The Soulful Leader Podcast

What happens when we finally get our needs met? We scramble after money, love, accolades, power, etc., yet study after study shows that once basic needs are met, additional pursuit does not enhance happiness. Will Smith talks about the concept of “cliff top” (opposite of "rock bottom”) where a person has achieved everything they wanted in the material world—money, fame, sex, and success— and...

Resilience is hot! The word is being used in every context from problems, to theories, to solutions - as well as to push people to do even more. So what is it really and why does that matter to you, your team, and your business? Today, Stephanie and Maren dive into this maelstrom and talk candidly about what it is, why it's important to you and how to build true resilience within yourself, yo...

You live with a constant undercurrent of never feeling like you do enough, you are enough, or that you have enough. It's exhausting. That’s the result of being taught to look outside for your value and your worth, it leaves you empty. No matter how much you take from the outside and try to put inside, it doesn’t fill it. Today, Stephanie and Maren talk about this very poignant, timely subject...

Purpose.   Meaning.   Clarity. Do you ever feel like you’re chasing these in your life and just as you reach them, they, poof, slip through your fingers? You’re not alone. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren unpack what it really means to pursue this power trio — not as a destination, but as a living, breathing practice.  Society treats them as boxes to tick, and that’s part of the problem. Today...

When your emotions are all over the place, it’s easy to fall for everything and anything. You’re easy to manipulate. On some level you know this, so you tuck those damn emotions aside, ignore them or try to control them - which only makes things worse. They come out at the most inopportune times. Sound familiar? The truth is, emotions are not a flaw to be overcome, they are one of the amazing gift...

It’s nuts out there. And when it’s calm and focused inside - it changes everything. As a culture, we are  easily distracted   obsessive over (fill in the blank) - politics, relationships, finances, etc.  experiencing one health, environmental, societal crisis after another   swinging from wound up to completely disengaged   feeling angry one minute to hopeless the next So how do you stay sane? Foc...

What if you could feel more like yourself, have the energy and motivation you imagine AND create meaningful change in the world. It’s not a pipe dream. If you have ever felt  like you’re missing something  Like there’s an answer just beyond your grasp smaller than you know yourself to be as if you just weren’t living up to your full potential not as happy as you should be Today’s podcast has answe...

What if the thing you're clinging to is the very thing holding you back? In this week’s episode, Stephanie and Maren dive deep into the attachments we hold—money, identity, expectations—and the hidden cost of not letting go. Maren shares her powerful personal story of losing $250,000 and the radical transformation that followed when she chose to see it not as a failure, but as a gift. Togethe...

Have you ever hung on to something you know is not good for you? A habit, a belief, maybe even a relationship or a job that you know sucks, but you can't seem to let it go? The thing you say, ‘if only’ this were different, my life would be great, then you don’t change it?   ~ If only my husband were kinder, stronger, shorter, taller, etc.   ~ If only my job paid me more money   ~If only I cou...

Energy is an interesting dynamic.  It goes where we send it.  When you are angry and fight against something, that something actually gets fed. You add your energy to it. Shifting focus towards what you want instead, stops feeding the beast you don’t want and diverts the energy into building your ideal - what you DO want.  "I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrati...

Mel Robbins has caught the nation’s attention with her ‘Let Them’ Theory. It’s simple, it’s empowering and it’s not as one-size-fits-all as people want to make it. This week, Stephanie and Maren bring opposing views on “Let Them”, which opens up a world of discussions and several thought provoking examples. The essential aspect for leaders is how they use their own experience of sitting on opposit...

Have you ever felt invisible? Not seen or heard? Isolated? Ironically, you are not alone. More and more people are experiencing this. In today’s powerful podcast, Maren shares her own story and together Maren and Stephanie look at this from multiple perspectives including: the role that AI has played - and will play - in this phenomenon how to heal from from the isolation the disease of perfection...

Can a business really thrive and NOT be toxic? Can it actually be beneficial to the people running it, its customers, its workers, AND the planet? Mark Silver has the answer - and it’s a resounding YES! Mark has worked with 1000’s of businesses over the last quarter century and has proof that every act of business can be an act of love. As leaders grasp what that even means and begin to embody it,...

As humans we’ve downplayed, or completely ignored, two essential life skills: playfulness and intentionality. As leaders, we are completely missing the boat. Adding lightness to our lives is the skill we most need to cultivate. In this week’s podcast, Maren and Stephanie along with their team members, Dave and Lori share the crux of soulful leadership - leadership that heralds play, imagination an...

Have you ever struggled with any aspect of the holiday season? If so, you’ll want to tune into today’s podcast. If you could do holidays differently, what might that look like? And why?  What would it mean to you to get you in touch with your own inner presence and your gifts? Mass consumerism, big business, advertising and social media have co-opted our holidays. AND, we’ve internalized the press...

Think about that time when you were so irritated you could barely see straight. That’s emotional hijacking - it happens more than we notice AND it costs us way more than we realize. It can cost you a client, a team member, a partnership or even your reputation. As a leader, you definitely want an alternative. In today’s podcast, Maren and Stephanie talk about Maren’s personal experience of being e...

You are not the problem.   The way you were taught to solve problems is actually limiting you.  Rational thinking is inherently limited - mainly because we’re not meant to stop at ‘rational’, we are meant to keep evolving.  Einstein said that you cannot solve that problem on the same level that created it. That means traditional problem-solving methods are insufficient for addressing our modern so...

Have you ever wanted something more for someone then they want it for themselves? It can be painful and heartbreaking - for both people. And it can decimate a relationship. Today, Maren and Stephanie dig into every aspect of this from both personal and professional perspectives. They cover control and codependency, arrogance and boundary issues, internal dialogs, the external world as a mirror and...

There is a direct link between Soulful Leadership, your shadow and Halloween. Don’t let it ‘ spook ’ you!  Carl Jung has done powerful work around exploring the shadow as a path of both personal and leadership development. Today, Stephanie and Maren share how that can be done in a playful way. By consciously using Halloween (or any time of the year) you can embrace the beautiful leadership gifts t...

What motivates you? Does pain and fear get your butt in gear, or is it joy and meaning and purpose? Are ‘mess’ and ‘drama’ habitual patterns in your life? If you are comfortable complaining and don’t get really ‘motivated’ until something breaks or is on fire - then you are familiar with the fear/pain/adrenaline loop. While it works to get where you want to go, it’s exhausting and it’s probably go...

“ If I just — (fill in the blank) — had enough money, got the promotion, had the right team, was in a relationship, had a better job, lived in a different town…  THEN I would be happy! ” Right? What if that ‘one thing’ that is eluding you is your greatest gift?  And in getting it, you’d be cheated out of all the meaning, and unfolding beauty, of your life? The tantalizing shortcut, the quick fix -...

Imagine one of those moments when everything in life was clicking. You hit your stride and all cylinders were firing. Your business, and life, can be like that regularly.  And it does take an awareness of not only your personal rhythms, but of the rhythms around you as well. Just like a good drummer, you feel it when you are out of sync with yourself AND with your surroundings, you’ve just learned...

Leaders who can articulate their thoughts grab attention. Leaders who can articulate their hearts create impact and connect hearts. Both of which are much needed in today’s world. Building that skill is not about talking - the real secret is the effort those powerful leaders put into listening.  Listening to what’s being said behind someone’s words.  So often, people seem to ramble about nothing f...

Most of the time there’s a mismatch between ‘job’ and ‘person’ -  Jobs need to be filled. Finding passionate and knowledgeable help, that’s just a bonus!  People need work. Finding something you enjoy at a good company, that’s for the lucky few. Even the best ‘matched’ positions (right person) are usually not quite right (wrong job). It’s crazy that this is the accepted standard! It has a negative...

How would you like all the time in the world to do what's necessary? The mystics say that we have it, so why do we always feel behind? One reason is that we’re out of tune with our own personal rhythm. Being out of rhythm puts us into tension, takes us out of flow, we are out of sync with the timing of things (and people) around us, everything gets crunchy. When we are in sync, time expands....