The Soulful Leader Podcast

There’s a “new” trend going viral that’s actually an old human skill: being present. When we stop filling every quiet moment with a podcast, music, texts, and to-do lists, we start noticing what we’ve been missing, and that shift touches everything from mindful leadership to mental health. In today’s podcast, Maren & Stephanie talk about the push culture that rewards nonstop doing and how it c...

A corny joke about a vacuum cleaner lands on a surprisingly sharp truth: attachment is less about what we have and more about what has us .  Clinging to old identities -the version of your career, your relationship, or your identity that used to work and doesn't anymore- makes change feel like a threat instead of an invitation.  In this episode, Stephanie and Maren unpack what attachment actu...

Do you ever find yourself asking, "why isn't this working for me when it works for everyone else?" You do all the “right” things and still feel stuck, and the most painful part is how fast that turns into self-blame.  Today’s episode is your permission slip to stop blaming and start listening to something deeper instead. “Wrong” and “not ready” are not the same, yet when something g...

What if the discomfort you’re trying to fix, outrun and muscle through isn’t punishment at all - it’s an invitation? This week, Stephanie and Maren flip the script on pain, pressure and the “shoulds” that keep high achievers stuck on autopilot in their lives. For the most part, you like your life. You’ve built something that works. So why does something still feel off? A low-grade dissatisfaction...

You’re the reliable one. If something needs to get done, you’re the to do it. Which not only means there’s no space for you, or your dreams -it unwittingly stifles the people around you.  If you’ve ever watched someone struggle and thought, “Let me just do it for you,” you already know this tension that lives at the heart of leadership. It can feel unbearable because our culture equates busyness w...

Today, one of our very own superfans, Dawn Boutilier, shares how she built a business that checks all the boxes - passion, flow, joy, income, and mostly - deep meaning. Her work has not only changed her personally, it’s changed her family and her community. Dawn was one of our first listeners and has worked with us in multiple capacities over the years and it was an absolute honor to speak with he...

Control equals competence, right? That’s the common belief. In reality, control is tight shoulders, a busy mind, and a simmering irritation when other people don’t do it “the right way.”  This week, Stephanie and Maren take a candid look at how the need to manage everything is actually a leadership trap . As always, they don’t leave you hanging - they tell engaging stories, bring wisdom with laugh...

The world is changing faster than the plans you were taught to trust. That’s why the question “What’s next?” feels both urgent and impossible.  Careers peter out, industries disappear, and AI is reshaping the job market - the old strategy of lining up a safe, logical path has not only stopped delivering the expected security, it barely functions at all.  It’s most likely that your next job doesn’t...

You had a dream once. Maybe you still do — buried under "being realistic," other people's opinions, and the quiet voice that says "who do you think you are?" In this episode, Stephanie and Maren share their own stories about dream killers — both the external ones (threatened bosses or co-workers, well meaning parents, etc) and the internal ones (our own fears and doubts, t...

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...