NaKisha Stephens (00:07) Hey everyone, and welcome to One More One on One. I'm your host, NaKisha Stephens One More One on One was created around the simple belief behind every open to work banner is a real person with a real story worth hearing. every day different people are moving in their career and transitioning, whether it's a layoff, whether they're pivoting from you know, freshly graduated student to first job. NaKisha Stephens (00:32) moms, dads, anybody getting back into the workforce. And so I wanted to create this platform to give those people the opportunity to share their story. and so I'm excited to welcome you back to the second episode. happy October. It's a little chilly today where I'm at. NaKisha Stephens (00:51) excited for y'all to join us today. I usually interview incredible professionals and share their story but for October I wanted to do it a little different. and I will be essentially interviewing the person behind the microphone. So myself. NaKisha Stephens (01:07) This will be a solo episode this month. And I'll throw in some little fun Halloween themed. rapid fire questions from some viewers and some career focused scary type interview questions that should be pretty fun. So I'm excited to get started. NaKisha Stephens (01:27) If you are someone who happened to cross this podcast, because you've been, applying for roles, haven't really heard anything, maybe someone referred you, then this episode is gonna be for you 'cause we're gonna be talking about all all all the scary things. So welcome and thanks for joining. NaKisha Stephens (01:44) So, how do I how do I it's hard to interview myself. How do I interview myself? So I guess first question, a little bit about me. I have been working professionally probably since I was 16. I think my first NaKisha Stephens (01:57) official role was at a wendy's. and I actually loved it. I I've I've always shared with people, you know, working in fast food, especially because then my career ended up staying in customer service in some form or fashion. but working in fast food, you learn so much. You learn time management, you learn how to handle customers, you learn how to how to multitask. You're actually learning how to build different NaKisha Stephens (02:22) different skill sets up because I remember when I started I they they just they start you out on like the fryer and then if you get good at that you get to be able to make the hamburgers and if you get good at that you you move on to like cash register drive through that kind of thing so shout out to anybody who's ever started in fast food because I think that kind of put me on the path NaKisha Stephens (02:42) of really understanding and appreciating learning each and every type of function within a a a role or a department. And that's been something that has really served me well throughout my career is I don't tend to shy away from like really understanding the ins and outs of a role. Like I like to I'm more hands on learner, so I like to actually NaKisha Stephens (03:08) get in there and do the things. as was i interestingly enough, I moved into management and the more you get into management leadership you less time you spend doing the things. But I found that, you know, actually really understanding how to do a job from the simplest of tasks to, you know, the the the more strategic thinking and kind of visionary stuff, it all serves. It all serves you well. if you build NaKisha Stephens (03:34) those skills up so that's a little bit about my my starting out and then you know like I said I've been in customer service moved into learning and development for the for a few years and managed some training teams and some development teams and we built programs QA programs systems we've we've worked with knowledge management I have had the privilege of working for some pretty big companies NaKisha Stephens (03:59) including LinkedIn. So that's that's kind of where my behind the banner stems from is that I I have a soft spot in my heart for LinkedIn as that particular platform has has found many a role for me and has continued to you know provide different opportunities for me and you know I I just I like the the the the open to work banner. NaKisha Stephens (04:23) ability for people to see that you're looking for a role, you're interested in a role. And so I do I want to take a step further though and say, hey, but for those that that have that on their banner, you know, there is still a person behind that. There is still a little bit more of a story behind that resume. and so yeah I'm currently in a transition in my career. and we'll talk about that a little bit more later because I I some of my questions that I have will will pop up from NaKisha Stephens (04:47) that but you know growing up I was a middle child in in a pretty big family and so I think you know for me just work has never been NaKisha Stephens (04:59) something that I've shied away from. You kind of always have to work to to get what you want. we didn't necessarily have a ton of extra income or extra resources. And so I learned at a pretty pretty young age if you if you want something that's not necessarily a requirement, you're gonna have to work for it, whether it's get good grades, whether it's you know, work a little job here and there, save up some money. and so I've always been a huge NaKisha Stephens (05:25) Huge advocate of working hard, playing hard, but really putting in that effort for yourself. and there is something, to be said for, when you work for something and and and you you you put your hands on it and then you get rewarded for it. I think that that really helps to build NaKisha Stephens (05:41) just resilience and character and you appreciate stuff a little bit more. At least I know I do, when I put my hard earned time and effort to it, I tend to appreciate it a little bit more than if it was just given to me. So, you know, when it comes to NaKisha Stephens (05:56) just as of late, I think that's also served me in my current transition. I was laid off back in May and this was my second layoff. NaKisha Stephens (06:06) within a three year time period, my first one being from LinkedIn a couple of years ago, which was a dream job. and you know, so that that kinda hit hit a little hard. And I think, having that resilience and that ability to roll with the punches and not internalize, certain things that I can't control, has helped this transition. NaKisha Stephens (06:29) It hasn't been easy. especially in today's climate where just it seems like so many of us are laid off so the market is just overwhelmingly saturated and even when you're qualified, even when you're, very willing to to do the work, it's hard. It's hard getting noticed, it's hard, getting NaKisha Stephens (06:51) recognize for what you're bringing to the table uniquely 'cause it almost seems like, well, everybody's doing that 'Cause now with AI people can put whatever on their resumes and so, I do think there's just a certain level of persistence and resilience and NaKisha Stephens (07:07) just strong mental fortitude that you need to be able to navigate certain career transitions. And so I'm grateful that, how I grew up and and some of those challenges that I had kind of built me for that. and those are things that I try to pay forward, whether it's through, mentoring my teams that I've led or, talking to my own children about the challenges that they face. NaKisha Stephens (07:30) and yeah it's NaKisha Stephens (07:32) It's hard out here in these unemployment streets. but again, that's kind of why this this podcast was a passion project and where it stemmed from is hopefully, you know, as people watch this they get encouraged and inspired and then we can also, just give people some some recognition and build some connections and get people, interviews, roles, offers whatever the case. NaKisha Stephens (07:55) kind of moving into it, because like I said, this will be a short episode, more of like a little check-in episode. I'll start with some rapid fire questions that got submitted, which some are pretty pretty interesting. and so a first question is what's one lesson that my first layoff taught me? NaKisha Stephens (08:18) And so I so I I can answer this in in two ways. So I've actually had to lay off NaKisha Stephens (08:25) others and that was truly my first experience with with layoffs in terms of working and then I was on the other end of that and actually experienced the layoff myself so the lesson that I learned when you have to lay off your workforce so when you have to lay off your team is really to do it with care do it with compassion ultimately at that NaKisha Stephens (08:49) company, it was the best decision at the time. and I won't necessarily get into specifics, but you know, in the moment it it it was hard. I mean, you work with people for in my case I had worked with my team for years. NaKisha Stephens (09:04) and have really built some really good relationships and we were doing good work and that wasn't necessarily the reason the business ultimately made the decision to lay off a portion of the workforce and it happened that my team was affected and some people stayed on with the company and NaKisha Stephens (09:21) So, you know, even that is an added layer because then people, wonder, well, why not me? Or, what could I have done? And I think the the lesson that I learned from that is sometimes as hard as it can be, it kind of is what it is, in the sense that there's nothing you could have done. There's really nothing that you should have done, because it wasn't necessarily a decision against you per se. but to do it with care, to do it with empathy. NaKisha Stephens (09:47) because you're you're going to just completely disrupt someone's livelihood. and a lot of times it's unexpected, for that team at that time, it was completely unexpected. we weren't aware of it either a as in the leadership role that I was in. We weren't a part of the conversations that led up to it or anything like that. NaKisha Stephens (10:07) and so it it was something that i don't think anybody had considered as as a potential thing to happen and so when it happened people have feelings people have really raw strong feelings and you know i i think the best thing that we did was kind of NaKisha Stephens (10:27) embrace those and and really take the brunt of those feelings even though that was hard. You know, people people were very upset, people were very confused, people were very just sad. And so, you know, NaKisha Stephens (10:43) I think the biggest lesson for me was let people feel how they're feeling. Don't take any, you know, feedback or comments personal or any sort of negativity personal because it it really isn't NaKisha Stephens (10:57) about that it it is more so people just need an outlet. People need to be able to express that because again that that this is something that can be very life-changing and not in the best way. I mean ultimately sometimes it can lead to to better opportunities and better things, but in the moment it it doesn't feel great. So that's the biggest lesson I learned when being a part of a layoff and you're leading a layoff is lead with compassion. NaKisha Stephens (11:22) and lead with understanding even when it's hard. and then on the flip side of that, the biggest lesson that my first layoff taught me was, you know, leave with integrity. NaKisha Stephens (11:34) Leave with your dignity, leave with appreciation for, what you were able to do while you were able to do it at that company. like I said, I I was at LinkedIn and we were in a beautiful office, in Atlanta. We were able to work with some some really awesome people. NaKisha Stephens (11:54) And it was a newer office and, you know, it i i it it just felt like we were just getting started and then, again, circumstances being the circumstances. NaKisha Stephens (12:03) we experienced a layoff and so that was tough, especially 'cause this is not just for me, it wasn't just like, you know, it's the layoff from, you know, a a company. It was like one of my dream companies. I don't know if you're like me, but I ha I have like a list of companies where it's like, man, I would love to, work for that company one day and that happened to be one of NaKisha Stephens (12:25) and so I, was devastated not only to be leaving, these amazing people that I work with, but this amazing company, this company that had really benefited me personally by, connecting me to different people. Even prior to being employed there, I had gotten opportunities through LinkedIn. they were one of the first, I think, companies that really emphasized NaKisha Stephens (12:49) skills based hiring. and at the time that's all I had. I was a college dropout. I was a young mom. Like there were so many things that worked against me professionally that it was hard, to get really good jobs and jobs that, were able to set you up for success. NaKisha Stephens (13:08) prior to me joining LinkedIn because a lot of places if you didn't have certain degrees, if you didn't have certain background, they kinda looked you over and and LinkedIn was very, very different. And and I you know, I became a fan decades before I started working there just because I saw the the the benefit of being on that platform. I was able to, get NaKisha Stephens (13:31) information by reading articles and just being exposed to things in my industry that helped me build those skills. and so it was devastating, working for that company and then seeing seeing it from the inside and being a part of it and, really doing all these amazing things and then being laid off. But one thing that I really, really appreciated is that NaKisha Stephens (13:51) you never know how you'll react to something. You never really know how you'll, NaKisha Stephens (13:55) work through something, but even to this day I look back with gratitude and I look back with appreciation and I look back with a with a really a fondness for my time there. and I feel good about it. I feel like, you know, while I was there, I was able to be on some awesome projects. I was able to work with some really, really cool people. I've met people that are, you know, gonna be friends for the rest of my life. and I left, on good terms. I left, feeling NaKisha Stephens (14:21) like some good things happened to me here and I didn't leave, bitter. I didn't leave with a lot of negative feelings. I dare I say I kinda left hopeful of like, man, if I was able to get a job here, I feel like I can get a job anywhere. So NaKisha Stephens (14:37) I think that was the biggest lesson that that experience taught me. It's like I I left with my head high. I left very proud to say, I was formerly, a LinkedIn employee and that's still something that to this day I I encourage people to join that platform and still where people need help with their profiles or things like that, I still, am a huge representative of that company. NaKisha Stephens (15:02) and so then, moving into my second layoff, because that's my next question. What did the second layoff teach you? that one was a little bit different. I I I think I had I don't want to say I was used to it 'cause that that sounds horrible. But I mean I had gone through it before. So I think my second one, NaKisha Stephens (15:21) the the biggest lesson that it taught me was to, really leave my team in in in a better place than I found it. in this this particular instance it was a little bit different. It wasn't me and my team being laid off. I actually NaKisha Stephens (15:38) my position as in in was eliminated and so my team still stayed at the company and that was hard for them. I think they really had just built like a such a strong connection with me and a strong connection with each other that them kind of having to break that up was difficult. And so, you know, through that the biggest lesson was in leadership, leadership doesn't stop. So even though I was NaKisha Stephens (16:03) The one being laid off, I still had to put that to the side in order to be the leader that I've always said I was and help them manage and help them navigate and help them process. And so, I really had to take a step back and say, Hey, you're feeling how you're feeling, that's valid. But NaKisha Stephens (16:26) you still gotta take care of your people. And so I think that that taught me of like, yeah, be a leader when it counts, not just when or not just by title. And and that was probably especially because I've been in leadership so long and it's, you know, kind of same old, same old that was a recent time where it was really like, okay, I need to I actually need to walk it like I talk it. I need to really show NaKisha Stephens (16:52) that I can still lead my team when it's hard, that I can still lead my team, NaKisha Stephens (16:57) when I'm dealing with something, when I'm going through something. and it wasn't easy, but you know, I I think hopefully I did it. If I got anybody on my team listening to this podcast, leave some comments on what you think. But yeah, that was that was probably the the the the biggest lesson from the second one. and then next question kind of leading into that is biggest misconception about leadership. NaKisha Stephens (17:22) I say it all the time, it's not rocket science. The biggest misconception about leadership is that you have to, read all these books or do all these things in a certain order or say things a certain way. And while all of that can be true to a certain extent, you do want to be, able to effectively communicate, you want to be able to understand people, you want to be able to, pull NaKisha Stephens (17:46) from certain frameworks and and things like that. But at the end of the day, it's it's not rocket science. I think it's more so about learning your your people and learning how to best support your people in the way that they need. that was probably one of my biggest mistakes starting out in leadership is I I thought I had to have all the answers. I thought I had to, really make all the decisions and NaKisha Stephens (18:12) one of the things that I've learned now is, I don't. You know, when you when you when you have a good team, when you build a strong team, you really can lean on their expertise and you really can can empower them and support them and and kind of learn how they would do it. And a lot of times or oftentimes, you know, i i if you've hired effectively NaKisha Stephens (18:36) You're gonna have a team full of people that think very differently than you. You're not going to have a team full of mini me's and that actually can make your your group more successful to have, a very diverse thought in the room. and so leadership is is not easy, but it's not hard if you don't make it hard. NaKisha Stephens (18:57) the biggest thing is knowing your skills and your strengths and then using that to support the people around you. and that's something I wish I learned earlier where, I didn't s need to spend so much time trying to be the one NaKisha Stephens (19:14) solutioning or coming up with answers all the time. Like there's a difference in, making a decision and being decisive and helping people think through stuff and being very strategic versus I'm the only one that can make decisions or I'm the only one that can answer or I'm always right. and I think a lot of people in leadership get that NaKisha Stephens (19:33) misconstrued and and they sometimes they don't ever learn that lesson too, by the way, because we've all had bad leaders. We've all had leaders that only want to do, things their way But I think some of the best leaders are the ones that ask you your opinion and ask you more questions and well tell me what you think. And I've had really good mentors that taught me that. And so that's what I try to do with my my team NaKisha Stephens (19:59) teams that I lead is, I don't have to be the one talking. I'd I'd rather hear what you guys say. I'd rather hear what what you think could work because a lot of times they're the ones in the weeds and in the day-to-day. So leadership ain't rocket science, but it is it is more art than science, I would say. this is a good question. Favorite failure? NaKisha Stephens (20:21) I think my favorite failure NaKisha Stephens (20:25) or failures, I would say, is probably always something along the lines of like I didn't I didn't want to try something and I tried it anyway, NaKisha Stephens (20:38) I tend to be a NaKisha Stephens (20:39) curious person naturally so it it it's almost like a conundrum because as much as I like to experiment I also sometimes am like overly cautious but my biggest failures have usually been because I was way too cautious and then was like you know what let's try it let's see what happens and then it ends up you know working really well or it still massively fails but I learned NaKisha Stephens (21:08) something from it and it was something cool that then I can take, in into future projects or future teams and things like that. So it it just a specific example that I'm thinking of is I remember I I had like a it was like a leadership project that we were doing NaKisha Stephens (21:31) in in one of the call centers that I work for. and at the time, my boss was like very high level, you know, like, hey, let's do it this way, let's try and and I just I couldn't grasp what he was saying. It was like, but why would we do it? That seemed so NaKisha Stephens (21:48) beside the point of like well w how we need to do this thing and so I went into it and and ultimately because I didn't grasp his vision failed like the first probably, you know, progress review or NaKisha Stephens (22:05) progress update because I didn't understand what we were trying to do. in terms of like getting our team better. I think we were doing sales or or something with quality and it just it didn't work. And so but from that failure I realized you know it it was less me understanding it and and honestly it was more my attitude. I just I wasn't into it. I didn't really put forth the effort that I should have and so NaKisha Stephens (22:32) So once it it didn't go well for my team, but I see all these other teams and and they're like boom, numbers skyrocketed and all these things, I kinda quickly realized like, I need to adjust NaKisha Stephens (22:45) my mindset around it. I need to, really take a step back and even if I haven't bought into it, like at least try to, go forward on this path. And I I I remember I had said something along the lines of like I'll entertain it in a in a meeting to a boss, which is horrible. Horrible. I'm so embarrassed by that story. But NaKisha Stephens (23:04) when he tells that story, he loves it because he feels like, as a leader that was that was something cool for him to experience that he had had a team of people that were so comfortable that they could, kind of share that sentiment and and by me entertaining it, I do recall that we ended up going back and either crushing the numbers or or doing whatever the thing was that we were trying to do. And so, that failure, that ultimate failure, worked out and NaKisha Stephens (23:29) I've learned since then I can align and I can, disagree and commit. That's one of the things that I've always told my team. It's like, hey, if you can disagree and commit, that still works because then we still can, figure out a way a way forward. so let's see NaKisha Stephens (23:46) Dream company. We kind of talked about that earlier. This is this is a question right here. What's my dream company? I have a few, but I think my ultimate, ultimate dream company would be Lego. NaKisha Stephens (23:58) So those of you that know me, know that I'm a huge Lego collector. I have loved Legos since I was a kid. but again, growing up with so many siblings couldn't always afford, a ton of Legos. So grew up with like the very basic ones and you gotta really use your imagination to build stuff. whereas fortunately now I can actually go and get the ones that I like and so I collect just a ton of Legos. I mean just Harry Potter. NaKisha Stephens (24:23) and Star Wars and all the flowers and all these things and it's just a great way to de-stress and I also love to NaKisha Stephens (24:32) think and things that are kinda like a puzzle and figure stuff out. And so that's always been the appeal. I guess as I've gotten older with Legos is even though it's something fun, you do have to use your brain to get to go together or if you're just kind of creating from scratch and, using your imagination. So my dream company would be Legos. Who wouldn't want to sit there and play with Legos all day. So NaKisha Stephens (24:55) That's my ultimate dream company. If I if I could do something with with them, that would just that would be awesome. and then my dream guest. I think my dream guest is anybody that feels like this platform could be helpful. NaKisha Stephens (25:13) One of the things that I I enjoy about leadership is the mentoring aspect. And so anytime I get a chance to sit down with other people and hear their story and share some of my own experiences or learn from their experiences in that mentor mentee capacity, I love. that's one of the things that has kept me in leadership for so long. because transparently speaking NaKisha Stephens (25:37) There are times where I'm like, Who this this my next role may not be in leadership, 'cause it it it can be it can be very taxing. But the NaKisha Stephens (25:48) parts of it that are enjoyable are really just, being able to help someone. And so my dream guest is anybody that feels like this can be helpful to them as a platform. so if you're if you're interested in being on the pod, fill out the guest form and we'll set up some time and I'll holla at you and maybe we'll see you. We'll see you in a future episode. NaKisha Stephens (26:10) And I'll do two more questions because I I got a few other things that could be fun for this episode. And so what's something that people misunderstand about you? Ooh, so I don't know if so I have something on the top of my head. I don't know if want to share it, but I think based on feedback, w one of the things that people misunderstand about me the most NaKisha Stephens (26:33) is that I'm I'm hard to please, or I guess that I'm a perfectionist. I would say that it's not so much that I'm hard to please or a perfectionist, but I do have standards. I hold myself to a really, really, really high standard. as someone who's a creative, as someone who NaKisha Stephens (26:52) has been in learning development and I know the power of like really well put together training or materials or presentations. I do have high standards when it comes to the work that someone presents. You know, that's one thing if you're just kind of chopping it up and and it's a very informal situation. It's another thing if you're, showing me a reporting dashboard or NaKisha Stephens (27:20) creating a presentation around training or in a meeting and you've drafted a proposal about something. I do have high standards. I want it to look good. I want it to make sense. I want you to, present it very confidently. and so I think a lot of people tend to think I'm NaKisha Stephens (27:39) overly critical in that way, but it only because NaKisha Stephens (27:44) I know as someone who has had to present things to people, it's easy to lose your audience. Like if they're looking at typos or if they're looking at, you know, pictures that don't make sense or super confusing or it it you're all over the place, like they're checked out. And so whatever you were doing at that point is is pointless. and so it really just stems from like, hey, as adults, a lot of us don't have a long attention span. NaKisha Stephens (28:10) So when you have that space or that opportunity, do a good job and and do it the first time because you may not get a second time. So that's probably the biggest misconception is I'm a harsh critic. I don't think I'm a harsh critic. I think I'm someone who NaKisha Stephens (28:26) is a critic so that way you are set up for success. and I'm pretty candid about it. I've worked in environments unfortunately where other people may have thought how I thought, but they didn't share that to the person or they didn't say that to the person. But everybody kind of chit chattered, you know, behind that person's back. And I don't think that's right. I think that's kinda NaKisha Stephens (28:47) whack. So I would much rather pull you to the side and and share honest feedback. in a empathetic way, but honest feedback nonetheless. and it does stem from a good place of like, but hey, it's because I want you to to get out here and look good and do good and and then be good. So biggest misconception. NaKisha Stephens (29:07) And then last question, I guess, what's something that I'm still figuring out? life. I think I I will always still be figuring out life. I I've I feel like I'm a a student, a forever student. NaKisha Stephens (29:22) And I I kinda low key love that about myself, that I I'm constantly learning, I'm constantly in a state of flux. when I was younger I was very rigid with a lot of stuff and and I wasn't as fluid or as willing to adapt or just change and and the older I get, the more I realize like you kinda have to, because things change so much and so many things NaKisha Stephens (29:44) Can be unexpected, and so many things can be just unusual about work or life, or kids, marriage, and all all that stuff, and and so you you kinda gotta roll with it, even if it's uncomfortable. So I think I'm still figuring out life. I I like the fact that. NaKisha Stephens (30:01) on any given day I probably still have more questions than I have answers. because it also kind of just keeps it exciting, right? To to to be able to work towards stuff. I don't really like to be in the same routine. so yeah, figuring out life. I don't I I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. for those of y'all that are like, wait. NaKisha Stephens (30:21) Don't we have it figured out one day? I don't know. If you i if you ever find the answer to that, tell me. Yeah, I know I'm still figuring it out. So Umright. So this is so funny because when I was putting together this episode, someone had asked me, like, why are you gonna do any like Halloween, you know, themed stuff? And I was kinda like, no. NaKisha Stephens (30:43) But I kinda like it. I feel like these questions are are fun. So I had folks submit me what they call trick or truth questions. NaKisha Stephens (30:53) I guess it's like would would you rather type stuff? And so the first one is would I rather start over completely or go back five years? that's hard. I think if I could start over completely knowing what I know now. NaKisha Stephens (31:09) I would choose that one. But if I just started over completely and I gotta do it all over again, give me give me five years. Cause five years ago I can make a little bit of adjustments. But if I could go back with the knowledge of like all of my, you know, management experience, just work experience and life experience, I would I would probably start over completely. Cause then I don't know, I'd be running the world. NaKisha Stephens (31:33) all right, big salary or amazing manager. Hands down, amazing manager. Salaries come and go. I've had big salaries, I've had small salaries, I've had salaries in in between. but NaKisha Stephens (31:51) When you get an amazing manager, when you really get someone that believes in you, supports you, encourages you, really helps you on your career journey. NaKisha Stephens (32:04) There's nothing like it. and especially because, speaking for myself, but also knowing how some of my friends and people that I associate with, a lot of us feel like it's rare. You hear so many more. NaKisha Stephens (32:16) bad stories of horrible bosses that when you get an amazing one you you kind of do just want to hold on to them and you really do just want to work for them forever and so amazing manager and shout out to some of my former amazing managers if y'all are watching y'all know who you are and then let's see remote NaKisha Stephens (32:37) Or dream company. Dream Company. I you I've worked remote. It's cool. But it's also there's something to be said for going into the office. I think going into the office is cool sometimes too. perfect resume or perfect network. NaKisha Stephens (32:49) Perfect network. I think a lot of us have what we think is a perfect resume and we're still not getting job offer. So perfect resume can only get you so far. having a good network, perfect network, a lot of times they say it's who you know. So, definitely having a perfect network and people that can help you open doors or, connect to the right people. NaKisha Stephens (33:12) makes more sense to me. the last trick or truth, un limited PTO or four day work week. Four day work week. I don't really take PTO. I I should, even if I had a limited PTO, I probably wouldn't take it as much as I should. But a four day work week, count me in. I would absolutely love a four day work week and then I get the other three days to chill or NaKisha Stephens (33:35) I don't know, work on my podcast, do all kind of other stuff, build some more Legos. Who knows? But four day work week as far as that. and so yeah, that's trick or true. and so let's see. Last thing that I kind of want to leave y'all with for this episode, I thought it would be cool to share what would be in my NaKisha Stephens (33:57) Career survival kit, because again, Halloween month, Halloween theme. Now are you surviving stuff? How do you survive careers? I think we all should come up with a career survival kit. so the top things in mind would definitely be resilience. NaKisha Stephens (34:15) careers are up and down. They're usually not linear. you're usually dealing with a bunch of, people, people, sometimes people that you don't always get along with. And so the top thing in mind would definitely be resilience. NaKisha Stephens (34:28) And just learning how to navigate challenges, learning how to navigate setbacks, learning how to navigate hard conversations when it happens. second thing for me would be curiosity. again, I I'm a forever student. I'm I'm a lifelong learner, so I stay curious. I think when you stay curious, you're less disappointed a lot of times because you're always seeking to just know and not necessarily you're NaKisha Stephens (34:54) you're seeking to be right. so curiosity, second thing going in my survival kit. And then if I had to say the third thing for me in in this season of my life, it would be NaKisha Stephens (35:05) less work related and more just life related and and that would be faith. I have been learning recently how to how to have faith and how to not try to control so many things that you can't control and lean on a higher NaKisha Stephens (35:21) power, whatever that looks like for you, in order to not get so down on yourself, not get so, negative in your self-talk, but really having faith that like things are gonna work out, things are going to NaKisha Stephens (35:35) change. I think sometimes people love to say things will get better. I won't necessarily say things always get better, but things are always certain to change. And when they change, you can use that to figure out a new way to move forward. so for me faith would be in that career survival kit of even just faith that like hey I can do hard things. I can do this job. I can deal with this manager. I can deal with you know co-workers or or what have NaKisha Stephens (36:02) You so those are my top three things in my in my career survival kit. So yeah, fun episode. I have enjoyed chatting with you guys. I am looking forward to my next episode. I've got a really cool guest, NaKisha Stephens (36:18) coming and they are a small business owner so she'll be sharing all about her business and and and just what that has looked like and in going from corporate america to more owning her own business and working for herself and and actually employing others so again if you know anybody that can benefit from getting their story out there or if you as you're watching through NaKisha Stephens (36:43) Through NaKisha Stephens (36:43) some of the episodes, see someone who shared their story and you want to connect with them, let me know. because one of the goals is to just remind people that behind every open-to-work banner is a real person, they have stories, they want to share it, it needs to be told, and they've got potential. So a lot of times, let's not look over those folks. And so if today's conversation resonates. NaKisha Stephens (37:07) With you, like, subscribe, follow, go to the website. I've got a lot of resources on the website. if you are searching for a new career or just even interested in transitioning to a different type of career, so check out some of my my resources. the website is one more oneonone.com. NaKisha Stephens (37:30) A P P and I'll also have that in my in my show notes remember if no one has told you lately your story matters let me be the first it does we all go through it I don't know anybody who's had just a perfect career from from top to bottom so don't confuse you know silence with the lack of value sometimes opportunities NaKisha Stephens (37:52) Are delayed doesn't necessarily mean it's denied, or you're unqualified, or you're not worthy. It's just the nature of moving through your career, and so keep learning, keep believing, keep knowing that there are people out here that that are going through the same thing, and so NaKisha Stephens (38:13) Stay positive, stay encouraged, stay faithful, and know that sometimes one more conversation can change, can change everything. So thank you for joining me. And I'll see you next time on one more one-on-one.