Do you ever feel trapped between going all-in (the constant go, go, go, go), or needing to check out (the I've earned it, I've put in my time, I'm just I'm done.)

You are NOT alone.

The secret that no one tells us - there IS another option.

Society teaches us to push, push, push — in business, in relationships, in life — which works for awhile. Then we crash and burn, and all too often, that frustration turns inward. Well, there’s good news, in today’s episode, Stephanie and Maren share an alternative path. They unpack one of the most overlooked leadership skills: the difference between presence and pressure.

• Why does our culture reward relentless doing while quietly starving the roots that sustain us?
• What does it actually look like to slow down without checking out?

Stephanie and Maren tackle these questions, and more, through real stories, honest reflection, and a few unexpected analogies (think: scuba diving, lawnmowers, and Will Smith). The "go-go-go then crash" cycle is real and this conversation will give you tools to not end up as just another statistic.

Tangible, actionable practices will help you shift out of the all-or-nothing loop, reconnect you to what you love and help you find actual fulfillment in your life.

If you've ever felt like you're running on empty yet can't seem to stop, this episode is for you.---

Resources & References Mentioned

17:14 - Collateral Beauty (2016) — starring Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren

- https://amzn.to/4mODUja

22:10 - Rumi — "Meet it at the doorway" reference

21:06 & 27:00 - Saint Francis of Assisi — the practice of giving inward first, then to a stranger

Enjoyed This Episode?

If this resonated with you, the best thing you can do is **share it with someone who needs it** — and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more soulful leaders find their way to this conversation.

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“You cannot give somebody what you think they need. You can only give yourself what you need.” — Stephanie Allen

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TRANSCRIPT

YouTube Video

Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts—it helps other soulful leaders find us!

Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media.

📬 Connect With Us
Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com
Main Website: www.tslp.life

Find us on:

• YouTube: @soulfulleaders
• LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders
• Facebook: The Soulful Leaders

Newsletter: Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

You did everything right. You climbed the mountain, hit the milestones, checked all the boxes — and then you got there and thought... is this really it?

That quiet emptiness at the top of success is something nobody warns you about. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get honest about why achieving your goals can feel like the loneliest moment of your life — and what's actually missing. Spoiler: it's not another goal. It's the inner work that most of us were never taught to do.

From Alex Hormozi's "apathy problem" to the woman who thought her gift was numbers (it wasn't), this conversation will have you rethinking what success actually means — and how to make it feel as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

Key Takeaways

• Success can feel empty when it's built on someone else's prescription. When we follow the "right house, right car, right job" formula without checking in with our own longings, we arrive at the top of a mountain that was never ours to climb.
• Your gifts and your skills are not the same thing. You may have built skills to survive or fit in — but your true gifts are the things that come so naturally you've probably dismissed them entirely.
• Your inner world creates your outer reality. Most of us are unconsciously running on autopilot. Pausing to ask what do I actually need? — emotionally, mentally, spiritually — changes everything.
• Identity is not static. Who you are right now doesn't have to be who you stay. Growth requires updating the story you tell yourself about yourself.
• Simple practices create profound shifts. Evening journaling, flow writing, asking better questions — these aren't soft extras. They're how you access the magic that your conscious mind filters out.

Referenced in This Episode

- Alex Hormozi — entrepreneur and investor who openly discussed his "apathy problem" after achieving significant outer success

- Vicki Keith (Ep. 150) — Neurodiversity is Your Superpower (https://thesoulfulleaderpodcast.com/2024/05/28/150-neurodiversity-is-your-superpower-with-vicki-keith/) — referenced in the conversation around ADHD as a gift, not a deficit

- Morning Pages / Flow Writing — a journaling practice (popularized by Julia Cameron's *The Artist's Way*) that Maren uses as evening pages to access subconscious insight

TRANSCRIPT

YouTube Video

Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts—it helps other soulful leaders find us!

Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media.

📬 Connect With Us
Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com
Main Website: www.tslp.life

Find us on:

• YouTube: @soulfulleaders
• LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders
• Facebook: The Soulful Leaders

Newsletter: Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

Are you playing to win, or just playing not to lose?

There's a mindset that is quietly shaping your life...

Watching the Olympics this year got us thinking — not just about athletic excellence, but about the mindset behind it. Do you want to win because you've pushed yourself to your absolute best? Or do you want to win simply because everyone else fell short

In this episode, Stephanie and Maren dive deep into the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset — and how this one distinction is quietly shaping your relationships, your business, your leadership, and your life

Spoiler: it's not an all-or-nothing thing. We all have both. The real question is — where is each one showing up for you?

🎧 What You'll Take Away

• Why the process matters more than the outcome — and what Carol Dweck's groundbreaking research with children reveals about how we're wired for (or against) growth
• The hidden cost of a disposable mindset — in business, in relationships, and in how we lead others
• How to find your exemplars — and why surrounding yourself with people who call you up is the secret to true excellence
• The snowboard principle — what relaxing your shoulders has to do with resilience in business and life
• Why what frustrates you about the world might be your unique fingerprint — and the invitation to up-level that very field

"Be kind with the self you're becoming — because you haven't become that person yet. You're in the making." — Stephanie

📚 Resources Mentioned

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck — Find it on Amazon
• Nadia Comaneci — the 1976 Olympic gymnast who scored the first perfect 10 and up-leveled the entire sport of gymnastics

🙌 We Want to Hear From You!

What area of your life are you ready to up-level? What does the world need — and could you be the one to help with that?

Watch on YouTube

TRANSCRIPT

Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts—it helps other soulful leaders find us!

Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media.

📬 Connect With Us
Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com
Main Website: www.tslp.life

Find us on:

• YouTube: @soulfulleaders
• LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders
• Facebook: The Soulful Leaders

Newsletter: Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life