one thing he believed made him special The surprising overlap between cold calling and performing opera Why most presentation coaches get it wrong  The 7 Skills of Tonality and why five of them have nothing to do with your voice What it means to speak at the frequency of truth What 10 days of silence taught him about equanimity and showing up in a room What to do in the car on the way to an important meeting Chapters  Where to find Michael www.commandaroom.com https://www.instagram.com/michaelhewitt23/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhewitt23/ For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

  7. Jul 1

    The Calm Traveler on layoffs, reinvention, and planning trips differently

    What happens when a 9/11 survivor, Navy veteran, and 28-year corporate travel veteran gets laid off on a Zoom call with 4,000 other people ? Harold Wilkerson didn't panic or spiral. He has too much experience with hard things for that. He got quiet, got intentional, and built The Calm Traveler: a Substack and travel consultancy helping people over 50 rethink how they move through the world. This episode is about more than travel. It's about what happens when the life you built for decades gets pulled out from under you, and you finally decide to bet on yourself. In this episode, Harold and I discuss: How surviving 9/11 permanently changed his relationship with time, risk, and what actually matters Getting laid off via Zoom alongside 4,000 colleagues and feeling an unexpected sense of calm Why he went back to college in his 50s while working full time The philosophy behind The Calm Traveler Why your packed itinerary is the reason you need a vacation from your vacation How he grew an audience by telling the truth instead of doing what he thought creators were supposed to do Why betting on yourself gets a lot easier when you stop waiting for family and friends to be your biggest fans Chapters (00:00) Introducing: The Calm Traveler (07:01) Lessons from 9/11 (14:19) The Zoom call that ended it all (21:56) Betting on himself and finding a new path (26:41) The philosophy behind The Calm Traveler (31:54) Why we ruin trips with overpacked itineraries (34:15) Who The Calm Traveler is really for (39:01) The loneliness of entrepreneurship (42:46) The emotional aspect of travel (48:03) YouTube vs. Substack: Finding your voice (54:30) The learning journey: Fordham to ElevenLabs (01:01:32) The best thing that ever happened to him (01:07:31) Building a unique perspective in spite of fear Where to find Harold Website: https://thecalmtraveler.com/ Substack: https://thecalmtraveler.substack.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCalmTravelerGuide For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

  8. Jun 25

    Comedian-actor-strategist on finding your voice and using it

    Will is a triple threat: stand-up comedian, actor, and B2B content strategist with a newsletter that gets a 70% open rate. He's also someone who spent years flattening himself to fit inside corporate culture (anyone else resonate?) — and is now methodically peeling every layer back. We talk about what it actually means to build an audience, why human content will always beat AI, and how Will is redefining success not by what he's gaining, but by what he's refusing to become again. In this conversation we discuss: Dropping out 7 classes short to build one of the first web companies What panic-applying after a layoff actually feels like and why he stopped waiting to be picked Why comedian + actor + content strategist just makes sense The content mistake most brands make and the 70% open rate that proves there's a better way His architectural approach to content development What he was tolerating in corporate that he couldn't name until he left Success by subtraction: becoming more you by refusing to be anything else Why he almost turned this podcast down and what that says about how we measure ourselves Chapters (00:00) Introducing: Will Thomas (01:07) How comedian-actor-strategist answers "what do you do?" (05:59) The bold decision to drop out of college (11:50) Finding discipline in a crazy commute (15:10) From corporate to creative freedom (21:03) What Will was tolerating  (25:54) The importance of support systems (27:16) Architectural approach to content creation (29:41) Emotional intelligence in content creation (32:07) Leveraging humor and unique perspectives (35:47) Building a personal brand (39:14) Defining success on your own terms (45:54) Authenticity over comparison Where to find Will  Newsletter: https://www.williamathomas.com/sunday-setup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamathomas/ Website: https://www.5thhouseleo.com/ For more from The Unemployment Diaries Stay up to date on Instagram Go behind the scenes on Substack Watch on YouTube

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

This podcast isn’t about work. It’s about the beliefs, systems, and expectations that “employ” us. Through interviews with experts and honest conversations with people who’ve chosen a less-known path, we explore what it takes to break old patterns and choose differently. Become “unemployed” from anyone else’s definition of a life well-lived, and design your own.

Information

  • Creator
    Aisha Ommaya
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Aisha Ommaya
  • Show Website
    The Unemployment Diaries