The Identity Shift: Who You’re Becoming Next

The Purpose and The Pivot is a podcast for women navigating transitions in career, leadership, faith, and personal growth. It’s for those moments when you’re re-evaluating what’s next and choosing to realign with purpose—intentionally and confidently.

Through honest conversations, meaningful stories, and practical insight, we’ll explore how to embrace change, lead through transition, and move forward with clarity after the pivot.

McLain Career & Life Coaching dba McLain Enterprises, LLC

https://www.mclainenterprisesllc.com

https://calendly.com/mclainenterprises/30min

https://thepurposeandthepivot.buzzsprout.com 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to the Purpose and the Pivot, the podcast for women who know it's time for more. With your host, C. Renee McLean, career and life coach and champion for women navigating change with confidence and clarity. Each week we'll have real conversations about career moves, life transitions, mindset shifts, and the power of redefining your purpose at every stage of life. Whether you're pivoting professionally, personally, or both, this is your space for guidance, growth, and grounded support. Let's dive in.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Welcome to The Purpose and the Pivot. Today's episode is the identity shift. Who you're becoming next. Yes, yes, yes. Let's get into it. So we're going to be talking about something we don't always name when we are in transition. Hmm. The identity shift. Who are you becoming next? You know, when we are in transition, we will talk about the new job. We'll talk about the new business. We'll talk about that new relationship. Oh yeah. And we'll talk about that new opportunity that comes our way. But what we don't talk enough about is the internal shift required to sustain those external changes. Yes, yes, yes. Let's get into this. Because here's the truth the pivot is internal before it is ever external. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Every major breakthrough in your life will require an identity shift. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Not just new habits, not just new goals, not just a better strategy, but a new you on the inside. Right. On the inside. And the question becomes: who are you becoming next? Yeah, yeah. Growth requires identity shifts. That's a given. And many people want new levels of success while clinging to old versions of themselves. But every hear me. Every new level requires a new mindset. Yes. If your responsibilities increase, your thinking must expand. If your influence grows, your emotional maturity must deepen. Oh yes. If your visibility rises, your self-concept must strengthen. Because people will be people, and people are watching you. Uh-huh. Yeah. You cannot carry a limited self-image into an expansive room or expansive rooms. Plural. Skills may open the doors, but identity determines whether you stay in the room. Uh-huh. Yeah. So some of you may be praying for elevation while internally identifying with inadequacy. That is not going to work. Some are asking for leadership while still seeing yourself as the assistant. Come on. You're stepping into entrepreneurship while still thinking as an employee. Yeah. That thinking has to go. And the internal misalignment, it's creating friction. Yeah. Because if you try to preserve your old identity and a new season, you will sabotage your own growth. And we do not want to do that, right? So letting go of outdated versions of yourself. Yes. It might seem a little scary. But here's the part we don't want to honor all the time. Growth involves grief. Growth involves grief. The old you served a purpose. Mm-hmm. Yeah. The survival version of you. It was necessary for a time. The hustle mode version of you, it built stability for you. Uh-huh. The people pleasing version of you. That kept relationships intact, relationships that you needed for that time. Uh-huh. The overachieving version of you created opportunities. Yeah. But get this. What helped you survive may now limit your expansion. Some habits that you have were born in insecurity. Some habits were born in insecurity. Some beliefs were formed in seasons of lack. And some behaviors protected you when you didn't yet feel powerful. Yeah. Yeah. But you cannot evolve while trying to preserve an expired identity. At some point, you must release the version of you that was built for a season. You've already outgrown. Who am I talking to? Who is this speaking to? At some point, you must release the version of you that was built for a season that you've already outgrown. Yes, yes. And that release can feel uncomfortable, even scary. Yeah. Because at least it, you know, that old version of you, it was familiar, right? It was familiar. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Here's a few signs that you've outgrown your current season. Let's get into these. Because I want you to know when you're in the middle of an identity shift, you might feel restless. Even when everything looks fine, everything seems to be fine, but you just feel restless. A sense of restlessness, right? Um, you may no longer feel challenged, you're just comfortable, just coasting, comfortable. Conversations that once energized you now feel surface level. Yeah. Your curiosity is expanding beyond your current environment. Oh, yeah. Signs you've outgrown your current season. Guess what, guys? It is all right to dream. Your curiosity is expanding beyond your current environment. Yes. And there may be a quiet dissatisfaction. You can't quite explain. And it's not necessarily ingratitude, it's just growth. You're growing. You're growing. And outgrowing something doesn't mean it's wrong. It simply means you're ready. You're ready to go to the next level. Discomfort is often an invitation, not a warning. It's just an invitation to go to that next level. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what else happens sometimes at the next level? We fear visibility. Yes, we fear visibility. So that's something that can really hold people back. It's not always a lack of skill, it's that visibility, the fear of visibility. Yeah. Because with expansion comes exposure. Yeah. And you may think, oh my goodness, what if I'm not ready? Mm. What if I fail publicly? Because now you're being exposed at this new level, right? Oh, this one. What if people judge me?

unknown 9:30

Ha!

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Guess what? They judged you before. They'll judge you now, they'll judge you later. That's just people. Mm-hmm. That's just people. This is another one. What if I outgrow certain relationships? Mm. Well, I think it was Tyler Perry that said uh something about how you can't take everybody with you, like as you go to the next level. You can't take everybody with you. So you may possibly outgrow some relationships. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it can happen. Many people don't fear failure. They fear being seen. Uh-huh. Being seen. Visibility. Exposure. Seen succeeding. Hey. Seen succeeding. It's all right. Seen leading. Seen evolving. Yes. Seen becoming someone who is expanding. Yeah. Don't be fearful. Growth changes dynamics. Growth shifts expectations. And guess what? Growth can also disrupt your comfort. Yep. And sometimes we shrink, not because we lack ability, but because we fear exposure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to talk a little bit about me as far as doing this podcast, right? Uh, because that is certainly growth for me. A podcast. I mean, you know, I was not really sure about doing it. Um, but I've been telling you, my husband, mm-hmm, he all, you know, with the gifts that I have, he's like, stop hiding, Renee. You have so many gifts. Stop hiding. And he encouraged me to move forward to do the podcast. Now, are people going to have things to say about the podcast? Of course they are. Can I listen? I can take constructive criticism, of course, right? But I'm not going to take on if it's not constructive criticism, if it's just criticism, right? There's a difference between people criticizing what you're doing and people giving you, you know, posit or positive or constructive feedback. But um, but yeah, you know, I mean, I was a little fearful because of the technology piece of it, you know. I can talk, you know. Um, I don't have a problem doing that, you know, public speaking and things like that. But the technology part of it was a little intimidating to me, you know. But I couldn't shrink back, you know, because I didn't really lack ability. I was afraid of the exposure. I was afraid of, you know, not doing well, or maybe doing well, right? Here's what we have to understand. This is what we have to get to. This is myself included. That's why I expose myself when I'm, you know, talking. Um, the next level requires visibility, and then visibility requires vulnerability. Yep, vulnerability. This has been a vulnerable time, you know, starting the podcast, doing each podcast, right? But then the vulnerability requires identity security. So this is the thing. Do you know who you are? Because we have to know who we are, because even as we are evolving, even as we are becoming, we must know who we are. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and we have to learn how to embody the new us, embody the new you. So, how do you step into the next version of yourself? First, guess what? Audit your language, stop introducing yourself from an outdated version. I'm gonna say that again. Stop, just stop it right now. Introducing yourself from an outdated version, stop minimizing your evolution and stop shrinking your aspirations just to make others feel comfortable. I'm gonna say that one again. Stop, just stop it. Shrink, stop shrinking your aspirations to make others comfortable. Yeah, speak from where you're going, not just where you've been. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Upgrade your environment. Yeah, I'm in the process of revamping my office right now. Lord knows it needs to be done. Yes. So sometimes we need to upgrade our environment so we can expand our thinking, right? From a better environment. You don't have to, you know, do a whole new uh thing, a whole new room, get rid of everything, just revamp it, you know. Just get some new curtains, get some new uh art on the walls, you know, get a new rug on the floor, you know, maybe get a new office chair, something just to spruce it up, right? To upgrade, to upgrade, yes, because rooms shape identity, and then proximity influences belief. So having those things right around you that can influence those beliefs. What do you believe for you? What are you believing for you? And um, you know, some spaces that will stretch you. Find those spaces, find those spaces that will stretch you, stretch you, find those spaces that will stretch you, mm-hmm, and then recalibrate your standards, new level, new standards, higher standards, right? Mm-hmm, yeah. Raise, raise your expectations, mm-hmm, yeah. Not just how others treat you, but how you treat yourself and how you show up for yourself, uh-huh, yeah, yeah. Next level identity requires next level discipline. Uh-huh. Are you consistent with evolving into the person you are becoming? What does that entail for you? What is it that you need to do? Right? Pause. Sila. Yeah. And then practice before you're ready. Because guess what? Confidence follows action, it does not precede it. You don't wait until you feel like the leader, you lead, and your identity catches up. Okay, you do the podcast and you become a podcast host. What? Yes, you do it, you do it, and you evolve as you do it. Yes, and then this is this is key right here, guys. Release the need for universal approval, release the need for universal approval. Everybody is not assigned to your next season, everybody is not assigned to your next season. Growth often requires relational shifts. Yeah, and that's okay. It's okay because you have to start behaving like the person your next level requires, not arrogantly, not performatively, but intentionally. And sometimes, yes, that can require relational shifts, and that is okay. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah. So let me leave you with a few questions as we prepare to close today. What version? This is what I want you to ask yourself. What version of me am I releasing in this season? Is it the people pleasing you? What version of me am I releasing in this season? Just ask yourself that. What belief am I retiring? What belief am I retiring? What role am I stepping out of? Is it employee to entrepreneur? Are you stepping out of being an employee to being an entrepreneur? Hmm. What role am I stepping out of? What internal narrative no longer aligns with who I am becoming? What internal narrative no longer aligns with who I am becoming? Hmm. You know, the identity shift is not about becoming someone else, it's becoming more aligned with who you were always meant to be. Yeah, using all of your gifts, evolving into who you already are. Yes, you're not losing yourself, you're shedding layers that no longer fit. Yeah, lighten up the load, shake off what no longer serves you, yeah, yeah. And this next version of you, she's not a stranger, she's not a stranger, you know who she is. She is the expanded, healed, confident evolution of who you already are, and your responsibility now is to cooperate with the transformation. Because who you are becoming next is waiting on your agreement. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Well, guess what, guys? That's our show for today. And if you would like further discussion. Discussion about this. If you'd like to have a conversation, our information is in the show notes. Feel free to contact us. Yes. Until next time, be encouraged, enlightened, and empowered.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

Thank you for tuning in to the Purpose and the Pivot. If today's episode encouraged or inspired you, be sure to follow the show and share it with another woman who's navigating her own transition. For coaching support or to connect with C Renee McLean directly, visit McLean Career and Life Coaching or schedule a consultation using the link in the show notes. Remember, your purpose evolves and you have permission to pivot. Until next time.