How to Find Your Purpose and Stand Out - with Pascale Charlot

In this episode, I sit down with Pascale Charlot, senior fellow at the Aspen Institute and former president of Miami Dade College's largest campus. We talk about finding your purpose, connecting to your highest self, and why so many students miss the mark by only listing accomplishments instead of revealing who they truly are. Pascale shares her powerful insights on building meaningful relationships, finding your "zone of genius," and why meditation might be the secret weapon for managing today's overwhelming noise and disruption. This conversation challenged me to think differently about how we show up in the world and what it really means to shine as a "bright light." If you're navigating college, career transitions, or searching for deeper meaning, this one's for you.

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About Pascale: Pascale Charlot is Managing Director of the College Excellence Program (CEP) at the Aspen Institute, where she leads strategy to develop transformational colleges and leaders committed to advancing student outcomes. An alumna of Aspen's Rising President Fellowship, she oversees CEP's Presidential Fellowships, which have graduated over 100 community college presidents educating more than 1.5 million students. Pascale specializes in systemic change and institutional reform, helping college leaders build capacity for sustained student success through research, coaching, and consulting.

Previously, Pascale served as president of Miami Dade College's Kendall campus, the largest of eight campuses at the Aspen Prize-winning institution. As dean of Miami Dade's Honors College, she developed a pathways strategy that increased bachelor's degree attainment for first-generation students. A transfer student herself, Pascale brings deep expertise to advancing post-graduation outcomes, with particular focus on student learning, talent development, and economic mobility. She holds degrees from Duke University and the University of Michigan Law School and previously held leadership roles at NYU and Rutgers law schools.

Links: College Excellence Program: https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/ Subscribe to the College 3.0 Newsletter: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/our-newsletters/ Connect with CEP on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/aspenhighered

Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:06:10 - Finding Your Purpose 00:10:53 - "Knowing You're Enough" 00:14:20 - The Growth That Comes from Taking Smart Risks 00:20:13 - Discovering Your Path 00:25:08 - Navigating Community College 00:32:23 - Planning Mode vs. Execution Mode 00:36:23 - Bringing Your A-Game 00:44:55 - Family Voices vs. Your Voice 00:50:53 - Being Comfortable with Uncertainty 00:54:27 - Building Your Support System 00:58:39 - Finding Mentors Who Will Change Your Life 01:00:08 - How to Be a Bright Light 01:07:19 - Meditation and Physical Grounding

THE HARLAN COHEN PODCAST New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen has candid conversations with top experts, and leading influencers. Guests share their greatest victories, devastating setbacks, and most valuable advice to help listeners dream big and take action. Hosted by Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker. Harlan is the founder of Best First Year, and has over 1 million books in print. His live events, books, programs, and workshops have reached millions of people and changed countless lives.