Hi my sunshines!
I’m extra excited to release this episode because it means I hit my original goal for this podcast, which was to publish a “first season” with at least six episodes. I feel so proud! Wahooooo! I’ll be sharing at least one more episode, which will be the guided future self visualization I spoke about in the last episode. After that, I might take a pause to reflect, learn, and iterate, so if you have thoughts/advice/ideas on where the pod’s been and where you’d like to see it go, please message me!
This next episode of The Path Less Traveled is with the wonderful Joni Sweet, a freelance writer, editor, and media consultant whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, and more. Joni and I met through our business coaching community for entrepreneurs, SUSTAIN.
I loved learning more about her journey in real time throughout this episode.
She oscillated between two extremes in her career and I suspect at least one of them will resonate with you: she went from fulfilling yet financially challenging roles in traditional publishing to a high-paying but uninspiring position at a large bank. Ultimately, she found her sweet spot by starting her own business, gaining the freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment she'd been searching for.
Her very intentional, well-planned transition into entrepreneurship is a wonderful example for anybody looking to take a similar leap, but we also go far beyond the transition.
We talk about the reality of building a sustainable freelance business, the ups and downs of self-employment, and why she thinks we should aim for satisfaction more than happiness (you can imagine how my joy spotting self reacted to that idea at first :o).
We also explore how she learned to own her expertise (needed this… big area for improvement for me), how she built structure into her business before taking the leap, and the power of approaching new pursuits as experiments, not lifelong commitments.
You can discover Joni’s work at jonimsweet.com, join her community at jonisweet.substack.com, and follow her journey on Instagram @jonisweet!
It’s an honest, generous conversation filled with wisdom for anyone thinking about forging their own way, especially those wondering how to make that leap feel a little more grounded.
I hope you enjoy! <3
Last but not least, I put a lot of effort into recording and editing these episodes. If you benefit, your support would mean a lot in return. Here are the best ways you can show your support:
💛 Share it with a friend (one of my fav ways to say “I’m thinking of you”)
💛 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple, and leave a rating
💛 Send me your reactions, requests, or guest ideas—I read and love them all
I’m eternally grateful for your openness to explore these less traveled paths with me.
Big hug,
Syd
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