Perfection Not Required: Growing an Online Business from the Inside Out
Perfection Not Required: Growing an Online Business from the Inside Out
Ep.5 Pam December: Working with a Different Kind of Energy
On today's episode I sit down and chat with Pam December about the journey she's on after leaving a career in the Oil & Gas industry. Pam is a fellow podcaster and her show Mad for Purple about spirituality and self actualization just launched last week and it's really a testament to this journey she's been on to trust in the Universe.
We talk about her work in energetic healing and Human Design, which I think the best way I've heard Human Design described is like the energetic version of the Myer's Briggs. Anyway, lots of fascinating stuff!
Also, because I was so intrigued with this Human Design stuff I wanted to let you know I pulled my free chart. Turns out I'm a generator and I'm releasing a special bonus episode where Pam and I dive into my my reading and I ask all the nerdy questions you may have too - so be looking for that later this week.
If you want to learn more about Pam you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, her website and her new podcast all at Mad for Purple.
Resources: Want to know 7 things you can do today to make leaving corporate easier? Grab it here!
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Then then details started actually coming in about what this takeover was gonna gonna look like. And they the way it was handled, it felt like we were just, this is what we're giving you. This is what we expect you to do. And it was like I even said it to my supervisor when I put in my notice I'm like, I feel like I'm a cow. I'm being like, cattle run through the chutes. This is this is the direction that you're, you're gonna go and you're just expected to
Jamie Stephens:leave it. Hey there, and welcome back to breaking up with corporate. I'm Jamie Renee, your host and truth telling gal pal here to have the real conversations with badass women doing their thing will talk candidly about the hard lessons impact business failure mindset, corporate BS and all the things. I'm excited to highlight and learn from these amazing women that have stepped into their power and are proving what's possible. Let's do this. Hey there, and welcome back to another episode of Breaking up with corporate. Today I sit down and chat with Pam December about the journey she's on after leaving a career in the oil and gas industry. Pam is a fellow podcaster and her show mad for purple, about spirituality and self actualization just launched last week. And it's really a testament to this journey. She's been on to trust the universe. We talk about her work and energetic healing and human design. And I think the best way I've heard Human Design described as like the energetic version of the Myers Briggs. Anyway, lots of fascinating stuff. So let's go to the show. Why don't you tell me a little bit about you and kind of how you got to here like making the podcast or have your escape from corporate all of those kinds of huh, chat and we'll go from there.
Pam December:Okay. Yeah, it was interesting to come to this podcast, because it's not something that I fully looked at, I don't think like, my whole career. And the last because the last four years since leaving corporate has been been completely, completely new, right? Going into becoming an entrepreneur and listening to people outside of me, tell me what to do instead of finding my own truth. Yeah, getting to that spot, and then building a business from there. So yeah, I guess when I left corporate, I ended up doing virtual assistant work, which I basically recreated the job that I left, right.
Jamie Stephens:Let's talk about that before you get too much further. Um, I know like I came from logistics. So I understand like oil and gas and all of that stuff, and kind of what a completely different monster that is. So what is your experience with like, the oil and gas and corporate?
Pam December:Yeah, sure. Yeah. So looking back at my history, like it was 22 years ago that I entered into the oil and gas industry as like just doing administrative stuff. And I worked my way up to being a project coordinator, with a few major clients on a few major projects that are still ongoing now. So when I took on those projects, it was like, oh, like, these are career projects, right. But even backing up before that, it's an industry that I've been in and out of, because it is a beast. Yeah, it's feast or famine a lot of the time, but I found myself as a single parent when my daughter was two years old. And I knew that I needed benefits, I needed money. And I needed what I thought was security, sure, in the oil and gas. So it's an industry that I went back to knowing that I would get paid well, for my hours. And as a project coordinator actually really enjoyed that work. There was a lot of like, last minute requests and stuff like that. And it was kind of an adrenaline rush, I guess, from day to day. But living like that. I was working six, seven days a week, 910 hours a day, like rarely did I not eat my lunch at my desk, all this while a single parent, I'm working all of these hours. And I just knew that I was burning the candle at both ends. And a friend of mine who had transitioned to different companies, oil and gas came to me as an opportunity at this other company that would allow for me to actually be a part time stay at home mom. It was going to be the same amount of money, better benefits, but a different work schedule. So I was like, Okay, I really don't want to leave this project coordinator job that I absolutely love. But I also know that what I'm doing isn't sustainable.
Jamie Stephens:No, that makes sense. So when you did decide to leave Was it more of like a transition from full time to then part time to then you had some opportunity to kind of explore other interests? Yeah.
Pam December:Well, it's interesting because I went to, to that other company. And but while there, I actually I ended up being diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse. And so I was just like, okay, my body like, this is what I've been doing to my body, like, just from working so much, because I was still doing the board of directors. I was still working full time hours, it was just a condensed work. Work schedule. Mm hmm.
Jamie Stephens:Not really part.
Pam December:Not Yeah. So yeah, I ended up on having to have surgery when I was short term disability for a few months. And during that time, oil prices started to, to go down. So when I got back from being on disability, I came back to a completely different work environment. Everybody was stressed because we're heading into probably a famine. When it came to the oil and gas.
Jamie Stephens:What part of the country are you in? Are
Pam December:you like, in time in northeast British Columbia, Canada?
Jamie Stephens:Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Cuz I know, like, whenever we used to work with the oil field, it was everywhere from like, Texas, all the way up to Canada, like North Dakota and all that kind of stuff. So
Pam December:yeah. So yeah, so this company that I was with is like one of the major, major gotcha work global companies, right? No, it wasn't.
Jamie Stephens:Like, I remember, like, we had a facility like my job that I worked on at the time had a facility like in North Dakota, where it was like, it went from boom town to where people were just like building houses as fast as they could to like ghost town and 100% unemployment and things were just done. I mean, it was like, in a matter of just months. I mean, yeah, it was. Yeah. So I know the time period that you're talking about.
Pam December:Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I think because this was a bigger company, like they were able to hold out longer than what some of the smaller companies were. But come 2016 I was put on to a regular nine to five schedule. So no more part time stay at home mom. My pay was cut benefits were cut. And then there was just like I said, the the work environment had continually deteriorated from the time that I came back from short term disability. So then, yeah, there were there started to be talks about a takeover. I was like, okay, like, what? So yeah, I was like, What are my options? At some point, I had scheduled an appointment with a psychic medium, and she was somebody who had a waitlist that was like a year long. But she also was having had a young family at the time and stuff, too. So my appointment kept getting bumped. Finally, in January 2017, I got the call that we're scheduling you in. So I went in, I'd never been to a medium before. So I yeah, I got the call that she could finally see me. I've always been interested in the metaphysical. I wasn't sure. Since I'd never been to medium before, like, what's this experience going to be? But really, what I wanted to go for was for the for the energy healing. So I had the session with her. And that was the most amount of money that I'd ever invested in myself on something completely non tangible to at this point. So
Jamie Stephens:that's kind of the universe though, too, though. It's like, you know what? I'm showing up.
Pam December:Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So I left that session, like just feeling like a completely new person. Then the mediumship part was really interesting. Just the people that came through to talk to me and stuff. So I still I didn't know what I was going to do, or, or what but I was like, I'm starting a website. Maybe I'll blog. I don't know. You got to get some something going right. And something. opportunities have always come to me, so it's like, okay, so,
Jamie Stephens:while you're still working,
Pam December:Mm hmm. Waiting, we are waiting to see what's gonna happen with this takeover and stuff.
Jamie Stephens:Gotcha. So you were just getting your ducks in a row and saying, okay, like, I don't know what's coming, but I'm getting prepared for
Pam December:it. Exactly. Yeah. So and I can I touch
Jamie Stephens:on one more thing, too, that you mentioned that I think is important, like the whole clearing of energy. Like I know from my corporate experience, you don't know until you step out that energy, how heavy it is, like, how much it weighs, how much you're carrying, and it's not even your shit.
Pam December:Oh, absolutely. Like, yeah. Wait,
Jamie Stephens:I'm a brand new person. We need to get rid of that. It's just, it's amazing.
Pam December:Yeah. Well, and we were in an open office environment. And I can remember a few people that work shift work that, like I tried not to be in the office, like their first couple days on shift, because issue drains you just was so draining. Yeah. So
Jamie Stephens:Oh, yeah. So you were starting your website? And you were just starting to explore different
Pam December:things or different things. Yeah, exactly. And then yeah, I had a girlfriend reach out and say, I have this this product and this opportunity. Are you interested? And I was like, Well, I don't know. Sure. Okay. And it was an MLM, which gave me a lot of experience, partially Well, sales. And partially just this introduction to personal development that I had kind of dabbled in before that, but I hadn't really committed to, so that the MLM was really in a doorway into that. So I just I did that on the side a little bit, was still not sure what I was going to do with my website. And then details started actually coming in about what this takeover was gonna gonna look like. And the way it was handled, it felt like, we were just, this is what we're giving you. This is what we expect you to do. And it was like, I even said it to my supervisor. When I put in my notice, I'm like, I feel like I'm a cow. I'm being like, cattle run through the chutes. This is this is the direction that you're, you're going to go and you're just expected to
Jamie Stephens:leave it. Yeah.
Pam December:So through through the whole takeover process, I was like, This just doesn't feel good. The idea of going to this other company doing the same job that I didn't really enjoy, but it paid the bills really well. But I lost the benefits of being the stay at home part time stay at home parent. I was like, No, I'm, I'm going to take the layoff when everybody else goes goes to the other company.
Jamie Stephens:So did that give you a runway? I'm asking because I just recently took a severance myself. And so it was like my 90 Day kickstart. I mean, very similar situation not to take se but just Yeah, corporate bullshit restrictions. Anyway, you know, so yeah, so Did that give you the kind of a runway to really explore a little bit more? Well,
Pam December:what was I wanted to, and this is before I really, really leaned into to spirituality or law of attraction or any of that stuff. I just knew that the right opportunity would come to me or I would stumble on it kind of thing. But that I didn't need to to worry that far ahead or really worry at all. It was just a really lean into that trust that things were going to work out. Because of the the job had been well paying, like I looking at my bank accounts, I was like, I can survive my daughter and I can survive, we will be fine. I don't need to just jump into the next that next best thing. Next first thing. So I just we took the summer off we traveled and then yeah, and then Chris had to come back in the fall for school and stuff like that.
Jamie Stephens:How old is your daughter?
Pam December:She's 15 Now Gotcha. That's yeah, yeah, just getting back into that routine. And then once she was in the routine, I like to Oh, with MLM, again, they had a huge conference in Las Vegas. I was like, yeah, why not? So went to Vegas, got to see some incredible speakers like Mel Robbins can afford super inspiring came back from that I invested in my first group coaching program and was introduced to this whole online world of business that of coaching and mentoring and that I had no idea existed.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah, it's, it's amazing once you kind of crack that seal open, where it's like, oh, what pours through? It's like, has this just been here? Way? I didn't like all this. Like, so let's get into that. So you're in human design, which until six months ago, I had never even heard of, yeah, yeah. You're doing your stuff. You invested in group coaching. And eventually this is where you wound up with human design and energy healing.
Pam December:Yeah, so yeah. Yeah. Because yeah, it was like once I once I'd invested in myself, it was like, I couldn't go without investing in myself and different things. I've always enjoyed learning And this online world just really can lend to that right. And so yeah, human design was one of the things that came through my door through a coach and absolutely fell in love with it, and had been studying it ever since. And then try offering it to others so they can really learn their energetic blueprint. And like through that, I found out that I'm an empath, that I'm a highly sensitive person. And I just made so many things that I had experienced up to that point just make a lot of sense, and just really validate my life experience. Yeah.
Jamie Stephens:So for those of you that haven't quite been down this rabbit hole yet, can you explain a little bit about what human design is? And then give us like an example.
Pam December:Okay, so yeah, so human design is a system that combines the Hindu chakra system, the eaching, astrology, quantum mechanics, and the Kabbalah. What
Jamie Stephens:can I ask what two of those things are? Good? Ching, what does that?
Pam December:So yeah, it's an ancient Chinese system. There's, there's 64 archetypes in the system. And that's, and there's 64 gates in the human design system.
Jamie Stephens:So it's just like a way to assist in that kind of breaks things down. Yes, yes, exactly. And then what was the last the last one? You said? Kabbalah? Yes.
Pam December:Yeah. So that's comes from Judaism. It's the tree of life. And it's a way of studying their teachings. I guess. That would be I'm sorry, I'm not fully versed on No, no,
Jamie Stephens:no. Like that. Yeah. I need not. Yeah.
Pam December:Yeah. Because like, yeah, I've studied human design as a system. I haven't gone yet into each of the individual systems that that it makes up, so
Jamie Stephens:Yeah, no worries.
Pam December:Yeah. So you can get your free chart, there's a few different websites that if you searched for human design chart, you could find one. And in the system, there are four aura types. So you have your reflector, your projector, your generator, and your manifester. Okay, and then the generator, there's a subtype called a manifesting generator. And we all fall into one of those five, and gives you a process of how your energy works with others, as well as how you're meant to move through the world energetically. So like, as a generator, you're not so much meant to just go do it, like the whole Nike thing. You're meant to, like, you can still have inspiration ideas and things like that. But you're really meant to respond to things that are outside of yourself, before pursuing them. So an example would be like, you're like, oh, maybe I want to go on a vacation. And then you're driving down the freeway, and you see a billboard about Mexico. And you see that billboard, and you just get lit up like, yes, I want to go to Mexico. So then you can go ahead and book that trip. It's not about, oh, I want to go on vacation, and then researching and getting all clouded in your head because of all the different choices that you might have. And the anxiety that that can cause. So seeing that billboard going, Yes, that's what I want, and then pursuing it from there.
Jamie Stephens:Gotcha. So just a way to kind of interpret the cues around us or
Pam December:Exactly, yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And like for projectors, a lot of what they need to wait for an invitation to be able to share their guidance. Because if you don't wait for the invitation, it's gonna fall on deaf ears. And you're using energy that you don't really have as a being that doesn't produce their own lifeforce energy, the way that a manifesting generator generator does.
Jamie Stephens:Gotcha. So what is your aura?
Pam December:I am a generator.
Jamie Stephens:Let me back up from is that the one that you just said the generator is the one that with the best away. Okay, gotcha. Yeah. So then I'm assuming, logically, maybe the projector is just like low and just tells you like, they project their energy or Yeah, that would be so interesting. I wonder where I'm at. Because part of me, I get so excited that I just want to interject, which is like a skill I'm trying to master here in the podcasting world. Because there's not that delay. I mean, there's not that like, we're not in person and so it's hard to kind of take those cues when there's a slight delay and then I'm you know, sorry. So I but yeah, but then I also times like I know with like my husband's Like, we're on a different spiritual path, and that's okay. You know, it's but it's just like I, I'm very much aware with his energy that I'm just like, you know, this is his journey. I'm not like, projecting any of my stuff onto him. And it's up to him to figure this stuff out, you know, that kind of thing. So is there one that's like a mix between those two?
Pam December:Well, and that's, I guess one of the things that there's so many layers to human design. Like when you get below the aura types, or the energy types, you have your gates and channels, and there's a lot of them that are projected. So you might be one of the other types that other than a projector, but you might carry a lot of projected gates and channels. And for those gates and channels to be expressed, they need to be invited. So yes, it's interesting. That's fine.
Jamie Stephens:So how long does it take to have one of the like, your, I mean, obviously, you said, if there's a website you can go to, and you can find out the stuff. But like, we all know that those you get what you pay for, right? So it's like, it's pretty, you get a baseline information as to what that actually means. So like, how long did it take you to from the time that you got your reading? Or is it called a reading? Or what's it? Yeah, yeah, reading. So like, from the time you got your reading to the time, you felt like you fully understood and could start implementing things that you had learned? Like, what? How long is that process?
Pam December:Yeah, well, that's been it's been an because it's an ongoing experiment. One of the things that rah rah has, who who's the founder of human design has said is that it's a seven year cycle of deconditioning. And that seven years relates to our cells in our body. Like, after seven years, every single cell in our body has been reborn. I've heard that. Yeah. So I have carry 10 First line profile numbers in my chart, and that's the investigator. When I find something that I like, I dive in, and I dive deep. So and it's the thing that I like I'm focused on. So it took me, I would say, it was about a year and a half, before I felt I was in a place that I can offer information to other people on this, like, even now, like I'm three and a half years in now. And so like, I'm just at that tipping point where I'm going to be having had in the seven year cycle, right. And it's just been Yeah, in this last couple months that I have felt like confident, I guess, in my ability to respond versus initiate.
Jamie Stephens:So unpack that for me, like, what do you I mean, I obviously know the terms. But like, in this context, what does what does that mean? So because I always think of like, respond versus react. And I don't feel like that's what you're saying.
Pam December:It's, or it can be, I guess, because if you're responding out of something you've thought or dreamt up or even hear a lot of people getting these about downloads, like we're all capable of receiving that information. It doesn't still doesn't mean it's for us, without getting those signs from the universe for us to respond to, though, like I spent a lot of my online career like I said, I just recreated the job that I had left doing virtual assistant work. Because one I thought that's like thinking in the mind, that that's the smart thing to do. That's what I'm good at. That's what I should pursue. And then trying to build a business on all these thoughts is exhausting. Yeah. Where with the podcasting now, like that, this has been 100% out of response, Kathy's offer showed up, right? And it was like, Ooh, but this is exciting. And even going through the investment process, knows, like, Am I ready to take this step? Am I ready for this? Right, knowing that this whole program was going to be an initiation into what's next.
Jamie Stephens:It really is. I mean, it's not. I mean, I'm sure if you like to learn, like I like to learn some things you go into and you're maybe exploring not really committed, just kind of, oh, you know, and you waste Money, because you're not really committed but you learn a little But yeah, like this experience has been very, very different. And I think it honestly comes down to just deciding is what it feels like, I've decided that this is it. And it just feels different. You know, I mean, so yeah, it's like being able to see those things, even, you know, the way that we, we learn to kind of read things before we even know kind of this other layer of stuff behind it, the things that we do intuitively, I mean, I think that's beautiful. Especially when you can go back and be like, Oh, makes a lot more. Like, when you're in it, you're just kind of like, I'm gonna do this. I don't know what the hell I'm doing, you know?
Pam December:Exactly. Yeah, kind of
Jamie Stephens:works its way out in the end. And so are you strictly doing the human design and energy work? Now? You're strictly online? Are you still doing some some of the VA stuff?
Pam December:Yeah, I still have some of the VA stuff I've been, like, I've narrowed my clients down. I've got two clients now, and lots of space to build my own part of my own business, like this whole part. And that's part of what I went through last month was like, Am I over identifying with? Again, like, before I was over identifying with doing administrative work. Now it's like, Am I over identifying with doing Human Design? Am I over identifying with doing the energy work? And just really checking in about that, and this is where the podcasting is coming in. It's like, opening up other avenues to see if I am over identifying with them, creating space for whatever else is meant to come in. Right?
Jamie Stephens:Yeah. That's it. That's a good process, because we,
Pam December:but there's something about making a commitment like this in alignment, like it just feels so much different. There might be a push and pull, but it's like of internal things that are being brought up with it. Not about actually sitting down and doing the steps that are necessary to to bring this out into the world.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah, so tell me about your your podcast, it's mad for purple.
Pam December:Is that right? Yeah, man for purple podcast. Yeah. And so it's going to be all about spirituality and self actualization. Along the lines of not wanting to over identify with human design. There's lots of human design podcasts out there. Human Design will definitely be part of the podcast, but I also want it to have space for other things and other people's experiences as well with like doing the interviews and that so spirituality, energy healing archetypes, whether that's human design, goddesses, even like Carolyn miss, or Carl Jung really enjoy archetypes. So yeah, and then just whatever comes in from that, we'll see because I know that guests will bring in different energies and different concepts and things and we'll see what rabbit hole I want to dive down. And, and my listeners, what they want to dive into and follow. Follow the White Rabbit, follow the crumbs, see where this journey takes me.
Jamie Stephens:I love it. Is there something within yourself like kind of a recurring theme that keeps coming up or like a mantra that or some sort of philosophy that you've had to adopt in order to kind of get from where you were in corporate oil and gas to kind of where you are now, with that creative exploration? Attitude?
Pam December:Well, I know, like surviving corporate it was, and getting out it was trusting that everything happened for a reason, and that I would was supported and would be supported. And okay, and no matter what, yeah. And then from once I got out of survival, and more into the thriving, I would say, just really trusting the energy and trusting my body to lead lead me in the right direction. Like when my body signals that I'm tired, it's time to rest. If it's if I run into a lot of resistance on something, then like, is this resistance I'm supposed to work through? Or is it there's just no energy there and it's time to let it go?
Jamie Stephens:Yeah, like thanks so much to Pam for opening up about her journey and really making it relatable for those of us that don't have such a clearly defined path when we're ready to leave corporate. Some key takeaways from this episode include number one, personal development can open a lot of doors For us, don't be afraid to follow what lights you up. Number two, be aware that you don't fall into the trap of recreating the job you left if that's not really something you want to do. Number three, when something drains your energy, let that be a sign that it's probably time to move on. Number four. If you're making good money and your job sucks, I'm away so you can have the space and freedom to find that next thing without stress. Number five, life is a journey. We're constantly discovering new things that can light us up. Don't over identify in one area and limit yourself. Number six, listen to your body and allow it to lead you. Number seven, adopt the belief that you are supported by the universe. If you want to learn more about Pam, you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, her website and her new podcast all at mad for purple. And I will link all of these in the show notes and on the website breaking up with corporate.com. Also, because I was so intrigued with this human design stuff, I wanted to let you know I pulled my Free Chart. Turns out I'm a generator and I'm releasing a special bonus episode where Pam and I dive into my reading and I asked all the nerdy questions you may have too, so be looking for that later this week. Thanks so much for joining me today. I appreciate you listening. And if you can take a moment and help me spread the word by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing with a friend. I'd really help a lot. Until next time
