Ever felt the math of your life stop mathing - doing more while feeling less seen?

We open up about the season of constant yeses that left us drained, the late-night crack that sparked awareness, and the first clean “no” that felt terrifying and freeing at the same time.

This is a personal, unvarnished story about people pleasing, invisible labor, and the ego that kept the cycle spinning, followed by the steady, practical steps that pulled us back into alignment.

We walk through how autopilot makes boundaries vanish, how the body flags misalignment before the mind admits it, and why questions like “What do I want?” and “Where am I bending too far?” can be both simple and scary.

You’ll hear concrete moments: turning down a twelfth role at work, skipping a celebration for someone who didn’t show respect, and noticing that the imagined fallout never arrived.

Along the way, we reframe boundaries as a way to keep yourself in—your energy protected, your voice loud, your yes sacred—so choices stop being performances and start being acts of self-respect.

If you’re exhausted by expectations, stuck in the role of fixer, or worried that saying no makes you selfish, this conversation offers a different path. You’ll get small, doable practices to pause before committing, journal for clarity, and let your values lead your calendar and your replies.

Most of all, you’ll hear a reminder that your voice matters, your choices matter, and you can start today. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more listeners reclaim their yes.

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

To get started, we take aim at that reflexive guilt, unpack where it comes from, and show how to reclaim your calendar without ghosting friends or becoming a “no machine.”

Through candid stories and clear steps, we map a path from people-pleasing to grounded choice so you can give generously without losing yourself.

We start by naming the inherited rules that teach us to earn love by overextending. Then we flip the frame: triggers aren’t proof you’re selfish—they’re mirrors pointing to fuzzy boundaries and unmet needs.

You’ll learn simple language shifts that rewire your inner script, the power of inserting a pause before you commit, and a quick test to spot when you’re appeasing guilt instead of honouring your goals, peace, and joy.

We treat boundaries as a GPS, not a fortress: specific, kind, and firm guideposts that protect your energy and strengthen respect.

From there, we rewrite the rules you live by—choosing self-trust over obligation—and practice with tiny, doable reps: delay a reply, skip a needless meeting, leave a buffer.

Each small no builds confidence, reduces resentment, and makes your yes more meaningful.

We close with a crisp recap and a one-question homework prompt that turns insight into action: pause, ask what you actually want, and act from choice. If you’re ready to trade guilt for clarity and show up fully where it matters most, this conversation will refill your mojo.

Subscribe to Pocketful Mojo, leave a quick review, and tell us: what’s one small no you’ll practice this week?

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

Ever notice how some people seem to get stronger the harder you try to please them? That’s not a personality clash—it’s a power dynamic. We dig into why “poison people” are drawn to emotionally fluent, caring humans and how their control thrives on explanations, real-time reactions, and the need to be liked. The shift isn’t about becoming tougher or louder; it’s about becoming anchored and unavailable for the game.

We unpack the psychology behind people-pleasing—reading rooms, smoothing tension, absorbing discomfort—and how the wrong audience reads that as flexible boundaries. Then we flip the script. Instead of asking how to be more agreeable, we ask why someone needs you small. That single question exposes the engine of control. Steph shares a sharp story from her early days working in France, where constant nitpicking had less to do with performance and more to do with status. The moment she recognized the pattern, the sting dissolved and the power returned to its rightful owner.

You’ll walk away with five tactical tools to protect your energy and hold your ground: shorter statements that close loops, detaching from being understood, regulating before responding, choosing dignity over victory, and anchoring to the bigger picture to shift from victim to architect. We also emphasize a core truth: boundaries don’t make you mean, they make you honest. You can stay warm and kind without being available for manipulation. If you’ve been over-functioning to earn safety or acceptance, this conversation helps you stop negotiating your worth and start standing in it.

If the message resonates, share it with a friend who doubts themselves around “that one person,” subscribe for more grounded coaching, and leave a review so other recovering people pleasers can find their way here. Your peace is not up for negotiation—let’s keep it that way.

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

Ever feel like your life checks every box yet somehow feels dimmed at the edges? Steph, the Mojo Maven, takes us straight to the heart of that gap between performing and belonging—to ourselves. We unpack how early praise for being “easygoing” or warnings about being “too sensitive” taught us to override instincts, choose logic over truth, and outsource our choices to the algorithm. The result isn’t a broken self; it’s a quiet habit of not listening, and that habit is reversible.

We dig into the sneaky signs of disconnection: getting a lot done but feeling meh, looking successful while doubting yourself, and mistaking anxiety for ambition. Steph reframes the core question from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What is this trying to tell me?” and shows how that pivot opens the door to self-trust. You’ll learn four practical practices to hear yourself again—ask better questions rooted in sensation, create space before input, spot micro-moments of self-abandonment, and make small desire-led choices that build trust through repetition. These aren’t hacks; they’re ways to tune in so your values, body, and choices start to align.

We also name the cost of not listening: constant second-guessing, low-level irritation, and a brand of exhaustion coffee can’t touch. Then we map the return on listening—moving slower with more certainty, saying less but meaning more, needing less permission because you know what’s true. This isn’t about getting louder; it’s about getting steadier. If your discomfort has been nagging at you, treat it as an invitation, not a flaw. Pause before you seek advice, ask yourself first, and watch self-trust rebuild one honest choice at a time.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone trying to improve themselves into alignment, subscribe for more grounded mindset tools, and leave a review so more people can find Pocket Full of Mojo. Your voice belongs at the center of your life—ready to listen?

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

Ever notice how “easygoing” can become a cloak that lets you disappear from your own life? That was my story. I said yes fast, kept the peace, and called it kindness—until my body threw a red flag I couldn’t ignore. From the outside, I looked like a success: constant promotions, city moves, a reputation for reliability. On the inside, I was exhausted, disconnected, and measuring my worth by a company’s scoreboard.

I take you into the high-gloss world of overwork where extra miles turn into unpaid highways, and into the quiet places where the bill arrives as pain, resentment, and a voice that barely whispers. You’ll hear about a six-month trial for a dream role that never became an offer, the morning emails that dictated my mood before sunrise, and the night I curled up in pain and finally asked the hard question: what am I doing this for? That moment didn’t ignite a dramatic fire; it sparked a detox. I kept my values—work hard, care deeply, do my best—and redirected them with boundaries and agency.

We talk through the messy middle: the awkward first quit, the identity wobble that follows, and the unexpected lightness of saying no. Then we map the new terrain. On a living room floor with a pen and a what-if game, I practiced decision-making that served my life. France became the choice, not for spectacle, but for alignment. Along the way, I discovered that courage doesn’t wait for confidence; it builds it. Approval isn’t safety. Safety is staying with yourself when it’s uncomfortable and trusting that you can adjust as you go.

If you’re tired of being tired, this story hands you practical anchors: where am I betraying myself to be liked, and what would change if I trusted myself 10% more? Expect reflections on people pleasing, boundaries, burnout, self-trust, and redefining success so it feeds you from the inside. Hit play, share it with someone who needs a nudge back into their own life, and if this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us the one boundary you’ll set this week.

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

If your throat tightens when you ask for what you want, this conversation is your reset. We start by grounding with a mantra that reframes needs as information, not interruptions, then move into a practical framework for clear, kind boundaries that don’t require a ten-paragraph defense. The goal isn’t to become rigid; it’s to stop abandoning yourself and start speaking with steady honesty.

We break down the three rules of Boundary Boot Camp. First, get clear before you get brave: ask what you need, what you’re available for, and what you’re not available for. Second, drop the apology tour and use a concise script that honors your feelings and sets a clean expectation. Third, let the reaction be theirs—treat responses as data, not directives—and hold steady for 24 hours so you don’t walk back your progress during the guilt spike. Along the way, we talk about nervous system safety, why harmony often overrode honesty in our early wiring, and how clarity is the kindest form of communication.

You’ll leave with a one-sentence ask you can try this week, a calm way to deliver it, and a mindset that sees discomfort as part of growth rather than a danger signal. If you’ve ever feared being “too much,” this is the blueprint for taking up space without drama. Subscribe for more Mojo Minute tools, share this with a friend who needs boundary courage, and leave a review to tell us the one ask you’ll try first.

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

Ever felt that small tug in your chest that whispers, “I miss me”? This kickoff to Season Three leans into the tender grief that surfaces when you stop shrinking to fit other people’s comfort. We talk candidly about the invisible costs of people pleasing—energy leaks, stalled creativity, dulled desire, performative joy—and why naming them becomes the most compassionate first step toward alignment.

I share real moments from holidays and networking rooms where I looked competent on the outside while my inner voice planned an escape. That contrast sets up the oh moment: the instant your body says no while your mouth says yes. Instead of blame, we choose clarity. We break down how grief and honesty unlock a quiet, durable freedom you can feel in small ways: a pause before answering, an unadorned no, the relief of watching someone’s disappointment pass without you dissolving.

If you’re wondering what to take off your plate, I offer a simple decision filter: Does this match my energy now? Would I say yes if no one saw? Will future me be grateful or furious? When it isn’t a clean yes, it’s a no—and a no is just information. We also normalize the weird in-between: the restlessness after you stop overgiving, the impulse to refill your calendar, the nervous system relearning that safety doesn’t require exhaustion. The antidote is restful space you didn’t earn, followed by curiosity-led choices that rebuild desire without guilt.

By the end, you’ll have language for your grief, a structure for your boundaries, and permission to move slowly—because slowly is the fastest way to become the you that’s been there all along. If this resonates, hit follow, share with a friend who’s done being small, and leave a review so more people can find their way back to themselves. Your freedom starts here—one honest yes, one clean no, one brave breath at a time.

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away

Holidays can pull us back into old roles before the eggnog hits the glass: the planner, the peacekeeper, the one who “makes it nice.” We’re done with that script. I walk you through a compassionate, practical approach to reclaiming your season without becoming rigid or combative, starting with a simple truth: your capacity is information, not a character flaw.

We explore how awareness widens your choices, turning guilt from a command into a clue. I share the cleanest boundary you’ll use all year—“That doesn’t work for me this year”—and how to deliver it without essays or apologies. You’ll learn to predecide your energy budget, choose connection over obligation, and craft exit strategies that keep your nervous system safe so you can actually enjoy the moments that matter. We also get tactical about regulation: stepping outside for fresh air, feeling your feet on the ground, slow breathing, and cold‑water resets that bring you back to a calm body where clear decisions live.

This isn’t about performing a perfect Christmas. It’s about presence. We unpack the tenderness of growth—the awkward in‑between where you’re not who you were but not yet who you’re becoming—and why letting people be disappointed is survivable. We curate what genuinely lights you up and release inherited rituals that drain you. As we close the season, I offer a permission slip to take up space, honor your limits, and lead your life with integrity. If you’re ready to swap people pleasing for self‑respect and turn tradition into a choice, press play and reclaim your holidays with heart. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs this, and leave a review to help more recovering people pleasers find their way.

Support the show

More Mojo:
Daily Mojo:
Mojo Website:

Grab your People Pleaser Cheat Sheet FREE & get signed up for the weekly Mojo Magazine for all things Mojo! CLICK HERE

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away