Have you been wondering what’s the secret to find ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment at work? What if there was a secret to happiness and it’s not what you think? In this article, Janifer Wheeler, Founder of Wheelhouse Lifestyle Solutions – Home of the JOYFull BadAss Whisperer will decode her secret formula to help individuals achieve the ultimate job satisfaction.
A Day In The Life Of Someone Seeking For A Better Career Path
The turning point for me was in 2012. I had been teaching elementary school for nearly 10 years and I was beginning to recognize the signs of burnout. I was not only living for 3:30, but also for the weekends, school holidays, and summer break.
I was emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted every minute of every day. Add home responsibilities and my own family to that mix and ….. I bet you know what THAT looked like… one hot mess.
Can you relate?
The Hours You Put In At Work Contribute To Burnout
Did you know that research shows that we spend over 90,000 hours of our lives at work? Broken down, this equals to 2,250 WEEKS, 562 MONTHS, or 11,250 DAYS.
No matter how you do the math, that’s way too long to be miserable at work!
I’d be surprised if anyone could say that they’ve never worked in a toxic work environment completely devoid of joy. This is not to disparage any particular industry, but as someone who’s worked in fast food, retail, higher ed, commercial property management/leasing, childcare, public education, finance/accounting, administration, and HR, some organizations really do suck the life right out of you.
There is no surprise that almost 25,000 per day Google the word “work-life balance”.
When Entrepreneurship Calls You
I knew I had lost my passion. I felt a strong desire to start my own business. But what could I do? Sell a product or a service? All of those were options I had, but the idea of not having stability paralyzed me!
One thing I was sure. I was ready to quit my job. I developed personal goals and quickly realized that I needed to switch careers to keep my mental health in check.
Inspired by the amount of flexibility, freedom, and seeking clarity around what’s my “why,” I had decided to step out into the entrepreneurial world.
It was nearly as hard as being a teacher, but with a lot more flexibility … both in time and income!
Entrepreneurship Doesn’t Automatically Equal Happiness
I struggled for years to find that secret sauce, that magic elixir that would elevate my business and thrust me into the spotlight as an influencer, change-maker, and thought leader.
I THOUGHT it was hustle, grit, grinding, or faking it until I could make it.
I was wrong.
The SECRET SAUCE for SUCCESS IS …. (drumroll) …. JOY!
Yep. Joy.
That just seems too easy, right?
It is but it isn’t. You see, we are socialized to pursue happiness, but happiness and joy are not the same.
Happiness is temporary and comes from outside forces while joy is long-lasting and comes from within.
Simon Sinek, a motivational speaker and writer whose focus is on leadership and management, says: “many of us confuse excitement with joy; happiness with fulfillment. Our jobs can be exciting – every day something new. But that doesn’t mean we are fulfilled or feel joy from it. If we don’t feel safe in our jobs, the simple fact is that we won’t feel joy either.”
I cannot agree more!
I never knew that finding my JOY would bring me such success. Not having it was the very reason I could no longer stay in the classroom.
In the last year, I have redesigned my brand, business model, and lifestyle so that each aspect is founded on and driven by JOY.
My new vision is to disrupt our current model by creating a society of workplace culture based on joy, empowerment, and balance. I am so committed to this dream that I became a licensed facilitator of the Joy|Money Matrix™ in July and combined it with my existing programs to create The JOYFull BadAss at Work Experience™.
5 Tips To Find More Joy & Success
Although my process is more detailed, you can implement these 5 tips right now for more joy and success and your own SECRET SAUCE!
Step 1: Connect with your intuition. This often untapped 6th sense will never steer you wrong. Listen to your gut!
Step 2: Align your core values, visions, and dreams. What’s your WHY? Why does this even matter?
Step 3: Reveal energy investments. Think about each area of your personal and professional life. WHAT are you DOING?
Step 4: Take Empowered Action. Analyze each task from each area for JOY and the potential for income generation. Where do JOY and MONEY meet for you?
Step 5: Develop a System. How will you use this knowledge to drive decisions, break bad habits, add new strategies, create goals, etc.?
Since July 1, 2019, the day that I fully embraced my JOYFull BadAss by completing the Joy|Money Matrix™, I have accomplished the following:
- Business and lifestyle model based on core values: joy, freedom, knowledge, and relationships
- Eliminated time consuming, non-income generating tasks
- Redesigned non-joyfull but necessary tasks so that I stop procrastinating
- Reduced work week from 40 hours to 24
- Increased sales convos and conversions by 20%
- Increased revenue by 65%
- Award-Winning, International Speaker
- Joined the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce (my first one!)
- #IamRemarkable by Google Certified Facilitator
- Joy|Money Matrix™ Facilitator
- Certified Diversity Professional
- Presented workshops to over 500 people
If you are a business owner, professional development, or HR leader, who wants a workplace that is balanced, equitable, and inclusive of all, The JOYFull BadAss at Work Experience™ is for you.
When leaders embrace JOY as the common workplace language, employees will be more engaged, productive, empowered, and PROFITABLE.
After 25 years in both the public and corporate classroom, Janifer fully embraced her own badassery and became a training consultant focused on helping organizations amplify their DEI initiatives by adding more JOY.
As a fierce advocate and ally for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school system, it made sense that she would take this mission into the global workforce.
Combining many years of experience in business growth & development, along with a deep knowledge of teaching, learning, and curriculum design, she’s created a business model that integrates with her highest values…freedom, personal development, and empowering others.
Janifer is an Award-Winning, International Speaker and member of SpeakerHub, the Public Speakers Association, All Ladies League/Women’s Economic Forum, National Society for Leadership and Success, e-Women Network, Amazing Women Alliance Leadership Circle, Texas Business Women, and Polka Dot Powerhouse. She is a licensed facilitator for The Joy|Money Matrix and Google’s #IamRemarkable initiative. She is pursuing a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through The Gatson Group, expected completion in February 2020. She is a member of the Austin LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and serves on the ERG Committee
When she’s not trying to change the world with JOYFull BadAssery, she enjoys reading, traveling, camping, and journaling. She lives in Austin, TX, where she and her husband hang with friends while listening to live music.
Want to schedule your OWN event with Janifer? She will definitely bring JOYFull BadAssery to your next conference, training session, or keynote. Book a Discovery Call Today!
