Kymberlee Jay: [00:00:00] And the more you speak up, the more ideas that you have. Even if they are really awful ideas, you'll find yourself uncovering great ideas. But until you start thinking about this and having these ideas, you'll never be able to uncover the great ones.

Andy Molinsky: [00:00:18] Welcome to From the Dorm Room to the Board Room, a podcast where we provide insights, tips, and inspiration for college students and young professionals, so they can make a really successful transition from college life to the professional world and beyond.

Andy Molinsky: [00:00:36] My name is Andy Molinsky, and I'm your host. I am also a Professor of Organizational Behavior in International Management at Brandeis University's International Business School, where we record and produce this podcast.

Andy Molinsky: [00:00:57] Today's guest is Kymberlee Jay. Kim is a former professional dancer, choreographer, and Nike athlete, and, now, Founder and Director of DoodleDirect. So, thanks so much for joining us today.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:01:14] Andy, listen, it's an absolute pleasure. I'm very excited to do this.

Andy Molinsky: [00:01:18] All right. Well, let's jump right in. So, tell us -- So, I'd like to start by having you tell us a bit about what you do now, what your job. And I want to hear that. And then, we'll kind of rewind to when you were in university, when you were bit younger, and hear about how you got from back there to now. But let's start with the now.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:01:38] Okay. So, now, I run a company called DoodleDirect. And we're a visual communications company. We started in London. So, we're based in London. We're just three and a half years old. So, still relatively new in the business stakes. But we work with some really interesting clients. We've got a great list of clients. So, we build animated video, specifically for internal and external brand communications. So, this can be anything in terms of it could be employee communications, it can be a communications for social media audience, but everything that we do is based around animation.

Andy Molinsky: [00:02:17] So, how did you find it? It sounds like you sort of just -- I assume you founded it, right?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:02:24] I did, yes.

Andy Molinsky: [00:02:25] And so, tell us about that. So, actually, let's rewind. So, that's really cool. First of all, it's really cool, just full stop. So, tell us about your university experience, what you did immediately afterwards, and how that path got you to where you are now.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:02:40] So, my university experience is quite interesting - excuse me - because I actually studied my degree in Biomedical Science. Originally, my career path was going to be in Forensic Pathology.

Andy Molinsky: [00:02:54] Ha! And so, for the uninformed among us, what is Forensic Pathology?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:02:59] So, Forensic Pathology is essentially the study of tissues in order to determine a cause of death.

Andy Molinsky: [00:03:09] Right, exactly. I was thinking like those detective shows.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:03:12] It is exactly that. So, I was considering doing it before it became fashionable on NCIS, and CSI, and all of the TV shows. It was something I'd wanted to do from being quite young. Actually, merging my love of science - I had a really keen love of science as a child - with my wanting to be a police officer. I knew that I wanted to be involved somehow in the police. So, being able to bring them together, I discovered, "Ha! Forensic pathology, this is the way forward."

Andy Molinsky: [00:03:45] Yeah, that's interesting. And so, that sounds like you, kind of, didn't ultimately take that path, right?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:03:51] No, I didn't. So, at the age of 11, I actually started dancing. And it was just a community thing and something to do outside of school. So, I didn't go to a prestigious dance school or anything like that. It wasn't anything serious. It was just for fun outside of school. But within school, I was so quite academic. So, I went through, did all of my exams, went through into my senior year, what we call here, our college years, which are actually in your high school senior years, specializing in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. As I said, convinced that my career path was going to be this Forensic Pathology. But whilst I was doing this dance stuff on the side, I figured that it was something that I really enjoyed doing. And wouldn't it be cool if I could turn it into a career?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:04:40] Now, at the time, this wasn't even remotely viable. I knew that my parents would hit the roof if I explained to them that I wanted to be a professional dancer rather than a forensic pathologist. But in my head, it was always something that I dreamed about. I thought it would just be so great if one day, I could do this, I could do this dance stuff, and be paid for it, and pay my rent, and pay my bills, and just do what I love. And actually, coming into my third year at university, it was then I made the decision to walk away from my degree and attempt to become a professional dancer and choreographer.

Andy Molinsky: [00:05:21] Wow. Okay. So, that that's very interesting. Now, actually, I just want to rewind for one quick sec. Where did this all take place? You're from the UK. Tell us just a bit about your background, because I imagine many, but not all of the listeners, but many of the listeners here are in the US.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:05:37] That's right, yes. So, I was born in a town in the north of the UK called Huddersfield, and then moved into London with my family when I was seven years old. So pretty much everything, sort of, happened and took off me whilst I was in in London, in east London specifically. So, I grew up there.

Andy Molinsky: [00:05:58] Got it. Okay, all right. So, you're doing Forensic Pathology, you're loving dance on the side, and you're thinking, "Gosh, maybe I can make this dance thing work," and you left the university. And then, what?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:06:13] Oh, wow. And then, what? And then, reality hit.

Andy Molinsky: [00:06:17] Okay, yeah.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:06:19] And I realized just how difficult it was to be able to monetize my passion for dance without the formal dance training, without the connections that I needed in the dance industry, and without probably the dance styles. In terms of the dance styles that I did, they weren't the traditional styles you'd expect of a professional dancer, but I was still going for it. I decided that I was going to make this my career.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:06:47] But I'll be honest, it was an exceptionally painful few years that followed then because I was, ultimately, turned away from every audition that I went to. I pretty much was not recognized in the industry as being anybody that could dance, let alone be paid for it. So, it was heartbreaking, I guess, because I had, sort of, walked away from this relatively stable career in Forensic Pathology, I suppose, into the uncertainty of the entertainment industry without any background or really very much knowledge about how I was going to make it. I just knew that I was. It's all I had going for me at the time. But it was a massive uphill struggle.

Andy Molinsky: [00:07:30] And then, how did you feel, sort of, towards the end of -- I imagine there was, sort of, inflection point there where you said, "All right, I got to do something different." What was your mindset back then and what came next?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:07:44] Yeah, I think, I mean, in terms of doing something different, I don't think I necessarily did anything differently. I did what I could to put myself in the best position that I could in comparison to those that I was going up for auditions against. So, I tried to train in some of the more commercial dance styles. I tried to create, become friends with people in the industry, create the networks, build the relationships that I needed within the industry. Again, that's not enough to be able to pay your rent.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:08:21] So, I think, for me, what it was, it was probably my tenacity and the fact that I just stuck with it. I kept going. Even though the doors were closing in my face left, right, and center, I continued to attend these auditions, to meet people, to find out about opportunities, and go for them. In my mind, I was thinking there has got to be a point where something is right for me. And even though everybody's telling me this is all wrong for me, there has to be a point where something is right. So, I just kept on going, and going, and going. And, eventually, it turned out that there was a really huge opportunity for me. And, ultimately, that made my career. That built my dance career and made my career.

Andy Molinsky: [00:09:06] And what was that?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:09:06] That was being found by Nike, and finding to them as an athlete, as a dancer athlete. Now, in the UK - well, Europe, at the time - this was pretty much unheard of because dance isn't recognized as a sport. And so, being signed up with the football players and the track-and-field athletes for Nike was really a big deal because, at the time, Nike recognized that, actually, even though maybe dance is considered more of an art, actually, in order to perform it well and to be at the top of your game, you train like you would an athlete. And so, we needed similar resources, similar tools. We followed a similar training plan to be the best that we could be within our sport, within our art.

Andy Molinsky: [00:10:01] So, Nike created campaigns within the EMEA region - so, Europe, Middle East, and Africa - to promote and to push this idea that dance is indeed a sport and could be construed as a sport. And they created apparel and footwear for dances. And I was certainly one of the lucky faces that got to head that campaign.

Andy Molinsky: [00:10:27] Wow.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:10:28] And so, I worked with Nike on advertising campaigns across the European region, Middle East, and Africa. I worked with them on everything from opening new stores, to promoting their products, to everything that I could turn my hand to as a dancer for them, I did. And it was the most amazing experience for a brand like that to recognize that I was a dancer, and that I was an athlete, even though the entertainment industry did not.

Andy Molinsky: [00:11:00] Interesting. Did you get any good gear?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:11:04] Quite a lot of good gear, to be honest. And I still got a lot of it. Well, a lot of it, I had to give away, but, yeah, we're talking, sort of, in the region of about 300 pairs of sneakers.

Andy Molinsky: [00:11:15] Oh my gosh. All right. So, that's unbelievable. My 12-year-old son would be very jealous. So, how did you get from there to what you're doing right now? That's the piece I'd love to hear next.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:11:30] Yes. So, whilst working with Nike, it was great to be able to hone my skills as an athlete and as a dancer, and to be able to increase my visibility, so people knew who I was, and they knew what I did. It was great for my career.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:11:47] One of the other things I was able to learn a lot from them was about brand strategy, marketing, and communication. And I spent a lot of time with their teams under this guy who's helping them and working with them to figure out the best ways that we could communicate about dance, that we could help people to see how dance related to them if they needed it, and finding the right audiences, making sure that they got the right communications, and obviously helping the brand to grow.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:12:21] And so, hold up in offices with these marketing teams, communications team, brand teams, it taught me so much about corporate communication and, also, about how business is done.

Andy Molinsky: [00:12:36] Let me just pause for one sec because anyone listening needs to hear what you just s because I think it's so interesting. You came in to be a dancer. It sounds like you did really well, but you took advantage of an opportunity to learn other things that were available right there in that organization, in that top plate, sort of, the worldwide leader in marketing, and communications, and branding. And you sort of took that opportunity to learn that, which then allowed you to pivot to a totally different career. I just wanted to put a point on that because anyone listening needs to know that that is a great strategy. I don't know if you agree, but I just wanted to make that point.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:13:15] I wholeheartedly agree, wholeheartedly. If you have an opportunity to learn additional skills in whatever you do, again, even if it is something that's completely unrelated, grab it with both hands. So, as a dancer, I used to attend the yearly sales meetings. There was no reason for me to be at the yearly sales meeting for Nike, but I would go anyway, and I would sit at the back, and I would take notes.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:13:41] Nike, of course, are a huge organization. And what they were talking about, generally, went over my head. But I knew that in terms of how they structured what they did and in terms of how they built and run this organization, they were going to be some nuggets there that I could take away and use myself.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:14:02] I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I say this all the time, I'm the world's worst employee. So, I knew that in terms of starting my own business, eventually, it would happen one day. So, being able to sit amongst these great business minds that run this huge sports organization was really a blessing for me.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:14:23] And if you can, if any of your listeners do have the opportunity to be able to do that within an organization, take it. It might not be relevant now but, actually, hearing something from them might mean that you can make it relevant in the future.

Andy Molinsky: [00:14:37] So, when did you leave Nike and start what you're doing now? How did that work?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:14:43] So, I signed to Nike in 2005. And I left them in 2012. And I, actually, left because I stopped dancing because I had a baby. I had my son. And I thought at the time that I had achieved everything I needed to as a professional performer and as a dancer. And, now, it was time to become a mother, and do some time staying home, and raise my son.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:15:08] And after having my son, I quickly realized that I'm not a stay-at-home mother material. So, I knew that I needed to do something. I'm very much a doer. I'm very much somebody who goes all in. I love working on projects, and I love working on things outside of the home. So, I knew that I needed to sink my teeth into something.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:15:30] And then, a few of my friends who knew of my experience within Nike, alongside my dance, so the fact that I've been kind of building up this knowledge bank around marketing and communications, they were asking about advice for their own businesses. And I was giving it best I could.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:15:51] And then, another friend came to me and asked for an animated video. She said, "Do you know anybody who can create an animated video? I want to communicate this message, but I can't afford the fees of a mate of a huge agency." So, whilst I was doing my time as a dancer and choreographer, I've done a little bit in terms of video editing and very basic animation. So, I said that, at the time, I was at home, my son, I didn't really have very much to do. My son was still quite small. And I built it for her. Just a very simple animation.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:16:25] So, I built her a very basic animation with the skills that I got, edits and video as a choreographer of working with directors and incorporating the marketing and communication skills that at I've gained from Nike. So, she went on to release this video, and it did quite well for her. And a few people asked where she had it done. And so, she referred them back to me, and I had a couple more requested a few more videos, which I happily saw at home and did because I didn't think anything of it. This, of course, wasn't my choice of business. This wasn't the business that I was going to create.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:17:01] But then, very slowly, it -- I won't say very slowly. Over the course of about six to eight weeks, it snowballed. And I started getting all of these requests for animated video with these communications, this message communication incorporated. And at that point, I realized, if I was going to be able to keep up with this, I'm going to need to hire people better at this than me and faster at this than I am.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:17:22] So, I started to do that. And, ultimately, that was when DoodleDirect was born. I didn't realize. I had no intention of creating this animated video company, but the demand just kept coming. So, I went with it. And here we are today. We've officially been incorporated for three and a half years. And so, I guess that we'd say, sort of, that's as long as I've been doing this seriously and decided that, yes, I am going to work to build this company.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:17:50] But actually, in terms of starting it and making that transition from Nike athlete, to mother, to business owner now, it's been quite an unusual process and a relatively long process, but that's how the journey went.

Andy Molinsky: [00:18:08] I love that. So many people, I think, in college think of their paths as being very linear being one thing after the next. And there's some truth to that, right? At least, in the US, you go to high school, and then many people go to college, and then many people then choose a job in line with what they studied in college. And they have this idea that that's what they're going to be in forever maybe.

Andy Molinsky: [00:18:30] But that's certainly not true. And it sounds like -- I was just writing this down as you were talking. Forensic Pathology, to dancing, to Nike, to taking advantage of all the marketing, and communications, and brand education you could there, to being a mom, to sort of serendipitously doing some animated videos on the side, which were presumably really good, which got the beginning of the intent to start a business, and then started it. Very cool.

Andy Molinsky: [00:18:58] So, from your perspective, you've lived a very interesting professional life so far, what kind of misconceptions do you think university students have when entering the workplace, when leaving university to go to the workplace?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:19:17] I think there are a couple, actually, of misconceptions that they might have. Firstly, I think, them thinking that their lack of experience in the workplace within an organization might mean that their voice won't be heard. So, I've heard this quite often that, actually, you leave university, you get a job, and you start in the workplace, and you think, "All I have to do is to sit in the shadows and stay quiet because I don't know anything yet. I haven't learned enough yet." But in actual fact, your voice is very, very important. So, I think, that's the first one.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:19:58] And, also, I think it's this idea that we have to kill ourselves, to overwork ourselves in the workplace in order to be noticed. And I think that that's completely untrue. I think everybody goes in -- I understand why with this mentality that, "I've got to be the first person in the office in the morning and the last person to leave at night. And that's the only way that the boss is going to recognize that I'm doing good work," when in actual fact, that's completely unfounded.

Andy Molinsky: [00:20:28] And why is that?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:20:30] Well, actually, it's about getting results. And so, if you are not -- or rather -- okay. So, if you are the first person in the office and the last person to leave at night, that's all well and good. But if it's to the detriment of your well-being, i.e. you're not getting enough sleep, you're eating properly, exercising, spending time with family or friends, then you're definitely not going to be the best employee that you can be. So, to be your best self mentally, physically, and do your best work, you've got to find the balance.

Andy Molinsky: [00:21:04] Got it.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:21:05] Yeah. If you don't find that balance, then, actually, you end up being a liability for your organization because, then, you start to get sick, and then you start to dislike the role that you're in because you spend so much time in it. Actually, what we need, what an organization needs are team players who can get results, who understand how to manage their time well, so that actually they don't need to be in the office for so many hours. They can get the job done, they can get great results, and still have time to enjoy a life outside of work. And it's so important to find that balance.

Andy Molinsky: [00:21:38] Interesting. That makes sense. Let me just go back to the first point you raised, which I think is a really important one. But I just want to see if you could elaborate just a little bit. You said that why young people don't think their voice is important, but their voice is important. What if I were a -- it's hard for me to think about that. I'm kind of old. But if I were to think that I was a 20-year-old, and I heard what you said, and I said, "Yeah, my voice is important. But wait, really? It's important? Why is it important?" Tell me.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:22:09] It is important because, I mean, if you've been hired, it's because you are bringing something to the table. And so, everything that you've learned, whether that's churning your education, churning life experience outside of the organization, or even if it's things that you've read to build up your own knowledge bank, you have ideas, opinions, and experiences that other members of your team don't have. Your ideas, your suggestions, they're valid. And you should never be afraid to pitch in with things.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:22:45] Now, the worst thing that can happen is that your ideas aren't accepted or agreed with. And that's absolutely fine because you don't need to take that personally. At the end of the day, when you are in a scenario where we're asking for ideas or asking for opinions, it's about getting to the vision or getting to know the point that we're all trying to get to as quickly, as easily, and as pain-free as possible.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:23:11] If you've got an idea on how we do that, we want to hear it. Even if it's not valid and it can't work, throwing it into the pot does not hurt. The important thing is not to take it personally and just to know that, actually, you can speak up.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:23:26] And the more you speak up, the more ideas that you have. Even if they are really awful ideas, you'll find yourself uncovering great ideas. But until you start thinking about this and having these ideas, you'll never be able to uncover the great ones.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:23:41] I think, it was James Altucher who talks about that a lot. He's an incredible serial entrepreneur. And, I think, he writes down like a hundred ideas a day. That's this thing. That's what he works on. Every morning, he writes down a hundred ideas. Some of the ideas are pretty good, some of the ideas are absolutely awful, but it doesn't matter. He just gets into the habit of having ideas because that's how he finds these great ideas. And he's got a brilliant story as well.

Andy Molinsky: [00:24:09] Wow.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:24:09] So, I think it's important. Just have ideas and give them. Don't be afraid to communicate them. Don't be afraid to stand up and have them because the more that you have these ideas, the more you'll uncover the great ones. And, again, that's when your organizations are definitely going to love you.

Andy Molinsky: [00:24:25] I love that. That's a great idea. All right. So, I want to bring in a student voice here. I have a student question. I'm going to play it for you right here. And we'll see what they say, and we'll see what you have to say about it. So, here we go.

Student: [00:24:38] Hi. My name is [Ashley Tody], and I'm a college student majoring in Psychology [inaudible] and I'm from Bombay, India. And I wanted to ask you, how do you find a job that is a good fit for you if you don't know exactly what you want to do?

Andy Molinsky: [00:24:54] That's a very profound question.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:24:57] It is a profound question. I think the answer here begins with you knowing who you are and figuring out your purpose. Now, I know, sometimes, that can sound a bit airy fairy. But, actually, identify the thing that makes you leap out of bed every morning with joy is the key to having any success. You've got to love what you do. Otherwise, it's very unlikely that it will work for you.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:25:24] I think the first question to ask yourself probably is, if salary, and location, and qualifications weren't an issue, what would you spend your days doing? What would you just love to do if you didn't have to think about the paperwork behind it?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:25:40] And the next up, well, what are your values? What's important to you? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? It's important to think about this because being able to align yourself with a career or an organization that has similar values will help you to feel really fulfilled in your role.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:26:00] And then maybe, finally, if you can think of a problem in the world that you'd like to help to solve, then that's, sometimes, a good route to go down because, after all, business is all about problem solving. And I think every company in the world carries out their daily business transactions in order to solve a problem somewhere.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:26:23] And, of course, customers or clients, they'll pay for that business to solve their problems, which in turns allows the business to solve more problems for even more customers. So, it's this ongoing cycle. Regardless of what your business does, it continues. This big wheel keeps on turning.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:26:39] So, if there's a particular problem that you feel drawn to helping people to solve, then find the company who solves it and talk to them. See if there are ways in which you can work with them. That might be where your opening is if you're not sure in terms of what you want to do, but you know how you want to be able to help. And if that company doesn't exist, well, I'd encourage you to potentially start that business yourself.

Andy Molinsky: [00:27:05] Here's an addendum to her question. As I was thinking about it, I couldn't stop thinking about your choice earlier in your career where I think you said, just for a moment, you said something about your parents. What if you don't know what you want to do, but your parents have a really good idea what you should do? They want you to be an accountant, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or whatever it might be, but that's not quite what you think you want to do. If you have any advice? I don't think there'll be many parents listening.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:27:38] Okay, good.

Andy Molinsky: [00:27:40] So, we can do it's just between me and you.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:27:42] Great. I might upset the parents. This is an interesting question because, now, I'm a parent as well. So, I understand-

Andy Molinsky: [00:27:48] So am I.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:27:48] Yeah. I understand that parents want the best for their children. Of course, all parents were from a different generation. They were from a generation where you needed a stable income. This idea of living life was very linear. You've got a good job, got married, you bought a house, you had children, and it just followed this path. And you needed a good job, a stable job, one that you knew that you could stay in for the rest of your life, and earn a relatively decent salary, and be recognized as a respected member of the community.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:28:24] The problem with that, though, is that actually it's you that needs to live this life, and it's you that needs to wake up every morning and feel joy about what it is that you do. Now, for some people, it is very important for them to have a job that pays them a really high salary. For some people, money is important, and that is perfectly fine. For other people, it's about having a job that makes them feel fulfilled, but they know they're making a difference with. Some people can combine the two have, high salary and have a job with purpose. I mean, that is the holy grail. But, ultimately, it comes down to what it is that you want.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:29:05] Again, as a parent, I completely understand that we want what is best for our children. But the landscape has changed so much since their generation of leaving university and starting to get a job. Digital has made things really quite different. And so, actually, in terms of having a career that you feel proud to have, that still allows you to live a life that you think is suitable, that you can pay your bills, that you can buy a house. I'm not sure about house prices where you are. They're extortionate where we are. But, ultimately, your happiness is what comes first.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:29:44] And I can't imagine anything worse than living a life, going to work every day, spending 8 to 10 hours in a job every day, doing something that just doesn't fill you with joy. And there is absolutely no reason why, in this day and age, you need to do that.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:30:02] Now, I understand it can be difficult convincing our parents of this. I know that. But, actually, it's you that needs to take the step, and it's you that needs to stand strong. And it's you that needs to make the decision on your career path and give it everything you've got to make it the success that you want it to be.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:30:22] So, it's not about going against all parents to rebel, and it's not about sticking with what our parents say because they know best. It's about you thinking about what is great that works for you and making sure that you do everything you can in your power to do that to the best of your ability, and, ultimately, achieve the happiness that you should have in life.

Andy Molinsky: [00:30:42] Very well stated. I love that. I think that'll be inspirational to our listeners. It's funny, as a parent, it's interesting to think about. My kids aren't quite at that age. And I suspect yours either.

Andy Molinsky: [00:30:56] This has been really great. Really interesting nuggets, and insights, and tips, and what a story you have. I just want to finish with one final question, which is a question I often ask people, can you share a productivity tip with us? You've kind of shared some already, some really interesting ones. But do you have something up your sleeve that could be sort of an interesting nugget to end on?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:31:22] Productivity is an interesting one because when we talk about productivity, it's often linked to machines rather than humans. It's difficult for humans to be productive machines. We can make more productive humans, and it can be slightly more difficult. But, ultimately, I think, my top productivity tip would be that multitasking is a myth. We cannot do it as much as we want to be able to do, as much as we love telling the world that we've got all of this going on, and it's really cool because I'm really busy right now, it can't happen, not if you want to achieve anything.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:31:59] Actually, it's about finding the one thing. Being able to prioritize what needs to be done, and then finding the one thing that's most important and getting that done. So, finding a way to focus your time and your energies on that one thing. Not being diverted, whether that's phone calls, e-mails, social media, colleagues at work, students, professors, you need to find a way to zone in on getting that one thing done.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:32:28] It's so difficult to try and manage three, four, five tasks at a time. Your brain just doesn't work that way. And, actually, in order to do things well, we just need to stay focused. Stay focused on the one thing, get it done, move on. Stay focused on the next thing, get it done, move on.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:32:46] I found personally that in terms of my productivity levels, they've increased massively by me just being able to shut myself off from the outside world and get one thing done at a time. Things actually start to happen. Instead of a little piece here and a little piece there, we get things done. So, in closing, no more multitasking. Stick to the one thing and get it done.

Andy Molinsky: [00:33:11] It's interesting. I have the same philosophy. Sometimes, it's not so glamorous to kind of fully immerse yourself in something and really go deep in it because you don't you don't have those immediate rewards necessarily. But to do something, I think, of value and something that's lasting and has a legacy, I really agree with you.

Andy Molinsky: [00:33:34] So, thank you so much. This has been great, Kim. I love speaking with you today. Hey, can you tell listeners how they can find out more about you if they're interested?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:33:45] I can, indeed. Thank you. So, you can check out my website at kymberleejay.com. I'm also on most of the social media channels. So, you'll find me on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter. Though, I'll be honest, I'm not the greatest when it comes to updating them, but I am there, and I do see things. So, please do connect with me. @KymberleeJay on Twitter, on Instagram and also on Facebook.

Andy Molinsky: [00:34:10] Where can we see some of your cool doodle, DoodleDirect drawings?

Kymberlee Jay: [00:34:14] That's a doodledirect.com. So, please do. Yeah, check out that website because we've got some cool stuff out there for some of the companies we work with. So, yeah, I'd love for you to see that too.

Andy Molinsky: [00:34:23] Cool. Awesome. Thank you so much for being on. I appreciate it.

Kymberlee Jay: [00:34:26] Thank you, Andy.

Andy Molinsky: [00:34:29] Thank you for listening to From the Dorm Room to the Board Room. If you're interested in learning more about the work that I do in helping people step outside their comfort zones and transition successfully into the professional world, please visit my website, www.andymolinsky.com. That's A-N-D-Y-M-O-L-I-N-S-K-Y dot com. And also feel free to email me directly at andy@andymolinsky.com with any feedback or ideas for guests for future podcasts.

Andy Molinsky: [00:35:00] This podcast is brought to you by Brandeis University's International Business School. By teaching rigorous business, finance, and economics, connecting students to best practices, and immersing them in international experiences, Brandeis International Business School prepares exceptional individuals from around the globe to become principled professionals in companies and public institutions worldwide. Thank you so much for listening.