Ep.49 / How to Create a Career and Life that Makes You Happy: Harvard Business School Professor Christina Wallace
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Christina Wallace, a professor at Harvard Business School, is joining us to talk about how to avoid burnout, and how to create a career and life that makes you happy. And how your ceramics hobby can get you that higher paying job. Seriously. After a decade as a serial entrepreneur, Christina Wallace joined the faculty of Harvard Business School, where she is the course head of the first-year entrepreneurship class and runs the HBS startup bootcamp. Her latest book is The Portfolio Life, How to Future Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Business Card.
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In this episode you will learn:
How to explore different career opportunities
The difference between moonlighting and a side hustle
Cultivating relationships so you can succeed
Show Takeaways:
Do you feel like your job is your entire identity? Do you want to have a career that also allows you to have a life?
Christina Wallace, a professor at Harvard Business School, is joining us to talk about how to avoid burnout, and how to create a career and life that makes you happy. After a decade as a serial entrepreneur, Christina Wallace joined the faculty of Harvard Business School, where she is the course head of the first-year entrepreneurship class and runs the HBS startup bootcamp. Her latest book is The Portfolio Life, How to Future Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Business Card.
Plus check out an amazing podcast about friendship that my brother hosts called Man of the Year that was featured on the Today Show and in the NYTimes!“You are bigger than your current job. Your identity, your opportunity, your potential, it's so much greater than how you are currently monetizing your labor.”
“The idea when you're self-employed that you only have one source of income or one type of client or one business line, that's as risky as having only one full-time job.”
“You can get laid off at any point and if your identity is your job, that's going to be a really painful moment.”
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How To Be A Happier, Less Stressed & More Successful Parent: Click here!
EPISODE LINKS:
Connect with Christina on LinkedIn
The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and
Build a Life Bigger than Your Business Card: Click Here!
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Kim (00:02):
We have Harvard Professor Christina Wallace here helping you craft your career and life to avoid burnout and build a life bigger than your business card.
(00:12):
This is Mom's exit interview, the show for moms who want to craft the career and life they want. Each episode, you'll meet inspirational bombs across various industries and levels who are working and living life on their own terms, and they'll bring you actionable tips from finance to business development to happiness, to crushing that imposter syndrome. I'm Kim Whitford. I was a burnt out media executive at Netflix, US Weekly and in TV news. I wanted a career where I was fulfilled at work but present at home with my kids. So I started working for myself and I love it, but not every day was easy or is easy. I wanted to explore with all of you how other moms were creating careers on their own terms. They're carving out flex jobs, starting their own businesses, they're taking back control. Join me and make work, work for you instead of the other way around.
(01:16):
I have exciting news to share from my family. My brother Matt Ritter is hosting a podcast that is the number one friendship podcast that is huge. It's called Man of the Year, and he hosts it with his best friend from childhood, Aaron Cairo. They're both comedians, so it's really fun and it's all about the importance of friendship, how to make friends funny stories about friendship and what I really love, and they've been featured about it in the New York Times and the Today Show is about how so many people right now are feeling depressed, especially because of the pandemic and people are feeling lonelier than ever. So this show is really striking a chord and people are really into it. It's a fun, really fun podcast to listen to, but it also helps people. It truly brings people together to inspire people to reconnect and check in with their friends and be better friends.
(02:02):
So make sure to listen to Man of the Year. Very easy to go to Man of the Year on any podcast and give it a listen and drop, a rating and a review. Christina Wallace, a professor at Harvard Business School, is joining us to talk about so many things about how to avoid burnout, how to create a career in life that makes you happy and not burnt out. Let's get to it. All right. We have a very special and smart guest today. We have a lot of smart guests. This is one of them after a decade as a serial entrepreneur, Christina Wallace joined the faculty of Harvard Business School. You might have heard of it, where she's the course head of the first year entrepreneurship class and runs the HBS Startup Bootcamp. Her latest book is The Portfolio Life, how to Future Proof for Your Career, avoid Burnout and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Business Card. Christina, I mean, this is perfect for us. So talk to me about what does it mean to have a portfolio life? What does that mean? Sure.
Christina (02:54):
So I say it's built on these three ideas. Number one, you are bigger than your current job. Your identity, your opportunity, your potential. It's so much greater than how you are currently monetizing your labor. So that's step number one. Number two, diversification is your friend. This is what it's going to help you navigate all of the uncertainty that's in the world right now, but also give you options when you need change. And that leads us to point number three, which is you're going to want change. There are chapters of your life, certainly anyone with children recognizes what a big chapter that began for them, and you're going to want to rebalance your portfolio just like you rebalance your financial portfolio. So think about this in terms of chapters and then you can design a mix of activities that meet your needs and also help you drive toward your wants that fit that chapter of life.
Kim (03:51):
Okay, so talk to me about, are we talking for people who are in a career? I know that you had mentioned I in the book that our parents and our grandparents, they worked in the same job for decades. They got that paper weight or the gold watch or whatever. We don't really have that anymore. There's not that stability, right? Workers don't necessarily want that level of stability, but even a lot of companies don't even offer it anymore. When you're talking about you are more than any one role or opportunity. Let's say you take someone who's in a job, how do you apply to them?
Christina (04:22):
Yeah, so on the surface it means don't start in your head, but also in your introductions, how you show up in the world. Don't start from the point of like, I'm Christina and I am a digital marketer. What you do right now is digital marketing, but you are so much greater than that. Maybe you would say I'm a storyteller who loves numbers. I am really thoughtful about how to understand what people want and how to help them shift toward making that decision, that deciding to go down that funnel. So pull up one level from just what you do today. And the reason I say this is twofold. Number one, you can get laid off at any point as we are all seeing, and if your identity is your job, that's going to be a really painful moment. It's already a painful moment. Don't make it harder than it is.
(05:10):
But also because I think when I, I'm coaching folks that are particularly going through these transitions, when you start from, well, I'm a digital marketer, I am a blank, then you only look at opportunities within your industry that have a similar title, that have a listing of all the things they're looking for that match what you've already done. And you're missing so many other opportunities to zig and zag and quite frankly, to find maybe other spaces, other sectors that are willing to pay you more for literally the same skillset, but it has a different title, it has a different way of talking about that work. So kind of pulling up a level and really be open to who else could use my storytelling skills, how else might I put these quantitative skills to work beyond just this linear path I've been on? Because it's exactly as you said, our parents had that stability, which we don't have, but they were also constrained by that stability. They didn't really have the permission to zig and zag. And so I think that's the flip side of this. Like, oh, we don't get the gold watch anymore, but also we're given the space to zig and zag in a way that actually can be really incredibly fulfilling and flexible.
Kim (06:36):
So I love a few things that you said I love. First of all, I think there's that element of our culture. Our first thing is what do you do for a living and every party? And I think some of it is because we're so defined by our careers, but some of it is we just don't have better, less awkward icebreakers. Yes, sometimes I'm like, so what are your hobbies? And people look at me like I'm a total weirdo because people don't ask that at events or at networking events. But truly when you think about first of all your friends, my close friends are not people in my industry. They're people who I have things in common with, enjoy their comradery, just think they're a good friend, think they're fun. So I think number one, I like the idea of defining ourself in a different way and in terms of diversifying our skillset.
(07:19):
So for let's say that person who is a digital marketer and you're advocating, say I'm a storyteller who loves analytics. So sometimes it feels like when you're in the corporate world, it becomes hard to get a job that looks different based on your resume. Maybe you've had X years of this type of job, it becomes hard to shift into something else. So how do you advocate using that language, using that experience to preemptively let someone else know, I'm ready to take on this other job that has a totally different title, that it does not look like my resume, but this is why. How do you advocate that?
Christina (07:56):
Great question. I think there's two pieces. One is how do you get the experience that will position you for that new job? And you're right that a lot of times, especially in the corporate world, once you start down a path, you're not going to be given opportunities to expand that skillset. You're more likely going to be encouraged to focus even further. And so this is where your portfolio becomes really relevant. What are the other ways that you might get experience? You might be exposed to new ideas or build new skill sets. This could be hobbies, this could be volunteer work. I mean there's so many. You could join a club, you could think about what else am I curious about? If you're that digital marketer and you're like, I've been telling stories, I've been processing data. How are you learning about AI right now? Are you going down the path of understanding video?
(08:47):
Do you play on TikTok at all under maybe a different name so that no one can find you? What other kind of adjacencies, even completely diagonal skills? Are you learning how to make ceramics in your free time? You might think that is completely irrelevant, but when it comes time for you to position yourself for a new role, you can find ways both in the resume to use some of the jargon, use some of the language of the new world you're going into. To do that, you're going to want to find a friend who speaks that language and help you make that translation. I had to do this. My first life was in the arts. I was working at the Metropolitan Opera and then I pivoted during business school into management consulting. And I literally had a friend explain to me what is the jargon of consulting and how to translate my opera experiences into words that consulting partners would recognize.
(09:40):
So part of it is translating your stories and then part of it is looking for those opportunities in the interview in your cover letter to pull in what's not on your resume where you say like, Hey, I love learning new things. Here's a case in point. I took up ceramics a year ago and I'm already doing my first show this weekend selling some of my pieces. I love learning new things. I love getting my hands dirty. Literally, you get your hands dirty, making ceramics, right? Show, don't tell how you are positioned to take on this kind of diagonal opportunity. And what's great about this process is the right type of leaders of managers who are excited about growth are going to see those connections and they're going to give you a shot. And the more linear managers are like, why is she even in this resume pile? I'm not going to talk to her. And that is a great signal. Those are not people you want to work for. So use that process, that transition to in some ways vet the people that you would be working for as much as they're vetting you.
Kim (10:46):
I had a similar experience. So the first nine years of my career was in TV news. So it was news, but it was red carpets, it was like a mix. So I did hard, hard news. I also did red carpet interviewing and then basic news stories. I knew I wanted to shift into hour long shows to a regular person that seems like, oh, it's the same thing. It's not. And it's actually really hard to pivot into writing an hour long show if you've basically written three minute news stories similar to what you said. I had to sit down with a friend of mine who was in that area and I'm like, teach me the new words. I know I have the skills, but I don't know the right words to say, which is then a red flag to the hire. I'm going to have to teach this person so much.
(11:30):
You don't have to teach me so much, you just teach me the jargon. But do that before those interviews happen. And I ended up successfully switching in. I basically took the ingredients that I had from my earlier job. I said, I've covered crime. And I used to shift into an hour long true crime show, even though, yeah, I'd mostly done four minute or three minute news segments, but I'm like, well, I compiled hour long specials or whatever, but I basically had to say, I know how to write, I know how to produce. I've produced crime before. Give me a chance at doing this true crime. And then it was just like I had a random opportunity, someone got fired, I snuck right in, was available the next week. They were like, okay, we had to get rid of that person. Can you start Monday? I'm like, Monday is perfect, but I really think what you're saying is right.
(12:15):
And on the other side, I have hired someone who didn't necessarily have all the exact resume items on their resume, but they had such a passion that came through and it was like that ineffable, I'm like, this person's really loves this work. I felt like, you know what? I'm going to take a chance. And now he's doing amazing and he has gone on to being a director level at N B C. And I found him when he did not have necessarily the requisite exact resume, but I saw that. So I like what you're saying that if you really show up authentically and you bring more of your other aspects of your life into that experience, it's really helpful. So now I'm going to ask you, how does the idea of having this portfolio, how does this work for people who are self-employed or not in a traditional career path?
Christina (13:03):
So this absolutely works for them too. I think it's just as relevant, the idea when you're self-employed that you only have one source of income or one type of client or one business line that's as risky as having only one full-time job and no other interests, relationships. I don't mean you have to have 75 side hustles, but what I do mean is you don't want to be 100% allocated in just one thing. So whether that means if you're self-employed, maybe you have a business where you are building software, and this is part of what you do, you're a freelance developer, maybe you have a small team that works with you on the side, you might think about taking things that you've built for yourself and packaging them up and selling them as a standalone product. You might serve as maybe consulting. You could use some of those hours and say, I'm going to help you figure out how to stand up your software team because I've done that successfully already for myself.
(14:02):
So you can think about what are the pieces of what you do and how you might diversify your customer base, your product line, the industries that you sell into such that if any one of them experiences a crunch, that whole industry suddenly freezes spending. You're not sunk losing all of your income at once. And the same idea, if you have kind of your main business, you don't want to be work a workaholic where all you do seven days a week is your business. Are you taking care of your health? Do you have friends? If not, should you go make some friends? The answer is yes. What else do you have in your life? Because if you're all in on your business, and I have been there, my first company I was all in, and then it failed, right? You're going to go through these moments, these near death moments.
(14:55):
In my case, it was an actual death. I mean actual death of my company, not a person, let's be real, but the company, it ceased to exist. And I at the time was single. I was living alone. I had no friends. I wasn't investing in my health. I was like, all I did was work. And then that was gone one day and I didn't have anything else. And so I promised myself from that day forward, even if I was going to go quote all in on a job, I was still going to have other things in my life to help buttress against that volatility against that stress, because that's just not healthy.
Kim (15:32):
So the takeaway from this episode is go make some friends, correct.
Christina (15:38):
This is especially true for men in their middle age. Let me just make that super clear.
Kim (15:44):
So make some friends. Actually, my brother has a show called Man of the Year with his friend. It was featured on the Today Show in the New York Times about making friends and how important it is and tips to keep up friendships. Anyway, but that was a side, that was a side note. And then I want to talk to you about moonlighting versus side hustle. First of all, what is the difference between moonlighting versus side hustle and how do you recommend one working in which situations?
Christina (16:09):
So in my mind, a side hustle is something you are monetizing, right? By definition, you're making money off of it. And I don't really love the phrase. I think in some ways we've like co-opted hustle from black culture. And then there's this whole idea of hustle culture, which feels like you have to be working all the time. I just think there's a lot of baggage around that term. So I like the term moonlighting instead. It's the same idea. You've got this thing on the side of whatever your kind of day job is. But what I love about the idea of moonlighting is you don't have to monetize it. Your moonlighting could be something you just really love, origami or standup comedy or ceramics, I don't know. And it doesn't have to be a thing that you are strategically putting into your life because it will give you an income stream and it's going to be your future career.
(17:00):
There doesn't have to be strategy about it. You could decide I'm going to moonlight as a scuba diver because that's what brings me joy. And it's so different from what I do in my day job that it helps me kind of balance all of the pieces of who I am. And I'm going to go serious on this. I'm going to invest in really fancy gear, and I'm going to plan three trips a year to the top scuba places in the world, and I'm going to make scuba friends and join scuba Reddit threads and whatever else. And you're like, maybe in a future life that becomes a pivot. You go down. But right now in your current life, it's just something you love and as a key part of who you are and what brings you joy and what brings you kind of balance and peace with all the other things that you do.
Kim (17:47):
So Christina mentioned scuba because I mentioned earlier before we started recording that I'm a certified scuba diver. And in fact, it is the sort of thing that I do once a year and not more sadly, cause I live in New York City, which is not exactly known for it's crystal clear butters and amazing reefs and fish. But yes, I agree very much about the thing about hobbies. Hobbies are something that have always gotten me through and have been a real passion. And speaking of side hustle, I was the queen of the side hustle in my twenties. I was a TV producer, I had a jewelry side hustle on the side for fun for a little while. I performed improv comedy. No money, just fun.
(18:23):
But I've always actually had well-defined hobbies. And so I think that has given me a sense of self or a sense of purpose or just a sense of pride. I don't care that this drawing is never going to be seen by anyone. I'm proud of it. I think it's good. I worked on it, it was fun. So I actually focus on trying to teach my kids to not need, I mean, we all need a little bit that validation, but being like, Hey, did you enjoy this crafting product project? Did you like making this loomed bracelet? Whether or not someone else is going to compliment it, did you enjoy it? Was it pleasant? Because those are the things, you're right, you're going to be all in on grades, classes, degrees, and then a job. But you have to have that sort of well-rounded attitude. Both just mean really for your mental health most, mostly for your mental health,
Christina (19:07):
Very much for your mental health. But what I've also discovered entirely non strategically is having those relationships, those friendships, those that network that I've built through hobbies has ended up being incredibly lucrative somehow. And I think this might be a factor of, I lived in New York like you do for 14 years, and somehow everyone in New York is doing something interesting. And even if you meet them because you walk to the grocery store at the same time every week and you're like, Hey, what's up? You start talking and all of a sudden they're like, oh yeah, I'm like a booker for the Today Show. You're like, of course you are. So this might be a factor of city life, but there's something about meeting people in a different context, building a real relationship that's not transactional, it's not based off of work. And then through that, suddenly realizing actually we could help each other out. We could make an introduction. We could be there as a sounding board in a professional context too. I have found those relationships to be so incredibly helpful and fulfilling because they started in a really authentic place.
Kim (20:13):
How do you balance it? Because I know you teach about startups, you teach at Harvard about startups. How do you balance this idea of you have to be all in on your startup, on your business to make it succeed, but then also, hey, you also need a life and hobby. Yes, and be a whole human being to enjoy your life. How do you balance those?
Christina (20:31):
So I don't believe that you have to be all in on your startup. That's where I start. I think that is a line that venture capitalists have shoved down entrepreneur's throats because it's a really good outcome for them. Because when you think about it, VC investors are diversified. They have checks in a whole bunch of startups. So to their benefit, if you are all in and each of those bets is working really, really, really hard at figuring out what they are, but from their perspective, nine out of 10 can fail and their fund still returns the fund. So it's great for them. It's not so great for you as the entrepreneur. And I think that's what leads to burnout. That's what leads to these moments of crisis where the founder is kind of like, I don't even know where to go from here. If you are not building rest and relationships and health into your day, you are going to hit a wall at some point.
(21:32):
That's not great for you. That's not great for your family. It's ultimately not great for your business either. So sustainability is where I start when I'm teaching my students, yes, focus, yes, you're going to have to get into the grind at the beginning when you're not sure what you're building and you just have to keep going. But many times when you're not sure what to do next, the answer is not work. Another 12 hours, the answer is step away, go for a run, go have dinner with a friend who doesn't care about your startup. Think about something different. And I love this example. I don't think I included it in the book, but this was someone I had on my podcast years ago and the limit does not exist. He was a PhD in physics Brown University as a professor and on the side moonlighting his whole life.
(22:18):
He'd been a jazz saxophone player. And when he was in the middle of his dissertation trying to come up with the string theory equation that would finish his PhD so he could go out and become a professor, and he was up against a wall, he decided to go out and play a set at a jazz club. And he gets on stage, he's playing his saxophone with his quartet, his trio, and at three in the morning it just clicks. And he suddenly is like, I know how to make this equation work. And he goes back to the table, he starts scribbling on a napkin, and the next day he goes into his office and it works. And there's so many examples of this that sometimes what you need to do is step away and you'll find another way in rather than grind it out.
Kim (23:05):
One thing that I saw in the book, which I love because, so I help business owners grow through video marketing. And I think my most successful people understand that you need to bring on people who are experts in their field to help you grow because we can't all grow. So when someone's like, I don't, I'm not that great at video, or I'm not that comfortable on camera, I don't know how to make good videos. I'm like, right, of course. Why would you just, I can't weren't
Christina (23:30):
Born with that skill.
Kim (23:31):
I'm like, I don't work your commercial real estate. I can't make the perfect souffle. I'm not an accountant. I've spent two decades in video in marketing. So why would you know how to do that natively that you don't need to? Can you talk to me a little bit more about creating your personal board of directors and how that's so important for people as they grow in their life and in their career?
Christina (23:51):
So I think this is a huge piece that gets lost when even in a linear career, the corporate world doesn't provide the type of growth and support that our parents had. They used to go to trainings and they had formal mentor relationships, and you would have a boss that would care deeply about your career and help you navigate the corp. None of that exists anymore. So whether you are in a big corporate job or whether you work for yourself, you have to be really intentional about deciding how you're going to surround yourself with expertise, with advisors, with people who can tell you the truth, with people who can cheer you on all of these different roles. And I call them a personal board of directors. You can give them whatever title you have. But I like this idea because it's like, who do I need for this stage of my life, my business, my career?
(24:44):
Who do I need to surround myself with? And that might be someone from an industry you want to learn more about someone with a skillset that you need to develop. And so you're like, I'm going to bring in some experts. They're going to be part of my board of directors. I'm going to bring in a negotiator, someone who can help me before I go and ask for a raise or before I go and price a new client offering, making sure that I'm asking for enough. I'm going to make sure I've got someone who is going to be a truth teller, someone who has seen me through all these different chapters going to be like, you know what, Kim, you're slacking off right now. You are complaining that nothing is happening and I see that you aren't really giving it your all, so let's get back to the table.
(25:26):
So whatever that kind of mix of people are, these are people that you can go and intentionally cultivate and say, you don't have to say, do you want to do a rotation on my personal board of directors? That's a little bit awkward maybe, but you can say, Hey, I love your point of view on this. I would really for us to have a closer relationship for now, maybe forever. I don't know. What do you say to a breakfast every two weeks? Can we just grab time on each other's calendars and really be thoughtful about staying connected? I like your point of view, I value your advice and I hope I can be helpful to you equally.
Kim (26:03):
I think a lot of people like that in theory. And then the question is, how do I cultivate that relationship if it's not someone I know well or how do I make it clear? And this is one of the advice I love getting from experts in the podcast is me get clear that you want to help them in return. There's always something we can give to someone else. So how do you recommend cultivating those relationships to build up that board of directors?
Christina (26:22):
Yeah, so it can come from a number of different ways. It could be that you ask your friends for a specific introduction. You say, look, I'm really looking for someone who can, I don't know, teach me the basics of video production and how to be great on camera. Do you know anyone like that that I could have an intro call to? Right? You're not asking for, will you give me someone who can be on my board of directors? That's like saying, can you find me someone to marry? You're like, no. You ask, do you know of anyone I should go on a date with? And then you set up a coffee, you set up a zoom call, whatever that is, and you just literally have a first conversation with them. If you like their vibe, if you like their advice toward the end, you find a way to say, this was really helpful.
(27:04):
Can I follow up with you after I've put your advice to work? Would you be open to that? And you send them a thank you note. You find a reason to reconnect, you demonstrate to them that you are using their time really well. And to your point that you would love to pay into this relationship to. So you find an opportunity, is there something that I can help you with? Is there a person I can connect you with or a detail of my world that I can demystify for you really paying in? Because over time these relationships, they start from repeated investment and showing up for each other. You don't start from, do we want to get married at our first dinner date? I mean, maybe that's your approach, but I never found that worked. So I would go that if you don't have anyone who can introduce you to anyone, my next favorite thing is use the internet.
(27:59):
So Twitter, LinkedIn, find someone who's doing what you're really excited about, comment on one of their posts, see an article that they might be quoted in or a guest post that they've blogged about. Send them a note. Tell them how much you appreciated that point of view. I get cold emails all the time and most of them are worthless, but every once in a while I get one that someone's like, Hey, I really loved when you wrote about this, and then I listened to your podcast there, and then I checked out your book and boom, you're blowing my mind. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks. And that person is the first one that I'm going to reply to and I'm like, you are very welcome. Thank you for this note. How can I be helpful? So you would be surprised how open people are to a really intentional, targeted, heartfelt cold email.
Kim (28:47):
It's so true. I think that I feel he was Rebecca Minkoff or something. She's like, you always have something to offer someone. So I think a lot of people, when the power dynamic feels off, they're like, I don't feel like it's reciprocal. I feel like I'm sort of begging. They won't say that, but that's what they feel. They feel that there's a power imbalance and they feel like they're almost begging. But the truth is you always have something to offer. Yes. And it's in the same way that I teach now, guest lecturers for Syracuse Newhouse sometimes. And I think about this, they probably feel like, what can I offer, Kim? I feel like I have peers in media who are always looking for good people at entry level jobs, interns, and I'm like, that's a good match. I get to help two people at the same time.
(29:27):
I just get to play matchmaker. But they wouldn't necessarily see that. But also being a digital native, people love digital natives. I think it's different than when we were younger where you're like, yes, all you could do is get someone coffee. No one saw your value when you were like 22. But now being a digital native is a value. And now I want to shift in into what made you switch. So you were a serial entrepreneur. What sort of companies did you lead? And then what made you switch into working at Harvard? Teaching at Harvard?
Christina (29:53):
Yeah, so I've spun the gamut. My first company was in fashion and e-commerce. My second was a social enterprise focused on getting high school girls into computer science. That was at the Museum of Natural History in New York. My third was in media. I did a podcast and started thinking about how do we expand this into a media brand? And then I was an early stage executive for two other startups, most recently for a company called Bionic that focused on working with Fortune 500 s to teach them how to build internal startups. As you have experience, it's very specific skillset to be an entrepreneur inside of a large organization. So how could we help them kind of set up that ecosystem, train their talent, train their executives on how to think preneur? And that's where I wrote my first book, new To Big, which is really about this kind of entrepreneurship ecosystem.
(30:48):
But I got to the end of my time with Bionic, and I was about ready to have my first child, and I thought, I have been traveling a hundred thousand miles a year for the last 10 years. I am working nonstop and I love it. These are all things I want to do, but this is a pace that works because it's just me. I can be selfish. And my husband also is a multihyphenate with a portfolio life. We love to just be busy be on. But we knew that that wasn't the type of parents we wanted to be. And so as we were ready to make this shift into having our first child, I had to really be thoughtful about what do I need for this next chapter? And how long will that chapter last? This isn't forever. This is for a phase. And so I thought one of the biggest things I need, I need to get off the road.
(31:36):
I don't want to be traveling like this and I need to have autonomy. I need to have complete control of my calendar. And at Bionic, my last three and a half years had been in very much in a client service capacity. You don't have control of your calendar. When they say we need, you have to go. And so I thought, okay, I need to go in a different direction. And it's not really the time for me to start another company. Those crazy long hours, the lack of money for a while, that's not a good fit. So I need income, I need health insurance, I need autonomy, and I need that sort of flexibility to be there when my kids are sick, which is always. And so looking at that kind of brief, I reached out to folks in my network, including some professors at H B S that I had stayed very close to.
(32:26):
I had been coming back year after year as a guest lecturer when they did a case study on my first company and said, Hey, would now be a good time for me to join the faculty? It's something we sort of bantered about in earlier stages of my life. And I said, yeah, this is a great time. So I made the shift being a professor three years ago, I had my second child last year, and I am so thankful every single day that this is what I chose for this chapter because my kids go to daycare on campus. They are in fact always sick. And so I have to be in the classroom during the hours my class is scheduled. But other than that, I'm in control of my life and I can sort of build what I need. And my husband moved with me up to Boston, took on a different role as well, and found autonomy as the head of, he runs a small town here in Massachusetts as sort of the mayor is in a position where he also has that level of flexibility to autonomy. So it ends up being a really great choice for this chapter. And I say once my youngest hits kindergarten, then we'll reassess.
Kim (33:34):
I think it's so important to say it's good. We should always be looking at our life and what's working, what's not working, whether it's every six months or every year or two. And I do the same in my home. I say, okay, this year I traveled a lot. I was doing speaking engagements, which is so exciting. But also I'm traveling a lot. I'm really tired. So figuring out where's the balance? Maybe I grind in the spring, and then in the summer I chill. And where is that tipping point of where I say, Ooh, this is fulfilling and rewarding, versus, Ooh, I'm feeling burnout and it's too much. So I like the idea that the phrase seasons of life, every stage can be six months or it could be five years. And that's your season and that's okay.
Christina (34:14):
Exactly. And feels, I don't know. It feels good to know that this isn't forever. I'm not putting aside all of these things I love forever. I'll go back to Ted again. I'll make it to Davos someday again, but right now I don't need to be in Switzerland. I'd rather be home for bath time.
Kim (34:34):
And you're in the future. That might not be true. Correct. And how old are your kids now?
Christina (34:38):
One and three.
Kim (34:40):
Oh, wow. Really?
Christina (34:40):
Wow. Oh yeah. We're in it. The one year old is just learning how to walk, and I was like, okay, just a few more months. And then he can actually just take himself up the stairs when we come home at night.
Kim (34:52):
But then you're like going to have a bubble around him in your brain. Make sure you're
Christina (34:56):
Okay.
Kim (34:57):
Christina, I loved having you on. This was so great. Where can our listeners find you and tell us more?
Christina (35:02):
Sure. Yeah. The best place honestly to hang out with me is on LinkedIn. I never would've thought that the nerds would win, but I think that's the place to be right now. So follow me on LinkedIn. I post a bunch of stuff. I'm always looking for conversations in the comments, and you can check out my book, portfolio life.com gives you links to all of your favorite retailers, or you can just go to your library and ask them to get a copy.
Kim (35:23):
Awesome. Christina, thank you so much.
Christina (35:26):
Thanks for having me.
Kim (35:31):
Thank you so much for listening. Make sure to drop a review, and if you want to send in a real mom moment that we'll share on the air, check out moms exit interview.com. And if you're a professional or small business owner looking to grow your brand through amazing content with no silly dances and with no burnout, check out my website, kim rit bird.com, and you can hit contact to chat with me. And thanks for listening. Like this is the most amazing community. You guys send in the best feedback. So share it with your friends. Let anyone know who you think would appreciate it. And this is Mom's Exit interview. I'm your host and executive producer, Kim Rittenberg. The show is produced by Henry Street Media. Jillian Grover edited this episode, and Eliza Friedlander is our editorial producer and publicist. I'll see you next time.