Redefining 'Wannabe': The Growth Mindset Behind Wisdom for Wannabes

Reclaiming the Word "Wannabe", with Podcast Host Jackie Morreale

In this episode, Jackie Morreale explores the themes of personal growth, identity, and the concept of being a 'wannabe.' She reflects on her journey through podcasting, halfway to her original goal, on a personal day of importance: 20 years of the Ken Pribil Jr. Foundation. She discusses the importance of embracing change, and the value of real conversations in learning and evolving. Jackie redefines the term 'wannabe' as someone who aspires to be more, encouraging listeners to embrace their own journeys of growth and self-discovery.

Takeaways:
• Have you ever felt like you were growing into a new version of yourself?
• What if that gap was actually the most important place to be?
• I'm saying I see potential in myself that hasn't been realized yet.
• The best answers are the unexpected ones.
• I want to be more like you when I grow up.
• Wisdom is everywhere.
• Maybe being a wannabe isn't something to outgrow, but something to return to.
• A wannabe is someone who believes they can be more.
• You're exactly where you're supposed to be.

Quotes:
• "I'm saying I see potential in myself."
• "That's not fake or trying too hard."
• "Wisdom is everywhere."

Chapters:
00:00 Embracing Change and Growth
00:47 Redefining 'Wannabe' and Identity
01:44 The Journey of Learning and Growth
03:06 The Power of Real Conversations

---

"Redefining Wannabe" by Jackie Morreale

Have you ever felt like you were growing into a new version of yourself, but the people around you didn't quite understand it yet? If so, this is for you.

My name is Jackie Morreale and I'm the host of Wisdom for Wannabes. I'm tuning in today on one of those rare, rare days: A solar eclipse, lunar new year, Ramadan, Mardi Gras, Carnival, Winter Olympics, a 20th anniversary of something very special in my own life, losing a loved one to cancer 20 years ago.

And across cultures, across beliefs, across the world, This moment is all about the same thing. reflection, renewal, and becoming.

And it got me thinking about one word that I don't think we fully understand. A word that's very important to us here at Wisdom for Wannabes.

That word is "wannabe".

Now, if you grew up in the '90s like me, you remember how we used this word.

"He's such a wannabe, she's such a wannabe." They just try too hard.

Someone stepping into an identity that other people didn't think that they had earned yet. People putting another person into a small box when they were way more than that.

That's what we were really doing: Judging the "gap"; the difference between the box that they had been placed in by other people and that they were aspiring to be.

And we made that gap something to be embarrassed about.

But now that we've evolved, what if that gap was actually the most important place to be?

What if that space between who you are right at this moment in time and who you're becoming is where all the growth lives?

Because when I say "I wanna be...", I'm saying I'm not done yet.

I'm saying I see potential in myself that hasn't been realized yet.

I'm saying I'm willing to stretch, evolve and be uncomfortable to become something more.

And that's not fake or trying too hard. That's courage.

That's exactly where the name, Wisdom for Wannabes, came from. That's what's really meaningful to me right now.

​I'm about halfway through my original goal for this podcast, almost 26 interviews out of 52. Halfway! And I've learned more than I had ever expected I would by this point.

When I first started this podcast, I had an idea of what I thought it would be. Now, being right there in the middle of it, I realized it's not just about the conversations. It's about what those conversations do to they shift you, how they humble you, how they make you realize that there is just so much more to learn.

For me, that growth shows up in three core areas:
1. Business, building something meaningful.
2.  Art  (aka Beauty), expressing and creating.
3. Wellness (aka Betterment), taking care of body, mind and spirit.

These are the areas where I feel that gap the most.

And instead of hiding from it, I'm choosing to step into it.

Through this podcast, I've had the opportunity to talk to people that I truly admire. The best moments, they're never the planned ones. They're the unexpected answers, the honest stories, the moments that completely shift your perspective. That is the power of real conversation.

And in those moments, I find myself saying something simple:
"I want to be more like you when I grow up."

I've realized that that's not insecurity. It means I'm open. It means I'm learning. And that means I'm still growing.

Because wisdom is everywhere.

You can learn from someone who's built success.

You can learn from someone who's overcome struggle.

You can learn from someone who simply shows up consistently.

You can even learn from kids, probably most from kids. They trust themselves. They follow what they love.

And somewhere along the way, some of us lose that. (And if you identify with that, drop a thumbs up in the comments.)

So maybe being A "wannabe" isn't something to outgrow. Maybe it's something to return to.

A mindset where you stay curious, where you stay open, and where you stay willing to evolve.

So today, I'm reclaiming the word "wannabe". A wannabe is not someone who doesn't belong. A wannabe is someone who believes that they can be something more.

So yeah, I'm a wannabe.

If you're on that journey too, you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

This is Wisdom for Wannabes. And we're just getting started.

​Thank you so much for being here. Have a beautiful day.