I Do This for a Living

Serenity visits with her long-time friend, Fr. Mike Coleman. We told the audience in the intro episode that we want to highlight a million different kinds of jobs on this show, and it's still the goal. Fr. Mike and Serenity talk about what led him to feeling called to this work, what it takes to get there, and the fact that he doesn't think of it as work at all. There are very few stories that inspire like a person who loves their ...

Today's guest is Parker Bohon. Only four years out of college, Parker has found a remote job that offers a positive work culture and the perfect work-life balance for a new mother. Encouraged throughout her life to be kind and work hard, Parker has found success at work by doing just that. In life, Parker is determined to keep a growth mindset and to love well. Her conversation with Serenity, who happens to be her mother-in-law, to...

It's Episode 25! Serenity invites journalist and podcast host Jodie O'Brien to celebrate 25 episodes of I Do This For a Living. Jodie teaches us that journalism is more than a skill; it is a worldview. She is a proud graduate of the Mizzou School of Journalism, the oldest journalism school in the country and part of the University of Missouri (Mizzou Rah!). Today, Jodie hosts two podcasts, Influential Women and 39/94. The latter fe...

Serenity welcomes Kiyoko Hairston, author of the children's book Freeda's Fabnificent Feet. As a young adult, Kiyoko earned her SAG card for delivering a line in a movie with Jeff Bridges and Barbara Streisand. While her acting career continued for a time, today Kiyoko is confident in her identity as a storyteller. Her new children's book empowers readers to see their perceived weaknesses as superpowers. Kiyoko's personal story is ...

Joyful Judy C. Harvey is a retired teacher, living a real life Hallmark movie with her high school sweetheart in a small town in Missouri. Judy has been mentioned on the show many times for her college story, which began when almost all three of her children had graduated high school. Judy always wanted to be an English teacher. She loved it, and she loves retirement. She has brilliant advice for finding joy in our work and in life...

Please welcome Jesse White! Jesse is a musician and entertainer who is finding the day job brings him balance. Jesse has a familiar story of artistic dreams. He was determined music would one day be his job, and he worked toward that throughout high school, college, and beyond. Eventually, economic realities sent him to his network to find work that paid. Surprisingly, he found that stable income and the structure of a 9-to-5 was j...

Serena Berrey is five years post-college and in a job she LOVES because she didn't waste her time in misalignment. As an Executive Recruiter, Serena has tons of motivational advice, including starting your day right, surviving any day in the industry of your choice, and filling your cup before pouring it out. Serena has hot takes and hot tips for interviewing with recruiters, networking constantly, and always finding ways to feel y...

Please welcome Jason Benson, general contractor in Wyoming, former worship leader, and someone who never used to ask himself, "What do you want?" It's a question he learned through therapy after a series of panic attacks and a sabbatical made him realize he was headed into a very big quitting story. You know I love a quitting story. For Jason, this one felt more like Owen Wilson's line in the Loki TV series: "Burn it to the ground....

Kristin Flannigan is a speech pathologist, living and working in California. It's a role that took her some time to identify. However, when she found it, she wondered if the career was made for her or if she was made for the career. Kristin loves fun and was always drawn to linguistics and to serving people. She learned the term Pura Vida on a trip to Costa Rica where she hopes to live or at least visit again one day. Pura Vida is ...

Please welcome Valerie Peavler to I Do This for a Living. Valerie has a confident recommendation for how NOT to choose a major. She is a consummate planner but learned early in her career that plans can change. Her advice is about how allowing those changes can help you grow and get you where you really want to be. Her story took her from exercise science to cardiac rehab and finally to the photography company where she works today...

Today's guest is Nikki Corder. In twenty years of friendship, Nikki and Serenity have had many conversations about work, life, and what they dream. A lot of the time, their conversations are about learning to cope and adjust when it feels like life is nowhere near the dream. Their career paths are similarly winding for many reasons, but Nikki has learned a lot about her strengths and what she's good at, even if nobody's paying her ...

Simone Stolzoff is an author and journalist who explores big questions about work, meaning, and identity. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO, he is the author of two bestselling books: The Good Enough Job and How To Not Know. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and on the TED stage. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.

Serenity...

Maureen Yaconis had a career in hospitality when COVID practically collapsed the industry. After a year or so out of work, Maureen found her way into market research. Today, she runs her own business and manages multiple income streams. Maureen has a question-everything approach to work. She loves identifying better processes and more efficient ways of working, and she does not hesitate to implement them. She is passionate about em...

Meet Ashley Rott-Nettleton, Serenity's market research mentor and forever friend. Ashley leveraged a financial layoff (from a company that still desperately wanted to work with her) by starting her own biz! Now she has that client plus many others, is her own boss, and will "never go back." Ashley tells you how it's done (even when you're risk-averse!), and she and Serenity talk about work philosophy, negotiating for your worth, an...

It's The Mama Episode! Let's hear from Kathy Nickerson, mom of four (including your host, Serenity Bohon), emotional/spiritual mom to hundreds more, author, and eternal optimist. Kathy knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a writer, but it took her some time to admit it and go for it. Now, she has five books published in her "granny lit" series, a book for young readers called Jack and the Green Dragon, and a book on its...

Nathan Bransford is the writer's champion, offering A to Z advice for writers about the craft of storytelling, finding an agent, navigating the publishing industry, and everything writers need to make their dreams come true. Don't leave if you're not a writer, though! This episode is for anyone who loves the stories people tell about their varied career paths. Nathan has amazing advice about determining your values and making them ...

Meet my brother, Lt. Joe Nickerson. He started in law enforcement as a side gig and discovered it was the perfect fit for his specific strengths and calling. Joe describes his first experiences in the police academy as "life-changing." Learning a new job within law enforcement became Joe's next aha moment. Now he had found not just a calling but a role comprising everything he cared about most. I loved this conversation with one of...

Dennis Trinkle was the son of a pastor and on a similar track until a teaching job along the way inspired him to go back to school. He liked teaching but knew he would have better success with more education. When fulfilling a liberal arts requirement led him to a philosophy class, he discovered an interest that would shape his next move and his continued education for years. There are more pivots in Dennis's story--all sparked by ...

Carrie Gaines and I have a shared work experience but very different relationships to work in general. We worked together in the grant-seeking and management department of a health professions university - a workplace that set the bar for both us when it comes to professional and supportive work environments. Carrie transitioned from her grants management role after getting new assignments at the University that piqued her interest...