In this deeply personal and unforgettable episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider shares the harrowing story of a life-threatening accident that left her with eight fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and a critical wake-up call about leadership, systems, and self-trust.

What began as a normal day quickly turned into a fight for survival—and ultimately, a masterclass in leadership under pressure.

In this episode, Kari unpacks 5 powerful lessons:

• Trust Your Internal Signal: Why ignoring your gut—especially in high-stakes moments—can cost you everything
• The Danger of Authority Bias: How deferring to “experts” without question can lead to catastrophic outcomes
• Systems Won’t Save You: Why even the best systems fail in critical moments—and what leaders must do instead
• You Are More Capable Than You Think: The science of resilience and how adversity reveals hidden strength
• Asking for Help is a Leadership Skill: Why vulnerability builds trust—and can literally save your life

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about trusting yourself, questioning what doesn’t feel right, and having the courage to ask for help when it matters most. Which of these five lessons are you ignoring right now? Identify it—and take one step today to lead differently.

#Leadership #SelfTrust #Resilience #EmpoweredTeams #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment

What if the real reason you’re not taking action isn’t about motivation, time, or strategy—but about who you believe you are?

In this powerful solo episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider dives into the hidden force driving every action you take (or don’t take): your identity. Backed by research and real-life experience, Kari unpacks how identity-based thinking shapes behavior, influences long-term success, and determines whether you follow through or stay stuck.

Drawing from her own recent life transitions and recovery from serious injury, Kari shares how shifting her identity helped her navigate one of the hardest seasons of her life—and how you can do the same.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why identity—not discipline—is the foundation of consistent action
• The science behind “I am” language and behavior change
• How your brain sees your future self as a stranger (and how to fix it)
• Why you can’t outperform your identity—no matter how hard you try
• A simple 3-step framework to start shifting your identity today

Key Takeaway: Every action you take is a vote for the person you believe you are. Change your identity—and your actions will follow.

Call to Action: Declare who you are becoming. Share this episode and tag Kari with your “I am” statement.

Resources:

James Clear — Identity-Based Habits

• Atomic Habits (book reference)
• Article on identity: https://jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits

Hal Hershfield — Future Self Research

• UCLA profile & research: https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/marketing/faculty/hershfield
• UCLA newsroom interview: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/hal-hershfield-finding-harmony-with-future-self-book
• HBR article: https://hbr.org/2013/06/you-make-better-decisions-if-you-see-your-senior-self
• NPR feature: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1182387784

William Swann — Self-Verification Theory

• Wikipedia overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-verification_theory
• Simply Psychology summary: https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-verification-theory.html

Amy Cuddy — Embodiment (use with caveat above)

• Original 2010 paper: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797610383437
• TED Talk (47M views): https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are
• Updated Q&A on the research: https://ideas.ted.com/inside-the-debate-about-power-posing-a-q-a-with-amy-cuddy/

Are you constantly busy, yet somehow not moving forward on what matters most to you?

In this solo episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider breaks down the three powerful (and often uncomfortable) reasons high performers prioritize others over themselves—and how it’s quietly leading to burnout, frustration, and self-abandonment.

This episode is part of the Action Game Series, designed to help you reclaim your time, energy, and leadership.

• The Competence Trap: Why being highly capable attracts more requests, interruptions, and urgency—and how it slowly drains your energy
• Self-Betrayal Disguised as Generosity: The difference between giving from fullness vs. giving to feel worthy
• The Priority Audit: What your calendar actually reveals about your values—and why most people are living out of alignment

• “Being available to everyone is not a superpower. It’s a slow leak.”
• “Just because I’m good at something doesn’t mean I should be doing it.”
• The realization that high performers spend up to 60% of their time on misaligned tasks

• Identify the last 5 tasks you completed—were they yours or someone else’s?
• Define your top 3 priorities for the week—and schedule them first
• Eliminate, automate, or delegate anything that doesn’t move your goals forward

You’re not overwhelmed because you’re doing too much—you’re overwhelmed because you’re doing too much of what doesn’t matter to you.

Audit your time. Protect your priorities. And start building a life that reflects what actually matters.