Why Your Past Experience Is Never Wasted with Transformational Coach Kayla Sweet | #246

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Have you ever worried that changing careers means everything you’ve done up to this point was a waste?

In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell sits down with Kayla Sweet, a transformational life coach and founder of Internally Guided Leadership Consulting, to talk about transformation, alignment, burnout, and career transitions.

Kayla shares how she started in community mental health, hit burnout, and used that turning point to rebuild her path in a way that honors both purpose and wellness. Together, Shannon and Kayla unpack why your past experience is never purposeless. The skills you’ve built, the lessons you’ve learned, and the work you’ve done all tie together in ways you can use to create your second act career.

If you’re navigating a midlife career transition, feeling stuck in burnout, or wondering what’s next, this episode will help you rethink the story you’re telling yourself and start moving toward work that feels more like you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why your previous career experience is never wasted
• The truth about burnout and the warning signs most women ignore
• How to set boundaries and protect your energy during a career transition
• Why “alignment” matters more than a perfect plan
• How to follow the breadcrumbs toward a second act career that fits your life now
• Building a fulfilling path that blends stability, creativity, and purpose
• The mindset shift that helps you stop saying “I can’t” and start asking “Why not me?”

🔗 Get the full show notes here!

Subscribe now for actionable insights on how to shift your mindset, take control of your career, and build a thriving business.

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Transcript

SECOND ACT SUCCESS

Transcription:

Second Act Success Podcast

Season 1 - Why Your Past Experience Is Never Wasted with Transformational Coach Kayla Sweet | #246

 

Episode - #246

Host: Shannon Russell

Guest: Kayla Sweet

Transcription (*created by Descript and may not be perfectly accurate)

[00:00:00] 

Kayla Sweet: Don't tell yourself the story that everything you've done will be purposeless if you decide to do something else.

It actually all ties together very well. There are so many skills that you learn that you will bring with you wherever you go. And I'm of the belief that we can all. Do anything that we want to do. If we're willing to show up for it, I mean, will there be work involved? Sure. , But if we were working on like alignment and aligning what matters to us and what we get excited by with what we're doing, then I really don't think we can make a wrong turn.

Welcome back to the second Act Success podcast.

Today we're talking all about transformation. I have Kayla Sweet here with me. She is a transformational life coach, a consultant and author and a podcast host. 

She is the founder of Internally Guided Leadership Consulting. Let's get into it.

Shannon Russell: Kayla Sweet. Thank you so much for [00:01:00] being here on the podcast. I'm so excited to continue our conversation. 

Kayla Sweet: I'm so excited to be here and to be on this side of the conversation. I'm used to being the one interviewing, so I'm curious to see what will emerge. 

Shannon Russell: I know we had such a great time and I guess it on your show, and we just had such a nice flow, and your story is just so incredible and continues to evolve on what you're doing and putting out into the world.

So let's start from the beginning. Where did your career first begin? 

Kayla Sweet: So when I was younger, I younger, right? I'm still young. When I was younger, I, uh, wanted to be a therapist when I grew up, that was like the, the dream job. That was the goal I had in mind when I started, , my studies for undergraduate school.

So I, um, I went to school for psychology and got my bachelor's degree in that, and I started working in community mental health shortly after. Graduating, like I already had the job lined up [00:02:00] before I walked or anything. Mm-hmm. which is interesting when you study psychology and then you start trying to figure out what you can actually do with that at an undergraduate level.

You don't have the credentials to be a therapist yet. But if that's the direction you're going, you need to get into clinical work. So there was like limited options. So community mental health was where I landed, so I was doing, what a lot of people think of as social work.

It was case management and skills building. And I guess the very, very first job that I got, it was with outpatient. Adolescent addictions program and I was what they called a care facilitator, which is just a convoluted way of saying that I helped to manage some of the pieces of the program, but I also helped facilitate, , so I worked with the patients that were in the program directly.

We did like coping skills, . Addiction relapse prevention planning. I worked with their parents because it was all adolescent, so they were, mostly between like 12 and 18 in this [00:03:00] program. , So they had already had really hard lives by the time they made it there, and they were so young still.

Um, so their whole family system. An emphasis of focus. So that was where I started.

That was the first job, and I, yeah, I could go on from there, but I'll pause for a second. Sounds like you were doing incredible work, even back then, and what made you shift from there? Was that just not fulfilling enough?

Shannon Russell: Did you want to go on and get your certification in graduate school? What was the next step? 

Kayla Sweet: , I think I had to learn a lot about myself moving into clinical work. , Learning about it in school is very different than providing it and having real human lives that you are working with.

On one hand it was deeply fulfilling, deeply meaningful. I, I loved my patients, like I felt connected with them. I loved being able to provide them with skills resources and, and link them up in the community with things that could help them. But I also wasn't quite prepared for what I wouldn't be able to do.

, The barriers that are just existent in systems in our [00:04:00] country. , When people would want certain supports or help that wouldn't be available or they would be on wait lists. Or you would see kids in homes that maybe weren't safe and there was very little that could be done, and just some of that really ate away at me very quickly.

Like I, I was prepared intellectually. I wasn't prepared emotionally at that time in my life and my own personal development. And I have a family member who also suffers from addiction. So at that time it was kind of like a perfect storm of, I was seeing this with the families I was working with, and my own family member was in and out of the hospital, and I was just waiting to get the call that they may not be around anymore.

So emotionally. It was kind of a devastating time for me, like fulfilling and very hard. , So I think that was when I started to question the do I wanna be a therapist when I grow up? Like is this where I am really going to be best suited to serve? , I'm very empathetic person, so like I needed to learn some [00:05:00] skills to manage around that.

At that point, I actually experienced a pretty severe level of burnout after I did that for a while because I kind of ignored all of the red flags, all of the signs that I wasn't caring for myself. Well, I was working crazy hours. I just felt like I couldn't do enough to serve my, my caseload. Uh, so I did as much as I humanly could.

And I tried to do that for as long as possible, which was a recipe for disaster. So I, I did burn out and I ended up leaving that role. That organization took some self-reflection time and, and that was actually the time where I, I knew I wanted to enroll in graduate school and I was at this like decision point of do I want to continue the path to become a therapist or is there something else that's calling me?

And I think at. Where I was then I knew I had some work to do for myself. , And I was very curious about yoga and meditation. I had started studying that in my undergraduate [00:06:00] and I found, um, this interesting like transpersonal psychology realm. That was just like a deeper layer than what I had been exposed to, and I found a program on consciousness and transformative studies, so I ended up enrolling in that program instead of the licensure path, knowing that I'd have different opportunities available to me upon completion, but also knowing I would be exposed to the type of material I really wanted to be involved in.

So that was kind of the next phase, and I ended up actually working in community mental health for another six plus years after that. But I was kind of readying myself for other, other things while I did that. I, I learned to manage the emotions and the boundaries kind of, uh, on the job right as I recovered from burnout.

Shannon Russell: That's impressive that you were able to recover enough to go back into that field. Because I've always thought, and you're kind of proving my point here, that working in mental health, in any capacity, [00:07:00] you bring that home with you. And especially if you're dealing with a family member in a similar situation, I, I can't imagine that you just didn't have any way to escape and then just focusing so much, of course, that's going to lead you to.

burnout. so what kind of skills did you learn? Before jumping back into it, do you think that was the, the best decision for you?

Kayla Sweet: Yeah. Well it was, you know, I'd only done the one role, right. And it was with this very niche population, adolescents with addiction, kind of like the most heartbreaking population you could choose to work with.

Right out of, yeah, right out of undergraduate school. Um, so I think I took, it was probably, it wasn't a huge amount of time, you know, I was younger, I didn't have an unlimited amount of funds to live off of, but I took about two months. Of like soul recovery time is the way I relate to that. It was like very intentional self-reflection.

Really forcing myself to be honest with where I was contributing to my stress. I, I think initially it's easy to just [00:08:00] be angry and frustrated at the systems and the ways all the things around you are failing, but. I played a role in that. I, I chose to give a, a, an amount of me that actually wasn't available to give.

Right. Yeah. So I, I had to sit with that. I did a lot of, , like day retreats where it was just in quiet and in meditation. I did a lot of reading, reflecting a lot of yoga. , Just really wanted to like strengthen my inner reservoir as much as possible. And I wasn't convinced I would go back into mental health.

 I ended up having a friend who was at a different organization doing similar work. But, , what intrigued me was that at that organization she worked with all populations at all severity.

Kayla Sweet: So there was more variety to her work., I liked that idea of not just having this one type of population that was hitting really close to home for me. , So I ended up deciding to give it one more try. I was like, I have this degree, I have this skillset. I really do love. People I wanna help. Like that's always been in my heart to help.

Uh, I want people to have the tools they need to thrive. So I ended up finding [00:09:00] another organization and was able to do that work honestly, with a really good amount of balance at from that point forward. Not to say there weren't ups and downs, but I never got to that same degree of burnout as I had hit the first time.

And it was really because I learned. Boundaries. , I learned to actually internalize some of the things I was teaching other people when it came to self-care and thought work and all of the things I was teaching to my patients. And I knew intellectually, like I had to make them real for me. And once I made that a priority, I was able to navigate it for longer.

But still being in that system, there was a part of me that knew like, this isn't the end game. So I started working towards what's next. 

Shannon Russell: Where did your heart lead you to next? 

Kayla Sweet: I feel like, gosh, it's led me so many places.

It's so fun to reflect in this way, so. Well, when I was in the program, my Consciousness program, it was a three year master degree and I did dual specialization. , And people don't know what consciousness and transformative studies means, [00:10:00] so I'll, I'll maybe unpack that for a second. The. Degree was like three prongs.

So it was psychology, philosophy, and like a spirituality lens. So it was kind of a fusion between those, but very much still from the academic standpoint of, you know, it was very much in your head. Like you're using a lot of the philosophy to understand how people function, but it, it did a good job of taking what was.

Personal and then applying it to what was happening in community, what was happening in organizations, what was happening in larger scales? How do you create change for yourself individually for other people in maybe coaching modalities or within organizations or within communities, like large scale systemic change.

So that really intrigued me and I really went all in with that process and just focused on my studies. . I enjoyed that and I did that for three years while I was working in community mental health and was just kind of maintaining the [00:11:00] status quo. 'cause I wanted to be present with my studies. , But what that unlocked for me was, one, an interest in coaching, as this alternative way to support people that wasn't within the mental health system and was maybe working with more diverse populations that maybe wouldn't always go to a therapeutic.

Practice, um, or maybe don't need that maybe don't have diagnosable, um, mental health conditions, but still have things they're trying to accomplish for themselves. Still have healing work they wanna do. So I was really intrigued by that and I was also really intrigued by this, , organizational piece of what does it look like to lean into leadership?

What does it look like to create change in organizations? What would an organization that was. Grounded and rooted in like soulfulness and whole person presence look like. How could we create organizations like that where we can show up to work to actually become, rather than like put on this, this mask [00:12:00] every day.

So those were the things that were being unlocked for me during that, that process. 

Shannon Russell: What an interesting way to look at it too, because if you can transform a company's outlook and how they treat their employees and their clients and customers, then it just kind of, it's that ripple effect.

Kayla Sweet: Yeah, and that's, I think what has always appealed to me is this idea of. The impact is so much larger than you ever even get to know, we're so impacted by the work we're doing. And I had experienced that. I think having gone through burnout really made me realize the way that if work is or isn't aligning, , it changes your entire quality of life.

So when you're stressed out and you're burned out, like you become unable to function, unable to show up for your relationships. But then what's the opposite of that? What does it look like to be nourished by your work? Mm-hmm. That was where I wanted to go. 

Shannon Russell: So at that point then, once you had your direction, did you instantly create [00:13:00] your coaching business?

And your consulting business Right then? 

Kayla Sweet: It was probably within that first year after getting my degree that I went ahead and opened my coaching consulting business and started doing that work on the.

Side and I was still working within the organization doing some clinical work. I was in a leadership role too, so I was supervising and supporting my team, which I really enjoyed. , But I was being called to like this larger scale, right? So internally in that organization I moved into their. Human resources, and they called it the Human Capital Management Team.

So it was human resources, talent acquisition. We had a career coach, like there was all of this going on. There was also the learning and development realm. So I kind of just felt like I wanted to get my feet wet in the organization too, to see. What does this look like internally? I already knew the organization.

I had connections there. , I did some talent acquisition work, and then I was eventually leading their learning and development team, so I started getting to actually be part of [00:14:00] large. Scale interventions in an organization, investing in learning, getting into like what does engagement mean?

How do we get people to be engaged with their work? How do we make sure their needs are being met at work? Having those conversations and being in those decision making processes was huge for me. , So I was doing that during my day job and then I. Doing my coaching and consulting, you know, nights and weekends and, , just really loved that.

To the degree that I started my podcast shortly after. , And still, you know, maintain the podcast in the coaching consulting business. I've started to do more speaking since then. I think again, just like trying to figure out how to reach more people, how to connect with more people, how to manage the energy in a room is another thing that I really love.

Since then I've actually. Switched organizations. So I still kind of have this dual approach in my life where I have my business that I get a lot of joy and fulfillment from and continues to grow. The clients I get to work with are just phenomenal. Like I just love them.

I still have a nine to [00:15:00] five. So I'm an assistant vice president of learning and development, but I also get to do internal coaching. So within that organization I'm providing coaching to employees who want that. I am supporting in leadership development and I'm getting to be a part of, you know, kind of this ideal organization that I had in my mind when I was getting my master's degree of.

What, what does an organization that nourishes people look like? Now I'm really like fully participating in that process, and then I also get to support other organizations that want that consultation as well. So it's been really fun. 

Shannon Russell: That is fantastic. And what a great way to still keep your nine to five and have that steady income coming in, but really getting to do what you want to do on the inside of that, that job, but then be able to have your own business on the side.

It's the best of both worlds. 

Kayla Sweet: And there's still a part of me that's like, I'm not opposed to doing my business full time, and I could see really enjoying that, but I love the amount of creativity that I have when I [00:16:00] know that I have this stability and this container of this really soulful work, and I get to actually interface with the organization internally.

Right? Like it's different when I work with organizations from the outside in. When you're in an organization, you have different perspectives. People tell you different things, like you just, you can navigate it differently. , I'm really loving being in, in both right now and then in my work that I get to do.

It's like this kind of creative play where, , all bets are off, it's. It's what feels right for this client or this person in this moment, and like, let's go there and let's explore together. And so there's a lot of like aliveness in that. And I think not having the pressure of this is my sole source of income has been good for me, at least at this phase of my life.

Yeah, 

Shannon Russell: , I can agree now that my coaching business is my sole source. So there's just that constant, no matter how quote unquote successful you feel. There's that constant hustle of okay, I need to make sure I have enough clients and I'm doing [00:17:00] enough good and I'm creating this. I like that you're able to bridge both, and with your clients, for your consulting business, are you working mostly with leaders of companies to figure out how they can transform the work culture in their companies? Or are you working one-on-one with individuals who are working on themselves? 

Kayla Sweet: It's interesting 'cause I have this kind of dual passion for leadership and burnout.

So I have found that the clients that I work with the most are often leaders who are burned out. And so that tends to be like a one-to-one coaching relationship. So I have a container. Program that I bring people through, and then I have, different offerings for ongoing support if that's needed.

Um, so that's kind of the one way that it manifests is through these one-to-one relationships where I'm working with people who are leading and they're struggling with the stress because they've taken on a lot and they want to do well, and they're really driven and they're really smart. And probably no one's ever given them permission to care for themselves very well.

That hasn't been [00:18:00] validated. I work with a lot of women in leadership especially, so there's a whole other realm there when it comes to societal expectations. so really getting to work one-to-one with those leaders has been incredibly fulfilling. But the other thing I do is going into organizations just to do a training on maybe, Burnout prevention or stress management, or offer some, leadership training, uh, support. So giving ideas into, okay, these are your problems. Here are some potential solutions. Helping to build out content for programs and those kinds of things. More on the. Behind the scenes side. 

Shannon Russell: that's great too because I do a lot of work with corporations.

I'm a certified Lego Serious Play facilitator, so I'll go in and do team building using Legos with the , organizations. And what I find. No matter if it's a small group or a large group, that now those people know me and they're able to come to me for one-on-one work as well. So I, I assume that that's the same for you too, as you're getting into these corporations and you're speaking and you're letting them know [00:19:00] more about you, they're either coming to you one-on-one, maybe they're listening to your podcast or buying your book.

It really is growing everything that you're working on. 

Kayla Sweet: exactly. It's a, it's such a good, way to be introduced to a group of people and to connect with them in, in real time, right? Like, I get some people through like word of mouth referrals or through, , the podcast, but the people who I feel like feel safest coming into that coaching container have had some interaction with me.

They've, they've got to interface with me as a human. Um, right. Like that makes us feel a little safer to do that kind of work. 

Shannon Russell: absolutely. and I just want to reflect back because you started out in one path, I want to be a therapist. Yeah. And then you had this burnout situation, and then you reassessed and you thought, okay, well what's next?

How can I take my desire to serve and help people with their lives in a different way? So looking back, are you happy with the path that you chose? Or do you ever think, well, I wonder if I never was burned out? What I've gone through that path [00:20:00] towards therapy? 

Kayla Sweet: That's such a great question.

And the answer like in short, is no regrets. Like I love everything that I do. I am, I am so lit up by my work. I can't even imagine, like in all of my, in all the realms that I operate in, like it brings me so much joy to connect with people in these ways that. , I'm excited to see what I can do each day.

So I, I would never take any of that back. And there's a part of me that's like, I probably could have liked being a therapist. It's not that I think that wouldn't have been a good fitness necessarily, but as I was going through my master's program and I was still working in that, , in that realm, I think there were.

A couple of things I did intentionally and on accident that helped me to kind of narrow down where I wanted to go. And one of those was just paying attention to the moments that excited me the most, and that lit me up the most and energized me the most. And it was always those moments where I was getting to mentor someone or I was getting to teach someone, or I was getting to lead group experiences [00:21:00] or facilitate.

And so it was just kind of like this natural, okay, I, that feels aligned, that lights me up. I need more of that. Like what doors can I open to get me more of that? And that just kind of gradually took me further away from the clinical path naturally, because I was following, the breadcrumbs of what actually brought me energy and excited me.

I think I ended up exactly where I meant to be. But I do think that if you use the skills that you teach, like you can work in that realm and do it in a healthy way., If that's your goal too. It's not like a deterrent. To become a therapist, like a lot of my friends are therapists. It's really important work.

Shannon Russell: It is. No, but I think what you are talking about, Kayla, is really listening to yourself and to your body and to your own thoughts. And so often women especially, we don't do that. We just go and we go on the path and we keep climbing that ladder and doing all the things we think we're supposed to do. So I really applaud you [00:22:00] for.

Learning, this doesn't feel right in my body. I don't feel good here. What does feel right? That's such a takeaway for anyone listening that they do need to check in with themselves every once in a while and ask themselves, am I okay? What feels right, what doesn't? And you can always change course.

Kayla Sweet: I think once you start, like it's, it's almost becomes an adventure, right? Whereas before I thought. Path was mapped and I thought I knew where I was going, and now it's like. Limitless possibilities. Like anything, anything could come next. And I kind of love that. I, it might not be everyone's jam, some people maybe want more of that, like stability and knowing where they're gonna be in 10 years.

But for me, I'm like, right now, who knows where this trajectory is gonna take me in 10 years. I'm open to it. Like I'm just gonna keep following the things that excite me and see, see what doors it opens. Like that's kind of my approach to life now. 

Shannon Russell: Yeah. We're so the same type of person in that sense.

Cause we both had books come out this year. Mm-hmm. And so I [00:23:00] think what you're saying means that you can have more creativity in what brings you joy. So let's get into a little bit about your book, the Alchemy of Life, and about your podcast, the internally guided podcasts. Tell me about both of those ventures.

'cause I'm sure they both fill you up in such a different way. 

Kayla Sweet: It's so interesting. I'll, I'll start with the, the book. So yeah, still surreal. I'm very proud of, of Alchemy of Life being in the world, but the. The book kind of happened by accident, , because on one hand I had always wanted to write, and I've actually started a lot of nonfiction books, more in the realm of personal growth and development, leadership development.

, So I have like all of these highly, , intellectual works that I've started and that I just couldn't maintain, like. Steam, and maybe I'll still complete them. Like they're not saying I'm putting the a stop to those, but there was a trouble for me to like, bring some of those projects to completion. , So I just put aside the idea of a [00:24:00] book for a minute.

I was like, I'm just, I need to just show up for me. I need to get in touch with what's going on. So I started to write poetry every day as like a, as a soul work practice for me. Like I just need to show up for this every day. I've written poetry since I was in elementary school, off and on, but I didn't have like a daily practice of it.

It was kind of as needed when it made sense, or I would get into it for a little while and then fall back away. Um, so I just wanted to show up for that with no intention to ever share it with anyone. It was journaling, but. More rhythmic, like there was a pulse to it, there was an intentionality to it, there was a fluidity to it.

That's a little different than just freehand journaling when you are trying to write poems, And I feel like for me, that was just such a. Such a deeply connected process with me. It was like me in dialogue with me and illuminating also to like, Ooh, there's still this here that I still have work to do, or [00:25:00] this, this pain story that now I get to rewrite or reflection on my growth.

I, I threw the process once I realized, I was like, man, I have a lot of poems now. Like maybe this. This is something that, , that I can share out. I, I then started to collect, okay, let's look back. Let's look back at the poems I wrote in the last 10 years. So I'm like. Pulling out all of this work that I never thought would see the light of day, never intended to share with another human being, and kind of interwove it into this work that I think is very reflective of my own path, like some of the darker, harder moments, as well as some of the moments of more light and more inspiration and even some humor.

There's just kind of a little bit of everything in there, but it's very much intended to be. When people are reading it, I hope they see glimpses of themself and I hope they see the potential of where we've been and where we could be. Like, one, if you're struggling, you're not alone. I still [00:26:00] have my moments.

And two, like when we reflect and we spend this intentional time, there's this transformational power that's unlocked and, and poetry is one way that I've worked through that. And so sharing that is also like an act of vulnerability, right? 

Shannon Russell: Yes. And the words are so beautiful, and I, as I read them, and I'm only about a quarter of the way through the book, but it's, I can find myself in each of them.

We can read that and find ourselves and this is such a creative way of sharing your stories. It's not just reading a story, it's reading this beautifully written words that are poetic I can just feel so much of you as I read them as well.

 Thank you for putting that out in the world. I know it's vulnerable and, but it's going to help so many people who just need to feel like someone is on their side and that they aren't alone, like you mentioned. 

Kayla Sweet: I think that's been the most like cool thing for me since the book has come out, has been getting to.[00:27:00] 

Hear from people who've engaged with it and who've related with it because it's like any kind of art, like it's yours and you relate to it in a certain way, but as soon as you share it out, um, you know, it's up to interpretation and each person makes it their own. Yes. And I think that's really.

Beautiful, right? Like they can find themselves in it and relate it to what moments in their life brought up those feelings. And it, it's meant to be, you know, more of this like cyclical or um, non-linear path. , I didn't put the poems in chronological order. So you don't really know, like, is she doing well?

Is she struggling? Like, it's like up and down, but it's, it's kind of like, um, if you were to be. I guess like sifting through someone's memories, right? You get these little reflective moments, these little pockets of life experience. Yeah. Yeah. And 

Shannon Russell: that's how life is, right? It's like you can be doing really great and then something happens and you're reflecting on this and you're emotional.

So very relatable in [00:28:00] that sense. And let's talk about your podcast too, and what made you create that and how that experience has been. 

Kayla Sweet: Internally guided life is my baby. I love it so much. I started it. it was a year or two into my.

Business. And I was, , really at the beginning just thinking like, what are other ways I can connect with people, beyond one-to-one or going into organizations. Like, those are all things that, you know, require a time investment from me in a very specific kind of way. So I can only take on so much of that if I'm gonna maintain.

My, my day job, which, you know, right now that's the plan. So like the amount of clientele I can work with is limited at any given time, so I wanted a way that I could. Expand out beyond that and reach more people and connect with more people. And also bring more people into my world and have conversations that felt meaningful and full of depth.

I was missing that community element that I had in my master's program. [00:29:00] So it was all of those things like, I wanna share, I want to talk about this really important stuff and I want to connect with women that are doing. Really amazing work in the world to really support with the evolution of consciousness and to some degree, like in, in all of our different ways, all of our different creative approaches to how do we become and, and maximize our fulfillment and potential and nourishment in this life.

I guess the other part of that is really wanting to spotlight women, right? Mm-hmm. I am very much a feminist. I very much want women's voices to be heard and to have a light on those like that should be highlighted. Those experiences shouldn't be secondary. Um, they should be primary.

And that's kind of the opposite of the way that history has gone. So it was my way of connecting with amazing women and putting their, their work into the world. Every single conversation I have just feels like medicine to [00:30:00] me.

Just watching the amount of people that are like connecting with the content grow and seeing more people get introduced to this type of work through the podcast and connecting with the amazing women I get to talk to. Like, It just doesn't feel like work. It feels like play, it feels like community.

Yeah. So I, I just love it. Good. 

Shannon Russell: Oh, and it, it's, you're putting so much goodness out into the world through those conversations, so thank you. Keep it up. And I love that it's fulfilling you so much as well. 

I'm gonna link to the podcast, the book, everything in the show notes so listeners can join that conversation. , But as we wrap up, I'd love to just know any bit of advice or little gems that you might have. For listeners who are thinking about starting that second act, they're going down their path.

They're not sure if they continue, if it's really what they need or if they should shift course. What is your advice? 

Kayla Sweet: With women who, who come to me, you know, dealing with burnout, , sometimes a career change is part of that conversation, right? [00:31:00] And it's, it's a back and forth and, .

Some people just want to be well enough to continue showing up for their work, and other people are like, I just hate this work and I wanna be doing something else. , But the barrier I hear in the louder population most often is, we put a limitation on ourself that we can't or we shouldn't or that it would be wasteful.

Like, oh, this is what I got my degree in, so I, I can't shift gears and go into this other thing that's interesting to me. , So I think my biggest piece of advice would be to. Limiting yourself. Don't tell yourself the story that everything you've done will be purposeless if you decide to do something else.

It actually all ties together very well. There are so many skills that you learn that you will bring with you wherever you go. And I'm of the belief that we can all. Do anything that we want to do. If we're willing to show up for it, I mean, will there be work involved? Sure. , But if we were working on like alignment and aligning what matters to us and what we get excited by with what we're doing, [00:32:00] then I really don't think we can make a wrong turn.

, You have to be open to the learning, don't limit yourself if you find yourself saying, I would love to do that, but I can't. , That's a sign that you're in an unhelpful story and like, that's where you should start. Why don't you think you can? , That's the biggest thing.

Shannon Russell: And you are a great example again, of the fact that you have a nine to five job you have a business, you've started a podcast, you've written a book, you're doing all these things as well, so you're not limiting yourself to just one thing.

There's no limit. It's just figuring out how it works and how those pieces fit in your. Life to make you feel that alignment and feel that fulfillment in this one life that we have. 

Kayla Sweet: Yeah. And what's gonna be most nourishing for you? I mean, for me, I, I like the variety and the diversity.

I, the life I live isn't what a lot of people would wanna live. You can't look at other people's models as ways that you should shape your life. Like you really have to listen to that, that internal knowing, what excites me? [00:33:00] What nourishes me? What kinds of things do I wanna spend my time doing?

What do I want my schedule to look like? You really have to do that self-reflection to figure out what's going to energize and align with you.

Shannon Russell: tell me where everyone can connect with you. Where are the best places? 

Kayla Sweet: My website is a great place if you want information. There's the blog, it links out to the podcast. It kinda talks about the services and things. So that's internally guided leadership.com.

If you're wanting to more connect with me on like a social level, I love LinkedIn. I'm on LinkedIn a lot. I love TikTok.

I'm on Instagram and Facebook as well. But I'd say probably the website, LinkedIn and TikTok are where I feel the most community component. If you just want to like be in this circle of empowered women doing amazing work in the world. 

Shannon Russell: You so much Kayla.

Thank you for taking the time out of your crazy busy day. 'cause I know you're juggling so much. So thank you for being here and sharing your experience [00:34:00] and your advice. It, it means a lot. 

Kayla Sweet: I am so grateful for this time. Thank you for having me. It's been really fun to just reflect on my journey and yeah, I, I, I hope that it, it leaves people feeling inspired and excited at what could be in your life because.

Yeah. It's really a beautiful, beautiful playground. Once you allow it to be, 

Shannon Russell: We'll take care. We'll talk soon.

Speaker: Thank you for joining me for another episode of the second Act Success podcast. If this episode has you thinking about starting a business or growing the one that you already have, I offer free second ACT strategy calls. This is where we map out what makes sense for your business and your life. You can book yours now at second act success.co/strategy, or grab the link in the show notes below.

As always, thank you for being here. Until next time, I'm your host Shannon Russell wishing you the best day ahead as you plan your second act. I'll see you on the next episode.