$200k+ Salary After Upleveling My Self-Worth
Name: Laurel Stark
Where do you reside?: The San Francisco Bay Area
What is your cultural upbringing and background?: I'm adopted and grew up in an upper-middle-class white family, the oldest of four adopted children. Two of us are white, two are white-passing, but of mixed heritage. I met my biological parents at age 8. Raised Presbyterian, going to church weekly. I'm an Aries Sun/Moon, Scorpio Rising, Generator with Emotional Authority, and a 2/4 profile.
Are you currently a Pathway Member?: Yes
What was on your manifestation list?:
* A bridge job at a hot tech company making $150/hr. (I actually manifested my highest hourly rate of $200/hr).
* Creative Competition Jury Opportunities (I got two invitations to join International Creative Juries and one invitation to join the US-based Creative Jury)
* Invitations to speak on Podcasts, especially in the UK (I manifested five different podcast opportunities, 3 of which were UK based)
* Mental Health and creative focused speaking opportunities (Had three mental health-focused panel invitations and three invitations that were creative focused)
* My dream FT role: A Creative Director role in house, where I can function as an entrepreneur and a leader, work on creative work that supports the creative community (folks living authentically and feeling as though they belong), unique opportunities for culturally relevant responses. I wanted a flexible work schedule (2 days max in office when we go back), a female partner who inspired me, and a manager who I could respect and learn from but who would give me the space I needed to lead authentically. I wanted to work somewhere that valued DEI and mental health. I wanted to work somewhere my thought leadership could impact things outside of my immediate role. I wanted a 200k+ salary, 200k+ stock, a 20k signing bonus, and great benefits. (I manifested all of this as well as an appointment to the newly formed Marketing DEI Council at my company)
What workshops did you use and what blocks did you discover during the DIs & workshops?: I worked through the Manifestation Challenge and then worked on Daily Practice 3-5 times a week: mostly focused on Authentic Self, Reinforcing Deservingness and Abundance and Triggers. I also found Health & Body helpful as I had a ping that healing my ED was going to be key to manifesting bigger visibility. I discovered Shadow around being "too much" and blocks around wealth tied to my desire to serve others. I also uncovered deep wounds around abandonment and my fears that if I didn't people please or hide, I would be abandoned (tied to my adoption).
What expanders did you find?: My self-worth was really upleveling after manifesting my bridge job, so I started getting lots of reach outs about full-time job opportunities that felt shiny, but when I really broke them down, it didn't make my whole list. So I decided to really work on finding expanders who had the kind of job I was seeking. Since I've really found a community on Twitter, I decided to ask my Twitter community for help identifying expanders.
A woman I knew socially responded, saying that she and several of her colleagues fit that bill and offered to chat with me about it. We connected as people immediately. Felt like we were old friends. In the end, she asked if I'd considered their open CD role on The Sims. Two other friends had sent it to me, but I'd talked myself out of it because I didn't have gaming experience. She offered to refer me, so I said ok. She is now my strategy partner!
What tests did you face? Which did you pass? Not pass?: I faced tests around payment with my original bridge job, but I held a firm boundary and ended up negotiating a higher hourly rate and regular, automatic payments.
Did you experience a magic dark period? If so, tell us about it.: At the end of my interview process with the company I now work with, they went dark for two weeks, and in that time frame, the tech company I was freelancing for (my bridge job) asked me to convert. This timing really pushed me to stay in my worth in terms of title and money in negotiations.
How did your manifestation come through?: After setting a strong boundary with the recruiter at the tech firm I was freelancing for around the title and salary I needed to consider, I noticed that I'd received an email from my current company stating their intentions to make me an offer! The energetics of this exchange made it pretty clear, but when I went back to my list, it was obvious that my current company was the right fit and more aligned with my authentic code.
I ended up bowing out of negotiations with the tech company where I was freelancing and negotiated an amazing package and signing bonus with my dream company (met or exceeded all of my financial requirements). They offered me the top of their range for base salary out of the gate). Meanwhile, the tech company I was freelancing with was gracious about me bowing out and offered me genuine thanks for my contributions and best wishes in my new role. Even my manager said she was happy for me, even if she was sad for herself and the team. I finished out my contract on a high note with a happy bank account and a slew of lovely new contacts with whom I hope to stay in contact. Wins all around.
How long did it take for your manifestation to come through after crafting your initial list?: I manifested my bridge job within weeks of crafting my initial list and my dream job within three months of crafting my list.
How frequently were you using the workshops and DI's when you noticed the biggest shift surrounding your manifestation?: 3-5 days 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 do the DIs in the bath at the end of the day to get back into my body.
If you'd like, please include your IG handle:: @Laurellu
We'd love to include your photo to help further expand others in the community. If you feel called to and comfortable, please include a dropbox or google drive link to your image here. Please also make sure to change the viewing settings for your photo to public or else we will not be able to upload it.: www.laurelstark.com/headshot
Is there anything else you think we should know? If you made this process your own in any way, this is the perfect spot to share that.: For me, incorporating Shadow has been huge as a creative. I find that anything I need to out/incorporate, I go to social media first, as I have a pretty decent following, and share. I have also incorporated my mental health shadow through very public creative work: www.oursilentpartner.com, which upped my visibility in my industry during Covid and got me a ton of press and speaking opportunities when I was struggling to find long term work.
I also worked with Atarah right after I manifested my bridge job, and found his tips and guidance really accelerated my practice and helped me align with my worth so my full-time dream job could come through.
