Caroline: 0:02

Have you ever looked around at your life, your job, your calendar, your carefully planned out path, and quietly wondered, how did I end up here? Today's guest has asked herself that same question, and instead of pushing it down, she followed the thread. That question became an invitation to pause, reflect, and realign not just once, but over and over again. She's a TEDx speaker, an entrepreneur, a coach, an educator, and someone who knows what it's like to go from burnout to grounded, from boxed in to fully expressed. Because sometimes your Next Success isn't about striving harder it's about remembering who you are. And living from that place. Welcome to your next success, the podcast that helps you break free from paths that no longer fit and step into the life and career you were designed for. I am Dr. Caroline Sangal, and around here we don't believe success is one size fits all. We believe it's personal, powerful, and deeply aligned. Because the goal isn't to impress the world. It is to live fully as the person you were created to be. Today I am joined by Kristin Hiemstra, an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, coach, and educator who helps people reconnect with their potential and show up with more clarity, confidence, and emotional intelligence. she's the founder of The Art of Potential, has taught MBA students at NC State and is known for her honest conversations, deep insight and practical approach to real transformation. Kristin doesn't just teach alignment, she lives it. And in this conversation you'll hear how. In this episode, you'll learn how Kristen navigated early career confusion and found direction through curiosity, the real emotional toll of misalignment and how she healed from it. What emotional intelligence looks like in everyday life and leadership, why fulfillment isn't about checking boxes, but listening to the deeper call. And how she's building something new, bold and values driven with the We the People community. Welcome, Kristin, to the podcast, your next success. I'm super excited to have you on today. You've always been amazingly insightful and helpful, so I know that our audience will really love having you. So welcome.

Kristin Hiemstra: 2:47

Well thank you Caroline. I'm super excited to be here today. like my favorite topic to talk about.

Caroline: 2:53

Oh, great. This is great. Yeah. You have spent quite, some years on it, so I'd love to kind of walk through a bit of your career journey, how you started, why you chose even what you chose to study in school. All of those things. So help us understand more about you or actually when you were a kid, did you have a dream job that you thought you'd want to do?

Kristin Hiemstra: 3:18

So when I was a kid I used to play school a lot. That was probably it, but I didn't have a dream job. But I would line up all my stuffed animals and write on my blackboard and play school.

Caroline: 3:30

Nice. Nice. Did they ask good questions?

Kristin Hiemstra: 3:36

I am sure they did, and they were exactly questions that I knew the answers to, which is always a relief.

Caroline: 3:44

Did you have siblings growing-up?

Kristin Hiemstra: 3:46

I did. But the age difference is pretty significant. One of my sisters is five years younger than I am, and the other is seven. And so when you're playing

Caroline: 3:54

They weren't ready to be your students

Kristin Hiemstra: 3:55

in that play stage, we weren't really.

Caroline: 3:57

Yeah. They weren't

Kristin Hiemstra: 3:58

so.

Caroline: 3:58

to be your students basically.

Kristin Hiemstra: 4:00

No They weren't.

Caroline: 4:01

Yeah. Yeah.

Kristin Hiemstra: 4:03

And they might have asked questions I didn't know the answer to. So there's always that risk.

Caroline: 4:09

Okay. Well then as you got into, high school and all of that, how did you choose what you wanted to end up going to college for? how did that come about?

Kristin Hiemstra: 4:19

So I didn't go to college, with a particular end game in mind. And. While in college, I think declared four different majors. Declared, not like half-assed, like full on declared. And they were things that I had been interested in. I started my journey thinking I was gonna go into athletic training, and so I was taking, you know, the anatomy classes and working in the, trainer's room and doing all that. And then I decided I didn't like that and I really started to enjoy religion. I found religion fascinating and there was also a dance with psychology and then I really liked city planning and finally I ended up with a degree in anthropology, which if you're familiar with it, it's the umbrella which houses all of that. So I ended up loving it once I found it.'Cause I could dance in the physical side and study monkeys and do that, and then I could, and cultural anthropology ended up becoming what I really fell in love with.

Caroline: 5:31

Well that's so cool. Right. So then help us understand, so then after that, After you, you know, got your undergrad degree, and then what? And then how did you get your job, where did you go all of those things?

Kristin Hiemstra: 5:45

Right. It was, but it's not a big field for getting work, I'm just gonna say that. Well, so I was super interested in environmental stuff and it was in the late eighties and there was a massive recession. And so I went with the intent of doing that work, and it took me a really long time, and it was very, probably one of the most stressful times, if not the most stressful time in my life. I moved to DC after I graduated, so, and I was on my own. So you know, I was doing temp jobs, I was trying to get work. It wasn't nearly as easy to do resumes as it is now. You know, all those kinds of things. And I tried every environmental organization and just couldn't crack the code to getting in there. So I ended up through networking, working for a news organization that sold, news stories. So if you, had the local spelling bee champion goes to the national championship in Washington DC you would hire our news team to go interview them.'cause you're not gonna send your full news crew. And so we were the Washington, you know, group for that. And so that was my first life experience, understanding the power of networking and having friends looking for jobs for you, and also being open. Like, you know, it's good to have a focus and to do everything you can, but you also have to be open-minded enough. And I temped, I waited tables, I hostess like I did all the other things because again, you have to support yourself. But yeah. And then eventually I did end up at an environmental organization, and they were not a healthy organization, which it was my, like one of my first jobs, I didn't know what a healthy organization looked like as opposed to an unhealthy one, and it ended up being very toxic. I left before all the lawsuits happened, but it ended up being quite a, quite a thing, and I learned from that experience as well.

Caroline: 8:01

That's so interesting. What was it about Washington DC that you just took leap on your own to go there.

Kristin Hiemstra: 8:12

Well, so I graduated from UNC and Chapel Hill. I had a romantic. I'm trying to remember if we were dating at that time. A guy I had started, I'm married to him now. So we had started dating when I was, in the first college I attended, which was Hope College in Holland, Michigan. And a roommate of mine, and a friend of mine from high school was going to Georgetown Law. So I had connections up there, so I wasn't gonna stay here. And so, you know, and if I was to do hindsight, I probably, I always wanted to go to California. You know, in hindsight I'm like, well, I really should have picked up and gone. But I didn't have, I wasn't that brave, at the time. But I don't know. And DC it's happening. There's so much to do. I loved living up there. It was just great.

Caroline: 9:09

it's interesting that you got into that toxic organization, because I know that some of the things that you've since then have been on emotional intelligence

Kristin Hiemstra: 9:17

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Caroline: 9:21

hot to have good cultures all of those that help shape your interest?

Kristin Hiemstra: 9:23

yeah. Oh, for sure. For sure. Because an organization is only as functional as the people who are in it, and they're only as functional as they show up to work. Like I've worked in so many groups where people have been like, if we could just like they do their job well, if we could just get them to leave their personality behind, you know, how great would that be? And if you haven't, you will hear that in the workplace because people show up with all of themselves. Right? And so, the toxicity and there were some value misalignments that were also, happening there, which I don't do well with when I'm misaligned in a value position and I learned a lot. The toll it takes emotionally, physically, psychologically, all of that, because that's your life, like when you are, that you're spending all of your time with those people doing that thing, and then everything else is kind of extra.

Caroline: 10:32

So talk to me a little bit about what was your experience with those tolls on the emotional, physical, all of that When, you were in that toxic, what did it? I think this is something a lot of people don't understand and they don't realize cause their stuck in the middle of it. And sometimes if they hear.

Kristin Hiemstra: 10:47

Oh God.

Caroline: 10:47

But like for

Kristin Hiemstra: 10:48

Okay.

Caroline: 10:48

me it was blood pressure.

Kristin Hiemstra: 10:50

Yeah.

Caroline: 10:50

eating my feelings and being so exhausted that I would numb out after coming home

Kristin Hiemstra: 10:56

Oh yeah.

Caroline: 10:57

And I wasn't the person I wanted, I was definitely wasn't the person my husband married, and I wasn't the person I wanted my little people to see as a mom. But yeah mom it for you? What were what were your experiences

Kristin Hiemstra: 11:07

Similar but at a different point in life. So, one thing I started really grinding my teeth, and I would have all these dreams about all my teeth falling out. I remember that. So specifically, at that time in my life, I smoked cigarettes. So I was smoking and people smoked in the office. so there was that. Then there's this. For me it was a mental health cycle of, self-doubt of, one thing I learned there is when you bring someone into an organization and you onboard them, you also really need to train them. And the training wasn't there. So while I was making mistakes, it was like. Nobody had taught. And then when I did, you know, when they did train me there, there still wasn't this time to figure out what I was being trained on, if that makes any sense. Like,'cause you do what you iterate like. You know, we were talking when we got started, you were like, this is a new platform for me. I'm learning how to use it. And it takes a couple times before you truly get something. And so when I work with, when I coach people, or when I'm talking about fixing an organization's culture or emotional intelligence, that's a big piece of it is, you know, give people the time and the space to make mistakes without judgment. Yeah, so it was, and you know, you said numb your feelings. I'm sure I was drinking more than I should have. That tends to be my go-to for numbing. I know people have all kinds of, you know, healthier ways or not as healthy ways. But yeah, all of those things for sure, because you take it with you and then your self-esteem also really takes a hit in environments like that.

Caroline: 13:02

Absolutely, and plus even I guess at that kind of age and stage of development. For me, and maybe for you too. It took a while before I was separate that than what I did. Right. And so my identity was so tied up in my job.

Kristin Hiemstra: 13:19

Right.

Caroline: 13:20

if I wasn't, if I felt I wasn't doing my best and my job, then I wasn't the worthiness whole thing

Kristin Hiemstra: 13:25

Yeah.

Caroline: 13:26

and all of that

Kristin Hiemstra: 13:27

A hundred percent.

Caroline: 13:27

And now I'm like my worth is not in question and here's what I do. You like that some. growing

Kristin Hiemstra: 13:36

Well, but that's a life lesson, Caroline Like, you know, that's a, that's a lesson. Like if I could give the people, the lessons I've learned and just give them to them. You know, I would, because I don't want you to go through the same crap that I did, you know? And, and you're kind of in the same, like you've learned how to realize your worth and your value. And then the other thing I'll add is. When you come out, whether it's a toxic relationship, if it's a toxic relationship, whether it's personal, you know, familial, work, it doesn't friend whatever, you still have some sense of PTSD around that. And so that's also something that peels away over the years and you know, all that kind of stuff.

Caroline: 14:26

So as you left that toxic place or how did it go from DC then to school counselor? Like How was that leap?

Kristin Hiemstra: 14:37

Then I can't remember what I worked for another organization, DC has a lot of nonprofits and I worked for an association and really hated the job and was so bored in it and decided my husband decided to go become a teacher. And he worked on Capitol Hill. He was a lobbyist and he decided that he really wanted to be a teacher, and this is the petty side of myself that I'm gonna expose to everybody. But I knew that if he had the summers off and I had to go to work every day, that I would be pissed. And I knew that I wanted to have a career and also have the capacity. We didn't have kids at the time, but that was on the horizon, and I wanted to have time with them. In DC where we lived at the time, if you work downtown, you know it was an hour to an hour and a half to get to work. So you get to work by eight 30 or nine, then you leave at 5:30 6:00, and then you have an hour and a half commute home. And so you're like on this gerbil wheel that's going so fast and I did not want to be an absentee parent. And then I was like, okay, well I'm gonna go back to school, get a master's degree education. And I did both high school and college, tracks because I liked both of them. And I really enjoyed both tracks to be honest with you. And then I knew I didn't wanna be in a classroom, so it was like, okay, I don't wanna be in a classroom. What do I like? Well, I really like talking to people. so how can I make that work? So that's, how I ended up in there.

Caroline: 16:28

That's interesting. And so did you, how did you get back to North Carolina then?

Kristin Hiemstra: 16:35

9/11 happened and I had two children and I told my husband, I said, you know, if you're a terrorist, you're gonna come back and bomb Washington, DC. You're not gonna bomb like North Carolina, or his family lived in Albany, New York, or you know, you're not going to go to those places. So basically I said to him, we're moving. You can figure out where you can do that, but we are moving because I am not going to put, I'm not gonna have this risk. And so that was some negotiation. We ended up moving, by my family, which was what I ultimately wanted, but he needed to make that decision, not me.'cause I had made the decision we were going to leave, but we looked at like Charlottesville, Virginia, we looked at Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Like we looked a lot of places. It wasn't like, you know, like, let's figure this out together.

Caroline: 17:37

And

Kristin Hiemstra: 17:38

that's how we ended up,

Caroline: 17:39

first? Did he like, did you move here? and then find it? And then

Kristin Hiemstra: 17:43

No.

Caroline: 17:44

he found you found a job? Or did he end up researching and then that's where hired, so that's were you went.

Kristin Hiemstra: 17:50

It was, we got into the hiring cycle for the school district locally, and so we both ended up with jobs in the school district, not at the same school, but we both had jobs in the school district for when we moved. We didn't move until we had jobs. At that point, you know, we had children, so it's a little bit different. When you can't walk out without insurance and all that kind of stuff. And I will say it was a shock because the insurance at our last school. The school district we worked in in Virginia was so much better. We didn't even know that was a thing. And that, that's one thing I would say to people is really find out about insurance. Like I was, for my first pregnancy, I was hospitalized for a month and it cost me$20. I had my knee reconstructed. I have a knee issue and it cost me$20. So, I mean, just, you know, I'm sure I was also paying for health insurance whatever, but you know.

Caroline: 18:59

But yeah. The differences amongst, I think even when we had kids, one of my sister-in-laws worked for well-known pharmaceutical company and her insurance was not as good as the insurance that I had for a

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:14

Yeah,

Caroline: 19:14

regular old adhesives company.

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:16

Yeah.

Caroline: 19:16

It might have been twenty dollars to end-up having

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:18

Right,

Caroline: 19:18

emergency C-section and big hospital stay and all of that.

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:22

Right,

Caroline: 19:22

And her's was not. And I was like.

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:24

Yeah.

Caroline: 19:24

How does this make any sense? You are working for a company that deals people's health all the

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:28

right.

Caroline: 19:28

time.

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:29

Right.

Caroline: 19:30

How does,

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:30

Yeah.

Caroline: 19:31

How's is that, that even a possibility. Okay, so. Somewhere along the lines, you decided to have this entrepreneurial spirit as well concurrently with some.

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:43

Yeah.

Caroline: 19:44

How did that, how did that unfold?

Kristin Hiemstra: 19:47

Well, and I think unfold is the right word. So even when we lived in DC they used to have this great thing called Women's Information Network. And you could go around and talk to these fantastic women and I took a class in how to be a through them, like how to be a female entrepreneur. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I just liked the idea and that was kind of a side hustle, right? I had my first, my job, but I knew I wanted a side hustle where I had dominion over my time and my income and all that kind of stuff. And so it wasn't until goodness, I ended up in another toxic situation. That wasn't gonna get there was I had no power in that particular situation and that's when I decided finally to go out on my own. So

Caroline: 20:49

And, what did you, when you went out on your own then what were, work you were doing?

Kristin Hiemstra: 20:54

I was doing private college coaching. Yep. And I'm still doing private college coaching. It's been a very good, it is been perfect'cause I can do it as a side hustle. I can do it as my main, I can do it as a side hustle. Like it's been a very good, for me, a good fit. If I were to advise my younger self, I would say find something that has residual income. That's my mid fifties looking back and kind of seeing the landscape a lot more. And that's the advice I just gave to my 22-year-old.

Caroline: 21:29

So what do you mean by residual income? Help people understand what that means.

Kristin Hiemstra: 21:33

So there's a few ways that you can do it. So what really set this off for me is I have two very different friends. One of my friends makes movies and he's at a position where if his movie does well, he gets residuals and his movie just. really knocked it out of the park. It's doing incredibly well. And I'm sitting there going, wow, you know, for that year that he worked on that project for the rest of his life, you know,'cause this is one of those movies that's gonna have a long thing. He's going to be making income from it. So it's an investment that it's going to keep giving the other friend of mine. Is she has just a bunch of small rental properties. So for her, she's getting the income from the rentals, as well as the property values increase, she's making money through that aspect as well. So it's finding and investments can be residual income. Like, you know they just keep giving there. There's lots of ways you can do it. I have a, another friend who she has a big full-time job in town and she's developing storylines for Disney. Like, so there's lots of things that you can do to kind of find your own. It has to be something that you enjoy because that's what, but in a way where you're going to see the payoff for a long period of time.

Caroline: 23:13

I get it. Welcome. Back before the break, Kristen had shared how entrepreneurship gave her freedom and why residual income and personal alignment became non-negotiables. Now we shift into the next chapter how she's reentered the education world. Why emotional intelligence became her mission and what she's building now with the we the people community. Let's keep going. How did you go then from kind of having your own thing to then getting back into, well, I guess did you always, was the entrepreneurship always the side hustle or did it become the main hustle and then you went back into a full-time job and tell us about that.

Kristin Hiemstra: 24:43

So I worked for one school, which was toxic, and then I left that school right as the market crashed. So the economy that I thought was going to be there to support me was not, but I had a set of skills that I could then parlay into another similar job working for a school. So I did that and that ended up being a much healthier organization. So I stayed with that for a really long time. And then I was like, okay, now I'm ready to just walk away from this particular side, because as a school counselor, you're really, 80% of your time is spent dealing with some. things that you really just don't wanna spend your time dealing with. It's not, you don't have kids coming in and talking to you. It's administrivia. So anyway, and so I decided that then to do, and so I've been on my own now for quite a while.

Caroline: 25:51

And then you'd gone back

Kristin Hiemstra: 25:52

and you were teaching

Caroline: 25:53

in college. How was that? How

Kristin Hiemstra: 25:56

That was another really fun side hustle. I taught MBA students at North Carolina State, emotional intelligence and creating organizational culture, and I loved it. I loved it. It was so much fun and it gave me a chance to reconnect with my corporate experience as well as to be the teacher teaching content that I loved and that kind of felt all in alignment. And that's why, like I said, I could not be a a high school teacher'cause I didn't love any of the content. Like my husband teaches high school history. He loves history. No one in high schools learning emotional intelligence and you know, anthropology, things about organizational culture Anyway, so that was really fun for me to teach those programs. And again, I got that opportunity through a friend who was a full professor there and they were looking for people to offer these particular things for the leadership certificate. And I happened to fit the bill.

Caroline: 27:05

Oh, that's so cool. Why don't we teach emotional intelligence in school? Younger ages. I feel like maybe of them are montessori schools kind give back culture that culture of grace and you know. Even if I look at my own went to montessori, one did not.

Kristin Hiemstra: 27:22

Oh, they all do.

Caroline: 27:22

They have different skills.

Kristin Hiemstra: 27:24

Oh, totally. And private schools all teach it. And teach it so well, I mean, and there's lots of programs, but in the public school it has become very controversial and it is not. I did a TED talk on this because it's so.

Caroline: 27:40

Did a great TED Talk. Will link that in the show notes too.

Kristin Hiemstra: 27:43

I mean, it's so imperative that kids learn it. But when you start talking about empathy, you have to start talking about people who are different than you are. And that can include the color of their skin, their sexuality, their values, their religion, you know, all the isms. Have to be addressed as you learn how to be compassionate and empathetic and you know, all of that. And for people who are, in a difficult position position that can be very triggering. It makes them feel like you're giving permission for kids to do things that you're not, you're you're trying to say, you know, this person, even though they're a Muslim or you know, Jewish or Christian or whatever, you know, and that is very, very triggering, which is unfortunate because we're all souls trying to figure out how to exist in this planet, right? now the California school systems do an excellent job, like it's integrated into their curriculum, but they're also kind of seen as these crazy left wing liberals. right? But there's not a teacher who doesn't want emotional intelligence taught in their classroom because it changes the dynamic. It changes everything

Caroline: 29:08

How do you think that having emotional intelligence, emotional, you know, resilience, does that equate to success or fulfillment?

Kristin Hiemstra: 29:19

They're two different things. I think you embody one of'em so much, which is the self-worth, right? So if we teach children to truly understand their value, to be open to receiving constructive feedback about being a dork or being a jerk or whatever, but not to let that impede their understanding of their own value. Then that builds true confidence in them because they feel worthy and they, also have greater resilience because your message to them is where we started this conversation of iterating like, you made a mistake. Like, you know, you tried this math problem and you didn't get any of it right? But what did you learn is very different than. Wow, you failed that. Like, and so the internal dialogue gets totally changed when, when that's the understanding, right? The fulfillment. And I do think schools could do a lot more to build true confidence in students. And it doesn't, it bothers me. They're so academic, and I know that sounds weird, talking about a school. I also feel like schools are overtaxed with having too many of society's problems to deal with. I don't think that's a fair, label to put on schools. But, expanding what an education is, I think would be beneficial to all of us in, you know, like school shootings. They aren't a thing when we were growing up. Like, you know that's, and the people who are doing the shootings are, they tend to be loners. They tend not to have those skill sets. I'm going off on a tangent here. But I was shocked when we would have a tragedy in the school, we would always set up our crisis teams and the kids who came in were the goth kids. They weren't necessarily the other ones that had these big support systems. They were our most fragile kids. And you wouldn't know that by looking at them.

Caroline: 31:32

Yeah.

Kristin Hiemstra: 31:32

I remember being shocked. Like, when I first had to go through that for the first time, and then I just knew to expect it. I was like, oh okay. Now fulfillment is something where. You have, it's almost like an urge from inside of you to do something. For example, you doing this podcast, this urge, this desire, it's like this drive, right? This fire in your belly and the fulfillment comes from that expression. And you need both and I wish we helped connect people more with the fire in their belly so that they could, because the fulfillment you get is like nothing else.

Caroline: 32:17

Yeah.

Kristin Hiemstra: 32:17

Because you're expressing your soul's purpose. You're expressing, you know, what you came to do. And so it's only in that moment where you're gonna find the alignment that you're looking for.

Caroline: 32:32

I think sometimes people are just so busy in the moment of what they think they're to supposed do. That their not

Kristin Hiemstra: 32:38

totally.

Caroline: 32:38

silent enough to listen and realize. Hey, I was put here on purpose for a purpose only I can do, and what is that? And the longer that I'm, you know, settling, the longer that I'm just life pass by and not fully living it, the more I that not only am I missing out on my own true

Kristin Hiemstra: 32:57

Okay.

Caroline: 32:58

things. But the world is missing out on what I can contribute.

Kristin Hiemstra: 33:02

it,

Caroline: 33:02

Why do you think people are getting this wrong? That they're not feeling or trusting or taking a leap to go do their purpose.

Kristin Hiemstra: 33:14

Well, I think you hit it. I think they're afraid. I think fear is a big piece of it because first of all. You need health insurance and we are not a nation where you are insured and so you have no safety net. That's why I feel like those side hustles are so important to have an expression for that energy because you do have to support yourself. And you know, I did a lot of research on organizational culture. I research Denmark quite a bit because they are the happiest country. They have the happiest employees. I surveyed a lot of'em. Most of'em were seven outta 10 happy at their work. And they have all these systems set up. To make sure that the person is doing a role they like, and if that person loses their job, that they have a support system and ample income, so they're not like, you know, that panic doesn't set in. So I think until people feel safe and it's emotionally, physically, psychologically, spiritually, because the other thing is when you're talking about somebody's soul calling it. you know, that, quote in the Bible, light under a bushel, you know, don't put your light under a bushel. But that light is also so fragile that the first time you come out with it. Again, getting back to this iteration thing, it may not land with anybody. And then you're like, oh, you know, because you've taken a risk and you haven't succeeded and it's been something that's, that's sacred to you and that hurts a lot. So so you might like push it on the back burner. And then there's also the narrative in society that success is equated with finances or, you know, having a lot of economic power. And so like I can't tell you how many bored overworked or how many people hate being lawyers. Like there's a reason that it's called, you know. The job that people do that they hate, and recovering lawyer is the thing that, you know, you find my nurse was a lawyer. Like you find a lot of people who have done that. But I think to your point, not reflecting because it's. And there's also, I wanna add parental, I don't know who your audience is, but there are some cultures where the parents define what the job is going to be. You're gonna be a doctor, you're gonna be an engineer, you're gonna be, and, and that's already defined for the student, and they just know what they need to do to follow in those footsteps,

Caroline: 36:00

Yeah. I've experienced, not, not me personally. I've known lot of people

Kristin Hiemstra: 36:05

right?

Caroline: 36:05

who you know, spend alot of time doing something. And even if they do it well.

Kristin Hiemstra: 36:10

Right,

Caroline: 36:11

But their life because they're acting out somebody else's definition of success, somebody else's definition of what their life could be instead of fully embracing and stepping into their own.

Kristin Hiemstra: 36:23

Hundred percent. And it doesn't even have to be an intimate, like, it doesn't even have to be a parent. It can be society's idea. Like you think, oh, you know, society wants, I'm going to be an You know, that's gonna be great. You know, like, what is it? The only person that really should care is you. So.

Caroline: 36:41

That's true. So, you mentioned that before we got on this, that you're in the midst of a career transition yourself.

Kristin Hiemstra: 36:47

Yeah.

Caroline: 36:49

What's all that about?

Kristin Hiemstra: 36:51

So right now as I look at the political system, it is broken. In my opinion, and I don't like it. And I was like, well, who's gonna fix it? And I couldn't come up with anybody. And I was like, well, that means that it's something I can work on because the people that I see when I say who's gonna fix it to me, it's still locked in party ideologies. And most of the people I talk to on both sides believe that the system is broken the way that it's doing now. So I'm starting an organization, it's called. We the people and it's dot community. I loved that I was able to get that website. Wethepeople.community. Because community is, if you look at the founding Fathers intentions, that's really what it was like, bringing together people in a positive way to self govern. And we have abdicated a lot of our power as. Citizens and so I don't know. Again, going back to the whole iterative thing, I don't know exactly what it's gonna look like. It's truly like, if you think of it in terms of a person, it's an infant. Like I'm staring at it going, what's your personality going to be like? You know anybody who's had a kid, right? Your kid comes out and you're like, I don't know who you are. You're gonna show me over time and I'm going to. So that's the stage I am right now. I'm looking at it going, I know this is what I want. I want this so much. I'm not sure what it's going to look like. But I'm still doing my college coaching. I'm still doing some career stuff. Like I'm still doing those pieces as I move to this next chapter. So it becomes fluid.

Caroline: 38:52

So you're building this new thing while still. Utilizing the tools and the systems that you made for your the other ones too.

Kristin Hiemstra: 39:01

Absolutely.

Caroline: 39:02

That's so cool.

Kristin Hiemstra: 39:05

And that system has worked for me.

Caroline: 39:08

So how can people find you? Like what could people get your help with and how do they find

Kristin Hiemstra: 39:14

Sure.

Caroline: 39:15

you? Which place should they go to actually get your time.

Kristin Hiemstra: 39:17

Right. So my website is art of potential.com and then I have we the people.community, and I don't have, that will probably be up by the time this is, you know, aired and whatnot. But that is gonna be iterative. But if you, have coaching, life coaching, career coaching. College coaching, all those things. That's art of potential is the website to reach me?

Caroline: 39:48

Awesome. I do a lot with trying to help people find authentic success. How do you define authentic success for you in this moment?

Kristin Hiemstra: 40:02

It's when I feel that I'm expressing what my soul's purpose is in the career format. I mean, I think we have many purposes life lessons. Like I think one of your purposes for being in this world was to learn how to feel worthy, right? Like that's additional. But you're also part of your you know, there's a lot of mirrors to many facets of us. This career piece is also you like being authentic and expressing you have this amazing skillset, you know, and it feels like your giving, it's the joy of the giving of what you have to offer is what I feel. Then you've hit your authentic spot when you're super excited and we all know people who like throw up their gift on you and you're like, oh, I didn't want that. Right. So you do have to find your tribe, like the people are gonna resonate with it. But that to me, and then the other piece I would say is there's an authenticity about growing and realizing we're here to expand and become more and to learn and give ourself grace as we're doing that, and give others grace as they're doing it as well. So that's where I feel like. The authenticity pieces. And you can't be authentic unless you've done a personal inventory, unless you know what you're about. And that it's trial and error as well as, you know, a deep dive. Like it's both end.

Caroline: 41:42

That's true. Well I want to thank you so much for being on this podcast, sharing a little bit more about your gifts and talents, your journeys. I'm here to normalize questioning your career and also support everyone with those stories.

Kristin Hiemstra: 41:59

You know, a hundred percent and you know, the statistics as well as I do, it's about every seven years. The seven year itch is, it's a real thing that you see people starting to, there's a cycle that's involved so.

Caroline: 42:12

Well, thank you kristen, for being part of your Next Success. And I can't wait to hear more about your Next Success

Kristin Hiemstra: 42:18

I know, right?

Caroline: 42:19

we the people dot community

Kristin Hiemstra: 42:19

Me neither.

Caroline: 42:21

Maybe we'll have to have you back to, update everybody on how that goes.

Kristin Hiemstra: 42:26

Yeah. Well, let me get a little bit, I'd love to talk about it more when I know more about it,

Caroline: 42:32

If this conversation stirred something in you, don't push it aside. That pull you feel, that whisper. It is not a coincidence. You can connect with Kristin at www.art of potential.com or explore her new initiative at WethePeople.community. She's a TEDx speaker, coach, educator, and someone who has walked the very path. She now helps others navigate with wisdom, depth, and grace. And if you're ready to align your life and career in a way that finally fits, visit nextsuccesscareers.com to explore tools, coaching and courses to guide you forward. Kristin, thank you so much for sharing your heart, your story, and your insight with us. It is such a gift to hear someone speak from lived experience, not just knowledge. And I know so many listeners are walking away with more clarity and hope today. You don't have to keep performing a version of success that leaves you drained. You don't have to wait for something to break before you choose something better and you are not behind. Your Next Success isn't somewhere far off. It is already within you, just waiting to be lived. Thanks for listening. I am grateful that you are here, and I'll see you next time. Keep going. You're not done yet. Thanks for listening to Your Next Success with Dr. Caroline Sangal. Remember, authentic success is yours to define and includes aligning your career to support the life you want.