The Soulful Leader Podcast

Have you ever wondered, why does this keep happening? Does it sometimes feel like you keep falling into the same hole? This week, Stephanie and Maren get real about what it means to lead from a higher place when life (or the people in it) comes at you hard. Using the powerful Buddhist parable of the "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters," they unpack why high-functioning people so often...

You're doing all the things. Checking every box. Pushing through. And yet the mountain in front of you still looms. You’ve been told that needing support is a weakness, so you keep going- running on fumes. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get real about what happens when achievers hit empty — and why the instinct to push through ‘one more thing’ is actually flawed conditioning, not real w...

Do you ever wake up at 3 a.m. wondering what it’s all for? Thinking there must be something more ? Maybe you've checked all the boxes.    Career? Thriving.    Family? Taken care of.    Life on paper? Pretty great.  So why are you waking up in the middle of the night with that gnawing feeling that something is... off? In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get real about those middle-of-the-nigh...

You’re spinning in place. You’ve done this already and your success is feeling hollow. 👉🏻 Maybe you've built the business, or climbed the mountain.  👉🏻 Maybe you've checked every box society told you to check.  👉🏻 Maybe it’s just a quiet, persistent whisper telling you “there’s more, there’s something else…”   In this episode, Stephanie and Maren explore what happens when the formu...

You've worked hard to build the life you have. So why does it feel like something's missing — or worse, like you're stuck? Here's the uncomfortable truth: the very things you're gripping tightest might be exactly what's keeping you from the life you actually want. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren go down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland to uncover her secr...

Do you ever feel trapped between going all-in (the constant go, go, go, go), or needing to check out (the I've earned it, I've put in my time, I'm just I'm done.) You are NOT alone. The secret that no one tells us - there IS another option.  Society teaches us to push, push, push — in business, in relationships, in life — which works for awhile. Then we crash and burn, and all...

You did everything right. You climbed the mountain, hit the milestones, checked all the boxes — and then you got there and thought... is this really it? That quiet emptiness at the top of success is something nobody warns you about. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get honest about why achieving your goals can feel like the loneliest moment of your life — and what's actually missing. Spoi...

Are you playing to win, or just playing not to lose?  There's a mindset that is quietly shaping your life... Watching the Olympics this year got us thinking — not just about athletic excellence, but about the mindset behind it. Do you want to win because you've pushed yourself to your absolute best? Or do you want to win simply because everyone else fell short In this episode, Stephanie...

Feeling stuck on the inside while life keeps rolling by?  You're not alone—and you might be looking in the wrong place for answers. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren dive into why we feel so powerless when we focus only on the outer world, and how real transformation happens when we turn inward. They explore the connection between our physical symptoms and emotional stuffing, why nobody wa...

Ready to trade your inner ‘itty bitty shitty committee’ for a better compass: alignment ?  The Soulful Leader Team sits down for a candid year-in-review where they share how they have shifted their own lives and identities - and they’ve turned small practices into meaningful change.  Dave shares how producing our show became his deep practice: spacing out work to absorb insights in layers, and the...

Your morning route, the layout of a room and even the items on your desk quietly decide who you are each day.  That means they can also help you when you want to change. This week, Maren & Stephanie dig into the hidden script behind habits and show how small environmental edits, supportive community, and gentle inner work help you change old habits, stick to new ones and achieve the things you...

A reality check for overachievers and perfectionists who are tired of trying to “get it right.” We’re a society of overachievers and perfectionists who keep trying to “get it right.” We've been taught that the solution is ‘fixing outcomes’, yet we’ve tried that -over and over again, and it’s still not working.  The real path to what you want? It’s expanding your identity and capacity. And tha...

The resolution and goal frenzy is loud - and frustrating. What if there is a richer path?  Stephanie and Maren kick off the year by turning goal setting on its head. They reframe why we set goals, how we measure progress, and what actually sustains motivation when the novelty fades. 👉🏻 Instead of chasing numbers to prove worth, they explore how to build meaning like a skill.  👉🏻 They unpack a...

What if your most important work has nothing to do with a checklist?  This is Stephanie and Maren’s 200th episode and they’re celebrating two-fold: by sharing a glimpse into their future  by unveiling a bit of their secret sauce to help you get the MOST out of this year In 2026 they’re taking the leap into live shows -  connecting in real time, fielding your questions, and engaging in direct conve...

Are you feeling the pressure of the end of the year? What if you could let go of that pressure and actually feel renewed going into 2026?  What if that pressure is the very thing cutting you off from what you truly need and want? Today, Stephanie and Maren share their unconventional point of view regarding resolutions, goals and pushing through. Their engaging conversation meanders through persona...

Are you tired of fighting through life and work? Perpetually exhausted? You’re not alone. It’s a messy world that seems to offer only two exhausting extremes: numbing out or fighting everything. What if you could stay open-hearted in this messy world without carrying everyone else’s pain home with you?  This week, Stephanie and Maren dive into how to create a clear, livable path that transcends th...

You feel the need to constantly ‘do’, to be in motion. You feel guilty when you stop, rest, or need a break. Why? The simple, and uncomfortable answer is that being busy hides our deeper fears. We use it as a safety blanket for our egos even though it really signals burnout and walls us off from intimacy with others and with ourselves. Today, Maren & Stephanie dive deep down the rabbit hole of...

Ever had a simple task become overwhelming?  👉🏻 It’s not the task, it’s the story we’re telling ourselves ABOUT the task!  This week, Stephanie and Maren dive into the cost of “it’s so hard” and trace where the heaviness really lives: not in the action itself, in the narrative we keep rehearsing. From a timeless Zen parable about two monks to a very modern yardwork fiasco, they unpack how righte...

There are very real costs to people-pleasing, and you’re likely living them - the quiet resentment that builds after a hasty yes or the loss of trust that happens when someone can’t deliver on a promise. People pleasing doesn't please, it erodes: trust, time, and energy. With a memorable five-year roof story and hard-won lessons from work and relationships, Stephanie and Maren unpack why “jus...

What if you’re not broken—you’re just waiting for permission you can only give yourself?  Stephanie and Maren sit down with Jillian Riley, author of The Ten Permissions, to rethink how we lead, parent, and make choices in a world where old formulas no longer fit. Instead of chasing the “right” answer, they explore how to use experiments over equations build the capacity to choose  recover quickly...

Ever noticed how often we get trapped in rigid, black-and-white thinking that leaves no room for growth or connection?  That 'certainty' might actually be your biggest obstacle. Stephanie and Maren share their illuminating conversation, that explores the hidden dangers of all-or-nothing thinking  being stuck in patterns of right versus wrong the 'yes versus no', and 'us ve...

Have you ever felt frustrated with goal setting? Thinking ‘here I go again, next goal, next goal’? Today, Maren & Stephanie offer an alternative to the on-going and soul sucking goal/achievement loop.   “How many amazing achievers have gone out there, achieved their goal and think, great... now what? Is this it?” ~ Stephanie J. Allen Whether you’ve used SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,...

Planning is the road to success, the path to freedom.  Or is it? What if planning only part of the answer, and not having the whole picture is keeping you VERY stuck? Today Stephanie and Maren unpack what we’ve been taught about planning (and sticking to the plan), how it’s holding us back, how we can use it and what it actually takes to step fully into our flow. It requires both awareness and pra...

“Why is that coming up AGAIN ? I dealt with that!” Have you felt like that? You think, ‘I've been here. I've done this already.’  When that shows up, do you get frustrated, assume you did something wrong and beat yourself up about it? Or do you get curious and excited? Today’s podcast will give you a perspective that goes beyond the judgement of right and wrong; a perspective that will e...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying a big sack of potatoes wondering why you feel tired and heavy and you can't sleep, this podcast is for you. Today, Maren & Stephanie dive into the Shadow, what it is, why it matters and how to use it to lighten your load and lead a more joyful and fulfilled life. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call...