Sep 13, 2021
In this episode, our guest is KJ Christensen. She is a PR Strategist, Pivot and Performance Strategist, and Coach. She helps Culture-Focused CEOs, Entertainers, Entrepreneurs, Creative Companies, Colleges, Remote Teams, and influencers to pivot and perform best, produce more creative projects, and get proximity and publicity. She has earned press and praise on and off camera as a multi-passionate, creative entrepreneur, thought leader, and high-performance advocate. Today, she is going to discuss how we can pivot to the next chapter in our lives.
[1:37] Enthusiastic Energy
People often say my energy is within the enthusiastic category, and that makes me laugh because I think at our best when we're in the pocket, we have that levity and joy, yet it's well earned. It would be inaccurate to only think that I'm perky and bubbly.
[2:12]
I'm sure it's inaccurate for them as well because we've all walked some path, and I always find it so interesting. But I also find it to be hard and affirming that I am on the right path. The pivots that I've made in my life and by choice ended me here.
[3:42] The Valley
It's one of those stories that I opened the chapter in that book on resiliency. I did not want my story to be my story. I did not want the identity to be my identity. I didn't love the fact that I knew what it felt like to be rejected. I didn't love the fact that I felt like the underdog and like a late bloomer. I did not want those parts of my story to be my story, but that's not how good stories go.
[5:02]
The life that I thought I had and the future that I had banked on, the devotion, loyalty, and sacrifices that I had made imploded in only three minutes without regard or warning.
[5:50]
Without regard and warning, sometimes you just get kicked in the teeth, you just get sucker-punched, and resiliency is going to come knocking whether we want it to or not, whether we feel ready or not, whether it's fair or not, whether we got money in the bank or not.
[7:29] How would you guide someone through those moments?
Betrayal and trauma are the most excruciating pain I've ever gone through. I don't think that I've ever endured anything quite as big as that, and I've been through some things.
[8:53]
Nothing pales in comparison to feeling like the person and life you thought you had to count on. It just bludgeons the spirit, and it boggles the mind. It burdens the heart with this misguided shame.
[9:23]
The truth is, you can't be abandoned and betrayed. It's hard for people to hear this, and it's hard for me to even hear this. It's the truth unless you have betrayed and abandoned yourself first.
[11:06] Trading Becoming for Belonging
If you're up at night, if your body's doing weird, wonky things, if you're catching yourself dodging certain questions, or you don't want to talk about certain things, you do not own your outgrown. You do not own your truth, and you are not having the courageous conversation.
[12:17] Own the Truth
You can kick the can for a period of time, and your whole life can change in about three minutes. You might as well own your truth through. You might as well do the tough thing now because it's not going to get easier to build that business or to pivot that career, relationship, address, or whatever it is. The longer you wait, it actually gets harder because now you're more in meshed. You're more entangled, you're more attached, and you become less of yourself.
[14:20]
Live your life and gratitude. Be grateful for the little moments and the people in your life and have that effervescence because you have that reference. But also, don't get complacent and don't ignore the giant elephant in the room, and trust that you can have more.
[15:45] Surrounding yourself with the right people
Make sure that you are surrounding yourself as best you possibly can with generous, genuine, sincere, silly folks who are curious about you, who are interested in you, who are invested in asking questions, and are genuinely looking you in the eye at the end of the day and wanting to hear how your day was.
[18:46] How to start pivoting
It's just clarity. It will only be hard if you choose to go into it with the idea that it is hard. You will immediately start to up-level where you're a, and you will feel synergy, and there will be momentum because energy is contagious and proximity is power.
[20:13]
If you need to get momentum or maximize the momentum that you have, the first step is to own your outgrown and draw a line of demarcation in the sand.
[22:22]
When people think it's going to be so dangerous or awful. The reality is that is the debating is the awful part. You are the half in and half out that seesaw of crazy-making where you're going to blow up your life, plotting, or planning. That's insanity. It's a roller coaster ride of insanity. The moment you choose a goal line and get into massive action, the universe conspires to support you.
[24:39] What promise did God make to the world when He created you?
This comes out having been through so much loss in my life. I feel like I'm the reminder to get back up. The reminder that you might feel down but you're not done and the reminder to be who you are and go after what you want and honor why you started.
Key Quotes
[10:32-10:40] "I traded becoming for belonging, and that's a trade you don't want to make."
[17:17-17:28] "It's not about running. It's not about blowing up your life. Sometimes it's just about pivoting the people in your life, and the environments that you're in are more aging and that there's more reciprocity."
Learn more about KJ Christensen on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenjchristensen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kj_christensen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christensen_kj
Website: http://KjChristensen.com/
Subscribe to her podcast on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dreamcatchers-district-podcast-mindset-authentic-marketing/id1275129640?mt=2