e049 – Leaping into Change Courageously and Confidently with Allison Lockett

Wowza, Mamas, what a week and a bit it has been! It feels like the world has been shoved into a literal pause and reformation with the Coronavirus pandemic. Lives are changing as we speak, businesses and corporations are forced to adapt and evolve now more than ever, our kiddos are home for the next few weeks, and overall, as a society, we are practicing social distancing - can you say massive change or what?! If this week has taught us anything, as mamas, it is this: We have successfully navigated the time change, Friday the 13th, province and nationwide school closures, and a bit of snow, and a global pandemic all in one week! I joke, but no, seriously. It really makes you think. Change is the only constant and as mamas, our lives are forever changing rapidly right from the start of our motherhood journey. This week on the podcast, we have Allison Lockett,  a Toronto-based career coach who helps people identify and lock down their dream career, and thrive doing it. Through courses and coaching programs, her work raises consciousness around our working lives, and empowers individuals to live their calling. She incorporates deep corporate experience in consulting and HR leadership, together with extensive creative and spiritual training, to bring a fresh take on career development and using work as a vehicle for personal growth. Allison has an MBA, is a certified yoga teacher and is emerging as a leading voice in the career space. Allison’s journey into entrepreneurship and first major shift into personal development truly began when she went on maternity leave with the birth of her daughter. Diving down the Google rabbit hole, she discovered a whole new world full of self-development and online entrepreneurship, which sparked the thought, “There has to be something different for me out there.” And so, she spent time dabbling and experimenting with various business ideas. However, her journey into full-fledged taking-the-leap entrepreneurship took place much later as she continued to develop the confidence and courage to own her gifts and share them unapologetically with the world. Leaning into the unknown is hard, change and growth are also hard. Correction, it feels uncomfortable because you are being led by something greater than yourself - the Universe, Source, God - whatever you relate to, will direct you and redirect you toward where you’re meant to be. As moms, our priorities practically evolve overnight, the moment we learn we are going to have a tiny human to nourish and nurture. Allison discusses how every woman’s journey into motherhood is unique, she too realized that while she loved being a mom, she also very much was a career girl at heart. Although her lifestyle drastically shifted once she became a mom, she realized that she still wanted to nourish her ambition and dreams, still make an impact and do work that is purposeful. Both Sabrina and Alison discuss how important it is to still fan the flames of your own dreams, nurture your identity as a woman before you took on the titles and roles in society. Especially in our rapidly evolving society, workplace structures and norms are shifting and if this past week was any indication, more and more corporate careers are shifting toward a remote-work and flex-work lifestyle. As a society, we have been so ingrained to fit into this archaic box, which then follows us into our career choices and jobs, however, you are only as good as your ability to adapt - you just have to identify a work option that works for you and your family. And Mama, it is totally 100% possible to change your careers after you have kids. Please don’t guilt yourself, it might take you some time to get to where you need to get to, but please take that first leap of courage, and continue on with fierce confidence that you have so much to offer from your years and decades of experience personally and professionally.