“I could look down the line and play out the story and say ‘where does this character end up in 20 years if I stay on this path?’”
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Why Listen:
There are two reasons to listen to this interview. First of all, Khemit created a platform to help people discover their values and create a life of alignment with one’s values. I really enjoyed his approach to this, and found it both novel and effective. Second of all, Khemit’s story illustrates how he has built a career that is in alignment with his purpose in life. He left Apple to pursue a career better suited to his unique aspirations. This led him to living in Lisbon. Regardless of your career pursuits, you’ll benefit from hearing Khemit’s unique story.
About Khemit:
Khemit is the founder of The Character Arc. He is a US Air Force veteran, former Mandarin Chinese linguist & intelligence analyst, and a founding member of the New Product Security team at Apple, Inc. in both China and the US.
He holds an MBA in International Marketing from The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California.
He is also a writer, fitness & martial arts enthusiast, and unabashed fiction buff.
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Partners:
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Selected Resources:
Transcript & Time Stamps:
5:20
Joining me today from Libson, Portugal is Khemit Bailey. Khemit is the founder of The Character Arc. He is a US Air Force veteran, former Mandarin Chinese linguist & intelligence analyst, and a founding member of the New Product Security team at Apple, Inc. in both China and the US.
He holds an MBA in International Marketing from The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California. He is also a writer, fitness & martial arts enthusiast, and unabashed fiction buff.
When you knew you were going to leave the Air Force, what was that like?
I signed up for a six year contract with the Air Force. I knew that I would probably want to get out after that. The biggest challenge was figuring out what to do next. I decided to move to China for a few years. It was a great decision but the transition out of the military wasn’t easy.
7:10
What did you do to help yourself make the transition successfully?
I used my tuition assistance to complete my undergraduate degree while I was still in. I also tried to save up terminal leave and ended up with two months of terminal leave. That gave me time after I had gotten out to think about what I wanted to do next while still getting a full income.
8:05
What was it like living in China?
I’m really glad I did it. At the time, it seemed terrifying but it really worked out for me. I learned Mandarin in the Air Force but I had never actually been to China. I just thought it would be an adventure to go live there for a few years. I moved to China and threw myself into life there.
9:30
What do you want listeners to know about launching your own company?
I think what transitioning military members frequently neglect to think about exactly what they want to do post-military. That was me too. I felt like I was moving away from the Air Force rather than toward an actual goal.
You need to have some overarching structure to your transition. If you don’t make decisions based on your values, I think you can end up in places you don’t want to be.
11:30
What is the Character Arc?
It’s a curriculum that I use in my coaching practice. It helps people through difficult transitions. Life transitions can be very difficult if you don’t have some sort of structure in place to help you through it. Character Arc tries to provide that transition structure for people.
13:25
What is smart streaming?
In addition to a structure, it’s important that people are in touch with their values during transition periods. Smart streaming allows people to consider values that are fundamental to them.
When transitioning out of the military, it’s important to write a resume and network. But being in touch with your values and what is important to you is just as important. You should not only know what values are important to you but also use the as a guide during that transition you’re experiencing.
A good test is to think about what moments of a commercial or movie tug at you in a certain way. That’s usually because it’s striking a particular value inside you. Movies are distilled versions of reality. They show you the most important or striking moments of a character’s journey. So thinking about how you feel at different points of the movie can tell you a lot about your own values and what is important to you.
23:00
Is there anything else you’d like to share about smart streaming?
I have a free guide to smart streaming on my website. I encourage your listeners to try it out and give me feedback about what you liked or didn’t like.
I constantly use smart streaming in my own life as a way to better refine what my values are and if I’m moving my life in a direction that reflections those values.
24:30
Do you have any examples of how people have used these tools?
One of my clients, Noah, was working at Uber but not enjoying it. He didn’t know what to do next. The movie he chose for himself was Big Fish. It’s a big and emotional story. I walked him through the process of smart streaming and the value that keep coming up for him during the movie was determination. It turned out that what Noah had been doing in his job at Uber was starting projects but then abandoning them. That was frustrating him on a subconscious level. But with the knowledge that he valued determination, he was able to transform his life. He left Uber and started his own small production company.
It’s also interesting because what Noah took away could be completely different from someone else watching the same movie.
A few years ago, I was watching different movies and realized that the theme of being humble was really jumping out to me. As a result, I decide to do more in my life that would allow me to be humble and give back to the world around me.
31:30
I really like that this exercise can help you when you’re in a moment of transition or crossroads in your life.
When I was at Apple, I faced a similar situation as Noah did. I didn’t love what I was doing but it was difficult to give up the job security. However, because of smart streaming, I realized how important it was that I make a change in my life.
Back in grad school is when I first thought about the power of smart streaming. I was getting my MBA but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. A character in the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild was displaying a lot of perseverance and I realized that I really admired that. At that moment I realized how powerful movies could be as more than just entertainment.
34:30
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your entrepreneurship journey?
Smart streaming is just one component of the Character Arc curriculum. There’s a whole other structure to support it. So I really encourage your listeners to check out the information I have about the Character Arc curriculum on my website.
36:40
What advice do you have for people that want to start their own company?
Don’t start until you’re ready. Don’t go too hard, too fast. And don’t stop until it feels right.
I’ve known people that start and stop a project for years. That can be very frustrating and demoralizing. So set yourself up for success from the beginning. It will be difficult and that’s OK. You have to hit some low points before you reach success.
I’m kind of a serial entrepreneur. I started a parkour business in China and then a public relations consulting business back in the US. It took me a lot of time to find my footing with those projects. But finding my values really helped during that process.
41:20
Can you share more about your podcast?
It’s called The Character Arc Podcast. I started it a few years ago under a different name. I do 15-20 minute episodes about different themes that are common in fictional stories. Topics have included villains and leaps of faith. I like to explore what is behind these themes.
43:40
You’ve taken many leaps of faith in your own life. Do you have any advice about that?
When you’re leaving the military, it’s hard to determine what jobs you’re qualified for. When I left the military, I very deliberately did something completely different than what I was doing in the military. There’s something to be said for stepping outside your comfort zone and build your confidence in a new area. Leaving what’s comfortable can give you a great perspective on who you are and what your values are.
There’s nothing wrong with doing the same thing you did in the military if that’s what you want to do. But if you’re making that decision just out of the fear of trying something else, you probably won’t end up with a great result.
49:40
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our listeners?
Following the thread of fiction has allowed me to gain insight into my own life. The way that we look at fiction in our culture is as nothing more than a vehicle for entertainment. But in many ways, I think resonating with great fiction can be a valuable exercise. So I encourage everyone to do that.