In this episode, Jill Young and executive coach and author Kathy Sullivan dive into the power of coaching tools—from validated assessments to simple visuals like a life wheel—and how they help clients see themselves more clearly and create intentional change. They explore the balance between using established instruments such as DISC, CliftonStrengths, and emotional intelligence assessments, and trusting the coach’s own intuition to create new tools in real time with clients. Together they unpack how data, reflection, and experimentation all serve the same goal: honoring the magic in both coach and client while making change feel doable instead of overwhelming.​

The conversation then shifts into Kathy’s book, Moms Eat First: 5 Principles to Prioritize Yourself and Create the Change You Crave, born from her lived experience as a working single mom, a longtime HR and organizational development leader, and a coach who has sat with hundreds of women in leadership. She shares how the five principles emerged during the trenches of the pandemic, why reflection and rediscovering your own dreams matter so much for moms, and how “aims” and following your energy can sometimes be more honest than rigid long‑term goals.​

Jill and Kathy also talk candidly about the “second shift,” the invisible “third shift” mental load, and what it really takes to negotiate for what you want at work and at home using emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and courageous conversations. They close with a playful Sweet Ass Affirmations card pull on intuition, using it as a springboard to talk about slowing down, listening to your gut as one important data point, and integrating head, heart, and gut in both life and coaching.​

Meet Kathy!
Kathy Sullivan is the owner of Talent Principles, an executive coaching and organizational development consultancy where she helps leaders and teams improve performance through people-centered change. Drawing on 20+ years in human resources and organizational change, she brings a grounded, practical lens to emotional intelligence, leadership development, and culture work.​
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She is also the author of Moms Eat First: 5 Principles to Prioritize Yourself and Create the Change You Crave, a book that guides moms to step out of autopilot, reflect on what they truly want, and design sustainable change that honors both their families and their own ambitions. In addition to one‑on‑one coaching, Kathy designs women-in-leadership programs and women’s health forums that create space for reflection, data‑informed choices, and community for working moms.

Show Links!

• Moms Eat First – https://momseatfirst.com
• Talent Principles – https://talentprinciples.com
• Sweet Ass Affirmations Deck – https://ragecreate.com (search “Sweet Ass Affirmations”)
• Coaching Magic with Jill Young – https://www.jillyoung.com/coaching-magic

P.S. Remember, you are magic!

In this episode of Coaching Magic, J!ll Young welcomes creative mischief-maker and co-creator of Sweet Ass Affirmations, Heath Armstrong of Rage Create. Together they explore how intuition, synchronicity, humor, and heart-led action can transform not only our lives, but also our coaching. From seeing the number 22 as a lifelong roadmap to leaving a construction career and building a thriving creative business, Heath shares how he follows “the signs” and turns them into bold, practical moves.​

You’ll hear how to use pattern recognition as a form of intuition, why it’s powerful to “follow the woo” but always pair it with the “do,” and how something as simple (and silly) as forced laughter can shift energy for you and your clients. Jill and Heath also dive into leading with the heart in business, enhancing rather than fixing clients, and building a life and company that become a creative palette for service and play.

Meet Heath!

Show notes introductions simply don't do Heath justice! Read this to learn more: https://heatharmstrong.com/about/

Show Links!

P.S. Remember, you are magic!

In this powerful and honest conversation, Jill welcomes Dr. Aimie—physician, trauma expert, and author of the best selling book,The Biology of Trauma—to explore what trauma really means for coaches. Whether we call it trauma, overwhelm, or stuckness, every human nervous system carries past experiences into the present moment. Which means coaches are always working with trauma—because we’re always working with humans!

Dr. Aimie offers a clear and empowering distinction between stress and trauma. Stress grows us. Trauma breaks us. The difference lies in capacity. When a client believes they have the internal resources—energy, support, resilience—to meet a challenge, they’re in growth. When the challenge exceeds their perceived capacity, they cross into overwhelm. Coaches can listen for language shifts: “I’ve got this” signals stress; “This is too much” signals trauma physiology. The gap between demand and capacity? That’s where trauma lives.

One of the most powerful concepts introduced is neuroception—the nervous system’s perception of safety and capacity. Our bodies respond not to reality itself, but to our perception of it, shaped by past experiences. This is why two people can face the same situation and have completely different physiological responses. For coaches, this reinforces the importance of tracking nervous system states in real time.

Meet Dr. Aimie!

Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, revolutionizes trauma healing by revealing how our cells—not just our minds—store trauma. Her book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she developed an integrative science-based sequence for the healing journey. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, proving that repairing trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology is possible.

Show Links!

1. The Biology of Trauma book: https://www.biologyoftrauma.com/book
2. Toolkit Resources: https://www.biologyoftrauma.com/resources
3. Rage Create, Sweet Ass Affirmations: https://ragecreate.com/products/the-sweet-ass-affirmations-deck-affirmations-to-motivate-your-creative-maniac-mind

P.S. Remember, you are magic!