Hello, and welcome to the recap of And you, How
Did You Make It? This little moment where we
pause and look back at the previous episodes.
I'm sharing with you the important elements that
each guest shared with you. So far, I've published
seven episodes, two in English, five in French,
as you know, and I have a whole bunch of them
coming up. I think I'll try to give you a real
recap one week after each episode instead of
having this block of information, I guess. I'll
do it in English and in French, and depending
on how you feel, you either listen to one or
both. So let's start with the latest published
episode until we get to the first one. We can
start with Lubna, a data scientist at Microsoft
in Ireland. What does she tell us? First, you
don't need to have it all figured out. It's okay
if you don't know what you want to do yet. Focus
on the next few weeks, on the next month, whatever
makes sense, not your entire life. Direction
isn't a grand revelation. It's built step by
step through curiosity and honest exploration.
Secondly, success is not about being the best.
It's about pushing. Pass your comfort zone while
staying true to what really matters to you. Growth
comes not from performance, but from alignment
between what you do and who you are. The third
point is one of the most impactful advice. The
real question is not, am I bad at this? It's,
is it worth struggling for? If it matters enough
for you to go through the hard stuff, even more
than others, Then you're already on the right
track. The fourth point is failure is not the
end. It's a beginning. Breaking down doesn't
mean you're weak. Sometimes it just means that
you're out of sync with what you truly need.
Real pride comes from choosing a path that feels
right. Even if you take small or certain steps.
Each and every point is actually incredibly important.
That takes me to the fifth point. Don't wait
for confidence. Move without it. What Lubna teaches
us there is that you don't need to feel ready
to move forward. Just keep moving forward. Just
keep moving forward. Just keep moving forward.
Even if you can't see the end of it. Solve one
problem at a time. Confidence comes after, not
before. The next point I'm thinking about is...
How she moved from France to Ireland. Opportunities
don't just happen, you create them. That dream
internship, that dream job, that dream company
you want to build. The career pivot that you
want to do. They happen because she dared to
try, despite the doubt. Boldness pays off, especially
when you feel unprepared. And the last point
is referring to what she says. She considers
her path as being messy, and messy paths can
still be very powerful. Gaps, failures, learnings,
detours, changes, they aren't flaws. They are
your story. In the end, it's not the perfect
path people remember. It's how you made it yours.
Moving to the second recap. Going back with Mayara,
who's the head of digital at Sanofi. One of the
crucial elements that she mentioned is embracing
your curiosity by using it as your compass. Let
your natural curiosity and love for learning
be the fuel that drives you forward. Whether
it is science, art, or any field that lights
you up, this combined with a hunger for knowledge
will keep you evolving and thriving. The second
point is interesting. Accept uncertainty as opportunity,
not failure. If life or tests don't give you
clear answers, and I'm sure you remember the
test that she had to go through when she was
still a teenager, which was supposed to determine
which job suits her best, She was able to do
so many things that she didn't have to fit in
one box. So the message that she tried to share
with you is that it's okay to not have clear
answers. An inconclusive result is not a limit.
It's a sign of diverse possibilities. Your unique
path may not just be obvious yet. And that's
the beauty of it. Stay open, explore widely,
give yourself permission to try, to fail, to
learn and change course. Flexibility is strength.
This third point is also as much interesting.
She advises you to seek support and build a circle
of trusted guides. What does she mean? That no
one grows alone. Find mentors, teachers, family,
friends who listen without judgment. challenge
you kindly and believe in your potential even
when you're in doubt yourself. Honest conversations
with supportive people help you process fears,
gain clarity and keep moving forward with confidence.
The fourth point is for everyone who has not
realized yet that this is your story. You have
to take responsibility for your own journey.
Whether it's choosing a career, deciding to move
to a new country, or mastering a new skill, take
ownership with courage and accountability. Success
comes from purposeful action and self -awareness,
not perfection. Every challenge is a chapter
that builds your resilience and shapes who you
are. And the last point which I want to share
with you from that episode is what she beautifully
said, the idea of cultivating emotional resilience
through self -compassion. Life throws at you
challenges, pressure, and setbacks. Instead of
harsh self -judgment, practice kindness towards
yourself. When you stumble, treat yourself like
a friend, with patience, understanding, encouragement.
And here comes the third recap with Alison, who's
an economist at the Quai des Depots in France.
All throughout the episode, the first thing we
get to understand is that you don't have to have
it all figured out to move forward. We often
believe that we need a clear plan, a calling,
a defined passion. But in reality, you can start
without certainty, explore, change, get lost.
Not in that sense, but you have the chance to
get lost and eventually discover what fits along
the way. Always have to keep in mind that you
still need to put the work in. Whether you're
still a teenager, you're already in university,
or you're already working. That's exactly how
Alison builds her path. By seizing opportunities
without knowing where they will lead. Guided
only by curiosity, efforts, and desire to understand.
The second point is that confidence is something
you build. Confidence doesn't fall from the sky.
It goes through action, learning from failure,
connecting with others, and realizing that everyone
feels lost sometimes. And actually, some of us
are still quite lost. The third point, which
is incredibly important to me, and I wish I was
told that when I was younger, is that you can
mix it all. Passion, profession, purpose. Choosing
a... quote -unquote serious path doesn't mean
that you have to give up on your passions or
interests you can be an economist like Alison
and like her also you can have a passion for
baking or you can do whatever you want in quote
-unquote again a serious field or serious path
and still teach something on the side it can
be a class like Alison is also doing or it can
be a sport or or anything that you really are
driven by. Paths don't cancel each other. They
enrich one another. They fill every part of your
being. The fourth point that she didn't stop
mentioning again and again is that in the end,
you'll land somewhere. And it probably will be
good or even better than good. Even if you move
forward blindly, you're still building something.
You're still learning some new skills. You're
still understanding what you like and what you
dislike. As long as you stay curious, open, honest
with yourself and allow yourself to evolve, you'll
eventually end up in the right place. Trust the
process. I know it's easier said than done, but
still try to do your best to trust it. Trust
what you're learning along the way because it
probably is preparing you for what's to come.
Another absolutely fantastic point that you shared
is that it's better to understand than memorize.
What matters isn't reciting definition, it's
deep understanding. Those who connect ideas,
explain clearly and make meaning out of concepts
are the ones who truly succeed. Just imagine
learning something at school today or at work.
Would you be able to explain it? to a younger
sibling or parents or any person in your close
circle, can you explain them with simple words
what you just learned today? And if you can,
you can congratulate yourself because you are
mastering what you're learning. Two points are
left. For the sixth point, Alison reminds her
that there is no perfect path, only yours. Alison
never planned to become an economist. Conversations,
encounters, and advice led her there. What matters
isn't picking the right path from the start,
but it's being willing to notice signs and tests
what draws you in. What matters the most is that
you're building all the skills and the knowledge
and you're still working towards something, even
if it's incredibly blurry. But then when there
is something that can spark your interest, you
have every single tool to actually go towards
it. And maybe it's economy as well. And the last
point, and I think the most important point for
you, is that school doesn't define your full
potential. If you didn't get the chance to listen
to the French episode because you don't understand
French, Alison tells us about a great experience
that she lived. She failed an exam test to get
into a school. She didn't get to the school.
She got to another university and she ended up
having the one who corrected her exam as her
teacher and she was actually top of the class.
So between that failure, quote unquote, and that
time where she got to be top of the class, not
even six months passed by. So you might be shy.
Struggle to focus, struggle to get those amazing
grades and still succeed eventually. Who you
are today is not fixed. Your potential is far
greater than any report card will ever show.
Welcome to the fourth recap. Here we have Sonia,
who's a lawyer based in France. And the first
point is... Going back to her definition of success,
which she defines as success is not just about
the grades. It's not about the amount of money
you're earning. It's for her, the real success
is waking up every morning, happy about what
you do and building a life where you don't have
to overthink about how you're going to make your
work, family priorities and passions coexist.
And the second point, which is. Why I called
it the episode as it is now is when the door
closes or when doors close, go through the window.
You're going to hear a lot of no's in your life.
You'll hit walls, but don't give up. Ever. Try
a different way. Find another path, a plan B,
plan C, plan Z, if needed. There's always a solution
for the curious and the determined. The third
point is that You don't need to be perfect. Just
real and motivated. You're not good at whatever
courses, classes you're taking now. You feel
like you're shy. You just have this list of things
that you can point out. It's okay. Start with
who you are, where you are, and show that you're
willing to learn. And my last point. Work for
yourself, not others. Middle school is a step.
High school is a step. Every single year is a
step. Sometimes it feels hard, blurry, unfair,
but it's your foundation. Don't just work for
the grade, for the pay, work to understand, to
get better. Even if you don't know yet what you
want to do, today's effort and discipline will
open doors or windows for your future. Now we
are making it to the sixth recap with Emina.
Emina is a police lead at Google and was the
first English episode I ever published. So big
shout out to Emina, who was also the absolute
best guest to have. I'll go straight to the first
advice and first element I want you to remember.
And what she constantly shares throughout the
episode is it's okay to not have it all figured
out. You don't need a complete... plan right
now embrace change go explore and know that evolving
your goals is a sign of growth not failure deciding
that you don't like something or that you like
something new is just a sign of growth to go
straight to the second point she highlights how
curiosity is your superpower follow your interests
dive into new skills cultures, ideas, even outside
of your main focus. The more you explore, the
more you discover your true self, possibilities,
capabilities, interests, and everything that
comes with it. What she also wants you to understand
is that learning today has no limits. You don't
need traditional routes or to travel abroad or
to do anything outside of your home to gain skills
and knowledge. Online resources and creative
paths are available. Grab them and break the
barriers that you think you have or that are
preventing you from going abroad, for example.
On this fourth point, she still invites you to
have those real experiences, which will beat
the assumptions that you can have. What she advises
you to do is not to choose your path based only
on hearsay or expectations or things that you've
read. It's more about trying to get those things
firsthand. Try internship volunteering and see
what truly sparks your passion or interest. Which
takes us to our fifth point. When you become
persistent, you'll be able to open doors, even
when fear and rejection knock. I mentioned internships,
volunteering, and that's exactly what she did.
She did those internships, she volunteered, but...
But Emina applied to a lot of scholarships. By
a lot, I mean a lot and continuously. She never
gave up on trying to get those to actually finance
her projects, internship, volunteering program
because she couldn't move forward without them.
And if now you're only thinking, I might not
be able to do everything that you did, you can.
And this is my sixth point. This is exactly what
she tells us. You are more capable than you realize.
Don't underestimate yourself. With preparation,
courage, you can surpass limits you once fought
were real. And she closes this brilliant episode
by telling us that there is no single dream job
or perfect path. Careers and passions and interests
evolve. your terms. And now closing this recap
with Yovana's episode. Yovana is consultant in
sustainable development at Webstone consulting
firm in Paris. You don't need to be perfect or
brilliant from the start. Yovana explains you
what matters is not having the ideal profile,
but the courage to begin, even if you're unsure.
You can succeed starting from doubts or even
mistakes. The path is made by walking, not waiting
on the sidelines. Second, your curiosity is your
best GPS. What excites you, what sparks your
interest, what you do just for fun often holds
the key to your future. A manga can teach you
a language. She learned Japanese through manga.
Conversation can reveal a calling. A passion
that is not academic can become your strongest
driving force. Third element, your environment
can either ignite your potential or suffocate
it. Surround yourself with people who challenge
you, uplift you, and believe in you. Stay away
from places where you're merely tolerated. And
this is the title of the episode. Be celebrated.
You deserve to be celebrated, not just accepted.
The energy of those around you builds your own.
And the last point is engagement, engagement,
engagement. It's not the school name, your city,
or your resume that makes the real difference.
It's what you do, create, or it's what you dare
to try outside of the official path. A changed
life isn't built through perfect choices, but
through a series of honest, intentional actions.
And Yorana was the absolute queen of engagement,
volunteering, and living her true values. Don't
forget to subscribe and let me know exactly what
you would love to hear in the recaps. See you
next week.