Clarity on Fire

Here's a metaphor for you: You're a tree. You've got lots of branches—career, romance, friends, family, hobbies, health—but only one trunk. If your "career" branch is feeling lackluster, does it really make sense to spend a lot of time pruning, clipping, and sprucing just that branch? Isn't it likely that if one branch is withering, all of the branches might be affected? And in that case, why not...

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, a monthly advice segment where we answer audience questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself. On this episode, we're answering questions from: Carly, who's embroiled in a stand-off with her boss. Carly just wants to be allowed to work with the patients tha...

I'm slightly obsessed with Malcolm Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History. It appeals to my nerdy, inquisitive side. In case you're curious, here's the official description of his podcast: "Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past — an event, a person, an idea, even a song — and asks whether we...

If you knew there was a pill you could take that was known to decrease stress, lift you out of anxiety and depression, seriously improve your mood, ease your digestion, help you sleep better, and allow you to discover and make peace with who you really are, while being absolutely free and having zero harmful side effects … you'd be clamoring to take it, right?? So then why are so many of us not me...

One of my favorite movies of all time is Moonstruck , starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. Even if you haven't seen it, you'd probably recognize the scene where Nic Cage's character sighs, in his dopey way, that he's in love with Cher's character. And then Cher rears back, slaps him in the face twice , for good measure, and says, "Snap out of it!" Well this new podcast segment is me, stepping into my i...

Everyone is, or has been, in denial many times over the course of their life. And if you think this episode won't apply to you, think again! You may be in denial about being in denial . Meta. Denial isn't inherently bad or wrong, though it's understandable if you've thought so. It's actually a pretty normal form of self-protection — sometimes it's just too hard to face something, or you've got too...

As you can probably imagine, a lot of the people I coach are currently on the hunt for a new job. Some of them are desperate for a new job, like, yesterday … and others are happy where they're at for now, but know this isn't their "forever" career, so they want to be open to new opportunities. Whatever your reason for looking for a new job, I wish I could tell you with complete sincerity that job...

Francine Mends' life is unrecognizable from four years ago when she was feeling trapped and miserable in her highly specialized field of neuroradiology, with no escape in sight. After a series of personal tragedies that emotionally shook her to her core, she decided to finally make some serious (and scary) changes in her life, including doing something she never imagined she could do: take a year-...

As an introvert, I love alone time. It recharges me and keeps me sane. But "alone" is a different sensation than "lonely," and I've all too often felt lonely, even though I enjoy being alone. Being alone can be thrilling and energizing, mostly because it's a luxury that we don't always have when we live or work with other people. It's like going on vacation—the reason it's enjoyable is precisely b...

You're in for a special "Krachel-Squared" episode of Dear Krachel (our advice segment where we answer audience questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself) this month! After reading one of our listener's conundrums, we immediately realized we weren't the best, most experienced people to address her i...

Five years ago, I would've done anything to have a full-time coaching business. I'm sure I bored my friends and family to death by incessantly talking about it. But I couldn't help it — it was practically all I thought about. I was beyond impatient, but it's just because I wanted it so badly . It seems so silly now, but I remember one desperate night writing a letter to God or the Universe or Life...

Last week we introduced you to the Enneagram—a personality assessment that may just be the Holy Grail of all personality tests, if you ask us. If you haven't listened to part one of our conversation about The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson from last Friday, then be sure to go back and listen to that first! You'll get a good summary of what the Enneagram is, how it can...

As a highly sensitive person prone to anxiety, SO much of my life has been about trying to control my circumstances to make it easier for me to relax and feel secure. (I recently wrote about the connection between perfectionism and being a highly sensitive person , which you should definitely check out if you haven't.) If I get too unconscious, I can still easily slip into feeling overwhelmed and...

Every once in a while you stumble across something that makes you go, "Where have YOU been my whole life?!" Sometimes it's a hot person, other times it's a meal that's so good you want to cry, and if you're a nerd like we are, then sometimes it's a personality assessment. The Enneagram is like nothing else we've ever taken or learned about! Some assessments are cute and fun to flirt with, but othe...

Guys, IT'S HAPPENING. Getting Over People Pleasing is finally here and open for enrollment! If you're not on the VIP list yet, you really should be because we're emailing anyone on that list a code for $50 off the course (good through this Friday, August 23rd)! Oh, AND we're gifting a free coaching session, at random, to TEN people who sign up during the enrollment period ( but again, only if you'...

One of the many jobs that I, Rachel, had in the years after graduating college was admin at a criminal defense law firm. I encountered a whole new level of humanity in the year I worked there. I had two convicted murderers compliment me on the quality of my work … which I was not at all sure how to take, ha! Without getting into the gross details (because you really don't want to hear what happene...

Tell me if you can relate to this: You're sitting in a work meeting, and someone says something you disagree with. You think about speaking up to share your opinion or different idea, but the little voice in your head says, "Ehh, don't bother, it's not worth it."  (Then later, you kick yourself when someone else shares the same idea you had.) Or you're talking to your mom/sister/friend/spouse/etc....

You're in for a real treat this month—We've got not one, not two, but three normal people coming at you! In honor of our upcoming course, Getting Over People Pleasing , we sat down with two of our very best friends (Stacy Campesi and Joanna Platt, who you may remember from their past expert appearances on the podcast) to talk about all the ways that people-pleasing has affected them, and Kristen (...

I'm living a very different life than I thought I would be four or five years ago. It's easy, when you're looking ahead to the future, to visualize only the golden, stellar, awesome parts. Obviously, right? I mean, who sits around visualizing the mundane and tedious and frustrating bits of their future? I certainly didn't. All I saw, four or five years ago, was a life of purpose and ease — days fu...

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, a monthly advice segment where we answer audience questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself. On this episode, we're answering questions from: Samantha, who can't figure out whether she should keep living in the city or trade that in for more fresh air and...

Several months ago, I was helping facilitate a multi-day business training. I didn't know any of the other instructors, so when I showed up on the first day, I introduced myself to the training team. I instantly got a weird vibe from the head trainer.  She ignored my introduction entirely and started spouting off everything that still needed to be done before we could get started. Her frantic ener...

We've certainly been known to work some magic in people's lives. Career direction, life fulfillment, relationship satisfaction, spiritual peace—we can get you there. But as magical and life-changing as coaching is, there's a limit to our fairy godmother-esque powers! When it comes to the nitty-gritty details of helping you find the perfect job (after we've helped you figure out what that job is ),...

You've probably heard that oft-repeated, likely untrue anecdote about frogs: If they start out sitting in cool water, and the temperature is gradually raised bit by bit, they'll never jump out. They'll end up boiling themselves to death without ever realizing it. And now you're thinking, "Wow, super weird and depressing intro to a blog! Thanks, Rachel." I know! Forgive me. It's just … I AM that fr...

All of us know at least one blatant, dare we say egregious , people-pleaser. Maybe it's your mom, or your best friend, or your boss … or maybe it's you. But we've noticed a pattern lately, and we think you need to be clued into it: Some of the worst offenders when it comes to people-pleasing don't realize they're people-pleasers! In fact, we've had clients who vehemently denied being a people-plea...

Instead of a new blog, on today's episode of the podcast we're taking a few minutes to clue you in to two MORE major developments in the Clarity on Fire universe! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT #1 Our new course, Getting Over People Pleasing, will be open for enrollment on Tuesday, August 20th! This course will NOT be available 24/7. Right now, consider it a one-time thing. We may end up offering it again at so...