Navigating with Zakkee Ahmad

(Recorded February 19, 2021) A few days ago, I was feeling really down and upset as I was trying to build my new COO business. Why was it such a struggle? It felt so hard and frustrating and it's supposed to feel fun and amazing and exciting and effortless because I'm doing what I love! Well, I sat down and journaled out my thoughts to "get the problem out of me" and decided to share what I wrote because it helped SO MUCH. This is a demonstration of why I believe in the power of journaling (not exclusively but one technique). I wish you all the best in your problem solving as well.

(Recorded February 19, 2021) This episode is all about the how and why behind my current "Small Biz COO" business. I'm sharing my thought process behind launching it, why I'm so confident that it will be successful, and the boxes that it checks. The amazing thing btw? I'm finally pursuing something that checks off ALL of my boxes! How exciting! And it only took 3 years... not bad. (Spoiler alert - that itself is why it can't lose.....) (music: Jay-Z- U Don't Know)

Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: the story of the moment I knew beyond any more wonder that what I had gone through was what most people refer to as a "midlife crisis". Book Referenced: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Recorded about a week after my first ever stand up comedy set. This is the rough draft of my reflections. Then made notes on a structured way to present my ideas and cover something I missed. Haven't had a chance to do that yet so I figured I'd share the imperfect version in the meantime....

(Recorded September 25, 2020) Focus. It's something I have not exactly embodied since I walked out the door (on my career) and allowed myself to consider anything & everything a possibility. The positives: I had/have the confidence to pursue anything, I'm flexible, and I ended up trying a huge variety of things (& learning a ton along the way). The potential trap: a lack of focus, which led to decreased productivity and added frustrations stemming from that. The day before recording this episode, I chatted with Jenny Paul (@livelongandhustle on Instagram) and she helped me to see things I just wasnt seeing before (& man it felt like such a relief!). She helped me to see the cohesion (?) in several of the ideas I was already working on and provided some general guidance on how to build it out. The most exciting thing for me was having something real to pursue that accomplished so many of the objectives I've been trying to check off separately: do something I enjoy, help others on similar positions

(Recorded Aug 30, 2020) You may be wondering what a fantasy football draft has to do with career change... Fair question. I've been listening to a LOT of fantasy football analysis on Sirius and one of the things that the hosts do is do live drafts on their radio shows. I couldn't help but think how awesome it is that they get PAID to not only study (fantasy) football and talk about it on international radio, but to actually draft their teams live or comment on/interview others' strategies while they draft... So I thought I'd give it a shot and see how I fared. And fare I did... (I think...?). At the end of the day, the point is that if someone offered me THAT dream job tomorrow and asked to see my portfolio, it would now include this podcast episode! Experience, right?! Enjoy & good luck with your fantasy season. Its sure to be a crazy one.

(Recorded Aug 13, 2020) You know when you're like out of work for 2 years and you feel like you're bashing your head against the wall cause you don't know what you're SUPPOSED to be doing with yourself or how to make money? You've applied for jobs and gotten zero response... What do you do? Duh - try something else! So I tried ecommerce. Dropshipping specifically. I got myself some courses, then got myself a mentorship program, and got some sales! I was doing everything right and was well on my way to a shiny new passive income stream cause that's how it goes... But that's just not how it goes. In this episode, I share my experiences and my opinions about ecommerce (dropshipping especially), why it's a great idea, and why you probably don't want to pursue it...

(June 5, 2020) In this episode, I share a little more about what my goals really are from a more macro perspective. What am I trying to do with my life? What am I working towards in addition to a new career? Who do I think I am to have these thoughts? And who benefits from the sacrifices and decisions that I've made? Hint: it's a lot bigger than me...

(Recorded May 25, 2020) Basically, when I started my search for a new career, it wasnt just to do something different or make more money. It truly was so that I could be more happy! I knew I could make more money doing something that I loved doing. I saw my high school yearbook quote that said something along the lines of "Pursue your passions" & felt ashamed that I hadn't done that so far... Well, as my wonderfully supportive wife reminded me: "You are!" & the sentiment of "this is who you are". #perspective. I thought it was something to be ashamed of, but it's quite the opposite if i choose to see it that way. It's storytime, kids. Grab a seat.

(Recorded May 15, 2020) The evolution continues! I decided to rename this podcast as I continue to find a way to offer what I can. I have and continue to have conversations with so many people who are unhappy with their jobs or careers. One of the things that I notice is that people don't realize the world of possibilities that exist nowadays with the internet / social media. I spend a lot of time researching the possibilites (without realizing it) and have ZERO doubt that i am going to be successful in my next careers, so I'll use my own story as the example of someone who "actually did it". How cool to be able to listen to the journey as it unfolds...!

(Recorded May 20, 2020) Over the May long weekend, I celebrated the launch of allegorychai.com AND my first ecommerce sale. I was vibrating high! Then I crashed into a depressive mindset on Monday and it persisted & was furthered on Wednesday when I recorded this episode. I always knew I wanted the shitty days to be part of the story that I told, but I hadn't been doing a great job of capturing them before this. In typical poetic fashion, life poked me and I paid attention: if I believe that I am the kind of person who has a story worth telling, I have to not only capture it all, but continue to attack my vulnerabilities and push myself to get stronger and better every day. In this episode, I don't describe how I came out of the poor mindset and feelings of depression because I hadn't when I recorded this... I talk about it because it's my truth. Tom Bilyeu posted something on his Insta story recently to the effect of "don't try to suppress the negative emotions or hide from them because they will always

(Recorded May 16, 2020) Ok, technically it wasn't quite 1 paycheck - it was actually LESS than 1 paycheck! The paycheck I refer to is the one I made as an engineer. I baffled many people over these 2 years by not working and barely making income. I really appreciated the concern that I got from people about it (& in a sick way, I kinda enjoyed watching people awkwardly ask me about this stuff cause I know how crazy it is how I am the way I am...), but I know that even more people than that wondered and didn't ask. Well, I'm breaking it down in this episode. Spolier alert - there's no overnight formula that I used to stretch my money starting when I quit my 9-5. It was many contributing factors that I know anyone can implement for themselves if they're truly willing to.

(Recorded May 15, 2020) I can't stand the way that society has forced us to attach the value that we do to money. People attach their self-worth to what's in their bank account & give that power to others as well. For a while, I resisted the idea of making a lot of money for myself for this reason (plus some weird act of protest to a societal force & a genuine fear of failure if I actually went for it). Today, I have a different perspective though: it's all relative. It's just a matter of how you choose to view money - is it hard to find, easy to accumulate, does it imply vanity, can it truly be used for good, is there always an evil behind large amounts of it? In this episode, i talk my way through these kinds of thoughts & yes, it still drives me crazy that money is so commonly linked to our sense of self-worth! Don't give that power to anyone (or in this case anything) else. Keep that power for yourself and decide what your own sense of self-worth is OUTSIDE of what's in the bank!

(Recorded April 9, 2020) This whole staying at home in quarantine thing really didn't bother me that much at all... You're saying I have to stay home, try to figure out a new way to work, take care of my baby, do chores, and not lose my mind? Sounds like the last 18 months of my life! I'm a fuckin pro at this already! In fact, I was even more motivated cause it felt like as soon as I finally got my head on right and ready to work, the whole world was like "hold the door, we're coming too!" and started working from home - and starting online businesses too! In this episode, I offer the learnings from trying to become a good "at home worker"... Shower every day, change your clothes.. You know.. Obvious, not obvious stuff!

(Recorded March 31, 2020) I decided to break 2020 into quarters to get myself to focus better and set shorter time periods to attain goals. In this episode, I share where I got to as of the end of the first quarter of 2020 - the massive steps I've taken that I know are setting me up for success and the failures so far!

(Recorded Jan 13, 2020) When I left my oil & gas engineering job in February 2018, I started talking to all kinds of people to get advice, insights, and thoughts on different career paths. They were my peers, friends, business contacts, mentors, past bosses - entrepreneurs, corporate executives, CEOs. I certainly held their words in high esteem (?) and they have helped me tremendously through this process. It took me a lot of time and many coffees to get this advice in my journey to finding my next professional chapter and I know that not everyone has the time and access to some of the great minds that I do, so hopefully this helps you in your career change journey! Enjoy the 25 best cups of coffee advice. (Man.. that phrase sounded so catchy and cool when i first thought of it, but now it just seems odd to me... Oh well. #BetterDoneThanPerfect !)

(Recorded Jan 14, 2020) This episode is easily the most vulnerable I've been on social media and outwardly in general. "My Sex Demon" was the biggest contributor to my early days of depression many years ago. I struggled a LOT (& still do in some ways) with my previous perceptions of sex: what it meant to me, to those around me, to society, and to my life! My perceptions were shaken, and, as a "Mediator" personality type who is guided by their virtues and principles, this was a very big deal because it was something that I considered so special and so important. Today, I can look back and say with confidence that these experiences have shaped who I am in a very positive way. I am empowered because this insecurity, this fear, this nemesis no longer controls me. I know that I have the ability to control it and one of the ways that I am is sharing it's story with you: from my new & empowered perspective. I won't lie, it still makes me feel insecure and uncomfortably vulnerable at times (hell, I recorded

(Recorded Jan 10, 2020) In this episode, I'm sharing my thoughts behind the idea that I had for the Instagram account @namethatdishyyc. As of the date I post this episode (May 2020), that page has not gotten much attention at all from me. Quite simply and honestly, while I still fully believe in the potential of that page (to acquire the ultimate currency of attention) , I decided that it wasnt worth the time I would have to invest in order to get it off the ground RIGHT NOW. Personal finances require more attention, my start up businessES require more attention, and my daughter requires more attention. On any level, this is the evolution of that idea through the hunble beginnings of Soup or Salad on my personal Instagram (@zakkeeahmad) and its dedicated page (@dailysouporsalad). This @namethatdishyyc page lives in the world of foodies, which is huge on Insta, and be something completely different that incorporated a "Buzzfeed" element that I know doesnt exist on Instagram. Imagine: a page that builds the yyc

In this episode, I get into why I left my job, what I was thinking and the whole world of opportunities that I learned about AFTER I left.