Big F*cking Dreams

Ever felt like your boss is taking instructions from a chatbot? In this episode of Hannah Hotline, we're tackling a listener's story about a CEO who is completely obsessed with using AI in business, even when it's clearly producing garbage. When your leadership team treats AI-generated projections as gospel, it doesn't just create frustration; it kills team morale. Hannah unpacks the messy reality...

In this episode, Hannah sits down with Andrea Bombino - motherhood and career coach, matrescence expert, and longtime friend - to unpack the developmental transition into motherhood that almost no one talks about: matrescence. Coined in the 1970s and only recently brought back into the mainstream, matrescence describes the profound physical, psychological, and identity-level transformation that ha...

"I told the CEO the truth, and then I was fired." If you have a strong sense of justice and integrity, you've likely felt the sting of corporate politics. You see a problem, you fix it, and instead of being rewarded, you're sidelined or pushed out. In this episode, Hannah breaks down the high-performer's "Integrity Trap." She explains how to navigate these environments without sacrificing your sou...

You've achieved everything you set out to achieve. So why do you feel like you're losing your edge?  For high performers and executives, we are wired to believe that more work, more hustle, and more sacrifice is the answer to every problem. But what happens when the very mechanism that built your success — your relentless drive, starts to feel like a cage?  In this episode, Hannah gets vulnerable...

In this episode, Hannah tackles a deeply relatable dilemma sent in by a listener who hates her job, wants to switch roles, but feels guilty about joining a new company while planning to get pregnant. Hannah cuts through the noise with her signature no-BS approach, reminding us that company loyalty is a two-way street, and more often than not, it only runs one way. From anti-discrimination laws to...

The most dangerous thing a high performer can do? Stick to a bad plan just because they "said they would."  We are taught that consistency is a virtue. We are taught that changing our minds is a weakness, a sign of indecision, or a failure of control. In corporate environments, being "Rule Book" (as Hannah was affectionately nicknamed at LinkedIn) is a badge of honour.  But there is a massive diff...

You're senior, successful, and capable, so why is this one coworker still living rent-free in your head?  In this Hannah Hotline episode, Hannah responds to a listener navigating a persistent grudge against the colleague who covered her maternity leave.  Hannah breaks down the real psychology behind why grudges stick, introduces the Grey Rock Method for disengaging from toxic dynamics, and reveals...

Nine years ago, Hannah Kissel made the most important decision of her life. She was sitting in a bathtub, a few days before her 27th birthday, and she realised something: she didn't want to do this anymore.  Not life — but the version of it she was living.  In this deeply personal solo episode, recorded on her 36th birthday and 9-year sobriety anniversary, Hannah shares what she's never talked abo...

Your nervous system is sending you a message. Are you listening?  High performers are often the last people to admit they're burning out because they're still getting great performance reviews while their body quietly falls apart.  In this episode, Hannah responds to a listener who has been in back-to-back burnout cycles for two years. She's a project manager at a major financial institution - bri...

Feeling overwhelmed? It's probably not what you think it is.  In this raw, unscripted solo episode, Hannah shares what came out of her most recent therapy session - a realisation that stopped her in her tracks.  She'd been feeling overwhelmed. Shutting down. Going full "sloth monster." And when she traced it back to the source, it wasn't burnout. It wasn't doing too much. It was the complete oppos...

You can be powerful. You can be liked. They're not opposites. If you've just stepped into a bigger leadership role and you're about to have the hardest conversations of your career, this one's for you. In this Hannah Hotline episode, Hannah coaches a listener who has rocketed from career-changer to C-suite executive in just three years, now managing nearly 30 people and reporting directly to the C...

"How you do money is how you do everything." If you've ever frozen when you should have acted, avoided looking at your bank account, or made a financial decision out of fear. This episode is going to hit differently.   Hannah sits down with Julia Scott, Sydney-based financial advisor, wealth mentor, chartered accountant, and founder of Love Luck Wealth and the upcoming FinTech platform Jane, to ta...

Being made redundant isn't just losing a pay cheque, it's being told you're no longer part of the tribe. And when your identity is tied to your work, that hits hard.  In this episode, Hannah responds to a listener who was recently made redundant, loved her job, is now terrified of falling behind in an AI-disrupted market, and is completely frozen when it comes to networking. Hannah breaks down exa...

In this episode, we unpack the sunk cost fallacy, the mental trap that keeps people stuck in jobs, relationships, projects, and decisions simply because they've already invested so much time, money, or energy. We explore why walking away can feel so hard, even when something is no longer working, and how identity, fear, loyalty, and past effort can cloud clear decision-making. Through personal sto...

You're delivering excellent work, taking on more responsibilities, and getting glowing performance reviews, so why is your salary still lagging behind?  In this episode, Hannah responds to a listener who's 15K below the median for her level despite supporting nine executives and receiving zero critical feedback. Hannah breaks down exactly how to build a business case that gets results, even after...

Rejection hurts, but it doesn't have to stop you.  In this episode, Hannah Kissel gets real about something she faces literally every single day as an entrepreneur and coach: rejection. If you've ever struggled with the fear of rejection or felt like being turned down means you're not good enough, this episode is for you. Hannah breaks down the neuroscience behind why rejection feels so painful (h...

Is work-life balance the secret to a fulfilling life or a one-way ticket to mediocrity?  Join Hannah as she tackles one of the most provocative debates in high-performance culture head-on. Spoiler: it's not black and white.  In this episode, she breaks down the difference between toxic ambition and healthy ambition, unpacks the concept of "greedy jobs," and gives you a practical framework for achi...

In this episode, Hannah shares a powerful mindset shift that high performers often struggle with: the myth of feeling "ready." After a major career milestone—becoming a columnist for The Daily Telegraph—Hannah reflects on the idea that confidence, readiness, and clarity rarely come before action. Instead, they are built through action and experience. If you've ever told yourself you'll start the b...

Why do some of the most capable, high-performing professionals feel like frauds behind closed doors? In this episode, Hannah Kissel responds to a listener working at a top tech company who is widely seen as calm, confident, and highly competent — yet privately feels anxious, ashamed, and emotionally exhausted. Despite promotions, glowing feedback, and exceptional executive presence, the listener i...

Thinking about leaving corporate for entrepreneurship — but unsure if you're actually ready? In this episode, Hannah breaks down the three non-negotiables you need in place before you quit your corporate job and start a business. Drawing from her own transition after years in big tech, as well as coaching dozens of high performers through career pivots, Hannah gets brutally honest about what makes...

In this personal  Kiss & Tell episode of Big F*cking Dreams , Hannah shares an honest behind-the-scenes reflection on excellence, ambition, identity, and growth — and what it really looks like to raise your standards without returning to burnout. From becoming unexpectedly obsessed with Heated Rivalry , to re-examining her relationship with excellence after burnout recovery, to rethinking how pain...

What do you do when your direct report keeps making serious mistakes — and you freeze every time you need to give feedback? In this Hannah Hotline episode, Hannah responds to a senior associate at a top-tier firm who feels stuck between wanting to be kind and fearing being walked all over. A glaring client-caught error, missed instructions, and unspoken resentment all collide — revealing a deeper...

What happens when your self-worth has been built on performance, achievement, and external validation — and then that structure starts to crack? In this episode, Hannah sits down with Lindsay Zohni, CEO of The Growth Option, former LinkedIn top performer, and entrepreneur, for an unfiltered conversation about anxiety, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and decoupling self-esteem from success. Li...

If you're successful in your career but exhausted by your friendships, this episode of Hannah Hotline dives deep into why high-achieving women often attract toxic friends — and how to change the pattern. Hannah responds to a listener who is excelling in her corporate career but feels emotionally drained by toxic friendships. From people-pleasing patterns and the fawn trauma response to misaligned...

In this deeply human conversation, Hannah sits down with former Oroton CEO, Jenny Child , to explore what happens after the title, the success, and the carefully built career identity. Jenny shares her experience navigating grief, leadership, and major career transitions, and how learning to slow down, let go, and be present reshaped not just her work — but her sense of self. Together, they unpack...