Adam Baruh 0:02
Welcome to the change. Thank you for tuning into our pilot episode wading into discomfort, where we focus on emotional courage and mindfulness. Given that this was our first episode, it ran longer than we anticipated, but the content provided by our guests was so good, we did not want to edit anything out to bring the length of the episode down. So we split this episode into two parts. Here is part one, I hope you enjoy.
Cassandra Robinson 0:27
I think that there was a desire there to fit the, you know, round peg in a round peg like right just to form like, I wanted to just fit in and do the job and be happy and do what society has, you know, kind of created us to do or has imposed on us. But it wasn’t working and wasn’t computing and it wasn’t happy. And I was actually miserable. I had four jobs and three years and laid off with fired you know, it just was not working. I kept trying to do that for a solid three years.
Adam Baruh 1:10
Welcome to the change. I’m Adam Baruh. We will be sharing stories and inspiration from business leaders and people who use mindfulness, emotional courage in other ways for making a change in their own lives, or in the lives of people they lead. Since this is our first episode, I wanted to start by sharing a bit about myself and why I put this podcast together. I am the CEO of a consulting agency based in Carlsbad, California. I never imagined I would be a CEO. My background is as a software developer and I spent 10 years as a wedding photographer. When I formed my company suite centric, I felt like an imposter for several years, I had a belief system that to be a CEO meant I had to be an expert on financials, be highly charismatic, know everything about all aspects of the platform we consult on, as well as how to maneuver around the legal hurdles that come up in business. I thought I had to have an MBA and be trained. I struggled with this for years. At the same time, because of some trauma I experienced in my childhood, I had a lot of doubt and negative self talk. I was an am a pretty sensitive person. And I thought for so many years this was a weakness. It wasn’t until I started working with one of our guests here today, Christine Taylor. And through practicing mindfulness that I started to realize that my greatest strength is my sensitivity is my ability to be empathetic and emotionally resilient. This path to this discovery was probably inevitable. But I think the trauma we’ve all faced over the past 18 months, turbocharged my discovery. Through my work with Kristin. And through a dedication to mindfulness. I have fundamentally changed how I lead my company. I focus on my team. First is my number one asset. The consulting world can be highly stressful with complex, long running projects, tight budgets and demanding clients. People burn out. I felt that burnout. And if I have my team surely has as well. So I began to instill a value system within our management team of being sensitive to our employees needs. First, not just professionally but personally. Work life balance is very important to us. Being charitable, and showing integrity is very important to our team chemistry. There’s an article by Philip Kane that I read on ink.com called the Great resignation. It really is the impetus for why I created this podcast. In the article, the author focuses on the dramatic shift in the workforce influenced by a generational shift as well as an impact from the pandemic era where people are simply fed up with how business was being run. In 2021. In June 11 point 5 million people quit their jobs. In a survey of over 30,000 people 41% of participants said they’re considering quitting their jobs, and one focusing on the Gen Z group alone, that number jumps to 54%. These numbers are concerning but they tell a story. We live in a time of change where people would rather not work than work for the wrong job. More and more people are choosing to stay out of the workforce and wait for the right opportunity to come along rather than just work for a paycheck. I recognize this as a first world problem, but it does indicate a major shift in how corporate America operates. This podcast again as inspired by this change, and through the content we deliver I hope that we can demonstrate how businesses can succeed by prioritizing their employees over anything else. So let’s dive By starting with the story of emotional courage, and how by wading into discomfort, our first guest honored her true calling. Please welcome to the change Cassandra Robinson. Sandra, before we get into your work with grinding and grace, and how you discovered your passion for writing, tell us about your corporate background. I understand you work towards a career in human resources.
Cassandra Robinson 5:25
Yeah. Hi, everyone. Thank you for having me on the change podcast, Adam, it is a pleasure and honor. Yeah, so great to be here. And to be your inaugural guest and aka guinea pig,
Adam Baruh 5:41
we are happy to have you.
Cassandra Robinson 5:44
So you asked a question how I got into human resources. And that was my corporate background. Yes, I went to school actually, for Fashion Design and Merchandising, and because I’m just a moped potentially and like to try all sorts of different things I got into HR and recruiting as a way of helping people or so I thought, I went to CSU in San Marcos, California State University of San Marcos, got my HR management certificate there, and then transition into my first HR role at a construction company.
Adam Baruh 6:21
So I understand you were you were working on your credential and human resources and working at the same time and correct. You had a supervisor, and you had some ideas that you wanted to introduce to your team and to your boss, but rather, and you told me this, as we were preparing for this podcast, you know, rather than going right to your supervisor, you sought feedback from the executive assistant. Um, you know, why, why did you feel you couldn’t go straight to your boss with your ideas?
Cassandra Robinson 6:54
Yeah, that’s a great question. I think that I had, I had been working with my HR director closely for about a year. And he had some, you know, questionable, questionable behavior, including, like, you know, cursing and talking behind other employees backs, and I just didn’t really appreciate that. And he often undercut me and really devalued what I had to bring to the table and made that known. So I finally decided to bring that to the attention. I wanted to bring it to him. But before that, I decided to seek counsel, you know, from one of his close, close colleagues, and I didn’t feel comfortable necessarily going straight to him first, because I felt like it was unnecessary to have someone else’s input before speaking to him directly. Mm hmm.
Adam Baruh 7:46
So yeah, you so you got some feedback from the assistant. And she recommended that you share that with your boss. So what happened next?
Cassandra Robinson 7:54
Yeah, so what happened next is she gave me some feedback, she said, Hey, we went to a, we all went to a leadership training recently, including my boss at the time, the HR director. And so she gave me some recommendations of first writing down what I felt like, could improve in our working relationship. Starting out with the positive things that, you know, I enjoyed, and then really segwaying into what was I didn’t feel like was working. So I did that one to my desk, typed up, you know, some thoughts, went into his office shared those thoughts, you know, started off with a positive and I kind of transitioned into this, and maybe some of the more difficult things to hear, like, I didn’t appreciate the cursing and the way he spoke to me at times. And so from there, you just kind of nodded his head and, and ended the meeting without much much of a response. He did. He did take a look at the piece of paper that I’ve written, and read it through. And that was that. So a couple hours later, he called me into his office. So I thought maybe it was like, he digested more of the thoughts and the conversation that we previously had earlier that day, and that maybe he had feedback, or, but actually, he just decided to hand me over a piece of paper that which was my final check.
Adam Baruh 9:22
Wow. So you were terminated after you brought feedback to share in a constructive way with with your supervisor, so why, why do you think you were terminated?
Cassandra Robinson 9:38
Well, after after I was terminated, I did get some feedback from my colleagues and even from some other professionals in the HR space, who knew my supervisor and this person. And what I think happened was that I was a I was a threat to his position that he was looking for someone more than he can pin down and walk all over and didn’t have that backbone to kind of stand up for him or herself. And share Hey, this is not this is not working. And I needed to change or had her own mind. Right. So I really felt like it was more he was desiring something that that was not me. And he felt threatened by Yeah, my, my sort of standing up for myself.
Adam Baruh 10:35
So, you know, one, one of the inspirations for this podcast is this whole movement that’s happening right now, which was written about in this article called The Great resignation. And, you know, it’s really been a huge source of motivation for putting this podcast together. As I said, I’m really interested in what’s happening. Now, with this workforce, I think a lot of it is really, you know, come to play with this. I don’t even know if you would call it a post pandemic era, just because COVID is still happening. But sure, I think, you know, given what’s happened over the last 18 months, you know, it just seems that, you know, what you’re describing is this old, kind of traditional, hierarchical business model where you had some ideas, or you wanted to at least have open conversation with your supervisor. And you see this a lot. I mean, I, I’ve experienced this, my wife has experienced this in right companies that she’s worked for, where, you know, as soon as you become a nonconformist, or you have some different ideas, that you just don’t fit in with the team anymore. And I’m really interested in that concept. Because I think part of what’s happening with this great resignation movement is, you know, people are just gonna hold out on re entering the workforce until they find that right opportunity. And when you come across the, you know, these examples of this older hierarchical structure where, you know, your supervisor just seemed like, the type of person who couldn’t take any sort of feedback from his team, you know, that that’s very much a motivating factor for this movement in this workforce right now. Mm hmm. How would you characterize, you know, your overall experience in trying to establish this HR career, and just what you were feeling inside yourself? Because I know, you know, you’ve gone in a separate direction, so correct on it. I mean, it sounded like you were running into conflict with what you’re kind of like what your soul’s purpose was, if you will, you know, you want to great, tell us about that. How would you characterize that for yourself?
Cassandra Robinson 12:54
Yeah, character rate, characterize or describe that, that inner conflict with what you feel like you should be doing versus what you were designed to do? I think all of us can relate to that, right? That society has given us a traditional route to success, right? Like the college, the College degree, find the nine to five job that’s typically a desk job or corporate job and do that for 3040 50 years and then retire. I mean, I grew up with that thought as well, that was the path to success, right, to stability, to security, to financial freedom, what have you. So I think I was really attempting to fit myself in that box, because that’s what society has given me as the option. And as the route to success, I had never heard of entrepreneurship or building a personal brand, or, you know, being able to actually harness your God given strengths and talents and really use those to give back to the world and serve and also be able to make a living from that. I never heard that before. So I think that was my attempt. That’s why I was really getting into HR, it sounded stable, it sounds like I’m making I could have an impact help people, you know, but I realized that actually, I, the people that work for the company, they work for the CEO, right, that there’s all sorts of red tape, you know, you can’t really help people you’re working for the company, you know, itself, your hands are a little bit tied. So it wasn’t what I had thought it to be. And I kept forcing myself like a round peg butting into a square hole. Right? Like, why isn’t this fitting? Maybe there’s something wrong with me? Why, you know, why? Why is this like to feel so out of sync? Why am I finding myself, you know, in these toxic workplace environments with bosses and leaders that don’t value my input or my like creativity or really, why do i Why do I feel stifled and NOT? NOT thriving? So I think that’s kind of a question that kept coming up for me and I’d say that as far as character during that experience, like I would say that that was really a litmus test or an indicator like right like on your dashboard of your car like, Hey, this is something’s wrong with the wrong fuel in or like it needs to be changed and it was it’s normal, but it was it was frustrating. So yeah, I think that that that really opened the door, I think that’s necessary to have those kinds of experience to show you like there’s nothing, I realized there’s nothing wrong with me and there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just not it’s not the right fit, and how can you design the life? How can you lean into your God giving us what does that look like for you?
Adam Baruh 15:40
Yeah, I mean, he said a couple of things that struck a chord with me. So number one, I mean, you know, this, there’s a lot of conformity in business, you know, I mean, and, and I’ve been in that world, and it doesn’t feel good if you are a little different, or you’re a creative person. And the other thing I’ve noticed this as a theme within you is, you know, your desire to help want to help people you mentioned, that’s why you got into HR, and we’ll talk about, you know, where you your new direction, we’ll get there here in a little bit. And then, you know, the other thing that I that you mentioned, that I thought was really interesting, you mentioned about a litmus test. And, you know, this was something that took me personally a long time, you know, I’m in my late 40s. And, you know, my, my recognizing that right things, were not going in the direction I wanted them to go, came pretty late for me. And I know that around this time, there were other challenging things in your life that you had mentioned to me about moving cross country student loans. And so I want, I’d love your feedback, or your perspective on given where things were at with you, at that time in your life, getting terminated from this job with this career that you’re trying to establish. And yet at the same time, you had the observational skills, you, you recognized the aspects of your life that weren’t headed in the right direction. And you did something about it, I find that really intriguing, because a lot of people don’t they just kind of continue on with, right, just doing the thing that they’re doing. So tell us a little bit about that time in your life. And that observation that you made?
Cassandra Robinson 17:27
Yes, great question. Adam. I think I often view being a creative person as both like a blessing and a gift. Sorry, both a blessing and a curse, I meant to say, because I think that there was a desire there to fit the, you know, round peg in a round peg like, right just to conform, like, I wanted to fit in and do the job and be happy and do what society has, you know, kind of created us to do or has imposed on us. But it wasn’t working and wasn’t computing and it wasn’t happy. And I was actually miserable. I had four jobs and three years and laid off quit fired, you know, it just was not working. I kept trying to do that for a solid three years. And I realized that, okay. I think it was I was like, as if I was forced out of it, right? That there’s another has to be another way, there has to be another choice. As a believer as a Christian to I believe that, like God created us to thrive, right to really lean in to embrace who He created us to be. And we’re all given these, like, incredible talents, that we don’t have to go out and necessarily discover them per se, but like, uncover them through these types of experiences. Just like you know, think about the apples, the apple tree, the Apple see has everything it needs to be the best apple tree it can be but it just needs the proper environment, right, like the sunlight, the soil, the water, and that clearly, I was not in the right environment. And some of you know those listening right now may not feel like they’re in the right environment. They feel stuck, stagnant, miserable, frustrated, like those are all like signals on your dashboard like blaring Right? Like, Okay, time to listen up here. And it’s it. You’re right. It is scary to step outside the unknown and say this is not fitting for me what I’ve been given what I’ve been prescribed in life, but my parents knew what my right like this is not fit for me. There hasn’t been enough. There has to be another way and I’m going to figure that out. Even though I don’t have I’m going to throw away the prescription or the prescribed route, right, like the manual or the roadmap and carve out my own path. So it’s kind of a tie. Go ahead, please.
Adam Baruh 19:53
You’re reminding me of an old motto like when you lose, you win and sometimes we just get so mired down into that feeling that we failed or that there’s something wrong with us, but really we don’t. We don’t have the perspective yet that actually a door is about to open up. That is going to be the path that we’re meant to be on.
Cassandra Robinson 20:17
100% 100% Adam, I think like, during that time you describe it moving cross country and having all the student loan debt, which a lot of us have. I felt simultaneously like I have to create like, I have to speak blog, right podcast, YouTube, I don’t know what it is. But there is a like, desperate need to get out what is in me out, you know what I mean? We’re some of us were created to do that. Now all of us, right. Some of us have no desire to speak into, you know, write and create and be seen, but some of us do. The anagram fours, the creators, right, like the disruptors like kind of the rebellious ones, society that want to break outside the mold and share what they have. I felt that like me, I didn’t know what platform to choose or where to start, I just knew I had, I needed to do that. So that really segwayed into the cross country move. from San Diego to Austin, we just packed up our low income apartment that we had subsidized living that we were on in Carlsbad and packed up our apartment and moved cross country. And that’s really where things got got an interesting,
Adam Baruh 21:32
you know, in putting this episode together, you um, you told me that, you know, as you started to, as you started to settle in, out, in Austin, you began working with a coach, and they challenged you to record your first video on I believe it was LinkedIn, and to share. Yeah, and like during that session, they, they kind of halted the session. And they said they challenge you to record the video, share it publicly and that, you know, after you published it, that you would then resume that session. And you also and I, I loved this term that you gave me and this is why I used it as the title of this episode, you mentioned the term wading into discomfort. Mm hmm. And so what does waiting into discomfort mean to you?
Cassandra Robinson 22:17
Yeah, you really have to read that hole that really that whole quote from Brene Brown says, you know, that those who own their stories and you know, wade into the discomfort and vulnerability are the real like, are the real badass, as you know, those are the people that are really stepping up and being the change they wish to be in the world. And so for me, waiting into discomfort is just that is knowing that yes, it is hard to share our story with the world and share our mistakes and our failures and what have you, but that it very much, very well could be the page in someone else’s Survival Guide. And so while it is uncomfortable, right to wade into to step into those waters of vulnerability and wrongness, you will also have actually a real impact on those who are feeling and experiencing the same thing. So it becomes worth it becomes like a you know, it’s like a sacrifice of your own comfortability. For the sake of others.
Adam Baruh 23:30
I definitely can align with that. And just to, you know, share to be open. You know, for me, I was living a stagnant life. And it wasn’t until I got divorced in 2010. I mean, I actually made an explicit mental effort within myself to put myself out of my comfort zone as much as I could. I was a picky eater. I had never even eaten fish before. It was like one of my panic foods like it’s anyway. And so I actually, around this time, I said, You know what? I’m you when I’m out to dinner with friends, and somebody invites me out. I’m going to try anything. If somebody says, Hey, we’re going to sushi, I’m going to go for it. And actually, that’s what happened. One of my friends shortly thereafter invited me out for sushi and I tried it and it was like immediate love. And it was, you know, and then I got into wedding photography. I didn’t know what I was really doing. I had noticed in photography, and I, I think the real lesson here is when you practice emotional courage, and you put yourself in a very vulnerable and uncomfortable place. For me personally, that’s where most of the growth in my life has occurred. What have you learned what, what’s been the story that you would like to tell the audience here about what that vulnerability and and the subsequent growth in your own development? What was that like for you?
Cassandra Robinson 25:06
Yeah, I’d like to mention something, you just share that those qualities that maybe you didn’t know you had, I think if you can ask yourself this, going into wedding photography, taking that leap of faith, eating sushi for the first time, like that person is always been there. And like, deep down, you know, that person that Adam like, that has been covered by all sorts of other things, right. As you move through life, we wear masks to prevent ourselves from being hurt. It’s just part of a natural evolution of being a human right, as a child, you’re very open. You know, there’s no, there’s no mask, right? You’re just letting people see you for who you are, you want to be seen. And there’s just so much play involved as a child, right? There’s no like filter, per se, but then as you grow up, right, there’s experiences that we have, whether you’re bullied as a kid, or just certain things that start to you know, that mask goes up as a way of protection, but that person has always been there like that inner child, right? It’s always been there. So that sushi loving Adam, that wedding photography at him, like that is your core, like, that’s the your your original, you know, you know, person. So I think like, taking those steps to push your comfort zone, or actually just tapping back into who you were always meant to be. And it’s scary, because we’re not so much fearful of failure, we’re more fearful of our potential and our success in our life. That’s what really scares us that we could be everything we were always meant to be
Adam Baruh 26:43
such a powerful thought. And, you know, I, it reminds me of the earlier statement you made about the apple seed, right? Um, I just, I love that metaphor. Um, you know, getting back to your, you know, development as you began writing and putting yourself out there. I love that you shared with me on when you closed out that first video that your coach challenged you, you ended with a nervous wink of your eye. And you described to me how we weird that was, but it kind of became your signature.
Cassandra Robinson 27:18
Correct. Yes, that’s still makes me laugh because I just watched it the other day. I shared it with my client who was wanting to do her first video and say, hey, check out my first awkward video, hopefully makes you feel better. Right? So at the end of the video, I you know, gave gave the audience a nervous wink at the end, it just kind of came out of nowhere. I never wink at anyone in real life or otherwise. But I think maybe I was just looking for a closer or somehow to wrap the, close it out. And I’m like, where did that come from? And I could have Rick re recorded it and not have that link in there. And but he only gave me 20 minutes to record and then we were gonna post it. So I’m like, whatever. You know what, no one’s even gonna see the video. I don’t have any following. It’s fine. At least I’ll get over my fear video. And it’s, you know, it’s out there. It’s done. So now you’re right, it has become like a signature thing that every time I do a video I wink at the end. And if I don’t, someone in the comments will say hey, where’s the week? So it’s, it’s more of like, I see you now it’s kind of like, I’ve got to you know, I’m connecting with my audience in that way. So it’s become part of my part of my brand. Two years later.
Adam Baruh 28:28
I love it. And I think it’s a great example, a lot of people get hung up. And I’ve done this before, um, that you have to kind of know everything before you launch into this new thing like that you need to do all this research and really, like have it all down, around. And you actually you wrote this down. I’m like to read it back to you. I am living proof that you don’t have to have all the answers and know exactly what you’re doing to be successful. Is it scary? Yes. Is it hard? Heck, yes. But the best things in life require hard work. A lot of people have a hard time taking action on an idea because doing so makes them vulnerable and it’s scary. So what would you say to those people to help them overcome their fears like you did with yours?
Cassandra Robinson 29:14
Get comfortable. In the uncomfortable. A mentor asked me this question about feeling imposter syndrome and being uncomfortable. Yes. Do you run or do you work out? You know, if you guys are runners or you like to go to the gym, you know? Yes, right? I answered Yes. And then he asked the question, do you get tired when you run or do your muscle muscles cramp when you run? Yeah, I do. They do things like that is a normal symptom of the right activity. Same thing when imposter syndrome comes up or uncomfortability like that is the that is the healthy symptom of the right activity. So that means it’s like an indication that you’re machine you’re growing yourself when you go to the gym, right? It becomes like, it hurts so good, right? Like, the next day you’re like super sore. There’s pain, right? No panic acid build up. Exactly. No pain, no gain 100%. But as, as, as humans, we default to what feels comfortable, right? Like the red, just thinking, thinking back to you know, the beginning, right? We just want to be we like to be comfortable and protected. Our brain doesn’t wants to protect us at all costs. So when you get on video, and you put yourself out there, it’s like, no, don’t do it. Do not do that. You’re in danger, right? Like, this cortisol starts peeking, your adrenaline starts, you know, pumping, but I would just tell you to, like lean into that, because that’s just an indication of the right behavior or the right activity, like you’re about to, like, break through to that next level. To get to that the next level of who God created you to be right, like you’re one step closer, I lean into that, like, lean into that adrenaline and like do anyways, always shoot for done versus perfect. Because perfect. may never get done.
Adam Baruh 31:16
Absolutely. And bringing it back to the wedding photography for a second, you know, I I had the opportunity to, I got into wedding photography, because I had a friend who was getting married, and he just asked me to shoot his wedding. I think it was, you know, the budget wasn’t enough to hire a professional photographer. You know, I didn’t even have a nice camera, nor any photography experience. But I thought, Okay, well, this sounds kind of fun. Why not? And, you know, I did research it and practice just so I could, you know, you don’t want to screw up some of these wedding memories writing, right? Yeah. And so after, I mean, I had such a good time doing it. And I love the editing process afterwards. So I decided to carry it forward and keep it going. And I advertise my services, and I put the website together and all that and, and people were hiring me, I shot a lot of weddings my first year. But those first handful, I mean, I remember crying, leaving a wedding because I thought that I screwed it up so badly. And then I would get feedback from the client after I shared the pictures with them. And they were crying because they love them so much. And it, it brought back the memories that they had felt in those moments. And it’s just, you know, I, I think for at least myself kind of pushing myself pushing myself pushing myself that was, you know, ultimately I feel like I, I did, you know, learn a lot. And I, you know, we did it for about 10 years, my wife and I and I felt like at the end like I was really good. I think I had a very unique style. But I want to get back to love that a statement that you already made. And I want to revisit it because I just I love it so much. You actually wrote this in the questionnaire leading into this podcast. So in describing the message you wanted to share about your own story and emotional courage you posed? Will you have the courage to step outside your comfort zone and share it, knowing that your story could be a page in someone else’s Survival Guide? I think that’s such a powerful message. And it really speaks to that emotional courage and how that emotional courage can be a catalyst for us personally, but but it also connects us with others. Exactly. Tell me, you know, when you when you say it could be a page in someone else’s Survival Guide? Have you experienced that?
Cassandra Robinson 33:54
Yeah, I mean, I just experienced it. You know, the other day when I posted on LinkedIn, sort of the journey we’re talking about right now, four years ago, my husband and I were living on food stamps that living at my parents house, my old bedroom. Three years ago, we were you know, living in low income housing. And I was in a job that I was miserable out. Two years ago, we moved cross country to pay for student loan debt and reduce the cost of living. So I’m just going to share this journey. And then a year ago, we bought this house that we’re in now, you know, you know, use the down payment that I from the business I generated on LinkedIn. And so you know, they got the post now has over, you know, 150,000 views, you know, a couple 1000 reactions and I’ve gotten loads of messages like Hey, I needed to hear that today. I’m going through a similar situation and I you know, it’s helpful to see like the light at the end of the tunnel sort of thing, right like it goes to show or other It’s like a, it goes to show you the hard work, what hard work does like perseverance and grit. So I just think like, Yes, I happens every day, if you post something about a struggle that you have and how you overcame it or a lesson learned, you will get that feedback from your audience because our struggles are more common than we think.
Adam Baruh 35:25
So what sort of feedback have you gotten from those who followed your story?
Cassandra Robinson 35:32
Honestly, the feedback that I’ve gotten is really, one of the main reasons that I keep doing this, that I keep going. Some of the feedback I’ve gotten is, you know, thank you for being bold, right, and sharing your faith because I am a, you know, Christian, personal brand strategist on LinkedIn. So a lot of my content is faith oriented. And if you don’t know anything about LinkedIn, it’s, you know, traditionally known as a business, you know, platform, resume, you know, platform, but what’s happening there is, you know, people are starting to share more of their authentic and stories. So, I get a lot of comments saying thank you for being bold and sharing your faith, it’s really encouraged me this week, I’m having a hard time, your post is helping me navigate, you know, through a particular challenge. So that’s what I that’s what I really mean that it could be a page in someone else’s Survival Guide, right? Like, as entrepreneurs as ones that are looking to design and create a life that works for us, it’s important to share those chat challenges that we’re navigating and how we overcame them, so that someone can avoid the same mistakes you made, or maybe to shortcut someone’s cross path to success. Because by just by sharing that story, they’re like, Wow, I am not alone. How amazing is that? That one person feels less alone in the world. Because you shared you had the courage to share your story, instead of feeling so insecure and doubting yourself. You just put it out there and someone’s like, now I don’t feel as alone. And I have hope to put one foot in front of the other another day. Yeah.
Adam Baruh 37:09
Well, I’d like to finish off with one question. And, you know, do you ever think about if you hadn’t taken the leap of faith, if you if you didn’t have the emotional courage to put yourself out there? Do you ever think about where you might be today?
Cassandra Robinson 37:28
That’s a great question. Yes, I have thought about that. And I do think about that. And I think I’d be in the same spot that we just talked about two years ago, I’d be thinking like, Man, I really need to share this message. And hopefully one day, I’ll be able to have the courage to do it still not stagnant space, maybe still in the miserable nine to five corporate job that I’m like, losing sleep over. Right, I still be in that position. And I wouldn’t have 30,000 followers on LinkedIn, I wouldn’t have now a thriving coaching business, I wouldn’t be meeting weekly group calls with other question entrepreneurs, helping them build their brand and unlock their voice on LinkedIn. I wouldn’t be I wouldn’t have my podcast, I wouldn’t have the like this, the incredible community that have that I’ve been able to, you know, build over the last two years on LinkedIn, many of which are like, you know, we’ll be like lifetime, you know, friends and mentors. None of that would be none of that would would I would be experiencing being able to, to enjoy and be a part of right now and realizing that actually like two years, and it’s still just the beginning.
Adam Baruh 38:43
Wow, well, this has been such an inspirational story. And I think just such a great example of emotional courage and, you know, identifying within yourself, you know, again, the litmus test, making the observation that you needed to take control of your life and put yourself on on the path that you were meant to be. So, Cassandra Robinson, thank you so much for being our guest today.
Cassandra Robinson 39:10
Absolutely. Adam, thank you so much for having me. It’s an honor and a pleasure. I hope your guests enjoy, enjoy this episode.
Adam Baruh 39:18
Thank you. You can read more about Cassie’s story and follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn and tick tock. She also hosts a podcast called grinding and Grace available anywhere Podcasts can be found. Her story reflects an enormous amount of emotional courage. One of the hardest things to do is put oneself outside of their comfort zone and experience something new in the process showing vulnerability. This brings us to the end of part one of our episode wading into discomfort. Please listen to part two where we hear another story of emotional courage and how our guests overcame her fear and anxiety by deciding to stop playing it small. Thank you for listening
