99. On A Call To Lead an Ampersand Life with Jessica Wan

Overview

Are you called to honor more than one side of yourself in your life and work? Then this episode is for you! You, too, might be an ampersand. Or perhaps we all could be if we weren’t forced to choose.

What is an ampersand you might ask? Meet Jessica Wan, an ampersand herself and host of The Ampersand Manifesto podcast. Jessica explains ampersands as those who are multi-passionate, lead double lives, and straddle two completely different worlds.

In this conversation, learn more about Jessica’s experience working in two worlds (a career in business and her career as a singer and performer) and the themes she’s gleaned from the podcast interviews of others also leading double lives. Hear her counsel to shift away from feeling like we must choose, and rather to pay attention to what’s calling to you at this moment, allowing yourself to step into a full identity.

Jessica - Thank you for championing this movement for the ampersand life! And for encouraging us all to be holistic individuals, embracing multiples sides of ourselves.

More About Our Guest

For almost two decades, Jessica Wan was a marketing leader on the CMO track who built teams, launched products, and grew companies across tech, startups, and the arts at organizations like the San Francisco Opera, Apple, Smule, and Magoosh.

Today she’s an executive coach who works with leaders to navigate change, manage teams effectively, and lead authentically. As a coach, she helps people get unstuck be it in making the next career move, tackling interpersonal dynamics on their team, or thinking about career growth while growing a family.

Along with her business expertise, Jessica has also built a career as a singer and performer, is a mom to a young child, and hosts a podcast called The Ampersand Manifesto.

Topics Covered

  • What inspired The Ampersand Manifesto? It started with Jessica wondering, “Where are the people like me?” Those are people who lead a double-life and are balancing two sides of themselves, often analytical and creative.

  • There is an opportunity to allow more room for people to step into the ampersand life, as opposed to societal pressures that often ask us to choose. Jessica champions allowing space for multiple sides of ourselves, yet to also be discerning. A key insight for Sustainable Ambition is Right Time, and Jessica emphasizes this point: “…take away focus from the choosing to figuring out what parts are really calling to you at that moment.”

  • Jessica’s story offers insights into how we can navigate an ampersand life and career over time. How does one pull that off? I appreciate how Jessica shares how this can be different decade to decade.

  • While I share how research has suggested that people with multiples interests tend to have an easier time with job transitions, Jessica admits that she, too, has felt angst during such times, as I have, as well. She normalizes the fact that during transitions we can feel unmoored. She shares how her positivity strength has helped her navigate such times for herself. A lesson there for all of us to call on optimism and positivity even if it’s not your strength.

  • Many ampersands can’t imagine living any other way and not honoring the creative side of themselves, in particular. Contrary to what one might think, Jessica shares that living into both sides of themselves actually allows for more focus on each and that each side ends up feeding the other.

  • Jessica’s hope is that people don’t put down their passions and instead recognize that they can continue to perform at a very high level. One just has to let go of narrow definitions of success.

  • I appreciate that Jessica closes the conversation bringing us back to her concept and encouraging us all to honor all sides of ourselves.

Resources Mentioned

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99. On A Call To Lead an Ampersand Life with Jessica Wan

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2023Kathy OnetoRight Ambition, Right Time