The 'Inspire your Life' Podcast with Arthi Rabikrisson
The 'Inspire your Life' Podcast with Arthi Rabikrisson
S3 E2 Tasha Ten Spotlight: Dr Nazan Artun - the renaissance woman
In Episode 2 of Season 3, Arthi has a inspiring conversation with guest Dr Nazan Artun about being a renaissance woman, a term give to her by the respected Dorie Clark, who is her mentor, and also Tasha Eurich, who we featured in the previous episode.
Nazan has a multitude of interests, experiences and expertise, leading her to being a musician, being a coach, being a former healthcare professional, and currently a medical affairs professional. Born, raised and having developed a well respected medical career in Turkey plus being a renowned songwriter and musician, Nazan’s life was thriving in her home country. But after meeting her boyfriend, now husband, who is an incredible musician Nazan chose to move to Boston to ensure his musical career had the best opportunity for growth and success. However, what Nazan had not expected was that she would have to start from scratch, to build her credibility in this new market. But she did, and she has, and she continues to deepen into her passions in her new home country.
Nazan shares the importance of having great support structures to enables one’s passions to develop. And when you have multiple areas that you love, it comes with compromise, focus and discipline.
Some wise words from Nazan:
- “passion is something I think just you need to give your ear to your heart to it and listen to it”
- “I believe that everyone has a big potential inside them. They just need to maybe receive some help, or create space, or find a way to reconnect with that power within them. And really prioritize it. Otherwise, we're all sleeping in this life. And it's just life is happening to us.”
- “mentors are so valuable, we'll learn a lot from them. But the mentors who let us be without an ego or without emotional need, I think they also in return, they learn a lot.”
Listen to the full episode for so much more insights and ideas offered by my wonderful guest.
About Dr Nazan Artun:
Nazan is a board-certified Leadership and Career Coach and Medical Affairs professional. She holds a doctoral degree in Biotechnology focusing on Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine. As a coach to bio-pharma and healthcare professionals, Nazan brings her wealth of expertise to help her client transform through gaining clarity, managing behavioural changes, and tapping into their creativity, and allow healing to happen through their creativity.
Connect with Dr Nazan Artun here:
Do rate, write a review and share with others.
Share too, your own insights from your journey based on themes from the episode - what has worked or hasn't for you. We can all learn from each other.
Connect with host Arthi here:
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Arthi Rabikrisson 0:15
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the inspire your life podcast with me your host Arthi Rabikrisson
I believe we find inspiration all around us, especially from the stories that we all have in us. My aim with the inspire your life podcast is to bring some of those real stories to light. Stories of my guests that resonate with you and me. It's by listening to these stories that we can be inspired and motivate ourselves to overcome, find a new path and rise even higher than we thought possible.
Joining me on the show today is Dr Nazan Artun, who is just a wonderful human being so rich in life and love and a dear Tasha 10 family member. She is often called the Renaissance woman because of her passion areas and how she has diversified and conquered successfully those areas she wanted to be invested in. So in layman's terms, everyone, she's really smashing it out of the park. I urge you to visit her website which is going to be on the show notes, which she gives such a beautiful and heartfelt account of her awakening and her journey. Okay, so more formally, Nazan is a board certified leadership and career coach and a medical affairs professional. She holds a doctoral degree in biotechnology focusing on pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine as a coach to biopharma and healthcare professionals. Nazan brings her wealth of expertise to help her clients transform through gaining clarity, managing behavioral changes, and really tapping into their creativity, and thus allowing healing to happen through their creativity. My word there is just so much one can say about Nazan Artun. And but I think that's enough talking for me from now. Let me bring on my very special guests so you can hear from her listeners. And then I am so pleased to be spotlighting you today because you have this gift of creativity to share with all of us. It really is a privilege to have you on the Inspire live podcast. So welcome to the show today.
Dr Nazan Artun 2:51
Thank you so much. Arthi thanks for the invitation. I know that we've been dreaming about this or planning about this for a while. Yes, I love your podcast. And I'd actually love the title
Arthi Rabikrisson 3:03
I'm so glad and it's it rings true. Absolutely just for me getting to know you and understand you better. As I said in my intro, I just touched on little bits here and there Nazanbut please, I want you to share a little bit more depth with us about who you are, your background and hobbies, everything whatever you think is worthwhile to share with us please do
Dr Nazan Artun 3:24
Definitely. Well, I think you summarized a well of my against scientific and coaching background. But my musicianship is I think the one that also gives me the credit as a renaissance woman. Something that not that my colleagues and my mentors, were calling actually Arthi the first time that I was called, like that was in my workplace, and I didn't know the meaning of it. So I had to go and check what does that mean, right? And then I was like, oh, okay, that's nice. And then Tasha was actually Dorie Clark was the second person, another dear mentor. Tasha, after meeting with Tasha, Tasha, religious type in a query or a renaissance mode, and I was like, Okay, I'm owning it. So being a musician, being a coach, and being a former healthcare professional, currently a medical affairs professional, I think doing all these things together, passionately, is kind of given me that title. And thank you so much, again, for mentioning that.
Arthi Rabikrisson 4:33
Oh, absolutely. I think it goes without saying that this is a key thing. I mean, the fact that so many people have sort of shared this with you and us, as you said, you've owned it. It must be ringing true. It must be ringing true on a personal and a deep level. And I want to understand why it rings true for you. So maybe share that with us.
Dr Nazan Artun 4:53
Sure. You know, it's early morning, here in this part of the world, sorry. So, my journey actually started with I think I'm an artist and creative person or musician since a child, but I was born into a family who values the scientific education, medical education. My father is a surgeon medical doctor who was thinking of me becoming one and taking his air and legacy. But in, but I remember myself being into like arts and music and playing keyboards, instruments, like by ear and not even getting any training, but it was not very welcomed by my family. I after entering to pharmacy school, I bought my first electric guitar and I had to hide it from my family, because I know that they will be angry with me. So I from my and I started to play around and I started to write songs. And you know, Arthi, I was not sure if I was a good writer or someone right but then I started to receive some recognitions first like locally some songwriting recognitions and then national songwriting. After that my music career started to bloom, but I was also doing the pharmacy on the side because that I was doing it to make my family happy to be honest, then pharmacy after graduating from school, when I started to lean towards to like higher education, I realized that I really need to pick the field that I'm passionate and also in pharmacy and healthcare, right. That's why I felt really connected to and like really intrigued and interested about pharmacogenomics and genetic studies and drug metabolism. And that's how I again pivoted my career in healthcare. But that was the only way for me to just hold on to it honestly, just kind of feeling passionate feeling inspired by it. So when I was doing that, at the same time, I was a musician playing, giving concerts and recording and so on, so forth. That was my life when I was in Turkey. But when I was doing my PhD, I was just I had my like, life plan, career plan, thinking that, okay, I'm gonna finish my PhD, I'll move to Istanbul, and I'm originally from Turkey, Ankara, and Istanbul, and I'll just be a musician who were the music industries and then I'll also be like a pharmaceutical industry professional, or academics. But I met with my at the time boyfriend, now husband, living in Boston, Massachusetts. And he's such a talented musician, a composer, and pianist, and jazz musician, classical musician, everything. He's, he has, like, incredible credentials and background, and he was willing to come to Turkey actually, but for us to become a family, but I realized that I need to give him a chance to his career, because music is such a difficult field, in the music field is not as strong, and the opportunities are not as much as at an all around the world. So Boston, US is a better feel for him. So I decided to come to Boston. That's why my journey started from scratch. Like, I had to discover the wheel from the beginning.
Arthi Rabikrisson 8:40
It's beautiful. I mean, it's beautiful to hear all of these different bits of how things are progressing from the personal side, you know, with the family with the sort of view of what it is you needed to be doing, as opposed to what you already inherently knew you love to do in terms of the creative side. And then, even though you did get into to the medical field, also sort of having that maturity to know, but let me find the area that I'm going to be passionate about. And I love when you talk about that. Because, you know, sometimes a lot of us end up being stuck in careers where we think I don't love this, but we don't think deeper enough to think about that there could be these areas that we can find passion in and things that we could be exploring in a lot more detail. And of course, the you know, the whole journey to the US. I mean, how beautiful I mean, it's like a bit of a love story. Which is beautiful. I love that. But in in doing that you've also just, you know, I think amplified your passion areas it sounds like and, you know, I think maybe Nazan help us understand and maybe offer a bit of advice for, for people who are actually finding it difficult to think about what their passion is, and where to focus on because there's lots of people who would have been in a similar situation or are in a similar situation to you where they're being tugged in different sides for You know, various reasons. How can someone know that what they're going to be doing what they're going to be pursuing is worthwhile and that they should spend time and energy on doing it? Because it is their passion?
Dr Nazan Artun 10:12
Well, yes, I can definitely share some experiences that I had in my life. And I'm also a person who has different interests. But how can you find your passion? Here's the thing. First of all, I think when you find it, you really know it. It's just because you stay in it, you don't you want to stay in it. And there's no way that you can live without it. Because Arthi I tried to quit music. And when I was in Turkey, because my music career was not an easy one. Not everyone was welcoming and my family was not supporting my community is because it's hard to be a woman and a musician, and then trying to have like a serious career at the time on to a pharmacy trying to have some credibility and authority in various years. So that being said, I tried to quit actually, I let it go for a year. But it was haunting me. And I was like listening to recordings, I was just kind of dreaming myself again, playing I was seeing the stage. Yes. And so I realized that I had to stop the fight against you. And I just need to accept it, and I had to embrace it. So that's the first thing that I can say is like, I think passion is really a strong one in interest. A hobby. Well, yeah, it's just it can be on and off. But a passion is a passion, like coaching to or personal professional development. Because when I was in Turkey, I was in leadership roles at a very young age Arthi. And for mentors, again, leaders of different institutions. So they were taking me to some professional development courses, trainings, and they were giving books to read, then one of them. He was my chief medical officer, he was my supervisor, but he had his master's in philosophy and theology. So we're reading and discussing another one, another mentor of mine, she was director of pharmacy of the biggest hospital in Ankara. And she was taking me to the training like we were hanging out. So it became like a passion for me. And I started to do it just for myself for my own development, but I never let it go Arthi. But after coming to the States, I realized that I accumulated so much of experience and I want to be humbled, but at the same time wisdom, to share, it just came out, like naturally and I naturally found myself as in the coach of shoes of a coach and became a coach of the environment, that was the moment for me that I want to actually help these people because I have this within me, and it's my passion also that I have worked on for years, and I cannot let it go because I love it so much. So again, it's something that really it's a part of you that just need to create some space a passion is something I think just you need to give your ear to your heart to it and listen to it and just kind of also, you can even try to like test trial and error
Arthi Rabikrisson 13:43
See if it comes back. Now I love the way you described it, that it was actually haunting you that you were dreaming about, you know, visualizing you being back on stage and performing and writing and, and all of that so yeah, I mean, I can believe that absolutely believe that. And and I love you mentioned just as you were talking at the beginning there about those multiple passions, and you spoke now a bit about coaching. That's it. I mean, many of us also don't realize that we can be passionate about multiple things. And then you spoke about creating space and then it's making me wonder Nazan How does one actually then create and allow space for multiple passions to drive because it's so easy to get, you know, completely in the zone and focused in on your music or on coaching. But how do you how do you give equal or measure time between the multiple areas, what works for you?
Dr Nazan Artun 14:45
I want to lead a course for this one to watch like I received this question and be very serious about this one. You really need to prioritize and dedicate time and personally, actually, if you want to be something, if it's if something is your passion, that unique respect to it, and you need to really come to it, that's what I had done. When I was in Turkey, when I was trying to be a musician, and at the same time healthcare professional, I have limited time off, I had limited vacation times, I don't remember my friends were like, enjoying their time. Early, or I was waking up at 5am in the morning, practicing guitar before going to work. So compromise comes with it. So I think it's just when we talk about passions, everyone was romanticizing it is so I have a passion. Okay.
Arthi Rabikrisson 15:47
But it's hard work is what you're saying. It's focused. It's discipline,
Dr Nazan Artun 15:49
and discipline and all these fields like music science, and yes, personal development. These are like big fields, big shoes. So you really need to give time to it and work hard on it.
Arthi Rabikrisson 16:06
I agree. Thank you. And thank you for reiterating that. And I suppose you know, you're just going back to what you mentioned about these beautiful mentors that you've had, and continue to have up till now. How are they and the rest of your support ecosystem, helping you keep true to your TrueNorth authentic in your purpose and in your passion?
Dr Nazan Artun 16:31
You know, honestly, it's such a beautiful question. And I really want to honor their support to me so far, and they're still supporting me, even though they're in Turkey . So yeah, they actually recognize my authenticity, and they supported it. Again, the CMO of the hospital, he knew that I'm a musician. And he was the one coming to my concert. Recordings. Yes. You know, one funny thing even happened, I remember that he was supporting my family for surgery, because he was an orthopedic surgeon. And I think I was reminding him also his passion in music, because he used to play bass guitar when he was younger. So there's this tradition in Turkey that after, you know, a medical doctor helps you in something you kind of buy a nice gift. But usually it's like a gift card, or like a nice a shirt or something. And I, my family, I said, we're buying bass guitar for him. They were like, wow, no, no, we're buying a really good bass guitar, and I'm gonna have some base classes for him. It was the best gift that he had. And then we did like, we formed a band together then then we played in some of the special events of the hospital. Yeah, it was It touched on his life, too. So what I'm trying to say is the way that he I think, let me be as who I am, also inspired him and like, give him a return to so it's like, mentors are so valuable, we'll learn a lot from them. But the mentors which let us be without an ego of or without emotional need to kind of train this person or like to teach this person I think they also in return, they learn a lot. It's kind of a feedback like just you, you receive and you give and you give any receive.
Arthi Rabikrisson 18:43
So beautiful so beautiful about that two ways sort of unlock you know, the fact that your your passion and allowing you to be authentic, unlock something with that particular mentor as well in terms of his music, musicality, and gave him permission to show it to and how beautiful to gift that love that. Such a beautiful gesture. I'm just wondering, did you ever get country feedback from mentors about design, you're going to be spending too much time here and they need to focus you need to be disciplined. Did you ever get sort of that alternative kind of feedback about which way to go? And how did you deal with that?
Dr Nazan Artun 19:21
Well, let me think my supervisor during my PhD, also one of my mentors and he used to say something he was saying that I think music is your profession and pharmacy science is your hobby. But I like that definition because it shows also that I am not forced to it I'm actually it's my choice to be in also. I haven't received any negative feedback about like not focusing enough because I'm such a nerd and hardworking person. Usually, the feedback that I received, like, do you want to slow down a bit? Too much? Okay. My family, my mom was the one who was like, giving me feedback about like, a few if you focused on other things that might, you'd be like an ordinary professor so far while but they now understand, I think, because my family doesn't have any musicians. The it was something not familiar to them. So they were like, What is this thing, and they didn't know what to do with this.
Arthi Rabikrisson 20:36
Right. Of course, of course, if you, if you haven't really been exposed to it within the family in some shape, or form, I think it does become quite difficult, especially when, you know, it's elders in the family. I mean, I come from an Indian background as well. So I completely get this in terms of the cultures and traditions around, you know, where children should be going and how they should form the career path. So, you know, it's lovely that, you know, over time, the parents and the family have come to understand your authenticity and are embracing it now. And I think that that's really, really beautiful. And, you know, we've just touched on a couple of key highlights in your life. But what stands out for you in your journey thus far? What are some of these key things that you think, Man, this was an amazing moment for me, Nazan that you'd like to share with us?
Dr Nazan Artun 21:25
Yes. So I think the most difficult moments in my life were or are still the most important again, let me elaborate a little bit. So I have this experience and memory from US national songwriting competition, then I was the guitar player and singer and I was invited to perform a national TV live with an orchestra. And before going there, I indicated that I'll need some equipment to use like an amplifier and guitar technical stuff. Anyways, when I arrived there, Arthi, I, I realized that they didn't prepare anything for me, oh, no want me to play because I was a woman would play rock guitar. So I am not that type of persons. I called my producer I said, I need equipment I need people help me and I just brought my own thing. And they were they were shocked. But they had to the organization they have to accept it. And I started playing guitar during the rehearsals and they saw that I could play And then there can be got relief. But what happened is during at the day of the competition, the head of the TV, he was a very conventional, conservative person. He didn't like me. See, he didn't like to see me again, holding my guitar up in the air. I was so angry with them. Because I was really just going to make it, anyways. So he made the speech and he was like, upset about that. But I'm so glad that I actually just resisted their bullying and played guitar as a woman on TV, and inspire a new generation of girls. So they can feel like it is it is okay to play rock guitar, for a woman. It's not just something against you are like in a culture against our rules. So you're able to do whatever you feel passionate about. So that's what is like the one biggest highlights of my life. Second thing that I would say is like moving to US, because Arthi when I moved here, I was already an established individual. I was already an established professional. But I had to start from scratch when I say really, I started from bottom. Zero, yeah, and how to work as an intern and just, you know, do some teaching, but then need to I had to take some really difficult exams. I literally became no one but when I was in Turkey, I was a very respected person and kind of, you know, are so sought after person. So from that point to actually this point, I think I had a big progress, because I pulled myself out of from Survivor Mode to professional who enjoys what she's doing and also helping other professionals in the United States to find their passions and just kind of to find their career paths. So I feel like that's also very a big highlight in my life story.
Arthi Rabikrisson 25:05
Absolutely. I mean, these are key key turning points inflection points, as they call them as well, that just give rise to such greater depth of understanding, I think. But at the same time, some of these biggest lessons that as you said earlier, Nazan, it just adds to your wisdom that you can share with others, you know, who potentially get through into those sort of situations as well, and hopefully make it easier for them to navigate. Are there any other key lessons that you've learned along the way that you probably want to share with our listeners,
Dr Nazan Artun 25:39
Let me think, the first thing that comes to my mind is the importance of our relationships. And when I first came to US, I had beautiful actually, let me start over, I had beautiful friends and mentors, as I described. So when I first came to US, I actually didn't want to have new friends and I closed myself to people for two years. But I realized that that time was very difficult for me. And when I start to when I realize, okay, I need to kind of start up, establish a life in here, I start to welcome friends into my life, which became a big game changer. In those friends and connections. They have been the biggest inspiration, biggest support in my life, both in like professional and personal level. So I think the most important thing in our lives is our relationships. I can I think there's an Harvard study even talking about this like, and the meaning of our life is, this is Victor Frankel's work, search for meaning in this our relationships, our work and suffering, that's what he believes. But I agree with his theory. That's what I can share. But also, I see so many people suffering causing suffering for themselves. Because they don't believe in their potential. Because we are living in a very judgmental era right now. All about, like, you know, judgments and criterias. And all about credentials all about certificates or like, I don't know, Arthi. And it's becoming so hard for everyone that no one believes that they're good enough. And I don't want to say no one, but the majority, the majority of people when I start working with them, but I believe that everyone has a big potential inside them. It's just again, they just need to maybe receive some help, or create space, or find a way to reconnect with that power within them. And really prioritize it. Otherwise, we're all sleeping in this life. And we it's just life is happening to us.
Arthi Rabikrisson 28:19
And I think it's beautiful, that you're reminding us about the potential that we all have. And you're quite right. You know, I think you've put it quite candidly in terms of the judgment and the expectations, particularly in the sort of phase that we're going through, there's a lot of those expectations to meet certain criteria to be considered good enough. You know, and I think that sits with a lot of people am I good enough? And that causes just so many issues and suffering, as you said, so thank you for reminding us that there is help available that there is support available. And actually, we are not even just good enough, we actually more than enough, we just need to realize it again, beautiful, beautiful. Nazan I want to know what is next in store in this renaissance process of Nazans
Dr Nazan Artun 29:06
Well Arthi I think what is next for me is just to embrace all these things that I have and really celebrate them and keep enjoying my music. I share this with you I'm releasing my Maxi single in February was an exciting one of the songs received a national award in Turkey and I never had a chance to record it and release it. So I'm keep producing, keep creating, in coaching, I want to, again grow and help more people reach to more people and be a part of the change in healthcare system. Because it's such an important it's such a vital system in our lives, that we need to also treat the and just be cautious in just, you know, support and serve to that system too. So that's what I'm hoping to do as a coach. And as a medical affairs professional, actually, I'm enjoying what I'm doing in my company right now. I just want to see where it's going to work, you know, take me also what type of experiences what type of people will come to my life with this experience, too. So for me, I think the next step is just to grow where I am at the moment.
Arthi Rabikrisson 30:37
And just continue that evolution of yourself, I think, What a spectacular journey you're on and thank you for sharing, you know, just even these beautiful nuggets of wisdom, insight, of strategies and lessons that I think all of us can can use. Thank you very much Nazan and i cant believe we are coming actually, to the end of our conversation. And as we, as we end off, I'd really love it, if you could share something that inspires you. It could be a poem, a quote, a maybe even a song lyric, something that you've written, something that really just keeps you authentic, and ignited,let's put it that way, in everything that you do and follow. What could you share with us?
Dr Nazan Artun 31:24
Arthi yesterday, I actually joined a LinkedIn live and gave a speech about finding your authentic self. I can say that there's so many beautiful quotes out there, which inspires me, but one of them just stick with me. And this is from Rumi also is a religious and spiritual teacher from six hundreds and Sufi teacher and again, poet. But the Western world mostly knows him as poet. I want to share one of his quotes and I want to, again, programmed with this, it says you have a duty to perform. So this links to authenticity, everyone has something to give in this life. We just need to connect to it and we just need to believe it. And you know, let it happen.
Arthi Rabikrisson 31:27
Simple, profound, and beautiful Nazan. It's been such a pleasure to be talking to you today. Thank you so much for joining me on the episode. It's been such a pleasure to have you.
Dr Nazan Artun 32:35
Likewise, Arthi. Thanks for inviting me talk to you later.
Arthi Rabikrisson 32:38
Talk to you later. Ciao.
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