Episode 45: Becoming Who You Are, Not Who You’ve Been Assigned to Be with Nick Kemp
What if the stress you're feeling isn't about your job, relationship, or "to do" list... but about your roles?
Dr. Katie chats with her Aussie mate and ikigai sensei, Nick Kemp (entrepreneur, author, and ikigai expert) about the impact of roles in our lives. They chat about the concept of "rolefulness", a powerful idea rooted in Japanese wisdom that explores how the roles we occupy in life shape our sense of purpose, life satisfaction, and overall state of wellbeing.
In this episode, you’ll find:
🔍 The five types of role distress and how to recognize them
🔍 What happens when your values and roles don’t align
🔍 How to redefine or release roles that no longer serve you
🔍 How "Jibunrashii" can guide you back to your authentic self
🔍 The path from burnout to role synergy, and why it matters more than ever
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the demands of any role (leader, employee, parent, coach, spouse, sibling, etc.), this conversation is for you. It’s deep, honest, practical, and full of those “oh, that’s me” moments.
Grab a notebook (and maybe a cup of tea) and explore what it means to live with rolefulness.
EPISODE RESOURCES:
Connect with Nick on LinkedIn
Nick’s Website https://ikigaitribe.com/
Nick’s first episode on our show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398088/episodes/15834283-episode-2-exploring-ikigai-with-nick-kemp-find-meaning-and-joy-in-life
About Nick Kemp
Nick Kemp is a keynote speaker, author, researcher, solopreneur, and author of IKIGAI-KAN: Feel a Life Worth Living. He is the founder and head coach of Ikigai Tribe, a small community of educators, psychologists, coaches, and trainers who serve their personal communities using the ikigai concept. Nick also holds a Diploma of Positive Psychology
A week-long trip to Tokyo in 1977 at the age of five left a lasting impression on Nick that would eventually see him return to Japan eighteen years later. After being awarded a one-year restaurant management traineeship with one of Japan's largest restaurant chains in 1995, Nick fell in love with Japan (again) and ended up living there for 10 years.
“I have had a love affair with Japan ever since I first visited the country at the age of five. Some 40 years later my relationship with Japan has never been more intimate. The older I get the more I seem to discover how unique, beautiful and wise the culture and people of Japan are.
It was in 1998 when I returned to Japan to teach English that I was introduced to the most amazing word when a co-worker asked me what my “ikigai” was. I hadn’t heard the word before and was astounded to discover that the Japanese language had a single word to encapsulate one’s reason for living.
Twenty years later, after stumbling upon the westernised “Ikigai Venn Diagram” it became my personal mission to correct the misunderstood perception of ikigai and share with the world what ikigai means to the Japanese. The information on this website and in my soon to be released book is what I hope is the most accurate and honest representation of the Japanese concept of ikigai”.