Thriving Outside of the Box
Our resident psychotherapist, Kim Bonds Grocher, has started an amazing new podcast, Thriving Outside the Box. Her podcast sheds light on the stories of leaders and entrepreneurs across industries who dared to create and walk their own path in their careers, lives, and businesses and provide inspiration for how listeners can do the same.
We chatted with Kim to learn more about her process and what she has discovered by speaking to these out-of-the-box people. Check out our conversation here!
What are the qualities you are looking for in a person to interview?
I love hearing and helping people share their stories. I’ve started by interviewing those people in my network whose journeys have inspired me and will continue to interview people who:
Have dared to create a unique path that they weren’t necessarily exposed to or wasn’t presented as an option for them early on in their lives
Have learned how to center (or at least pay attention to) their wellness on their journey and how that has propelled them
Overcame obstacles or challenges to get to where they are today
Open to sharing their stories with the intention of inspiring others
What’s the notable thing that has come out of your interviews so far?
There have been two notable things. The first is understanding how subjective “outside the box” is depending upon our identities, geographic locations, what we were/have been exposed to, the support we receive or don’t have access to. What looks like in the box for me, may be very much outside the box for someone else. And this is why it’s so important to use storytelling as a way to expose other people to different perspectives and what’s possible.
The second is the role of community and support when it comes to creating your own path. Yes, it’s still your own and there may not be an exact blueprint for you based on your life circumstances, but having people who support you and your vision and being in spaces where it’s normalized and there’s accountability are key to continuing on the path and being well while doing so. Sometimes that might not be our friends or family and we have to seek out or create new communities that support this particular aspect of our lives. Healthy, supportive connection is vital to our wellness.
What’s a quality that everyone thriving outside the box has?
Brave
Understand the power of community
Ability to shift their mindsets/develop a growth mindset
Curious
Courage to challenge the status quo
Take action in spite of fear
Willingness to do the inner work that’s required for outward success
Faith that someone or something bigger than themselves is meeting them on the journey
What’s one way that talking with these people has affected your life or your thinking?
It’s an instant dose of inspiration and affirmation for me when I hear how other people have managed to create and stay on their own path despite obstacles while finding ways to be healthy and well that are meaningful for them. To some people this may be a given, but for many of the people I know who were presented with the belief that there’s one right path and you better stay on it , hustle, grind at all costs and be the BEST while you’re at it or else, we need these reminders about what is possible and to have tangible tips, tools, and/or resources that we can apply to our own situations in ways that work for us. It has encouraged me to lean into engaging in the work I love on a bigger scale with a larger impact.
