How a career break helped this podcaster escape the rat race with Fede Vargas

Meet Fede Vargas. He’s the creator and host of My Most Authentic Life Podcast and he currently lives on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Welcome to “Life by design”. This Discovery Sessions interview series probes inspiring individuals that work online and travel, and people designing their lives around freedom to inspire readers just like you.

Rosie Bell: Where are you from or where do you feel local to?

Fede Vargas: I love this question. I’m Mexican-born and Canadian-raised, and I’m proud to have been shaped by both cultures. I’ve lived in Europe and have traveled extensively across Asia Pacific and throughout Latin America. Local for me is where life feels in alignment at a particular place and time.

RB: How did you start as a podcaster?

FV: After 15+ years in the corporate rat race, the pandemic upended everything in my life. Struggling with lockdown measures in Europe, I took a career break in Mexico. What was to be just a short career pause turned into a transformational journey. Through my deep personal development work, I found the way to my most authentic life. This inspired me to launch my podcast. My mission is to inspire and empower people to create the lives they deserve, by sharing stories of people that are daring to live boldly and bravely.

RB: What advice would you give someone looking to start a podcast?

FV: Before anything else, ask yourself why you want to launch a podcast. A podcast idea that comes from a place of authenticity and genuine desire to help will connect with the people that you want to connect with. This will inform your content and create meaningful connections.

RB: What does a typical day in the life look like for you (if you have one)?

FV: The beauty of my post-corporate life is that I have no typical day. In my podcast, I talk a lot about the time-on approach to living. This came from my career break realization that we need to reframe the concept of taking time off to one of taking time on. Focusing on a time-rich approach to life offers much room for fulfillment. That being said, we still need to put in the work of course. Especially now that I’ve embarked on this solopreneur journey, putting in the work is crucial.

A time-on approach means you still put in the work, but on your own terms and outside of a fixed 9 to 5 structure. So every day is different for me: sunrises that spark creativity, pod interviews, editing, health and wellness, personal development projects, and of course making time for friendships and socializing. The full spectrum of life in one day is important to me.

RB: What’s the biggest challenge of life as a Podcaster?

FV: The biggest challenge right now is building connections within my professional podcast community. In my previous life, after almost 16 years in that industry, I had a vast network of support. As a new podcaster, I’m building a new community slowly. It’s already started to happen but will take commitment and dedication.

RB: What’s the biggest reward of life as a Podcaster?

FV: On the other hand, slowly building a new professional community can be rewarding too. After 16 years in one career, it’s exciting to meet new people. The biggest reward though? When a stranger tells me how much one of my podcast episodes impacted or helped them. That feedback gives me the inspiration to keep going.

RB: What habits, principles or ideas have served you the most in your life?

FV: The idea that life comes in cycles, sometimes we need to let the storm pass. If we pay close attention, what may seem like misfortune could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.

RB: What do you wish you did differently (in work or life)?

FV: Funnily enough, this just came up in an upcoming podcast interview. We always need to honor and thank our past selves. Yes, your past self has made mistakes, but you wouldn’t be where you are without them. One of my favorite song lyrics is from Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem”. It says, “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

RB: How do you measure success?

FV: Success for me is measured by authenticity. When my values, vocation, self-expression, friendships, and causes that I support; when all of the things that are important to me in my life are in alignment, that is authentic living. So success for me is having the freedom to be my most authentic self when I want and with whom I choose.