Sharpening HER Edge

Season 3, Episode 3: Redefining Success | Sharpening Her Edge Podcast What does success really mean, and what happens when we start defining it on our own terms? In this episode of Sharpening Her Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes welcomes special guest Dr. Olga Deengar, physician and life coach, for a meaningful conversation about redefining success, personal growth, and creating a life that aligns with wha...

Season 3, Episode 2: Amplifying Your Leadership — The Power of Collaboration What if amplifying your leadership isn’t about stepping up, but reaching out? When we think about leadership, we often think about titles, promotions, or being the person in charge. But some of the most powerful leaders I’ve encountered aren’t the loudest voices in the room. They’re the ones connecting people, opening doo...

Leadership paths meander, and more so when we apply it to public service. In this episode of Sharpening Her Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes sits down with Julie Gable to explore the many paths leadership can take — from business and entrepreneurship to community service, nonprofit boards, behavioral healthcare, and ultimately public office. After graduating from Arizona State University, Julie began her c...

Olapeju Olasokan MD, MBA joins Susan Hughes MD as host Sharpening HER Edge to share her inspiring journey of leadership and creating multiple visions of how she can impact health. The path of leadership is rarely straight but with lots of curves, bends, and detours. A mom of four with deep ties to her homeland of Nigeria, Dr. Olapeju began her career practicing medicine in the intense world of a h...

You’re Allowed to Want a Different Life You’ve spent years building a life that looks successful from the outside. But what happens when you realize it no longer feels right on the inside? In the final part of “You’re Allowed to Want a Different Life,” we go deeper into the moment when you stop ignoring that inner voice telling you, “I want something different.” We’ll explore the expectations, res...

You’re Allowed to Want a Different Life What if the life you built isn’t the life you actually want anymore? Maybe everything looks fine from the outside. You’re successful. You’re responsible. You show up for everyone. You’ve done what you were “supposed” to do. But somewhere inside, you keep thinking: There has to be more than this. Wanting something different doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It...

The Cost of Constant Accessibility In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Susan Hughes explores the hidden price of being available to everyone all the time. Drawing from her years as a physician who delivered babies, a conversation about concierge medicine, and the life-changing decision to leave 24/7 call so she and her husband could adopt their child, she challenges the belief that constant acces...

What does success look like when it finally aligns with your values? In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Susan Hughes sits down with one of her successful coaching clients, hematologist-oncologist, entrepreneur, educator, and physician leader, Dr. Vidya Kollu, to explore what it truly means to pursue leadership with purpose instead of simply chasing achievement. From navigating medicine as an inte...

What if the strongest leaders aren’t the ones who say yes to everything—but the ones who know when to say no? In this episode, Dr. Susan Hughes challenges the belief that boundaries are selfish or unkind. Instead, she explores how healthy boundaries protect your time, energy, relationships, and ability to lead with intention. If you’ve ever found yourself saying yes out of guilt, overcommitting un...

What if having needs was not weakness, but evidence that you are human? In this episode of Sharpening Her Edge, Dr. Susan explores a simple but powerful framework: 3. 6. 1. Three physical needs: eat, drink, sleep. Six human needs from the Tony Robbins framework: certainty, variety, significance, love and connection, growth, and contribution. And one overarching need: to live in the present moment....

What happens when one terrifying moment forces you to hear your own voice differently? While on vacation, publisher and legacy expert Natalie McQueen experienced a near-drowning event that changed the way she viewed her life, her purpose, and the impact she was here to make. In this powerful conversation, Natalie shares how that experience became a catalyst for deeper clarity—not only about her ow...

There comes a point when pushing through is no longer strength—it is self-abandonment. In this powerful episode of  Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes explores the hidden cost of always being the strong one, the dependable one, and the woman who keeps going no matter what. High-achieving women are often praised for their resilience, but real resilience is not about overriding exhaustion, ignor...

High-achieving women often struggle to rest—not because they don’t know they need it, but because their identity has become tied to productivity. In this episode, Dr. Susan Hughes explores why rest feels uncomfortable, the hidden beliefs driving overwork, and why recovery is a leadership skill, not a luxury. If you’ve ever felt guilty slowing down, this episode is for you. I like this episode beca...

Growth isn’t just about becoming someone new. Sometimes it’s about letting go of who you’ve been. In this episode, Dr. Susan Hughes explores the hidden challenge that often comes with personal and professional growth: releasing the identities, habits, and expectations that once served you but are now keeping you stuck. Whether you’re navigating a career transition, leadership shift, empty nest, re...

In the Season 2 premiere of  Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes explores the surprising challenge many high-achieving women face after burnout, overwhelm, and constant busyness begin to lift. Because creating space is only the beginning. Once the invisible load starts to lighten, you’re faced with bigger questions about identity, purpose, leadership, and what you truly want next. If you’ve eve...

Season 1 was SUPPOSED to have 12 episodes. But here we are at number 13. How did that happen? This one is a little Lagniappe — a bonus, something extra. Like a Baker's Dozen with 13 instead of 12 donuts. I wanted to share something extra with you. A quieter conversation.   A moment to step back and see things a little more clearly. Trailblazers In this episode of Sharpening Her Edge , Dr. Susa...

When You Step Away… and Come Back Aligned In this episode of Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes sits down with Dr. Marissa Caudill to explore what happens when you give yourself permission to pause — and how that pause can lead to deeper clarity, alignment, and reinvention. As a child psychiatrist, entrepreneur, and founder of Super Doc Tech, Dr. Caudill made the intentional decision to step a...

What to Let Go of in This Season of Your Life In this episode of Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes explores a powerful but often overlooked part of growth:  Letting go. If you’ve been feeling stuck, stretched, or slightly out of alignment — even when things “look right” — this episode will help you understand why. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about recognizing what no longer fits. Dr. Su...

Please note there is a brief echo at the beginning of this podcast. It resolves quickly, so please stay and listen to my brave friend Dr. Traci Hurley. In this deeply personal episode of Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes sits down with Dr. Traci Hurley to explore how profound loss can reshape not only your life — but your identity, priorities, and sense of purpose. After losing her husband, D...

“If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher In this episode of  Sharpening Her Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes sits down with Desire’e Hardge, CEO & Executive Director of the Maricopa County Medical Society, for a powerful conversation on leadership, influence, and what it truly means to lead with intention. With over two decades of experience...

When Saying Yes Starts to Cost You In this episode of Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes explores a pattern many high-achieving women don’t even realize they’re in: Saying yes — more often than they truly mean to. These aren’t always big decisions.  They’re the quick agreements, the small accommodations, the “it’s not a big deal” moments that quietly fill your days. And over time, they come at...

True or False: You just need to be more disciplined? In this episode of Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes challenges one of the most common beliefs among high-achieving women — that the answer to feeling scattered, inconsistent, or behind is simply more discipline. But what if that’s not the real issue? Dr. Susan explores the critical difference between discipline and boundaries, and how rely...

You already know what to do. So why are you still stuck? In this episode of Sharpening Her Edge, Dr. Susan Hughes explores the hidden loop that keeps high-achieving women overthinking, delaying, and waiting for the “right” moment. She breaks down how perfection, over-analysis, and responsible delay quietly block momentum — and why clarity comes from movement, not more thinking.  Ready to create m...

In this episode of Sharpening HER Edge , Dr. Susan Hughes explores a frustrating but familiar experience:  Feeling busy all day… but not actually moving forward. If you’ve ever ended the day exhausted — yet still wondering why the things that matter most didn’t get done — this episode will help you understand what’s really happening. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about where your energy is goi...

When You Know What to Do… But Still Feel Stuck   In this episode of Sharpening Her Edge, Dr. Susan Hughes explores a quiet but familiar experience: Knowing what to do… and still feeling stuck. If you’ve ever had the insight, the plan, or even the next step in mind — but found yourself not moving forward — this episode will help you understand why. This isn’t about discipline.  And it’s not a failu...