A New Position for 90k
Name: Nicki Avena
Where do you reside?: Ormond Beach, FL
What is your cultural upbringing and background?: My heritage is Italian American. My parents divorced when I was three, and I was raised in Florida primarily by my mom, an avoidant attached person. My dad was an entrepreneur. He sold costume jewelry at flea markets, and over the summers, my sister and I would fly to Illinois to stay with him for visitation rights and attend these markets with him. *Trigger warning* He was emotionally and physically abusive. We are estranged now, and after lots of therapy and TBM work, I feel much more at peace with my family dynamic than ever before.
Are you currently a Pathway Member?: Yes
What was on your manifestation list?: New job:
-$85k salary (but in my heart of hearts $90k)
-Fully remote
-In house creative team
-Senior role (higher-level responsibility, autonomy, and with direct reports)
(I am also low key manifesting a long-term partner, grad school, new apartment, and dog).
What workshops did you use and what blocks did you discover during the DIs & workshops?: Rock Bottom. I used the $25 question service to say I'd quit my job, "graduated" therapy/parted ways with my amazing therapist of 6 years, broke up with a test/expander summer fling, and moved out of my city and back into my childhood home in Florida with my mom, stepdad, and niece. I was unsure if I was in a rock bottom or uplevel, and Amanda gave me the great suggestion to do rock bottom (which I love) to process all of these endings. I was able to solidify so much clarity during the workshop, revealing that I actually know exactly what I want in all these areas (career, love, housing) despite this time feeling so chaotic and challenging.
What expanders did you find?: Wow, expanders were beaming in from all over the place. It was crazy! One of my best friends was a few months ahead of me, having quit her job and manifested a new, better one in the most relaxed and worthy way. I was so impressed by how she negotiated with potential employers. SO in her worth and direct. I also gleaned expansion through someone interviewed on an NPR podcast about the "great resignation" and another featured woman on a podcast about leaving her 9-5 that was making her unhappy. It seemed like the message "quit!" was coming subliminally from everywhere. Even my therapist said she had clients who worked in creative fields who'd quit their 9-5 D.C. jobs and were now working remotely while traveling the country, and she thought that would really suit me.
What tests did you face? Which did you pass? Not pass?: Money tests for sure. Usually, I get VERY anxious about not having "enough," which rears its ugly head when unexpected bills crop up:
-A technician misdiagnosed my car, and I found out later on that I replaced my Serpentine belt for no reason ($250). Then I spent another $400 on my break pads and rotors, which came due.
-I signed up for an art class to keep myself inspired during unemployment. I was SO excited about it. Then the host sent me the wrong supply list. I bought multiple HUGE, expensive canvases and materials I didn't need, only to find out the day of class that all I needed to buy was a $15 sketchbook, lol. I asked for reimbursement and was turned down.
-My health care request for full coverage on unemployment was rejected, and I was sent medical bills for $900.
In all of these scenarios: instead of freaking out, totally restricting myself from spending any money at all, or ignoring the bills, I kept calm and paid them off with my FU fund. I definitely kept an eye on my budget during unemployment, but I also gave myself what I needed to feel healthy and secure. For example, I had spa nights at home and bought face masks from the grocery store, and painted my own nails. I treated myself to days out at art museums. I let myself get drinks with a friend. I got my hair cut. Allowing myself to use the savings I worked so hard to create was a huge step for me.
Oh, and one love test. A fuckboy I knew in college appeared out of the blue and started engaging with me a lot on social media. He shared some intimate details about his life, and it made me see him in a new, compassionate way. But when I tried to make plans to meet up IRL, he got flakey, and I had to set a boundary and shut our interaction down.
The final test was when the job offer came through, and they only offered me $67k. I told them the description was spot on to what I wanted from my next role, but I needed to be compensated for my acumen and experience. And that I was going to walk. They came back and asked how much I would want. They go by hourly rates, so I did the math on my phone and said $45/hour because I thought that equates to $85k. We settled on $43 an hour. I later found out that my math was wrong, and I accidentally negotiated a $90k salary. Isn't that amazing?! I got exactly what I wanted in the end.
Did you experience a magic dark period? If so, tell us about it.: Yes and no. I was interviewing for new jobs while I was still employed at my old company, where I felt small, underappreciated, and underpaid. I could barely afford to even live in the city where my job was based. Actually, my apartment was filled with mold and was unlivable, which is why I had to move home with my parents during covid. Anyway, not much in the way of potential jobs was coming through. I was interviewed by a couple of shiny tests a few times, and all three of those companies ghosted me. This ghosting made me feel skeptical and a little depressed. But as soon as I took the plunge, said "enough is enough," and quit my job, I was BLOWN UP by recruiters on LinkedIn basically fighting over me.
How did your manifestation come through?: Fast. Through LinkedIn recruiters. I flagged that I was open to new work on the website, and they started pouring in. Toward the end, I had to start filtering them out by telling them up front, "I'm only interested in speaking about roles that pay $85k/year+.
How long did it take for your manifestation to come through after crafting your initial list?: A year. I knew what I wanted for a very long time. I was just scared to leave the job that wasn't working.
How frequently were you using the workshops and DI's when you noticed the biggest shift surrounding your manifestation?: 3-5x a week
How do you incorporate this work into your life on a daily basis? Any tips, tricks or recommendations for getting the most out of it, or personalizing it?: I feel like the DIs are most effective for me when I'm lying still with my eyes closed, but I also like to do them in the evening on my daily walks around the neighborhood. Or I listen while I'm walking on the beach.
If you'd like, please include your IG handle:: @nicki.avena
Want to remain anonymous?: No
