064 - Courageous Conversations: How to Discuss Career Shifts with Parents (Without Losing Yourself)

Permission to Flow

In this heartfelt episode of Permission to Flow, host Jessica Hwang delves into the intricate dynamics of having difficult conversations with parents—particularly around the topic of career changes. Drawing from her own journey of leaving a corporate finance job to pursue coaching and podcasting, Jessica provides invaluable insights on how to navigate these challenging discussions with empathy and understanding. Listeners will discover the importance of recognizing their parents' love despite potentially negative or unsupportive reactions, and how to interpret these responses as a form of care, albeit sometimes misguided.

Jessica emphasizes the need for compassionate boundaries, both for personal well-being and to foster healthier family dynamics. By sharing strategies like avoiding certain topics temporarily and being prepared to answer common parental concerns, she offers practical advice to help listeners communicate more effectively. The episode also taps into the wisdom of thought leaders like Jay Shetty, to reinforce the idea that it’s okay to be misunderstood and that finding a "chosen family" who supports your journey can be incredibly empowering.

For those feeling like they're swimming upstream against societal norms, Jessica's candid reflection on the challenges and rewards of pursuing a non-traditional career path will resonate deeply. She closes the episode by reinforcing the importance of courage, self-compassion, and trusting one’s instincts in these meaningful conversations. If you’re ready to take the brave step towards a creative career, this episode is an essential guide for communicating your vision and setting the boundaries necessary for your success.

Quotes from the episode:

"Communication is the best thing, even when it doesn't go well."

"Our parents are imperfect human beings. And I think that that is something really important to note, right? Like, they are not perfect beings, and they might not react well and they might say the wrong thing, but they're doing the best that they can."

"One of the biggest things that you want to be able to exemplify is your own safety, that you have kind of like a plan of action in terms of financial safety or like making sure that you have a roof over to your head and food on your table and all those basic needs that you have already thought through how to keep yourself safe."

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Credits:

Music co-written by Steven Murillo (@someoneinatreeband) & Jessica Hwang (@jessicahwangcoaching)

Production and audio engineering by Travis Carr (@traviscarrphoto)