Sound Insight

What's the worst "life advice" you've ever received? It seems whenever we have to make a big life decision – what to study, what career path to follow, what goals to pursue – there is no shortage of platitudes on offer. A lot of them have been around so long, we never question whether they really help. In this episode, Cathy talks about why some of this advice, when taken to heart, can do more har...

In this episode, Cathy shares the story of a pivotal experience in her life that changed her relationship with failure.  Until that point, her life had been about learning how to succeed. What she really needed to learn was how to fail. "I believed that hard work and extreme preparation and control could keep me from failing. I was terrified of failure. It kept me from taking risks. It made me dri...

Sometimes life delivers exactly what you need when you need it. In this episode, Cathy shares two stories of how a little ritual made a big difference at a critical point of transition. She explores: Why life transitions, even welcome ones are so difficult. What it means to be at the edge of change. The two parts of honoring and why they both matter. How the simple practice of honoring yourself an...

In this episode Cathy explores how our relentless drive for progress in a hyper-connected world leads to anxiety, exhaustion, and burnout. While a life drifting from moment to moment leads to stagnation and what author and organizational psychologist, Adam Grant calls "languishing." She makes the case that a life lived in the delicate and conscious balance of progress and presence is a life fueled...

Is our always on, always connected work culture taking a toll on our mental health? In this episode, Cathy explores...  the growing prevalence of anxiety and depression among working adults through the lens of our 'always on', 24/7 work culture; the role of the Pandemic and the conditions that were already present in the workplace that contributed to this trend; how technology, instant communicati...

In this episode, Cathy shares five things that have inspired her during the pandemic and what she has learned about how to feel more inspired and how to inspire others as we steel ourselves for another winter of infections and lockdowns. She also shares a simple practice to support you to stay more connected to inspiration than despair.

In this episode, Cathy explores the annual ritual of the January do-over. She explores the dark side to do-overs and the unending quest for that ideal future self. She talks about how "project ideal you" can be a form of perfectionism that not only sets you up for failure but can end in you unfairly berating yourself for a lack of motivation of discipline. Start here, invites you to a subtle but p...

Welcome to Sound Insight, the podcast that explores our complex relationship between work and life. I'm your host, Cathy Jacob. For 20 years, I've coached executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, and creators to do the work they love without sacrificing the rest of their lives in the process. Think of Sound Insight as your personal coach in an earbud. Each brief episode is packed with inspiration...