What happens when your plan goes off the rails?

I never imagined that at this point in my life I would be asking:  “Where am I going?”  “What am I doing?”  “What do I want to do?”.  I actually had a plan.  In fact, by now, I was supposed to be living that plan full throttle, able to choose projects that I was passionate about, living my “idea” of success.

Well, my plans didn’t go in the direction I had pictured.  The career track I thought I was on, fizzled away, my beautiful family took center stage, and the self developed some very real doubts.  Here’s the thing; the change wasn’t causing me the issue.  This wasn’t the first time I’ve switched gears.  I went to college with a pre-med focus and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science.  However, medical school was no longer in my plan.  I was turned on to broadcasting my senior year, and once I said it out loud, there was no turning back.  I decided to go home where I was able to start my career in Fresno, California.  Broadcasting later moved me from California to New York to Connecticut.  I’m not new to change, but for the first time ever, I found myself unsure of what my next move should be. Continue Reading Getting Back On Track!

Mic check 123… Is this thing on?

Oh, it’s on. We’re back. And it’s time for something new for Think Tank of Three.  Get ready, our brand new chapter starts now with our exciting new co-host!

Continue Reading New Season, New Host, New Think Tank of Three – Episode #35

Stephanie BarnhillGuest Blog by Stephanie Barnhill, Operations Consultant at mConnexions

I am a near 38-year-old woman, happily married for almost 11 years now, living in Michigan with three adorable dogs. No picket fence because our HOA won’t allow it. And no kids either because we’re childfree.

“Childfree” is a word you may not have heard before – I only learned it in the last few years. It’s used in place of the word “childless”, meaning a life without children isn’t negative for us as nothing is “missing”. A life sans children is what we chose. Perhaps the terms feels a bit tedious, but I think it’s an important distinction for some people, like myself. We are without children on purpose, because we do not desire to be parents.

But let’s rewind a bit. Continue Reading Being Childfree: Our Path To Discovering We Don’t Want Kids

First comes love, then comes marriage. But wait! What about the parents who skip having the baby in the baby carriage?

Is it true what they say, that you don’t know ‘love’ until you’re a parent?

Are you selfish if you choose not to have children?

What about men and women who want to conceive a child, but are unable to do so naturally?

Or the women and men who want to have children, but haven’t yet found love?

There are many paths to choose from — and some paths are even chosen for us. In this episode, the Think Tank of Three talks with a guest who shares about her choice to be ‘childfree’.

Continue Reading Can You Know ‘Love’ Without Being a Parent? Choosing to be Childfree with Stephanie Barnhill – Episode #34

Beth Peck, Project KoruGuest Blog by Beth Peck, Executive Director of Project Koru

Right this moment I am staring out the window of a little 63’ Franklin travel trailer, listening to the quiet morning waves of Lake Superior. Mornings are always my favorite time; it’s quiet, all I can hear is the light breathing of my three kids as they catch up on sleep from the previous day’s adventure mixed with the rustle of the biggest evergreens in the great state of Michigan.

Sitting in my little twin bed drinking freshly made camp coffee, I always have a happy heart when I’m working in the morning from Lil’ Frankie, the name we gave our travel trailer. She’s 150 sq ft of vintage charm that I worked all spring to restore. Every nook and cranny has a purpose and every time I’m in here my soul explodes with happiness. She is mine, and I made her. I made this life. Continue Reading A Mom, A Travel Trailer, & A Reminder to Take The Jump!

Do you dream of earning the corner office? Of buying the biggest house in the best neighborhood? Of providing for your family — of having it all?

Until one day, you realize that dream has changed. Or, it wasn’t really your dream at all! Whether you feel pulled in a new direction, or you’re faced with a life-altering diagnosis like our podcast guest, life is full of transitions. Sometimes the path to finding our true joy is an unexpected one.

At 32 years old, as a newly divorced single mom of two, Beth Peck received a devastating diagnosis. Cancer. The battle was on… and spoiler alert… Beth (or shall we call her Vi!) not only fought back, she is now leading the fight at a nonprofit that helps young adults facing cancer. And that’s just the first few minutes of this episode!

Continue Reading The Unexpected Path to Finding Joy with Beth Peck – Episode #33

Nora Luke, Corporate to CallingGuest Blog by Nora Luke, Founder of Corporate to Calling

Have you heard the phrase, “Change Guilt?”

You won’t find it in the dictionary, but it’s a real thing.

It’s the feeling we have when we seek out something different and our mind tells us to be happy with what we have. It’s your subconscious trying to protect you and it grows stronger by the stories we tell ourselves and the stories others tell us. Continue Reading Overcoming ‘Change Guilt’

Stepping into the unknown is scary, especially if that means uprooting our lives to try something new.

If you’re feeling like it’s time to make a major move or you’re feeling restless, and aren’t quite sure where it will lead, then this episode is for you.

A special guest shares how to go from Corporate to Calling. Continue Reading Making the Transition from Corporate to Calling with Nora Luke – Episode #32

If you’ve been following the Think Tank of Three podcast for any length of time, you might have noticed that we’ve been quiet lately. We have been feeling the impact of COVID-19 and the unrest around the treatment of people of color.

While we know it’s important to speak up and take action, we also know that we needed time to practice what we preach on our podcast, putting our families, our work, and our communities first.

We pulled back to take a minute to check ourselves, take some time off to process how we feel, and also to get some work done behind the scenes for exciting changes coming to the Think Tank.

And we want to offer this community an explanation as well as share some hope.  Continue Reading Mic check 1, 2, 3… And we’re back!

At Think Tank of Three, we passionately believe that every person must stand against racial injustice.

We are women, empowering all women. This space is a space for you. We want black women and women of color to feel safe and know they have a voice here.

While major brands with vast resources have responded with large donations and advertising campaigns, the more relevant question for us is what can we do?

More importantly, what must we do? Continue Reading Standing Up Against Racism: This is a Safe Space for All Women