How She Really Does It

We're taught that birthdays only count when they're culturally considered milestones. Forty. Fifty. Fifty-five. Sixty. Anything in between, you are supposed to let quietly pass. This year, at fifty-four, I did something different. Not because of my age, but because of who I am becoming. And it brought up far more than I expected. If you have ever wanted to do something for yourself + felt that qui...

Twenty-one years ago, Trudi Roth stood on my lawn + told me I needed to write a book. I didn't write the book. I started this show instead. Trudi + I have been friends through all of it. Raising kids. Building businesses. Supporting our spouses. There were seasons we were deep in our own worlds. But every time we came back together it was as if no time had passed at all. That's what a true friends...

I'm back. After more than two years away, I'm returning to the podcast I've been hosting since 2006, and I'm not pretending the time away was tidy or planned. This episode is an honest look behind the curtain at what really happened, what kept me from returning sooner, and what I've learned about leadership, resilience, and beginning again. If you've ever had a project, dream, or part of yourself...

Last year, I found myself on a retreat utterly exhausted. I knew I was craving more space in my life and business. So in the fall, I started doing just that. I began shutting down certain lines of business while continuing to do high-quality work with my clients, and after 17 and a half years and over 1000 episodes, I've made the decision to hit pause on the podcast too.   Join me this week as I s...

As a child, we had parents, teachers and other authoritative figures to lead the way. But as we make our move into adulthood, it can become difficult to step into leadership roles - in any aspect of our lives. In fact, this is a topic I discuss with my clients regularly. So I'd like to emphasize that leadership is about identity and way of being, rather than titles merely bestowed upon us by other...

As a leadership coach, one of the things I do a lot of coaching on is communication. Communication can be scary and intimidating. Maybe it's something you think you should know how to do, but let me tell you, it's a learnable skill.    In this episode, I share the story of one of my clients from a situation where she was brave and gave positive feedback to someone. Discover what makes you feel saf...

Sometimes, when you become so anxious about what's going to happen, you may start to under-function, allowing the unknown to manage you instead of managing it. This week, I'm discussing moving into the unknown, whether it involves performances, events, or waiting for a diagnoses.    Tune in this week to learn how to become a compassionate observer in your life and embrace the vulnerability that co...

Are any of your expectations influenced by fear, shame, and magical thinking? These are called stealth expectations and they will go unnoticed until they resurface when challenges occur. It's crucial to be aware of them and to know how to recognize if you have stealth expectations.   In this episode, I discuss the impact stealth expectations can have on you if you don't pay attention to what's goi...

How amazing would it be to go back in time and change the way you did things? Recently, during multiple sessions with clients, the topic of how wonderful it would be to be a freshman in college again came up. It made me think about the fantasy of going back in time with the knowledge that we have now and changing the way we did things then.   If you're experiencing similar thoughts, tune in this w...

Loss, empty nesting, challenges at work - these are obstacles we didn't picture when we thought of adulthood, and sometimes, we want to avoid them. In today's episode, I talk about how vulnerability is part of life and how to overcome the heartache and obstacles that we encounter.   Tune in this week to learn why the belief that there's a way to avoid difficult times actually creates pain and how...

I am thrilled to welcome Karen Walrond back to the show this week. She has recently published the book Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell and is here to share how the process of writing it allowed her to see things she hadn't seen before.   Tune in to learn more about Karen's unique ability to embrace vulnerability while owning her experiences. We cover a range...

Sometimes emotions come unexpectedly and surprise us. When they do, it can be tempting to run away from them and keep ourselves busy with work or seek artificial happiness.   This week, I talk about emotions and authenticity, a topic that has become more personal to me due to an unexpected loss. I offer advice on navigating through difficult emotions when they come and embracing authenticity throu...

Whether it's at home or in the workplace, we are all leading different aspects of our lives. One of the responsibilities of a leader is to provide feedback, which takes a lot of courage and is very vulnerable.   This week, discover how to lead, coach, and provide feedback with effectiveness, compassion, and in a way that allows people to thrive. Learn the questions leaders should ask themselves wh...

Are you self-aware of your own being? In this episode, I discuss how to become self-aware of your being and I explore two questions and skill sets that have helped me make a significant change in my life.   Join me this week to discover which small steps you can start incorporating in your life to make the changes you want to see, as well as some tools to help you make a space for yourself.   Get...

While we are all emotional beings, some of us don't have a language for emotions or maybe we've been told that emotions are weak. One thing you can do to grow your self-awareness is to learn the language of emotions.   Emotions are not a weakness. They communicate what is going on inside yourself when you are too busy to notice. They give you a signal, but it's your job to feel, identify and give...

Our beliefs guide us into thinking in a way that is not necessarily aligned with our true mindset. They can also make us do what we think we're supposed to do, rather than what we truly want.    Discover how to be aware of the things you say to yourself and identify your limiting beliefs. Learn how things start to change when you listen to your stories and become aware of those beliefs. Unpacking...

As the new year approaches, there's a lot of talk about being your best self for 2024. While the definition varies from one person to another, something high achievers all have in common is setting unrealistic standards for what it means to be our best selves.    This week, I discuss what being your best self every day looks like and why having unrealistic expectations leads to exhaustion rather t...

What in your life can be dropped, whether it's for the time being or completely? I'm giving personal examples of things that were no longer relevant that I kept on doing because I'd always done them and what happened when I let go of them.   Discover how to recognize the things that you don't need to carry around anymore and why leaving them in 2023 can only be beneficial for you and your loved on...

During the holiday season, we try to do everything that is expected from us, but there is one important thing that we don't always take the time for: taking care of ourselves.   This week, I give you examples of various ways you can take care of yourself during the holidays and discuss the importance of finding ways to show yourself love. Discover tips to understand what you need from this season,...

Our brains have the capacity to make up stories, and to create tragedies in which we are the main character. While some stories are happy, the thoughts we entertain can also contribute directly to the pain in our lives.   This week, I encourage you to notice the stories your mind conjures up. Discover some of the ways to create awareness of the thoughts you're thinking, how to check in with them t...

Do you ever get home from work and find yourself dwelling on the one thing that went bad that day rather than celebrating the many good things you achieved?   This week, I look at how perfectionism affects our lives by getting in the way of personal growth. Discover how to let go of the survival mode that is ingrained in your brain and embrace the good things in life in a way that will create posi...

Our idea of the perfect holiday season can be guided by our cultural surroundings or by the happiness of our family or spouses. We want to make things perfect for everyone, but how can you keep giving if you are exhausted?   Discover how to allow yourself to breathe, to fill yourself up in a way that will give you the ability to offer as much as you want this holiday season. Remember that we can't...

I have never enjoyed cold weather. Yet, for a long time, I put myself in a situation that didn't make my life more enjoyable during that season: I didn't turn on the heat.   My friends, this week I invite you to look at the choices you've made and try to pinpoint what causes unnecessary suffering in your life. Discover how to make a positive change and stop suffering when you don't need to.   Get...

Why are our achievements overshadowed by our perception of the time taken to reach them? Too often, we judge ourselves or compare our journey to that of others before celebrating our victories.   Tune in this week for some questions to ask yourself to break the pattern of self-judgment. Learn how to nurture the feeling of self-love, as well as respect for your journey towards achieving your big dr...

Do you sometimes feel like you can't help but be bittersweet when things come to an end? Endings certainly come with a lot of mixed and competing feelings.   This week, discover how to let go and embrace the new things that enter your life after others leave it. I'll share my personal experiences with things coming to an end and some ways to embrace everything you've learned, taking it with you in...