“After a couple of years of self-doubt and continuing to work for other people, I realized that if I put my efforts into building my own business, I could be just as successful as I was making others.”
For a long time, I thought I had to choose one thing and just focus on that. I also fell into the trap of believing that I should get a “good job” and the rest of my life would fall into place. During my twenties, I worked as a Retail Store Manager and a Financial Adviser. I was good at my jobs but I wasn’t passionate about them. Although everyone considered me a top performer, deep down I knew I wasn’t putting in nearly enough effort.
When I became pregnant with my son, I took about a year and a half off to focus on mommyhood. I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be a stay at home mom because I missed being involved in business decisions. However, I didn’t want my son to spend the majority of his day in daycare. I was consulting on the side and began thinking seriously about doing it full time to become a work at home mom. After a couple of years of self-doubt and continuing to work for other people, I realized that if I put my efforts into building my own business, I could be just as successful as I was making others.
My other business ventures - writing, hosting and ministering - fit into my belief that you can have it all: personal, professional and spiritual development. Many women have been led to believe that they have to choose. You can’t be a sexy minister or you can’t be a ‘good’ working mom. I believe that it’s possible to be all the things you want to be if you figure out what is most important to you.
Finding your passion and/or being successful is no longer about society’s definition of those things but about what really makes you happy. At one point, people thought having a lot of money would solve all of their problems so the focus was on acquiring external things. I believe a shift is happening in our society where people are starting to refocus on internal fulfillment.
Why do you like it?
I love having control over my life. I love baking cupcakes for my son’s first grade class. I love sitting down and writing for hours. I love meeting new people and introducing them to the thousands of people in my network. I really love that I am in a place where I am being the person that I want to be. I may not have a lot of stuff or money but I have peace, joy, happiness and love. I have all of the things that money can’t buy.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up I wanted to be a lawyer. Although I graduated with a BA in Political Science from Vanderbilt University; I realized that I didn’t like reading as much as I loved to write. I do still enjoy a good debate, especially about politics ;)
“It’s meaningful work that I am passionate about, that adds value to the world, that changes someone’s life for the better.”
Farnoosh Brock
What do you do?
I am a career expert, author, speaker, professional blogger and podcaster as well as a business coach who helps corporate professionals excel or make drastic career transitions from corporate cubicles. In other words, I am a full-time entrepreneur but only after an engineering path followed by a decade long corporate career. I am living my passions every single day now and deciding my life’s path consciously and with intention. I have made it my life’s mission to inspire you to live life on your own terms, no excuses, no limitations, no exceptions.
I also run a popular show on iTunes, The Daily Interaction, which helps you learn how to communicate so effectively that you get everything you want in life.
How did you get there?
With a lot of hardship, and after taking a lot of wrong turns and hitting a lot of dead-ends. With a lot of perseverance and awakening and acceptance that I had made mistakes at first but I could turn things around with the right mindset and the right set of beliefs.
I only ever knew how to be an engineer and a good employee in Corporate America… for 12 years! Then I woke up to realize that I am following an empty shadow and my dreams are not in the highest ladder in corporate america but in doing my own thing. So I gave up my 6-figure cushy job and perks and started my own company in 2011. I did this by first starting a side-hustle for fun, which has now turned into my company, Prolific Living. I started doing what I had been curious about: writing. I wrote blog post after blog post, then I expanded to writing guest posts for other blogs, then I started creating ebooks and then self-published books and then my own products and programs and services.
It took a lot of preparation to build up my side-hustle and I did that while I still held on to my corporate job. I am now a published author, I speak at conferences, I write a professional blog and run a popular podcast. I coach people how to make drastic career changes, primarily how to either get promoted or get out of corporate america, depending on their desires and dreams.
I am also an expert in green juicing. In December 2011, I self-published my first green juicing guide on Amazon and it went on to sell thousands of copies. In November 2012, a traditional publisher approached us and less than 3 months later, I have a gorgeous hard-cover published book, The Healthy Juicer’s Bible, in all national bookstores and Costco’s, thanks to following my heart and my passion.
This past December, my business has grown so much that I had to hire my husband out of his corporate job. We made the most drastic shift from working in a safe company to working on our own without any business experience but with faith that we can make our dreams come true, that we will figure it out and be able to do what we LOVE to do. Now we own our own business, we travel internationally several times a year and we are making a difference with the products and services we create.
Why do you like it?
Because it’s meaningful work that I am passionate about, that adds value to the world, that changes someone’s life for the better. Because I love creating, whether it’s a blog post or a new episode for The Daily Interaction show or photography for my new product or writing my next book. I find it fascinating that we have so many tools and resources at our disposal now and how few take advantage of this outrageous opportunity in front of us.
And because I did not want to waste my life doing something that I was supposed to do and wonder for the rest of my days why that work is making me so miserable.
Because we have a duty to live our best, highest potential and if we waste it away and never realize it, I think it’s just a shame. So I love what I do because it gives me an opportunity to leave a footprint behind, and to be able to say that my life and my time was worth it! Maybe others can say that too if the work I leave behind impacts them in a positive way.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t know so much what I wanted to be when I grew up as much as I wanted to be free. I was born and raised in Iran and at the time of my childhood, there was a terrible war and a horrible revolution and our life was terrifying for a while until we were able to get out. All I wanted was freedom and happiness and my biggest dream was to come to America and to live in the land of freedom. I am glad to say that dream has been realized and I am immensely grateful for it.
Beyond that, I didn’t want much of anything. Well, I do remember enjoying clothing design a great deal, thanks to my fabulous grandmother who taught me. Someday, I still want to design clothes and take up knitting again but perhaps that’s a dream for another life. For now, I am quite happy living in my own reality.
“I find humanity to be forever fascinating and use film to uncover some of its secrets, sharing my findings with the world in hope that it might help them get closer to their inner truth and happiness in the process.”
I am a film director and a screenwriter. I’ve also been known to edit and produce my own films, shop for costumes, hold lights, run catering, and expertly lie to the police about who put those cones blocking the street without a permit, amongst many other hats. Such is a life of the independent filmmaker. Any pride and ego you might have had coming in get trampled by the vision of making the best film possible, and as long as you love it, no task it asks you to perform is too hard or too crazy. Not even getting up at 3am on a freezing winter day to stand around in a park and shoot a handful of actresses dancing in gauzy dresses, praying they don’t get frostbite as the wind that whips them to tears also makes the images so damn beautiful you can cry.
How did you get there?
According to my mother, I just walked in one day, at the age of 8, and declared I was going to be a film director. My parents were business people, but loved and supported the arts, and never once told me I could not pursue my dream. I am eternally grateful to them for this, and firmly believe I would not be where I am now without them and their support. When I was 14, however, a war broke out in my home country of Bosnia and I found myself parentless for the first 9 months of my exile. Things could have gone many different ways, but my path lead to theatre. Realizing there was no magazine dedicated to it in all of Croatia (my country of refuge), I recruited a handful of friends and launched one, landing a job in a theatre company in the process. Bitten by that bug, I spent the next 10 years dedicated to perfecting my directing on NYC stages, but in 2003 my path came to yet another fork and I (yet again) chose the unfamiliar turn. The result was my first film, a feature documentary “Back to Bosnia,” which premiered at the AFI Fest in 2005, launching my filmmaking career. Seven years later and a number of films under my belt, I now have a fantastic manager and am looking to shoot my first feature film, “Summer Abroad,” this July.
Reading this, it all sounds so easy, but trust me not one step of it was. Sure, I was lucky in knowing what I wanted to do at such a young age, but that was just the beginning. Having the stubborn persistence in pursuing it, even when faced with war, exile, living on welfare, and not having any connections whatsoever in the industry, is really where that initial luck was harshly tested. All in all it was, and still remains, a hard path, full of twists and turns, but I would not trade it in for anything. At the end of the day, working this hard for something I love beats working much less for something I don’t. And I can’t wait to see where it leads me next!
Why do you like it?
Making films is one of those professions that gets you bonus points at cocktail parties. That is until the other person starts comparing you to Spielberg and all you can do is stand there and smile, wishing it was that easy. Sure, being a filmmaker has its glamourous moments, but for the most part it’s just hard work. Long hours, no money, and almost daily exposure to rejection and brutal criticism. So why do it? Because nothing in this world makes me happier than standing on the set of my film, seeing the world I’ve only dreamt of thus far, come to life. And then, many months later, seeing the audience’s faces light up or get teary, when they recognize this moment from my dreams as one of their own as well. I find humanity to be forever fascinating and use film to uncover some of its secrets, sharing my findings with the world in hope that it might help them get closer to their inner truth and happiness in the process.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Before that fateful declaration at the age of 8, my dream was to be a writer. I learned how to read when I was 4 and devoured books as a hobby. I wrote short stories and poems for the school paper and even a novella when I was 12. But I was also a passionate superhero lover and desperately wanted to meet Tarzan, so he could teach me how to be just like him. I still remember the day I was told that Tarzan was dead. It was my parents’ way of making me realize that the actor I was identifying with was just that - an actor. Who died. I sobbed for a week.
“When my wife and I moved to Florida for her career, I wasn’t sure how this older congregation would receive my spiky hair and outside-the-box personality, but they embraced me and encouraged my vision for the church and reaching out to young persons.”
I serve as the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Reddick, Fla. As the only staff of this small, rural church, I am responsible for preaching, worship, teaching, visionary leadership, pastoral care, evangelism and coordinating volunteers to help with our ministries. A regular week includes 30-60 hours of work. I spend most of that time researching and preparing for the Sunday morningworship service (including my sermon), attending to pastoral care needs and attending church events—such as committee meetings, fellowship gatherings and Bible studies. I spend the remainder of my time completing district and conference paperwork, preparing for weddings and funerals, managing conflict, preparing ordination paperwork and brainstorming/preparing for future events. I am blessed with great volunteers who I trust to prepare the youth and family activities and take care of the financial responsibilities, building management and marketing/evangelism needs. Even though I do not have a staff, these volunteers make my job much easier. Part of my job is to oversee their work, educate them on how to improve and continually celebrate the work they have done for the church.
How did you get there?
My senior year of high school, I delivered my first sermon at the youth Sunday service. This time (and every time I delivered a sermon after that), I received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the congregation. I knew that preaching was my gift, so I majored in Christian Education at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth to prepare to be a minister. I served as a youth minister at three different churches before becoming an associate pastor while I finished seminary at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. In The United Methodist Church, there is an ordination process to qualify each minister for a lifetime of service, and I am pursuing ordination as an elder in The United Methodist Church.
When my wife and I moved to Florida for her career, I wasn’t sure how this older congregation would receive my spiky hair and outside-the-box personality, but they embraced me and encouraged my vision for the church and reaching out to young persons. I have served in Reddick for 2 1/2 years now. In this time, the church has transformed from having an average of 15 during worship to 115. The church started with 5 youth and we now have more than 25. Before, the church was unable to pay bills without constant fundraisers and now we are self-sufficient and able to meet 100% of our conference apportionment payments. Now, funds raised help families in tough situations and help support the family, youth, and children’s ministries. We recently had 26 new members join the church in one Sunday. This is a testament to the excitement in our church, the motivation of the leadership and the joy that new, younger families bring to our congregation.
Why do you like it?
Tommy, Julya, and Luke Sims started attending our church when I first started my appointment in Reddick. I saw them every Sunday in worship, so I was surprised to learn that they were not attending church as a family at all before.
Tommy and Julya enjoyed my passionate and genuine sermons, and Tommy appreciated the fact that he could wear shorts to church. When Tommy’s lung cancer progressed, they asked me to pray for his upcoming operation. They informed me then that my sermons, leadership and attention to youth saved their family, their marriage and their faith.
Tommy died in September 2011 at the age of 42. At his funeral, I was touched to see he was wearing a wristband that says, “God is Big enough,” which I gave all of our church members during a sermon series I did on dealing with suffering. Julya told me he never took the wristband off. She said, “Russell, Tommy didn’t say much, but he definitely believed God is big enough.” There were more than 300 people at Tommy’s funeral, and we have many new church members today because the witness at Tommy’s memorial service touched them.
We had a mission trip in June 2012 where we helped local families with projects such as wheelchair ramps, yard work and home repairs. Julya and Luke both attended the mission trip to serve these families and do the hard, sweaty work in the middle of the hot Florida summer. Julya told me at the end of the week that this mission trip was the most transformative experience of her life and she felt that she could move on with her life after Tommy’s death. Twelve-year-old Luke broke down in tears one evening on the trip. He told me he knows he is going to be okay because his dad still lives within him.
I don’t just like my job; I love my job. To see the transformation of the Sims family in spite of tragedy is just one example of why I love what I do. There are countless stories of families and individuals who remind me of the eternal smile that a new life in Jesus Christ can bring. I continually have more confidence and passion to be a pastor in The United Methodist Church because of the inspirational transformations I am blessed to witness day after day.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
As a kid, I did not have much confidence. I felt like I was just mediocre at everything. I played “left out” on every sports team I was a part of, I didn’t excel in band and I wasn’t the brightest student. The only place where I felt special was in church. My youth group included my closest friends and nothing excited me more than to hear about how God can affect our lives. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I considered becoming a veterinarian or joining the military or working with computers, but I wanted a job that meant something to me.
After I delivered my first sermon, this was the first time I felt like someone special. This was the first time I felt like I could excel at something. I found the confidence to be someone through my church and my calling to be a pastor. I was the shyest, nerdiest kid growing up, but now every Sunday I stand up in front of my church and I know God gave me a gift. God made me to be awesome! I am humbled and blessed by the opportunity I have to serve as the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Reddick, Fla.I believe God made everyone to be awesome! My ministry is to empower people to do the ministry they are called to do.
Russell would love to answer any questions you have about his life or your own on his profile. Read more about his story and ask him questions on his Sokanu Profile
I’m a scuba diving instructor affiliated with two international agencies; individual and group adventure planner and leader; underwater photographer and videographer. I teach through private lessons, dive shops and local colleges, and have the qualifications to teach the sport anywhere in the world I am welcome.
How did you get there?
For the first 30 years of my professional life, I worked in the trenches of retail jewelry sales and management. Became a watch repairman—even put myself through the Gemological Institute of America to broaden my technical skills and make myself more marketable within the more specialized areas of the industry.
Most folks would think of this as a dream career, and it was up until the final few years, when things got a bit tough in retailing and Corporate didn’t seem to realize that our customers couldn’t simply opt out of the recession just because they decreed it. Going in to work was less and less of an anticipation and became more and more of a burden to be endured.
Realizing I had reached a crossroads after examining where I projected things heading, I resigned my last position on 24 December 2007 and have not looked back since.
There was no way around it; it was time for a frank evaluation of where I was in life, what additional skills I had, and what I could do to make certain that I never had to grade or sell another diamond again just to make ends meet.
Ever.
So I followed the well-worn path others have before me and started listing the things I had done, could be doing and most of all—interested me in doing. I was looking for something outside the ordinary and mainstream that allowed me to take advantage of skills I already could identify and develop.
I hit on the unlikely thought of becoming a professional in the scuba industry. Since I was already a certified diver, I started enrolling in classes that brought me greater knowledge and training, and so began to move up the ladder.
Training Assistant…Divemaster…Instructor.
I also lucked into a position with a maker of Dive Computers that helped me hone my technical knowledge even further, as well as my people skills dealing with Domestic and International clientele. (Thank you Cochran Undersea.)
Why do you like it?
Even as unfocused as I was in those early days of escape from the Company grind, I had started building the foundation that today affords me the joy of showing others the wonders of a world that most on Earth never experience—the 2/3rds of our planet hidden underwater. Life is enriching and exciting again, full of challenges to be met and overcome. I go to work in swim trunks and sandals, get plenty of fresh air and sunshine plus meet a variety of enthusiastic people who come to my classes from all walks of life.
As time has gone by, I found additional ways to take that initial scuba interest to new heights as a professional in the industry and to satisfy my desire to travel to far-away places and document in photos and videos the things seen and experienced by adding another title—Adventure Leader—booking and taking divers (and non-divers as well!) on journeys to places that will give them the same thrills that I have over the years from Australia to the Caribbean and beyond.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Someone people could look up to. I think I finally made it!
John Lewis is a scuba instructor holding active membership with two international training organizations, teaching through dive shops and his local community college. An Adventure Travel Planner and Leader, you can engage his travel services through the website www.aqualifeadventures.com and get to know him personally through his website www.johnlewisscuba.com or LinkedIn . His next major Adventure will be leading a group of divers to the Republic of Fiji in November 2013.
