Tina Essmaker
Interview by Madeleine Dore
Tina Essmaker is a coach, writer and speaker and in early 2017, she had the opportunity to reimagine career and her four burners when she transitioned out of the The Great Discontent, a publication she started with her former husband and business partner.
She took what she describes as a gap year to figure out what she wanted to next and eventually returned to her roots as a social worker, now helping the creative community to navigate uncertainty and take action on their ideas.
In this conversation we speak about why we sometimes flail when we don’t have constraints in our days and careers, the dance between scheduling and spontaneity, chunking tasks in your week, finding space for yourself after a divorce and what can help when you’re dealing with a period of change, hurt or uncertainty.
Tina Essmaker: Coach, writer and speaker
““It’s okay to not know. Even if you feel like you should know, it’s okay to not know because you’re starting over and that’s just where you are.””
Shownotes
01:44
Achieving success – As hard as we all try, most of us don’t have it all together. If we are successful in one area of life, then it’s likely that we’re lacking in another, so instead of striving for this imbalance, maybe it’s worth adjusting our expectations so we can have smaller levels of success in all areas.
02:57
This weeks’ guest – Tina Essmaker is a coach, a writer, and a speaker who started up The Great Discontent and has now moved onto helping creatives to navigate uncertainty and take action with their ideas.
05:32
The balancing dance – We all dream of having that one perfect day where we have no commitments, but are often swarmed with days that are full of them. Try to create a balance in the middle. Have commitments and goals for your week, but also have times of flexibility where you can be more spontaneous.
09:16
Work with the seasons – Spring, summer, fall, and winter all create their own feelings and levels of busyness. If possible, you should react to these seasons by planning more admin-based work during slow periods and more client-facing work when people are wanting it.
11:52
Invest time – Making money is often the ultimate goal when we work and when we create, and it can be hard to pursue long-term projects because of this. Don’t be afraid to invest your time because you never know what opportunities will come out of it going forwards. Diversify your work so you have multiple revenue streams to help counter this.
16:19
Creating passion – The more skilful we are at something, the more passion that we develop for it. So if you aren’t sure what your passion is, keep trying new things and keep learning until you find it.
19:03
Letting go – It’s extremely difficult to let go of something that you’ve spent years building up. If you have to do it, do it slowly. View it as taking a gap year and ease your way out of the situation, giving yourself time and space to adjust, explore new options, relieve pressure, and change mindsets.
23:17
Know your north stars – Even if things may be seemingly falling apart around you, identify and focus on your north stars, or the things that guide you and help you make decisions. Know that you have worth and that you’re valuable regardless of what happens in your life, and don’t be afraid to create a new identity.
29:31
Balance your identities – Regardless of your relationships or your job, it’s important to have your own identity as an individual. Know who you are, know what your preferences are, and know what you want in life. Immerse yourself into your ideal environment that allows you to pinpoint what these things are and then, after that, other things can slot into place.
33:29
Typical routine – Tina is much more of a night owl than an early bird. She enjoys quiet mornings before heading to a pre-planned day in the office, where her biggest downfall is procrastinating writing jobs and she loves having full control of her flexible schedule. She winds down either with a movie or with reading in bed, and enjoys a balance of spending time with her partner and time in solitude.
41:04
Work-life balance – Working from home can mean that you never stop working or that you have many distractions around you, but it can also mean extra time spent with loved ones and a more flexible schedule. It can be a tricky balancing act, and Tina discusses how she manages this and how she finds an appropriate balance.
46:14
Expectation – Internal and external expectations often weigh people down, so try to weed out which ones are important to you and focus and live your life by only these ones. Only you know what makes you happy and what you want to work towards. Everyone’s path is different, so don’t let others dictate what your path should be.
48:21
The highs and the lows – Things change, and things change quickly. You could be experiencing the highest of all highs one day, and be on a low the next. Whatever you’re feeling won’t be lasting. But remember that you have a support network around you, and you shouldn’t be afraid to turn to those that you love and trust when you need it.
““I think it’s really about redefining the kind of life we want to live and the kind of work we want to do and how all the pieces fit together.””