Speak It Into Being: Miranda Oda on Balancing Career, Growth, and Fun

Episode Summary:
In this inspiring episode of Starve the Doubts, Jared Easley welcomes back a returning guest and now friend, Miranda Oda, for an in-depth discussion about personal growth, achieving career milestones, and maintaining balance in life. Miranda shares her journey from being a wealth management advisor in Honolulu, Hawaii, to acquiring another financial practice at 27. She reveals the secrets to her success, including her commitment to personal development, a strong "to be list," and her adventurous spirit.

Miranda also talks about:

• Her love for music and how Metallica inspired her to pick up the guitar.
• Her recent foray into personal growth through PSI Seminars and setting balanced life goals.
• How she approaches challenges, pivots, and creates positive outcomes.
• Supporting local art, like pole dancing as an art form, has enriched her perspective.

Miranda’s candid insights about managing stress, finding balance, and staying authentic will resonate with anyone striving for a more fulfilled life.

Key Takeaways:

• To Be, Not Just To Do: Miranda emphasizes the importance of focusing on how we want to be rather than just what we want to do.
• Visualization and Rituals: Developing daily rituals and visualizing success are vital to maintaining clarity and focus.
• Faith and Purpose: Staying grounded in a sense of purpose and vision helps overcome obstacles and navigate detours.
• Channeling Energy Positively: Miranda highlights the importance of turning setbacks into opportunities for growth.

Quotes from the Episode:

• "Words create worlds. To change your life, you must change how you think."
• "It's not enough to know what you want; you must follow through and take risks."
• "I have a choice: to be stressed and broke or stressed and successful."

Connect with Miranda Oda:

• Instagram: @Miranda.HM
• Professional Website: mirandaoda.nm.com

Resources Mentioned:

• PSI Seminars: Personal growth and development workshops that Miranda credits with her balanced life approach.
• Aloha Tree Alliance: A nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring native plants in Hawaii. Consider giving the gift of a named tree this holiday season.

Final Thoughts from Miranda:
"Everyone has a to-do list, but why not have a to-be list as well? Focus

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Chapters

• 19:21 [Ad] "Ask Me Anything": Christmas Aftermath
• 19:53 (Cont.) Speak It Into Being: Miranda Oda on Balancing Career, Growth, and Fun
• 30:08 [Ad] Eye-Opening Moments Podcast
• 30:44 (Cont.) Speak It Into Being: Miranda Oda on Balancing Career, Growth, and Fun

Transcript

 Everyone has a to do list, though why not have a to be list as well, because we're always doing, so I have a little to be list of how do I want to be today, or how do I want to be in this moment, and I have a, what's called a pre performance ritual for everything. So I had a pre performance ritual before this, which is really just connecting to myself in a higher power, and getting myself in the zone.

So like my to be list could be depending on a situation like be loving, be playful, be fun, be entertaining, be responsible, be understanding, empathetic, earnest, be present, be brave. 

Welcome back to the podcast. My name is Jared Easley. I'm your host. And it's been a while since we put out an episode. And so, what better way to come back strong than to bring in a classic, a Star of the Doubts guest from the past who is still doing amazing things, and now I consider a friend and someone who's inspiring to me, so we are welcoming Miranda Oda back.

Miranda, how are you? 

Well, pleasure to be back, Jared. I can't believe it's been three years since the first time we did this, so I'm doing fantastic. It's a lovely day, and yeah, happy to be here again. 

Yeah, and what's funny about that is three years, which doesn't seem like that went by very slowly. It went by quickly, actually, and I think is interesting because I don't think you and I had really met prior.

To that interview and and since then we've become, you know, what I consider, you know, reasonable friends and you've been very helpful and supportive of me and my family and helping us with some things and just want you to know how much I appreciate that. And so it's really cool to see you continue to pursue big things and just accomplish, you know, what you feel compelled to do.

You're a go getter and a high achiever, and so having a chance to sit down with you for a few minutes and just kind of walk through some of that and hear what's new, I thought would be very beneficial to anybody who's gracious enough to be listening to this today, so, um, let's just start with, for those that don't know Miranda and aren't going to go back to that episode three years ago, let's just give them a catch up.

Let's just kind of fill them in. So, who is Miranda Oda for those that don't know? 

Sure, well, I am based in Honolulu, Hawaii, and I am a wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual currently. I love to travel, and so you and I, Jared, bonded through our love of Prague, the Czech Republic, that's my favorite place in the world.

And we also bond because we both like rock and roll and all kinds of music. And so just having a lot of different hobbies to balance out, you know, my career has been, like you said, never boring and yeah, this year recently, I just purchased another advisor's financial practice because he was medically retiring.

So that has been, you know, really a learning experience and something that I love navigating every day. 

Okay, so for those that don't know, you are not, you know, this person that's, you know, much, much older. You're still pretty young and, and, you know, I don't know if you want to share your age or not. Are you willing to do that?

Yeah, I was just laughing with my mom the other day because I am 27. 

Okay, so 27 acquiring businesses. That's pretty cool. 

Yeah, and I guess I just decided to focus early on and be disciplined, and I operate my life kind of like I am 40, I don't go out or party or drink or smoke or anything like that, and just really that has propelled me into greater things at an earlier age.

And even though some people joke that I look like I'm still in high school, clients who are two, three times my age, they trust me to manage their money. Not because of my age or experience though, because of the knowledge and for genuinely caring about their families. 

Yeah, and I think something that I found that's refreshing about you too is, is you don't pretend to know everything, you are savvy, and you are keeping up with what's current, but you also are willing to, you know, go learn and find out what you need to find out in order to make sure everybody that you're working with is safe and secure, and yeah, I just love it.

The way you approach those things. I love the fact that you still like to rock out and for anybody that is allowed to follow your Instagram, I don't know if you kind of screen those, but 

yeah, 

if they get on that list of that elite list and they hopefully can, they'll see you, you know, playing the guitar and some of the things that you mentioned that that's one of my joys actually is whenever I see a story and it's a, Oh, it's Miranda.

Rocking out, you know, or going to do something fancy. I'm always proud of you. So, uh, yeah, so let's, let me talk a little bit about music because I don't know that music was as big of a part of your life three years ago, but it seems like it's something that you've been embracing and spending a lot of time learning and, uh, specifically guitar.

Although there may be some other instruments you're involved in. So let's talk about why, you know, what kind of pulled you in that direction? Cause you're a busy person, you have things to do. And all of a sudden you're like, Hey, I'm going to make time for this. 

Yeah, no one's ever asked me that before though.

Before we go back to childhood, I grew up playing the ukulele, and that's only four strings and really small, and then I played the cello in middle school, and then in high school I got really interested or involved in like producing electronic music or electronic dance music on GarageBand and I, I just thought that was always fascinating and I like to learn new things.

And then one day, it was just last year, 2023, I was coming, driving back from a haircut and I was just scrolling through the radio and all of a sudden I heard Metallica on the radio and the was wherever I may roam. And I was like, Oh my God, what is this? I've never heard such a thing. You have not 

heard that song.

Interesting. Okay. 

The only song I knew by them was the Enter Sandman that everybody knows. So I didn't even really know them. So then I like Googled that song. I saved it on Spotify and then I just started like watching them perform it on YouTube. And I'm like, Oh my God, this is so cool. I want to be like that.

And my dad, he's in a band, like an alternative local rock band. And he plays the drums. And so he had an electric guitar that he custom airbrushed. And I said, Hey dad, can you clean this up for me? I think I'm going to learn or teach myself how to play. And then Metallica is really all I learned since August of 2023.

I love it.  And, uh, I will say congratulations cause I would not have guessed you've only been playing guitar for a year. Cause I progressed, uh, faster than someone else who might have only spent that same amount of time. So that's a commitment to your, or, you know, a compliment to your commitment to dedication and wanting to play and wanting to jam out to Metallica.

So I love it. Um, yeah, rock on. And, um, I think that's so interesting, Miranda, because, you know, my age, I'm older than you, of course, and I think, how would you not know that song by Metallica, because it was all over the place, but that was, you know, before your time, so, that makes sense, but I'm proud that you can still embrace it and still enjoy it, and, um, good for you, and that's the right thing to do. 

Alright, so, Miranda, let's talk a little bit about Acquiring this business. How did this come about? I mean, you kind of vaguely mentioned it, but like, at what point did you realize, hey, I want to be considering possibilities for, you know, maybe some ownership and, and how did you know, okay, this could potentially be the right opportunity?

And what was your thought process going into a acquisition? 

It's super interesting of a story, or I think it's interesting, though, basically for context. I don't know if you knew this, though, earlier this year or in the summer, I qualified for Northwestern Mutual's Fast Track Academy, where the top 5 percent of advisors across the United States at Northwestern Mutual get together for a week of, you know, learning, development, and transformation.

And it was just a wonderful experience in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are even high ropes courses and all about goal and vision planning. And while I was there, I met another, you know, young female advisor and her father was an advisor and she, you know, Purchased his business because he was retiring. So I asked her, you know, how do you even go about doing that?

Like, you know, what does something like that cost? Or, um, what's the whole process? And she didn't really share too much. So then when I got back to Hawaii, I met with my managing partner. And he just said, Miranda, what was one of the key takeaways or goals that you have after attending Fast Track Academy?

And I said, I would like to learn how to do a succession plan or a business buyout. The problem is, you know, it's not like advisors are retiring every day or leaving the business or at least established advisors. And he said, you shouldn't worry too much about the details. It should be about, you know, the relationships.

And so really it was all about, I like to call speaking it into being when you speak it out loud and verbally, you know, declare something, whether that's I do that sometimes in my room by myself. It's a little crazy or just sharing your goal to others. Like sometimes people keep their goals like a secret.

Cause they're afraid to say it. Though I believe when you share your goals to others, like they want to support you and like, then they know to look out. So like a month later, I got an email that said opportunity to purchase another advisor's book of business. And I didn't know who the advisor was though, you know, it's, it's an unfortunate situation because he had to medically retire.

He's pretty young in his forties and you know, it's pretty confidential. So I'm not going to share too much Yeah, he was medically retiring. And so I did the research, I talked to my family, and I said, Yup, this is what I want to do, and I'm ready to take it on. And it just strengthened my conviction and belief in the longevity of my career.

And it's assuring to clients because I'm like, Hey, because oftentimes they're like, Hey, are you going to be? around, because in my industry, there's like a 95 percent turnover, at least of new advisors, people are always career hopping, or maybe they realize this isn't for them, or they can't handle it. And so I'm like, Hey, I am going to be here for the next 30 years to take care of you and your family.

I'm not going anywhere. 

Well, I certainly hope that's the case because you've been super helpful to my family, and I appreciate that. 

So now what happens now? Is that process complete? Have you already gone through that, or is that still ongoing, or where is that at now? 

Well, it's been like a five month process, so it was about three months just to prepare everything, because it was a lot. You know, there's a whole client list, and making sure all the information gets transferred correctly, and there's just a lot of moving parts, and so I'm lucky that There's a good team at the home office and our local office to kind of help with that.

There's a lot of learning curves for me as well. And then now it has been complete, like we signed the agreement, the contract. And from there, it's kind of, I would say fun to just call these new people and introduce myself. And say, Hey, I know, I don't know you though. I'm going to be your financial advisor and just hearing their reactions.

It's all been positive. Like I thought maybe they would be like surprised or confused or upset, though. It's all been really positive. And I feel so grateful and they've all been really kind. And that's why I love my career too, is just getting to interact with all kinds of different people from all across the country every single day.

No, that's amazing. Okay, so, congrats again on that, and so, now, where do you see maybe Miranda here in the next year? Like, what do you think is likely?  

Ooh, like career wise. 

Well, not just career wise, cause I know you're going to be consistent in what you're already doing, but you're the person that, and I love this about you, by the way, you're constantly evolving.

You're constantly looking at, okay, how can I continue to improve and grow? And so it's coming up to the end of the year. And there's a lot of people that are going to start thinking about, Hey, what do I want to do for next year? Or, you know, what happened this year that I'd like to improve on for the next year?

I guess that's what I'm trying to get at is, is what are some things that you're excited about for the next year or that you see yourself pursuing or, or see yourself resolving or improving upon? And that's funny to say because I don't know that you would have a lot to improve on because it seemed like you're doing so well. 

Oh Jared, there's always room 

for improvement. Flattery, flattery. 

There's unlimited improvement. 

I know, I know, I'm teasing you. 

I might have mentioned a little bit though, I've been pretty involved in what's called PSI Seminars or Personal Success Institute, it used to be people synergistically involved and my mom did it in the 80s and I did it when I was a child and now I'm doing it again and I volunteer there almost every month in these basic seminar classes that they have and through that I've learned to set more goals or be more balanced because in our last podcast I remember it was all about work and career and I really didn't have a personal life.

So what I learned through, you know, this seminar was having a balanced life and having four sides of the peace of mind square, if you will, fulfilled. So we have, you know, your physical side, so things like working out, health. making sure there's good lifestyle habits. Then there's the mental or the wealth side, so that could be anything career related.

And then there's the spiritual side, which isn't necessarily, you know, religious, though it could be unconditional giving, or volunteering, or, you know, just, you know, really being involved in something greater than yourself. And then there is the emotional side, everything from relationships to communication.

So I realized that, yeah, I was doing, I was doing really well on the mental or the wealth side. My business is going great. My career is thriving though. You know, I felt Like, I don't really have a lot of fun, or sometimes I do get kind of lonely when, you know, it's all work, work, work. So through this, I've made so many new friends, and I've been doing more hobbies, and spending more time on my personal life, and just, it's been amazing because there's more to life than just work.

And when I realized that, work kind of took care of itself. And life just got more enjoyable, so I guess what's on the horizon is continuing to fulfill all four sides of the square and really just living life to the fullest. 

So you kind of gave a little summary there, but of the four aspects here that you want to, you know, be focused on, can you give a specific example of each one, if you're willing, of things that you're actively looking at?

Okay, so when I did a goal setting for each of those earlier this year, on the mental and wealth side, my goal was to achieve the Pathfinder Award at Northwestern Mutual, and I'm proud to say I did. So for context,  thank you. And it was also to have 12 new clients in 90 days or three months, and I was able to get 18. 

So basically, oh, thank you. Well, basically the Pathfinder Award is if you Bring in about five million in new assets under management and about a hundred and twenty five thousand in insurance premium credit just to show that you're a balanced advisor, not just an insurance salesperson or just an investment person.

They're really looking at someone's overall holistic plan and at Fast Track Academy, I also got an award called like Client First Planner because really making sure that it is, you know, other focus. So that was my mental wealth. side of the square, emotion, or what's called physically, I, I feel like I work out every day already and I, I'm pretty happy with it, not to be vain or anything, though I was, I'm actually lighter than I was in high school when I was wrestling, and I never thought that would happen,  so I'm pretty good there, um, though I think it's just because I'm pretty consistent and I drink matcha and I sleep a lot, for eight hours.

And then for, so my goal there was to just cook six meals within 90 days because I don't really cook that much and so cooking can be a part of a health goal. Emotionally, my goal, it's kind of silly, was to go on three dates in three months. And it was funny because people were like, Oh my God, that's not even challenging.

Cause some of my other friends, they're like, Oh, I'm going to go on 15 dates. I'm like, well, that's more than one date a week. So I thought that was crazy though. Yeah, that was interesting just to put myself out there.  

I'm I got questions, but go ahead, 

because, you know, I don't taint.  

Well, I mean, I've always kind of wondered why is that?

You know, I mean, it's not like, you know, I mean, people who see your picture of you're like, OK, there's Miranda. She's got a lot of good things going on for obviously, you know, your Yeah, I'm glad to hear that you're doing that. And so how do you qualify someone that you're saying, okay, I'm willing to give this person a little bit of hang time, you know, how do you discern that?

Okay, so here's the funny thing. So originally, I just wouldn't date because frankly, I don't really have the time. And so I would feel quite selfish for saying, Oh, sorry, I'm not able to hang out. I'm not able to go out. Okay, so people were approaching 

you, you were just kind of like, nah, I'm not open to that right now.

Yeah, so people, I mean, a lot of guys ask me out, though I'm just saying, hey, I'm sorry, I'm kind of focused on my work right now. So yeah, though, to me, like you're right, a lot of people do ask, well, why are you single? Because you're kind of cute, you're smart, you have a good job. You're, you have a good head on your shoulders.

You're rocking 

it, yeah. 

Yeah, so, really, I am also, I don't, I wouldn't say picky, though I just have high standards, so I don't just date because I feel lonely or anything, because some people always need to be in a relationship, and that's not me, I'm pretty independent, though what qualifies someone I guess would just be someone who's also independent, focused on their goals.

ambitious, dedicated, fun, and just nurturing and kind. And I think that is like, and like someone who's, I can't really, I sound sad. Though I don't really like guys my age all the time, because in my generation, I feel like they're not always serious.  

Well, okay, and I don't, I'm not living in Hawaii currently, so I don't know if that's the case, and that may be true across the board, I don't know.

But I'm curious, okay, so if you're saying, I'm going to have this many dates in this time period, like, how do you go about ensuring that? Because are you taking the initiative? Are you asking someone else out? Like, how does that work? 

Well, when you think about it, like, three dates in three months isn't like, too crazy.

If you're going from zero to For someone who's never dated, or who hasn't dated in a really, really long time, that's a risk, or that is time consuming. Because when I was making that goal, I was like, how am I going to have time for that if I'm also working on my business goals, and my physical goals, and my spiritual goals?

So I'm like, this is both risky and achievable. Though, it's mutual, like, I don't really like dating apps. Though, if I had to ensure that it was met at the time, then I did try, like, Hinge, though I'm not really a fan anymore. Dating apps.  Yeah, it sucks. People have 

Oh, I gotta hear your horror stories from that.

I'm sure you've got some funny ones. 

Yeah, I would just say I just don't like dating apps. Um, 

so your experience was, uh, you weren't impressed. Is that what I'm hearing? 

Yeah, though at the same, so nothing resulted from any of these three dates, which is fine because the goal wasn't to like fall in love and be in a relationship at the end of the day, though, to just, you know, experience something that I don't always experience.

Though I did feel at the end of the day, three was very reasonable. Whereas my friend who did, he was a guy, he was, when he said 15 dates, like the other girls got caught on and they're like, wait, you're dating that girl. I thought you were dating me. And 

so, yeah. Transparency is key. 

It is. 

Wow. Okay. All right.

So you, you've already done the three. That was earlier 

this year. That was 

earlier this year. Okay, what about the holidays coming up? Is there going to be any time for that?  

Well, let's just say, I don't, let's just say, right now, I do. 

You met your quota and you're good?  

For dating? I don't know. Let's just say, there's a potential.

That's all I'll say. Oh, well, okay. So, 

yeah, I know, yeah, I know you're, you're not going to go into a lot of detail on that. But, uh, okay, so. In this process, now there's, you went from zero to potential, so I would say. Yeah, or there's someone else. That's an encouraging thing. Okay, so good for you. 

We're in the process of getting to know each other, I would say.

Okay, so, 

so, are you still willing to hang out with other people, or are you just wanting to focus on hanging out with this particular person? 

Not really other people, cause like, I'm not,  like, I'm not, I get shy sometimes though, I'm not like the easy girl, or like someone who just dates around or plays around or things like that.

You don't want guys knowing 

that, oh, she's dating him too. 

Yeah, people think because I'm a Gemini, sorry, I'm into astrology that I'm like a player or a cheater, though I'm not. Um,  I can be kind of flirtatious though. I'm just, I feel like I'm just nice to a lot of people or kind to a lot of people. Like I love complimenting people genuinely, not in a weird way.

Though then sometimes like guys or girls will like mistake it, like mistake my kindness for flirtation. 

Now that's, that's interesting. Because you can't control what other people think. You can only control, you know, how you respond, and how you, you know, come across the best you can. How you portray yourself. So, if you know that's true, is there anything that you try to be more discerning about in how you approach different connections and different relationships?

Oh yeah, so I always try to be transparent too with people, like if they think, right, or perceive that I'm leading them on, then I just say, hey, sorry, I'm not really interested. Because what I always think that the worst thing a girl or a guy can do is just lead people on for entertainment or amusement if you don't actually like them.

So I must believe it's important to be open and upfront and honest. Though I'll just say like, Hey, I didn't mean that like that. Cause I'm just like, and a lot of my friends, I would say are older males, like you and I are friends. And a lot of my friends are married and it's not like, A lot of their wives are very kind and accepting and consider me like family too, so they're not like weird, Oh, he's talking to that younger girl or anything, because like, they know me, right?

Though, I can be like, very, like, hugging my older male friends too, though it's not flirty, if you will. 

Yeah, yeah, you know, I've never I've never gotten that vibe from you personally, and I, to let the record reflect, if you were on the mainland and needed a place to visit for Thanksgiving, like, you know, come on over, because that's how we, you know, we're, we're like, we love Miranda, so. 

Thank you. I can only imagine, I'm sure that's true for a lot of people, and rightfully so. Um, what are some things you've learned from this personal growth? And I'm going to even be specific, you know, even the, uh, you know, the, the dating aspect, but it can not be exclusive just to that. But what are some things that you've learned that you think that are also translating to business, if anything?

Oh my god, Jared, everything. I could say so much, though what I would say is that, uh, words create worlds when I act on them. So like I was saying earlier, maybe that could be the title of the podcast, Speak It Into Being, or Words Create Worlds. So the power of just voicing what you want and putting it out in the universe, and then it's not enough To know things you have to do it and follow through because everybody could say, oh, I know what I want Then they never actually follow through on their intentions So I'm a big fan of if I want something Going for it and taking a risk and not being afraid to ask for what I want And also, kind of cliche though, your attitude shifts your altitude.

So, you know, you can have positive, we only have two thoughts, positive thoughts or negative thoughts. And so it's kind of funny, back to the Metallica thing too, is I don't really have time to be angry or negative because I'm too busy with work to ever like ruminate on being angry or pissed off. Though, you know, sometimes when work does get really draining, because I can work like 12 to 14 hours, that's when I just like, let off steam with Metallica and it's a little hardcore music though, like that is my outlet.

Though, you know, having just positive thoughts has been, you know, providing so much more clarity in my life. And to change your life, you have to change the way you think. Um, and that's what I kind of learned at the Fast Track Academy too, through Northwestern Mutual. And so really when we think about what you said earlier that I'm always learning, learning is the beginning of health, wealth, and fortune.

And so if You want to change your life? Never stop learning either. 

So Miranda, there's got to be that person listening who's like, well, Miranda's super confident. She doesn't have anything she's afraid of. She'll just make a plan and go for it. Is it that simple? Miranda, what do you say to the person who's like, well, this is not my strength.

And I'm not sure where to begin. I'm not sure if I could, I could manage this. Like, yes, you could speak the world into existence, but, uh, tell us what encouragement you'd say to the person who, uh, who maybe has felt that way. 

Oh my God, for sure. Because the truth is like a lot of the people who know me at the personal development, you know, seminars, they always say to me, you handle things with elegance and grace, or you make it look so easy, like balancing all these things.

And I say, well, like I'm in 

agreement with that, by the way.  

And I just say, I can't believe that you think that because. I do try to keep a smile on my face and, you know, not be in a stressful energy, though the truth is, like, when I'm alone or there are days that are really hard in my job, sometimes I do cry.

I'm like, this is so hard. I've been looking at the computer all day. My eyes are burned and bleeding. I haven't eaten lunch. I, that's, 

that's why you weigh less than high school. So 

that's literally the secret. You just work so much. You don't 

eat. Okay. 

I do eat a nice breakfast and a nice dinner though.

They have joke in my industry that financial advisors don't eat. Cause like, you just don't have time for lunch in the day though. I try. And so, yeah, I guess. Everybody goes through those days and so I always just hold, here's the advice I would say is hold the vision because when you keep the faith, faith is what keeps me going and having a strong purpose.

If I don't have vision, purpose, and faith, All of this is for nothing, right? And so I always say I have a choice. I can either be stressed and broke or stressed and successful. So I want to be stressed and successful and I'm going to do whatever I can every day to do that and just suck it up and be grateful instead of saying, Oh my God, I have to do this.

I get to do this. It's a wonderful opportunity. And my purpose is to be, I like to joke, a financial sherpa. And a sherpa is someone on Mount Everest who's like a guide. So guiding clients up to the mountaintop. And really, when I do have, you know, a family of my own one day, being able to, you know, provide and give generously is also, you know, a purpose as well.

And I think that's inherently a part of who you are already, so that will be natural for you. Miranda, it's inevitable that life happens, right? There's, you can't control everything. You can, you know, kind of have these plans and you can go about them and set goals, but there can be circumstances outside your control.

Maybe it's health, maybe it's, you know, something else. When you get detoured or there's obstacles that pop up and you can't control that, what, what do you do? And what would you say to that person who's in the middle of that right now? Like, hey, I really feel compelled to do this, but this isn't aligned right now.

It's just not happening and, and I'm not sure how I'm gonna maneuver. So what happens when you're in those moments?  

That is a great question. So I never really did this before until like I went to these, you know, personal development seminars. So basically there's this relaxation technique or every day going back to your question about how to make time for like music, like I believe in being You know, a balanced and holistic person like the ancient Greeks.

It sounds kind of silly. So on top of work, like I'll spend 20 minutes reading, learning languages, playing music, drawing all the things I like praying, visualizing, meditating, working out. And that's every day on like my daily list. So whenever I'm like, Hey, it's too much. Like you need to step back from like working in too long of a period of time during that day.

Like I'll just do one of those activities. Like, Hey, it's going to be really peaceful to just not look at a screen and read or, Oh my God, I want to be in touch on the spiritual side and just pray. Or I'm a huge, huge fan of visualization and Seeing the perfect positive picture to create that reality. So that's what I do when I have those times where it's like too much is just closing my eyes and visualizing myself happy and in serenity and peace and being with people I enjoy.

I'm sure you've had this experience, Brenda, where, and I love those answers, but you've also had those experiences too where you're like, okay, this door isn't open, I'm going to have to pivot. So how do you process that when you have to pivot? 

Ooh, pivot. Interesting. Well, I guess what I've learned, it's maybe not always pivot though.

Maybe just being okay with letting things go or not having it be so serious all the time. Like, let's say for instance, 

Yeah. Give an example, a personal example, if you're willing. 

Sure. So like, You know, when I was supposed to go to Warsaw, Poland, while I was at Pepperdine, that's the whole reason I went to Pepperdine was because of their international study abroad programs.

And it was during COVID, so my dream, the whole reason I got my master's was then deterred because I wasn't able to go to Poland or Warsaw and live that dream. And I was stuck in Hawaii, though if I wouldn't have had that happen to me, like, I'm a fan that everything happens for a reason, then I wouldn't have The career I have now that also grants me the freedom I have as well.

Because even though I do, you know, work along a lot of hours I can, I do have some control or agency over my schedule to, you know, change things around, you know, in the coming weeks versus like a nine to five, which I like. Though, yeah, basically it's, hey, if one door closes, How can we  transmute that passion, that passion that could be angry, hurt, depressed, and just light everything else on fire in a positive way?

And that's what my mom's always taught me, too, is channel that, energy into something that is positive. And I think that's what's kept me going in this career so long. And recently I found out that now I'm the last one of the 33 advisors I started with in my class of 2021.  Cause again, the big turnover ratio.

Last woman standing. I'm proud of you. 

Man or woman.  

That's fantastic. Congratulations on that. 

Well, Miranda, I love hearing about your success and I'm really enjoying hearing about, you know, your perspective and how you approach things. I think that's helpful, not just to me, to everyone who's listening. We're going to wrap up a little bit here, but I've got a couple questions as we wrap up. So one is, what's a resource that you'd recommend?

It could be a podcast, it could be a book, it could be a class, it could be a YouTube channel, it could be just anything, something, or even an app, something that you think people should check out and why. 

Well, in the spirit of giving and the holidays and what's being balanced, I would say, or having both the emotional and the physical and the spiritual side of the square met, I would say one thing that I've recently done, or it was pretty cool, was getting involved in um, a non profit event with Aloha Tree Alliance, which is a non profit organization in Hawaii that focuses on local restoration of native plants.

And it's just such a beautiful cause. And so recently I was able to  go on this trail that they have in Hawaii and have a beautiful day like planting trees and they have these work days almost or every third Saturday of The month and they have all these other kinds of things and there's ways to like donate too on their website And I'm of course it's non profit and I'm not even like an employer part of it So I just say it feels so good to be Involved in that because like you can buy stars for someone I guess for christmas though You can actually like donate, uh, like whatever amount of money you want.

And then it says, Oh, would you like to honor someone with the name of a tree or something? And that's like pretty cool. So I would say that is a very cool resources of resource. If you're looking to, you know, do a nice Christmas present or Thanksgiving kind of  thought, or even, um,  You know, a tax write off too. 

There's nothing wrong with a balancing tax write offs with, uh, you know, good deeds and things that are helpful. So I 

love that.  

For sure. All right. So Miranda, who is doing something that interests you? That's not business. 

That's not in business. 

Yeah. And, uh, you've, you've mentioned a couple of these, uh, nonprofits.

So let's not re mention those. Let's, let's come up with something new. So I'm putting you on the spot here. 

Ooh, so something that's not business or not nonprofit. 

Yeah, just 

something interesting, something that interesting interest. Do they have to be  like, 

can they be a, like they talked about, hey, all of a sudden you were interested in Metallica and then that can't be your answer, but you know what, something  that 

interest you right now it be a celebrity or can it be like 

could, it could be a celebrity, it could be Hollywood, it could be anything.

Anyone 

what? What's something, maybe it's a person you're connected to on Instagram or something like, something that that interests you in that you're like, Hey, this is interesting to me. What is that? 

Ooh. That is  something that I personally would do or just I think is interesting. 

Something that you think is interesting, although now that you brought it up, you know, if you're willing to answer both.

Okay, sure. 

I would love to. I mean, I don't want to, like, Say someone's full identity because you know, maybe I didn't have permission or anything So I'll just use like a first name like one of my clients I guess and also a like she went to my high school She does like she's a pole dancing instructor and not a stripper because people think Oh, she's pole dancing, she's not a stripper.

Yeah, that's a 

code word. Yeah. Yeah, not true.  

She's a pole instructor And I think it was, like, so cool. I went to Halloween Showcase just to go and support and see that form of art. And it was just so fascinating, so beautiful, so physically impressive, because I can't do it. And then I So let the record 

reflect that Miranda's telling the listeners, hey, go see and support pole dancing as an art.

That's what I'm hearing. 

Yes. Do that. Do that as an art. Be a patron of the arts. Patron of the arts. Um, whatever that 

means to you. Yeah. Yeah. 

So I did a private lesson with her and my other friend because, and I, it's, it's a little too spinny for me to want to continue, though I always feel you should experience everything once.

And so I thought that was a pretty fun and cool and interesting experience. That was it.  Something to try.  

Well, I love that answer. And that's, that's cool that you gave that a go and you supported your friend, uh, in that way during, uh, their recent events. So cool. All right. Uh, so people were going to say, well, I need to be connected with Miranda and rightfully so how do they do that?

Okay. Well, like you mentioned, my Instagram isn't private, so anybody can see it. If my guitar videos, if they want, though, it's Miranda, my name, M I R A N D A dot H. As in Harley, because that's my middle name, and M, as in, it's a little hard to say though, McConnellani, that's my other middle name, so Miranda.

HM,  um, is my Instagram, or you can visit my professional website. Miranda ODA dot, wait, let me make sure I know it. Miranda Oda extension  nm not hm.com. So miranda oda.nm.com. 

nm.com. Okay. And that's for, uh, your, you know, professional stuff. So yeah. People who marched in potentially chatting with you about that.

They should, and that's how they can get ahold of you. So. I love that. All right. Well, Miranda, I am grateful. We always like to close out with final thoughts. You've shared some golden nuggets. Do you have any other words of wisdom as we close out? 

Sure. I mean, I would say everyone has a to do list. Though why not have a to be list as well because we're always doing so I have a little to be list of how do I want to be today or how do I want to be in this moment and I have a what's called a pre performance ritual for everything So I had a pre performance ritual before this which is really just connecting to myself and a higher power and getting myself in the zone or pre performance ritual for Seeing my family and being in a good energy.

So like my to be list could be in, depending on a situation, like be loving, be playful, be fun, be entertaining, be responsible. Be understanding, empathetic, earnest, be present. Be brave, and so, not always focusing on what the task is, so how do I want to be with the people I'm with at this moment? 

Well said.

Miranda, thank you so much. And also, be supportive of poll dancers. She did say that, so I want to make sure people heard that. Miranda, thank you so much, and hope people will connect with you, and look forward to catching up with you again down the road, and continuing to learn from you, and watching your story unfold, absolutely love it.

I'm proud of you, and wish you the best. 

Thank you, Jared. I have to say it's always a pleasure and you just ask the best questions. Do you, I don't know, your podcast should be the number one podcast in America. 

Well, I am hoping to be more consistent with my podcast because I've had to take breaks and focus on other things, pull a Miranda and focus on other things.

But I love the podcast and I'm glad that we could reconnect and bring back a new episode and have you featured on it. So thank you for that. 

For sure. Have a great rest of your evening. Take care.