The Pausecast

How emotional intelligence, unfinished business, and pausing unlock real confidence. As we kick off another new year, this episode is an invitation to slow down—and lead differently. Why listen now: Start 2026 with more self-trust, emotional clarity, and leadership ease—without working harder or pushing through. In this special re-release, I’m joined by my leadership mentor, Dr. Bob Wright , one o...

It’s a wrap! ❤️ HAPPY… NEW… YEAR!! 🎉🎉🎉 The new year is your fresh canvas — a moment to breathe, reset, and choose how you want to lead yourself forward. This episode helps you pause with intention so you can set the tone for a powerful and purposeful 2026. (And yes… you can do this any time of year — but year-end adds a natural energetic shift that helps your system integrate and realign.) Here...

In Ep. 178 of The Pausecast... OMG it's Christmas Week - a time to slow down, connect, and reflect. But as leaders, how do we truly embrace the moment and share that sense of presence with others? In this special holiday seasonal episode of The Pausecast , we’ll unwrap the keys to leading with heart and intention this holiday season. Here’s what we’ll explore: The Art of Presence : How to be fully...

What if this year, you could step into the holidays with calm, clarity, and joy? Join me, Rachael, for this special holiday episode of The Pausecast , where we’ll explore practical and mindful ways to navigate the season stress-free. Here’s what we’ll cover: 🌀 Design Your Vision for the New Year Meet your future self in Rachael's Guided Pause Choose your guiding word or theme for next year to anc...

Ahhh, it's breathing time, YAY! Join me for this moment to realign and get back to your optimal being (and thinking using the guided technique below. Your Go-To Reset to Realign + Believe in Yourself ✨ In this short but powerful 10 minute Pausecast episode, you’ll join me for an integrative breathwork session designed to gently regulate your nervous system, calm your mind, and bring you back...

🎧 In Episode 227, you’ll discover... This one’s a gift to your future self. If you’ve been sprinting through Q4 feeling stretched, scattered, or secretly wondering, “Is it just me?” — this episode is your pause, your reset, and your reminder that your brain is far more trainable than your stress would have you believe. And you’re learning from the best. Dr. Richard Davidson — world-renowned neuro...

If you're a high-achieving leader who’s already mentally drafting Q1 OKRs between bites of pumpkin pie… this episode is your invitation to pause - in service to all your doing! Because here’s the truth: you are more productive, more grounded, and way more inspiring when you unplug from work and plug into gratitude. Yep. Gratitude isn’t fluffy. It’s a performance enhancer. Research shows that pract...

"We can’t see the forest from inside it. Strategic pauses create the distance required for clarity." — Rachael O’Meara I just released a new episode of the podcast, and it’s a personal one. I’m sharing a few unexpected leadership lessons from my recent trip to Thailand—especially from the Lantern Festival, where thousands of glowing lanterns lifted into the night sky. It reminded me how much leade...

What if curiosity was your greatest leadership skill? In this inspiring episode, Rachael sits down with Aidan Booth , Director at one of the big techs, to explore how curiosity, reflection, and joy shape powerful, authentic leadership. 💡 Aidan opens up about his career journey — from the lessons learned through failure to the boundaries he’s set to protect his energy and well-being. He shares how...

High-achieving leaders know how to perform. But do they know how to pause ? In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Ariane de Bonvoisin — former management consultant, Tony Robbins coach, TED speaker, and now author of the Giggles and Joy children’s book trilogy — to explore what it really means to bring mindfulness into leadership (and life). Ariane and I go waayy back to when I hosted he...

Landing a new role can feel like a win...and a test of your values. In this energizing convo, Alex Phillips shares what it’s really like to take a bold leap—moving his family across the world for a leadership role in big tech —and how he learned to redefine success from the inside out. We talk about boundaries, burnout prevention, and the art of staying human in a world that emphasizes “always on....

Ever feel like you’re doing all the right things but still not quite in your flow? In Ep. 221 of The Pausecast , Rachael sits down with her former and inspiring teammate tech leader + mentor Rich Berta to explore what it really takes to get into your groove — and stay there — especially when the ground is constantly shifting. Rich shares how he’s navigated bold career moves, built teams across con...

In this episode of The Pausecast ... 💡 Discover how conscious breath creates heart coherence —a science-backed state that enhances focus, intuition, and emotional regulation under pressure. 🧘‍♀️ Practice an integrative breathwork session to find your own rhythm of coherence. 💬 Learn how to tune into your “heart brain” and unlock intuitive decision-making with two powerful reflection questions....

Here’s what you’ll discover in Ep. 219👇 🌱 Why humans are “meaning-making machines” (and how that can help or hurt you) 🎡 The SmartTribe  ⁠⁠Emotional Wheel⁠⁠ —a game-changer for navigating feelings (graphic linked!) 📊 The surprising % of people who actually know what they’re feeling in the moment ❓ The 3 transformative questions to ask yourself if you want a new outcome 🐾 What a “critter stat...

Feeling pulled in a million directions while working remote, hybrid, or even in-office ? Boundaries can get flimsy , leaving you drained, stressed, and stretched too thin. In Ep. 218 of the Pausecast , I share a 3-step process to firm up your boundaries — so you can reclaim your time, energy, and focus. The 3 steps to stronger boundaries we'll walk through: 1️⃣ Be aware — notice where your boundar...

In Ep. 217 of the Pausecast... 🔹 The #1 thing to do the moment frustration hits 🔹 How to move the relationship forward even when things feel stuck 🔹 Why passive-aggressive behavior costs you credibility (and what to do instead) 🔹 Practical steps to stay calm, approach your manager with clarity, and set better boundaries 🔹 The leadership skills you must lean on — intention, truth, and vulnerab...

What Stress? :X Stress usually comes from holding onto fear, anger, sadness, or hurt — and not letting ourselves fully experience or process it. Instead, we often turn to our devices , numb out, and avoid what’s really going on. The result? Feeling tense, drained, and disconnected from ourselves. Does this sound familiar? In Ep. 216 we cover... 💡 What really causes stress (hint: it’s not just dea...

Are you leading your team (or yourself for that matter)… or just managing ? 🤔 In this episode, we dive into the real differences between managing tasks and leading people —and why learning to lead with clarity, confidence, and emotional intelligence is what sets the most effective tech leaders apart. Inside, we’ll cover: The key traits that distinguish great leaders from great managers How to spo...

Why Emotional Intelligence Isn’t Just Personal—It’s Team-Based. 👥🔥 You don’t need another personality assessment or trust fall. You need the right team norms that foster collective emotional intelligence. In this 🔥 conversation with Dr. Vanessa Druskat —renowned researcher and author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team —we explore what makes teams thrive beyond individual EQ. If you're lead...

In this episode of The Pausecast , we’re continuing the conversation from Ep. 212 and taking it a step further. You’ll learn practical tools to untangle your identity from your job, reclaim your energy, and redefine success on your terms. Here’s what we cover: 🔹 Why over-identification leads to stress, burnout, and identity confusion 🔹 Powerful language shifts to separate who you are from what y...

You know you’re more than your job… but why does it feel so hard to actually believe it? 🤯 In this first of a 2-part series, we get into the messy truth of why our self-worth gets so tangled up with career success—and why even the most capable leaders can feel “less than” without the title or achievement to back it up. I share personally about my two big identity crises (one happening right now...

Here’s what you’ll get when you hit play: 💡 Why “being” will supercharge your “doing” (and your results) 🤯 The zillion-dollar Q: If you had all the money in the world … would you still be hustling this hard? 🔥 How to ditch outdated success habits that are quietly burning you out 🛑 The price you pay for living in constant “go mode” 💨 A guided breathwork session to re-train your body to ALLOW m...

What if your to-do list is actually holding you back from the life you really want? 📝💀 In this powerful and playful episode, bestselling author + behavioral change expert and VIP Karen Salmansohn joins Rachael to explore how mortality awareness can help high-achieving leaders pause, realign, and make bold, values-driven moves — before life forces the pivot. Here’s what’s inside: ✨ A guided "Sto...

You’ve crushed goals, led teams, and made an impact—but fulfillment? That still feels… mushy —or like a luxury you don’t have time for. Especially when: ✅ Deadlines are looming ✅ Team dynamics are draining ✅ You’re juggling high-stakes leadership and home life Here’s the truth: What got you here (working harder, proving yourself, pushing through)…won’t take you to your next level of leadership....

What if getting unstuck didn’t mean pushing harder — but letting go? When you hit a wall in your leadership or career, your instinct might be to fix it fast, get productive, or double down on strategy. But what if the real breakthrough comes from surrender? 💭 You’ve tried white-knuckling your way through uncertainty… 📉 You’ve judged yourself for not having it all figured out… 🧩 You’ve sidelined...