Siobhan, hello and welcome to the aligned achiever podcast. I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes, and today we’re going to be diving into a little bit of a different episode, which is going to be a little bit more personal. I’m going to share with you some of the things that have been going on behind my own career, pivots that I’ve been navigating internally and sharing with you some of the lessons that I’ve learned from entering into what I would call my clarity era.

So over the past 12 months, I’ve been living the very same process that I coach my clients through a pivot, a redefinition of success and a deeper dive into trusting my intuition, and I’ll be honest, it’s been uncomfortable, really beautiful and clarifying, and honestly, very humbling.

So today, I wanted to share with you behind the scenes of what this journey has looked like for me, what it’s taken for me to evolve my work, to co create a Women’s Leadership Academy here in Hong Kong and Asia called watch her lead with my business partner, Elaine champion to, you know, deepening this intuitive hit where I was like, I want to dive into human design more and to also walk my own pivot Pathfinders process in real life.

I’ve been journeying with the participants in Pivot Pathfinders now for it’s coming up close to a year, and that has been such a wonderful space to support my clients navigating their career pivots, but in turn, it has also shifted me. So if you’re in that space of something shifting, but I don’t know what’s next, this episode is for you.

So just to set the scene, I am really sharing this with you, because if you’re anything like me, you want to hear what it’s really like behind the scenes. You want to know what it takes to you know, when you see somebody who’s, you know, achieved an incredible transformation, perhaps in their fitness, they’re like I want to know how did they do it? If someone’s achieved incredible success in their career. I want to know how they did it. And so I’m sharing this with you not because I think that I’m some ultimate, you know, poster child of success, but rather, I’m one example of someone who’s figuring it out and helping others do the same. And there are some things that I’ve seen and experienced that I want to share with you.

So just to set the scene, you know, I would say, let’s take this back to 12, maybe 18 months ago. I’ll be really honest. I was at this point in my business where I had been, you know, I’ve been doing this, been coaching since 2013 at the time of recording, we’re in 2025 I officially launched my business in 2014 and in that journey, I’ve had three children. My kids are now aged 911, and 13. And you know, I’ve done a number of different things. I’ve worked for myself. I have, you know, worked as a master trainer at a coaching school, which I absolutely loved.

I am now partnering with Elaine on this Women’s Leadership Academy, all while still having my own business, and I’ll be honest, 12 to 18 months ago, I was a bit lonely. You know, working as a solopreneur is great and gives you the flexibility to work your hours and, you know, be there for your children and work around different you know, appointments. But I missed the camaraderie of working with teammates, of collaborating, of being able to create something with someone, not just myself. And so 12 to 18 months ago, I was really thinking, gosh, you know, I love what I do, but maybe there’s a different way that I should be doing this.

Maybe I should Is there a way I could do this within corporate? Is there a way I could do this with other people. I was really asking that question of how to solve for this problem of loneliness, and there was this inner feeling that started whispering like something needs to shift. And I had this moment where I was really outgrowing the, you know, the identity that once fit me so well and the role of like solopreneur, which fit me so well when I had young kids, my business was fine on paper, but something in my energy felt misaligned. And if there’s one thing my human design has taught me as a projector, it’s that alignment isn’t a luxury, it’s actually your life force. And so it’s really important to figure out, like, how you’re naturally wired in terms of your energy.

So with that intention of asking that question of, well, what am I going to do? How am I going to figure this out? That’s when I started my experiment, which is something that we do in Pivot pathfinders. We have a whole process around experimenting, creating your your experiments, so that you can actually get some valid data points on a potential career path and choose whether it’s right or wrong for you, looking at both the strategic pieces, but also looking at like how it feels in your body. And so this was really my messy trial and error.

I’m going to figure this out type of era. So I said yes to experimentation. I tested different offers in my business, and actually that’s when the idea for pivot pathfinders. Came up, I realized that I had gone back into one on one work after I’d left the coaching school, which I left for a number of reasons. There’s some challenges at home, and I needed to spend more time with my children, because there was they just needed me more, and so I was doing a lot of one on one work so that it was easier to kind of control my hours. But I missed that group element. I thought, okay, maybe if I do bigger groups, then I’ll feel that sense of community and connection, and that will feel really good.

So I tested it, you know, I tested out creating pivot Pathfinders, and it did hit all the spots. I love that I’ve been able to journey with these women for so long now, and to really build this deep, intimate relationship and to be there as they navigate their pivots.

There was also something magical at play in that when I had sort of told myself, I’m feeling a bit lonely, I had been actually working with Elaine. We were both chosen to be leadership coaches for lululemon’s program here in Asia, a Asia specific Women’s Leadership Program. It was just the two of us, and we really hit it off. We really connected. And, you know, we’re talking about what it was. What it was like to run a business and the coaching and everything like that. And, you know, we both realized, oh gosh, we’d love to run a retreat.

So we I said yes to that idea. I was like, Okay, let’s test it. Let’s do it. Let’s run this, this retreat. So earlier in January of this year, 2025 we ran Hong Kong’s first professional women’s retreat specifically focused on, you know, having a day out from the busy day to day, and having a time to get strategic about what 2025 was going to be for these participants. And we wanted it not to be like a yoga retreat, but like, not as stiff as a, you know, strategy session. So it was really a combination of the two, and we really trusted our intuition with what we wanted to create, and were able to, gratefully, call in, you know, a sold out room. We had had 16 women there, and it was just a phenomenal experience.

So it was a wonderful experiment, right? I was testing a different offer in my business. I was collaborating with Elaine, and, you know, I in the background, I was playing with human design.

Now, one thing that I’ve realized now through my human design, and I think I’ve finally given myself permission for because I’ve actually been experimenting with it since 2020, so it’s been five years. Behind the scenes is that I have my sungate in 16, which means I’m I like to learn different skills. I like to learn different modalities and bring a various toolkit to my coaching, which is absolutely true. It was actually really wonderful to hear that in human design and be validated in that I’m not just a course junkie for course junkie sake. Like that’s part of what I’m designed to do, and like to bring things together. And so, you know, in that process of being in action and testing, I actually gave myself more permission to pursue that path. And I’ll be honest with you, 12 to 18 months ago, I think the other friction point was that, behind closed doors, I was using a lot of spiritual, unconventional, sometimes mystical tools in my work, obviously testing it out on me. I have a very logical, linear brain. I studied science at school. I have a Bachelor in science. I have a master’s in science.

So my mind was, has always been fighting me with like, Why am I being drawn to these tools, like human design, like energetics, and I’ve done other things as well, like a Reiki and Akashic records, like, dived into all of that, and I realized that that’s, that’s last year I was at that point where I was hiding that. And so that was another element that wasn’t working for me.

So what didn’t work is that I was feeling frustrated, I was feeling uncertain, and I had a bit of doubt. But what did work was that I, you know, said, You know what, I’m going to experiment, I’m going to test. I’m going to feel into and trust what my gut is telling me to do, and then see where it leads me. And what I learned in human design I’m a three five profile is that I’m here to learn through lived experience. And you know that’s both empowering and exhausting at times.

The past year has been one long experiment in self trust, saying yes to collaborations that felt right, energetically, letting go of things that didn’t, and remembering that clarity actually comes from movement, not thinking. So that’s really my biggest lesson.

So if you’re at that point where I was perhaps 12 or 18 months ago, where you’re like, something isn’t right, and maybe you can actually identify that there are some things that are off, or maybe you just don’t know and you can’t identify that. Just know that that’s okay. Nothing has gone wrong. It’s just a redirect. It’s just an invitation to go. Hang on a minute. Let me hit pause. What is working here? What isn’t working here? What might I need to shift and change to come back into what actually feels better here? And when I say feel better, I really want to clarify that this isn’t just about choosing the easy route.

Oftentimes, we actually know what we need to do. Like I said, I have more of these unconventional kind of spiritual tools that I use, and I was kind of hiding them because I thought maybe people won’t take me as seriously. They will think that I’m, you know, not. Professional, you know, bringing it into like leadership and career conversations. But time and time again, when I listened to my intuition and had the gut hit to, you know, share a little bit, I would, I would see someone’s shoulders relax and that connection deepen just that little bit more.

So the invitation for you is actually, how can you trust that you are being guided to honor this part, maybe that you’re trying to push into the shadows or trying to reject or think is wrong or bad, and what if you could take one baby brave step to actually let that out and shine a little bit? So now with where I am, I’m in a hugely exciting era, so I am inviting anybody who would like to come into pivot Pathfinders into that program, to support you to figure out your next career move. Are you going to step into leadership, and you know, really go all in at your organization, or whatever leadership looks like for you, or are you going to pivot into something else? And what is that something else? And how can we test that so that pivot Pathfinders is still running, and you’re very much welcome to have a conversation and see if this is the right fit for you. If that’s it, equally, I’m also, I find myself having this portfolio career whereby I’m also launching this Women’s Leadership Academy with Elaine, as I mentioned, she’s my business partner. We’re like the CO CEOs for this Leadership Academy, and I’m so, so excited about it and watch her lead. And putting this together has reminded me that leadership doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. There is so much power in co creation, in building something that’s bigger than just your own brand, especially when it aligns with your deeper mission. And so knowing that sometimes, and actually human design can tell you this, like you can some you can see if somebody’s like designed to work well on their own, or if they do better in teams. And if so, what size teams. So also, if you are interested in understanding you know yourself a bit more, lensing it through Career Clarity, I do offer Career Clarity by design sessions as well. So you can absolutely check that out. I’ll link to all of these in the show notes if you want to come and take a look. But the thing about human design that I want to say is that it’s been game changing for me to understand my own energy as a projector, as a three, five profile with quite a very open, open profile chart, I would say, and human design has been less about the system and more about permission to actually build a business that honors my energy, to wait for invitations, to guide instead of grind, and to let my experiment be the message.

So really, my lessons learned that any and what I really want to tell you, if you’re navigating your own pivot is that clarity comes from courage, not control. So you don’t think your way into your next chapter, you move your way there. As I said, Get clear on what’s working, what’s not, and what’s that brave next step you can take to really honor the part of you that really wants to come out. Maybe, like me, there’s a more spiritual side that you want to show and own. Maybe you want to step into leadership and be a bit more bolder and put your hand up. Maybe you actually want to say, you know, what? I kind of want to slow down a bit, and I want to prioritize my kids. You know, just getting really clear on that. And I think the more we can own the season that we’re in what really were we’re seeking, the more ease will feel, the less friction will be there. And I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s like a it’s like a good, hard achievement, if you know what I mean, because you’re honoring you.

Lesson Two is self trust is built through micro evidence. Every small, intuitive yes builds your inner credibility. So for me, obviously launching watch her lead. Elena and I are so excited about this. We’ve got big ambitions, big dreams. We can see the vision for watch her lead. Really excited about creating an Asia specific leadership program.

So if you’re interested in that, and you’re listening to this and you’re based in Asia, come on over to watchherlead.com and check out what we’re doing there. You can also check us out at Instagram, at i at watch her lead, and on LinkedIn as well. We’ve got really big visions and plans for it. And, you know, we have built that slowly self trust that we have an idea, but building evidence that it’s possible by doing the practical things, like we had the retreat, okay, 16 women. We’ve run focus groups. We’ve heard what they’re challenged by. You know, it’s like an iterative process. So just remember, self trust is really important, and when you get if when you listen to your intuition, you build your self trust and you show up for yourself, it builds the evidence that things are possible for you.

Lesson three, your energy always knows before your mind does pay attention to what feels heavy or draining, that is the data, right? Do you? I’ll give you an example for me. I think I was pretty good at Project Management in my corporate role. Like, I like to be organized again. That’s also in my chart. Like, I have the ability to look at the big picture, but also see the detail. But that wasn’t I found that. Quite draining, because like trying to corral cats and speak to different stakeholders and get them on board and have the conversations before you all get into a meeting room, I found that really draining. And what does feel light is transformation, like having an honest conversation, guiding someone to come back and remember who they really are.

So have a look at your energy. Always knows before your mind does.

Lesson Four, collaboration can be a mirror for your own growth. So in my case, I found that I’ve evolved faster with Elaine because I’m being witnessed by her, and I can see where my edges are being pushed. And I’m like, Oh, I’ll show up for her, because, you know, I want to be accountable, and you know, do this together, and where perhaps on my own, I might not do that. So just know that collaboration can be a mirror for your growth, whether you’re partnering with someone in your career, in your business, or if you’re collaborating with your boss, your colleagues, your you know, your mentors, getting them to be a mirror for you to see what your edges are. Because we can’t see our blind spots, right? It’s why it’s called a blind spot.

Lesson five, the pivot is part of leadership. Your evolution doesn’t make you inconsistent. It actually makes you embodied. So this is something that I’m remembering okay, just because I’ve changed and learned a lot of different modalities, that doesn’t mean that I’m inconsistent and that I’ve not stuck to one offer. Rather, I’m meant to evolve and change and bring the latest into the containers that I have, and to bring this to my clients. And so just remember, if you feel like you’re being flaky, you’re not you’re evolving. So if you’re listening and you’re somewhere in the foggy middle, please know that you’re not behind. You’re in your clarity era.

Even if you’re feeling confused, it’s on the other side, and one the other side of clarity. That’s your leadership era, the season where you lead with more authenticity, as the real you more ease and self trust.

If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear your takeaways. Come and find me on Instagram or on LinkedIn, or reply to the email if you’re on the email newsletter and tell me what part landed, and if you’re ready to explore your own next chapter. I’ll leave the links for the pivot Pathfinders mastermind, the 90 minute Career Clarity session, where I use human design to read your energy or launch her lead if you’re here in Hong Kong and Asia, until next time, keep trusting your own thing. You’re right on schedule. You are here for a reason beyond merely hustling, grinding and merely surviving you matter you.