Podcast Episode 1 Introduction

Thanks for listening to our first podcast! We are finally able to offer valuable discussions through podcasts. Listen to us on your ride in to work or at the gym. Our first podcast is an introduction to the InnovateOLOGY platform and a little background on your hosts, Mary, Linda and Melissa. We hope you enjoy and please leave us feedback.

Websites mentioned:

• swap.com (A great place to find consignment maternity wear and other consignment clothes at an amazing price! This is a referral link with a discount for new shoppers)

Key Action Items:

Mary – Interviewing while pregnant

• Look the part and focus on business – great fashion business suits for maternity wear on – swap.com
• Focus on business – an interactive portfolio and an infographic resume
• Dismiss the stereotypes of ‘typical pregnant women’ and be a role model: Walk from the far back of the parking lot and take the stairs!
• Remember all that extra blood flow to your brain is a good thing!

Linda – Job search over 40, 50 y/o; It’s not me, it’s my age!  Or is it?!

• It helps to write down how you perceive age bias to challenge your job search.
• For instance, one person may perceive the impact of age in terms of their physical appearance. I’ve heard people remark that no one wants employees with gray hair.
• If that’s the case for you and the obstacle is primarily a matter of appearance, here’s ways that I’ve heard people share that they addressed it: updated hair style, updated clothing, brightened teeth, updated their eyeglasses
• Before you run to the mall or the gym, you should also consider your own age bias. This will require an honest talk with yourself.
• ask yourself a few questions: do I think I am too old? do I prefer to be around those of my own age?  do I have rigid opinions and beliefs that make it challenging for me to envision a work environment where I work and even report to those younger than me?
• other important questions include: have I let myself become outdated in my area of expertise? do I need to take a course or join a networking group to stay current within my area of expertise? how has my area of expertise changed in terms of marketplace demand? is there less / more demand?  has technology been implemented changing the skillsets requirements for persons in the field?  if there is less demand, how has that impacted the value attached to persons in those roles, i.e., have salary levels declined?  Is there still a need for persons at my level of experience?  Has the job changed so much so that the job I am seeking no longer exists?

Melissa – How do you find your “talents” to excel at in your career or your life path?

1. First we have re-define the word “talent”…it maybe a calling, an inner voice, uniqueness; inclinations, expertise, inspirations, or philosophy towards life…
2. Second, how do I do that self-examination i.e. identify my “talents”?

• Go back to your childhood. Think back what you liked as a child. What did you play with and what stories did you tell in play? I have an old box of childhood stuff I got out and looked at.
• Look around your house. Look at the books you own? What are the subjects? Look at your photos? Old papers or articles? Blogs you read or movies do you watch? Look at unfinished projects in your closet?
• Remember what compliments you have received in life. Ask people close to you; what are your talents are?
• What are you doing when you lose track of time?
• Examine your aptitudes or natural abilities, your personality and your philosophy? Are you good at organizing groups? Giving empathy? Matching up people? Reading people’s emotions? Organizing anything? Are you always striving for tranquility or doing the right thing?
• Do some tests…there are free ones on the internet that I would suggest: Myers–Briggs personality type inventory or the “Strong Interest Inventory test”. Or just go through a list of action verbs for resumes.

Full Show Notes:

“Creativity is something you practice, not just a talent you are born with.”

We are all born to be innovators and creative thinkers, As children, we make up our day in imaginary play and ask outlandish questions, we draw scribbles and call them dinosaurs or space ships .– but then we go about the normal ways of life (a process that has been predefined such as entering school and learning how to read from text books and spit back out reports) and we start to lose our confidence around creativity and problem solving. Thanks to socialization and formal education, many of us start to suppress our innovate impulses. We learn to be more cautious of judgment and more analytical. We get classified into “creatives” and “non-creatives,” and too many people consciously or unconsciously tell themselves that they are not creative or good at problem solving.

The innovateOLOGY platform is a place for (or as I frame it a springboard for bouncing ideas or getting that second opinion):

• Sharing how to break free from the traditional thinking
• Learning how to bring back and unleash your creative side
• A forum for to allow a mindset for disruptive ideas
• Gaining focus and clarity in the messy unknown or what we call life situations.
• Ways to gain confidence and tackle the fear of being judged
• Over coming that fear of taking that first step to shape your life goals
• You have one life and many chances to change your story – let us give you inspiration and motivation! 

What is the InnovateOLOGY Concept Mean To Your Life?

Mary

• The concept for innovateology came from life experiences of learning to gain control of fears and gain confidence and learning to master the fear of failure and understand that we are in control and with one step at a time and the exercising our mindset, we can solve life problems.
• Turning the fear of not being creative enough into practicing everyday to mastery of life problems. Not just surviving but thriving.
• This is a forum to help find that creative confidence and master skills to be a disruptive thinker and bring value to your life, your family, and your career or business.
• Innovateology is a journey and I hope you join us.

Linda

• InnovateOLOGY is that place where many minds may come together to creatively solve through challenges.
• It’s a place where people may poke and stoke idea embers to see what they may bring ablaze together.

Melissa

• I feel one of the ways to apply InnovateOLOGY to your life is to face your fears. In a way your fears are always wandering in the background of your life even though you may not see them day to day. If you identify them and face them you will be like a blank canvas for new opportunities in your life rather than the canvas having past fears. Take a risk and face your fears head on. You need to push yourself. You need to ask what is the worst thing that can happen?
• Each year I identify a few physical and emotional fears that I still have. Like never really learning how to swim or not asking for that raise or fear of heights. Yours could be the fear of spiders or snakes, talking in front of a group, or the fear of abandonment, rejection, and loss of connectedness. Write them down on a list. Then take InnovateOLOGY to solve them!

An example of InnovateOLOGY:

Mary – Interviewing while pregnant

• Look the part and focus on business – great fashion business suits for maternity wear on – swap.com
• Focus on business – an interactive portfolio and an infographic resume
• Dismiss the stereotypes of ‘typical pregnant women’ and be a role model: Walk from the far back of the parking lot and take the stairs!
• Remember all that extra blood flow to your brain is a good thing!

Linda- Job search over 40, 50 y/o; It’s not me, it’s my age!  Or is it?!

• First and foremost, do you have a good understanding of the current vision and values for the industries and companies that you are targeting?
• Vision & Values: It’s important not to assume that you do just because you worked an industry or company for decades. Periodically industries and companies have to do some soul searching to be clear about who they are and what value they bring. So, even if you’re searching within a familiar industry, take time to review their website and annual report to refresh or learn about their current vision for the future.
• The reason they’re staffing with what appears to be younger people may be due to a shift in their vision for the future and not just to get a cheaper workforce. You should learn what competencies and skillsets they are seeking.
• Supply & Demand: In the event that you are certain that you possess the requisite competencies and skills, you may need to revisit the marketplace. Has it changed? Has the supply of those with your skills increased?  Has the demand for your skills decreased?  Both of these environmental factors will impact your perceived value and, so, salary ranges in your field.
• Hierarchy / Organizational Structure: Although you may have been a team leader with a significantly greater salary in the past, the ever-shifting marketplace may mean that today you and your peers are valued differently. Organizational structure changes can shift companies’ views of their leadership needs. If there is not a need for your level of leadership, you may need to revisit how you are positioning yourself in the marketplace, and reconsider your salary and title expectations.

• It helps to write down how you perceive age bias to challenge your job search.
• For instance, one person may perceive the impact of age in terms of their physical appearance. I’ve heard people remark that no one wants employees with gray hair.
• If that’s the case for you and the obstacle is primarily a matter of appearance, here’s ways that I’ve heard people share that they addressed it:
• updated hair style, updated clothing, brightened teeth, updated their eyeglasses
• Before you run to the mall or the gym, you should also consider your own age bias. This will require an honest talk with yourself.
• ask yourself a few questions: do I think I am too old? do I prefer to be around those of my own age?  do I have rigid opinions and beliefs that make it challenging for me to envision a work environment where I work and even report to those younger than me?
• other important questions include: have I let myself become outdated in my area of expertise? do I need to take a course or join a networking group to stay current within my area of expertise? how has my area of expertise changed in terms of marketplace demand? is there less / more demand?  has technology been implemented changing the skillsets requirements for persons in the field?  if there is less demand, how has that impacted the value attached to persons in those roles, i.e., have salary levels declined?  Is there still a need for persons at my level of experience?  Has the job changed so much so that the job I am seeking no longer exists?

Melissa:

Springing off of Linda’s topic how do you find your “talents” to excel at in your career or your life path?  Family and friends have said to me I don’t have any talents. I say I don’t believe that at all. I believe people think that talent is a subject like the ability to sing or draw but they forget the talents are more subjective like emotions or personality. An example I have a friend who is so talented at greeting people. When she sees you it’s like the world exploded; she is giddy and makes you feel really special. I have not met anyone else like that.

Maybe you have found yourself on a false-career path. You just went after what you thought others thought was socially acceptable or maybe you were seeking money or fame. Resist to being like others or fit in a group.  You need to go inward and do a self-examination.

So how do we rethink our own talents?

1. First we have re-define the word “talent”…it maybe a calling, an inner voice, uniqueness; inclinations, expertise, inspirations, or philosophy towards life…
2. Second, how do I do that self-examination i.e. identify my “talents”?

• Go back to your childhood. Think back what you liked as a child. What did you play with and what stories did you tell in play? I have an old box of childhood stuff I got out and looked at.
• Look around your house. Look at the books you own? What are the subjects? Look at your photos? Old papers or articles? Blogs you read or movies do you watch? Look at unfinished projects in your closet?
• Remember what compliments you have received in life. Ask people close to you; what are your talents are?
• What are you doing when you lose track of time?
• Examine your aptitudes or natural abilities, your personality and your philosophy? Are you good at organizing groups? Giving empathy? Matching up people? Reading people’s emotions? Organizing anything? Are you always striving for tranquility or doing the right thing?
• Do some tests…there are free ones on the internet that I would suggest: Myers–Briggs personality type inventory or the “Strong Interest Inventory test”. Or just go through a list of action verbs for resumes.

Those are just some ideas.  Only you can identify your talents.

Put some different big picture strategies together. Look at ways your talents can be combined. Look at areas that don’t have a lot of competition. Cut your expertise down to very small niches. Say you don’t put together groups for entrepreneurs but for groups of entrepreneurs that are over 60 and in a certain field. Adapt these different strategies into a new career path.

• Problem: You may not like your career or life path and don’t know your talents to explore further.
• Solution: We need to break free of the traditional thinking around what solutions should look like. Change your life story by looking within; not outside at other people for the answers.
• Action items: 1. Identify your own “talent(s)” 2. Take some tests on the internet 3. Start your written strategic plan to find a new career path.
• Results: You know yourself better and you are on your way to new path …

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