Career Identity + Growth Conversations for Professional Women: Exposing the Hidden Reality

We are living in a world that rewards speed, reactivity, and constant output. Women are praised for multitasking, staying “on” all the time, and keeping everyone else regulated while quietly ignoring their own nervous system. Mindfulness gets written off as a luxury. Emotions get labeled as weakness. And our bodies keep the score. In this episode, we sit down with Emily Hampton Morash, author of U...

What if the problem is not that you need to “try harder” or buy a fancier planner, but that the entire productivity game was never designed with your life in mind? Most time management advice assumes you have a clean slate, a house elf and zero children. In this episode, we talk candidly with our guest, Ann Rusnak.  She had a booming business, a family, a pile of invisible housework and a body tha...

Today we’re talking with Rachael Davila, VA mentor, implementation strategist, and founder of Extra Hands Virtual Assistance. Rachael has spent twenty years helping business owners get the support they need and helping VAs build sustainable practices. She knows the truth many women hesitate to say out loud. Hiring help is not about delegating tasks. It’s about finding the right fit. We’ll explore...

What happens when the life you built almost kills you? What if the voice that saves your life also asks that you burn your script? In this episode of Exposing the Hidden Reality conversation, we sit down for a candid talk with Dr. Sheri Lake, former professor and now angel communicator and author of the forthcoming memoir Get Out: A Woman’s Guide to Divine Rebellion. She shares the story of the mo...

Women in leadership are carrying more than titles. They are carrying stories. Expectations. Invisible labor. The cultural scripts that tell them to be everything to everyone while staying quiet about what it costs. Today we sit down with Shayna Bergman, an executive coach working at the intersection of leadership, parenthood and purpose. Shayna brings a sharp, honest and deeply human lens to the c...

What if the thing holding you back isn’t mindset—but something deeper running beneath the surface? Today we sit down with Sarah Stray, founder of Boxless Coaching, an Akashic Record healer and soft, powerful word-weaver who hears the whispers of your next-level self as a roar. Sarah works with women standing in the liminal space—on the edge of an invisible threshold between what’s known and what’s...

What happens when staying safe slowly becomes self-abandonment? In this raw and powerful episode, Shelly Cannon, powerlifter, entrepreneur, and stage IV breast cancer survivor, shares the truth about what happens when we ignore the inner voice telling us it’s time to go. For 25 years, Shelly built a successful career as COO of a wealth management firm. On paper, it was everything she’d worked for....

What happens when we stop performing and start leading from a place of authenticity? Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jen Jones Donatelli, a certified PCC-level coach and founder of Creative Groove, where she helps individuals and teams explore the art of creative living. Jen brings her signature mix of play, purpose, and possibility to the topic of Empowering Authenticity at Work, showi...

What happens when you build a brand rooted in memory, heritage, and purpose in an industry that rewards trends, polish, and sameness? In this conversation, Katy Spada, founder and CEO of Ary + Maan, shares how a bedtime request from her child turned into a purpose-driven business celebrating South Asian heritage through modern, cozy family pajamas. Katy talks about launching Diwali pajamas, bootst...

Sometimes we pause the guest interviews to talk about what we’re seeing in real time. This episode is one of those. In this conversation, co-hosts Annette Garsteck and Sandra Wint reflect on the episodes so far, the stories that stayed with them, the themes that keep repeating, and the very real tension women navigate between career, caregiving, bias, and being seen as whole humans at work. They r...

What makes a woman leave a prestigious global career to build something on her own terms? In this episode, Mirjana Arlaud, Founder and CEO of Future by Design, shares how motherhood, burnout, and creative renewal led her from the UN to launching a purpose-led creative agency in 2018. We explore the rise of women entrepreneurs, why many stop asking for a seat at the table and build their own, and h...

What if your greatest achievements left you feeling empty instead of fulfilled? In this honest and empowering conversation, Beverly Flores, Founder & CEO of Thyme Out Consulting, shares her story of surviving success—the moment she realized that climbing higher in corporate leadership wasn’t leading to happiness. After 24 years at John Deere, she chose to pause, reflect, and redefine what succ...

What happens when women stop chasing traditional definitions of success and start redefining business around purpose? In this inspiring episode, Lorraine Schuchart, APR, Founder & CEO of Prosper for Purpose, joins us to explore how women entrepreneurs are driving a global shift toward businesses rooted in values, impact, and sustainability. Lorraine’s work as a certified B Corp leader proves t...

In this episode, we speak with Melissa Bauknight, founder of The Nova Global, to talk about rewiring how ambitious women and non-binary folks gather, lead, and work. Melissa shares her path from a high-performing corporate career to building spaces where people feel safe to be seen, practice vulnerability, and bring their personal, professional, and spiritual selves to the same table. We dig into...

What happens when a high-achieving athlete, corporate pro, and coach decides to get curious about alcohol and everything it was doing for her? Meet Renée Adams, Certified Sober Curious and Mindset Coach and co-founder of Nosedive Co., a wellness brand helping people “numb less” and live more. Renée grew up in a high-pressure world where worth tracked productivity. Through sober curiosity, she foun...

"You don’t need a raise because you get child support,”  that is what Gail D. Rudolph, boss said to her.  At that moment, she realized something bigger was at play: POWER Not just who holds it, but how we unknowingly give it away. We talk about power like it’s a reward, something you earn once you’ve climbed high enough. But what if power isn’t granted? What if it’s something we already hold? Join...

How can we walk in comfort in our own shoes? That is our question today!  Not just as a fashion statement but as a question of leadership as well. Footwear is still designed mostly by people who don’t walk in our shoes. Literally. And for women, most dress shoes are built for an “average” foot that doesn’t exist. Tina Wright, founder of GRRIPP Industries and inventor of The Heel Sling, joined us a...

High-achieving women don’t fall for the narcissist or abuser because they’re naive. They’re targeted because they shine. In this episode, bestselling author turned global speaker Marysol James joins us to map the quiet mechanics of narcissistic abuse, why top performers are so often in the blast zone, and how the fallout shows up at work as missed deadlines, muted voices, and surprise resignations...

In this episode, we connect with Dr. Tonie Reincke, and have a great conversation about Voice and Leadership in the Medical Field.  Dr. Reincke is an Interventional Radiologist and the founder of Reincke Vein Center in Houston. She treats vein disease daily and leads with a simple rule: education first, consent always. In this conversation, we get real about bias in exam rooms, the myth of “the nu...

What happens when the fear of “messing up” keeps us from speaking, connecting, or including others? We are thrilled to welcome Brittany Martin Déjean, founder of Inclusion Jumpstart, for a conversation about FOMU—the fear of messing up—that holds back well-intentioned people and feeds exclusion. Brittany knows this from both sides. At 12, after her father was paralyzed in a car accident and her br...

DITCH the Fairy Tales! You know, the ones about Prince Charming, Happily Ever After, and the big "happy family".  Today, we're talking about big, bold and important issues with Cheri Bergeron - author, speaker, coach, and founder of the nonprofit Cheri’s Choice. After a successful career in tech and entrepreneurship, Cheri faced a truth too many women discover too late: traditional timelines and f...

In this episode, we go deep with Jennifer Recla to discuss an important question: What keeps women leaders from rising? Jennifer is a coach, trainer, and outdoor adventurer.  We're going to explore the challenges women face in leadership and the practical ways to overcome them. Inspired by How Women Rise, Jen will shine a light on the habits that hold us back—perfectionism, downplaying accomplishm...

Curiosity is a muscle. Let’s train it young! In today's episode, we connect with Whitney Duenas Richardson, founder of Global Sprouts.  We were not prepared for the incredible conversation that flowed and we're so excited to share it with you! Join us, and meet this engaging woman, mother, and entrepreneur! In our conversation, we explore how hands-on culture kits turn play into empathy for childr...

What does it mean to lead with love—especially when the world expects something harder, faster, tougher? Join us for what is sure to be a thoughtful and perspective-shifting conversation with Gretchen Schott, co-author of Joy@Work: When Women Lead.  We'll be exploring her chapter, Choosing to Lead with Love. Gretchen’s story begins in personal loss and unfolds into a powerful reminder: love, joy,...

What happens when the stories you’ve carried from childhood, family, and society no longer fit who you are? In this episode of Exploring the Hidden Reality, we speak with Paula Collins, a Magdalen sound priestess and spirituality mentor. Paula shares her powerful journey of loss, awakening, and reclamation, and how she now helps women uncover buried wounds, reclaim their voice, and step fully into...