How to Love Your Work, Pt 1: Connecting to Your Creative Power with Gina Marotta
Gina Marotta is here to show us how we can love our work by finding our genius. In part one of our three part series, Gina recounts her personal evolution from a career as a criminal defense attorney to her calling as a career coach, spiritual guide and inspirational speaker. Central to this transition was Gina's first epiphany - she needed to reconnect with her inner power to create so that she no longer felt like a victim to her work or other people's desires. She shares her philosophy behind the significance of this, how you can easily do it yourself, and how it will ultimately connect you to your unique genius. We cover spirituality, creative expression, the societal conditioning that keeps us small, and the pleasure of exploring purpose.
My Current Obsession: Neri Oxman: Biology, Art, and Science of Design & Engineering with Nature | Lex Fridman Podcast #394
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Transcript:
00;00;07;03 - 00;00;31;07
Stephie
I'm Stephanie Hammond and this is the Fruition podcast. On this show, I sit down with passionate people who've brought their dreams to fruition. We'll explore different versions of success and fulfillment and dig in to what was on their minds along the way. With these conversations, I hope we can all expand our sense of possibility. And who knows? Maybe hearing their stories will inspire you to take action on yours.
00;00;31;09 - 00;00;58;19
Stephie
Hey, people, we're back. I took a hiatus and it felt really, really good. Of course, I immediately got sick. Then I went to Mexico, where I got really sick. But as soon as I was healthy, I had so much mental space. And in that time I put together a plan for some big changes in my life, which I'll get into later in a solo episode or something.
00;00;58;22 - 00;01;31;21
Stephie
But just to put it simply, I am no longer sticking with things that are dragging me down. So I cut all the bullshit out of my life and it feels amazing. But it took so much kind of extreme action that before I took a break, I honestly don't think I didn't think that it was possible to take those steps or I guess I couldn't see how it would be possible or how I would do it if I was even an ounce overbooked.
00;01;31;22 - 00;01;58;20
Stephie
It would have been really hard for me to think through all the necessary steps. And with this space, I did it with the help of many others. But long story short, the break was very much needed. And yes, I realized I was probably keeping myself busy with things like the podcast and phone plans because I really wasn't ready to take these steps.
00;01;58;27 - 00;02;22;28
Stephie
They're very scary to me and challenge much of my identity and my beliefs. So yeah, I've been keeping myself busy to avoid them, just calling myself on some shit. But we're done with that and I doubt anyone cared, but just in case there's someone out there that did. Thank you for the space. Not to be dramatic, but I kind of think it changed my life.
00;02;23;02 - 00;02;54;03
Stephie
We'll see. We'll talk about it more. But I'm excited to be back with a series. We have three episodes exploring how it's possible to genuinely love your work by identifying your unique genius and guiding us through her philosophy is the incredibly wise, thoughtful, highly intelligent and original Gina Marotta. Gina is a career coach, a spiritual guide, an inspirational speaker, and a former criminal defense attorney.
00;02;54;05 - 00;03;18;02
Stephie
Before leaving her career in law, which obviously we're going to talk about, she worked on some of Chicago's most high profile cases. She graduated top of her class in law school and was even awarded graduate of the last decade by her alma mater. Since pivoting her career path to live more in her purpose and her genius, she's been awarded titles like Top 100 Emerging Leaders under 50.
00;03;18;02 - 00;03;54;06
Stephie
She's been featured in Thrive Global and Huffington Post. She's a teacher on the Inside Timer app and through all of her various channels, she guides very powerful women through career transitions as they emerge into leadership. As they start businesses, even incorporating mindfulness, spirituality and purpose into their work and lives. Ultimately, she helps people find what they were born to do, what their genius is so that they can give and work and live in a flow that feels natural and harmonious with their true nature.
00;03;54;08 - 00;04;22;19
Stephie
She is really incredible and honestly, I was kind of dumbstruck through our conversations. Not only has she thought through this topic in greater depth than anyone I have met or heard from, she's clearly lived it all the way through and these conversations were definitely at my edge. My genius, my purpose is something that I don't feel like I've really stepped into or owned, and I haven't really integrated these concepts.
00;04;22;21 - 00;04;50;04
Stephie
A lot of the modalities or ideas that I've talked about in past episodes are something that I've explored or experienced to a decent extent, and I felt like I really understood those topics pretty well. But this series and these conversations really humbled me. The concept of genius is something that feels like it's evaded me and I've pursued it kind of relentlessly, but with logic and honestly desperation.
00;04;50;06 - 00;05;08;25
Stephie
So I'm really happy that I got to connect with Gina and that I get to share this with all of you. Because as usual, I don't think I'm alone in my struggles, and I very much feel like I'm deeply in the midst of this one. And Gina is the best out there to help support us. So I hope you enjoy this.
00;05;08;25 - 00;05;34;10
Stephie
First conversation is all about connecting to your creative power. The second conversation will be about finding your genius, and the third conversation will be about new ways to actually do your work that feel better than the current. Commonly accepted structures that we have in place. I'm really, really, really excited for this series, and so beyond grateful to Gina for all that she shared here and really quick before we get started.
00;05;34;13 - 00;06;02;15
Stephie
If you like to philosophize about life or if you like to geek out on how technology and art and nature intersect and how we can continue to innovate and evolve with reverence for nature, I am positive that you will love the conversation between Lex Friedman and Neri Oxman. It's a little bit old, but we haven't talked in a minute, so just go back to episode 394 of Lex's podcast.
00;06;02;17 - 00;06;20;28
Stephie
It's on all the platforms and also on YouTube. I'll link it here in the notes. Obviously, it's so good. I teared up a little bit listening to her theories, and just even the way she speaks is so beautiful. And I put it on my TV and watched it on a Friday night. So if you're.
00;06;20;28 - 00;06;22;18
Gina
Cool, it's.
00;06;22;20 - 00;06;42;04
Stephie
A great Friday night plan. Anyways, enjoy. Bye. We're going to start with a prayer and an intention setting before our conversation begins. And so just whenever you're ready, I'm excited for you to lead us through that.
00;06;42;07 - 00;07;16;13
Gina
Yes. Great. So just taking a moment here to connect with our hearts and become present, tuning out the world outside of us and connecting in to our source to that which we call God or our Creator, knowing that there is always a flow of wisdom coming in and through us, knowing that we don't have to figure anything out.
00;07;16;14 - 00;08;01;02
Gina
There's no right way. But there is a magical flow that is meant to be in this moment. And so we release and let go and allow this show to be in service to those who are listening and in service to our own souls. May this experience be nourishing and delightful and insightful and may we have fun in the process and then allow just this deep wisdom that pours through to be touching the lives of everyone who's a part of this and that as that wisdom gets inside of us and grows inside of us, and then we share it out in new ways, in our lives, we know that we are impacting this world in very
00;08;01;02 - 00;08;25;26
Gina
positive ways, and we're bringing more loves and more peace and harmony, more justice, more equality. So we know this is all good and all love. We release and we let go of any expectations and we just open our hearts. We ask that during this time that we are guided and protected by light, by our angels, by our guides who are here in loving presence.
00;08;25;29 - 00;08;42;09
Gina
And we open our ears and our hearts to hear their wisdom for us. I release this word into the law and the ethers and the truths, knowing that it is done. Amen. And so it is.
00;08;42;12 - 00;08;59;23
Stephie
That's so comforting. It really takes the pressure off. I love. Do you have a prayer practice before your coaching calls and other podcasts that you do? Is that is that a regular part of your life?
00;08;59;25 - 00;09;22;23
Gina
Yes, I have learned that prayer takes the pressure off, as you've said. I'm a teacher on the Insight Timer app and I have prayers on there that I've created for myself and or others that have become a part of my practice. So there's like a prayer over your meeting, a prayer over your project, a prayer over your presentation.
00;09;22;23 - 00;09;42;27
Gina
That one I listened to right before I got on here, because any time I'm going to be speaking or sharing wisdom with others, that's a very specific blessing I do over myself and can be listened to by anyone who signs in the Insight Timer app. Being blessed for the time that I'm about to share and what that might mean.
00;09;42;27 - 00;09;55;02
Gina
So yes, with clients I will pray in session or as they're completing something to bless it. It's something that really does create a beautiful energy around us.
00;09;55;05 - 00;10;15;01
Stephie
Yeah, absolutely. And it just allows you to take that moment to breathe and reconnect to your own body. For me, I, I'm always in my head. And so just taking a second to feel my own body and feel my own breath and tune out what I can visually see around me is so, so powerful. But I don't have a prayer practice at this point.
00;10;15;01 - 00;10;48;21
Stephie
It's something that I've actually been thinking about a bit, but it's so heavily associated with like institutionalized religion, right, that it hasn't it hasn't felt appealing. But there have been moments in my life when it's something that I need. And and so I want to begin incorporating it, become plain with it, and feeling into it. I love an understanding of your childhood and the spirituality that you experienced in your childhood, home and community.
00;10;48;21 - 00;11;01;20
Stephie
But before we get there, I just want to give a little bit of information to the people that are listening about who you are and why we're talking today. And so you.
00;11;01;20 - 00;11;02;24
Gina
Are.
00;11;02;27 - 00;11;28;00
Stephie
At the most basic level, a career coach, I'd say. But then beyond that, you're a teacher, you're a spiritual guide and you're an inspirational speaker. And it seems like really a shining light and an example to the people that you share with and connect with in, you know, just showing a new way to live and giving permission to really be yourself.
00;11;28;00 - 00;12;02;12
Stephie
And even through the posts that you share on Instagram, I can feel your energy and a sense of relief. I think I mentioned that to you earlier, that I just really feel soothed by you and and what you share and what you teach. And so I'm excited to introduce you to this audience because many of us are similar to me in the sense that we've grown up in a hustle culture that encourages pushing and forcing and seeking and pursuing and achieving.
00;12;02;15 - 00;12;33;00
Stephie
And you have experienced that yourself. You have a background in law. Yeah. And you were very, very successful in that career and you were a criminal defense attorney. And then you went on to an even equally, if not more, you know, important quote unquote, and big job as a managing director of a national nonprofit and starting a new chapter, being a founding member in Chicago.
00;12;33;00 - 00;12;58;08
Stephie
And so you've experienced, you know, the max capacity. Yes. This type, a structured, regimented world that we live in. And now you're really ushering in femininity and a new way to approach work in life. And it's something that I deeply need. And so I assume it's deeply needed by the people who are listening and by the world at large.
00;12;58;08 - 00;13;02;06
Stephie
We all need that divine feminine energy. So with.
00;13;02;06 - 00;13;03;08
Gina
That.
00;13;03;10 - 00;13;17;12
Stephie
I would love to circle back to that starting point of your childhood and spirituality. But how how were you kind of planting the seeds decades ago for what you do now?
00;13;17;14 - 00;13;47;08
Gina
You had such an interesting mix in my life. You know, I did grow up with traditional organized religion that comes from my father's side, an Italian-American Catholic family. So I even went to Catholic schools, grammar school, high school, college. And so I had that really structured religious upbringing. My mother, however, had a very different background, and I also watched her grow spiritually in different ways.
00;13;47;08 - 00;14;13;19
Gina
So she grew up in a Christian science religion, which is it's Christian based, but it's much more about the power within ourselves in prayer, the kind of prayer I did to open our show today. That's the kind of prayer that is that is done in that religion, less, less so structured. Our father, Hail Mary, a lot more like we can speak our intention out into the world and create from that.
00;14;13;19 - 00;14;43;17
Gina
So my mom had this different perspective that that she peppered in in my upbringing. And then as I got a little older, probably like 11, 12, my mom really started diving into her own spiritual awakening. You know, she was in her like mid, mid to late thirties, started reading a lot more books, started finding herself. She she started to really engage in feminine empowerment.
00;14;43;19 - 00;15;06;27
Gina
You know, my mom had me in the 1970s. She did not have a even high school diploma. It wasn't a thing women did, you know, they didn't worry about a career at that time. But in the 1980s, my mom started cultivating a career and empowering herself to be a woman who could have a sovereign ability to take care of herself.
00;15;06;29 - 00;15;30;13
Gina
Spirituality was a big part of that. So what at the time was called New Age Books and New Age teachers. I was I was reading this stuff with my mom when I was 11 and 12 years old. So I got early exposure to a lot of the spiritual city that I embrace today. And it was but it was a seed planted that my mom also died very young.
00;15;30;13 - 00;16;06;10
Gina
My mom died at 39. And so yeah, yeah. And so it was a seed planted. And then again I had a very different spiritual upbringing with my, my dad's side of the family. So that that didn't there was no continuity of what my mom was teaching. That was right. Just back into the Catholicism. But I would say what I've what I've revealed in my own spiritual awakening in my adulthood is with my mom's death sort of closed my relationship with God and spirituality for many, many, many, many years.
00;16;06;12 - 00;16;19;06
Gina
Just out of that that grief and loss and not understanding. I was a child. And so then I found my way back to spirituality in adulthood. But those were the early seeds in the early beginnings.
00;16;19;09 - 00;16;45;09
Stephie
Yeah. You've you've mentioned in the past that you even experienced some strengths, I guess, that were a bit associated with your intuition or with healing when you were younger. Did that feel natural to you or is that something that, you know, your mom had mentioned or called out or talked to you? I'm just curious where those skills natural born.
00;16;45;09 - 00;16;46;26
Stephie
Innate. Yes.
00;16;46;29 - 00;17;10;17
Gina
First of all, Stephanie, you impress me with how much you've done your homework in research on me. That's great. That's okay. So, yes, yes, that's a fun question. Well, we're going to talk at some point about genius and what that is. And, you know, our inner genius is something that is seen in our childhood. And when I look back now, there are some things I did in childhood.
00;17;10;18 - 00;17;41;07
Gina
It's like, whoa, that's amazing that that was a part of who I was. So, yes, there were some skills in childhood that that came out early on. One is actually used to practice massage on my family members. Where did that come from? I don't know. But I believe now that, you know, I mean, like things like Reiki are so huge, like hands on healing, you know, I would just, you know, my mom, my brother, and I'd make them pay me because, you know, I was good at it.
00;17;41;10 - 00;18;10;19
Gina
Yes. It wasn't very expensive because I was like seven years old. But, you know, I was using this gift as a as a as a child by putting my hands, you know, to help relieve stress and tension in my family. And I believe that's really a spiritual guest that I believe very much in today as an adult. The other thing, too, I would say, you know, my mom, as I said, was was getting all these empowerment books, spiritual books.
00;18;10;21 - 00;18;37;18
Gina
And when there were things going on inside of our family, I literally would take those books and I would like look at them and look at my mom, and I'd be like, okay. And start asking her questions, like coaching her out of the books. Like it was just very natural and innate for me to, to, to be that way, to express myself in terms of wanting to help heal and create a sense of harmony where things were maybe out of balance.
00;18;37;20 - 00;18;59;21
Stephie
That is so incredible. Kids are incredibly powerful and we will talk about that later. I'm excited, too, because I have now seven nieces and nephews. Two are just newborn, so I can't really see anything with them. But it's fun to see how different they are so early on and these things that just come out of their mouths and you don't even know where they learned them or observe them.
00;18;59;21 - 00;19;25;27
Stephie
I have. One needs to loves to journal now and she loves to do a nighttime meditation to like self-soothe. It's just so cool to see. Yeah, yeah. It's really incredible to see their natural abilities and and what they're attuned to. And I really think that they have it right. And then societal pressures come in and morph the way you think, in the way you look at the world.
00;19;25;27 - 00;19;40;07
Stephie
And so do you feel like that's what happened to you in your pursuit of LA? Was it early on when you were even in grade school that you started, you know, adopting more of an achiever mentality or a masculine approach?
00;19;40;10 - 00;20;07;13
Gina
Yeah, I mean, my own personal story, I've always been like determined. I have video footage of my eighth grade graduation and my dad was giving a speech at my party and he said, and she's going to go to law school and become a lawyer. And this was a seed he had planted. It was something my dad really wanted, you know, said, you know, I want to see my children do better than me.
00;20;07;13 - 00;20;32;28
Gina
And he had friends with lawyers and just, you know, admired some of the things that they were able to do. So he wanted that for me. And I did not know what I wanted to do with my career path. So I was very mutable, like I didn't know who I was or what I wanted at that time. So it's interesting.
00;20;32;28 - 00;20;54;28
Gina
It's like he is my father probably cast out this prayer for me, and doors really did open in that direction when I was in college. I, you know, went to college and studied accounting because I was pretty good at it. I didn't know what else I wanted to do. But then I drew a connection in college. I got a job at a small law firm in that community.
00;20;54;28 - 00;21;14;24
Gina
And so I actually started working in law. It was a really fulfilling job. I worked for a wonderful man who became an amazing mentor in my life, and he really encouraged that I go to law school and like, you know, gave me a day like, fill out your applications for law school. And, you know, you just couldn't have been more generous to encourage me.
00;21;14;27 - 00;21;31;26
Gina
I did end up getting into law school. He ended up paying for like a third of my first year tuition, Like doors opened and opened in that direction. So I followed it, even though I always was kind of like, Well, it's interesting because I had some experience in a law firm, but I wasn't sure that that was what I wanted.
00;21;31;26 - 00;21;50;17
Gina
I just followed this this path that was opening, which I think is true for a lot of people who you know, a door starts to open, could be a college counselor, tells you something, or your parents want something for you, you start going down a path. Yeah. And the doors kept opening and opening and opening, opening. I kept moving forward and forward and backward and forward.
00;21;50;17 - 00;21;53;08
Gina
And there it was.
00;21;53;10 - 00;22;18;18
Stephie
That's so interesting. So there really was quite a bit of natural flow. And like you said, at that point, coming out in college, coming out of college, you're really just trying to do your best and earn a paycheck eventually, you know? Yeah. And do the absolute best you can with the resources that you've been given. And best is is kind of defined by the environments that we're in and the people that were around.
00;22;18;22 - 00;22;36;24
Stephie
That's so interesting that there was so much natural flow. Do you think looking back on it, it was because you were meant to have had that experience of a legal career and being in such a structured environment and in pursuit of something so challenging so that you could find your way here with that experience and knowledge?
00;22;36;27 - 00;22;59;28
Gina
yeah. I mean, I don't today make it wrong that I had that experience and the coaching that I do now with professionals in different, you know, high pressure jobs, whether they're like earlier on getting started trying to find their way or or they're like leading an organization at this point I can understand exactly what they're going through.
00;22;59;28 - 00;23;18;14
Gina
So there is a way that I get to be a bridge for people into more authenticity, into their spiritual path, into tuning into their genius, because I've had those experiences. So I don't look at it as wrong. I look at it as it was my way.
00;23;18;17 - 00;23;32;18
Stephie
Yeah, yeah. And you really did it big time. I mean, you were top of your class in law school. You started a side business writing legal briefs. How did all of this feel in the moment?
00;23;32;20 - 00;23;54;19
Gina
Well, I you know, I mentioned that my mom died young and that was a really that was the biggest challenge of my life. I mean, I faced more since then, but such such grief. I was a child when she died and for me, what what happened was when I got this job in law, in college, in a law firm, like it gave me purpose.
00;23;54;21 - 00;24;10;04
Gina
So, you know, I really was thriving inside of work in a way that I had not been thriving in life. I was really pretty depressed and just felt kind of lost in work, gave me purpose.
00;24;10;06 - 00;24;19;26
Stephie
And what about the environment that you were in and the people that you were around? Did it feel, you know, collaborative and like a strong community that was supportive of you?
00;24;19;28 - 00;24;49;21
Gina
Just a really good question, actually. Like I was I was respected because I was smart and I had a skill set that was unique inside the criminal law field. So like I was needed, I had certain assets that that really added to the firms that I've worked for. But it was very masculine. It I worked with all men.
00;24;49;22 - 00;25;17;20
Gina
There was just a few occasions that women wove into the picture. And so the experience, it's like, yes, there's like a camaraderie among peers in the firm and who I worked with. But it is a very masculine environment that's about competition and war. We're going to trial. We're going to war. It's very based in like logic and intellectual argument.
00;25;17;22 - 00;25;42;13
Gina
So it's to me now, when you asked me to think about like support and community, I look more towards the feminine, which feels really good to me, which is more about like collaboration, where we're all contributing our gifts and supporting one another. It would never to me be competition. That just doesn't feel supportive for me. I'm not saying it's it's a bad thing.
00;25;42;13 - 00;25;56;02
Gina
It's just not to me what feels good in a work environment. So it was different. It was very masculine. And what I think thrives and currently in a lot of industries, that masculine energy.
00;25;56;08 - 00;26;32;14
Stephie
Yeah, I have found myself in those industries throughout my career and so I understand that feeling. And for me it's been a learning experience to understand the difference between feeling good in my role or in on my team or in my company, because I'm doing well. I am like meeting certain marks that feels really good. But then that's very different from feeling good because I'm lit up by doing the things that meet those marks.
00;26;32;16 - 00;26;55;23
Stephie
And so it took a long time to differentiate between the two. I guess it would be like external validation versus internal validation. And for some people I'm sure that those can go hand in hand in in their role, and I hope that they do for mine eventually, you know. But how would you say that somebody starts to differentiate that for themselves?
00;26;55;23 - 00;26;57;05
Gina
Yeah.
00;26;57;07 - 00;27;04;07
Stephie
Because it can be difficult to recognize from it. And I'm sure you experience that in coaching.
00;27;04;10 - 00;27;27;18
Gina
That external validation. It's so much a part of the social conditioning that we've received is like it were a child taught to be a good girl or a good boy and do what Mommy says once and, you know, go to school and it's about getting the good grades. And then we're, you know, we're a good, good, good boy or good girl, You know, it's like it's just reinforced all the time.
00;27;27;20 - 00;28;11;00
Gina
And so what happens is we build this ego identity that has this belief of how we should show up in the world. And so things like achievement become really important. Things like pleasing others, making others proud becomes really important. However, what that is conquering is our our soul, our own, like our own true, authentic expression, which to me is the real gift we've been given in life, is that we are we are all unique beings with with unique gifts that are this expression of the divine or God moving through us.
00;28;11;02 - 00;28;44;15
Gina
And if we can allow ourselves to be that authentic expression, there's this beautiful harmony in the world, like things are just harmonious and they work and we're like nature. It just works. But most of us are living inside that ego identity of trying to fit in. And what's happening in this time in the world is that it's becoming unsatisfactory for people and I would say I'm an example of this and this is happening with many is like you achieve success and the things you're supposed to have in the Prestige I achieved that.
00;28;44;17 - 00;29;12;11
Gina
I was still I was in my late twenties and I had achieved that already. And so I'm like, Well, but now what? This is it is this, isn't it? It wasn't satisfying. I needed that sole expression to show who I was and what I was meant to give in this world and not sit in a box. And so that's what I believe happens to a lot of people, is that that ego expression works for a period of time and you're learning how to operate in the world and then you're like, But we is this what I really want?
00;29;12;15 - 00;29;21;27
Gina
Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? And that's the questions we start asking. That's what I started asking as a as a lawyer. Like, is this really what I want to be doing with my life?
00;29;21;29 - 00;29;43;07
Stephie
Yeah, absolutely. Just, I guess more spiritually. Do you think there's divine timing around that, around that questioning? Because you obviously asked yourself those questions pretty early on, but some people ask those questions much later. Do you just use your own personal beliefs? Do you think there's divine timing around that?
00;29;43;10 - 00;30;07;17
Gina
I do. I believe things occur. It's like nature. There's a there's a natural flow to how things occur. And, you know, people can we can beat ourselves up that, I wish I knew this sooner. I wish this happened sooner. But you were working on other things sooner. You know, there's who knows? We had karma. You had to work out in a situation with someone, and then once that's complete.
00;30;07;17 - 00;30;27;24
Gina
Oop, now you're up level two to this next thing that you're meant to work on. Like, I. My sense is when we die, it'll all be like, revealed in this. Like, picture that we'll be like, my gosh, it all fit together. I believe that. But yeah, that's a faith concept that that helps me have peace, is that things are happening and in a in a divine time.
00;30;27;25 - 00;30;53;23
Stephie
And so with your timing, what began to happen, you obviously reached, you know, the highest level that you could where you started to feel like you should be more satisfied and you weren't feeling that satisfaction. What does that realization look like for you and how did you begin stepping away from that? This conversation is really centered around getting back to your creative power and reconnecting to your creative power.
00;30;54;00 - 00;31;03;29
Stephie
And so I love to hear your process of the Awakening moment and then how you started to, you know, develop that reconnection for yourself.
00;31;04;01 - 00;31;25;12
Gina
Yes, I would say one of the things that has always influenced me is when I would notice people, whether there's somebody I knew or somebody famous or whatever that I read about, I always notice people who are doing things that I wanted to do. And I would be like, Well, how did they do that? You know what? I don't want to understand it.
00;31;25;15 - 00;31;54;16
Gina
Yeah, One of the words I use about myself is I consider myself an autodidact that is a self taught person. So yeah, so I have a lot of degrees of, you know, doctorate degree in law. But beyond law school, I never stopped learning. I've been studying all about how do we create in watching other people and learning esoteric principles or metaphysics about how we create.
00;31;54;19 - 00;32;20;27
Gina
And so I started to see like them, like there's something that people know how to do that I don't. And what I would say now is it's very much about like we're taught in this social conditioning to operate like in a victim way, like, like we don't have power over our lives. Like, you go get a job and then your boss is going to set your pay and your boss is going to tell you when to work and how.
00;32;20;27 - 00;32;38;21
Gina
And it's like this this, this victim mentality of how we go to work. I go I go to the doctor and the doctor has all the answers for me. I don't know what's I don't know what's wrong with my body. Right. Like, we're just so conditioned to be victims in our lives. And so what I've always been interested in is like, how do we not be victims?
00;32;38;21 - 00;33;03;20
Gina
What's the next level of life? And to me, that is creative power that we are no longer just subject to what's happening to us. We can we can create. So for me, the very first step I took back in in my life was like I was a lawyer. I didn't understand. I looked at my brother and my brother's a few years older and he was living much more independently and happy than me.
00;33;03;21 - 00;33;21;09
Gina
He was my dad wanted him to be a lawyer. He didn't go to law school. He followed his own path. He did his home things, how to make bad things. Right. So. So at some point I asked him, I'm like, What are you doing differently than me? And yeah, and it's time he pointed me to this self-empowerment programing that he was involved.
00;33;21;11 - 00;33;38;03
Gina
That was a community that was about, you know, coming together in community, talking about creating the life that you want. And I was like, wow, that sounds really interesting. He goes, Well, I've been telling you about this for a while.
00;33;38;06 - 00;33;39;15
Stephie
really?
00;33;39;17 - 00;33;57;29
Gina
Yes, But I never heard I'd never heard him. It kind of goes back to what you were saying about divine timing. Like he'd been talking about this, He'd been trying to help me sing. I was unhappy. But finally, one day, I was so, you know, unsettled in my own life that I. I went to him for advice. And at this point, I heard I heard him.
00;33;58;02 - 00;34;32;01
Gina
And so I, I sought out that same community to learn, you know, principles of creating my own life. I, I studied their programing for about two years. This these sorts of proactive communities are much more widespread. In fact, I mean, I'm creating one here in Chicago as well, but finding a place that that is about creating the life you want, whether it's spiritual or psychologically based or just, you know, community based, that to me was something I sought out.
00;34;32;01 - 00;34;38;08
Gina
It's like I want to learn how to do this, to not feel, to not feel like a victim. Wow.
00;34;38;08 - 00;34;42;27
Stephie
And did that feel pretty radical to you at the time?
00;34;43;00 - 00;34;56;27
Gina
Yes. Everybody thought I was in a cult classic. And some of these organizations can have a little cult vibe in some ways. But but everything.
00;34;56;27 - 00;35;02;09
Stephie
Does. So does CrossFit. So, yes, cycling group, you know, it's a community.
00;35;02;09 - 00;35;30;05
Gina
It's a community. Yes. It starts to, you know, rap together around certain ideas. So. Yeah, yeah, it was it was radical. But it in two years that I spent learning inside that programing, I did start changing my life and taking back the power of my life. And that was the time in which I was inside one of the classes that I was taking that I had this big major insight that I'm like, I know how I could quit my job.
00;35;30;05 - 00;35;50;20
Gina
I'm going to just freelance legal work, which is what I had done in law school. Now, this is a thing people do all the time. Now freelancing. I like to just back them. Yeah. And, you know, so I found a way to, like, break away from my legal for my law firm job, which while it was a great opportunity, I very grateful for it.
00;35;50;23 - 00;36;14;17
Gina
I knew that I was on the path to opening a new door. I didn't know what the new path was, but I could not be in the intensive pressure of loss of life to figure it out. It was. It was too much. So I needed a bridge. I call it a transition wall. I needed a bridge. So that I didn't have all that pressure on me that I could take some time to explore who I was and what I wanted.
00;36;14;20 - 00;36;29;26
Gina
And so that was that was that was the practical then first step. It's like, okay, step away from the high pressure job. You know, have this lesser responsibility still working while I'm taking this space to figure out what is next.
00;36;29;28 - 00;36;48;19
Stephie
Okay, I'd love to dive into that for a second because I know it scares a lot of people to step away from something that appears very secure on the outside. Yes. And even so, you you had this new vision for yourself and you knew that something was coming down the line, but you weren't exactly sure what it was yet.
00;36;48;22 - 00;37;12;01
Stephie
So you took a role that or you developed a role for yourself. That wasn't exactly it. And I'd like to know kind of what your thoughts were around that transition period for yourself, because it's easy to get caught up in what I know that law, isn't it? I'm not going to take another law adjacent job or earn my money that way.
00;37;12;02 - 00;37;15;04
Stephie
How did you what are your thoughts on that?
00;37;15;09 - 00;37;42;11
Gina
I have so many thoughts here so me organized them. So the first thing I really want to say is if you are totally frightened and frozen, you're not ready. There is there are foundational pieces to have in place that allow you to make this kind of change. And that is something that's really important to remember.
00;37;42;11 - 00;38;08;19
Gina
We can get so black and white like, my God, I'm so scared, but I should do this. And, you know, this pressure. And it's like, No, no, no. There is a step that is gentle that you're ready for, and that's really a transition mine, you know, out of one safe, secure career path that I worked many years to build into a dream job is like a thousand small steps.
00;38;08;25 - 00;38;35;22
Gina
Yeah. In there are the big moments, like the moment I quit my job. Sure. But there's so much that gave me that foundation. So one of the really essential things I teach, I remind us to trust our feelings. Like, as I am totally frightened, I am not ready. I don't have that foundation under me yet. So like, for me, very first step was talking to my brother like, you're happier.
00;38;35;22 - 00;39;00;22
Gina
What did you do? And he tells me about something. And now I try that out and now I'm getting to know myself for a while, not making any changes. I'm like, getting some tools right? So it's just important to know that, like, listen to yourself and don't force yourself faster than you're ready. There's a there's there is a natural progression that will feel safe and will feel honoring.
00;39;00;25 - 00;39;30;03
Gina
And it may really include having other people around you, a coach inside a community like these places and spaces that can help you do this with a safety net. So that's that's a first piece that's really important. Understand with those things in place, that was when I had just even the moment of what I could do for what I now call a transitional a transition role.
00;39;30;03 - 00;39;57;00
Gina
As I define it now, it's a job that you take while you're trying to figure out the next thing, or even if you know the next thing you're building, the next thing and you're not ready to give it. It's like this is the full time money pressure, how I'm going to live. You're moving towards it. So transition and role often looks like a lateral move or even a step back because you're taking pressure off of yourself.
00;39;57;02 - 00;40;21;04
Gina
And this is sometimes hard for the ego. Yeah, right. It may be less money, but enough money, you know, it's enough money. That's what you need to get by. But it's, it's, it's a role that you can do it with relative ease. It gives you the time that you need for self-discovery or for beginning to open your new path.
00;40;21;06 - 00;40;48;26
Gina
And and in some ways, what I think is the blessing we can add on top is if a transition role will in some way start to open the door to what is next. You know, for me, what I did was I just had a freelancing business as a legal writer. I was very good at writing legal briefs, and this is something I had done in law school, and many different lawyers would hire me to write their briefs.
00;40;48;26 - 00;41;07;11
Gina
So when I quit my law firm, I had offered them. I said, Listen, I have several commitments with you that I can keep. I will do these writing projects. I didn't have to go to court anymore. I usually didn't even have to meet with clients anymore. It was just like, you know, these projects were handed to me that I would do on my own time.
00;41;07;14 - 00;41;32;04
Gina
This is like a true freelancing role, and to me that was a great way to develop some more of my own creative power because now I'm the my own boss, right? Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm proving that I can lead my own lives. So while it wasn't the substance of the work as a transition role, it was opening me up to being more of a leader and more empowered in my life.
00;41;32;04 - 00;41;44;27
Gina
So transitions roles will do that. They will they will pay the bills. There will be some kind of a useful job that you have space for something else. And they're in some way helping open up to the next.
00;41;44;29 - 00;42;01;25
Stephie
Okay. Okay. That's really, really helpful to hear, because I can be very black and white and think that, okay, I know this isn't right. I have to find the thing that is the perfect thing that is in that can stop you from taking action. And that might even be subconsciously.
00;42;01;28 - 00;42;02;26
Gina
Yes.
00;42;02;28 - 00;42;26;17
Stephie
But you mentioned creative power and that this role allowed you to connect to your creative power by being a freelancer. And then I know that you explored a couple of other things during this transitional period for yourself. Can you just tell us what is creative power and why does it matter to connect back to it?
00;42;26;19 - 00;42;36;24
Gina
I would imagine there are non spiritual ways based in science to describe this, but that's not my forte. My forte is more spiritual. So yeah, I'm going to explain it that way.
00;42;36;27 - 00;42;38;22
Stephie
We love that. That's why you're here.
00;42;38;24 - 00;43;16;28
Gina
Okay, so I believe there is a creative source called the Infinite Call it God, call it the collective, call it magic. But there is some creative energy. I don't believe it's a person. I believe it's an energetic structure that has given life to earth, to the humans on it, to the animals on it. There's some kind of source that is the the the, the the soul that is, I believe, on going and then the breath that moves through us while we're actually on the planet alive.
00;43;17;01 - 00;43;49;05
Gina
And my belief is that we we each of us who are here and alive are creative expressions of God of this energy. And so when we just allow ourselves to be ourselves, we can create just as God created us, we have the ability to to feel into our our own soul and desire and want something So creative power begins with our desires.
00;43;49;07 - 00;44;18;06
Gina
I believe that that which is our desire is the way that the universe wants to express through us. We're just all these expressions. And as I said earlier, if we're all following our expressions, there's this beautiful harmony of how things work. This is like how nature, you know, things grow and die and change and more. So when we listen to our own desires, there's something we feel an impetus, a want to create.
00;44;18;08 - 00;44;49;03
Gina
And so when we follow that and we we speak the words, we hold the intentions, we take the actions. When we do that, that is the use of our creative power that we actually are not meant to just be victims in this life to what other people want of us. We are meant to be in our own sovereign state, want a certain career, want to go down a certain path and be able to hold the intention, the belief, the desire, and then take the action to open that into formation.
00;44;49;03 - 00;45;14;28
Gina
So that is what I would say. Creative power is some use the language manifesting. It's become very popular language at, you know, I have a desire and then I manifest it. That's the idea. I like the language creative power more because to me it it takes the ego out and feels more like it's something I'm doing in alignment with my soul and what is really mine to do on this earth.
00;45;15;00 - 00;45;42;29
Stephie
It feels more proactive as well. I know that the intention behind manifestation isn't to just set an intention and move on with your regular habits and day to day life. But I oftentimes that is the takeaway for many people that they're just manifesting a new life or manifesting a new career without taking action. And the way that you just described it really involves expressing yourself and learning new ways to express yourself.
00;45;42;29 - 00;46;10;13
Stephie
So how how do you do that? And for someone who might not be spiritual but is open to it, you know, like kind of looking for any way to do this, what would be a start for somebody to begin expressing themselves? One thing that you have been mentioned was language. Is it? Yes. Is it reading a book? Is it listening to, you know, the teachers that might come across your phone through the podcast or Instagram or something?
00;46;10;13 - 00;46;17;20
Stephie
How would somebody begin to connect or navigate back to their creative power? Because we all have it. Yes. Finding our way back.
00;46;17;22 - 00;46;52;02
Gina
Yes. So It's I would say it's unplugging from the information that is constantly flowing to us, like the news media or social media. Music, television. These are like Preprogramed, victim based energies. Not all of it, but a lot of it. And one we just continue to like, absorb that energy. We exist in that way ourselves. So first it's unplugging from some of that.
00;46;52;04 - 00;47;18;27
Gina
You know, I think we all these days can appreciate what it's like. it's nice when I took a social media break, right? We're connected to who you are. Yeah. So I would say that's that's part of it is unplugging so that you can then really listen to and hear yourself. I have a practice on the Insight Timer app that is called the Heart Practice and it's a minute daily meditation that I guide.
00;47;18;27 - 00;47;40;02
Gina
So, you know, if you if you tune into it, all there is for you to do is put in your headphones or play it on your phone, listen, close your eyes and you're guided for 3 minutes in a heart meditation. And your the idea here is connecting to your heart, getting out of your head, which has all these ideas and all this stuff going on up there and just being in your heart space.
00;47;40;04 - 00;48;08;27
Gina
And when you're in your heart space, you can hear what your own desires are, right? So you're unplugging and then plugging into your own heart. So this is a really great way to begin to cultivate your creative power because you now know what you want. The third piece I would add is, yes, finding teachers that are speaking this kind of language, that are that are helping.
00;48;08;27 - 00;48;31;27
Gina
You know, you have the power to create, whether it's reading a book, you following someone like me on social media who's talking about these things. It's like, you know, what you unplug from and then what you plug back into, Not you. You listen to people who are reminding you that you are a sovereign being and a creative power and this divine manifestation of the infinite.
00;48;32;00 - 00;48;44;18
Gina
And when you hear that, you start to have a different energy about you. And it's a sense of empowerment to be someone who can go create. So it's the unplugging and then re plugging.
00;48;44;21 - 00;48;58;19
Stephie
What were some of the ways that you began to express yourself? You mentioned freelancing that was probably massively empowering to you just in your own self-confidence, but from a creative sense. Is there anything that you experimented with that?
00;48;58;22 - 00;48;59;28
Gina
yeah, didn't really lead.
00;48;59;28 - 00;49;12;08
Stephie
Like it doesn't have to always lead to something. I'm very I can be very attached to the outcome when I when I try something new. Was there anything you tried that was just like for the pure joy and expression of it?
00;49;12;10 - 00;49;34;09
Gina
Yes. I'm so glad you brought this up, because when you are someone who's very unclear what it is that you desire and you are maybe really plugged in like I was as a lawyer, I was really plugged in to what everybody else wanted for me. So not only was my dad so proud of me as a lawyer, but now I had these these people in my firm who were depending on me and counting on me to be there in the long run them and right.
00;49;34;11 - 00;49;54;27
Gina
And I've got them wanting me to be a certain way and clients who relied on me and. Right. So so how do you start to break free of what everybody else wants? One of the great steps to begin to begin, if you don't know who you are or what you want to begin to find yourself, is to just go do what brings you joy.
00;49;54;29 - 00;50;22;13
Gina
And so let the universe guide you. So I have a fun story about this. I was at a KC and the Sunshine Band concert. This is a band from the 1970s. yeah, 1970s disco. I was at a concert and I was there was, you know, young, confused lawyer. But I'm with some friends having a good time, and there's a backup dancer in the back, and she was having such a good time, just like J.Lo.
00;50;22;13 - 00;50;39;02
Gina
And she's just, you know, I mean, I was like, in all of this woman, I'm like, I want to be her. When I was a little girl, I love to dance. And I, you know, was in like the talent show in school. And, you know, I just loved dance. And so was watching this woman. And I'm like, I need more of that in my life.
00;50;39;04 - 00;51;01;10
Gina
That's what I need. So within a couple of weeks, I had a friends, a part of this community I was in, this empowerment community. I had a friend who went by big gay gym that was his nickname, and he was in the theater in Chicago. He worked for a big theater company, but also had his own like small production company and put on shows.
00;51;01;12 - 00;51;30;03
Gina
A show coming up was a gym. Can I do a dance routine in your show? But amazing. And he's like, Of course you can. In school. So I ended up So he had this variety show. It was a circus theme. So every different act had something to do with the circus. I produced and choreographed a three part skit with myself and three men that we were like this.
00;51;30;05 - 00;51;53;20
Gina
We were we were the Tiger Act in the circus. And Big Jim played our tiger tamer and he was me. But all we really wanted to do not we didn't want to do tricks. We wanted to dance. We wanted to dance and be the dancing Tiger act. And so it's this three part series about how we how we disobeyed Jim and went out and became Dancing Tigers.
00;51;53;20 - 00;52;12;01
Gina
And we got the whole audience in an uproar of excitement dancing at the end of the show. And we triumph. That's incredible. And all my lawyer friends in the audience must have been like, What is she doing that? Incredible.
00;52;12;01 - 00;52;14;18
Stephie
That sounds like so much fun. I want to be there.
00;52;14;21 - 00;52;40;08
Gina
Yes, so much fun. So did that lead to my next career? No. But it opened myself to joy, to creativity, to sovereignty. And whoever is listening, it's like whatever that is for you go into a yoga class or taking an art class or just doing something that to you feels fun and joyful is going to begin to open the door to who am I and what do I want to do in this world?
00;52;40;08 - 00;52;53;14
Gina
It opens that creative vibe to tap back into, like, What is my genius? What am I here to do? So it have a purpose, even though it could seem like it's frivolous, but it really does have a purpose.
00;52;53;17 - 00;53;04;07
Stephie
That's incredible. As as we wrap up part one, I would just love to hear why this is step one. Why are we talking about connecting to your creative power first?
00;53;04;10 - 00;53;26;28
Gina
Yes. So what I love about your show is you have people come on and tell their story about taking a leap of faith, finding this dream role, what they really feel they're meant to do and how did they do it. And so for me, this is what I hope clients do. I'm a career coach that helps people find their genius.
00;53;27;00 - 00;53;43;27
Gina
What is it that I was born to do and step into it? I wish I could just intuitively tell people what they're geniuses because I could read it a lot of the time and they would just go do that thing. But it doesn't work that way. Doesn't work that way. I've tried. I tried in the beginning just like, this is what you're supposed to do.
00;53;43;27 - 00;54;22;05
Gina
Okay, go do it. No, there's all this programing that we have to recognize as programing. We think it's the truth. And so by taking the space to look at how the world is working, unplug from what everybody else wants and plug back into our creative power, it's like we have to remember that I'm here, I'm in charge of this experience and that's great and that's a great thing.
00;54;22;08 - 00;54;47;15
Gina
All those desires in my heart, like we were talking about little children in the beginning, like it's all possible. It's all possible. And we need to remember that the conditioning that we receive is about making us small and sit more in a box and be less of who we are. And so I could sit here and tell you you're meant to do you have this fabulous singing career and go out in the world and be, you know, touring?
00;54;47;15 - 00;55;02;21
Gina
And if you don't have that connection to your creative power, you'll never do it. No matter how much you want to. You have to have that connection. Your creative power, and then we can start to listen to and find those inner dreams and begin to follow them.
00;55;02;23 - 00;55;22;02
Stephie
I love that. I love that so much. And I just want to pull out a few things. From what you shared in this part of the conversation is I want to highlight that you mentioned gentle. It's meant to be gentle, and if you are terrified and you might not be ready for that next step, there will be a gentle step that you can take.
00;55;22;04 - 00;55;48;27
Stephie
I think a lot of the people that are here are ready for a big change and also probably have felt a bit of suffering in the path that they've taken so far. You're allowed to be gentle with yourself. You're allowed to go slowly and it should feel good. Everything that you described sounded fun. You know, it's a way to get back to your self and understanding of yourself.
00;55;48;27 - 00;56;12;15
Stephie
And there will be moments of that that are uncomfortable. But ultimately, the goal is to feel that joy that you did on stage dancing with tigers. You know, it's this process will bring you back to that feeling, be kind to yourself and just feel that joy. So I love where we started here and will be coming back with part two.
00;56;12;22 - 00;56;30;12
Stephie
And if people need to take time through this series, take time like sit with connecting back to your creative power for as long as you need to, until that starts to feel comfortable and you feel like you've gotten there and then you can move on to step two of finding your genius. But be patient with yourself. Be patient.
00;56;30;14 - 00;56;54;16
Stephie
So thank you so much. One last thing before you go. It would mean the absolute world to me if you could tap those cute five little stars wherever you're listening. If you just click the show's name on your screen right now, it'll take you to the show's page where you can rate and review with your thoughts. And it is a tremendous deal in the charts so that more people can join this community.
00;56;54;17 - 00;56;56;02
Stephie
I am so grateful.