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A few years ago, Sandy Zimmerman came on the Optimize Yourself podcast as a longtime Physical Education teacher and coach. During that conversation, she made a quiet prediction—she felt she was meant for something more and believed she’d be back to share her journey. She was right. Today, Sandy is a full-time speaker, coach, and author, traveling the country to share her Dream Big Formula and her book, Get Out of the Car - Inspirational Stories for Cultivating an Empowering Inner Voice.

But her transition wasn’t easy. For years, Sandy carried the weight of an inner voice shaped by a difficult childhood—a voice that told her she wasn’t capable of achieving anything extraordinary. In our conversation, she opens up about the fears she had to face as she left behind the comfort and stability of a decades-long teaching career. She shares the mindset shifts that gave her the confidence to take the leap, along with the strategies she still relies on to overcome challenges, stay focused, and continue growing in her new career.

If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about your next step, my conversation with Sandy offers valuable insights and real-world advice to help you work through uncertainty and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

Sandy's origin story and the unsuspecting prediction she made in the Optimize Yourself podcast a few years back
KEY TAKEAWAY: Sandy borrowed from other people's belief in her when she couldn't believe in herself
Sandy's superpower that allowed her to switch careers after 23 years of being a teacher
The importance of failure to help you grow and move forward
Why you need to go out and find people who are better than you
Why Sandy left the comfortable career she had built and loved
The advice Sandy got from her coach about finding happiness while also growing
The vision Sandy had that helped her manage the many plates she's spinning
KEY TAKEAWAY: It's okay to not be pedal to the metal in every single area of your life
Sandy's advice to people looking for clarity on what to do next
Sandy puts Zack in the Hot Seat to workshop his American Ninja Warrior journey
What Sandy tells herself before any performance or presentation she gives

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Ep165: How to Overcome Doubting Yourself When You Know You’re Meant For More | with Sandy Zimmerman, ANW | Optimize Yourself

Ep230: The Performance Paradox – How Only Focusing On Performance Leads to Performing Worse | with Eduardo Briceño | Optimize Yourself

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol S. Dweck, Ph. D.

The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture – Scott Belsky

Autographed copy of Sandy’s book, Get Out of the Car

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Ep234: [CASE STUDY] How to Make the Most of Slow Work Periods and Make a Career Pivot | with Malinda Zehner Guerra

Ep145: [CASE STUDY] Navigating a Difficult Career Transition | with Sam Lavin

Ep232: How to Future-Proof Your Creative Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Résumé | with Christina Wallace

Ep246: Building a Career Beyond Your Job Title, Strategically Crafting Your Story, and Diversifying Your Career Portfolio | with Jeff Bartsch

Ep233: Redefining Your Career Path in a Post Generational Society | with Mauro Guillén

Ep263: The Art of the Pivot: Going From Freelancer to Entrepreneur | with Nick Milo

Ep198: Terrified to Make a Big Change In Your Life? Start By “Showing Up Small” | with Eddy Roche

Ep179: Navigating The ‘Messy Middle’ of Life & Career Transitions | with Melissa Costello

[BONUS] Mastermind Q&A: How to Successfully Be a “Specialized Generalist” | with Michael Addis

Ep228: The Link Between Telling Your Story & Identifying Your Purpose (And How to Do Both) | with Dan Davis

Ep178: How to Manage An Identity Crisis (Especially When You Know You’re Meant For Something More) | with Erica Wernick

Episode Transcript

[fusebox_transcript]

Guest Bio:

sandy-zimmerman-bio Sandy Zimmerman

Sandy Zimmerman believes every child is just one caring adult, one lesson learned, or one mindset shift away from becoming a success story. Through her engaging, dynamic story telling Sandy brings others HOPE that things can be better, BELIEF that through their actions and choices they can create an incredible life, and INSPIRATION that if Sandy can overcome her circumstances and achieve big dreams and goals so can they. (from her website)

Despite an upbringing filled with poverty, abuse, time in foster care, and countless injuries and immense hardship, Sandy has defied the odds to become a national Judo champion, earn a full ride basketball scholarship to Gonzaga University, become a Physical Education teacher and coach for 23 years, and today continues breaking records on NBC’s hit show American Ninja Warrior, traveling the country sharing her story as an inspirational speaker..

Over and over again Sandy has been able to overcome barriers, circumstances, and obstacles in her own life to achieve incredibly big dreams. After a tremendous amount of reflection, she noticed a pattern, a formula Sandy calls her ‘Dream Big Formula’ that she is excited to share with others. Sandy moved to Spokane in 1994 to attend college at Gonzaga University and has been here ever since.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/optimize-yourself/exclusive-content

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Ep269: Navigating the Messy Middle of a Career Pivot | with Sandy Zimmerman