Podcast Summary: Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice

Episode: The Universe Is Hiring: Finding Purpose and Taking Action with Anniston Riekstins
Host: Ryan Alford
Date: March 10, 2026

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode centers on finding genuine purpose, building a life aligned with your true self, and the crucial role of taking action instead of just learning or wishing. Anniston Blair Riekstins—leadership coach, SVP, podcast co-host, and author of The Universe Is Hiring—shares her personal journey from advertising exec to coach and author, offering insight on integrating all aspects of your identity, overcoming self-doubt, and moving from self-development consumption to meaningful, real-world application.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Path of Self-Discovery & Integration

• Early Questions & Double Life:
  • Anniston describes how, even in her early 20s in a "dream" ad agency job, she felt restless and started questioning the path she was on.
  • "I started asking questions, well, what do I really want to do and what am I good at? …My path was being created out of necessity for myself and I became the student. I was a student of myself." (01:00)
• Living Authentically:
  • She realized she was living a divided life—corporate leader by day, spiritual coach at home. The fear of what colleagues would think made her suppress her whole self in professional life.
  • Her husband Rudy’s example—showing up authentically at work and seeing extraordinary results—gave her the push to start embracing her true self everywhere.
  • "I know I'll never get where I want to go unless I can start being who I want to be. And that means everywhere. Not just at home." (11:48)

2. The Myths of Time and Productivity

• Challenging Your Story About Time:
  • Anniston and Ryan both emphasize that 'not having time' is often an excuse, not a reality.
  • "We make the time for what we want to make it for… You subconsciously start to make that a valid reason why you don't do it, but it doesn't necessarily make it valid.” – Ryan (04:03)
  • Anniston shares how writing her book meant sacrificing late-night pleasures for pre-dawn work, illustrating that choice defines priorities:
  • "When I was writing this book, …the cost was late night Netflix. It was going out for late nights and late dinners. I just couldn't have both. But this was more important to me. So it was a choice." (04:30)

3. From Consumption to Action: The Personal Development Trap

• Learning is Not Enough:
  • Both speakers are candid about the “guru economy”—people endlessly learning but not applying knowledge.
  • "I was learning so much, I was consuming, consuming so much information. But nothing was really changing in my life… And it's because I was missing a really important element, which is actually taking something from the book, applying it, experiencing it." – Anniston (06:50)
  • "Ideas don't create change. And hope is not a strategy." – Ryan (08:02)

4. The Book: The Universe Is Hiring

• What to Expect: Actionable Self-Work
  • Anniston describes the book as hands-on, experience-driven. Every chapter includes exercises designed to drive genuine change—not just inspiration.
  • Example: “Authentic Self Resume”—an exercise challenging readers to draft a resume, not about their career, but their authentic self, strengths, and unique value.
  • “My goal is that you could literally read one chapter and it could be life changing for you if you just do the exercise and actually go through the process of that experience.” (15:37)
• Rediscovering Forgotten Dreams:
  • Anniston wants the book to help people reconnect with passions and dreams they may have dismissed as unrealistic.
  • "My goal in the beginning of the book is really to help bring people back into who they are at their core. And then from there… how can you start today being who you came here to be and fulfilling the role that I believe that we all have uniquely." (15:37)

5. Core Obstacles: Self-Doubt and Fear of the Unknown

• Root Causes of Inaction:
  • Anniston points to self-doubt and discomfort with uncertainty as the two big blocks to purposeful action.
  • "Some people, they're just naturally unsure of themselves, and then some people just don't like the unknown." – Ryan (17:38)
  • Anniston frames how internalizing your unique “gift” would change how you show up:
  • "If you believed that, like, how would you show up, up to your life? Would you show up being like all meek and mild? Or would you show up and be like, hey, I got something." (18:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the book’s genesis:

  • "It was one of those moments where I was, like, in a meditation, and it just landed. I saw the book cover, I saw the title. I had the outline. It was just like a present that landed in my brain. I can't take credit." – Anniston (02:39)

• Anniston on self-application:

  • "You could take a book, one singular book, and you could apply one singular idea from a book and it will change your life forever. But if you don't apply anything, it's kind of wasted space. It's just an idea. But ideas don't create change." (06:50)

• On living with integrity:

  • "I know I'll never get where I want to go unless I can start being who I want to be. And that means everywhere. Not just at home." – Anniston (11:48)

• Ryan’s praise for authenticity:

  • "There's something super credible… when someone has lived and breathed and developed these concepts through their own personal development. I think that makes this highly credible because you're almost your biggest case study." (14:30)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Self-Discovery & Building a Purposeful Life:
  [01:00] – [04:30]

• The Real Cost of Time and Compartmentalizing Priorities
  [04:30] – [06:23]

• Learning vs. Doing: Action as the Missing Ingredient
  [06:23] – [08:02]

• Tackling Self-Doubt and Integrating Your Authentic Self
  [08:19] – [11:48]

• Case Study: Rudy’s Unapologetic Authenticity at Work
  [11:48] – [13:55]

• What to Expect from “The Universe is Hiring” (Book Deep Dive)
  [15:37] – [17:38]

• Overcoming Self-Doubt & Fear of Uncertainty
  [17:38] – [19:05]

Links, Resources, and Where to Find Anniston

• Podcast: “Empowered Life” (Radcast Network)
  [19:05]
• Book: The Universe Is Hiring — available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and other online retailers [19:31]
• Follow Anniston: Instagram – @AnistonBlairRickSteins
• Website for more details: ryanisright.com [19:59]

Overall Tone & Takeaway

Casual, candid, and motivational—Ryan and Anniston cut through self-help platitudes and challenge listeners to stop waiting, start integrating their aspirations with their actions, and discover what truly makes them come alive. Fear, time excuses, and passive learning are debunked with practical exercises and real talk. The message is clear: the universe isn’t waiting—so it’s time to show up and get hired.