In this insightful interview, we sit down with Tama Kieves, bestselling author and visionary career coach, to explore the journey of finding purpose, embracing passion, and navigating life’s transitions. Tama, a former attorney who courageously left the conventional path to discover her true calling, shares her wisdom on how to tap into your authentic self and live a life that feels aligned and meaningful. Her responses to our questions are filled with practical advice, inspiration and the powerful insights she has gathered from years of guiding others on their own transformative journeys.

Q: You have worked with thousands of individuals on finding their purpose—what do you see as the most common obstacles that prevent people from discovering their true calling?

A: Fear is the culprit, and we’ll talk about that soon. But here’s some teasers. Fear of not making money. Fear of too many passions or none. Fear of not having what it takes. Fear of what others will think. Fear of not knowing a way to “get out there,” put your love into the world in your own brilliant way. But don’t you dare crawl into a ball. Because none of this is true at all.

Q: In your own journey from Harvard Law School to a thriving career coach and author, how did you first realize that law wasn’t your true path? What internal signals or life experiences guided you toward your calling?

A: No matter how much I “succeeded” by external standards, I felt empty. Haunted. I knew there had to be something else. I had always secretly dreamed of being a writer, but I was told that wasn’t’ a “safe” career option so I locked it away in the dungeon of forbidden ideas. Yet even when my life “looked good,” I still had this persistent feeling that I was missing out on something. I felt frustrated and trapped. And like the story I tell in my first book This Time I Dance! Creating the Work You Love, a friend said this to me and changed everything: “If you’re this successful doing work you don’t love, what could you do with work you do love?” That’s when I knew I needed to discover for myself what could happen in life if I followed my desires instead of denying them.

Q: How does fear play a role in preventing people from embracing their true calling? What techniques do you use to help people move past fear?

A: Fear is the number one factor that stops us from living up to our highest potential. Only we don’t call it fear. We call it “being practical.” We think it’s good judgment. But I will tell you that it is never good judgment to negate your highest potential. Your calling or purpose unlocks astonishing abilities within. This is never dangerous or frivolous. You may be in fear because you’re not living your calling.

Most people have fears around what they deeply desire. It’s because they are making faulty assumptions. You might think you can’t make money or it’s stupid to want to lay on a beach. Or you don’t know “how to” create the life you desire. Or you have competing ideas. These are beliefs you feed that do not feed you. There is a life that is calling to you. You have more power than you know. You’re not here to simply fit into the structure you think you know. But to discover who you really are, especially when you sing the note you came to sing.

What if you could discover what’s true for you instead of taking the bad advice of unhappy people or mass consciousness?  I teach people to go past their conditioned intelligence and listen to their higher intelligence, a unique, safe, and startling system of wisdom that is singular to them. I don’t have a one-size-fits-all process. But I do know how to help others find their way to tap and trust their own strength. This strength and love will answer any fear. This is why we’re here. To learn how to trust our own instincts. To go beyond past disappointments and unlock the lives we’re meant to live.

Q: What advice would you give someone who feels torn between pursuing financial security and following their passion? How do you help clients bridge this gap?

A: Unleashing your calling is never specifically about leaving a job or source of security. It’s about following an inner voice, discovering a truth that will make you stronger and unstoppable, and choosing to listen to your inspired direction more than you listen to your fear.  Many of my coaching clients explore their passions or build businesses on the side. Their calling grows organically and changes everything in their lives. Do keep in mind that the wealthiest people like Oprah, Bill Gates, and more all pursued a path that inspired them, not one that tired them.  And in today’s culture, you need to stay on the cutting edge. True passion is the key to originality, giftedness and security of every kind.

Please don’t assume that what you love is frivolous and leads away from security. Every one of us has a brilliant innate blueprint and our own way to discover our fierce love and the life that supports it.

Q: Many people struggle with perfectionism or the fear of making the wrong choice. How can they overcome this and find peace in the process of uncovering their purpose?

A: I’ve seen a lot of students trying to figure out their whole life or seek a definition, before they take a step. That’s the path of staying in your head and stagnation. Unleashing your calling is what I call a breadcrumb path. You start to follow breadcrumbs. Hunches. Desires. It could even be the desire to take a nap or a trip to Lisbon. Each breadcrumb you follow unlocks strength and perspective. You will feel differently about yourself when you take a step that feeds you. Clarity comes from your feet, not your head. Any road will lead you to your road. You will not fail. Because you are learning how to listen to your own inner voice and that innate genius always leads you toward transformation.

Besides, I often tell students “You can’t plan an inspired life.” You don’t really know what would be “perfect” for you. That gets revealed as you go along. For myself, I have had an identity shift as well as a career shift. I see myself differently now and even have desires I didn’t know I would ever have. Your priorities change as you change. So, just start experimenting more, judging less, and you will amaze yourself.

Q: How do you help people integrate their spiritual journey with their professional aspirations in a meaningful way?

A: For me, when it comes to living your calling, this is the perfect integration between your spiritual journey and professional aspirations. I’ve always loved the philosophy of “living in the world, but not ofit.” For me that means I aim to thrive in my life in a grounded, dynamic way. But I don’t confine myself to the ideas about myself or “reality” that I have learned from my past. My spiritual life enables me to go beyond sad interpretations and assumptions and to tap inspired clarity, to unlock peace and freedom now, not later.

When you follow your truth, your life is ultimately easier not harder. Yes, that was dicey at first for me. I grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Brooklyn, NY. And “sharing my truth” that I wanted to be a writer, didn’t get a “Mazel Tov!”  And yes, as a writer, a visionary career coach, and international speaker, I faced all kinds of rejections and challenges. I still do. But the difference is I know this deep peace inside. I know I am doing what I am here to do on earth. To me that’s the definition of wild success. It’s not how much money you make or the fame you have. It’s knowing that you’re doing the right thing with your time on earth. And the uncertainties? They continue to deepen my spiritual education. Every fear keeps my feet to the fire. I keep learning how to find meaning, to believe in myself and my higher resources more, to love and show up, even amid disturbance and to experience a radical new identity and life. It’s miraculous.