PostdocTransformation show for scienctists leaping into business  

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Episode 0068 Shownotes

Your side hustle sprint 

From idea to income beyond academia

Do you want to build business skills, create a safety net for your career development and achieve financial independence beyond academia? 

Start your side hustle to prepare for your future! In this episode of the PostdocTransformation show for the scientist leaping into business, you will learn how to leverage AI tools for the initial steps of business development. 

The "Fogg behavior model" and the "Ries lean startup methodology" will inspire your to start aligned to your motivation, ability, and prompts to make your side business a success. 

Plus, get insights on using various tech tools to streamline your efforts and maximize impact.

Additionally, you can use our free business preparation quiz to check your startup readiness.  

You are invited to our new internship opportunity in podcasting to help you gain practical experience and industry connections. 

For your free career planning, check your readiness to leap, enroll in our email course for your career transition made simple, and plan your life with our calendar. 

All linked in these show notes.

Subscribe to our weekly seasonal show on your favorite podcast platforms: Why? Postdoc scientists & PhD students / candidates will learn the basics for their career transition from research into business & industries AND will get to know a company that hires early career scientists! 

About our PostdocTransformation show

Invest in your PostdocTransformation. Welcome to the seasonal show for scientists leaping into business. In every sponsored episode, we are happy to recommend employers of choice for you. Make sure to check your readiness to leap out of science with us for free, as linked in the show notes. For your career transition, we offer customized career transition e-courses and memberships, also at graduate schools all over the world.

Maybe yours too. And if your university isn't yet our customer, enroll in your free email course for career transition made simple as linked in the show notes. I'm your host, Professor Dr. Eleonore Soei Winkels, with my team who is rooting for you. And let's build your PostdocTransformation with this episode. 

Announcement: Second podcast show #CreatingReorganized 

[00:00:00] Thank you for listening to my PostdocTransformation Show. Maybe you want to leap out of science and start your own side business as a runway for your better future. Then you will benefit from my free business preparation quiz as linked in the show notes. If you want to organize your marketing and selling efforts, please also subscribe to my new video podcast show, Creating Reorganized.

[00:00:25] I share my tricks from creating this show, speak with business owners who run a podcast for their business, and learn from podcasting service providers about their tools boosting our businesses. My new video podcast show, CreatingReorganized, will also be a living example of applied industrial and occupational psychology for my students in real life.

[00:00:46] And now, let's get to this episode.

Season 6 finale - can you believe it?

Dear PostdocTransformers, welcome back to the final episode of Season six of the PostdocTransformation Show for the scientists leaping into business. Woo-hoo.

So give yourself a huge round of applause because you have been on an incredible journey, across six seasons, we have tackled everything from taming those imposter syndrome monsters to identifying where your research and teaching skills actually do fit in the corporate jungle.

We've talked about how to leave academia without burning bridges, how to come back maybe to academia one day, one of the most favorite episodes of all time, and let's be honest, navigating the shift from academia to business and maybe also even back can feel like navigating a minefield sometimes.

And we have truly, truly tried to prepare you for the future of work and the future of jobs in this era of AI.

We [00:02:00] had inspiring interview guests from all over the world, a few professors in academia and most are in senior business leadership positions in consulting and other future-proof industries. But today, dear PostdocTransformers, we're not just wrapping up season six, we're igniting a spark. We're talking about taking control, carving out your own path, and building something meaningful that is truly yours. 

The Importance of a Side Hustle

Today's episode is about a topic that is very, very close to my heart something that I have lived and tried to also role model for you.

It's your side hustle sprint from idea to income beyond academia, beyond your studies. Wait, hear me out. I know that many of you are thinking side hustle? Eleonore, I'm barely surviving my research schedule, my teaching schedule, it's summer and I'm already exhausted for the whole year. So I cannot try to launch a business when, how, and believe [00:03:00] me, I hear you, but what if I told you that your side hustle could be your launchpad, your runway, it's about building confidence, self-efficacy, business acumen, all the things that you really need in parallel to your research and teaching skills if you want to leap into business.

Your side hustle could be the key to unlock all of this. Your side hustle could be the best teacher that you can get for honing your business skills. So I want you to build a PostdocTransformation side hustle, to create a safety net for whatever happens in your life, whether it will be as an employee, that you have an exit, whether it would be to start your own business so that you now can have already an idea of how to market, how to develop a business, et cetera.

So whatever it is, I think [00:04:00] the best time to learn how to run a business is now.

So this is going to be a jam packed episode full of actionable prompts. And as always in this season six, I will also discuss a psychological model to help you actually do things, and of course share some AI magic to validate your brilliant ideas.

And speaking of magic, get ready because soon season two of Creating Reorganized, my other video podcast is launching and it's all about building a marketing and selling machine for your own business. More on that later.

Alright, let's go.

Empowering Your Academic Journey

Dear PostdocTransformers. You are an incredible listener and the hero of our story, right? You've dedicated years or decades even to become a rigorous academic [00:07:00] researcher. You're a critical thinker, a problem solver, and a master of data. You are very likely to thrive on intellectual challenges. If you are just like me, then you are also driven by the desire of having impact on your students, on the people who will also benefit from your research. And hopefully you are also thinking that also should benefit you at the end of the day. So a little bit more cash would be really nice. Okay, so here's the rub.

You are on your way to your thirties and adulting feels hard when you still live like a student and maybe your non-PhD friends enjoy their lives while you, well you do your thing, right? So maybe you wanna settle and start a family, but getting tenure feels like gambling. And honestly, when you look around [00:08:00] now is maybe not the right time to start a family.

Really, you are not getting any younger.

So you might be feeling a a financial pinch perhaps, wondering how to translate those grant writing those editing skills into something that pays the mortgage outside of academia. And maybe it's also a pinch of professional identity. Like, who am I if I'm not doctor, lead researcher at blah, blah, blah.

And let's not forget the big scary unknown. You've done research lived and breathed academia for almost all of your adult life, but now you don't know what's waiting on the other side. And the fear of leaping into a business world where you feel that you lack the right skills or that you lose that precious work life balance

I don't know, it doesn't sound precious, but I can tell you, you have more time at your hands than you will ever have once you are in the business world. Trust me, I've been there. I'm still there. [00:09:00] I know what I can cherish in academia. You might be aspiring for a more flexible life, higher income that truly reflects your intellect and a greater impact beyond academic citations or a new intellectual challenge.

And I can feel you absolutely deep in my heart. 

Personal Journey and Impact

In my grad school years, I often joked, only three to five researchers in the world would read my publications. And it actually made me really sad to be honest, a couple of years ago I actually made a reel.

Honestly, I can't find it anymore because I've done thousands of videos and everything. But I know the gist of that caption by heart, I left academia for having more impact, went to IT and business and I had more impact, but I did a lot of transformation and change management with people who did not want to change in the first place, but they had to change. And [00:10:00] today as a professor, since 10 years, I'm working with young adults who want to change, and that makes my impact even better, right?

I have more impact as a professor teaching my Bachelor and Master's students. But if I would record that reel today, I would add the following. I have more impact as a podcaster with my two video podcasts. True. By the time of recording this episode, I have 11.8 K podcast downloads or listenings for the PostdocTransformation show alone.

And then another 2.6 for the CreatingReorganized show. And it's more separate audiences. On social media, I have 20 5K views on Instagram per month and 60 K on TikTok and 16 K on LinkedIn. For me, impact is important and that's why podcasting is my way forward. And I already know which of my [00:11:00] podcasts will shape my postdoc transformation most.

I just joked that I did more than a thousand videos, and that's true. When you see me now enjoying my videos, it wasn't like that in the beginning. It's a journey. I really went from a shameful social media beginner to someone who knows what to do and loves to learn more.

I don't think that I'm finished. I will learn as much as I need in this AI times to capitalize on my data driven and IT strategy fueled way of working because that is much more for me than being a professor. 

The next question is, how do you translate your amazing academic skills into a business context without sounding like talking in the foreign [00:11:00] language. And let's be honest, some business networks can feel like elite or clique-ish, unwelcoming for people who think differently and it's hard to find those genuinely non-transactional opportunities. But you can find them.

I know a lot of you still contemplate about becoming a professor. I'm here to tell you that being a professor is just a job.

It's a job that should pay your rent, bills, whatever is on your mind. The salary of a professor is not a lot, not for the way I wanna live.

So whether you [00:14:00] wanna become a professor or not, you may want to have that sense of fulfillment, that spark of innovation that is in research, right? So now just the thought of going all in on a business venture feels terrifying.

You think I have purely academic knowledge. How can I compete? This is where this episode comes in. This is your side hustle sprint. It's a low risk sandbox to test the waters, to build something that reflects your unique genius and start generating income on your own terms.

And to be honest, no business role in industries offers such a high versus low peak work schedule around the academic year, like you probably have at the moment at the university. So especially if you will have kids, you will have invaluable time in parallel [00:15:00] with your children who are in the school academic year.

I have strategically planned the season six final to be on June 19th, so I can enjoy the summer with my kids and batch create new episodes for my Creating Reorganized while letting you enjoy and work through our previous evergreen 68 PostdocTransformation Show episodes.

And please DM me your career transition questions so I can answer them in future episodes in season seven.

My own PostdocTransformation is really a testament to this. After completing my PhD in neuroscience in 2008, talk about very specialized academic knowledge. No application really in business. I immediately leaped into IT, first as an IT analyst at Audi South and then IT strategy consulting at Accenture.

Even after becoming a professor for industrial and occupational psychology, the entrepreneurial [00:16:00] bug in me was still buzzing in 2014 when I was pregnant. I started career coaching on the side. It wasn't about replacing my professorship, but expanding my impact as a psychologist and systemic management coach, building something flexible that allowed me to prioritize my family, picking up my kids after school and spend quality time with them in the afternoons.

Remember that was 2014. I just had given birth to my first child, but I knew what kind of mom I would love to be.

So that desire for a work life balance and a different kind of impact drove me. My blend of resilience, networking, leveraging technology allowed me to create something from scratch in the Corona crisis because you know, my then in-person and local German coaching business crumbled and I had to reinvent my business as an internationally available e-course and membership based model. [00:17:00] But that's a story for another episode. 

Let's pause for a moment to respect those who sponsor this valuable episode. I want to share with you my best marketing agent. Serving my underprivileged, underrepresented and underserved audience, leads and clients is key for me. As an Asian working mom, business owner and professor in Germany. But I can't be marketing and selling all the time.

And I have to be mindful with my own resources. So I chose Podbean as my podcast hosting and monetizing provider. I'm on the unlimited plus platform. plan for our Postdoc Transformation Show and Creating Reorganized Show. With Podbean, your audience can inclusively listen and watch your podcast according to their visual and auditive needs.

You can also embed your customized podcast player on your external website or use one of the beautiful website templates. You can easily share your podcast on all major podcasting directories, which allows you to reach a huge audience on their favorite devices, including Podbean also has an ads marketplace and you can easily attract and manage sponsors for dynamic ads, which are played out depending on your audience criteria.

This way you can serve your audience for free. Some of them become your clients eventually. but your advertising sponsors independently support you financially in each episode. See insightful stats per demographic and which episodes attracted most listeners so you can tailor your future episodes for your leads and clients and present suitable external ads.

If you want to try Podbean for your own podcasting, DM or email me Podbean so I can share my experience. Please check it out via my link in the show notes. I only got a small financial reward if you become their customer using my Podbean link.

Thanking our advertisers for their financial support, we are happy to return to our inspiring episode.

Actionable Prompts for Side Hustles

Here's your actionable prompt, my dear PostdocTransformer. Take a moment to grab a pen or paper or open a note on your device. Brainstorm five to 10 low hanging fruits based on your academic background or even pain points you've observed in your academic field or among your peers.

These aren't just academic problems. Think of everyday frustrations, inefficiencies or unmet needs. For example, is there a software tool that you can develop, something that you can build with AI, that could make data analysis or whatever in your discipline easier. Maybe you can think of a way for simplifying scientific communication for a broader audience. Could any of these be the basis of a small service or even product you could offer. Do not censor yourself. 

6) my mobile is charged, and I have my LinkedIn profile QR ready to share. Just to share it, just to show it around so that I can connect with the people. So it's usually the screensaver of that given day.

7) I have an elevator pitch about myself memorized in multiple variations. My elevator pitch differs [00:18:00] from event to event, but like I said before going to an event, I already know why I wanna go there. So that is my elevator pitch about myself. 

8) I break the ice if no one does. People are very grateful if I break the ice, even though I don't enjoy it. That is what a leader has to do. And then I ask the others, what was most interesting for you so far from this event? Something like that. 

9) Very practical, very handy. I bring my own name tag and I wear it visibly. 

10) which is really the prep for the bonus tip number 11. Number 10 is I listen, I have a paper notepad and a pen ready because it's less distracting and so much more respectful than using my mobile while networking with a group of people. All of that makes it so much easier for 

11) to send a follow up thank you [00:21:00] note after the event via LinkedIn. 

[00:12:56] Let's pause for a moment to respect those who sponsor this valuable episode.

And did you know that we offer deep dive e-course workshops and memberships at graduate schools? Maybe also at yours in the future. Ask your graduate school coordinator, whether they want to book my services so that I can deliver them to you 24 seven, 365 on your mobile device. 

And even better, if you get us paid by your grad school, we will pay you 50 percent recurring sales commissions.

So, you will earn money with us as we help you and your PhD besties to [00:05:00] transition into business. We can build our PostdocTransformation together.

Your networking toolkit

Now you might wonder which events are worth your time, how do you prepare and practice an elevator pitch, et cetera. So let's step back and plan ahead. You need to have a toolkit for authentic networking. 

So here's your toolkit. If you wanna listen to others and make your listening worthwhile. So how can you be prepared for listening to thoughtful conversations and also remember the right things, right? Well, you can, number one, master online professional platforms. That is before and beyond job hunting. Okay. It's not just LinkedIn. You can use other platforms as well, depending on your niche, depending on your location, et cetera.

LinkedIn is the biggest probably. But it's also the most general, but I bet there are some others in your industry as well. So you have to actively update your LinkedIn [00:22:00] profile or whatever profile to reflect your transferrable skills for business. And we already talked about transferrable skills for business.

Okay? So I'm not gonna de detail them out, but instead I can link to the two episodes where you can find more orientation, but you need to start by engaging with content from companies and individuals you think are interesting.

Share a thoughtful comment, not just a like. If you're thinking of a side project, then you can think of identifying three to five target companies or industries, and you can follow key leaders and relevant departments on LinkedIn.

Okay, so again, engage with these posts ideally once per day for a week or so. Well, and why is that probably helpful? Because according to the psychological social exchange theory by Thibaut and Kelly, when you engage thoughtfully, you are offering value, different perspective, a compliment, or an [00:23:00] informed question, this creates a basis for a reciprocal exchange, making it less transactional and more about a mutual contribution.

I can tell whether someone who reaches out to me has put a lot of thought or not so much thought into the request. 

Hey, before we continue, we want to appreciate those who financed this valuable episode for you. I want to share with you my time and energy saver. As a professor for industrial and occupational psychology, I also teach about the future of work. And as a former IT strategy consultant, of course I embrace AI to be a future proof podcast producer of the PostdocTransformation Show and the CreatingReorganized Show.

Descript is the video and audio podcast podcast. editing tool of my choice. I pay for their creator plan and it's worth every dollar. Descript comes with an integrated professional remote recording studio for the best audio quality for your guests. For example, I record an hour interview with a guest or a solo, and instead of painstakingly Mistakenly doing a rough cut and deleting all the ums and uhs and filler words and rambling around which I did for hours, I now click on Descript AI, editing for clarity and my rough cut is done in seconds or a minute.

For fine tuning, I edit text instead of audio waves and I just insert all my pre recorded music intro, ads and outro, like this one, in a matter of minutes. Descript support closed captions, fine tuned AI driven summaries, chapter markers and titles, which I feed into my show notes and podcast hosts.

Descript even suggests the best clips for social media and the video editor automatically includes the synchronized speakers, cameras, and audio captions. I can also include stock graphics or pre recorded videos, and you can find all our short form examples on our Instagram and TikTok @postdoctransformation.

If you want to try out Descript for your own podcast editing, DM or email me Descript so I can share my experience and consult you. Please check it out on my link in the show notes. I only get a small financial reward if you become their customer using my Descript link.

After this quick appreciation of our sponsors, we are now back in our insightful episode.

Number two, embrace the informational interview, already told you a lot in my previous episodes that informational interviews are your superpower to bypass, to shortcut into the relevant networks. Okay? So these are not job interviews. These are your opportunities to learn and to reach out to someone in a role or industry you are curious about.

 Ask just a couple of minutes of their time and prepare questions about their career path, daily work or insights into the industry. Buy them a coffee, ask them what else they can get from you. So they would be a mutual exchange of [00:24:00] information.

So how can you find them? Well, you don't have to leave your home for that. You can use an optimized LinkedIn approach. You can use the LinkedIn search, for example, the filters to find people in your desired roles. You can write a brief, polite, and clear message apply explaining why you would like to connect for an informational chat. Focus on learning and not just asking for a job. Remember, these are not your hiring managers, but instead these are people who represent that kind of role that you want to apply.

And that really is gold because before I discovered LinkedIn, I had to rely on networking in person. I don't know about you, but if you are also an introvert, then using LinkedIn is really good because then without asking and being around with that person, you can decide whether that person would be relevant for an [00:25:00] informational interview, et cetera. 

And then number three, you can engage in niche online communities. So here's your actionable prompt. Look for industry specific forums, professional groups on LinkedIn, or even active subreddits on Reddit or something like that related to your target business area.

And don't just, you know, lurk passively, but instead you should also read discussions and maybe you already have valuable insight and then you can contribute. Even a well-placed question, a generally asked question can start a conversation, and then of course you can use also your own research skills, like I already mentioned to find and analyze these communities.

Okay? Treat it like a new research project. Identify key players, common topics, and areas where your expertise can add value. And that is I would say where a social scientist's expertise will be extremely [00:26:00] valuable.

And then number four, you can also transform academic connections into business opportunities. I have to explain that, but think about your former lab mates, your supervisors, or collaborators. Where are they now? Have they also leaped into business? Well, then you can reach out to them, of course, congratulate them on their success, and genuinely express interest in their journey, ask for their insights.

That's what I do in my PostdocTransformation Show, of course, and all the people that I have already interviewed, [00:28:00] they share their insights and advice with you.

And number five, you need to set realistic networking goals and track progress, okay? Please don't go all over the place. That will be mostly unproductive, but instead, reach out to one new person on LinkedIn each week or have one information interview per month or something like that.

You need to have a goal that you can track. You can keep a simple log file or so who did you contact, what was the outcome? And you can celebrate small wins and also send a thank you note. And remember them later when you are successful in your postdoc transformation.

And if you tend to avoid and procrastinate networking, thinking about your career, well, set a reminder to dedicate at least 15 or 20 minutes to LinkedIn activities like that. Not just scrolling, but really purposeful connecting and engagement, right?

Even if you have a free [00:29:00] profile, you can have about five or four free contact requests. Think of who you want to contact. That would be already networking, preparation.

And now drum roll. For those of you who listen to the CreatingReorganized show and think, oh, this podcasting thing, you know, that sounds great. I just don't have the time or the tech know-how to produce it myself, even though you are talking about that. I don't wanna learn that. I just wanna build my own business. That's it.

Well, let's just say we're cooking up something really special for you. Imagine a premium white label done for your podcasting service for small business owners who understand the power of audio and video content, but want someone else, me and my team, to handle all the heavy lifting.

More on that soon, but let's just say we're building the solution for your brand awareness, consistent content creation and lead generation needs.

And number six, you need to develop your business focused personal pitch. Like already said, this is not an elevator pitch that you can use every time, it's also not an elevator pitch for the job interview. Remember, it's a networking event. So depending on the networking event itself, you need to be able to precisely say why you are at this event and what kind of problems you can solve or what kind of problems you would like to solve in a way that resonates with business professionals. 

Who are the typical networking attendance of this kind of event? You need to focus on your transferable skills instead of I research the role of the thalamus in [00:30:00] relational and non-relational memory.

I just say that. I research the memory maybe, or I'm a neuroscientist, I teach or whatever. So depending on who I will be talking to, I cut down my pitch to the most relevant things. 

So here's your actionable prompt. Write down three to five different versions of your personal pitch, and you can practice them out loud until they feel natural and authentic. And then you can ask also a trusted friend for feedback. And trust me, you can use AI for that.

I want to share with you my number one lead generator, and you can start that even without a podcast. It's TypeForm and I use them to create free quizzes with open questions and multiple choice answers. I also predefined mandatory answers so I can qualify and score leads. Collect their email addresses for later nurturing.

I can brand my quizzes with my audio files, branch a given quiz based on the answers for the different target groups, and maybe sharing specific podcast episodes or other information, and automatically send them an email after submitting the quiz. I even include the a calendar invite for those leads who qualify specifically.

So, now I can help everyone on the surface and on a deep level for free and divert my own valuable time only to my high ticket leads. I collect all the data automatically after my initial setup as I have also integrated it. with my remaining tech stack. If you want to try out TypeForm for your own lead generation and qualification, DM or email me TypeForm so I can share my experience and consult you, please check it out via my link in the show notes.

Again, I only get a small financial reward if you become their customer using my Typeform link.

Hey, before we continue, we want to appreciate those who financed this valuable episode for you.

If you want a relatively passive income, creating a paid e course as your service is a great option, especially if you are like me, an experienced teacher in higher education and now want to share even more knowledge and maybe also create a paid membership with live group meetings beyond the e course.

Offering an e course is a no brainer. Thinkific is an AI infused platform. Learning Management System, which is a dream for every educator. After setting up an e course or membership, you also need to market and sell your e course. And that's when lead generation with TypeForm and podcasting with Descript and Podbean can complement you well.

If you want to try out Thinkific for creating your own e course and membership, DM or email me at Thinkific, so I can share my experience and consult you. Please check it out via my link in the show notes. I only got a small financial reward if you become their customer using my Thinkific link.

After this quick appreciation of our sponsors, we are now back in our insightful episode.    

This episode's psychological model, theory or concept: Bandura's self-efficacy for better networking

All right, now comes my favorite segment, which is the psychological moderate theory or concept that I wanna share for my students, and with you. This one is about building your networking confidence with Bandura's self-efficacy.

 So my dear PostdocTransformers, let's tackle the problem of what happens [00:32:00] if you say, I can't do this. Well. Self-efficacy is your belief in your own capabilities so that you can succeed in a particular situation.

And for many introverts, the idea of networking may bring a feeling of low self-efficacy. Maybe you believe you're not simply good at it or it's not you, right? So you believe that you cannot.

And guess what? If you believe that you cannot do something, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Okay? So embrace the opportunity to learn how to network because here's the good news: bandura's theory tells us that self-efficacy isn't fixed. It can be learned and built, especially through these key pathways. 

Number one, mastery experiences. These are your distinct successes. Even small wins count. Remember those realistic networking goals I mentioned.

Every time you send that LinkedIn message, [00:33:00] every information interview you complete, every thoughtful comment or post you get. These are mastery experiences, okay? They prove to yourself that you can do this. You can start small. Celebrate those little victories and watch your confidence grow. 

I always look into my podcasting statistics. I'm not bragging about that I have how many followers, I have so many likes, et cetera, et cetera. I always just look at the delta between every month or from year to year or something like that, or.

If I change something, does it relate to more likes or views or shares or something like that? I take that data as a confirmation, whether I have efficacy in whatever I do.

And for you, it could mean successfully scheduling that first information interview, even if you felt nervous when you ask, is a huge mastery experience. You did it, you asked, and you got it. [00:34:00] And trust me, out of 10 people you are asking, not all 10 will agree to make an informational interview. So you have to ask more people than just one.

Even if that first person says no to you, you just need one yes. Okay? And then you can have vicarious experiences. So it's not your own experience, but it's someone you trust or admire. So it's an observational learning. Okay? This is learning by watching others. This is incredibly powerful for introverts, and that is the reason why I shared my inspirational role models with you, because I was hoping that I could inspire you to do something like them.

When you see another scientist who is successful in business, confidently navigating at a networking event or a conversation. It helps you believe that you can do this too. Gives you a blueprint, okay? If you can see someone else achieve [00:35:00] success, who is also relatable to you, who is similar, just a couple of steps ahead, it makes it more attainable for you, more reachable for you.

Let's pause for a moment to respect those who sponsor this valuable episode.

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 And then there is also verbal persuasion. You have to find your tribe. You have to find your community. This is encouragement from others that you trust, when I tell you that your scientific background is an asset in business and that your ability to think deeply and connect authentically is incredible valuable. Also my PostdocTransformation Show listener avatar that I always include in every episode. Is verbal persuasion. Hopefully you surround yourself with people who believe in you and your potential.

For example, a mentor tells you your analytical skills are exactly what company A, B, C needs, and that can be incredibly motivating and you need to also. 

And one thing about networking, okay, you have [00:36:00] to feel comfortable. Remember that I said I'm wearing things that make me feel comfortable. It's about your bodily or affective state. Okay? And that refers to managing your own emotional and physical reactions. Of course, you are nervous, that's normal. Okay? So if it's the first time that you are reaching out to someone else, of course you will be feeling sweaty, maybe breathless, maybe you start to stutter.

  But instead, I wanna reframe it to, you are excited for a new challenge. You are learning something new. And learning to manage that anxiety helps you approach networking with a more positive mindset. You are learning something new. So to be optimally prepared before a networking call, take a few breaths. Listen to a calming piece of music. You can shift your internal state from dreaded to readiness.     

All right, so dear PostdocTransformer, when you feel [00:37:00] self-doubt creeping in, remember Bandura, you are not inherently bad at networking. Yes, there are some talents at networking, but everyone can learn networking. You need to simply build your self-efficacy through deliberate practice by observing others who are successful in networking.

By listening to positive encouragement, and by listening and by managing your internal state, you have the capacity to learn and the business world needs your authentic voice.

Wrapping up my dear PostdocTransformers, the time for your PostdocTransformation is now. You have the intellect, the discipline, the unique perspective to thrive in the business world, and don't let the fear of networking hold you back.

And here's your actionable prompt. Take five minutes right now to update your LinkedIn profile or whatever is in your niche with a business focused headline and summary that highlights your transferrable skills. Just yesterday, I [00:38:00] updated my LinkedIn profile. Because to be honest, every time a new episode is published, I also have an associated LinkedIn banner. Okay? Make your headline and summary focus your transferable skills and you need to write about the problems you solve. 

And if you are thinking about starting a side business, well check out also my CreativeReorganized show where I help you as a small business owner or future small business owner and founder, how you can market and sell sustainably via video podcast.

Strategic networking

So regardless whether you wanna be a founder, small business owner in business, or you want to have a career in business, you need to embrace networking. And to be able to embrace that, you need to think of what your future of work looks like, according to your vision of life. Knowing that you will have a much clearer understanding of diverse business paths that you can then network towards. Then you will connect with the potential mentors, collaborators, or even future employees because you are not desperately searching, but you are building genuine relationships, checking out whether this career is something for you because now you are meeting people who live that kind of [00:42:00] life, and if it's trustworthy, you can check out whether you want that as well or not. And yes, you do that via informational interviews and maybe even job interview opportunities that truly align with your skills and your values.

 And that my dear PostTransformer is strategic networking. Okay. You are not just listening to possibly coincidentally interesting discussions, but instead, because you have already seeded what you were looking for, you will listen and comprehend what they're talking about and be able to connect the bits and pieces into a bigger picture, and that way you can ask better questions, which is also relevant for networking, and get the answers that you need for your own PostdocTransformation.

And by that, your PostdocTransformation is even more profound because you were in the driver's seat of [00:43:00] your PostdocTransformation. You'll experience increased confidence, self-efficacy, less anxiety about professional networking because you are getting the results that you need for your own effort.

And you are truly a part of a supportive professional community outside of academia because it's not just taking, taking, taking, but instead you are providing also value for others. And perhaps most importantly, you will find out that your unique scientific background will help you to network even more comprehensive and sustainably than as compared to others.

I know that you are a scientist inclined to leap into business, but you haven't, and maybe I need to be more clear about that. Let's briefly talk about the alternative. If you're not asking other people, if you're not finding role [00:44:00] models, if you are not learning about potential career pathways beyond what you already find on the internet, if you let your fear of networking win, well, you might find yourself feeling behind, isolated in academia and then you will be finding yourself jobless, and I can tell you that if you are jobless and trying to get a foot on the ground, that is so much harder than now when you have still a year to go before your contract or your PhD ends or whatever.

So you need to network today for a good future tomorrow.

Let's hold that thought for a quick appreciation of your business. 

Are you wondering when and where you can get the attention of your audience? You always think you don't have the time to post on multiple social media platforms. I totally get you. I have been enjoying weeks of social media breaks, why I serve my audience with prepared content to be scheduled out as needed.

Ideally, you have just derived counter social media content from your one video podcast episode, but even without a podcast. With Metricool, you can create and schedule your own social media content in advance according to the best posting times based on your followers. If you want to schedule your content on social media, DM or email me Metricool so I can share my experience and consult you.

Please check it out via my link in the show notes. Again, I only get a small financial reward if you become their customer using my Metricool link.

Thanking our advertisers for their financial support, we are happy to return to our inspiring episode.

Remember that I said it's about relationships that you are genuinely building. Well, that building takes time and if you don't have time, you might wanna rush. If you would be asking me for an informational interview and you don't have time and you rush, then I probably will say no to you, [00:45:00] and that is why you should start early enough.

And maybe then you are still lucky and find a job that is a settle, okay? So it doesn't fully leverage your incredible potential, but that means that you are missing out on these hidden opportunities that you could have found through informal networking. And like I said, the successful people in business, they all master the art of networking.

So it's not just something that you have to master at the beginning of your job career, of your PostdocTransformation, but instead it will always help you. I have coached a lot of leaders who are bad at networking, which is really bad for them and their teams as well. Because at the end of the day, you might continue to feel misunderstood or undervalued in your professional setting. That can lead to later stagnation in your career growth and potentially reduced [00:46:00] long-term earning potential. And ultimately you could also experience a diminished sense of purpose and fulfillment in your post academic life. That's not what I want for you. Okay. I often ask my students who is happy in the job that he, she, it holds at the moment and none of them says, I'm really, really happy.

But I can tell you as a professor at an applied university, as a working mom, as a side business owner, professionally, I'm really happy. And that is because I'm embracing networking as my key to unlock my vision of life. It is hard work, but I do that because the cost of inaction is too high.

And if you want to take your business skills further, go listen to CreatingReorganized. That’s where I help you turn your expertise into an income stream, using video podcasting tools like 

Podbean for hosting and monetizing, 

Descript for video and audio editing, 

Typeform for lead generation, 

ActiveCampaign for customer relationship management, 

website and email marketing automation, 

Thinkific for building, marketing and selling e-courses and 

Metricool for social media management and scheduling, 

so that you can make money and live according to your vision of life.

If you found this episode helpful, share it, leave a review, and tag me on LinkedIn with your reflections!

Until next time—build your PostdocTransformation according to your vision of life!

Workbook for your PostdocTransformation   

How do you feel? Are you stressed out now? I've got you covered. Download our PostdocTransformation workbook as a fillable PDF and write down your answers, so you can make most of your remaining time towards your PhD or end of your postdoc contract. You might want to listen to this episode again to fully reflect the information, but also on previous episodes because all of them are somewhat centered around the future of work.

And that should be also insightful for you. So you can find your fillable workbook as linked in the show notes. 

Remember, you are a PostdocTransformer, you are highly intelligent, well educated, a bachelor, master, and maybe you have already your doctor under your belt, or you are a postdoc. You are internationally experienced, fluent in English, a leader and expert in your prior research field. You're resilient, brilliant in adaptation and problem solving.

You are eager to bring in the transferable and monetizable skills needed in many companies to embrace the future and to become, or remain, an innovator in their markets.

Hey, Postdoc Transformer, are you curious to ask professors, principal investigators, visiting scientists, postdocs, PhD students, and candidates some in depth life and career guiding questions? But it feels cringe, so you end up not asking? 

Buy our PostdocTransformation Card Game to have more fun and valuable insights in your journal club, lab, and mentoring meetings, lab rotations, during conferences, panels and Breaks at the Mensa. 

You'll get 10 intriguing mentoring questions per career level. So 10 for PhD students, 10 for postdocs, 10 for professors, 10 for parental scientists, underprivileged and underrepresented and underserved scientists. Check them out with our discount coupon on the PostdocTransformation Shop, linked on postdoctransformation.

Do you want a transcript of our episode? And our episode sponsors answers to all six bold questions so that you can choose to apply. Do you want to nominate your potential employer of choice so that we can ask them our bold questions? For all of that, click on our links in our show notes and on our website, www.postdoctransformation. com. Remember to check your readiness to leap out of science and to enroll in our free email course Career Transition Made Simple. 

Thanks for your attention. I'm Prof. Dr. Eleonore Soei Winkels, the host of your seasonal PostdocTransformation Show.

And once you have determined your readiness to leap and want to transition into business or industries, then you can enroll in your free email course with 10 actionable, bingeable email lessons until you start your job in business. You'll get 10 emails like this at zero cost. 

1) How to leap out of science. 

2) How to build your sustainable LinkedIn profile. 

3) How to read social media and network. 

4) How to research your favorite jobs and employers. 

5) How to do information interviews to get insights. 

6) How to create your customized applications with ChatGPT.

7) How to prepare your thesis from a business point of view. 

8) How to apply to your favorite employers. 

9) How to choose the right job offer. 

10) How to prepare for your new job

Enroll now for free.

PostdocTransformation is a proud sponsor for PhDSciCom

Hey, do you want to boost your PostdocTransformation and gain practical business experience? Click below to apply for a podcasting business internship with us!

Thank you for listening!

So, we are at the end of this episode, and I would love to have you, PostdocTransformers, to contribute to future seasons. We have a PostdocTransformation show newsletter where we inform about upcoming episodes, or we lay out the planning for the next seasons so that you are able to forecast who you want to ask as well as role models, or maybe you want to ask a couple of questions certain guest that is upcoming. 

This PostdocTransformation show was brought to you by Prof. Dr. Eleonore Soei-Winkels

Leveraging podcasting for attracting the best students from all over the world

If you are a university chancellor, grad school dean, speaker, professor, have you ever wondered how to make your grad school stand out in the crowded landscape of academia? 

Do you aim to attract the best master's students from all over the world to learn from and work with your professors so that your research remains globally recognized and well funded? Do you wish to repel bad applications which aren't tailored towards your grad school's research profile?

Now, let's talk about a powerful branding tool, podcasts. They're a game changer for higher education institutions. As a professor, active on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and a podcast host and producer of this Postdoc Transformation Show, I'm here to encourage all the graduate school representatives to think beyond the conventional marketing mechanism.

Instead of being one of many vendors, at a time limited grad school fair, why not create a podcast that showcases your grad school as the ultimate destination for the world's best masters students. Share inspiring and encouraging stories of your top PhD students, high profile alumni, your Your faculty and the incredible opportunities your grad school offers.

A podcast can be a window into your school's vibrant community. It's cutting edge research and unique experiences, and in times of AI generated marketing material, a podcast with your academic leaders. This would prepare your best candidates for the application.

Even better, you can support and make your current Ph. D. students and postdocs visible for their next career steps in academia or business. Remember, successful graduates elevate your grad school's reputation. So, if you are a university chancellor, grad school dean, speaker, professor, Consider this. By launching a podcast for your grad school, you can elevate your grad school's brand and tell aspiring scientists and employers what makes your grad school the best choice, with scalable, evergreen content.

If you're interested, forward this to your marketing representative and get our list of 30 sample episode titles customizable for your grad school podcast. And just enter an email address on my website, www. postdoctransformation. com as linked in the show notes. As a seasoned professor and podcaster, I'm also happy to strategize about how you can launch your grad school podcast on Podbean, the podcast hosting platform we use for the Postdoc Transformation Show, supporting scientists leaping into business.

Thank you for reading our full transcript of this episode. 

For the PostdocTransformation show, we will interview industry experts, leaders in the corporate world, but also companies serving early career scientists leaping into business. 

If you want to let us know who we should interview and bring into the show, please subscribe to our inner circle newsletter. In there you can share with us your career transition questions and suggest topics for future episodes. 

This way, you will have a voice in our PostdocTransformation show. 

If you value our show, please share your favorite episodes with your PhD besties,   

follow us on socials and also let us know via direct message what you enjoyed! 

We really appreciate positive reviews and stories on all social platforms and podcast players!

Why? 

Because this show is for free, but we need sponsors to bring the show to you. So, please help us to help you on your PostdocTransformation.

All right, thanks for listening and I hope that you will watch our show and also listen to our show for the next episodes. And like I said, go back to the previous episodes. I think they have valuable insights for you.

We appreciate every one of you!

Until the next episode, 

Cheers, 

Eleonore & Team PostdocTransformation

Enroll in your free email course for your career transition into business! Especially emails no 2 & 3 focus on creating a LinkedIn profile and using LinkedIn to network for your career transition! 

PostdocTransformation Show mug (buy 1 or get 3 for FREE)

Yeah, you are a grateful listener of our PostdocTransformer Show!

Do you want to support us in our mission to support underserved, underrepresented and underprivileged early career scientists in leaping into business?

Well, then get 3 mugs for free (we cover the costs and shipping), and you place them at your grad school and/or lab kitchen for your PhD peers. Just enter "3mugs" and "freeshipping" and you'll get a 100% discount. Thank you for investing your time into our PostdocTransformation!