It is the 8th episode and I am back on the microphone, all by myself. I decided to use every 4th episode to take a step back and reflect. And have a conversation with you. Will you join me? Let’s begin.
Subscribe & Download
Want to make sure you never miss out on a new episode? Subscribe to the podcast using your favorite app!
The Story of Younich
When I decided to create my own business – I wanted to find a name. I didn’t want to name it for myself because I wanted it to be more than me, above me, beyond me. I wanted it to deliver a message. I wanted it to be a place where people can unite around an idea.
I found the name Younique.
Well too bad. that domain was taken.
But wait..
I was in Munich . What if I connected younique with Munich: you got it: Younich
People and their stories have always been what has excited me the most. I believed we all came into this world with our unique talents to change the world in our unique way.
And when we could be fully, naturally, authentically ourselves we could feel great and radiate this energy out. That is our greatest asset to achieve our goals, get to positions we want to get and change we want to make. When we are fully, naturally, authentically ourselves we create a niche, that only we can fill. That is why it is you and niche written together.
Update 11.03.20 - "If you are not feeling "hell yeah", then say no." says Derek Sivers, which has been on the back of my mind ever since I've heard it. And I realized it was not hell yeah to Younich anymore. (I tell more about it in the episode 16). From now on I will publish the show notes of Unique Careers, Unique Lives podcast here on this website, everything else I do will be on my personal website isiluysal.com
My story of finding work I love
When I decided what profession to pursue, I did not know what was possible. My father was an engineer, he never liked his job. My mother had studied journalism, worked in PR and quit working when I was little . I had an aunt who was a lawyer which I did not know anything about. I had relatives who were civil servants, i knew some teachers and doctors. The closest I found to myself was being a doctor because i loved biology and wanted to do something that helps people. But I got to drop that idea after hearing a doctor relative telling me study anything but medicine.
I wasn’t very insisting in my decisions but I also had no idea what would fit me, what I would love doing and what was out there.
So I studied management, I got my first job in auditing just to earn my living and ended up miserably. I changed jobs a few times to find out what i REALLY wanted to do. I am coaching, writing. podcasting, teaching and even now what I like doing is changing because I am experiencing new things.
Where are you in your career journey?
How much joy do you get from the work you do?
How fulfilled are you?
How much do you grow?
How much value do you create?
How much meaning do you find in what you do?
If you feel uneasy answering these questions, that is okay. You can change and adapt your career to your needs.
Learnings from the conversations so far about getting unstuck and finding work you love
1. Childhood dreams can lead you to find your direction
When I was 5 I knew exactly what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a dancer. It was my only dream. It was where I felt most excited. It came so natural to me. One day my father told me that it was impossible for me to be a dancer because I was too heavy and I needed a hercules to lift me up. I believed in him. I gave up my dream. But even today dance is the way I think. And performance is one of my passions. I now get to experience that when I do trainings and when I do speeches.
Childhood interests can be a huge insight for finding the work you love doing.
Ineke Vermeulen, my guest in the 7th podcast loved playing with computer hardware when she was a child. Her father was a computer engineer and suggested her to study informatics, she rebelled against it, studied linguistics, teaching, architecture, had jobs in teaching, tourism, social work and found herself doing things related to technology. She realised it was her thing and started her new career as a software developer and built on it.
My first guest Mihaela a.k.a. Mihapower has a similar story. She had been passionate in fitness since she was teen and came back to it after a time in unfulfilling work, this time as a personal trainer.
What was your childhood passion? How can you integrate it into your life today?
2. When you are out of ideas, you can follow your friends' ideas
This podcast is about getting unstuck. Being stuck means having tried every thing you thought of. In this occasion the ideas of people around you can get you moving again.
This was the case with Peter, who was my guest in the second episode. Peter knew he reached the plateau with English teaching, he wanted make more impact and earn more money. He did not know how.
A friend of Peter suggested him to attend a public speaking competition of Toastmasters. He did even though he had no idea about Toastmasters. In the competition, he caught the attention of one of the important trainers that day who included him in his keynote speech saying tonight there was one guy that has the potential. After his speech Peter went and talked with him to understand if it was him the trainer was talking about. Yes it was! This trainer became his mentor and opened the doors of a new career path for him, being a consultant and a communications trainer.
In the story of Ineke, my guest in the 7th episode, it was a friend of hers who suggested her to go and try a job where she did not know what to do. That job led to an important discovery – that she was interested in iT and paved the road for her 19-year of career journey in an IT company.
3. Surround Yourself with people who are kind to remind you what you are capable of
Sometimes your friends can light a fire for you and wake a dream up which was dormant. My guest Elena in the 5th episode had dreamt of living in Moscow the big city since she was a little girl. It was only when she was in her 20s and visiting friends in Moscow she acted on this dream and started looking for jobs with the encouragement of her friends. She found one and moved without having a place to stay and other plans. Everything worked out and she found her career path through this journey.
Same same but different story for Sezgin. my guest in the 6th episode. Sezgin’s one and only passion was music from the early days of his life. With the societal conditioning he chose a different path, studied tourism, started working in an agency where he felt deeply unfulfilled. It was the encouragement of a colleague who said “I believe you can be a musician” put him back to the path of pursuing his passion. He went back to school, studied music and now is a professional musician, music teacher and academic.
Maybe you are someone who had dreamt of creating her own business but did not know about what. Your friends can play a vital part in your decision. Maja, my guest in the second episode asked her friends and colleagues "What am I good at?” , “How do I create value?”, “How do I contribute to you?” and found her passion of facilitation and team work.
Who can support you in creating your unique career and life? Who knows you the best? What would they say you are great at?
Asking is for free and you can get a great value.
In this episode I shared with you the story of Younich and reflected on what we learned about how one can get unstuck through the stories of my guests which they shared in the previous episodes of Unique Careers, Unique Lives. Biggest lessons so far has been looking back at your childhood, what you loved doing and thinking how you can experience what that passion give you back then today. the second lesson being asking your friends for ideas about a next career move and what you are especially good at. That had been a game changer for my guest and I hope it will be also for you.
Remember you are unique and you are here to change the world in a unique way!
