Ever feel like your job is “fine”… but you’re secretly bored, drained, or wondering is this really it?

In this behind-the-scenes episode of Career Clarity Unlocked, career clarity expert Theresa White pulls back the curtain on a real coaching session with her client Heidi, a high-performing project manager who’s great at her job… but feels stuck in checklist mode.

Together, they uncover what’s actually missing: intellectual challenge, innovation, and meaningful impact.

Using the Sparketype® framework, Heidi’s results reveal two powerful drivers:

✅ The Scientist (problem-solver, strategist, pattern-finder)

✅ The Maven (lifelong learner, researcher, curiosity-fueled)

And once she names those strengths? Everything clicks.

By the end of the session, Heidi has a clearer direction, and realizes she doesn’t need to “start over.” She just needs a role that actually matches how her brain works.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How to spot when you’re underutilized, not underqualified
2. The difference between work that’s “stable” and work that’s fulfilling
3. The keywords that signal strategy + innovation roles (and how to search for them)
4. How to reframe your resume and LinkedIn so your real strengths stand out
5. The networking move that helps you find the right role faster (without begging)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Career Clarity Unlocked

00:53 What Happens in a Career Clarity Session?

01:28 Meet Heidi: A Real Coaching Session

03:56 Heidi's Career Journey and Challenges

05:17 Discovering Heidi's Sparketype

05:57 The Scientist and Maven Sparketypes

06:56 Exploring Process Improvement

15:29 Heidi's Current Role and Future Aspirations

20:57 Keywords for Career Fulfillment

22:48 Exploring the Anti Sparketype

24:14 Balancing Process and Service in Work

25:57 Navigating Workplace Challenges

29:30 Personal Branding and Career Strategy

32:53 Networking and Finding the Right Role

35:30 Reflecting on Career Clarity

36:45 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

📞 Book a free Career Clarity call to map your next chapter → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/consultation

Connect with Career Coach Theresa White

- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-a-white

- Facebook: www.facebook.com/careerbloomcoaching/

- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theresa_careerbloom/

- YouTube: www.youtube.com/@careerbloom

- TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@career.bloom

- Website: www.CareerBloomCoaching.com

Career Tools to Support Your Next Step:

1. 3 ChatGPT Prompts to Find Career Clarity → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/Mr7xm4zG
2. Deepening Your Self-Worth for Career Confidence → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/4KENh8tF
3. 35+ Progressive Companies Hiring Now → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/xTDHFSpJ
4. 17 Fill-in-the-Blank Templates to Reach Out to Recruiters → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/6WK6yxdR
5. Networking and Application Tracker → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/XypBhjfU
6. The Complete Industry Alignment Guide → https://www.careerbloomcoaching.com/offers/buGFRSmn

Coaching services:

1:1 Deep Dive Session → www.careerbloomcoaching.com/1-1-deep-dive-coaching-session

Career Clarity Formula → www.careerbloomcoaching.com/career-clarity-formula

#careerpodcast #careerclarity #careercoach #careeradvice #careerchange #careergrowth #jobsearchhelp #jobsearchtips #careerstrategy #careerplanning #careerfulfillment #meaningfulwork #workyoullove #burnoutinwork #careerconfidence #careertransformation #jobalignment #personalbranding #professionaldevelopment #womenincareers #leadershipdevelopment #worklifebalance #coachingpodcast #findyourpurpose #careergrowth

 If you've ever found yourself spiraling down a late night rabbit hole of. What am I meant to do and why haven't I found it yet? And let's be honest, who hasn't? Then you're in the right place. I'm Theresa White, career Clarity expert and five times certified career coach, and I'm here to help you navigate the question of how to find a career that truly lights you up on career clarity.

Unlock. We're all about those light bulb moments. I'm talking to people who are still trying to figure out what they're meant to do, coaching them life to reach that magical, yes, this is it moment, and we'll also hear from those who've already found their dream careers and figure out exactly how they did it.

Whether you are looking for inspiration or actionable advice on finding a career you love, I've got you covered time to unlock some career clarity. Let's dive in.

 Welcome back to Career Clarity Unlocked. I am so glad that you are here and, , do I have a treat for you today? Have you ever wondered what actually happens in a career clarity session? You might be picturing it as journaling or personality quizzes or some magic. So what if you could be a fly on the wall and hear exactly how people get those OMG?

Why has no one ever said this to me before? Moments? And that's what we are gonna do today. Pulling back the curtain and letting you listen in on a real coaching session with one of my incredible clients, Heidi. Because here's the thing, career clarity isn't just for people who are on the brink of, I need to quit my job tomorrow because it makes me so miserable.

I can't do another day in it, or, I need a new job tomorrow. Career clarity really is for anyone who's feeling like some low key restlessness, that feeling of like, yeah, this job is fine, but it's not it something's missing. Maybe you are bored and you can't quite explain why, or maybe you are great at your job but you're secretly miserable or unfulfilled, or maybe you've simply outgrown your role and have no idea what comes next for you.

If any of that sounds familiar, you are going to love this episode. And Heidi came in thinking she had a job that she's good at, she's really good at, but it's like, ah, is this really it? And what we uncovered is that she was wildly underutilized, stuck in maintenance mode and craving, intellectual challenge and impact.

And once she connected those dots, it was a total shift in energy. And by the end of the call, she could name exactly what she's looking for next. And better yet, she saw that she's actually way closer than she thought.

If we haven't met yet. Hey, and welcome. I'm Theresa White, career clarity expert and five times certified career coach, and the only coach who guarantees you career clarity. In 30 days, I am the coach behind over 600 women who have landed careers that feel like, . Pinch me. I am getting paid to do this.

Listening into this coaching session, you will understand why my clients consistently call the sessions epiphanies and then answer to questions they've been asking for years. So, if you are ready to stop settling and finally figure out what work feels like you, you are in the right place.

And you're gonna be inspired to take this next step, whatever that looks like for you. So grab your coffee, lace up your sneakers, settle on the couch, wherever you are. But let's dive into this behind the scene coaching session with Heidi, and I cannot wait for you to hear this.

  so you gave me a little bit of an overview that, um, you've been working in project management and are at a point like, okay, what do you wanna do next?

Can you give me a little bit of a snapshot of what your career's been like up to this point?  Um, sure. So I've been doing project management for almost 20 years. In the last, uh, 10 years I've been , in the healthcare industry for the same company. My last promotion was a little over three years ago.

I'm running projects. I mean, I'm the lead and. Taking care of everything and, doing the interactions with our business sponsors and coordinating with other work streams and, , taking care of reporting and all of that kind of stuff. But it feels like it's very much, you just got a checklist of activities and you're checking them off and there's really not a whole lot of that ability to like develop a strategy or do something really exciting and new and creative and.

And that's the piece that I kind of would like something a little bit more like that. And so I was really excited to do the career clarity and just see if maybe, maybe project management isn't the right place for me. Maybe I should look for something else within the business world that could, um, meet that need. 

Totally. Thanks for sharing that. And we'll definitely talk deep into the question. So I wanna start with asking you about your Spark type and.

To give you a little bit of a background, the Sparker type assessment is very. There it's different because it doesn't measure what we are good or bad at. It measures what energizes us and what drains us. So if we're like have a bad in our internal battery can be Sunday days fuller and Sunday days emptier.

So it kind of measures what it fills, that battery and what it empties and. I never wanna place you in any box, so if anything of it doesn't resonate, that's perfectly fine. So please, um, we'll just figure out what resonates, what doesn't, and that will take us to where we need to go. So your primary bracket type showed up as the scientist, which is the same as mine.

I'm also primary scientist. It's the love for figuring things out, for solving problems for. Figuring things out. Um, how does that resonate with you? Is that, how did that feel when you first read it?  It seemed pretty spot on. I am very analytical. That's what I'm known for. Just even within my team, everybody works with me, sees me as the analyst.

Um, that's my behavioral style, so that made sense to me.  Okay. And are there times at work when you get to. Figure out or solve like a burning question, a problem, or even like anything that you can see like as a puzzle, or riddle or quandary, anything that needs to be figured out and problem solved. Do you have times where I get to do that? 

Not always. I mean, there've been times, other times in my career where I've done a little bit of process improvement and that was when I was going for my green belt. And that was really kind of a fun project where you're taking existing process and you're like, how can we optimize this?

Where can we make these improvements? You know, just tweaking different things here and there. So that is where I've had that opportunity to do something like that. I guess, a little bit of opportunity where I am to, develop our process as far as, what our, , meeting cadence is gonna be, and, how are we gonna work with our different work streams and how are we gonna get information to and from people?

But a lot of it is, is already predetermined by the processes that have been in place in our organization and the tools we have and. Yeah, that I, I would say, I mean, minimal opportunity.  . And maybe also not really interesting problems like where you're like, oh, I kind of wanna figure that one out. 

Yes, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. When  you were talking about some of the process improvement that you were doing when you were working on your green belt, um, can you give me an example of one of those that was the funnest one for you?  I remember doing the process flows, like adding things in there and the time boxing and then seeing like what the current state was, what our future state could be,, and trying to do things like that. But I didn't really, it didn't really reach the end goal that, we wanted.

It didn't really come to fruition, but it was just more the experience of doing it. And that's what. My mentor wanted me to get out of it, and he's like, yeah, you did everything great. You know, you, you did all the data analysis

But I think I actually got more out of the job than I realized now.

And I'm looking back at it. 'cause it was a challenge. Yeah. And I was learning and it was new and it was, it was meaningful work. Uhhuh and.  When you talk about it, I can feel like a sense of you lighting up of like, especially when you describe that process flow that you put together with all the different boxes.

, It seemed like that was something that filled your battery, that energized you. 

Yes. , I think, it like you kind of alluded to earlier, the puzzle solving, you know, where can we make improvements? What can we do differently that hasn't been done before? , And even if it's just incremental improvements, it's something, it gets us somewhere. It's, yeah. 

Yeah. And it's felt meaningful because if they would've followed through on it, there would've been a direct impact on the business, on the people working there.  Yes. Yeah. And your shadow  archetype came out as the Maven. The love for learning mavens are all about learning, like that lifelong desire to learn more, to know more, to research deeper.

How did that resonate with you?  Well, yeah, I, I love reading and learning more and, you know, there's a time if I thought if I could be a lifelong student, I would definitely do that. You know? Yes. Go to university forever. So, yeah, that, that seems to, yeah, to be on point as well. So  when you were talking about the example with the process flows, and you said like a part of it was a lot of data analysis, was that also an enjoyable part of it, where you like, okay, I have to like understand every piece of this puzzle and I have to analyze the data and understand before I can figure out how I'm gonna put this all together. 

It was, it took me a while because my Excel skills weren't quite what they needed to be. So, I mean, there was a little bit of learning curve there, but once I understood it a little bit more, yes, I, I did find it kind of enjoyable. , And the other thing is, I was going through this other data, same project, and I was able to, , notice a trend where certain, turnover rates were going down. And it was actually it was a good thing for the company. 'cause it just meant that, the cases were going down. So it meant. That they were getting more money back.

But anyway, yeah, basically I found a good trend of, , money savings that nobody else had found before, and I didn't even realize I had done that. And they're like, oh, this is great. So they were able to show that, oh, we saved so much money by implementing this process.

Someone else had implemented process, but through my data analysis, I was able to find the savings. Yeah.  And it's like so cool how the, the research comes together as the problem solving and I, there is often that process where they flow together of like, you wanna solve this problem, so you have to learn.

About all these different parts or puzzle pieces, and then you're like, okay, I understand that now I can solve that problem. And that most of the time brings you to a bigger problem and you're like, okay, now I have to go back to researching, learning, and then I can solve the next one. Can you see that process or how that shows up for you or if it does? 

No, it may have shown up in other times. It really hasn't lately for me. Um, yeah. But it would be fun to do something like that. Yeah, I think one of the other things I was thinking because you know, I, I got the green belt and that is all about process improvement. I was like, maybe I should lean into those kind of roles a bit more and just see where I could do that kind of work versus the project management maybe that, I dunno if that would be more fulfilling or more in line with my.

Archetypes or archetypes. . Do you think  that Yeah. There is a part to Yes. Uh, yeah. Process improvement is one that definitely comes to mind for me when we are thinking about, mm-hmm. So. What I see, , a lot visier bracket type. And I wonder if that is kind of the part where also the PM work , feels stagnant over time.

Is that the mavens, they have the thirst for new learning of researching, learning something else, like growth is so important. Growth on learning, and then a scientist needs new problems to figure things out. They need new challenges. And so many people I work with, with a similar spark type, they get into a new role, and then there's this learning curve, right?

When we get into a learning role, we have to figure it all out. We have to learn it, we have to improve some processes. And then like after, I don't know, six months about that learning curve and figuring out step, and then it's like something is missing. This is, this feels really stifling or stagnant. . 

And then they get into a new role and the process starts. Have  you experienced or is that something you could see in yourself?  Definitely. I mean, sometimes there is a point where it's like, okay, I've, I've mastered this. What else is there to do beyond this? Yeah. And if there's nothing else, that's when I start looking for my next role.

Yes. That makes so much sense. So one, there's different ways to work with that. But one is like you have this core need of, there has to be continuous learning opportunities, continuous opportunities to figure things out and solve things. So one, there's different solutions. For some people it's climbing the ladder and trying to move up quickly.

Then it can also be. Different roles, lateral moves, , or it could be into roles where that is a constant. A lot of times, so many roles are when we think about a project or a process, it's like, okay, in the beginning you have a new project, in the beginning there's probably like, okay, let me learn about this, figure it out.

But then it's maintaining it and that maintaining is often the heaviness and the same as a process, right? If you were to work on a new process, like even in the in process improvement is like, it's the role E, you get up. Chaotic process and you get to figure out all the pieces, optimize the process, move on to the next project, hand it off, and move on to the next project.

Optimize that, improve that move on to the next project. Or is it a role where it's like, okay, improve this process now the process works beautifully smooth and now you maintain it for the rest of your life? Probably the first one where you get the challenge every time you get to try something new. I mean, even with maintaining a process, at some point something is going to change 'cause there'll be new technologies or you know, different new products.

What something, something will change, right? Yeah. But it's like often that stifling feeling, the moment it goes from the exciting part of the figuring out, learning, researching, creating it, how you had this beautiful flow map. And then once it's all figured out, it's like, okay, you guys now get to take care of this.

I figured it out. Let me move on to the next challenge. Right? Yeah. So when you think about your current role, do you get any of those opportunities or are they completely missing? Um, for the most part, they're missing, although I do have an opportunity right now. . We're developing a change management structure within our group here, and I'm mm-hmm. One of the first. Projects to do so, and there's some discussion about what our scope is gonna be with our team and another team.

I mean. Pretty much be able to come up with whatever we need to come up with. So trying to get the others on the team excited about it and brainstorm like, what could we do? Like we know we wanna reach out to you more than just the, , constituents we had the first time around. And then, how's that gonna look?

, What is our process gonna be? How often are we gonna meet? How are we gonna get the updates? And, and so there's a lot to figure out and mm-hmm. I, I just wanna , go and drive it,? But trying to also get other people on board too, so.

Right, right, right. But that does sound really fun. It could be. Yeah. What are the parts of that , you are most looking forward to, or the funnest parts of that project? , I guess just seeing it all in motion., once things get moving and everyone gets used to what we're doing and , we've got those wins and we can report out that we've done X, Y, and Z and we've accomplished something, we've made that difference.

That's really what I'm looking forward to. Yeah.

What are some of the things you wish you could do more of? Like. Not in your current role, but in general professionally, would you wanna do another process flow or would do you wanna do another process improvement or be like, oh, I would love to keep working more on the, on implementing change manage tools.

What are, what catches your interest? No matter if it's realistic or not.

Yeah, , the process, document, process, figuring out where we can make improvements to process, I always love it when we can go into a room and whiteboard things and, you know, that whole creative brainstorming part of projects that we don't always get to do. 

Working in home healthcare, you know, I mean it's, it's huge. 'cause America has so many, , elderly, , it's the elderly population here.

, I think the possibilities of just improvements, the way our country's going is the home healthcare, hospice. I there's gonna be a lot of opportunity there , to do work and to do good work and mm-hmm. Just meeting with our different delivery organizations, figuring out what their problems are, how we can implement solutions to, reduce , those pain points , and, , find ways to increase savings and, .

Reduce any provider burden or make things just a little bit better for the patients. , When you're looking at like a healthcare, all the different players involved, you've got providers, patients, , just the organization itself. , And you don't wanna leave any person out.

And everybody has a role to play. And if one person. Is feeling burnout , or their needs aren't being met, then it's gonna, it's gonna affect everybody else., So there's probably just a lot of areas where things can be done to make the provider's lives happier, patient's lives happier.

Yeah. Fighting win win-win solutions of like, what can we do that is better for everyone? Right. Yeah. So I hear there's two things that sound really exciting about that, and I do. It sounds like a fantastic fit for you. One, the space you'd be working in, the home, healthcare and hospice, because one, it's lots of opportunities for growth

and then it also is doing good, meaningful work that impacts people's lives. Mm-hmm. Right. And then. As for the work you're doing is about improvements. It's like figuring out, okay, where are the pain points, where are the problems? And then implementing solutions that increase savings, reduce burdens, improve patient care, like that is a win-win win for everyone involved.

Exactly. How would it feel like if you would get to do that work every day? It would definitely. Make it easier to go into work every day. I mean, you'd be walking in there with the purpose and Yeah, it'd be challenging, but at the same time, , my brain would be, fully used and it's, , yeah.

It'd be great. Yes. Yeah. And your potential would be fully used because it seems like right now there is so much more you could do than. Babysit people and chase after people. Um, you would actually be like, there's big problems that need someone with your capabilities to figure it out.

Yes, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. It would be better for the company because they get more value, even more value. Not, I'm quite certain you do an excellent job in your current role, but you could contribute even more in a different capacity. A hundred percent agree with you. There's more that they could be doing.

Yes. And you would be more fulfilled.  Um, really great keywords for you to look for. One, we already have the process improvement. Mm-hmm. Um, transformation, strategy, innovation and clinical capability or capability and channel. Okay. Those seem to all revolve around the work you would wanna do, where it's, there's consistent, interesting challenges that catch your attention and you want to figure them out and they feel like, mm-hmm.

If it's in the right department within healthcare, you feel like, okay, this is actually good, meaningful work that I'm doing. Yes. Yeah, it is. It would be. Yeah. What are your thoughts on those? On those keywords, the process improvement, transformation strategy, innovation and capability, clinical capability, clinical performance.

Um, it all sounds like that next level thinking. I mean, it's very cerebral. It's not just, , doing something that's very, tactical . It's creation, it's exciting. It's, you know, doing something that maybe hasn't been done before, improving something that's already currently in, in the works and making something better.

And yes, I know, I do love the word innovation and I love the word strategy, so it's like Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Like I can feel there is an energy shift when you talk about it. So I would definitely encourage you in that direction. That is innovation strategy. Where you get to do something that's exciting instead of the tactical work that mm-hmm.

Is more the execution piece. Exactly. Yeah.  I also wanna briefly touch on your antis bracket type, if that's okay. Okay, so the anti, I just wanna re reiterate. It's not that we're good or bad at something, we can be really good at the anti, it's just, if we had to do it all day every day, it can be a heavier lift.

Um, the Nurture, which showed up as to anti, is the, is taking care, giving care for others and. I'm gonna share how this shows up for me, and then you can tell me if that resonates or if it lands completely different for you. For me, the nurture can also be a heavier lift because the nurture is someone who loves to just be with someone.

I am the person when I am, let's say a friend of mine is struggling, not even work, like just a friend of mine is struggling. My scientist brain kicks in and I can't help it, but I'm like, okay, I get that this sucks, but let's figure out what we can do about it. And it's really hard for me to not do that and just sit with, be with them, which the nurture would get all the.

All the energy from, for me, that feels draining if I am not allowed to find a solution. , So that for me is why the nurture can feel like a really heavy lift. Does any of that resonate with you, or how do you feel about the nurture as the anti, as the heavier lift? I think it, it was one of your, , podcasts I was listening to where, , you talked about the, .

, Spark has being either process driven or people driven. Yes. And I'm definitely more processed than people. , Oh, yeah. Yeah. I, I don't really want to deal with the emotional part of things. Yeah. . Yeah, I'd just rather just fix the problem, right? And there's nothing wrong with it. We are all humans and we all have things that energize us and that drains us.

And you can do it. I have no doubt that you can do it, but if you had to do this 40 hours a week, it would not be the best use of your potential and it would be a way heavier lift for you, I would imagine. I, I think it would be too. It, it just, it wouldn't fit for me. Yeah. And I love that you brought up the spectrum from very process driven to very service driven.

So the scientists and the Maven, they're very process driven, spark types, and I, you probably heard me say that on my podcast because I say it a lot, but. I'm very process driven too. You can lock me in an office for 48 hours. Give me a interesting problem to solve or a good puzzle. I'm happy with that too.

I'll be as happy as can be. Um, and that's, yeah, like there is so much energy I get from the process of doing the work that there's some social interaction is okay, but if it's too service heavy, it drains me. Your current work, how much of that is process driven and how much of that is service driven?

Not too much service driven at the moment, although there's a lot of political. Issues going on with different departments and that part of it I really don't like. I just, yeah, wish people could get out of their own way. And then when you talked about chasing people and babysitting that part of it, definitely.

, There, there's more of it , than I would like. Yeah. Yeah. So that is probably where the. Anti nurture or just the heavier lift or the service driven shows up. Obviously you can do it and you can do it well. You're doing it every day chasing people down, but it's not energizing. Uh, no. It's, it's annoying.

Yeah. It's a heavy lift for you and that's perfectly okay. So being in a role where that isn't as much expected, 'cause I'm sure you, it's not that you don't. Well, you correct me if I'm wrong, but I would imagine it's not that you don't wanna can or don't want to collaborate, but it's also the type of people.

If there's a team that are all excited to solve a problem or improve a process together and everyone brings different expertise, it might be a lot funner, that interaction. Then your job of chasing everyone down and checking things off the list. Yes. I love the way you, you phrased that. I mean, if everybody is at the same level of excitement and everyone's all in and the same motive, same everyone's on board with purpose and everything, that is fantastic.

But when people are not, it's like pulling teeth to get information from somebody. Yeah. And somebody's purposely, blocking you from moving forward for whatever reason. . They're not collaborative and , it's just really hard to move forward and it makes it for not such a fun, , job.

So, no. It sounds like right now you spend a lot of time and energy on pulling teeth or even like herding cats of like trying to get them all into this one direction. Um mm-hmm. Incredibly draining. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So when you're looking at roles, , of roles that the people that you work with are all people that the interactions are ones you enjoy because obviously there's gonna be differences, opinion, right?

But overall, everyone is moving in the same direction or somewhat on the same level, and you are not in the role where. You do is pull teeth and herd cats and somehow trying to push this forward, , through all the obstacles that people put up, that would be fantastic. Yes. Yes. Define that. Yes. Yeah. How does this feel at this point? 

Um. Where do you feel this has helped get clear to you? What are still the open thoughts and questions? How is all of this landing for you right now? Um, it's funny 'cause when you were mentioning some of those key words there, I was thinking, oh, these are things that I can weave into my, , professional profile and my, , resume and, and really this maybe is how I wanna present myself and what I wanna be known for and, um, how I can market myself, I guess, you know, as the innovator, problem solver, talk about transformation.

I mean, put in some of those key words in there. And find like-minded people to connect with.

The people that I should be connecting with, um, who could probably help me find a role that is more aligned with, um.  You know what Fulfill fills my cup. Totally. I love both of those. One, the personal branding around innovation, problem solving, transformation, and that's always the Kiva personal branding because there is a thousand things that you have done and we wanna shine a spotlight on the the few things that you want to be known for out of everything you've done.

So yeah, thinking about all the times, , where you were involved with something that you could bring in the keyword innovation, problem solving, transformation, process improvement. Those are, yeah, I think that innovation, process improvement, problem solving, transformation strategy too. Strategy is a big one too.

Um, to phrase your story around that and show like, okay, my professional journey has been a pattern of success in. Problem solving innovation, transformation strategy. Mm-hmm. , The more you can emphasis and highlight that and tell those stories, the more you're positioned for those roles. I think it just things I've done in the past where I've probably written to it as being more project management oriented, but I could totally make this process proven because I developed a process for.

Or something that we ended up doing or I was in the middle of like requirements and it, you, you got me think and Theresa like, good, I'm good. Yes. Like project management is , just the title. But what you do on a day-to-day basis, there are probably when you start really. Figuring out what you can use is like, there are so many times where you probably solved the problem that you could highlight where you did improve the process, where you developed a strategy.

Um, right now, with the change management, the project was leading the change management. There's probably a lot that you can draw out of there too, for revolving around those keywords. There is,, I did develop the process for it. We , just thought, but we're gonna resurrect it.

And you know, that's another opportunity to, use those skills. Yeah. And say, I've done this. Yes. And do it. And actually do it. Yes. Yeah. And then I love the other part that you mentioned of like connecting with people. And I always say like. Networking's always such a formal word, but like in keeping these connections warm.

Mm-hmm. If something sparks your curiosity, that's a big sign. Always follow that. That brings you to the right people in the right places.

Start asking those questions like, who are the people? Others know who do that type of work and can they introduce you and have conversation with people whose work revolves around all those keywords that we, that we identified?

Yeah, that would be awesome. Yes. And you'll naturally do this when you have those conversations and if someone tells you about work they do, and you just get excited, you know, this is a direction that feels right. Right, exactly. Yes. And if someone tells you like, yeah, you're gonna use the same example, but I'm like, yeah, I'm a project manager, so most of my time I chase people down, I pull teeth, and you have that sinking feeling in your stomach, you know?

That's not the direction for you. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So it's really good. I always encourage people too, when you have those conversations like here, what do people do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? All of that. Yes. And then. How does, how does that feel in your body? Do you get that feeling of excitement or a feeling of dread?

Yeah, I'm writing this all down 'cause and how do I feel? Okay. Okay. Yeah, no, I, I like that next approach. , Just to really get into like what their day-to-day life is like and how would I feel being in their shoes essentially. Like doing the same work. Exactly. Exactly. Yes, and those conversations are gonna lead you do both.

It gives you the clarity, like to nail down even more granular. Like we have the themes for sure today of like, these are the themes, but then what are all the role nuances within that theme? Mm-hmm. Um, they'll guide you to the right, and then you already have the right conversations that.

Are the ones that open opportunities? Yes. Okay, good. Yeah. Yes. How does this feel? Does this feel complete? How do you feel? Thoughts, reflections? Anything else you want to share? Any questions?  . . Yeah, I mean, the other thing I really got out of this session was, , I'm not far off from being on the right track.

I've made some moves that are getting me closer to what probably is the ideal situation. So yes, just gonna keep going with it. I love that. Oh, I love that so much for you. All right, Heidi, this was so great. , anything else you wanna make sure we cover today? , I don't think so. Okay. I have a little bit more clarity now about what I wanna do next, so this has been really, really helpful.

Good. I love that. 

And please feel free to reach out with question thoughts.

 Woo. What a journey right from why am I so bored to, oh, this is what fulfillment looks like for me. Let's take a moment to zoom out and recap some of the big takeaways. First of all, Heidi archetypes scientists and Maven very much validated what she already knew to be true inside of her. And she doesn't find solving problems and learning just interesting.

But they're really explaining everything about what has worked and hasn't worked for her in the past. And her pattern of feeling stagnant after mastering a role makes complete sense through this lens. So for all of you listening in, I invite you to revisit your sparko type or take the assessments. If you have not yet, you can find the assessment developed by Jonathan Fields on sparko type.com, and it is free and only takes 10 minutes.

And then ask yourself, where am I getting feel from? Where am I getting drained? Is it similar to what you heard, how you describe or completely different for you?

And the other insight I loved is that she realized that it's not that she couldn't do project management, it's just that it doesn't feed her spark. She can perform the role and perform it really well, but it's still Zaps herzo at the same time. Especially that constant herding cats, that's where her anti sparco type starts screaming.

My invitation to you is to think about what trains you the most in your role. Could that be related to your anti sparco type? And it was also beautiful to see that sometimes you really forget what lights you up until you are asked about it and or have the chance to revisit it. When Heidi started talking about her green belt work, that was such a shift in energy.

You could hear her excitement when she described solving process problems. That Spark had been there all along. It was just spurred on the years and years of doing jobs. Herding cats

and I invite you to think back on your own professional journey, what projects made you feel alive? Not just successful, but truly energized. Another aha moment that you heard was that Heidi wasn't in the wrong company or not in the wrong field, but the problem is much more that she's stuck in a misaligned role where there's too much maintenance, too much herding cats, and not enough challenge, and not enough transformation.

Her brain craves evolution and not repetition. So ask yourself, are you bored because you're in a boring field, or is it because there's no fresh challenge? Or what is the piece that fuels the misalignment for you? And the other beautiful insight is that Heidi doesn't have to start over.

She's already making moves toward the work she really wants. She has the green belt. She's talking to people in strategy and transformation roles. She talks about rewriting her LinkedIn profile. And I am sure you too are closer than you think towards what you truly wanna do. What have you been curious about in the last year?

Is there someone you've been following or reaching out to because they sparked your curiosity? That future that you're envisioning might already be in progress and. I also wanna highlight again that you can redefine your brand and you can reframe your story that is totally in your hands and in your control.

And it was such a game changer when Heidi realized that she's not just a pm, she's actually a strategist, an innovator, a process improver. She doesn't have to start over or change her resume altogether. She just has to change the lens from which she's looking at it, and she wants to highlight that her professional journey has been a pattern of success in solving complex problems, researching, designing better processes, analyzing data,

brainstorming creatively and driving meaningful transformation in mission-driven areas like healthcare and these skills that she loves using strongly point towards roles in innovation, process improvement, transformation strategy, capability development and performance improvement roles, and some of the job titles that come to mind for me as good fits include healthcare performance improvement manager or process improvement manager roles, clinical transformation manager.

Or strategy transformation, or innovation manager roles. And I also invite you to think about what if you are telling your story through the wrong lens, start by finding three words that describe who you really are at work. Words that describe what you want to be known for, what you want to be doing more of.

And then get curious about how would you rewrite your intro using those words.

In this coaching conversation, you also heard that Heidi lit up meant, she described working with other problem solvers, people who are into it, who want to make things better, environments where curiosity is rewarded and not stifled. That is also really important data, and you want to think about what kind of culture would actually support your best work.

Finally, you don't have to wait to be ready. You don't need another degree or certification. Heidi doesn't. She is already qualified for the roles that would be fully aligned for her. All that was missing was a clearer story and a more aligned strategy. So what if you also were not underqualified? Maybe you're just misaligned.

What are the roles you might be already ready for if you just told your story differently? And Heidi's final breakthrough was defining what fulfilling work looks like for her. Solving meaningful complex healthcare problems by analyzing data, improving processes, and deciding innovative strategic solutions that create better outcomes for patients, providers, and organizations.

So now it is your turn. What are the ingredients that you need to feel lit up at work? Once you name it, you can chase it intentionally.

Isn't it incredibly inspiring to see that Heidi doesn't need a total reinvention? All she needed was a new lens on her experience and we, once we reframe her story, she sees that she's qualified, that she's already moving in the right direction, and that she just needed to name it and own it. My last question for you today is

what would shift if you told your story through the lens of your superpowers? Um.

Now if you're sitting here and thinking, I want this kind of clarity too, or I didn't even realize how sick I felt until now, or wait, can I do what Heidi just did and figure this out for myself too? Then let's talk. I offer you a free one-on-one career clarity call. No pressure, no hard sell, just a space to explore what's going on for you, and whether I can help.

Head to the link in the show notes and grab a spot. Now you deserve work that lights you up and not just drains your battery. And I'd also love for you to DM me on LinkedIn or any of the other platforms where you can find me on and tell me which part of this episode resonated most with you.

I'd love to hear what clicked for you. Thank you so much for being here with me today, for showing up for yourself, for staying curious and open, and I see you and I love that you are on this journey with me, and I love that you're doing this work. And of course, don't forget to join me again next week for another episode full of insights, inspiration, and actionable advice on finding a career you love because you really do not have to settle.

Please keep chasing what makes you come alive, and I will see you back here next week on Career Clarity Unlocked.

 And that's a wrap for today's episode of Career Clarity Unlocked, if you feeling stuck in that. What's next? Spiral and are ready to finally break free. Let's chat. You can book your free career clarity call where we'll uncover what's really important to you. Tackle any obstacles holding you back and map out your best next step.

Schedule your free 30 minute call today on career bloom coaching.com and before you head out, be sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, so you never miss an episode. If today's conversation gave you new insights and inspiration, please leave a review. It really helps us reach more amazing listeners like you.

And don't forget to share this episode with a friend or on social media. Your support truly means the world. Thanks for hanging out with me and I'll see you next time.