110 episodes

We’re all in a moment. And, we’re asking the big questions. Especially about work. Should I join The Great Resignation? Should I stay and just keep on, keeping on. Or, reimagine, reinvent, maybe even start my own thing? Can I really expect more than just a paycheck and stability from work? How do I navigate the overwhelm, burnout, and work-life-bleed that’s turned work-from-home into never-stop-working? What about purpose, joy, excitement, time to breathe, and live? What about that nagging tension between money and meaning, the desire to feel secure and the quest to do something that makes you come alive - that sparks you?
These are the questions we’ll be diving into on the SPARKED podcast. Every week, we invite a listener to share what’s going on in their work & life, then pose a specific question. Then, our host, award-winning author, advisor, and founder, Jonathan Fields, and a rotating lineup of wise mentors from the SPARKED Braintrust will share insights, ideas, strategies, resources and tips to help us all better align what we do with who we are, so we can find and do more of what makes us come alive.

SPARKED LinkedIn

    • Education
    • 4.7 • 92 Ratings

We’re all in a moment. And, we’re asking the big questions. Especially about work. Should I join The Great Resignation? Should I stay and just keep on, keeping on. Or, reimagine, reinvent, maybe even start my own thing? Can I really expect more than just a paycheck and stability from work? How do I navigate the overwhelm, burnout, and work-life-bleed that’s turned work-from-home into never-stop-working? What about purpose, joy, excitement, time to breathe, and live? What about that nagging tension between money and meaning, the desire to feel secure and the quest to do something that makes you come alive - that sparks you?
These are the questions we’ll be diving into on the SPARKED podcast. Every week, we invite a listener to share what’s going on in their work & life, then pose a specific question. Then, our host, award-winning author, advisor, and founder, Jonathan Fields, and a rotating lineup of wise mentors from the SPARKED Braintrust will share insights, ideas, strategies, resources and tips to help us all better align what we do with who we are, so we can find and do more of what makes us come alive.

    How to Blend Well-Paid Work & Engaging Side Passions

    How to Blend Well-Paid Work & Engaging Side Passions

    How do you blend a well-paying job and a side passion that lights you up?
    This week SPARKED podcast, we invited a listener to share what’s going on in their work & life, then pose a specific question to Jonathan Fields and a rotating lineup of wise and kind mentors - the SPARKED Braintrust. 
    In today’s episode we’re in conversation with:
    SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Deborah Owens | Website
    After a long career in leadership in some of the biggest companies in the world, Deborah founded her own consulting firm, Corporate Alley Cat, where she advises and coaches People of Color in all aspects of career visioning and development. She has this incredible ability to see what’s happening under the surface in any given situation, and ask questions that get to the heart of the matter and reveal possibilities that feel both empowering and expansive.
    LISTENER: Liana - Sparketype: Nurturer/Maven
    QUESTION: In today’s episode, listener Liana shares a conundrum that many of us have pondered. Do you stay in the well-paying job and build up your savings or do you go part-time in order to do more of what lights you up and as Liana puts it ‘live your best life sooner.’ The question being, what do you value more money or your time? And is that even a real dichotomy?
    YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields
    Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.
    How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions
    More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website
    Find a Certified Sparketype Advisor: CSA Directory

    Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. This powerful training and certification is designed to help you:⁣

    Deliver more outstanding service while helping your clients and/or team members live a more-fulfilling life, and craft a more purpose-led, meaningful, and alive career path. ⁣

    Better understand how to powerfully motivate and inspire employees or teams to perform at the highest levels, so that they generate exceptional results and do more of what makes them come alive.⁣

    AND… get there much faster with next-gen tools that do what no others can⁣. 


    Learn more HERE. Next Training starts March 2024
    Presented by LinkedIn.

    PLEASE NOTE: This episode of SPARKED originally aired in May of 2022.

    • 32 min
    How to Reset Your Stress Response and Rewire Your Brain for Resilience

    How to Reset Your Stress Response and Rewire Your Brain for Resilience

    Have you ever felt like you're drowning in stress, no matter what you try? That the weight of it all seems impossible to overcome? I've been there too. Today I'm speaking with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, a Harvard stress expert on a mission to help us reframe and reset our relationship with stress.
    In my experience, we often feel alone when stressed, as if we're the only ones struggling. The truth is stress touches us all. As Aditi shares, stress is a natural and healthy human response, but in modern life it can become overactivated, leaving us burnt out and fatigued. The good news? There are simple, daily mindset shifts we can make to reboot our brains and bodies - no expensive spas or months in Bali required.
    Rather than preaching toxic resilience, she provides real-world solutions tailored to the realities of modern life - from the myth of multitasking to the vital role of social connections. She prescribes time-efficient, cost-free techniques accessible to anyone, helping us change our relationship with stress and find balance once more.

    SPARKED HOT TAKE WITH: Dr. Aditi Nerurkar | Website
    Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is a nationally sought-after speaker, television correspondent, and author of the new book The Five Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience. With over two decades of clinical experience, she offers a reimagined approach to overcoming stress and burnout using five science-backed mindset shifts.
    HOSTED BY: Jonathan Fields
    Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.
    How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions
    More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website
    Find a Certified Sparketype Advisor: CSA Directory

    Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. This powerful training and certification is designed to help you:⁣

    Deliver more outstanding service while helping your clients and/or team members live a more-fulfilling life, and craft a more purpose-led, meaningful, and alive career path. ⁣

    Better understand how to powerfully motivate and inspire employees or teams to perform at the highest levels, so that they generate exceptional results and do more of what makes them come alive.⁣

    AND… get there much faster with next-gen tools that do what no others can⁣. 


    Learn more HERE. Next Training starts March 2024
    Presented by LinkedIn.

    • 45 min
    How to Take Control of Your Career

    How to Take Control of Your Career

    When was the last time you asked yourself if your career is truly headed where you want to go? Do you feel like you’re just coasting along or following someone else’s script? 
    It’s tempting but playing it safe is no way to build a career that allows you to grow into your best self.
    In today’s conversation, Grace helps you grab the wheel and chart a course aligned with your true aspirations. 
    We’ll explore how to move past the myth of “work-life balance” and integrate your personal and professional lives in an intentional way. Grace shares how to define your unique “cardinal direction,” take control of your career GPS, and build “professional equity” as you move ahead.
    She also reveals how to course-correct when you veer off track so you can leave a legacy you’re proud of.
    SPARKED HOT TAKE WITH: Grace Puma | Book
    Grace Puma is the former executive vice president and COO of PepsiCo, and before that held senior positions with United Airlines, Kraft Foods, Motorola, and Gillette. A board member of both Organon & Co and Target, she has been ranked on the “Most Powerful Latina” list by Fortune magazine and recognized as the “Executive of the Year” by Latina Style magazine. Puma holds a BA in business administration and economics from Illinois Benedictine University. She lives in Tampa, Florida.
    HOSTED BY: Jonathan Fields
    Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.
    How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions
    More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website
    Find a Certified Sparketype Advisor: CSA Directory

    Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. This powerful training and certification is designed to help you:⁣

    Deliver more outstanding service while helping your clients and/or team members live a more-fulfilling life, and craft a more purpose-led, meaningful, and alive career path. ⁣

    Better understand how to powerfully motivate and inspire employees or teams to perform at the highest levels, so that they generate exceptional results and do more of what makes them come alive.⁣

    AND… get there much faster with next-gen tools that do what no others can⁣. 

    Learn more HERE. Next Training starts March 2024
    Presented by LinkedIn.

    • 34 min
    How To Unlock Creativity In All Parts of Work and Life

    How To Unlock Creativity In All Parts of Work and Life

    Have you ever felt like creativity is a gift only meant for others? Like you just weren’t born part of that illustrious and somewhat mysterious “creative class?” 
    Total bunk. Creativity lives inside all of us—and uncovering it could unlock meaning and joy in every aspect of your life?
    In this conversation, Cynthia and I explore the myths holding us back from full creative living. She reveals three brutally hard truths of innovation, and why the creative life isn't about chasing comfort. We discuss how to awaken your senses, see with new eyes, and understand your unique blend of creativity.
    In today’s episode we’re digging into:

    How do you know when you are being creative? What are the signs or feelings that indicate you have tapped into your own creativity?

    Where does the "muse" or creative inspiration come from - is it something within us or does it come from outside of us? 

    How can we challenge what we think we know and let ourselves be surprised in order to expand creativity in our work and relationships?

    How can we cultivate and tune our senses to see familiar things in new ways and spark creativity?


    SPARKED HOT TAKE WITH: Cynthia Morris | Website
    Cynthia is the founder of the Original Impulse creative studio and atelier and coaching program for writers, she’s also an author, workshop facilitator, trusted advisor and coach.
    HOSTED BY: Jonathan Fields
    Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.
    How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions
    More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website
    Find a Certified Sparketype Advisor: CSA Directory

    Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. This powerful training and certification is designed to help you:⁣

    Deliver more outstanding service while helping your clients and/or team members live a more-fulfilling life, and craft a more purpose-led, meaningful, and alive career path. ⁣

    Better understand how to powerfully motivate and inspire employees or teams to perform at the highest levels, so that they generate exceptional results and do more of what makes them come alive.⁣

    AND… get there much faster with next-gen tools that do what no others can⁣. 


    Learn more HERE. Next Training starts March 2024
    Presented by LinkedIn.

    • 36 min
    How to Stop Playing Small (or too safe)

    How to Stop Playing Small (or too safe)

    Have you ever felt that nagging sense that you're capable of achieving so much more, yet held yourself back because taking a leap felt too risky? I know I have.
    We all have big dreams inside us - of launching that business, asking for the promotion, or finally working up the courage to leave the unfulfilling job. But so often, we shy away from fully pursuing those dreams because we worry about stability, acceptance from others, or our own self-doubt.
    We’re in conversation with:
    SPARKED HOT TAKE WITH: Deborah Owens | Website
    After a long career in leadership in some of the biggest companies in the world, Deborah founded her own consulting firm, Corporate Alley Cat, where she advises and coaches People of Color in all aspects of career visioning and development. She has this incredible ability to see what’s happening under the surface in any given situation, and ask questions that get to the heart of the matter and reveal possibilities that feel both empowering and expansive.
    YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields
    Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.
    How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions
    More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website
    Find a Certified Sparketype Advisor: CSA Directory

    Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. This powerful training and certification is designed to help you:⁣

    Deliver more outstanding service while helping your clients and/or team members live a more-fulfilling life, and craft a more purpose-led, meaningful, and alive career path. ⁣

    Better understand how to powerfully motivate and inspire employees or teams to perform at the highest levels, so that they generate exceptional results and do more of what makes them come alive.⁣

    AND… get there much faster with next-gen tools that do what no others can⁣. 


    Learn more HERE. Next Training starts March 2024

    Presented by LinkedIn.

    • 34 min
    When Vision Meets Reality: Adjusting Your Plans to What Matters Now

    When Vision Meets Reality: Adjusting Your Plans to What Matters Now

    Have you ever started the new year feeling unstoppable, only to hit February and realize your plans need a major refresh? I've been there too. The ambitious goals we set in January can seem so achievable in the moment. But life has a way of asserting itself. Unexpected challenges arise. Priorities shift. New opportunities emerge.
    The question is: what do you do when you find yourself at this crossroads? Do you rigidly cling to outdated plans and force failure? Or do you have the courage to tear up the blueprint and start again aligned with your new reality?
    My guest today, Charlie Gilkey, is intimately familiar with this entrepreneurial rite of passage. In our conversation, Charlie shares his wisdom on what to do when you realize it’s time to reconsider your goals. With insight gained from years of experience, he reveals how to take stock of where you actually are right now, not where you hoped to be, and create an updated plan aligned with that reality.
    With Charlie’s guidance, you’ll learn how to rework your plans while honoring the past and creating space for the emergence of new possibilities.

    SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Charlie Gilkey | Website
    Charlie Gilkey has advised hundreds of teams, from Fortune 100 companies to tiny nonprofits, through Productive Flourishing, the coaching and training company he founded. Charlie is the author of the critically acclaimed Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done. His latest book is Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results.
    YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields
    Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

    More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The Website
    Find a Certified Sparketype Advisor: CSA Directory

    Coaches & Leaders: Tap a Game-Changing Credential - The Certified Sparketype® Advisor Training. This powerful training and certification is designed to help you:⁣

    Deliver more outstanding service while helping your clients and/or team members live a more-fulfilling life, and craft a more purpose-led, meaningful, and alive career path. ⁣

    Better understand how to powerfully motivate and inspire employees or teams to perform at the highest levels, so that they generate exceptional results and do more of what makes them come alive.⁣

    AND… get there much faster with next-gen tools that do what no others can⁣. 

    Learn more HERE. Next Training starts March 2024

    Presented by LinkedIn.

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
92 Ratings

92 Ratings

Rmfnc1969 ,

Insightful, Powerful, Moving & Useful

I have been a fan and follower of Jonathan Fields for quite some time. He always brings tremendous value. His “sparketypes” are an interesting way to filter for innate strengths & personal wiring, that enables you to lean into your gifts.

I think that the real magic here, though, is the Brain Trust of rotating folks, who bring unique and interesting perspectives to some of the dilemmas being presented by listeners. Debbie Owens is one of my favorites, always insightful at reading between and beyond each person’s issue, and asking questions that I hadn’t even considered. I learn something new about myself every time I listen — I LOVE this show!!!

Huskyduck ,

Jason Mendelson interview is profoundly inspirational!!

A friend sent me the link to this episode. I found the interview profoundly moving. My first identity in life was also as a drummer. I then dropped it for a new identity as a lawyer. Jason has inspired me to go back and retrieve my old identity that I said goodbye to 35 years ago. The lesson I took from this episode is - I don’t have to just be one thing. This may seem abundantly obvious to most out there but for a 61 year old like myself it has never been an option I ever considered even possible. I’m a product of being taught the pour yourself into just one thing era. Mr. Fields - Thank you for this episode. You have a new listener.

Kimyung Kim ,

Such important conversations!

The Sparketype test is great, the Sparked book is a guiding light and this podcast is super helpful as well!

I am a personality test nerd and thought I fully equipped with all I need to navigate through life, but I was wrong! I am a super fan of all things Jonathan creates and thank him for his great work!

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