The Unlock Lab

Hosted by Tosca DiMatteo

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119

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Oct 2026

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Reaching your next level of leadership starts here. The Unlock Lab is the podcast for leaders ready for the next level — in how you lead, work, and live. Hosted by speaker, coach, and life-lesson excavator Tosca DiMatteo, each episode digs into the thought and behavior patterns holding you back from what you want — and helps you write a new script. Truth bombs, practical tools, and real conversations to help you lead in a way that feels aligned and authentic to you. Take what works, experiment with what scares you, leave whatever doesn't resonate. 🔑 Subscribe and welcome to The Unlock Lab.

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October 19, 202621 min

Ep. 113: Career Transition Tips from Coaching Clients Through Layoffs

Welcome back to The Unlock Lab. After six live coaching sessions with my client Kathleen (a pseudonym to protect her privacy), I wanted to take a moment to share what’s still sticking with me, a question I often ask my clients at the end of a session: ‘What’s sticking with you now?’ The first thing that stuck with me is that nobody wants to be told what to do. Coaching as a discipline is about showing someone new options when they’re ready to take them in. It’s about helping them reveal what they already know. A side note on this is that when we try to support people who don’t want it or aren't ready, it only drains your energy. The second is how much our past shapes our patterns today. It’s not water under the bridge if you haven’t found your way through it. I don’t believe in the idea that people can be broken, or subscribe to needing to ‘fix’ anything about ourselves. There are only new choices for how we move forward. The third is the healing power of sharing our stories out loud, whether that’s with a coach, a dear friend, or someone you love. I hope this encourages you to reveal more about your struggles and your wins with people you trust. Supporting Kathleen on the podcast showed me what brings me the most joy on the podcast, which is being with someone on the journey of their own unlock. So you’re going to find more guests on The Unlock Lab who are working through something and some of those conversations will be live coaching. If you’d like to have your own unlock on the podcast, reach out through the contact information below. I close this episode with something I want to normalize. Career transitions are tough (they’re meant to be), and right now so many industries are being disrupted, and not just by AI. An aha doesn’t mean everything is resolved, and that the path will be linear from there, whether you’re leaving corporate, changing functions, or running your own business. The business or career you built on day one isn’t the business you’ll have on day 1,000. Tune in to hear why this season is the perfect time to let go of the old and make space for the new. Episode Highlights: ‘What’s sticking with you now?’ and why it’s a powerful question after any big conversation. Re-listening without self-judgment, and letting go of ‘what should I have done?’ Why nobody wants to be told what to do, and how coaching helps people find their own path. The energy drain of helping people who don’t want to be helped. How the heavy lifting in coaching shifts from coach to client over time. Why our past shapes our patterns, and why it’s not water under the bridge. Why nobody is broken, and there’s nothing to fix. The healing power of sharing your stories out loud. A shift for the podcast: more guests, more live unlocks, and how to have your own. Career transitions at a mass scale: disruption, restructuring, and the way through. Why an aha isn’t the end of the story, and the path isn’t linear. Your business evolves too: day one versus day 1,000. Letting go of the old to make space for the new. Quotables: “I really don’t believe anybody’s broken. I don’t believe there’s anything to fix.” “It’s not water under the bridge if you haven’t found your way through it.” “Hearing other people’s stories, I think, helps us feel less alone.” Episode Specific Links Interested in having your own unlock on The Unlock Lab? Get in touch: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact Tosca’s Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca’s Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca’s Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by: Starlin Media

October 13, 20261 hr 24 min

Live Coaching Kathleen 6 (of 6): How our success metrics are defined, and the emotional needs behind them

This was the final session in the series of six live coaching sessions, and we dive into the topics of money, value, and worth as Kathleen recognized her resistance to paid clients vs unpaid clients. Early on Kathleen names the belief she's been living: that she has to choose between income, fulfillment and legitimacy. She then shares her experience of what’s going on inside her head once a paying client comes knocking at her door; fear fo failure, imposter syndrome, not being worth the money, and many other harsh messages. This led to asking about how she wanted to define success for her business and a deeper discussion about her fears and resistance, inner critic messages and the security she craves. The conversation around living your life differently and having your income arrive through a different source than a company led to what the process looks like in terms of expansion. She realized she was quite attached to her blocks - and what a great question we can ask ourselves. Are you attached to your blocks and challenges? As Kathleen shares about her experiences as a child, she starts to see the deeper belief system that she’s been holding onto that isn’t aligned. Part of this had to do with recognizing that she had a parent that had a complicated relationship with money and that it impacted her more than she really realized. She admitted that it was first time she was able to connect the dots of how money was viewed growing up as she’s grappling with the shift of corporate versus entrepreneurship career options. And that deeper still she could see that the real issue wasn’t about financial security - it was about emotional presence. I think this session shows how you think you're going to look at one topic and end up finding something underneath it, which has been the subconscious reasons behind your decision patterns. There was so much to this exploration I hope you dive in to see what connections you can make in your own patterns. This ending is bittersweet for me. Being able to stand alongside Kathleen on this incredible ride brought richness to my life and now I trust that the next leg of her journey is exactly what she needs. Tune in to see how it all wrapped up and how Kathleen was unwavering in digging deeper and deeper for the truth. Episode Highlights: The belief that you must choose between income, fulfillment, and legitimacy. Seeing a long-held belief clearly enough to recognize it was never true. Why resolving something internally changes what you experience externally. How it can be harder to identify what’s missing in what we need. How money can be the default issue behind other needs. Quotables: "It was always an illusion that you came to believe was the truth." — Tosca DiMatteo "It was like a giant misunderstanding." — Kathleen "When something isn't resolved inside of you, the world gives you the gift of an opportunity to resolve it." — Kathleen Resources Mentioned: Never Search Alone Tosca's Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass quiz: Inner Critic Compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: Newsletter Tosca's Website: toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: Contact Tosca LinkedIn: Tosca DiMatteo on LinkedIn Instagram: Tosca DiMatteo on Instagram Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo: adriandimatteo.com Editing by: Starlin Media

October 6, 20261 hr 48 min

Live Coaching Kathleen 5 (of 6): Hearing Your Own Voice and Dropping Industry Jargon

In this session number 5 of 6 with Kathleen we started with a debrief from a Dreams and Obstacles event that she attended, which was inspired by Barbara Sher's framework. It was a power move for her to do the work to get ready to say her dream out loud and make the ask in front of room filled with generous people eager to help. The surprise twist is that she didn’t get the chance to do so, but realized that the journey of the preparation was the bigger bigger point than the destination itself. She realized that the point wasn’t to ‘hit the easy button’, but rather about the experience of being at the event. Kathleen also shared insights around how her energy got unstuck, including the big shift from thinking about all the reasons her dreams wouldn’t be possible, to thinking about all the possibilities. We then dove into her business positioning and messaging conversation. But this wasn’t an exercise in identifying marketing strategy and language, it was about talking freely about the experiences that Kathleen has grown through, and how she wants to help others. At one point she said “I’m having a realization as I’m saying this” and that’s exactly why I think being able to speak your story aloud to someone that can hold it is so helpful. Deep insights can come from hearing your story reflected back to you. When you listen to her talk about the kind of service she wants to provide the world, I think it will spark new insights about how your past is connected to what you’re passionate about now. You’ll also hear about Kathleen’s journey with her advertising and marketing career - the push and the pull of what she thinks about that work now, and how that impacts how she thinks about the marketing of her own business. This is great fodder for anyone who is toggling between a career you’ve had, and a different path you’re drawn to now. Towards the end of the session Kathleen mentioned a block she'd only found days earlier; that for her money and value can't seem to live in the same room. She's been fine earning while doing work she didn't care about, but now that the work matters, taking money for it feels wrong. A strong contender for the topic for her last session in this series. This episode is jam packed with stories and insights - and I have no doubt you will walk away with powerful questions and insights for your own journey. Episode Highlights: Why speaking your dreams and asking out loud for what you need is powerful. Why the outcome is irrelevant, and hearing your own voice is the real win. What validation really is, and why it's more powerful than we give it credit for. Blending somatic wisdom with analytical tools instead of choosing between them. The money block: I can be paid or I can be fulfilled, but not both. Quotables: "The outcome is irrelevant. It's the process of you getting to hear your own voice." — Tosca DiMatteo "True validation is helping people get more clear on what they already know, and being generous enough to not be focused on taking up our space." — Kathleen "It's like the money and the value can't live in the same room right now." — Kathleen Episode Specific Links Barbra Sher’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2rG4Dg6xyI Tosca's Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by: Starlin Media

September 29, 20261 hr 27 min

Live Coaching Kathleen 4 (of 6): Breaking Through the Fear of an Uncertain Future

Something shifted for Kathleen between her third and fourth coaching sessions. This is such a powerful example of how the sessions are a container for what needs to come to the surface. AND the real transformation takes place in the integration and digestion of the conversation, and even more so in the choices my clients make when I’m not standing by their side. Kathleen came to the session with momentum and the decision to commit to what she really wants, instead of worrying about what is or is not possible. It was a huge power move and I asked her to reflect on what actually got her unstuck. Because when you understand how you got out of the funk, you can reach for those same tools next time. Kathleen reflected on the actions she took in the previous week and we celebrated all the wins. One of these wins involved a cold call that will inspire you to pick of the phone in the pursuit of your passions! I hope this reminds you to look at all of your wins this past week, month or even year! When you tune in, you will hear that Kathleen recognized that the new news was not in the actions she took, but rather in the realization that she stopped doubting herself. She had more faith and self confidence, which allowed her to access the knowledge she had in her conversations and collaborations. The conversation then shifted into different territory because she was looking for support in articulating what she actually does. She admits the block isn't just language, it's the fear of owning it and her worry about her new line of work feeling fraudulent. In the course of this conversation I put on a different hat to better understand her skills and do that personal brand excavation. Part of this was about delineating the difference between building what you want to build, instead of the thing you think you should build. Episode Highlights: Reviewing Kathleen’s breakthrough and identifying the contributing factors. Why the real work so often happens between sessions. The fraudulent feeling that comes with claiming an ability to help people. Brand and story excavation that doesn’t use industry jargon. Building what you want versus building what you think you should. Quotables: "There's something about that that feels like I can't claim it, like it feels fraudulent. And maybe that's the real thing that needs to be sorted out." — Kathleen "It takes people years to recognize ‘I built what I thought I should build versus I built what I want to build’." — Tosca DiMatteo "So much of what happens actually isn't in these sessions. It's in the work my clients do in between." — Tosca DiMatteo Tosca's Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by: Starlin Media

September 22, 20261 hr 34 min

Live Coaching Kathleen 3 (of 6): Facing Your Limiting Beliefs

This is the third session (out of six) with my client Kathleen, and we explored options for the focus of our conversation as she didn’t have something in mind at the start—which is common with lots of clients. There was palpable resistance for a good portion of the session, but then you’ll feel how the energy started to shift as Kathleen bravely stayed in the process. Pay attention to the 9-box exercise that you can use in your own life around your mindset towards job applications—or anything else that you completely loathe. The insight that came after I walked Kathleen through it might surprise you. It wasn’t about finding a new mindset that brought more levity to a task she despised, but rather about recognizing there was a different option that felt less heavy altogether. Toward the end, we land somewhere you may not expect: celebration. Kathleen shared an incredible breakthrough that she had in the week between sessions. This led us to talk about how much easier it is to celebrate everyone else except ourselves. We also talked about the relief and liberation in unhiding, and the difference between enthusiasm and optimism. Tune in to hear what resistance looks and sounds like as an observer, and discover how you might be diminishing your own wins. Episode Highlights What resistance sounds like in a session, and why it isn't failure. Holding many truths at once, and what that looks like. Assessing the job before the application, and the implications. The nine-box exercise, and what it revealed about her job search. Commitment celebration and small daily wins. Enthusiasm versus optimism, and why optimism for yourself is the harder one. The tectonic plates effect: internal shifts that show up externally later. Quotables “I can press on the gas all I want, but if the tree is blocking the car, the car is not going anywhere.” — Kathleen “It's so much easier for us to celebrate others than it is for us to celebrate ourselves.” — Tosca DiMatteo “For a long time I had a hard time believing that things were possible for me, but I could believe it to the moon and back for everybody else.” — Tosca DiMatteo Tosca's Links and Resources Take the Inner Critic Compass Quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign Up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo: https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by Starlin Media

September 15, 2026Episode 21 hr 6 min

Live Coaching Kathleen 2 (of 6): The Fear Underneath the Fear of a Major Career Shift

This is the second session for my client Kathleen, and we start with what she noticed after our first conversation. We talked about how she felt completely drained afterward, like someone had drugged her. I shared how that’s not a bad sign, and that it’s a sign that the work is happening in her body and not just in her head. Next we explore what she'd been sitting with between sessions, and something surfaces that neither of us went looking for. The conversation started with the fear of disappointment, and she finds the layer underneath it, which is unworthiness. She goes between thinking ‘if it doesn't happen, it's because I'm not good enough. And if it does happen, I'll feel a different version of not good enough, like I don't belong here.’ We also talk about what lights her up, and I point out something I want you to catch: what she describes is context agnostic. While she did talk about it in context with the business she’s launching, it could apply to any job, situation or career path. This is helpful because once you know the dynamics that energize you, you can place that anywhere. You'll discover that this session doesn't land on a tidy conclusion, which is often how it goes. The hope is that we bring what needs to come to the surface in the conversation and we don’t always get to “what now”, in the session itself. Tune in to hear what happens when you go one layer deeper than the first insight that comes to the surface. Episode Highlights: Why she felt physically depleted after session one, and what that indicates. The layer underneath the fear of disappointment. Why knowing what excites you can be an insight for any context. The zero to ten worthiness scale, and what would move her one tenth of a point. The desire to address the tree in the way, while dreading it at the same time. Quotables: "There's another layer underneath the fear of disappointment, which is the fear of unworthiness." — Kathleen "The fact that you have a physical manifestation is an indication that the work is happening in your body, and not just in your head." — Tosca DiMatteo "Knowing what the dynamics are can be super helpful, because you can place that anywhere." — Tosca DiMatteo Tosca's Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by: Starlin Media

September 15, 2026Episode 11 hr 20 min

Live Coaching Kathleen 1 (of 6): Navigating Career Options Post Layoff

Welcome to this special series where you get to bear witness and experience live coaching with a real client. Through the generosity of my client, who we're calling Kathleen to protect her privacy, you get to sit in on six full coaching sessions, recorded live. It’s the first time I’ve ever done this, and I’m thrilled for you to discover your own unlock in the process. In this first session, I skip most of the usual relationship building, because Kathleen comes in ripe with what's happening in her life and I like to honor whatever is needed in the moment. You will soon discover that she was recently laid off, building a business she never planned to build, and feeling in her words ‘jumbled’. Her words for it: ‘it's a fork in the road, but the fork has a thousand tiny forks in between’. She's applying for jobs while quietly hoping none of them work out. She describes the choice as suffocation on one side, with failure and poverty on the other. Her life is on hold, her things are in storage, and decisions as big as having children are waiting on this to resolve. We work through the emotions; the pull between should and want, and I offer her an experiment to find the truth of what she wants. The exercise is to notice, without judgment, whether each thing you do today is something you want to do or something you think you should do. The goal is not to change the decision, just to see what’s driving it. I also offer her a reframe (and metaphor) about her jumbled life. Her puzzle got shaken up, and all the pieces are still in the air. She's trying to force them back into the old picture. But putting together a picture that already exists can be harder than letting the pieces land somewhere new. Tune in to hear what happens when you stop trying to figure out the whole picture, and start to trust the truth of your micro decisions. Episode Highlights: Why we skipped the standard first session structure and went straight into what was present. The jumbledness: applying for jobs while energetically blocking them. Should versus want, and the awareness exercise offered. Why the forcing is the overwhelm. The exhaustion that shows up after deep work. Quotables: "It feels like to try to picture squeezing myself back through a keyhole into something I don't really want to do, versus just take all the wheels off of the bus and try to drive it anyway." — Kathleen "You're exactly where you're meant to be right now, in that confusion, in the fog, in the overwhelm." — Tosca DiMatteo "When we're in overwhelm and we're in a state of feeling all over the place, anchoring in what we want can be very helpful as a starting point." — Tosca DiMatteo Tosca's Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by: Starlin Media

September 1, 2026Episode 11230 min

Ep. 112: What it takes to get unstuck and out of your funk.

Today I talk about the difference between asking the top-layer question about getting unstuck and going to the deeper question underneath it. Getting unstuck requires asking yourself different questions. The reason it's so hard to do on your own is that you’re used to asking yourself the same questions over and over—and giving yourself the same answers over and over. For the past eight years, folks have come to me to help them get unstuck, whether it's in their personal, professional, or business life. And when they do, rarely do I answer their first questions because I know there's a more important one underneath it. In this episode, I walk you through five real scenarios so you can see yourself in one of them. Whether you’re frustrated in your job or want to show up more confidently with your boss, underneath the stuckness is often an unmet need. That need is usually one you're not conscious of—or one you don't want to admit you have. Episode Highlights: Why we can't get unstuck alone: same questions, same answers, on repeat. Scenario 1: Should I stay or go, and the deeper question about what you actually need. Scenario 2: Why confidence work is really inner critic work. Scenario 3: “Is this all there is?” and the permission slip you’re looking for. Scenario 4: Needing to leave without knowing what's next, and why there are more pathways than the two you see. Scenario 5: Growing a business when the real block is worthiness, not strategy. Exposure to a list of unacknowledged needs, from being witnessed in your pain to learning to trust yourself again. Quotables: “Getting unstuck requires asking yourself different questions.” “Your inner critic voice is not telling you the truth.” “Maybe what you need to know is that your only job is to not abandon yourself or your big dreams.” “When you are stuck, it's often because you can only see one or two pathways forward. Actually, the universe wants you to think more expansively.” “Slowing down isn't blasphemy and it's not laziness. It's actually the medicine that you need.” Tosca's Links and Resources: Take the Inner Critic Compass Quiz: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Production: Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo: https://adriandimatteo.com Editing by Starlin Media

August 25, 202624 min

Ep. 111: 9 Things to Do When You're In Between Jobs

I want to talk about being in between things, and more specifically being in between jobs, because it can be a really difficult place. We don't get much direction and almost no education about the emotional journey that comes with it. Even placement companies that help people find their next role don't address the emotional roller coaster that comes with being let go, or choosing to leave. Addressing this ride will do more good than any resume update ever will. Here’s the truth about my thoughts on taking advantage of the inbetween; I have no roadmap for you. Nobody has one (no matter what they try and sell you), and I think this is what’s so uncomfortable. The roadmap you may gravitate towards is to 1. update the resume 2. submit 3. submit 4. submit 5. network 6. repeat. If that’s your entire plan then you’re missing a huge opportunity. The space between jobs or clients isn't about suffering in the unknowing, it's about becoming the next version of you and building the capacity to hold what's coming next. In this episode I talk to you about nine things you can experiment with: diving into your health and wellness, giving yourself a change of scenery, doing activities that ground you, clearing and cleaning and organizing your space, trying something new and giving yourself permission to do it badly, meeting up with your network with no strings attached, deeply understanding your personal brand, journaling, and investing in the support you actually need. This last one is the biggest mistake I see; people don't give themselves the resources to get through uncertainty with more ease. And by success I don't mean landing faster, I mean feeling good about the journey instead of focusing solely on the destination. Episode Highlights: Why there's no roadmap for the in between, and why that's the whole point. Diving into health and wellness, including the appointments you've been putting off. Why a change of scenery lets you be yourself again without proving anything. Grounding practices for when your nervous system feels flung in the air. The clearing story: old papers in the trash, five clients in five days. Trying something new and giving yourself permission to be bad at it. The number one mistake people make in between jobs. Quotables: "I have no roadmap for you. And I think that's why this is so uncomfortable for people." "The space is about you becoming that next version of you, you being able to hold what's coming next." "I cleared out all these old papers and literally within five days I had five clients. Moving the energy around is real.” "I hate trying to learn new things because I hate being bad at things. If you're resisting it, maybe that's the way through." "They don't give themselves the resources to get through this time with more ease and with more success." Tosca's Links and Resources: Association for Talent Development article referenced: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/_files/ugd/23d731_1fd2b0e81aee4559b95c21b675639bfe.pdf Stop letting self-doubt dictate your decisions. Take back the power from your inner critic and take the Inner Critic Compass today to see which one is running your show. As a gift, I'll send you a toolkit to help you on your path to be your own best friend: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/innercritic-compass Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter: http://toscadimatteo.com/newsletter Tosca's Website: https://www.toscadimatteo.com Get in Touch with Tosca: https://www.toscadimatteo.com/contact Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toscadimatteo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toscadimatteo/ Props for: Theme music by Adrian DiMatteo https://adriandimatteo.com

August 18, 2026Episode 11024 min

Ep. 110: Everyone Told Me Not To Quit Without A Plan. I Did It Anyway.

It's eight years to the month, almost to the day, since I put in my notice and left corporate for good. It’s not a sexy story, which is exactly why I wanted to talk about it. I first share the story about how I never wanted to be an entrepreneur, nor was that encouraged. I was encouraged to go get an education and get a J-O-B in an office, versus the very labor-intensive path that my father took. So you can imagine why entrepreneurship was never a dream of mine. On top of this, I watched my parents struggle financially, and at 22 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which only solidified my belief that I needed somebody else to write my paycheck so that I could afford healthcare. So how the heck did I end up running my own business? In 2018, there was a large possibility that my husband’s career would take us to a different state, and for the first time in my entire linear career I stopped to ask myself: What else is possible? We never moved, but my inquiry continued. My heart knew it was time to go, but my mind gave me every possible reason to stay, especially without knowing what was next. I eventually realized those inner critic voices were fear-based and scarcity-based, and they were not my true beliefs. That was the unlock that led me to quit without a plan. And I mean I had no idea . No plan to launch a business and certainly no side hustle waiting in the wings. My one plan was to earn a coaching certification because I thought it would anchor me. So again, I'm sharing this because it is not a sexy story. There’s a version of the entrepreneurship story where someone builds it on the side and grows it until it replaces their income. While that’s true for some, I think everyone’s story is completely unique. I think most big transitions involve a lot more fumbling through immediate next steps than a 12-point plan at the start. Episode Highlights Why entrepreneurship was never the plan, and how a type 1 diabetes diagnosis at 22 reinforced the need for a steady paycheck. The question that started everything: What else is possible? How inner critic work revealed that the voices telling me to stay were fear-based, not true. Why setting an arbitrary quit date with two friends created the accountability that made my choice real. Why the energy behind running away from something versus going toward something is completely different. What eight years of entrepreneurship taught me about redefining success. Quotables “All those inner critic thoughts were not mine. They were fear-based and scarcity-based, but it wasn't what I truly believed.” “Sometimes we know a lot less than we wish we knew when we're making a big change.” “It's called a leap of faith because you don't have all the information and you don't have the 12-step plan.” “I told myself for years that I really valued a consistent paycheck. I've come to learn that's actually really at the bottom of the list.” “You don't need a perfect roadmap and you don't need all the answers. You just need to listen to yourself in a way that maybe you never have.” Tosca's Links & Resources Sign up for Tosca's Newsletter Tosca's Website Get in Touch with Tosca LinkedIn Instagram Production Audio theme music by Adrian DiMatteo adriandimatteo.com Editing by Starlin Media