Our guest this week is Sarah Valdez, a scuba instructor with a fascinating career journey and inspiring story of facing fears and overcoming adversity.  Opening a dive shop in a foreign country had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, until the pandemic hit less than a year later and she was forced to sell the business.  Sarah shares how she got through that tough time, what opportunities it opened up in her career, and how it’s helped her live a more meaningful life teaching people about diving while supporting the conservation of our planet.

Key Takeaways:

• Leap and the net will appear. So many of us get stuck in fearing all the negative outcomes that could occur, but what if something great could happen? You’ll never know unless you take that leap.
• Band together and achieve something great.  When we all work toward a common cause, our voice is louder and we can expand our reach to  take on some of really big challenges, like protecting our environment.
• Financial freedom and time freedom are key to success.  Everyone needs a base level of financial security, but once that’s secured, having control of your time to spend it in the most meaningful way for you is what makes life successful, according to Sarah.
• Tackle your fears by breaking it into smaller pieces.  If you have something big and scary that you want to do, break it down into small steps until they’re not scary.  This way, you can just chisel away at it, and before you know it, you have achieved something great.
  

Just like scuba diving, when you are up against something scary, like being deep in the ocean, just face your fear, breathe into it, and jump in!

About Sarah:  As a scuba instructor and YouTuber, Sarah Valdez uses her brand Azul Unlimited to educate scuba divers and spread the message of ocean conservation.Sarah is infatuated with nature and lives in her van with her dog Abby, exploring the land and sea throughout Canada, the US, and Mexico. PADI Courses and international expeditions run throughout the year, so Sarah and Abby may be coming to a city near you!Aside from her own brand work, Sarah also works as a freelance web developer, copywriter, content creator, and social media manager. 

https://azulunlimited.com/

Upcoming expeditions: https://azulunlimited.com/upcoming-diving-expeditions/

https://www.youtube.com/c/azulunlimited

https://www.instagram.com/azul.unlimited/

https://www.tiktok.com/@azul.unlimited

https://www.facebook.com/AzulUnlimited

Topic ideas? Guest suggestions? Questions for the hosts? Amazing story of redefining success to share? Send us an email at ⁠SuccessfulThePodcast@gmail.com⁠.

If you like the show, we’d be so honored if you left us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This way, more women can learn about us and, hopefully, feel inspired to define and pursue their own success in ways that bring them joy.

Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Click here to leave a review on Spotify

Thank you to our sponsors:

⁠The Podcast Space⁠. Learn how to craft a successful podcast with membership to the Podcast Friends and Trends.  

Enroll at ⁠thepodcastspace.com/membership⁠. 

⁠The Joyful Career⁠. Work with Karla to learn how to overcome fear and build the career and life that lights you up! 

Schedule a Discovery coaching call ⁠here⁠. 

Sign up for The Joyful Career weekly newsletter ⁠here⁠.