Summary
In this episode of Best Fails, Alison Beckles sits down with Christina Hahrwell to unpack the layered themes of purpose, authenticity, and failure. Together, they examine how societal expectations and personal histories shape our identities—and the masks we learn to wear.
Christina opens up about her journey of wrestling with purpose and learning to honor the richness of her background. Her lived experiences have gifted her a unique ability to forge connections in places others might overlook. She reflects on how the masks she once wore contributed to moments of failure, and the challenge of navigating relationships now that those masks are gone.
Throughout the conversation, Christina reframes failure as valuable data for growth. She speaks to the power of supportive relationships, the necessity of self-care, and the power of patience in the pursuit of purpose. Her message is clear: growth is personal, nonlinear, and never served by comparison.
Takeaways
- Failure isn’t feared, it’s explored.
- Authenticity is crucial in personal and professional life.
- Cultural background influences our identity and purpose.
- Failure can be seen as data for growth.
- The pressure to conform can lead to feelings of inadequacy.
- Ripping off the masks we wear can be liberating.
- Understanding one’s purpose is a continuous journey.
- Embracing vulnerability can lead to deeper connections.
- Align with what lights you up.
- If it doesn’t align, you must decline.
- Make decisions from a place of calm strength.
- Change in relationships is inevitable.
- Authenticity doesn’t mean being an asshole.
- Be mindful of how social media impacts you.
- Comparison should be with your past self.
- Self-care is crucial in the journey of purpose.
Sound bites
- “I’m now training myself to look at failure as data. It’s data collecting. The failure equals data.”
- “I think the biggest lesson from that is, you know, stick to your guns. You know, the data will come out in the end and then if you need to pivot, you need to do so.”
- “I think we as women wear so many masks that do not serve us. The mask of perfectionism, the mask of doing, the mask of I need to be this person to be seen.”
- “Now, understand that when you wear masks, you have to see what’s underneath.”
- “I think all failures are learning data points, but also what I’ve been really looking at is which version of me showed up that day.”
- “If it doesn’t align, you must decline.”
- “I think being authentic doesn’t mean you get to be an asshole.”
- “The only person you should compare yourself to is who you were yesterday, who you were last week, who you were when you were 18.”
- “When you’re making better decisions from a place of calm strength and calm wisdom, then you make better decisions.”
- “Growth shouldn’t make you feel like you’re betraying people.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage
03:50 Cultural Identity and Personal Growth
11:13 Navigating Expectations and Career Paths
16:20 Ripping Off the Masks: Authenticity in Personal Growth
26:13 Finding Purpose Through Reflection and Connection
34:22 The Journey of Authenticity
39:22 The Temptation to Burn It All Down
46:26 Finding Balance in Authenticity
51:04 Encouragement for the Purpose-Seeker
57:07 How to stay connected
Christina’s Profile
Christina Hahrwell is a dot connector and innovator; a woman who challenges the norms in the pursuit of creating dynamic co-collaborative partnerships and projects, both personally and professionally. With over 19 years of experiences within sales, business development, PR, marketing, brand development, and even politics, Christina uses her extensive expertise to weave together solutions, practices, and people from all walks of life to empower, inspire, and craft movements of profound and potent change.
Contact Christina
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinahahrwell/
Episode Links
Youtube: https://youtu.be/ZRRfBtSSHYw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/78Dais6o1wt2BBgn0UhzD7?si=t_VXRCF7SAy1TNo12WZFrg
