• The Kaizen Lifestyle | Career Breaks & Transitions, Financial Independence, Lifestyle Design

  • By: Ashley Merritt
  • Podcast
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

The Kaizen Lifestyle | Career Breaks & Transitions, Financial Independence, Lifestyle Design

By: Ashley Merritt
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  • Summary

  • Are you sick of feeling unfulfilled in your career and life? Do you desire to make a transition but don’t know where to start? Do you wish you had the financial security to take a career break and explore other options? Are you tired of scouring the internet searching for ways to quit your job and live your best life? Me too, y’all. Me too. I recently embarked on a journey to discover what options I had to transition from my unfulfilling 9-5, while raising 2 boys with my husband, making sure all the bills get paid, saving for retirement, and still living my best life! If you’re also looking for a way out of the corporate grind and are ready to become financially free and design the life you desire - I invite you to join me on the journey! Welcome to The Kaizen Lifestyle podcast! I’m Ashley, a wife, mom and former full-time working professional. For the last 10+ years, I’ve worked as an engineer, turned consultant, turned product owner in the consumer goods, food manufacturing, healthcare and insurance industries. For most of my career, I’d been on a mission to find my “dream job” - the job that truly lights me up and brings me fulfillment. I eventually realized that there was no “dream job” for me and in 2020, began my journey to financial independence with the hopes of saving and investing enough money to retire at the age of 45 and never have to work again. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I don’t want to wait until retirement to truly enjoy all aspects of my life and instead would prefer to create the life, NOW, that I don’t want to retire from. My husband and I decided that it was finally time for me to take a step away from full-time employment to take a well-needed career break after my maternity leave for my second son. Well, my planned career pause became unplanned when I was let go unexpectedly from my job at 7.5 months pregnant, BEFORE maternity leave. Thankfully, we were at a place financially where this turn of events could be a celebration, instead of devastation, as it allowed me to have some extended time off before I became a mom of 2. Although I’m unsure of if and when I will return to the corporate world, I’m grateful for the freedom and flexibility to live my life the way I desire without worrying TOO MUCH about the financial aspect. While working in corporate America, I was introduced to the term “Kaizen” - a Japanese word that loosely translates to ”change for the better” and is interchangeable with the phrase ”continuous improvement”. It’s a practice used in the workplace to implement small, incremental changes over time; however, it can be applied to all aspects of life, not just in business. Kaizen is a lifestyle. Join me as I share the steps and principles I’ve implemented over the last 10+ years to gradually create this beautiful life of freedom, flexibility and fulfillment and learn how you can begin to prepare yourself and your finances for both the expected and unexpected turns that life may bring! We’ll be talking about career breaks and transitions, lifestyle design, financial independence and so much more! Pull out those vision boards and post-its and get ready to dig into some spreadsheets - it’s time for us to start designing the lives we truly desire! Connect With Me! IG // @kaizen_ashley Website // thekaizenlifestyle.com Email // thekaizenlifestyle@gmail.com
    Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
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Career Success Economics Personal Finance Personal Success
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Episodes
  • 2 // 4 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself to Get Clarity and Design the Life You Desire

    2 // 4 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself to Get Clarity and Design the Life You Desire
    Dec 12 2023

    In today's episode, I share the 4 questions you need to ask yourself to get clarity and design the life you desire.

    Connect With Me!

    FB // The Kaizen Lifestyle Community

    IG // @kaizen_ashley

    Website // thekaizenlifestyle.com

    Email // thekaizenlifestyle@gmail.com
    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • 1 // I was laid off at 7.5 months pregnant! How my planned career break became unplanned

    1 // I was laid off at 7.5 months pregnant! How my planned career break became unplanned
    Dec 4 2023

    In my first episode, I share the story about how I got laid off at 7.5 months pregnant, how this impacts me and my family, and how we were in a position to celebrate this unexpected, but welcomed, career break.

    Connect With Me!

    IG // @kaizen_ashley

    Website // thekaizenlifestyle.com

    Email // thekaizenlifestyle@gmail.com
    Show more Show less
    18 mins
  • Welcome to The Kaizen Lifestyle Podcast!

    Welcome to The Kaizen Lifestyle Podcast!
    Nov 30 2023

    Welcome to The Kaizen Lifestyle Podcast!

    I’m Ashley - a wife, mom, and former full-time working professional. I recently embarked on a journey to discover what options I had to transition from my unfulfilling 9-5, while raising 2 young boys with my husband, making sure all the bills get paid, saving for retirement, and still living my best life!

    While working in corporate America, I was introduced to the term “Kaizen” - a Japanese word that loosely translates to "change for the better" and is interchangeable with the phrase "continuous improvement". It's a practice used in the workplace to implement small, incremental changes over time; however, it can be applied to all aspects of life, not just in business. Kaizen is a lifestyle.

    I invite you to join me as I share the steps and principles I’ve implemented over the last 10+ years to gradually create this beautiful life of freedom, flexibility and fulfillment and learn how you can begin to prepare yourself and your finances for both the expected and unexpected turns that life may bring! We’ll be talking about career breaks and transitions, lifestyle design, financial independence and so much more!

    Pull out those vision boards and post-its and get ready to dig into some spreadsheets - it’s time for us to start designing the lives we truly desire!

    Connect With Me!

    IG // @kaizen_ashley

    Website // thekaizenlifestyle.com

    Email // thekaizenlifestyle@gmail.com
    Show more Show less
    4 mins

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Profile Image for Derrick B. Smith

Great inaugural podcast!

I may be biased, given our host is my cousin, but I can genuinely say that I not only like this podcast, but can't wait for the next one! Hearing about sudden job separation is usually nerve wrecking and full of negative uncertainty, but you couldn't tell that from our host's calm, nealry joyous recollections this episode. Coupled with a firm spiritual base and prior financial responsibilities, Ashley takes us into a reality that could easily be our own and also different enough to make you wonder about it more. Highy recommended!

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