#145 Fusing engineering with creativity to unleash rebellious curiosity with Yemi Penn

"The biggest thing was I wanted to be more responsible as a thought leader. And in a world where we have so much information, misinformation, disinformation, it was important that I went through a process of acquiring knowledge and creating new knowledge and it was the PhD." Ready to lead a curiosity rebellion? We have the inspiring Yemi Penn as our guest. Yemi is a trailblazer who has navigated and embraced change across continents, careers, and personal transformations.  From her early beginnings in engineering to becoming a documentary creator and author, Yemi has followed her curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit to explore new doors and opportunities.  In our conversation, we explore her experiences living in Japan and Australia, the transition from a traditional career path to entrepreneurship, and the recent pursuit of a PhD about cultural trauma. Yemi shares provoking insights on handling identity shifts, following your calling, and embracing change with an open heart and mind.    Here are the highlights: 04:27 Moved from Japan to the UK for engineering job 11:39 Change is non-linear, with moments of progress and retreat 20:03 Started a consultancy after realising the same rat race abroad 28:43 Life's changes often disrupt the path you are on 36:36 Taking action despite uncertainty is key 44:49 PhD documentary explored cultural trauma 46:13 Pursuing a PhD despite challenges 49:53 Applying for a fellowship and the Obama Leadership Foundation.   The things that helped Yemi navigate change -  Book: "Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer  Music:   "I Am Light." - Indie Arie The one piece of advice: “Get better at asking high quality questions. What am I afraid of? And answer really honestly. If you just do that you'll know what your next step is. Because a lot of us are seeking certainty, especially in these moments. But just ask what you're afraid of”     More about Yemi   Yemi is a speaker, researcher, author,engineer . Engineer by profession, Entrepreneur by passion, Transformation thought leader by mission. Helping businesses & people make complex problems simple.   After relocating to Australia from the U.K, I realised I was on the same hamster wheel I ran away from, this wheel just had a lot more sunshine. Turns out I was running away from myself, and so the invitation came for me to run away again (oh I would have!) or get down to business and look into that double sided mirror. I was blessed with a great job as an engineer and project manager yet I forever seemed to be chasing happiness. Having been homeless at 24, a single mother to two, I had well and truly earned my hard knock degree.   It became frighteningly obvious that nobody was coming to save me and so I got to work on cleaning my trauma and do this daily to ensure I do not pass this on to my children or those I come across in life—it's not for the faint hearted but it's worth it. In doing the work I have been able to create successful businesses in the U.K. and Australia - most importantly, I no longer chase happiness, it finds me when I am open to receiving it.   Website: https://yemipenn.com/   About your host Eleanor  Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”    Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.    Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/ Website: eleanortweddell.com Produced by winteraudio.co.uk