Rafael Alvarez’s career is anything but linear. One summer, he’s hauling lines on a ship bound for Puerto Rico; the next, he’s at The Baltimore Sun crafting obituaries that capture the heart of a city. Later, he’s writing for The Wire—a show whose second season he knew in his bones from a lifetime on the docks.

In this conversation, Rafael shares the winding path that’s taken him back and forth between the sea and the written word, the importance of relationships in career pivots, and why faith often trumps confidence when life throws you overboard.

💥 You’ll hear:

• How Rafael leveraged his maritime roots into a Hollywood writing career
• Why “start where you can” is underrated career advice
• What obituaries can teach you about humanity?
• The secret power of asking for opportunities (even in an elevator)

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Debbie Vojik had it all on paper: decades of experience in pediatric intensive care, leadership roles, and a steady track record as a healthcare professional. But inside, she was running on empty. What followed was a reinvention that included grief, burnout, entrepreneurship, and a yoga philosophy that changed her life. Debbie shares her deeply personal story of becoming a yoga therapist, navigating a pandemic, surviving a studio fire, and how following her dharma opened the door to her most aligned self.

● What to do when caregiving no longer fills your cup ● Why burnout can be a wake-up call to your true path ● How yoga is more than movement—it’s a map to transformation ● The courage it takes to build something new... twice

🔗 Connect with Debbie Instagram: @deborahvojik LinkedIn: Debbie Vojik

🌀 Ready to turn disruption into direction? Subscribe and follow Whiplash Nation.

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Episode 3 – The Day My Body Told Me My Career Was Over

When Alexandra Hewett’s career as a therapist started causing literal pain, she knew it was time to listen. In this episode, Alexandra shares how she left a thriving therapy practice and built a new path using creativity, improv, and storytelling to help others heal. From producing Mortified to using improv’s "Yes, And" as a survival skill, Alexandra shows how honoring your creative instincts can be the key to resilience and reinvention.

• The physical signs it’s time to change careers
• How to turn grief into community and humor
• Why creativity isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifeline

🔗 Alexandra’s Work alexandrahewett.com Her book Shimmer Instagram

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What do you call someone who's built cell towers, dodged tornados, hacked medtech patents, launched a media empire, and helped bring $38 million in economic impact to Baltimore through a global light festival? We call him Justin Allen.

In this episode, we follow Justin’s improbable journey from digging ditches and playing death metal to becoming a creative strategist and entrepreneur who lives by one motto: take the damn risk.

💥 You’ll hear: • Why failing forward is a superpower • The story behind Light City — Baltimore’s $4M idea that lit up the world • How to break out of "the story" you're told about success • Why action > anxiety, and what to do when everything falls apart

🎯 More from Justin: https://whatworksstudio.com/

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Episode 1 – Leap and the Net Will Appear How Nancy Murray turned 25+ jobs into a masterclass on adaptability, reinvention, and purpose. From selling speakers out of a white van at 14 to impersonating Joan Rivers, Nancy Murray’s story is wild, inspiring, and precisely what Whiplash Nation is all about: finding opportunity in chaos. She shares what it means to follow your gut, build a life around your mission, and quit jobs like a pro.

💥 You’ll hear:

• How to create your path (even when broke)
• Why quitting isn’t a failure
• The Underrated Power of a Personal Mission Statement

🔁 Follow + share if you’re ready to turn disruption into your next big move.

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