The pandemic and a search for answers

The pandemic happened.

Amidst the chaos, terror, and existential dread, I had more peaceful downtime to quietly reflect than I was used to. A recurring question kept me up at night.

“What am I actually doing with my life?”

Well, more accurately: “Why am I doing what I’m doing with my life?”

At the time I was a young, hotshot corporate lawyer working at one of Africa’s biggest law firms. I was newly married, living in a lush apartment on the Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town and earning more money than I knew what to do with.

I had a great career, highly rewarding job, worked in a good team and on the surface, life was great and I had everything figured out.

In truth, something wasn’t right.

I felt a bit lost, like I was drifting with the tides of my professional life. Like my entire life up to that point had been focused on moving from one milestone to the next.

Career progression for me was a very linear thing. First you get a law degree, then you complete articles, you get retained, then you get promoted, make partner and so on.

When the novelty of progression wore off, it was as though I was on a train and wasn’t really sure that the destination was where I actually wanted to get off.

Was it lockdown fatigue? Sure.

Was I burnt out? Without a doubt.

But this felt like something more innate and fundamental – lockdown had only exposed it.

So, in 2020 I found myself seriously in search of answers. I needed to find reason in the grind that had until then been the focus of my professional life.

I ended up doing 2 things:

1. I started seeing a psychologist to help work through some of what I was experiencing.
2. More unusually, I decided to start a podcast.

Totally logical, right?

Breaking Out with Jared Lesar

We tend to think of careers in fields like law, finance, medicine and engineering as a guarantee of success.

They’re prestigious, pay well and you gain important skills that society values.

For a long time though, I wanted to understand how and why entrepreneurs, artists, performers, musicians and the like shunned traditionally ‘safe’ careers to turn their passions and hobbies into successful vocations.

Part of my fascination with this question was because at various stages of my childhood, I had wanted to be many things – a sportsperson, a musician, an entrepreneur.

Yet I somehow ended up becoming a lawyer.

The other aspect was that my lived experience reinforced the idea that the safety and security of a stable job is a reason, in and of itself, to dedicate your life to it.

Yet somehow others didn’t need or want a safety net.

So, on my interview-style podcast I spoke to a variety of interesting guests about how they had managed to do what I somehow hadn’t.

They told their stories and my listeners and I heard them.

You see, my hypothesis was that by hearing their stories, I would find the answers I was looking for. That I’d find the why of my career.

More importantly – I believed that their stories would give me the courage to take charge of my career and life.

What I found defied even my best expectations.

How Starting A Podcast Changed My Life

It’s been a little over a year since I published the first episode.

In that time, I’ve since done a mini-pivot in my career (still a lawyer) and found fulfilment in my work again.

I’ve re-discovered my love of reading and re-gained my curiosity about learning beyond just my sphere of competence.

From those conversations, I came to understand that curiosity – asking why over and over again – was the greatest tool to discovering purpose in your career. [Go check out this post about the importance of curiosity]

My listeners responded too.

There was something in the authenticity of the whole project that connected with them.

They were able to put themselves in my guests’ shoes and reimagine their own lives. For a little while, their hopes and aspirations felt a little more achievable.

I’d often get feedback that my interview with a guest had helped a listener get back into a passion project, make a career change or encouraged them to pursue their side hustle.

Whenever I met people, the podcast was often the first thing I’d get asked about and inevitably we’d end up discussing something from an episode they’d listened to.

I thought I was simply recording and sharing a conversation between two people.

It turns out I was creating a platform for ideas, experiences and thoughts to be shared. For real humans to be inspired and influenced to take real action in real life.

It’s crazy to think that never before in human history have we had the ability to connect with each other like we do now because of social media.

My only question is whether we’re fully utilising those facilities.

It’s a scary thing putting yourself and your opinions out there for the world to pick apart.

But if there’s one thing starting a podcast taught me, it’s that you have a voice.

Don’t be afraid to let others hear it.