Creating a Fulfilling Career You Love with Genevieve Skory

Today, Genevieve Skory is teaching us about the importance of taking control of one's career and finances, the significance of defining personal values, and the pursuit of joy in everyday moments. We're exploring how redefining success can lead to a more fulfilling life, the future of business, and the importance of true authenticity. 

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Genevieve's Book Recommendation: The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind

Keywords
career, personal values, joy, connection, success, leadership, motherhood, financial freedom, self-awareness, intentional living, life reflections, business, future, authenticity, personal growth, joy, intergenerational connections, creating your own path, podcasting, emotional well-being, legacy

Chapters
00:00 Taking Control of Your Career and Finances
05:00 Defining Personal Values and Long-Term Goals
09:52 Finding Joy in Everyday Moments
15:00 The Importance of Connection and Presence
20:05 Redefining Success and Leadership
25:08 Embracing the Journey of Life
28:05 Reflections on Life and Legacy
29:53 The Future of Business and Career
36:33 Creating Your Own Path
40:11 The Power of Authenticity
46:08 Finding Joy in Connection

Transcript

Ryann (00:01.09)
Hi, Genevieve, welcome to the Raising Wild Hearts podcast.

Genevieve Skory (00:05.066)
Good morning. Good morning.

Ryann (00:07.544)
Good morning. I am so happy that you're here. I'm really, really excited for what I know is going to be a rich and abundant conversation. I can already feel it. And yes, the place that I really feel called to kick off is that you have said, and I'm quoting you mostly here, I believe in the immense value of having more control over your career, finances, and work.

and I believe that's worth learning. And I love how you're saying like, take control over these things. And I want to frame it with, I chose when my daughter was born, my first daughter, I have three kids, she is 10 ish now. And I chose when she was born to stay at home. And my husband and I made this very intentional decision of, okay, you go out and make the money and I'll stay home and be with the babies. And then I had three of them.

And all throughout that time, so it's been a decade for me now, I have kept my toe in the water of my interests and I've put on workshops and I've volunteered at the kids' schools and I've done all these things which now looking back I get to go, my gosh, I stayed like, I don't know if relevant is the right word, but I stayed relevant and I actually still like.

have a resume, like I don't even have a gap. I'm just like, I've been a freelancer and a volunteer and look at all this stuff I've done in 10 years while not even working really for anybody mostly. Some years I made $100, some years I made a few thousand, some years I made zero. And, but my point in all of that is that I don't know that it was intentional at the time, but now looking back I go, oh my God, I'm so glad I stayed relevant. I'm so glad I took control.

over my resume? What are your thoughts on all of that?

Genevieve Skory (02:06.79)
Yeah, you know, it is an interesting thing. So I grew up knowing in my heart that I always wanted to be a mom. Like that was my thing. My friends laughed at me at when I was young because they were like, what's your first car going to be? A sedan so you can put in car seats? And I'm like, yeah. So I appreciate the role of a stay at home.

parents and I say parents because we wanted one of us to stay at home. We elected that to be my husband in our case, but it was really important to us that we were participating in our children's lives and you have a career. Some people have a career up until that point and then you stay at home and honestly, I think it's it's really about.

Personal alignment. So when I say control of your career One, I think it's really important to decide ahead of time What is my career is my career being a mom if your career is being a mom? That's exceptional if your career is I want to be a mom who also

has something on the side. I think that is incredible as well. If you're a mom that thinks I'm going to raise my kids and then I might, I want to leave my options open, I might want to get back into the workforce. Then I think it starts with clarity. So control to me starts with clarity around what your real values are.

And by values, mean like, if all things were equal, if you made a million dollars a day, what would you want to spend your time doing? To me, that defines your values. And I think women in particular get a little caught up in not spending enough time clarifying their values. And then maybe going down the wrong path. And I'm speaking for myself.

Genevieve Skory (04:19.188)
You know, I love the fact that you stayed relevant. One of things my husband said to me early in our marriage was, I don't know that you would ever fully be fulfilled staying at home with the kids full time. Now, we ended up homeschooling our kids. And let me tell you right now, that would not have worked out for me.

Ryann (04:40.768)
Right, done it, done it, it's a lot. Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (04:45.02)
did it that would not I would have been like okay so what does private school look like and what do we have to do I'm glad that we went down that road that route but it was a hundred percent his thing and not mine

From your standpoint, I love that you kept engaged. I can see you like technology probably, you like maybe social media. Those things are passions for you. And so I think that that is an incredible thing to do. But I think we have to start with control to me is about what's your long game in life and how does your career fit into that?

Ryann (05:10.306)
Yeah? Yeah?

Ryann (05:26.37)
Ooh, okay. What's your long game in life and how does your career fit into that? So when I think about that for myself, the first thing that comes to mind is I don't know. And so I think it's an important, I think it's an opportunity to really reflect. And I love that question that you're posing because it just like lets us think about it. Like how do we start?

to go, I don't know what is my long-term thing and how does my career fit into it? Like, today is different than what it's going to be in two months, and it's different than it was two years ago. And I think for me, I've watched it unfold. Like, this podcast is a huge part of my career and my future vision of my career and podcasting in general, right? And so, but like, ooh, that's such a big question. Like, what's my vision for my life? I don't know.

I want to be happy. I want to be financially free. I want to have location freedom. I want to spend time with the ones that I love. Those things I do know for sure. So how much more do we need to clarify all that?

Genevieve Skory (06:36.96)
Well, I think what we tend to do is what I've seen is we tend to launch into something without really evaluating some of the things that you mentioned, but I would say digging a little deeper.

So for me, for example, one of the things that I really value, so when someone says, value financial freedom and I value location freedom, my question is always like, tell me more about that. Why is that important to you? What feeling does that generate for you that you're like, for the rest of my life, I want to feel this?

Ryann (07:20.942)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (07:21.022)
What would that be, right? We don't think about it. You're right. We really, we don't. And I think that's what leads to burnout. That's what leads to people feeling like they can't do whatever they're pursuing. I think that's what leads to dissatisfaction in your career. And also even in your family life sometimes it's like, well, let's, let's take a step and think through it. I have, I've done all the things, all the things I've worked corporate. I've had my own.

I've worked corporate, I've climbed the ladder, went back, did my own things. And honestly, it wasn't until recently that I did a really deep dive into this conversation. And if somebody asked me, what is it that I really value, I would always say security. Security. So to me, that was like, well, financial stability, right? The ability to do whatever we wanted to do on our timeframe.

and not having to rely on other people for income. And that is an interesting place to be when I also have a personality that enjoys challenges and personal growth. Right? So security and personal growth don't go together. You know, it's like actually everything about that is the complete opposite.

Ryann (08:47.168)
Yeah

Genevieve Skory (08:51.316)
But I had this realization that what I really wanted more of, so when you say things like I want to be there for my kids, and when your kids get older, you're there for them in a different way. You have to make that shift or you're gonna miss out. You're just gonna miss out. And what I found I was missing out on was this connection.

Like what I really craved when I say things like "my family is my priority" is connection. And if you're not careful, you can be with someone and still miss connecting with them.

because What I was looking for was security. And so I gotta be at work and I gotta make sure work is going well and I have to be on this crazy little hamster wheel thing. And you can be an entrepreneur and still be on hamster wheel because I was really craving security. When in actuality it didn't fulfill me.

to say that what I wanted was security. What I really want is like people are cool. Like, and I think in like in particular right now, I feel like we've just gotten away so far away from really enjoying other people. I mean, taking a moment, taking a breath.

taking in their energy, their love, their vibe. I mean, that's a very rewarding everyday experience that so many people are missing out on.

Ryann (10:29.154)
Yeah, big, big. And while you were talking, I have to say I called my own bullshit because I loved hearing you call you on yours. And you know what it is? It's not financial freedom, and it's not location freedom either. It's that I want to feel.

Genevieve Skory (10:43.018)
Yeah?

Ryann (10:54.11)
enjoyment and I want to feel you said this word connection and I want to feel alive and I'm realizing lately

that the way to feel those things are like these simplest moments, like walking the dog in the noon sun and feeling the sun on my face and like the breeze go through my hair and go like, this is it. Or like sitting down with my kids and reading a book and just like cracking up or laughing with my husband about something silly that I said, know, just like those, it's those moments. And so I love

Genevieve Skory (11:10.922)
Yes.

Ryann (11:35.264)
you frame it of like how do you actually want to feel because the stuff we say we want we actually don't want that was really helpful.

Genevieve Skory (11:40.8)
Yes.

Yes, and not just that, the stuff we say we want, the things that are going to bring us enjoyment, make us feel fulfilled, very often are very future based. Right, so if I were to ask you, well,

Ryann (11:56.847)
Yep.

Genevieve Skory (12:00.838)
If your happiness relies on you having financial freedom, if your enjoyment, satisfaction in life relies on you having location freedom, when are you going to actually experience that? That is a future experience which robs you every single day of the things that you just mentioned.

the breeze, the beautiful blue sky, the smile on someone's face, know, that like, especially little kids, you know, just having them in your lap and being present in the moment as you read that book. Those are all these points of love and beauty and joy that a lot of us delay because what we tell ourselves is

I'll experience that when X, Y, and Z happens and you're setting yourself up for failure in some ways when that's your mindset. So that's also the part of the control that I refer to is like really controlling your career, really controlling the level of happiness and excitement and success that you feel really being present in the moment. But it's an intentional sort of experience and not a default, which we

Ryann (13:20.258)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (13:21.758)
we're so busy. Like, I don't know, if you're old as this 10, the youngers are, you know, right up there and you're busy. Right? So very hard to be going to the grocery store is hard to be intentional about. It's just kind of like, yeah, I remember when our kids are, kids. Yes, I remember when our kids were young.

Ryann (13:29.292)
He's three and a half, yeah, we're, Yes.

Ryann (13:38.318)
yeah. Praise the Lord for grocery delivery is what I was going to say. But yes, all of it. Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (13:50.376)
we would put a bunch of things on the high chair and go, when the last toy has dropped on the floor, we're done eating at the restaurant. Like this is the timer. That is it. So there's no intentionality a lot of times when you have children of that age. But I think like as an experienced older mom whose kids are growing up talking to someone, it's like someone younger, I really feel like.

Ryann (14:00.515)
Yep.

Genevieve Skory (14:16.362)
You know, us older aunties have to be there and mentor and say, don't wait until you're X to experience the joy of your career. If it's being a mom, if it's being a podcaster, if it's just living life. Because I had that thought. And I think right now people feel a little turbulent and they feel a little...

unsure. Well, but we can and should be happy. We have the capacity to be happy in the uncertainty. And that I think is the real goal, not delaying all of that, because it's never perfect. Never. It's never perfect.

Ryann (14:52.653)
Yes.

Ryann (15:00.334)
Right. Yeah, being able to stand in this like messy middle, this gray area, this transition area, which feels like so much of what motherhood is, is just like one transition to the next. Being able to stand in that with joy and not like wish it away. And, you know, it's funny because having three, like now I'm able to see him growing so

much quicker, although the older two grew quick as well. But yes, like, and I remind myself not to wish it away. I remind myself that these are the days. This is the this is game time. Game time isn't when they're teenagers or when they're this or when they're that, though I think much of this is practice for those older years. And I think all of it is the foundation on which I will have a lifelong relationship I hope with all three

Genevieve Skory (15:38.101)
us.

Ryann (16:00.172)
my kids, right? You know, we're setting the stage now.

Genevieve Skory (16:01.866)
Yes, and that's the enjoyment. you know, taking a minute every day to ask the question, how can I experience joy with my children today? How can I experience joy if you're working with my team today? How can I experience joy with my spouse today? How can I experience joy with myself?

today because we tend to like we not only don't really always align but we always put ourselves last and you have to be able to generate that self-love that appreciation for who you are and what you're learning in every single moment so that you can continue to grow and you have the fuel to continue through every transition as you're talking about.

Ryann (16:53.836)
Yeah. So you said that you have gone your own business route. You've climbed the corporate ladder. Like you've kind of dabbled in all of it. What did you ultimately decide was the best plan for you?

Genevieve Skory (17:08.51)
That's a great question and one that I would probably use in any interview moving forward, to be honest, to ask a candidate, you know, what are your personal goals? See how aligned people are. I would say for me, the one thing that is super clear to me now, and I do have to practice, I do, reminding myself, it's not about

the future, it's about experiencing joy in the moment is stop. Slow down. Like the scoreboard isn't the money, the title, the square footage in your house, the carrot size of your jewelry. You know, it's none of those things. The scoreboard for me is did I feel love and affection?

There are different points of my day. Did I give love and affection in different points of my day with other people? And when the scoreboard is those other things, you tend to make decisions that you're not necessarily always proud of, you know, because you're like, well, I thought the, I thought the rule, I thought the rule was this, or I thought we were doing this and I thought winning looked like X and actually winning looks like Y.

Ryann (18:20.365)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (18:32.126)
But when you're wired like an overachiever, like I am, winning is fun, but if you're winning at the wrong things.

then you start to think, wow, life is passing us by. And one of the things I was talking to my bestie about lately was, know, I'm a little older than you, was can you believe what we've been alive for? You know, like you grow up in school and you take your history classes and you're like, wow, it just seems so foreign to have to experience some of the things that you study. But in my,

adult life, I have experienced such crazy things like the COVID shutdown. That was crazy. know, the AI and the generation of AI and how quickly that's all moving. That is crazy. Some of our political stuff and the division in our country is just crazy. I think regardless of what side you're on, I everybody agrees like this is an optimum.

I said, what do you think the conversations are gonna be like with our grandkids? know, like, Granny, were you alive when, you know, y'all just stay in your house and all that? Yes, I was. What that's taught me is that there is no certainty, which I was craving. There is no certainty. Life can change on a dime, and it does.

And you will not, you'll miss the whole thing. Like life is fast. You'll miss the whole thing if you aren't careful. So I'm working really hard, whatever. So right now my goal is entrepreneurial. It is culture. It is...

Genevieve Skory (20:26.186)
creating a workspace for people that actually enjoy coming to work. But I wanna partner with people and organizations that their goal is to truly do something bigger than sell X, or be number one because the revenue is the number that we're chasing.

Ryann (20:47.638)
Yeah, so I'm hearing you say it doesn't matter what the path is for you. It matters how it aligns with your values and your overall vision for your life and how you want to feel every day.

Genevieve Skory (20:54.026)
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Because, know, and my values also from a Christian standpoint are that.

God uses me in a myriad of different ways. And so, you know, in my last career and I was a C-suite executive for a half a billion dollar brand and people are like, I hope you never leave and I hope you don't go anywhere. And my answer was always like, I'll be here as long as God feels that this is a good fit for me. And.

What I had to do was every day look at, why am I still here? Who can I serve? What can I do? You know, when people are distracted by so many things or they're focused on the wrong things, how can I infuse that moment of, remember why you're here?

You know, that moment of remember to, I hate to say stop and smell the roses, but it's like stop and feel the life around you, I think is the new stop and smell the roses.

Ryann (21:58.335)
Yeah, and the life inside of you too. And I heard you say, this is a perfect segue, I heard you say that business is ultimately a spiritual endeavor. And that's what you just hinted to, like no matter your position in life, in work, in family, like it breaks down to how are you serving and how connected are you to yourself, others and God? Is that a good way to put it?

Genevieve Skory (22:10.762)
Yes.

Genevieve Skory (22:26.644)
Yeah, and how are you using your gifts to help other people experience theirs?

Ryann (22:34.67)
Yes. Yes. I was gonna ask you what a good leader is and I feel like that you just said it, right? Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (22:42.366)
Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah. And I think being a good leader is an on again off again. I think anybody who says I've mastered being a good leader is a liar. Liar! I will just tell you. Liar!

Ryann (22:58.028)
Right.

Genevieve Skory (23:01.056)
Because especially in a work environment, you can get so caught up in like, the finance guy comes in and says, the numbers are off, or you're looking at the sales and you're like, this isn't good, or customers are angry, or what have you. And then you turn into your team and maybe not bringing out the best in them, or the best in your customers. And a lot of that is fear. To me, that's fear. And that to me is part of a spiritual experience.

It's learning how to navigate fear and to show up anyway in a better state of mind, a better state of heart, a better spiritual presence. then...

embracing that fear and going down and going down that path. So it's the ultimate test. So I think good leadership is a trend. It's a trend. I think it's a trend measured over time. Are you getting better at?

Acts are you getting better at acknowledging people? Are you getting better at leaning into? People and their gifts and pulling out the things that they really need to see about themselves because they to Act differently in fear than they do when they feel a sense of security But yeah, it is it is a it's a study. It's a practice

And I think it's a trend and hopefully your trend is up over time.

Ryann (24:37.42)
Yes, love that. What is success to you at this point from where you're standing?

Genevieve Skory (24:43.316)
that's a deep question. Success to me is feeling more joy in more moments of the day. If you had asked me what success was, even just a year ago, I would have said, it's this title, it's this amount of money. Pardon me. It's this much money in the bank. You know, it's all of these.

measurable, forward, future things. And I really have come to the realization that success is.

measurable, but it's measurable from our own standpoint. How many times today did I experience joy? And if you could actually, and I do, I do actually have a little journal where I log like today, I felt joy this many times throughout the day. But I think it's a purposeful sort of experience. But the beauty in that is when it is something you can control,

you can feel success every day. I felt really drained professionally because a lot of my success was, like I said, was all future based.

Ryann (25:58.681)
Yeah.

Yeah, I had a mentor that used to say something along the lines of success is the amount of hours in the day that you spend feeling good. yeah, right. And I was like, well, she's not wrong. And I think for many of us, myself included during different seasons, we can get stuck in a rut. I mean, I remember maybe five or so years ago,

Genevieve Skory (26:09.886)
Yeah, same.

Ryann (26:29.712)
working with a coach and being like, just don't know when I'm going to get out of this trench, know, like feeling just so stuck. And we have seasons like that. And for me, like, it's easy to say looking back, like, that was for my growth and that was for this. But man, when you're in those hard seasons, it is hard to pull yourself up and to like put on a smile and to go, how am going to feel joy today? Right. But it can be that simple.

Genevieve Skory (26:47.412)
Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!

Ryann (26:59.712)
it can be that profound and so I'm to the point where even when I'm having a bad day or an off moment I'm happy to report that I'm out of the trench, hallelujah, but you know when it's a hard day and things aren't going my way like I can still find the simple peace, the simple joy, the sunshine, the breeze, the butterfly, the smile, the all of it you know all that little

Genevieve Skory (27:18.784)
you

Ryann (27:29.552)
that we think is little, but that is actually the big stuff. You know? Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (27:32.596)
Yes. Yes. And that's all there for us to experience. So, yes. But it's a concept that you have to work at. It really is. I'm sorry.

Ryann (27:44.813)
Yeah, my dog says hi to your dog, by the way. My dog loves hanging out when I'm podcasting. It's all good. He's like always scratching himself down on the ground or barking at the squirrels outside. So the more the merrier. It's all good. Without yelling at him. Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (27:57.47)
try to sit here and think like, how can I heal at my dog without making it worse? So I cover my mouth, rub my nose like Archie. Yeah.

Ryann (28:05.294)
I'm

Archie come on in come on in come meet Bodhi. He's hanging out here, That's great Yeah, my 97 year old grandma. She's about to be 98 in August and I can't help in so many of these conversations think of her because she's nearing the end of her life, you know by all accounts, right and she has lived this full life of many years and

Genevieve Skory (28:17.376)
Mmm.

Ryann (28:36.278)
You know, it's just when we look back...

at our life. You said life goes really fast. I picture then my parents like in her situation, and then I'm in the grandma and then I'm that, you know, I'm there too. And this like circle of life, it's just so wild. And when I keep my finger on the pulse of that all the time, I find that I'm able to live more fully and I find that I'm able to, you know,

Genevieve Skory (28:46.944)
Thanks.

Ryann (29:10.134)
even make better things happen and create better podcasts and have deeper conversations and show up as me and love my kids even when I perceive them to be annoying or needy or selfish or some of the things that little kids just have going on, right? And I just think like your approach to career business money. I think it's beautiful. I think it's the

wave of the future from where I'm standing. And I'm curious from where you're standing, like, what are you thinking is coming up for 2025? Like business-wise, career-wise, what are we going to see? What are we going to be seeing?

Genevieve Skory (29:53.834)
So it's an interesting time to be alive. I think personally, everybody should have their own thing. I really do. And I think the biggest reason people don't have their own thing is because they misjudge, again, what success looks like or the value that...

that thing might bring in, thing being a business. Like when you said, sometimes I made a couple hundred dollars, sometimes I made a thousand dollars, sometimes I made zero dollars. That's a very healthy way to look at it. What most people tend to do is say, well, unless I'm making a million dollars at this, you know, or six figures, I'm not successful. And I'm like, well, stop the bus, stop the bus, seriously, come on.

Do you know what you would have to do to create three to $500 with a job, a job job? So even if you're selling something on Etsy or even if you're podcasting or blogging or whatever, and it's contributing in any way, even emotionally to your life, that's a huge win. And what I see right now is we've got a couple different...

things all transpiring at the same time, all converging at the same time. So you mentioned your grandmother. I'm in the generation that's taking care of their parents. So my mother is 86. She's living with us at the moment while she's getting her health in order. And, you know, she's on the verge of dialysis and, you know, there's a lot that we have to set up for her and her life and

I'm where I am now in my career and my husband is in his career where we can have her with us and enjoy that time with her. My mom is as tough as they come. is like, you know, she's, she's, she's, she's as tough as, as they come and she's hilarious.

Ryann (32:02.861)
Yep.

Genevieve Skory (32:05.352)
Because as you all know, your mother is always the sayer of all the true things, you know, things like, you know, you're a little too uptight or. I know yesterday, yesterday she she rolled her eyes and made a comment because the dog trying to train our dog to sit and not bark and jump on people when they come into the house.

Ryann (32:15.182)
Thanks, Mom.

Ryann (32:33.326)
As you guys heard, it's going really well. Yeah. I love it.

Genevieve Skory (32:35.228)
It is going so well.

And my mom just kind of rolled her eyes and I go, mom. And she goes, he's a dog, come on. And her whole approach to life is lighten up Lucy, like lighten up.

Ryann (32:53.984)
Yeah... Yeah...

Genevieve Skory (32:55.06)
Like you're, you're even at her, like she's playing her candy crush and her word all and live in her watching soap operas, enjoying her life. And is this living, breathing example to me every day, enjoy your coffee, you know, enjoy your avocado toast.

Enjoy your chai tea. Enjoy your wordle. You know, like she has just surrounded herself with things that bring her joy and she doesn't really give a rip. Who else thinks I've given up trying to like feed her healthy things? I'm like, here's the thing that you want to eat, you know, like, because that that's what brings you joy. So I think that there's there's this convergence of people that are going to be intergenerational.

Ryann (33:36.696)
Yeah? Yep.

Genevieve Skory (33:46.4)
On the same hand that I have my mom with me, I have these young adult children. We're at a place in our life where one of my daughter's dog is 16 years old.

and he's just doing old dog things and honestly yesterday we thought we were going to say goodbye to him and we went to the vet together and I as a mom I'm preparing myself for this moment with your child that you know is going to be heartbreaking. This dog's been a part of our life for 16 years.

But there was that connection. I really stopped and thought to myself, but this is life. This is, this is the beauty of living that there's living and then there's transitioning and then there's helping people in those moments and there's being connected. And there's, know, my mom looked at me at one point, yes, are you going, somebody going with Eden to the doctor's appointment? And I'm like, yep, we got, we got that covered, ma, you know, but

think more people are going to come to a place where they really want to be present for those moments that matter. Because I think the world is making it very clear to us things change in a moment and no job, no work, no money, no house is worth not being there for those meaningful moments.

Ryann (35:19.128)
Totally. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I love your take that everybody can and even should have their own thing. And for me, kind of like intuitively just.

you know, found my way to that throughout this whole journey of me being mostly home with the kids. And, you know, I love that it produced a top global 5 % podcast. That wasn't my intention, though. And the reason that it produced a top global 5 % podcast is because I was showing up. I was absolutely loving it. It was my favorite hour of the week. I actually showed up and said, like, tell the truth, be he.

are, be authentic, you know, and I've honed that over a number of years. And so for me, I'm like, okay, you know, there's now direction which I can take this, you know, right, and there's different opportunities coming up now. And I'm just like watching it unfold. And it's really, really fun. So but how does somebody, let's say it's somebody who's working a job, like working in somebody else's dream, maybe they like their job, maybe they love their job, maybe they

Genevieve Skory (36:05.445)
Thank you.

Ryann (36:33.326)
hate their job, but what would you say to that person in like the first steps are in creating their own thing, as you called it?

Genevieve Skory (36:41.462)
Yeah, yeah, and I would just want to add this too. I think it's so important now to have your own thing because one, there's never been an easier time to get into something, right? So you can start a podcast, you can be an influencer, you can add value to people's lives.

I grew up in a space and time where if I wanted to meet new people, I had to be out everywhere all the time to do that. So I think the conditions are so fertile for people, but I also think that what we're seeing now, and I've always been a big proponent of, take care of you and your family. Don't rely on anybody else. Make sure, because remember my big thing was security.

But I think that it's exactly what you did. Pardon me. I think it's, so do you like knitting? Do you like cooking? Do you like organizing? What is it that you really have a passion for? I really believe that one of the reasons you're so successful is because authenticity is attracting success.

And so many people have trouble being authentic because of fear. And if you can show up as your most authentic self and truly enjoy what it is you're doing.

There's a way that you will get rewarded for adding value to other people's lives for that. So even if somebody had a full-time job, I'm asking, and I say, well, if you really like knitting, you would be surprised how many people have courses, newsletters, membership sites, Facebook groups where they're teaching people how to knit.

Genevieve Skory (38:39.565)
So fulfilling if that's really what you enjoy doing. Painting.

Folding, folding clothes, I don't like folding. I don't like laundry. But I'd love to know how to do it more efficiently. So there's so many ways for people to, I would say, just start with social media. I think social media is a great, great place to start. Start where your friends are. Start asking questions. There's so many groups out there. See what's going on for people that are already doing those things. And start low tech.

Ryann (38:52.6)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (39:15.234)
think that podcasting might be intimidating for most people. So start with you, your camera, and a Facebook Live and just get a sense of like, does this bring me joy? Because when you're in the thing that brings you joy, you should experience this thing called flow, right? Which is,

I don't know why I'm saying the things I'm saying. I don't know why it's actually coming out the way it is. I don't know why it's actually so good, but you're just flowing this beautiful energy. And then you find out like, Oh my gosh, like three hours went by. That's when you know, that's when you know that's your thing. And you just have to trust the process to start anywhere. Fail fast.

Ryann (39:59.673)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (40:11.194)
Use that feedback and keep going.

Ryann (40:16.62)
I'm crying because it's all been true for me. And I went through a process of like, de-layering myself of these like onions of like, you know, these onion layers of like, the beliefs that didn't serve me and then the habits that didn't serve me and then the feeling states that really didn't serve me and I've like shed so much of that and what I'm find and what I'm still finding, you know, it will be an evolution for me throughout my

life. I'm 42 now. And I know there's more to shed. But what I found is that it's 1000 % true that now I can show up grounded in me who I am today and serve and love. And like I'm teaching a friend of my daughter's friend's mom how to like make sourdough bread later. And she's like, thank you so much. I'm like, why would I not teach you how to do this? And then like, I'm going to tell her how to start a podcast like what

would I not tell you how to do it? Like, and I know that

It feels daunting if you are in one of those challenging spaces, if you are in the job that you don't like, but it's just finding the inch, the 1 % every day, the 1%, the 1%, the 1%. And I'm a testament to it works and it can happen. And then opportunities and synchronicities start to happen. then you, and it's just, and I love that you said flow because I pray for flow, not just for me, but for everybody.

Genevieve Skory (41:30.42)
Yes. Yes.

Ryann (41:51.457)
every single morning because I want all of you out there to feel what that feels like to look at the clock and go how many minutes have gone by how what's going on and you're in this state of creativity with the universe and it's a game and it's fun and it's flowy and you can have it too

Genevieve Skory (41:52.362)
Yes.

Genevieve Skory (42:07.902)
Yes!

Genevieve Skory (42:14.592)
And it's good. Like when you get done, you're like, this was great. And there's a part of you that's like, I don't think that was completely just me, just FYI. I feel like I was just, you know, and I think that is also the direction of where things are going to go. I think people...

are one of the things that I help people with in businesses is teaching them sell. And I say sell in parentheses because nobody really wants to sell because they think it's such a bad experience. But people now want authenticity. can't, like consumers are smarter. People are smarter. You can Google anybody at any point in time and see who they are, what they do and what they offer.

Ryann (42:56.462)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (42:58.45)
and make decisions way ahead of time as to whether they're quote unquote your people or if you want to even spend time with them. And so authenticity is definitely king, but I think people need to be careful because sometimes authenticity becomes the buzzword, but it's an actual genuine feeling. And it's not, it's not.

manufactured, you know, as long as you show up authentically. And I love what you said. I really do in terms of finding joy in. me show you how to make sourdough. It's the connection that will actually happen between the two of you. is I think people are going to slow down more, connect more, because I think the world is serving up this old.

Go after the money, you know, paradigm isn't as fulfilling as we had hoped.

Ryann (43:57.487)
Yeah.

That's right. That's right. And what I'm hearing you say is like the authenticity piece is a chance to actually walk the talk. And so like, it's fun to say these things. It's fun to read the books. And there's also I've said it on this podcast a handful of times. There's also this integration piece where we wake up and what do we do? And we like, you know, go pick our kids up from school. And how do we be? And we like it's it's

the things that we do and the choices that we make day in and day out. There's 86,400 seconds in a day. Don't ask me how I know that. But I Googled it. And that's how many seconds we have to choose how we're going to be, how we're going to show up, how we're going to feel, how we want to feel. So yeah, I love your work.

Genevieve Skory (44:38.132)
Cut it out.

Ryann (44:53.042)
I truly believe that the ripple effect is real and that you are just creating so much good out in the world. so where do we find you? Where do we follow you and learn more about the amazing work that you're doing?

Genevieve Skory (45:07.648)
Well, thank you. I consider what I do a privilege of. am.

easily accessible on all social platforms as genviev underscore scory. My website is under construction again, so that'll be back up and running in no time. But I think the easiest way, whether it's LinkedIn or Facebook or Instagram, I spend a lot of time on Instagram. That's my favorite place to be. And I do answer my emails. I'm happy to connect with people because so many people

have connected and helped me. And I do think the future is connection and authenticity. I really do, because the only way to truly add value is connecting authentically.

Ryann (45:59.693)
Yeah. All right. Now as we start to wrap up, I'm going to ask you the three questions that I ask everybody at the end of every interview I do. And the first of which is what's bringing you joy today?

Genevieve Skory (46:08.468)
Yes.

Genevieve Skory (46:15.326)
What is today in the moment? know, right now, our time together, honestly, is truly bringing me joy. And I do mean this when I say like the minute we got on.

I was like, my gosh. And I've guessed it a few times and I enjoy every one of my conversations, but I feel like there's something about your energy and your presence that creates such a safe space for people, just so you know. So in this moment, I can say I'm really and you know how it is, you know, you get you get in this rut where you're like, I'm doing a podcast. Is my hair right? The dog is barking and you're so

Ryann (46:30.968)
Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (46:58.43)
caught up in all of these things that could steal the joy of like, but wait a minute, you can you can experience this great hour of connection. So I for me, it's connection, it's about finding the connection. And what I have found is the more I focus on it, the more I'm attracting people that bring that into my life. So for me, success right now is about looking for that connection.

Ryann (47:27.938)
Beautiful. I'm crying again. I mean, it's it's just like crying twice an interview. That's a winner I just I love it and I it's the best compliment I could ever received from the bottom of my heart. I'm just receiving that so fully To be complimented on my energy. It's truly It's it's my North Star. It really is because that's that's all we've got I mean, that's it's the most important thing. Yeah

Genevieve Skory (47:28.692)
Yeah, and this was great. Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (47:39.168)
Okay.

Genevieve Skory (47:47.999)
Yes.

Genevieve Skory (47:52.224)
Honestly, and you know the saying, people don't remember what you said. remember how you made them feel. And I would say A plus plus and thank you. Like honestly, feel like I really am like, okay, well thank you though, because I feel like I got the better end of the deal here. I think that's a high praise. I would also say second to, there's no way you're 42. I gotta fit that in. I was like.

Ryann (48:21.378)
Thank you!

Genevieve Skory (48:23.324)
like does she know said morning till? I feel like she's lying by like at least 10 years so well done there.

Ryann (48:29.262)
That's great, thank you. Thank you, my kids are keeping me young and you know, I'm young, young at heart, old soul, all of it. It's just, thank you so much for that. Because it's funny to get older and to say I'm 42 and I'm so proud of that because I've got some gray hairs up here sprouting and I'm like, I am just, I've earned these stripes and so, yes.

Genevieve Skory (48:51.284)
They are earned and they're sparkles. They're sparkles in your hair. They are.

Ryann (48:55.102)
Yes, that's exactly my girls call them my fairy hair. And I was like, yes, yes, girl. Yes. I know. Thank you. All right. And then the next question I have for you is what, if anything, are you reading right now? What's on your bookshelf?

Genevieve Skory (49:02.048)
was that?

Genevieve Skory (49:09.908)
Yeah, and I'm trying to hold my audio book open so I could get the author's last name. I literally just started a book called The Luck Factor. It's called The Luck Factor, The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind by Richard Wiseman. And yes, and it highlights some of the things that we have been talking about. And I think you're gonna, if you next put it on your list.

Ryann (49:14.306)
perfect.

Ryann (49:18.944)
Ooh.

Ryann (49:27.277)
What?

Ryann (49:35.137)
It's on my list.

Genevieve Skory (49:36.296)
because I think you're going to see that like you have been lucky and I think people look at other people and think like you're lucky and it's like yes and yes you can you can make yourself luckier you know so yeah so that's it's been great so far but literally just started my son recommended it and I was like this is great it's great yeah

Ryann (49:48.182)
Yes and? Yes and? Cool.

Okay.

Ryann (50:00.718)
Cool, I love that. Yes, that's going on the list and I'm behind the scenes like working on a recommended reading list for all of you out there who just want all these amazing books that all the people I interview suggest every week. So I've got dozens of them now at this point, if not hundreds. So it's super great. Okay, and the last question I have for you, Jenvieve, is who or what has taught you the most?

Genevieve Skory (50:14.816)
Wow, great.

Genevieve Skory (50:25.508)
I have to say my husband, 100%. My husband is the exact opposite of me in almost every way. And there were so many parts of my life where I thought, boy, I wish we were more similar.

Ryann (50:36.202)
Of course. Yeah.

Genevieve Skory (50:45.37)
There were many, many, many points in my life where I was like, I wish we were more similar. And as you get older and wiser, you start to realize there are people in your life to teach you things. And my husband is the visionary in our partnership. Everything that we've done, we've done because he's had that forward vision. He's had the ability to think like what our life could look like if it actually worked out. Whereas I

I was like, what if it doesn't work out? He's super patient. He's super kind. He's a deep, lifelong learner and the nicest, most loving human being on the face of the planet. So I learned from him daily. And I look at him when I'm upset or worried about something and he's my barometer. Like, is this something we should be freaked out about or what are you thinking? And so...

I have to, I give him props today. Give him props as my guy.

Ryann (51:48.994)
That is so beautiful. We are upwards of 100 episodes here on the Raising Wild Hearts podcast. And I don't think anyone has ever said their spouse. so that speaks volumes to you and your family and your commitment and your love for each other. And that is so beautiful. And so I am just celebrating in that with you. Yeah. And

Genevieve Skory (51:56.896)
you

Genevieve Skory (52:12.736)
Thank you, thank you. It's not sunshine and roses every day. Just to be clear. But in every moment of that, still super, I'm like, you're my guy. I appreciate you the most. Yeah.

Ryann (52:17.494)
Amen to that. Just to be clear.

Ryann (52:30.924)
Yeah, that's beautiful. Thank you so much for this entire conversation. It's been absolutely phenomenal.

Genevieve Skory (52:37.546)
Thank you. Thank you, thank you.