Everything worthwhile is on the other side of a risky conversation—especially when it comes to women’s health, birth, and career.

In this episode, I sit down with professional investor–turned–hypnobirthing educator Maria Lernerman to talk about how hypnosis, birth preparation, and self-advocacy can transform one of life’s most intense experiences into a joyful, empowering memory.

Maria shares how she navigates being a daytime asset manager and nighttime hypnobirthing educator, hypnotist, lactation counselor, and mom of three, and why talking openly about hypnosis in a buttoned-up industry was a risky (and worthwhile) career conversation.

You’ll learn what hypnobirthing actually is (beyond the woo), how it helps many parents have calmer births—often with less or no medication—and why these tools become “meta skills” you can use in high-stakes work situations, from boardrooms to hospital rooms.

Maria also offers grounded advice for women and couples planning to grow their families, including those going through IVF or navigating “high-risk” labels in the medical system.

If you care about self-advocacy, emotional regulation, and having real choices in your healthcare, this conversation will expand what you think is possible—for birthing, working, and beyond.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Who is Jamie Lee? Introducing executive coaching, “risky conversations,” and guest Maria Lernerman
• 03:17 – Maria’s “risky conversation”: bringing hypnobirthing and hypnosis into a traditional investment career
• 09:24 – What is hypnobirthing? The Mongan Method, full-spectrum birth prep, and why partners matter
• 14:12 – How can birth be more comfortable with little or no medication? Fear, tension, relaxation, and the body’s design
• 18:08 – Maria’s own birth stories: from terrified first-time mom to hypnobirthing educator (and the Uber-driver tipping point)
• 23:12 – Self-hypnosis as a meta skill: staying grounded in chaotic hospitals, high-stakes meetings, and everyday conflict
• 26:22 – Client success stories: natural births, empowered C-sections, partners stepping up, and redefining what a “good birth” looks like
• 31:55 – Advice for women and couples (including IVF and “high risk”): choice, providers, and protecting your sense of agency

You can learn more about Maria’s work at DiscoverYourPowerBirth.com and about the Mongan Method at hypnobirthing.com.

Learn more about bespoke executive coaching with Jamie Lee at JamieLeeCoach.com and book a free hour-long consultation with Jamie here.

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In this episode, I sat down with leadership coach and former HR leader Ashley Paré to pull back the curtain on the "risky conversation" that cost her a corporate role but won her ultimate freedom and self-respect. We dive into how that experience became the catalyst for her mission: helping women navigate the complex systems of corporate power to advocate for their worth—without the burnout.

We discussed:

• [09:20] The "Third Path" to Power: How to move beyond the binary of staying silent or "burning it all down" by managing your nervous system and creating safety from within.
• [10:48] The FEAR-less Framework: Ashley’s 4-step process to Feel, Evaluate, Accept, and Respond so you can take inspired action from the driver’s seat of your career.
• [14:40] Navigating the "Manager vs. HR" Dynamic: What to do when a boss claims their hands are tied by HR, and how to use that as a catalyst to seek direct information and advocacy.
• [16:00] Navigating Pay Transparency: How to use salary bands and job descriptions to your advantage when preparing for an annual review.
• [29:00] Redefining Success: Why high-achieving women are opting out of broken systems to build work lives that actually honor their freedom and ambition.

Featured:

• Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypare/
• Learn more about Ashley's Leadership Program here: https://ashleypare.com/
• Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leejieunjamie/
• Learn more about Jamie's Bespoke Coaching Program here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply
  
  About Ashley:
  Ashley Paré is a Leadership Coach, Speaker, and the CEO & Founder of Own Your Worth® who believes you are more than enough. Her mission is to activate your highest potential and deactivate your deepest fear. She helps clients connect to their inner confidence and courage to take bold action and make big asks.
  
  About Jamie, the host of Risky Conversations podcast:
  Jamie Lee is an executive coach for smart women who don't like office politics. Jamie helps them get promoted and better paid without throwing anyone under the bus. She blends practical neuroscience with no-nonsense communication frameworks to shift the brain's approach to self-advocacy. Her unique methodology empowers gutsy women to speak up for their professional value, turning workplace friction into a catalyst for personal agency and financial reward.

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show?

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts.

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1.
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com

In this episode of Risky Conversations, I sit down with global storytelling expert Gabrielle Dolan, author of Story Intelligence: The craft of authentic storytelling made smarter with AI.

Gabrielle shares how one risky career conversation led her to leave a secure executive role at a major bank to build a global storytelling practice, eventually training leaders at the Obama Foundation.

Together, we unpack why personal, values-based stories are the most underused yet powerful tool for leadership, promotion, and influence. You’ll learn

• Practical tips to uncover your own stories,
• How to avoid sounding braggy or AI-generic, and
• How to communicate in a way that feels real, memorable, and unmistakably you.

Featured:

• Connect with Gabrielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielledolan/
• Follow Gabrielle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielledolan.1/
• Keeping It Real with Jac and Ral Podcast:
• https://podfollow.com/keeping-it-real-with-jac-and-ral
• Gabrielle's Website: https://gabrielledolan.com/
• Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leejieunjamie/
• Follow Jamie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieleecoach/
• Jamie's Website: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show?

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts.

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1.
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com