María has had an interesting professional path of — classical ballet, law, a life in international relations. This is a conversation about what becomes possible when you follow your curiosity and not being afraid to fail. There's also the best argument for giving yourself permission not to finish a book.

📩 Read the companion piece and join the Now Is Life newsletter → https://rimakawas.substack.com/?utm_source=youtube

In this episode:
00:00 — "you're actually average"
00:33 — Meet María Fernández García
01:28 — At six years old: astronaut, banker, hotel receptionist
02:27 — What anchors a career
03:31 — Fail fast, fail forward
03:59 — "You're actually average" — permission, not an insult
05:20 — Permission to not finish the book
06:00 — What ballet gave her: being one in many
08:30 — "María, open your eyes"
11:03 — Never better communications, never more isolated
11:44 — How she defines leadership
16:26 — "That's your story" — owning a nonlinear path
17:33 — Letting go of the dream
17:54 — Training herself to be present
19:26 — How you know when to let something go
22:56 — This is not the last decision you'll ever make
23:58 — Closing: today is the day

About the show
Now Is Life with Rima is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration is right next door. It's in the conversation you haven't had yet.

"Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima

Listen on any podcast app:
🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen

Connect:
Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/
Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/

#NowIsLife #Reinvention #Listening #GlobalCareers #Podcast

From Louisiana to Iowa, Dr. Joseph Jones has built an intentional career across politics, academia, and a nonprofit. Through a doctorate, a Senate office, a governor's office, and a policy institute, every pivot in his leadership journey has been guided by a deep commitment to public service. Driven by curiosity and a mindset as a lifelong learner, he kept an unwavering focus on his goals, stepping into new opportunities when they aligned with his vision. In this episode, Dr. Jones shares how he checks his direction and follows his North Star.

📩 Read the companion essay and subscribe free → https://rimakawas.substack.com/?utm_source=youtube

In this episode:
00:00 Following the North Star
00:37 Meet Dr. Joseph Jones
01:58 Louisiana to Iowa: the field trip that became a move
03:36 Field trip vs. leap
04:11 Eight-year-old Joseph: who speaks for your family?
05:51 Where you actually start: Model UN and stuffing envelopes
07:15 Why leaders are usually just neighbors
07:48 A doctorate, for no reason except curiosity
09:45 Getting comfortable with not knowing things
10:18 International delegations, and what shapes a worldview
11:05 A stranger's front door in rural Iowa
13:00 Bridging divides: put the phone down
14:07 The nod in the grocery store
14:45 Many pivots, one North Star
16:15 The work at United Way of Central Iowa
17:53 "When did you decide?" — two moments
19:27 Closing: one person, today

About the show
Now Is Life is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration isn't out there with the famous and the historical. It's next door. It's in the conversation you haven't started yet.

Listen on any podcast app
🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen

Connect
Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/
Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/
Dr. Joseph Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-jones-5575732a/

New episodes monthly.

#NowIsLife #PublicService #CivicEngagement #Reinvention #Podcast

Have you ever hit a wall in your career and thought, "What now?" Jack Stahlmann knows the feeling. After years of grinding in Los Angeles as an actor, a moment of career panic forced him to completely rethink his path.

✍️ Read the deeper takeaways on Substack: https://rimakawas.substack.com/

In this episode of Now Is Life, Rima sits down with Jack (better known as the "Don't Flinch" guy) to talk about navigating those professional crossroads. Jack shares some incredible stories from his Hollywood days—including how a broken copier led to a friendship with Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper), and how handling a frustrating customer return at Sears landed him a role on Days of Our Lives.

It’s an honest conversation about stepping out of your comfort zone, figuring out what you actually want to do, and why the best things happen when you simply refuse to flinch.

📌 Episode Chapters
00:00 — "Sometimes we're jealous of things we're not even jealous of"
00:35 — Welcome + meet Jack Stahlmann
02:13 — Where it started: a prank and a show choir sign-up sheet
04:27 — The two people who changed the trajectory
05:52 — Career panic: "I had run my course"
06:44 — Actor vs. performer, and why they're different
09:42 — The agent who said "go find a job you hate"
10:50 — The danger zone: a job you can just tolerate
11:31 — Three panics a year: the speaking business
12:38 — There is no professional finish line
13:12 — Why he quit social media
14:06 — Do you like your now?
14:48 — The freest he's ever felt: driving to LA with nothing lined up
15:50 — Kinko's, Mr. Belding, and a jammed copier
16:37 — The don't-flinch moment
17:52 — How to actually get into speaking
18:52 — Days of Our Lives, and a customer return at Sears
20:48 — Where "don't flinch" came from
21:35 — Every success story starts with a moment
22:29 — Closing

About the show
Now Is Life with Rima is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration is right next door. It's in the conversation you haven't had yet.

"Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima

Listen on any podcast app:
🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen

Connect:
Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/
Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/

🔗 Connect with Jack Stahlmann: dontflinchguy.com

#NowIsLife #Podcast #Dontflinchguy