Help Wanted Podcast Episode Summary
Episode Title: How to Make Space for Your Next Big Opportunity
Release Date: January 23, 2025
Hosts: Jason Feifer (Entrepreneur Editor-in-Chief) and Nicole Lapin (Money Expert)
Description: On this episode of Help Wanted, Jason Feifer delves into the art of making room for new opportunities by embracing and strategically ending existing projects or commitments. Through personal anecdotes and actionable advice, listeners learn how to optimize their time and energy to foster growth and success in their professional lives.
1. Embracing Endings
Jason Feifer opens the discussion by highlighting a common oversight in personal and professional growth: the reluctance to celebrate endings. He emphasizes that endings are not inherently negative but are essential for conserving time and energy, achieving healthy conclusions, and paving the way for new beginnings.
Jason Feifer [01:56]: "We often don't celebrate endings. We think of them as failures or mistakes, as if the end invalidated everything else."
2. Personal Story: Ending a Community
Jason shares a poignant personal experience about discontinuing a community he built around his newsletter, One Thing Better. Initially launched as an engaging platform for his subscribers, the community eventually became unsustainable despite its growth to 160 members. The emotional journey of deciding to end the community illustrates the challenges and liberation that come with letting go.
Jason Feifer [04:06]: "Longtime readers of my newsletter might remember that about a year and change ago, I launched a community... the initial launch was a total embarrassing flop. It eventually grew to 160 members and was so fun... but it was also a lot of work."
3. The Three Guiding Questions for Embracing Endings
To assist listeners in making similar decisions, Jason outlines three critical questions inspired by his conversation with Mary Beth Westmoreland, VP of Technology at Amazon.
a. What is Not Making the Most Difference?
Identifying activities or projects that do not significantly contribute to one’s goals allows for better prioritization.
Jason Feifer [04:06]: "What is not making the most difference? Difference. Remember, that's what she said."
He encourages listeners to define what "difference" means in their context—whether it’s accelerating goals, improving lives, or other personal metrics—and use that definition to assess their current engagements.
b. What Would Happen If I Shut It Down?
Addressing fears about ending commitments by considering the long-term impact rather than immediate discomfort.
Jason Feifer [06:15]: "An ending isn't just about one moment... It's about all the other moments afterwards."
By contemplating how life would feel without the commitment, individuals can often realize the benefits of freeing up time and energy for more impactful endeavors.
c. What Purpose Did It Serve?
Understanding the role a project or commitment played in one’s life helps in appreciating its value and recognizing when its purpose has been fulfilled.
Jason Feifer [08:30]: "Everything we do serves some function in our lives. Everything we do taught us, trained us, or expanded us."
Through this reflection, Jason was able to acknowledge the benefits his community provided—such as lessons in community management and meaningful connections—while recognizing that these purposes had been fulfilled.
4. Insights and Benefits of Proactive Endings
Jason articulates the positive outcomes of consciously ending projects:
- Clarity and Relief: By ending non-essential commitments, individuals can experience a sense of clarity and relief, freeing up resources for new opportunities.
- Positive Feedback: Proactively ending a project can lead to supportive and understanding responses from those affected, as reflected in the gracious feedback Jason received from his community members.
Jason Feifer [09:45]: "Members wrote me the nicest emails... It's okay and even normal for that thing to evolve or not. The only project you really need to keep going is yourself."
5. Final Thoughts
Nicole Lapin briefly reiterates the support systems available through the Help Wanted podcast, encouraging listeners to reach out with their own work-related questions. The episode concludes with a light-hearted interaction between the hosts, emphasizing the community-centric and supportive nature of the show.
Notable Quotes:
- Jason Feifer [01:56]: "We often don't celebrate endings. We think of them as failures or mistakes, as if the end invalidated everything else."
- Mary Beth Westmoreland, VP of Technology at Amazon [03:44]: "We often have to stop doing things that are not going to make the most difference."
- Jason Feifer [09:45]: "The only project you really need to keep going is yourself."
Conclusion
In "How to Make Space for Your Next Big Opportunity," Jason Feifer provides a thoughtful and practical framework for assessing and ending commitments that no longer serve one's goals. By embracing endings, listeners can clear the path for new opportunities, ensuring their time and energy are invested in pursuits that truly matter. This episode serves as a valuable guide for anyone looking to optimize their professional journey and achieve greater satisfaction in their work and personal lives.