The Balance Theory

You weren't born with low self-esteem, you were actually born really confident. You learned low self-esteem. And the confidence you've been waiting to feel? You were born with that too - life just made you forget it. In this clip, therapist and bestselling author Marisa Peer breaks down exactly where low self-esteem comes from, why it isn't who you are, and why chasing other people's approval is t...

You do not need to be the obvious person to build something real. In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Aimee Smale, founder of Odd Muse and 29 year old millionaire, to unpack the story nobody tells about building something from nothing. Not the strategy, not the business plan, not the perfect moment. The quiet, unassuming journey of someone who was never supposed to do this...

You already know what you do. But do you know who you are? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Rahaf Kobeissi, mental health and mindset expert, published author, and keynote speaker, to unpack one of the most quietly common experiences of high achieving people, building a life that looks right on paper and still feeling like something essential is missing. This isn't anoth...

Today Dr Shefali, a NYT bestselling author and the world's leading conscious parenting psychologist, joins Erika to unpack the childhood patterns running your adult life, and how to stop them here. This isn't another conversation about how to be a better parent. It's about understanding the difference between who you became by default and who you actually want to be. If you've ever caught yourself...

You're not bad with money. It's just that nobody ever taught you how to actually relate to it, and this conversation changes that. In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Carol Glynn, award-winning Finance Coach & Mentor, Chartered Accountant (FCA) and founder of Conscious Finance Coaching, to unpack why so many women feel stuck with money, not because they're doing it wrong, b...

You've been doing the work. Reading, listening, growing, trying. And yet something keeps feeling off, like the life you're building is quietly being pulled in a direction you didn't choose. In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, bestselling author of Solve for Happy and Scary Smart, and one of the most original thinkers on...

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed or like your brain just won’t switch off? In this episode of The Balance Theory Podcast, we sit with Alice Law and unpack the stress advice that can actually change your life , not by pretending stress does not exist or that it’s unavoidable, but by helping you understand what is happening in your brain, body, environment and inner world when stress takes over. This c...

What does it really take to become the version of yourself who can hold the success, business, life and vision you say you want? In this episode of The Balance Theory Podcast, I sit down with Anam Khalid, co-founder of SQUATWOLF, to talk about the personal evolution behind building a global brand, from leaving the corporate world, to trusting the unknown, to developing the self-belief required bef...

What does it really take to become her, the woman who creates abundance, wealth, success and a life that once felt impossible? In this powerful episode of The Balance Theory, I sit down with Honia Kader to unpack the mindset, identity work and self-belief required to become the 1%, not just financially, but emotionally, energetically and internally. Honia shares how she went from feeling like succ...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re just going through the motions of life… this episode is for you. On the outside, everything might look good. You’re doing what you’re “supposed” to do. But internally, something feels off. Like you’re not fully in your life. In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with psychologist Dr Louise Lambert to explore why so many of us feel disconnected from...

What if confidence isn’t something you build… but something you express? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Shereen Mitwalli to unpack one of the biggest misconceptions around confidence: that it comes from what you say, when in reality… it comes from how you say it. If you’ve ever felt like you know what you want to say but hesitate, overthink, or struggle to articulate y...

What if the reason you still feel off… isn’t because you’re not trying hard enough, but because the advice you’re following was never designed for your body? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Iman Hasan to unpack one of the most frustrating experiences so many women face: doing everything “right” when it comes to health - eating clean, trying fasting, investing in supplem...

What if the reason you haven’t changed your life yet… isn’t because you’re not capable, but because you’re not ready in the way you think? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with top 1% podcast host and founder Shivani Pau to unpack the reality behind wanting more, feeling stuck, and questioning whether it’s time to leave your job. This isn’t another conversation telling you to...

 What if the reason so many ambitious women feel torn about motherhood isn’t because they have to choose… but because no one has shown them how both can actually work? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with psychologist and friend (and her first guest ever on the show) Nancy Sokarno, to unpack the real, unfiltered experience of becoming a working mum - beyond the surface-level...

What if the reason you’re not living your dream life yet isn’t because you’re not working hard enough… but because you’re focusing on the wrong things? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with manifestation expert and entrepreneur Regan Hillyer to break down what actually creates results and why working harder is often the biggest misconception holding you back. This is not abou...

What if the reason you feel constantly busy, overwhelmed, or pulled in every direction is because you’re saying yes to the wrong things? In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Christine Assouad - author, serial entrepreneur, investor on Shark Tank Lebanon, and founder behind multiple ventures including Dunkin’ Lebanon and Semsom. She has mentored thousands of women across the...

What if the version of you that feels stuck, behind, or embarrassed about your past… is actually standing at the beginning of something powerful? In this episode, I sit down with Crazy Auntie Ann, who went from alcoholism and rock bottom to 3M+ followers on TikTok, not by trying to go viral, but by finally becoming herself. We talk about what it really means to stop caring what people think, how t...

From making just $300 a day in her early bakery days to raising $25 million in venture capital and expanding from local to global, this growth story is extraordinary. But this conversation isn’t just about numbers. It’s about what happens when success comes fast. In this episode of The Balance Theory, I’m joined by Brooki, founder of Brooki Bakehouse, for her first ever podcast interview. We talk...

What if the reason positive thinking hasn’t worked for you… isn’t because you’re doing it wrong, but because no one ever showed you how your mind actually listens? In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Marisa Peer, and we go far beyond motivation or feel-good affirmations. This is a practical, step-by-step breakdown of how the words you use, especially the ones you say to yourself, directl...

In this episode, we explore what self-respect actually means, beyond confidence, beyond success, beyond applause. For years, today’s guest chased respect externally, having thoughts like: If you liked me, I liked me. If you approved, I felt safe. But as she shares, that way of living slowly disconnects you from yourself. I’m joined by Dr Katherine Iscoe to unpack: • Why people-pleasing is often ro...

If you’re serious about podcast growth and creator growth, this episode will change how you think about building content that actually scales. In this behind-the-scenes conversation, I sit down with Grace Miller, Head of Experimentation & Failure at The Diary of a CEO, to unpack how one of the world’s biggest podcasts thinks about growth, testing, and long-term success. We go inside how elite crea...

Today, we break down the science of confidence, why self-doubt isn’t always the enemy, and how understanding your specific doubt pattern can unlock lasting self-trust, without becoming someone you’re not. In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Shadé Zahrai, behavioural researcher, award-winning peak performance educator, and one of the leading voices on confidence, self-image, and self-doubt. This...

Confidence today feels different. We’re navigating a world where AI can outperform humans, social media is increasingly curated (and often fake), and comparison is no longer occasional, it’s constant. Even the most grounded, capable people are quietly questioning themselves. In this episode, we explore how to stay confident when nothing online feels real anymore and how to use social media without...

Why do so many relationships fail, even if there’s love? In this episode, I sit down with Mo Gawdat to unpack the logic, equations, and skills behind relationships and why love itself is actually the easy part. Mo is the bestselling author of Solve for Happy and a former Google X executive, known for applying engineering and systems thinking to life’s hardest problems. In this conversation, we exp...

If you feel like there’s a gap between the person you are and the person you know you could be, this episode is for you. In this conversation with Karen Mattar, we explore what really keeps people stuck in the same patterns year after year and why motivation, willpower, and “trying harder” so often fail. This episode is about outgrowing a life that no longer fits, rebuilding confidence through sel...