In today's episode of SPARKED, I'm joined by Shelly Adele Bliss, one of our fabulous Spark Endeavors team members. Together we're diving into this often-overlooked catalyst for unshackling your zest for work and life. Because you deserve more than just clock-punching - you deserve work that lets you play and thrive.

We'll explore the core elements of playful work cultures and why courting more fun matters so much. You'll learn playful strategies to spark creativity, strengthen teams, and keep motivation soaring. We'll troubleshoot the barriers to bringing more levity into your work, so you can greenlight more smiles and laughter.

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. 

Presented by LinkedIn.

Today's career transformation story features, Navid Ladha, who is now a thriving nonprofit consultant and career coach.

As a Primary Sparketype, Advisor with an Essentialist shadow, Navid was drawn to roles allowing him to guide others through personal growth while creating systems that added clarity to his and his client’s pursuits.

And if you’d like to share your career transformation story on the Sparked podcast, to inspire others who may be feeling stuck or unsure about their own career paths, we encourage you to apply to be a guest and share your story. To apply, please check out this form. We can't wait to hear from you!

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. 

Presented by LinkedIn.

Have you ever felt like you were drifting through life, unsure if the path you’re on is truly aligned with who you are and what you want? Even for someone like me, who has dedicated his life to exploring meaning, purpose, and how to craft a life you truly love, I recently found myself at a crossroads wondering – is the way I’m feeling today, especially about my work, really how I want to feel for the next 20 years of my life?

I know, it sounds crazy. After all, I’ve done extensive work to uncover my core values, the “Sparketype” that makes me come alive, and the missions that ignite my passion. And for the most part, I spend my days doing work that matters, surrounded by people and cultures I care deeply about. Yet that inner voice kept whispering – is this really it? Is there another level, another blend of simplicity, significance and joy that I’m being called to explore?

That persistent questioning led me to secretly launch what I’ve dubbed my “two by 20” project. For the last 9 months, I’ve been on an intensive journey of learning, doing, and building – running a series of intentional experiments across my work, relationships, health and creativity. All with the goal of figuring out what adjustments I may want to make to set myself up for a truly enlivened next 20 years of contribution and self-expression.

So if you’ve ever hit a milestone and thought “What’s next?”, even if your life is good, I invite you to join me on this adventure. Stay tuned as I reveal the backstory, guidelines and early experiments that may just inspire you to craft your own “two by 20” and step into your most vibrant work and life yet.

Episode Transcript

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Today's career transformation story is an inspiring example of how to courageously pivot when the work you once loved no longer aligns with your deepest drives.

Kayla Archer's journey began with an all-consuming obsession for competitive ballroom dancing. But the intense singular focus and lack of boundaries eventually led to a challenging environment that neglected her innate curiosities and zest for personal growth and, more or less, obliterated boundaries. Her renaissance journey overcame self-doubts from early academic struggles to ultimately find fulfillment as a learning and talent development leader.  

And if you’d like to share your career transformation story on the Sparked podcast, to inspire others who may be feeling stuck or unsure about their own career paths, we encourage you to apply to be a guest and share your story. To apply, please check out this form. We can't wait to hear from you!

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. 

Presented by LinkedIn.

In today's career transformation story, you’ll meet Gabriela Pereira, who transitioned from her dream job as a toy designer to founding DIY MFA, an educational company for writers, after leaving her initial career due to health concerns, ultimately realizing she could fulfill her maker passion in a new field.

Gabriela Pereira, is the founder of DIY MFA - an online education platform empowering writers to hone their craft outside the traditional MFA system. But Gabriela's journey began with an unexpected detour.

After achieving her childhood dream of becoming a toy designer, a personal health crisis forced Gabriela to pivot from the corporate world. Through deep introspection, she realized her true callings were creating new offerings while constantly acquiring knowledge - the essence of her Primary Maker and Shadow Maven Sparketypes. 

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. 

Presented by LinkedIn.

Ever feel like the rug got pulled out from under you at work? A project imploded, a promotion evaporated, or your role did a 180 you never saw coming?  If those punches to the gut sound familiar, you know how quickly setbacks can shake your confidence and derail your drive. But what if you could bounce back stronger from those inevitable career curveballs?

That's the power of resilience - the ability to adapt, grow, and thrive through adversity. With resilience, you don't just survive challenges, you use them as fuel to soar higher.

In today’s episode of SPARKED, I’m joined by Shelly Adele Bliss, one of our fabulous Spark Endeavors team members. Together we unpack the essence of career resilience. We'll explore the core mindsets and habits that allow you to stay grounded yet flexible when things go sideways.

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. 

Presented by LinkedIn.

"How do you finish more of the projects that you start or do you need to complete everything?"

This week on the SPARKED podcast, we invited a listener to share what’s going on in their work & life, then pose a specific question to Jonathan Fields and a rotating lineup of wise and kind mentors - the SPARKED Braintrust. 

In today’s episode we’re in conversation with:

SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Charlie Gilkey | Website

Charlie is a strategic advisor and executive coach, founder of the Productive Flourishing consultancy, and author of the multi-award-winning book, Start Finishing.

LISTENER:  Jade - Sparketype: Maker/Maven

QUESTION: Listener Jade poses a question that I’m sure a lot of our Makers and creators have also wondered, what can you do to see more ideas through to completion. Jade shares her experience of feeling tied down in the ‘busy-work’ of her daily job while being called to diversify her income and embrace a ‘side hustle’. So the essence of the question is how do you make the most of the small amount of time you have in the ‘in-between’ moments and how do you follow through more often to generate the outcomes and feelings that you really want to have. And underneath that is the question, do we need to in the first place do any of this or is there magic in the mess of the maker and not centering some of these impulses as the fundamental way we earn our living.

YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields

Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 950,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

So what is your Sparketype? Turns out, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive, this is your Sparketype. When you discover yours, everything, your entire work-life- and even parts of your personal life and relationships - begins to make sense. Until you know yours, you’re kind of fumbling in the dark. 

How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions

More on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Workshop | The Website

Presented by LinkedIn.

Please note this episode originally aired in 2022 which accounts for some of the timeline references.

Today, we're exploring one woman's journey from being a lawyer to a personal finance consultant.

My guest today is Hannah Bell, who stepped off the conventional law career track despite external pressures to stay the course. While practicing law, a profound internal shift occurred listening to personal finance podcasts during long commutes. It was a wake-up call that reconnected her to a deep interest. Hannah realized she could help others align money with their deepest values.

Rather than staying stuck, Hannah leaned into her Sparketype profile - her Primary, the Sage, sparked to illuminate insights, her Shadow, the Advisor, guiding growth of others, and her Anti, the Performer, which accounts for the sense of ‘energy drain’ in the courtroom. 

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. 

Presented by LinkedIn.

Have you ever felt like you were following a predetermined path in your career, only to realize it was leading you somewhere you didn't want to go? That relentless pull toward something deeper, something more purposeful, became impossible to ignore? If so, then this installment in our career transformation stories series will resonate. It's the story of one woman's profound journey of self-discovery - ditching the corporate treadmill to unearth work that truly sparks her alive. 

My guest today is Theresa White. Theresa is a career coach, entrepreneur and founder who helps professionals gain clarity on finding fulfilling work. But it wasn't so long ago that she found herself trapped in a draining 8-year corporate stint, searching for an exit ramp.

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Presented by LinkedIn.

Is the way we work slowly killing us? Brigid Schulte, author of "Overwhelmed: How to Work Less, Accomplish More, and Finally Start Living," peels back the toxic hustle culture corroding our health and relationships. In this candid discussion, Schulte shares eye-opening research on the work stressors driving burnout epidemics and offers a path to reclaim meaningful work-life balance. Discover actionable tips to redesign your workday, push back against unrealistic expectations, and cultivate the courage to simply say "no" - before it's too late.

Guest: Brigid Schulte, author of bestselling books, Overwhelmed and Over Work,

Learn more: newamerica.org/better-life-lab

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,

More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Presented by LinkedIn.

Unlock the secret to turning every connection into a meaningful relationship that grows your business. In this insightful episode, Mo Bunnell, author of "Give to Grow: How Givers Get Ahead," reveals counterintuitive strategies to build genuine rapport by focusing on others' needs first. Discover how to "fall in love with their problem, not your solution" and provide value before ever expecting anything in return. Master the mindset shift that top entrepreneurs and influencers use to turn casual encounters into deep relationships that pay dividends.

Guest: Mo Bunnell, author of the book "Give to Grow: How Givers Get Ahead." Learn more: Website & LinkedIn

Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment

More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website

Presented by LinkedIn.