What happens when you achieve the biggest dream of your life at 16? After national treasure Jessica Watson sailed around the world solo at 16, she had to figure out what to do next. The world expected more adventure, more record-breaking, something bigger and more dramatic.

But, her first pivot was one no one saw coming: she went back to school, went to uni, got an MBA and built a career as a management consultant. After being homeschooled, study was a daunting prospect, but Jess didn’t let fear get in the way of making change.

But that’s not the only pivot this conversation is about. Years after her voyage, Jess faced a challenge far greater than any storm at sea: the sudden, catastrophic loss of her long-term partner, Cam. That, she says, was her real pivot.

In this episode of Pivot Club, Sarah Davidson speaks with Jess to find out how she navigated both of these life-altering changes. They discuss handling the crushing weight of expectation, building an identity separate from the one thing everyone knows you for, and the "messy, human kind" of resilience required to rebuild your entire "compass" after it’s been shattered by grief.

Join us for this story of strength that is a profound reminder that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is to find joy in a quiet life, right where you are.

 

THE END BITS:

Want more from Sarah Davidson? Check out her podcast Seize The Yay.

Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.

Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au 

Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.

 

CREDITS:

Guest: Jessica Watson 

Host: Sarah Davidson

Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser

Senior Producer: Sally Best

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

This show was brought to you in partnership with Charles Sturt University. Australia's largest and most experienced online uni. Take the next step. Search Charles Sturt University online. 

Complete our short survey about education for for a chance to win a $1,000 gift voucher in our quarterly draw! https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8467038/Ch

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. 

What happens when you achieve the biggest dream of your life at 16? After national treasure Jessica Watson sailed around the world solo at 16, she had to figure out what to do next. The world expected more adventure, more record-breaking, something bigger and more dramatic.
But, her first pivot was one no one saw coming: she went back to school, went to uni, got an MBA and built a career as a management consultant. After being homeschooled, study was a daunting prospect, but Jess didn&rsquo;t let fear get in the way of making change.
But that&rsquo;s not the only pivot this conversation is about. Years after her voyage, Jess faced a challenge far greater than any storm at sea: the sudden, catastrophic loss of her long-term partner, Cam. That, she says, was her real pivot.
In this episode of Pivot Club, Sarah Davidson speaks with Jess to find out how she navigated both of these life-altering changes. They discuss handling the crushing weight of expectation, building an identity separate from the one thing everyone knows you for, and the "messy, human kind" of resilience required to rebuild your entire "compass" after it&rsquo;s been shattered by grief.
Join us for this story of strength that is a profound reminder that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is to find joy in a quiet life, right where you are.
&nbsp;
THE END BITS:
Want more from Sarah Davidson? Check out her podcast <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/seize-the-yay/">Seize The Yay.</a>
Discover more Mamamia podcasts <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/">here</a>.
Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au&nbsp;
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.
&nbsp;
CREDITS:
Guest: Jessica Watson&nbsp;
Host: Sarah Davidson
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser
Senior Producer: Sally Best
Audio Producer: Jacob Round This show was brought to you in partnership with <a href="https://www.csu.edu.au/">Charles Sturt University</a>. Australia's largest and most experienced online uni. Take the next step. Search Charles Sturt University online.&nbsp; Complete our short survey about education for for a chance to win a $1,000 gift voucher in our quarterly draw!&nbsp;<a href="https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8467038/Ch" data-stringify-link="https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8467038/Ch" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8467038/Ch</a>
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.&nbsp;

Welcome to Pivot Club, where we sit down with people who've spent years building their lives… and then one day completely changed direction. People who looked at the path they were on and said, "Actually, this isn't for me anymore".

Whether it's celebrities who walked away from fame to study their true passion at university, corporate leaders who took up comedy and "fell up", or your neighbour who left teaching to start a food truck – we're here to uncover the real stories behind life's biggest pivots. How did they know it was time? What was the scariest part? And most importantly, what can YOU learn from their leap of faith? 

In each episode, your host Sarah Davidson, has intimate and at times hilarious conversations with both household names and everyday heroes who took the plunge! Sharing the messy, honest truth about reinventing yourself. Because sometimes the best life is the one you never planned.

This show was brought to you in partnership with Charles Sturt University. Australia's largest and most experienced online uni. Take the next step. Search Charles Sturt University online.

Welcome to Pivot Club, where we sit down with people who've spent years building their lives&hellip; and then one day completely changed direction. People who looked at the path they were on and said, "Actually, this isn't for me anymore".
Whether it's celebrities who walked away from fame to study their true passion at university, corporate leaders who took up comedy and "fell up", or your neighbour who left teaching to start a food truck &ndash; we're here to uncover the real stories behind life's biggest pivots. How did they know it was time? What was the scariest part? And most importantly, what can YOU learn from their leap of faith?&nbsp;
In each episode, your host Sarah Davidson, has intimate and at times hilarious conversations with both household names and everyday heroes who took the plunge! Sharing the messy, honest truth about reinventing yourself. Because sometimes the best life is the one you never planned.
This show was brought to you in partnership with <a href="https://www.csu.edu.au/">Charles Sturt University</a>. Australia's largest and most experienced online uni. Take the next step. Search Charles Sturt University online.

Pivot Club

Changing Tack With Jessica Watson: From Global Adventurer To An "Ordinary" Life

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/7db6f01c-b926-461a-ad80-b379000bf5ac/transcript

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