Refreshing Leadership with Maya - Career, Leadership & Life Design

If money admin sits on your 2026 goals list but fills you with a low-level sense of dread, this episode is for you. In this episode, Maya Gudka shares a calm, sustainable approach to getting on top of your finances , without overwhelm, avoidance, or perfectionism. Rather than treating money as an end goal, Maya reframes it as a powerful enabler : one that shapes your career choices, your risk tole...

If January already feels noisy, overwhelming, or full of other people’s goals  this is the episode for you. In this episode Maya Gudka shares a more strategic way to orient yourself at the start of the year , whether you already have goals, are still deliberating, or feel completely stuck. Rather than rushing into action, Maya explains why January is a unique window for reflection, organisation, a...

Most high achievers assume they fail at their goals because they didn’t push hard enough or weren’t disciplined enough. But after working with thousands of leaders, Maya Gudka knows that’s almost never the real issue. In this episode, Maya shares the goal-setting method she’s using for 2026 - a simple but powerful approach designed to make your biggest goals inevitable , not exhausting. Instead of...

In this solo episode, Maya takes you behind the scenes of her own 2025 year in review   and shares an easy, data-informed method you can borrow for your own reflection. Instead of relying on fuzzy memory or end-of-year recency bias, Maya uses a monthly “Ta Da List” (a done list), Apple Notes, and a touch of AI support to create a much more accurate picture of what actually happened this year: in w...

If you hold many roles but want to do so with clarity, calm, and joy, this episode gives you a rare behind-the-scenes look at Sarah Hart-Unger’s systems, mindset, and rituals. In this episode, Maya sits down with one of her long-time planning and productivity influences: Sarah Hart-Unger, a physician, mother of three, podcaster, planner, blogger, and now author.  Sarah shares the practical plannin...

What does it really look like to be fully supported as a high achiever and how do you know if this is your moment to do it?  Whether you’re considering coaching for the first time, thinking about your next career or life chapter, or simply craving more alignment and ease, Maya breaks down the common hesitations and mindsets that hold people back and how to move past them. 💡 You’ll Learn: How to r...

If you’ve ever wondered why certain triggers, conflicts, or self-sabotaging habits keep reappearing, this episode will help you understand them at a deeper, transformative level. By the end, you’ll have a clearer sense of how to access your own shadow, reclaim lost parts of yourself, and unlock a level of self-awareness that elevates both your leadership and your life. Every high achiever has a fe...

If you’re a high achiever who has built success through relentless doing, pushing harder, and staying “always on,” this episode will challenge and transform the way you think about achievement. Maya is joined by bestselling author and leadership thinker Steven D’Souza, whose book Not Doing explores how pausing, letting go, and working with natural rhythms can lead to more success, not less. Togeth...

Confidence isn’t one thing, it’s many. There’s confidence in your expertise, confidence in being visible, confidence in your new identity, and even confidence in speaking your truth. In this episode, Maya breaks down three things she often finds herself saying to clients about confidence. From treating confidence like a muscle you can train, to understanding how external factors (like a disengaged...

If you’re waiting for a promotion, title, or recognition before you start showing up as a leader, this episode will change your approach. In this short and powerful reflection, Maya shares how one simple shift in energy and self-perception helped a client step into leadership long before the title arrived - and how that ripple effect transformed his time management, confidence, and balance. Throug...

If you’ve ever been told “let your work speak for itself,” “say yes to everything,” or “stay out of office politics,” this episode will change the way you think about career success. Maya breaks down three of the most common and well-meaning pieces of advice that secretly hold high achievers back. These beliefs can quietly limit your visibility, overload your schedule, and block your access to rea...

In this final part of our mini-series, Maya and Graziela dive into two of the most common and misunderstood patterns in high-achievers, especially those in leadership or caregiving roles. You’ll discover why avoiding conflict and over-giving can erode your confidence, your clarity, and your career and most importantly, how to shift into the sage mindset that restores power, presence, and peace. We...

In part two of the Positive Intelligence mini-series on The Executive Coach Podcast, Maya Gudka and executive coach Graziela Cajado-Ogland explore two saboteurs that organisations often reward: the Hyper-Achiever and the Hyper-Rational. These patterns can fuel incredible performance, but left unchecked, they distort our sense of self-worth. Maya's clients are increasingly coming to her specifi...

If you're a high-achiever, what's holding you back likely isn’t a lack of ambition or skill—it's the unseen internal patterns running in the background. In this powerful episode, we explore the Positive Intelligence framework by Shirzad Chamine to reveal the 9 "saboteurs" that drain your energy, impact your leadership, and quietly sabotage your success. Executive coach Graziela Cajado-Ogland joins...

🎙️ Welcome back to The Executive Coach Podcast where we help high-achievers design careers and lives they’re excited to wake up to. This episode is designed to help you finish the year strong, with clarity, confidence, and a sense of grounded momentum. In this episode, I’ll guide you through a reflective yet practical process to: Revisit your original goals with fresh eyes Scan your calendar to re...

Are you feeling a little scattered post-summer? Forgot your word of the year? Lost track of your goals? You’re not alone and it’s not too late. In this short but powerful episode, Maya offers a grounded and inspiring 90-day reset to help you finish the year with clarity, intention, and pride. With just one question “What’s the one thing I want to toast to on New Year’s Eve?” you’ll be able to cut...

We often talk about the magic of morning routines, but the real secret? They start the night before. In this episode, Maya shares her simple, soulful evening routine, designed to help high achievers wind down, recharge, and set the tone for a spacious, focused, and exciting tomorrow. From screen-time boundaries and stretching rituals to her favourite journaling question and the genius app that fin...

Welcome back to The Executive Coach Podcast, where we help high achievers move beyond box-ticking busyness and into careers that feel spacious, fulfilling, and exciting to wake up to. In today’s episode, I’m diving into a bold but essential truth: Senior-level promotions aren’t earned - they’re negotiated. This insight struck a nerve when I first shared it on social media, and for good reason. If...

Do you ever feel like you’re working hard, doing all the right things, even exceeding expectations and yet, somehow, you still feel behind? Maybe colleagues are being promoted, someone just landed a board role, or LinkedIn is buzzing with achievements that make you question your own progress. You’re not underperforming… but something still feels off. In this episode, Maya Gudka breaks down: ✨ 3 h...

Maya Gudka shares how to reset your morning routine for success—without the guilt, the 12-step rituals, or the 5AM alarms.✨ Whether your mornings start with a school run, Zoom call, or you’re just wondering where your coffee mug went—this is for you. You’ll learn: ✅ The only two things your morning really needs (backed by science) ❌ The one habit you can drop—and even benefit more by doing it l...

We’re doing something a little different this August on The Executive Coach Podcast: Welcome to the August Rejuvenation Series! Every weekday you will receive one tiny, super doable tip, to help you switch gears this August and, as we coaches like to say, rest hard! I’ve searched for the tiniest actions (often 60 seconds or less!) that can have the biggest rejuvenation impact and layered up to cre...

We’re doing something a little different this August on The Executive Coach Podcast: Welcome to the August Rejuvenation Series! Every weekday you will receive one tiny, super doable tip, to help you switch gears this August and, as we coaches like to say, rest hard! I’ve searched for the tiniest actions (often 60 seconds or less!) that can have the biggest rejuvenation impact and layered up to cre...

We’re doing something a little different this August on The Executive Coach Podcast: Welcome to the August Rejuvenation Series! Every weekday you will receive one tiny, super doable tip, to help you switch gears this August and, as we coaches like to say, rest hard! I’ve searched for the tiniest actions (often 60 seconds or less!) that can have the biggest rejuvenation impact and layered up to cre...

We’re doing something a little different this August on The Executive Coach Podcast: Welcome to the August Rejuvenation Series! Every weekday you will receive one tiny, super doable tip, to help you switch gears this August and, as we coaches like to say, rest hard! I’ve searched for the tiniest actions (often 60 seconds or less!) that can have the biggest rejuvenation impact and layered up to cre...

We’re doing something a little different this August on The Executive Coach Podcast: Welcome to the August Rejuvenation Series! Every weekday you will receive one tiny, super doable tip, to help you switch gears this August and, as we coaches like to say, rest hard! I’ve searched for the tiniest actions (often 60 seconds or less!) that can have the biggest rejuvenation impact and layered up to cre...