When Climbing Higher Isn’t the Answer Let Go of the Ladder & Redefine Success on Your Terms

Apr 8

Guest: Jami Yazdani of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation

Feeling stuck at the top of a ladder you no longer want to climb? In this episode of the Pivotista podcast, Kristy Cook sits down with project management and planning consultant Jami Yazdani to explore what it really looks like to pivot from burnout into a version of success that actually feels good. Jami shares how walking away from a leadership career in higher education without a set plan opened the door to building a business aligned with her values—and how you can do the same. If you're questioning your next step, this conversation will remind you that letting go of the ladder isn’t a defeat—it’s a power move.

Takeaways:

Success isn't just about climbing higher.

The journey to entrepreneurship is not a straight line.
Burnout can be a catalyst for change and new beginnings.
Networking is crucial for building connections and finding clients.
Flexibility in business can lead to new opportunities.
Building connections can alleviate the loneliness of entrepreneurship.
Backup plans can provide peace of mind during uncertainty.
Vulnerability fosters authentic relationships in business.
It's important to listen to your body and feelings in decision-making.
Plans can guide you but should not restrict your adaptability.
Fear of failure often holds us back from pursuing our dreams.
People are generally willing to help and share their experiences.
Every pivot is an opportunity for growth and exploration.

Memorable Quotes:

Jami:

On Redefining Success: “I reached my career goal and thought, is this it? Is this all there is?”

On Imperfect Beginnings: “I didn’t have a perfect plan. I didn’t have much of a plan at all. But that was OK. It still got me moving.”

On Fear of Failure: “What if I succeed? What if I fail? But what if I just try?”

On Burnout & Bold Moves: “I didn’t start a business out of bold vision—I started it because I was burned out and needed space to figure out what was next.”

On Building a Business That Fits: “I didn’t have to fit into someone else’s mold anymore. The business was mine.”

On Trying New Paths: “Just try something. Even if it doesn’t work, you’ll know more about yourself—and that makes you better for whatever comes next.”

On Vulnerability and Connection: “Somebody has to go first. We all feel uncomfortable being vulnerable—but if no one goes first, real connection can’t happen.”

On Owning Her Entrepreneurial Journey: “Sometimes I’m surprised I still have this business—because this was never the plan. But here I am, and it’s working.”

Kristy:

“There’s such power in vulnerability because it leads to authenticity. And when we’re being authentic in ourselves, we can thrive—because it feels natural and comfortable.”

“What’s one hard thing you can do today? And hard doesn’t have to mean massive—it could be getting out of bed or sending that email you’re nervous about.”

“I’ve discovered that most of the time, my body is ten steps ahead of my brain. Listening to it has saved me—and guided me to a new path.”

“You won’t have that nagging doubt of ‘what if I had tried?’ At least you tried, experienced it, and then picked your next path.”

“We all struggled on our journey. No matter how successful we appear, we didn’t get here alone. Paying it forward is powerful.”

“Sometimes there's this fear of reaching out—that you'll bother someone. But honestly, I’m grateful when someone follows up. It keeps connection alive.”

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:19 Jamie Yazdani's Journey from Burnout to Entrepreneurship

02:49 The Turning Point: Realizing the Need for Change

07:05 The Accidental Business: Finding Purpose in Entrepreneurship

11:20 Navigating the Shift: Embracing Change in Business Focus

15:09 Listening to Your Body: The Importance of Self-Awareness

16:59 The Networking Challenge: Building Connections as an Entrepreneur

23:27 Overcoming Doubts: The Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship

26:06 The Power of Vulnerability in Networking

30:10 Surprises in the Entrepreneurial Journey

34:41 The Importance of Flexibility and Planning

39:27 Embracing Possibilities and Trying New Things

40:59 Navigating Fear and Taking Action

45:48 Invitation to Connect

Connect with Jami Yazdani:

🔗 Website: https://yazdaniconsulting.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamibryanyazdani/

🎧 Tune in now and start your pivot with confidence!

👉 Book a free, no pressure conversation with Kristy HERE to see how you can achieve burnout-proof success.

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Disclaimer:

A friendly reminder: the information presented in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition, nor is it intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions related to your health and well-being or starting any new wellness practice, including mindfulness and meditation.

Transcript:

Kristy Cook (00:02)

Welcome to the Pivotista podcast, where we turn life's biggest transitions into your boldest breakthroughs. I'm Kristy Cook, your guide to navigating life's twists and turns with clarity, confidence, and purpose. If you've ever felt burned out in your career or wondered if climbing the ladder is really the only way to define success, today's episode is for you.

My guest, Jami Yazdani spent over 14 years in leadership roles in higher education and libraries before making a bold pivot into entrepreneurship. Now, as the founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation, she helps mission-driven organizations lead more impactful projects, teams, and planning. Jami's journey from burnout to entrepreneurship is packed with insights about redefining success, embracing change, and building something on your own terms. If you're considering a career shift into the world of entrepreneurship, this conversation will inspire you to take your next step with confidence. Let's dive in.

Jami, I am so excited to be chatting with you today. We've actually known each other for several years and have supported each other on our separate entrepreneur journeys, which can be filled with ups and downs. And I am just thrilled to be able to share your pivot journey with my audience.

Jami Yazdani (01:41)

Thank you. I'm happy to be here. I feel like the intro made it sound like a really lovely, a really lovely story. And it felt bumpier than it sounded at the end. So yeah, thank you.

Kristy Cook (01:47)

Well, we will dig into all of those bumps for sure, because we definitely want listeners to understand that it is the journey to entrepreneurship or any big pivot is not a straight line. And to that point, so many women listening have found themselves at a crossroad because they feel stuck in a career that no longer lights them up or probably or maybe never did light them up.

But at the same time, they stay stuck because they are overwhelmed with the fear of taking a leap into something new and unknown. You faced a similar experience and chose to make a bold pivot from being in a long-established, successful career in higher education and libraries into launching your own business.

I would love for you to take us back to that moment and what was the turning point that made you realize it was time for a change and that that change should be entrepreneurship.

Jami Yazdani (03:03)

Yeah, so, you know, I had been in higher ed and libraries a long time and I had moved up very, very

quickly. And so part of me felt like I didn't get to do kind of the fun parts of being a librarian for very long and, you know, was managing budgets and teams and, you know, going to to strategy meetings and things.

And so I do think some of that contributed a little bit to being burned out but you know, when I had finally, I guess I had reached a position I'd been moving up and I had reached kind of my career goal that I had set for myself and felt kind of like, is this it? Is this sort of all there is, right? And obviously, I could have moved to a larger university or a larger library, but it would have been more about scale rather than sort of new challenges. And I hired at that time and probably still now was suffering from fewer enrollments. And so there was a lot of pressure, particularly on the libraries, which were seen as a cost center.

We didn't bring in money, we spent money. And so there were a lot of kind of outside forces that made my job very, very difficult. And I didn't see a future at the university that I was at. And so I knew I was going to have to make some kind of change. And I just couldn't get excited about trying to get another job somewhere else that looked very, very similar.

And so I quit, which I don't necessarily recommend that folks do because I did it without much of a backup plan other than the fact that I thought, you know, there are elements of my job that I did really love and I thought, could I do those on my own? And that was really kind of training and kind of development work. And so I was like, let me just have this business while I try to figure out what my next step is. Is this the right path for me? Do I just need a break? You know, I just I really didn't know. And so I wish I could say that I had this kind of bold vision to start a business. It was more that I was burned out and decided to start a business so that I could figure out what I wanted to do and what was the right choice. And after I started the business and was putting some effort into it, I was still also looking for jobs and just trying to sort of figure stuff out. And I was in an interview for a position pretty similar to the one I had before. And in the middle of the interview, I thought, I don't care about this at all. Like I was answering a question, I was answering it correctly.

And I thought, I really don't care about this at all. I don't care about what happens to your reference desk. I don't care about any of it. And that was the point that I was like, I go back. You know, I can't go back. And so then I decided I have to make this, business work. And it also, I think, which I didn't realize at the time gave me a lot more autonomy about what I was going to do and what I wasn't going to do because the business was mine.

I didn't have to fit it into someone else's mold. And so thus the journey really began, even though technically I had the business on the books and I was trying to get something going, but I wasn't sure what I was getting going. It took me some time to get there.

Kristy Cook (07:05)

Wow. I love that you started a placeholder accidental business that has actually become your now thriving career that you are excelling at. Wow.

Jami Yazdani (07:12)

Yeah, hopefully. It doesn't go that way every day, but yes, yes, generally.

Kristy Cook (07:27)

So when you were sitting in that interview and sort of had this major aha moment that this just was not going to be the right path for you or no longer was the right path for you is really a confirming interview it sounds like. When you left that interview, what did you do then? How did you say, okay, I mean, I've made the decision I've got to make this work, but now I've got to do it. What were those those steps?

Jami Yazdani (07:59)

Yeah, I mean, I think I went home and sort of told my husband, I can't keep applying for a job. That was probably the first step to kind of have a discussion about it. And then I, I guess I thought, okay, so I need to really lean into this business and spend a little bit more time thinking about what I was offering. And so I, at the time I was offering kind of training and coaching, but I wasn't, you know, and I had a website and I don't even know if I posted to LinkedIn, but I didn't have a strategy. And so I did kind of sit down and try to pull together some semblance of a strategy and started to really do some networking and talk to other people. And so that was probably my next step was trying to build a network of other folks who were managing consulting businesses and really spending some time trying to hone what my offerings were. And so I joined my local chamber of commerce and started going to some of the events, networking events that they had and some of the professional development that they had. so, yeah, and then I had a couple of, got one or two clients,

But in another pivot, like I said, I started my business originally to do kind of training and development and leadership coaching because I had done a lot of that work as a library director, but also a lot of my professional development in my higher ed career was with women's kind of professional development organizations and sort of helping, you know, kind of women grow their careers.

But I kept trying, meeting with people and trying to talk to them about training and things like that. And they kept asking me to help them with their projects and their plans. So they didn't, I wanted to like coach them to do stuff. And they were like, can you just do this for me? And so, you know, that was in the first year. And then I did have a project that was more project driven and involved a little bit of training.

And I just realized that sort of the universe was sending me these signals that I needed to pivot again, that the training and coaching were maybe not where the business was. And I had done a tremendous amount of project management in my career and planning in my career. And I actually had some training on it. And so about a year into the business, I decided to make that pivot to project management and planning as my primary offerings while still doing training. You know, I would still do training on those topics.

And so I went to get my PMP because I felt like I needed to prove that I knew what I was doing. And so I got that and then rebranded my business to focus on project management and planning. And that's what I've been doing ever since. Still do a lot of training on those topics. Still do some coaching, but not...in the same way that I had originally imagined.

Kristy Cook (11:20)

Wow yeah, I think that when I'm working with my business clients and they're starting out the first time in business, they go into business because they're really good at something and it's what they're passionate about. And they don't realize in that first year, two, three years, they may be doing 10 to 15 % of that special skill that they have. The rest of it is learning how to be an entrepreneur, making those connections, like you said, figuring out what the journey is going to look like and being willing to be flexible from that original vision. And I'm curious about how you, when the universe was giving you all these signals that, you know, this original idea that you had may not be what you wanted to grow or should grow the business into. How did you let go of that vision, how did you allow yourself to say, okay, I'm willing to be flexible and try out this other journey that keeps landing in my lap?

Jami Yazdani (12:26)

Yeah, I mean, I do think an element of it was maybe I wasn't super wedded to it at the beginning. So I will say, you know, because I did sort of start it thinking, well, this is something I like, this is something I'm good at, I think this is something I could sell. And so I did want the business to be successful. And if the things weren't selling that helps me let go a little bit. one of the, I was still offering some coaching, leadership coaching as part of my business, even after I kind of transitioned it to something else.

And I was on a networking call with a group of consultants and one of them mentioned, I was saying we were in a small room, breakout room together. And I was saying that I, was really struggling with some of the coaching I was still doing and how stressed it made me feel. Because I felt like I worried more about my coaching clients' problems, I think, after the session than they did. You know, I was up at night worried about what they were going to do, and I think maybe they weren't. And so I was mentioning that, and another consultant said to me that one of the things she does after... kind of consulting or coaching engagements is to really think about how she feels in her body.

And I did that, I started doing that and I realized that I needed to let the leadership coaching go, that I felt tense, I felt anxious. Whereas when I would do training, I felt great. I left those engagements feeling great. If I had a great meeting with a client or had led a group through a project team meeting or a planning session.

I felt really good. Now, of course, not every meeting made me feel great, but the balance of it was feeling really good. And so I felt like that also helped to realize that even though it was something I was interested in and could do, maybe it wasn't for me. And I think having come from a burnout situation, it was very important to me that I not spend my energy doing things that didn't make me feel better at the end. So yeah, so that was amazing advice that I still, you sometimes I don't do it as often now because I do feel like I've kind of hit my stride with things that I enjoy. But sometimes I do just sit after a meeting and sort of really think about how I am feeling and how it feels in my body.

Kristy Cook (14:46)

Love it. That is music to my ears and is so similar to my own journey when I learned to engage with my feelings instead of what my head was telling me.

I discovered that most of the time my body is, you know, 10 steps ahead of my brain and to really be able to catch the two of them up as you've described by just sitting there and observing what you're feeling and sort of those, you know, early warning signs, you know, the stress, the tension that something's not a fit or you're not, you know, in the right room or whatever it might be has saved me as well and has led me to this new path as well from practicing law. This is very familiar territory and just so fascinating to me to hear that you and I haven't actually spoken about that before. And to know that our bodies helped us figure out our paths because we're willing to listen to that. Mine lives right in my chest. The good and the bad lives right here. And when that's firing, I tend to really pay attention and figure out what's it trying to tell me.

I wanted to go back for a moment and also talk about when you first started your business and certainly, you know, ongoing as you've grown it, the networking aspect and the making connections because I think for a lot of people, even extroverts, but certainly the introverts among us, that can feel extremely daunting, kind of like starting a brand new school or something where you're the new kid walking into these. Finding first these networking opportunities, figuring out what the good ones are, the ones that aren't going to maybe be as fruitful, and then just kind of having the guts to go and put yourself out there and show your vulnerabilities, you described. Can you talk to me a little bit about how you navigated that?

Jami Yazdani (17:22)

Yeah, so I will, I'll admit to being one of those, you know, horrible extroverts. And so I think I maybe didn't have as much trepidation about sort of going into rooms of folks I don't know. And I do really enjoy talking to other people and learning from other people.

What I, what I will say though, is that, you know, for people who are nervous about you know, kind of those interactions, everybody is a little bit awkward. I do feel like I was helped that it was when I rebranded my business and I really started doing a little more targeted networking, it was like the beginning of COVID. So there were lots of opportunities. You know, everybody had a Zoom link that you could go and get together. And so it made it easier to kind of try out different groups.

And then a lot of things were free, so I didn't have to put a lot of effort into it. But most everybody is awkward. I'm awkward. I don't know. Everyone is. And so I often remind myself of that if I get nervous in a room that everybody else is more worried about their own kind of how they're appearing than they're actually paying attention to you.

But the networking has been really to my success on a couple of different levels. One, because it can be lonely managing your own business. And, you know, in my prior career, I had teams of people. I was engaging with students and faculty and, you know, on these vibrant college campuses. And I was used to lots of people. My business is me sitting in this room for the most part. Yes, I get on meetings with people, but I will say as an extrovert, Zoom meetings don't give me the same level of energy as sort of being in person. And you do spend a lot of time in your head thinking about your business and things like that. And so it has been really important to me to talk to other people managing businesses, other people going through similar challenges, because there's no one else to talk to, there's no one else in this room, right? So there's no one else to talk to, but it also has helped me gain clients. A lot of my business comes from referral marketing. And so I need other consultants and referrers to know what I do to be able to get clients. But what I have done in terms of networking is really two things. I joined groups. Like I said, I joined my chamber of commerce, which during COVID was having lots of networking you know, opportunities online. I also joined I most of my work is with nonprofits, government, libraries, education. And so I joined consultant groups specific to those industries, which has been great because it gets me referral partners and areas that I'm working, but also, I'm talking to other people who are, you know, trying to get at the same market, you know, it's saying similar clients. So I joined yeah, several of those. I've also, because I'm a project manager, I'm a member of my PMI, the Association for Project Managers. I'm also still a member of library associations. And so I'm a member of a lot of things and it may be more than someone who's not an extrovert may want to participate in. But I think having a couple... of spaces and being willing to try it. And there are ones that I tried that weren't a fit for me. Like I just didn't feel like, not that the people weren't nice and not that they didn't have valuable things to say and share, but it sort of wasn't maybe my sense of humor or my way of engaging. And I also do a lot of just one-on-one networking. That's how we met, right? And so, you know, if I am introduced to someone, you know, by another consultant or I meet them at a networking event. I think the thing that I've been really good at is I follow up and that's a process that's not just something I naturally do. I make sure I send an email or connect on LinkedIn and offer people a time to talk. If we do talk and I feel like we hit it off, then every couple of months I'll send an email and say, hey, how are things going? What's new with you? I'm always happy to chat again. And because of that, there are people that I talk to kind of on the regular and we can really support each other.

Kristy Cook (22:12)

Yes, and I can attest that because of your diligence, we still continue to chat in and connect frequently. And I'm so grateful for it. I think that sometimes there's this fear of, if I reach out, I'm going to bother the person or they're going to feel that, you know, I'm too pushy or whatever it might be. But as the person being on the receiving end of your check ins every few months, I'm so grateful because I blink and months have gone by and I haven't spoken to these people that I adore because we just get so wrapped up in our day to day. And so it really has helped foster our friendship and make me feel supported by you. And so I think that's really good for people to hear.

And so you mentioned that success in your new business was going to be sort of your driving factor. And as the coaching wasn't maybe taking off as fast or readily as you'd originally hoped for, how else did you deal with fears and doubts that crept in and have crept in as an entrepreneur? And I'm sure all these years later, because you started your business in 2018, I believe, I'm sure they still pop up.

Jami Yazdani (23:27)

Yeah. Oh, they absolutely still pop up. I often joke that like the first three, probably three or four years of my business, I always had a backup plan. Like, you know, I think I would think, man, I'm not sure this is going to go. What else do I do? What kind of jobs should I get? What, you know, what, how would I ramp this down? How long would I need to actually sort of close this business somewhere around the fifth year I stopped thinking that. I think that's not that I still don't have backup plans because that's kind of how I roll. But I think it finally grew to the point where I felt that this was actually going to, it could be something I could continue for the rest of my career if I wanted to. And I think those first couple of years, I didn't always feel that way. I think it did help me to talk to other business owners who had similar fears and concerns. So I knew I was not alone in that. I did, particularly early in my business, I tried to talk to people who had had their business a long time. I definitely talked to people who were like me, very new, and I found that valuable. But I did try to connect with some folks who had had consulting businesses for a decade or more. And they all told me it takes time.

They told me it takes about five years to feel comfortable. And I didn't want to believe that. I wanted to believe I could do it quicker. didn't think that.

But now that I'm at six years, I can tell you that it takes, I think it takes five years. I think they were right. And so, I mean, I just kept going, I guess. knowing that that's part of sort of the roller coaster.

I think helped me sort of get through that, but also knowing I get to make that choice, right? If I, if some other opportunity came up, if I, yeah, was listening to my body and realized that this was too stressful or I wasn't enjoying it or it wasn't worth it, then I would do something else. And so I think just knowing that I kind of have that option helped me to kind of get through those times, but I do think that roller coaster early in my business, twice in a day, I might think, I don't know if this is gonna go, how is this gonna go? Now, maybe it's twice in a month, I don't know. It just gets less and less, The times where you think this might not go, but yeah, they start spreading out until it's not a concern as much.

Kristy Cook (26:06)

Mm. That's really refreshing to hear. And you know, that there's a little carrot each year that's keeping you there and you're pushing through. But what I'm hearing is you have to be adaptable to make that happen. And I'm also hearing from your story, the power of vulnerability. You you reached out to people similarly situated and then established people and didn't just connect to network, but it really sounds like you were willing to be vulnerable and share your concerns and your fears.

Jami Yazdani (26:57)

Yes, and so I do think, I feel like why not be? Like what would it get me? I mean, I do know that, particularly when you're looking at social media, everybody's business seems like it's the world's most successful business, right? But I think of social media as being almost like a billboard. You're not gonna put, maybe this will work call me on the billboard, right? You're putting like, I can do these amazing things. I'm in demand, call me. But in the conversations, and I think this is why, yes, I go to networking events where there are large groups of people, but I'm usually trying to make those one-on-one connections. And it's in those connections, I think that you can be more vulnerable. And I haven't found any reason not to sort of share the challenges because it's the reality. And I know I'm not the only person having, that's, know, if I'm vulnerable first and another person says, my gosh, I have the same concern. You know, it's, I've learned that everybody else is, I'm not unique, right? I'm not having struggles that no one else is having. I'm having the same struggles that everyone else is having.

So why not be vulnerable about it? Because then we can talk about it and we can support each other. so, yes. And I do think it can be scary. It gets less scary each time. I think if someone, just like with sending the emails to people to catch up, if someone doesn't reply two or three times over the course of a year, then I won't keep sending those emails, right? It's either not a good fit for them or they don't have enough time.

But sometimes people ignore the email and then six months later are happy to get on a call and we have a wonderful conversation, right? And so I don't see a downside to being vulnerable. And even if it went on a billboard that I was worried about my business for the first five years, so what? I don't know, what's the big deal? Everybody has those...those fears. So yeah, that vulnerability, I think, does help to create authentic, real connections with people. And somebody has to go first in that. We all feel uncomfortable being vulnerable, but one of us has to go first, or the other person isn't going to feel comfortable responding. And so I think I've gotten good at going first and it gets easier each time.

Kristy Cook (29:45)

Yeah, and there's such power in vulnerability and because it leads to authenticity and when we're being authentic in ourselves, it, as you said, gives other people permission to feel like they can be their true selves. And it just makes us better because when we're being authentic, we can thrive because it feels natural and comfortable.

I'm wondering through all of this, the ups, the downs, the excitement, the wins, losses, what has been the biggest surprise for you in your entrepreneur journey?

Jami Yazdani (30:24)

Oh gosh, I mean, I'm often surprised. Sometimes I'm surprised I have this business. Sometimes I'm surprised that it's still working and that I have clients. And I think that's something I'm proud of. But sometimes it still surprises me because it wasn't the plan. I think maybe this was it not only was not starting a business, it was something I never wanted to do. You know, it wasn't something I really gave that much thought. It wasn't my like childhood dream. And then even the business that I have is different than the one that I started. And so I think, you know, the surprise has been that it's still, I guess that, you know, it's, I'm still moving forward and that

Things are still happening, but at this point, I'm not surprised at much. I think that there are, if I really think about it, there are so many ups and downs and so many things that change. And I feel like right now we're in a time of particularly in the industries that I work in, there are a lot of impacts that they're seeing. So I don't know what my business might look like in three or four years, and that's okay.

Maybe that's the surprise. I think I did go from a career that had very obvious steps, right? And I knew what those steps were gonna be to one where I really have, I don't have any clue. I mean, I have some ideas, but who knows where it will end up. And I think maybe that's the surprise is that I can do that.

Especially for someone who does project management and planning and I like to have a plan but I also can roll with it when there is no plan.

Kristy Cook (32:12)

Hahaha

Yeah, or if the plan, you know, if things don't go according to plan, being willing to be flexible and not so tied to, well, this was the plan I have, this is exactly what I have to follow.

Jami Yazdani (32:38)

That would, and yeah, I mean, I think, you know, a lot of times I find in the work that I do that people don't want to have plans because they feel like it will lock them into something. I like plans are just getting you going in a direction. You can always change the plan. You can throw the plan out the window, but I think sometimes, at least for me, having some sort of plan gets me moving forward.

And I may change direction, which is fine, but it's better than just sitting and waiting until I have every T crossed and every I dotted and sort of this complete picture. I see that a lot, particularly with newer consultants and people starting their business, that they're sort of waiting to have this perfect idea, right? Like I've got to my marketing perfect and I have to have.

All of these things you don't. Nobody's paying as much attention to your business as you are my business. Nobody noticed, right? I changed the name. No one noticed. And I didn't have a perfect plan. I didn't have much of a plan at all. But that was OK. It still got me moving, right? I had the little bit of a plan I did have gave me permission to try. And I think that's sort of the lesson is give yourself permission to try if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work, but at least you gave it a shot.

Kristy Cook (34:12)

Mm-hmm, and you're not locked into anything.

I think is so empowering and freeing and I love the idea too what you're talking about with the plan being a way to just get you started because so many of us fight against perfection as you've just described and then also you know just feel paralyzed by it and I like to talk about

Well, what's one hard thing you can do today? And hard doesn't mean massive. It could be getting out of bed, right? It can be going for a walk or sending that email, that introduction, whatever it is that you're feeling a little bit of stress or anxiety over, nervousness about doing just one hard thing. But if you haven't made some sort of basic plan of where you kinda want to end up.

It's hard to figure out what maybe those little steps are that you can take each day to get you to that goal.

Jami Yazdani (35:17)

Well, I definitely think too with entrepreneurship, you have to try some things like I don't think that there are very many businesses that are exactly the way today that they were when they started. And even if you think about large corporations, even something like Amazon is not what it was when it started, right? If you ever watch those shows on TV where they talk about the history of like famous businesses, like Nabisco wasn't what it used to be or whatever. And I do think, but they had to try something. They had to start with one cookie recipe before they could build an empire. And so I think I started with some leadership coaching and training and now I do something different, but I needed those experiences to try those things, to figure out what I liked, what other people liked and what made sense. And so, yeah, just try something.

Kristy Cook (35:54)

Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, when I was first thinking of leaving my, my job to start my own law firm, Pivot One, I had attended this conference that was celebrating women entrepreneurs when I still lived in Portland, Oregon. And this woman stood up who's very successful. and she was asked, you know, what gave you the courage to decided to step into entrepreneurship, she, to do that, was leaving behind a six-figure engineering job to step into something completely different than what she was, had been working so hard to do her whole life. And I will never forget, it was like the day before I was gonna put my notice in. She said, I got to a place finally where my fear of failure, was outweighed by my fear of not trying to fulfill this dream I had for myself. And it was the universe speaking to me in that moment. And it has stuck with me all of these years. I think of it, I don't know, least once a week, probably, especially on this new pivot into coaching. And it was just such a powerful message and reminder that why not bet on yourself? You're still employable. You can still go out in the market if it doesn't work out. You can take your business into a different course, but why not try?

Jami Yazdani (37:55)

Yeah, why not try? mean, I do think too, yes, you know, obviously there can be financial implications to leaving a job and starting your business. And I don't want to minimize those, but I do often encourage people to start sort of side gigging. So don't just quit sort of angrily and try to start a business like I did. think, you know, there are ways to sort of ease into it, but a lot of people start businesses that don't succeed or they start businesses and realize that it's not for them, right? That they, this is not how they want to spend their time. They want to do the work, but not kind of the sales or the marketing or the operations pieces. that it's not as flexible as they thought, you know, all of those things or that they want to be in an office with a team or whatever it is, you know? And I think there's nothing wrong with that. There's lots of people who have started businesses and decide it's not for them or it's not as successful as they want and they move on. I mean, we don't, I don't think, I don't think any worse of them. I think it was great that they tried something and imagine too, being able, even if it doesn't work to go back and know, you know more about yourself, right? You know more about yourself, you know more about what you like, you know more about what you don't like. And that can only make you sort of a better candidate for whatever the next phase looks like.

Kristy Cook (39:27)

Yeah, and you won't have that nagging doubt in your mind as well. What if I had tried? At least, you you try, you experience it, decide if it's for you or not, and then pick the next path.

Jami Yazdani (39:30)

Mm-hmm.

Yes. And who knows what the next path will, you know, I mean, I enjoy my business. I feel like it's gotten to a point where I feel good about it. Like I said, I'm not, you know, regularly planning what my next step would be, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to be doing this until I retire. Maybe I will. I don't know. Who knows? And I think I am someone who kind of likes possibilities, right? And so I do think a business gives you lots of possibilities because you can pivot when you want to, you can try different things. And so I think in that way, it's been a very good fit for me, but I don't want to limit my possibilities.

Kristy Cook (40:30)

Goose bumps, so good. And so as we sort of wind down, come to wrapping things up, what is your recommendation for listeners who are considering a big change pivot, maybe into entrepreneurship, maybe into something else, but something that feels scary and they're feeling a lot of apprehension about?

Jami Yazdani (40:59)

I mean, I think generally, I do recommend sort of sitting with those feelings like we've we've talked about and really diving into them a little bit because I think often what we fear is not is maybe not what we think it like we we fear failure, but what does that mean? What does failure look like? And I think sometimes if we really start to kind of unpack that we'll see that maybe there's not as much to be afraid of, or at least we'll have more information. And so I do think, if there's something that you wanna try and you're thinking about it, really kind of sit with that and look at it from every, what does it mean if I succeed? What does it mean if I fail? But what does it mean if I just try? And I think that's probably that sort of middle ground of if you just try, there ways that you can try that you might feel more comfortable with? And so I think taking those first steps, thinking about how you can try, but also talking to other people. When I worked in higher ed, we used to tell students to go do informational interviews and careers that they wanted because sometimes you find out, that job is not at all what I thought used to say they wanted to be librarians because they like to read. We don't get to read. I mean, we get to read at home, but it's not like you get to sit there reading very often. It was a lot different than they thought it was gonna be. And so talk to people who are already doing it, right? If there's a kind of business that you want or a kind of opportunity that you're thinking about, tap into your network, find someone who's doing it, ask for an informational interview, go talk to them, and then you will have some more information about the reality of it and I think if you're vulnerable, maybe they'll be a little vulnerable with you and sort of share the unvarnished truth about what it's like.

Kristy Cook (43:03)

Yeah, no, absolutely. And I know it can be scary reaching out to people, but I have found that people want to help others come up because we've all struggled on our journey. No matter how successful we appear to be or are, we had to struggle to get there. And it's just, you know, we surely we were helped getting there on our journey as well. So being able to pay it forward is always such a powerful experience. So I really applaud that you were willing to do that and again, do so so vulnerably.

Jami Yazdani (43:42)

I do think you're right. People want to help. People are usually happy to talk about themselves and what they know. And if they don't respond, then maybe they weren't your... Right? know, it's, I mean, maybe you're trying to do something that no one else has ever done. And the one person or the one person doing it doesn't want to talk to you, but most of time we're trying to do something that other folks have done. And if you get to know the first time, you know, try someone else. There's definitely people who enjoy and are willing to spend that time helping you. Most people like to help other people, or at least I'd like to think so.

Kristy Cook (44:20)

I agree, I agree. And that's the point of this podcast and that's so much of what you do in your work. And you've just been such a delight to talk to you today. How can people get in touch with you?

Jami Yazdani (44:32)

Yeah, and I am always happy to talk to people who are thinking about things as well. So my website is YazdaniConsulting.com. So Y-A-Z-D-A-N-I consulting.com. And so all of the ways to find me are there and I'm always happy to chat.

Kristy Cook (44:51)

Great. And is there anything else that you'd like to share before we sign off?

Jami Yazdani (44:57)

No, I'm just, I really appreciate the opportunity. It's always great to talk to you, Kristy. And I think this is a great example of what a little bit of networking and connection can do, right? So here we are together. And I think that's a great thing. So thank you.

Kristy Cook (45:15)

Thank you. It's been wonderful. You always bring such a big smile to my face when we chat. Even though we're over the internet, I can just feel your energy every time we connect. And I don't think we've actually met in person.

Jami Yazdani (45:32)

No, I moved before we could meet. Now I live in the mountain time zone. The forgotten time zone.

Kristy Cook (45:44)

The forgotten timezone.

Thank you so much. What a powerful conversation. Jami's story is a reminder that success isn't just about climbing higher. It's about choosing a path that truly fits you. If her insights resonated with you, please be sure to reach out and connect with her on LinkedIn or check out her business as Yazdoni Consulting and Facilitation which you can find the link to in the show notes. And if you're standing at your own career crossroads wondering what's next, you don't have to figure it out all alone. If you're ready to stop overthinking and start taking action, let's make it happen together. Please feel free to book a free strategy session with me at pivotista.com and let's map out your next chapter so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Thank you for tuning in. If you loved this episode, please be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. We can only grow our Pivotista to community together. Until next time, remember, your pivot isn't an ending. It's a chance to do something extraordinary.

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