The Cost of Ambition in the Age of Innovation with Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen

Most systems focus on output, not connection. On this episode of Balance Boldly, we explore why innovation that ignores intimacy comes at a high cost. “We’ve made it normal to disconnect from ourselves just to stay relevant,” but that disconnection costs far more than it returns.

If innovation erodes your relationships, it’s not true innovation. “Growth that breaks trust isn’t strategy, it’s avoidance.” Intimacy is more than a romantic notion, it’s a practical and foundational tool for ALL of the relationships you create, from the bedroom to the boardroom. Being present helps you lead better, make smarter decisions, and scale with integrity.

This episode is for leaders ready to embrace connection as a core driver of sustainable success.

Follow the BBP here on this app for bold, authentic conversations that empower you to build impact and balance on your own terms.

Want to dive a bit deeper into the ThigPro Community?

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Where Balance Meets Brilliance and Intimacy Fuels Innovation.

Subscribe: https://rebrand.ly/ThigPro-Quo

Innovation is leading the way but intimacy remains essential. On this episode of Balance Boldly, host Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen explores the true cost of ambition in today’s fast-changing world. As Dr. Thigpen says, “The world rewards motion. But the overachievers I work with are tired of spinning.”

This conversation explains why ambition that costs your peace or your people is simply too expensive. From optimizing relationships to building strong relationship infrastructure, this episode is for founders and leaders who are done pretending. Balance Boldly exists because success without self is a lie. These are real conversations about creating lives and businesses that energize you instead of draining you.

If you’re trying to balance the demands of innovation with the need for real human connection, this episode delivers clear, honest insights so you can lead with heart and sanity. It’s time to stop paying for ambition with your peace of mind.

Key themes include:

• How to balance innovation with intimacy in leadership
• Rethinking ambition beyond constant motion
• Practical strategies for growing relationships in business and life
• Candid talk for imperfect, courageous founders and leaders

Follow the BBP here on this app for bold, authentic conversations that empower you to build impact and balance on your own terms.

Want to dive a bit deeper into the ThigPro Community?

Enter ThigPro Quo

Where Balance Meets Brilliance and Intimacy Fuels Innovation.

Subscribe: https://rebrand.ly/ThigPro-Quo

In this episode of the BBP, host Naketa Ren Thigpen chats with Ashley Stanford, a digital marketing consultant and freelance expert with over 15 years of experience. This episode explores Ashley's path from career burnout to achieving balance and fulfillment. She discusses using tools like Danielle Laporte's "The Desire Map" to identify core desired feelings and the importance of setting clear boundaries in personal and professional life. Ashley shares her wisdom on juggling multiple roles, including being EVP of Client Strategy at TicketSocket and the VP and co-founder of Ice Cream Social, without losing oneself. The conversation is inspiring and practical, making it a must-listen for ambitious individuals seeking harmony.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Ambitious women's goals and responsibilities.

09:42 Embracing temporary sacrifices for future freedom.

11:35 Overcoming setbacks leads to significant achievements.

14:34 How boundaries enhance productivity and mental well-being.

18:24 Navigating life changes: parenting, avoiding burnout.

23:29 Prioritizing personal joy and self-care first.

More about Ashley Stanford

Meet Ashley Stanford, a digital marketing consultant with 15+ years of experience! She excels in creating strategic marketing plans and optimizing tactics, primarily in the events & entertainment sector, with additional expertise in healthcare and fintech. Ashley is the EVP of Client Strategy at TicketSocket and Vice President and Co-Founder of Ice Cream Social, a widget that enhances websites by driving word-of-mouth marketing and gathering valuable first-party data. Supported by Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech since 2022, Ashley's extensive background in digital marketing roles equips her with unmatched skills in customer acquisition, email, search, and content marketing.

Follow Ashley Stanford:

Ice Cream Social Website: https://icecreamsocial.io/

TicketSocket Website: https://ticketsocket.com/

Ashley LinkedIn: ashcline

Personal Note from Naketa:

The conversation doesn't stop here, come chat with me over on @naketarenthigpen Substack.

I take you deeper with unfiltered reflections, the behind-the-scenes thought process, and the real-world application of everything we unpacked here.

Pull up a chair, pour a cup (or glass, no judgement here) and let's talk work, life, love, growth, (and) how to sustain it without losing your mogul-in-the-making mind.

More on the BBP:

Introducing Balance Boldly for Ambitious Women in Business (and a few brave men) with Naketa Ren Thigpen—a transformative podcast for founders & leaders who believe that building a legacy is as much about WHO you build it with as HOW you build it.

Unlike our latest amazing podcast, The Lazy Overachiever Show, which challenges norms around self-care and growth strategies, Balance Boldly, dubbed the BBP, emphasizes the deep connections and intentional work-life balance and relationship management strategies that form the foundation for lasting impact. Amplifying the power of intimacy by demonstrating how success in the boardroom is deeply intertwined with the energy you cultivate in your personal life.

On this show (and) in Naketa's everyday life, she's sharing how prioritized mental health with non-negotiable boundaries and strong relationship health help to collapse time, while rippling joy across generations....

Does anyone else have a million things to do everyday and find that the things that used to work for you like, your old unapologetic pause is just not helping you pause anymore? And your physical, emotional and or mental health are not quite 100%? What about that activity that helped you take a breather but is now taking every breath you have, and leading you down the road to health issues instead of a healthy body?

You might also wonder: Is it OK to be selfish? Yes, it absolutely is. Because your mental health matters more than anything else. Prioritize your health and well-being at all times.

In this podcast, we get serious about Me-Time and shake the shame of being Selfish! What does being selfish look like for you?

Subscribe, REVIEW, Share & Balance Boldly

On the Balance Boldly Podcast, host Naketa Ren Thigpen talks with ambitious women in business (and a few brave men) from a wide array of industries about their pursuit of success, how they face business burnout, navigate relationship hurdles, and what overall work/life balance looks like for them. Not your conventional personal development podcast, Balance Boldly uncovers real solutions to real problems afflicting real people at home and in the workplace, daily.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or your favorite podcast app to subscribe to the show and leave your honest review.

If you want to dive deeper into personal development topics shared on the BBP (Balance Boldly Podcast) and get the “how-to” for implementing and infusing these tools, connect on LinkedIn so you get notifications for the Live Fully LinkedIn LIVESTREAMS held first and second Wednesday at 12pm EST (as long as I’m not selfishly vacationing and intentionally refueling) 😊

Order a paperback copy of my survivor memoir and personal transformational story for yourself or a friend. Selfish: Permission to Pause, Live, Love and Laugh Your Way to Joy at Barnes & Nobles, Bookshop.org or anywhere books are found.

Now Go! Enjoy the balance of your day, but remember, do it, BOLDLY!

Thank you for listening!

Naketa Ren Thigpen is a Balance (and) Relationship Advisor activating power couples (and) potent humans ready to self-actualize wholeness |Architect of Intentionally Selfish Suite Incubator- Training & Certification for Women Entrepreneurs| Podcast Host & Transformational Speaker. Interested in learning more, visit www.thigpro.com

Ready to activate joy in work/life (and LOVE), enjoy this Complimentary Masterclass at asknaketa.com

In this episode of the Balance Boldly Podcast, we step behind-the-scenes on why the boldest are embracing their inner lazy overachiever to create true balance personally (and) professionally.

Taking a personal dive by addressing feedback received from the BBP listeners who have expressed a desire for more of my professional insights, a new complimentary podcast will be airing soon and I couldn’t be more excited. Podcasting since 2012 before it was “cool” has taught me a thing or two about embracing all your parts, the new videocast style show is my way of sharing one more of mine out loud.

The BBP aka Balance Boldly for Ambitious Women in Business (and a few brave men) is here to stay! The TLO aka The Lazy Overachiever is our new addition, and you’ll want to subscribe to both.

What to expect in today's BBP episode:

- Introducing the new podcast: who are The Lazy Overachievers and why should you care

- Why being “intentionally selfish” is not about being led by your ego

- The importance of honoring your rest as much as your productivity

- BTS about the TLO show and how it will differ from the BBP

- How vulnerability and honesty still matter in the 21st century

Subscribe, REVIEW, Share & Balance Boldly

On the Balance Boldly Podcast, host Naketa Ren Thigpen talks with ambitious women in business (and a few brave men) from a wide array of industries about their pursuit of success, how they face business burnout, navigate relationship hurdles, and what overall work/life balance looks like for them. Not your conventional personal development podcast, Balance Boldly uncovers real solutions to real problems afflicting real people at home and in the workplace, daily.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or your favorite podcast app to subscribe to the show and leave your honest review.

Now Go! Enjoy the balance of your day, but remember, do it, BOLDLY!

Thank you for listening!

Follow on Instagram with me at @asknaketa

Connect on LinkedIn at Naketa Ren Thigpen

Our next guest isn’t just passionate about transforming relationships, he’s ignited highest when he can help couples transform fast! Jon Dabach is a couples counselor and relationship coach, known as Mr. Spirituality by clients and followers of his engaging podcast, Relationship Revival. Today, Jon is in the studio with host, Naketa Ren Thigpen to talk about complacency in your relationships and career path and the ripples that are created when you lean in and choose to be happy.

Get ready to be inspired! Tune in now.

What to expect in today's BBP episode:

- How happiness is connected to doing what you love doing most

- A reminder of how impactful your purpose is for the next generation

- Why it’s important to dress up for date night

- The benefit of speaking in your partners love language

- Bringing passion back into your relationship can be as easy as 1,2,3

- Bonus>>Why men should plan all the date nights moving forward…

Contact Jon Dabach

https://mrspirituality.com

https://facebook.com/mrspirituality

Subscribe, REVIEW, Share & Balance Boldly

On the Balance Boldly Podcast, host Naketa Ren Thigpen talks with ambitious women in business (and a few brave men) from a wide array of industries about their pursuit of success, how they face business burnout, navigate relationship hurdles, and what overall work/life balance looks like for them. Not your conventional personal development podcast, Balance Boldly uncovers real solutions to real problems afflicting real people at home and in the workplace, daily.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or your favorite podcast app to subscribe to the show and leave your honest review.

Now Go! Enjoy the balance of your day, but remember, do it, BOLDLY!

Thank you for listening!

Kem Odike encourages women and minority business owners in establishing strategic partnerships through her business, KemKlicks LLC. Utilizing her 20 years of experience as a Digital Marketing Manager for some of the world’s largest web hosting companies and advertising agencies, Kem inspires her clients to think big and see beyond the present. Having lived in several countries, Kem is quite familiar with a wide range of diverse cultures; however, she chooses to reside in the Philadelphia Suburban area, with her husband and 3 lovely children.

Kem joins me today to discuss how women and minorities should support one another in professional industries. She shares her business journey: her mission, her motivation, and what she does to achieve her objectives. She emphasizes the importance of people from different backgrounds working together, and shares the “stop, listen, and learn” approach to succeeding in a professional environment. She also discusses the challenges of balancing work, family, and business, and underscores the significance of focusing on strengths instead of perceived limitations.


“This is why we form partnerships: because people bring different gifts to the table.” - Kem Odike


This Week on the Balance Boldly for Ambitious Women In Business Podcast:

●The issues surrounding women supporting one another
●How Kem’s business got started
●The flawed notion of women seeing other women as rivals
●Encouraging women and people of different ethnicities to work together
●Taking the good and the bad, and turning them into something beautiful
●What she does to make an impact with KemKlicks
●The “stop, listen, and learn” approach, and how it helps Kem accomplish her mission
●The challenges of juggling family, work, and business
●Why women should not look at their perceived limitations
●The need to focus on one’s strengths, and the benefits of forming partnerships


A Little Permission to Pause:

●I work out occasionally; I love to go the sauna. I have my moment of zen there. I relax, I think, I meditate, and I think of my day and my strategy moving forward.


Connect with Kem Odike:

●KemKlicks Website www.kemclicks.com
●KemKlicks Going Global Event Page
●KemKlicks on Facebook
●KemKlicks on Twitter
●KemKlicks on LinkedIn
●KemKlicks on YouTube
●Email: Kem@kemklicks.com





Subscribe, Share & Balance Boldly

On the Balance Boldly Podcast, host Naketa R. Thigpen talks with ambitious women in business (and a few brave men) from a wide array of industries about their pursuit of success, how they face business burnout and what work/life balance looks like for them. Not your conventional self-help podcast, Balance Boldly uncovers real solutions to real problems afflicting real people at home and in the workplace, daily.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to iTunes, Spreaker, iHeart Radio, or Google Play to subscribe to the show and leave your honest review.

Connect with me, Naketa R. Thigpen @asknaketa on IG, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.


Now Go. Create Your Balance. Create Your Joy. But remember, do it, BOLDLY!

Thank you for listening!

Naketa Ren Thigpen is a Balance (and) Relationship Advisor activating power couples (and) potent humans ready to self-actualize wholeness |Architect of Intentionally Selfish Suite Incubator- Training & Certification for Women Entrepreneurs| Podcast Host & Transformational Speaker. Interested in learning more, visit www.thigpro.com

Ready to activate joy in work/life (and LOVE), enjoy this Complimentary Masterclass at asknaketa.com

Stephanie Scheller is the owner of Stephanie Scheller Enterprises, LLC., a highly successful coaching company focused on disrupting the typical way businesses operate and helping businesses and entrepreneurs scale their companies through sales, marketing, and systems. Additionally, she is a sought-after keynote speaker, a trained martial arts professional, and the author of Friend Power. Over the last 7 years, she has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and over 700 businesses, including Time Warner Cable, Alamo Area Home Care Council, and the South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center Network.

Stephanie joins me today to share what a CEO does, what an Inner CEO Meeting is, and how to use this technique to impact your success. She discusses why it’s crucial to have a “third eye” looking into your business who’s not connected to your organization and has gone where you wanted to go. She also shares why you shouldn’t try to figure everything out for yourself, why it’s not selfish to take care of yourself, and how you can unapologetically care more for yourself at the office, at your desk, and while you’re working from home.

Thank you for listening!

Send your balance challenge questions over to me at asknaketa@thigpro.com

Access Show Notes: https://thigpro.com/caring-for-the-inner-ceo-with-stephanie-scheller

Connect on Twitter at www.twitter.com/balanceboldly

Naketa Ren Thigpen is a Balance (and) Relationship Advisor activating power couples (and) potent humans ready to self-actualize wholeness |Architect of Intentionally Selfish Suite Incubator- Training & Certification for Women Entrepreneurs| Podcast Host & Transformational Speaker. Interested in learning more, visit www.thigpro.com

Ready to activate joy in work/life (and LOVE), enjoy this Complimentary Masterclass at asknaketa.com