Brilliant Balance
339 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 338 ratingsBrilliant Balance is a podcast for working women who are ready to shine. Each week we will discuss ideas, inspiration, and insight on balance, business, and getting it all done gracefully. Are you ready? Let's be brilliant.
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Episodes
Purposeful Pauses - Structuring a Season of Anti-hustle
May 02, 2023 04:00 - 25 minutes - 36.7 MBWe’re wired to hustle. We’ve been trained to hustle since childhood and most of us don’t know any other way. From babysitting, to working through college, to working through grad school. We don’t know any other way to navigate life than by grinding it out. But there are certain seasons in which we should slow down, because rushing at the same pace during that time would be detrimental to our physical, emotional and mental health. How do you know when to switch out of hustle mode and sl...
How Courageous Conversations Enable Productive Conflict
April 25, 2023 04:00 - 30 minutes - 43.1 MBConflict is something we often try to avoid. But that’s not something to be proud of. Want to know why? If you’d rather be a people pleaser and ignore the things that bug you rather than face them head on - it can fester resentment and erode your relationships. Or… You can face the situation head on and have a courageous conversation. You can soften the conflict and move the relationship forward. So how can you learn how to have these courageous conversations? In this episode, I...
My Love Hate Relationship with Finish Lines
April 18, 2023 04:00 - 21 minutes - 30.6 MBFinish lines have a powerful allure to them. They inspire us to begin important journeys and give us strong motivation to go after our goals. However, sometimes we misinterpret which parts of our lives need finish lines, so we approach everything the same way and wind up overloaded. If this sounds like you, there’s a way you can find a cadence you can sustain as you pursue your goals all while reserving essential energy. How? In this episode, I’ll reveal how using finish lines the...
Katherine Morgan Schafler - Harnessing the Power of Perfectionism
April 11, 2023 04:00 - 48 minutes - 68 MBYou might be a perfectionist if… You’re restless and discontent with anything that is incomplete, operating at over-capacity and running yourself ragged to get things just the way you like them. Or you might start LOTS of projects and never finish them. Or you might work REALLY hard to get people to like you. It turns out there’s not just one kind of perfectionist, but nearly all the faces of perfectionism cause the person exhibiting them to be labeled negatively. The truth is: perfe...
Changing the way you talk to yourself
April 04, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 26.5 MBThere’s a voice in our head…and it isn’t very nice. Labeling us, attacking our insecurities, and constantly making us feel like we’re just not good enough.. If we let it, this negative inner dialogue can really take us under, keeping us stuck and even making us question who we truly are. But we can change that negative dialogue to a positive one. We can start our day motivated and move through it full of energy. We can be inspired to take action on your goals. How? In this episode,...
Building tolerance for the undone so you can rest
March 28, 2023 04:00 - 25 minutes - 37.4 MBWe are working all the time. And not always in the classical sense: going to an office, burning late hours etc. Instead, we use most of our waking hours to do things that feel like work. Whether it’s calls taken from the car, scheduling people to do other work, taking care of our parents, or organizing new projects. There is always something to be done. And we never feel like we are ever completely finished. That’s why we don’t know how to truly rest, how to savor the peace that comes ...
Lara Bazelon: Ambitious Like a Mother
March 21, 2023 04:00 - 39 minutes - 55.8 MBMerging professional ambition with managing your home life isn’t easy, but I think it’s worth it. While you may constantly have to task-switch between meeting professional goals and meeting the needs of your family, the satisfaction that comes from having a foot in each world runs deep. The question is - what do we do with the guilt?! Wondering how our professional ambition will affect our kids keeps a lot of working women up at night, and that’s why my guest today decided to investigate. ...
Want to like your life? Start here.
March 14, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 33.5 MBI’ve spent a LOT of time talking to women in midlife, women who have to constantly re-balance the competing demands of their professional lives and family responsibilities to make room for some FUN. And a sad little secret of this life stage is that a lot of us don’t actually like our lives very much. We’ve done all the things that are supposed to deliver us to the ‘promised land’. We have the careers, the homes, the cars, the families. But we feel like we’re not quite there yet. And it ...
Let yourself come up for air (Remix)
March 07, 2023 05:00 - 28 minutes - 40.9 MBHave you ever felt like you’re underwater? You have your head down, you’re swimming hard and just trying to get through whatever life throws at you. We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. It happens when you’re struggling to keep your business afloat, or dealing with career upheaval, or taking extra care of a family member. It’s not easy. In these dark and difficult times, we need light more than ever. When we’re deep underwater, we need to come up for air, find a little no...
Fight the mid-life blahs
February 28, 2023 05:00 - 22 minutes - 33.2 MBMidlife is a life chapter I see a lot of women struggle with. It’s a time you suddenly start questioning everything you’ve devoted yourself to for the last couple of decades. All your carefully laid plans don’t seem to make sense anymore. You tend to ask: Is this all there is to it? Am I doing enough? Am I enough? Women that experience the midlife blahs go through a range of tough emotions: a sense of boredom, emptiness or sadness. And while it may be mild for some people, it can be i...
Heather Chauvin: Get emotionally uncomfortable…on purpose
February 21, 2023 05:00 - 40 minutes - 56.9 MBDo most women know how to set boundaries?? Not at all. We rarely protect time for ourselves. We always delay the mini adventures in our life because our kid gets sick, or there’s a surprise meeting, or that one extra-needy friend calls. And what happens when we stand up for ourselves? We feel guilt, shame, anger, and resentment when we impose boundaries. But in order to take our careers to the next level, and have a happier marriage and family life, we NEED to impose boundaries. And...
Have stronger relationships (Get what you want - part 4)
February 14, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes - 28 MBHow can we be lonely when we always seem to be so busy and surrounded by other people? We’re constantly at work, on zoom calls, in our homes with children running around, running errands, watching sporting events, and generally living our lives out in the world…and yet, we’re isolated. How on earth does that happen? It’s because feeling lonely doesn’t necessarily mean being alone. Loneliness is a state of mind that occurs when there's a disconnect between our need for human connection an...
Be more productive (Get what you want - part 3)
February 07, 2023 05:00 - 17 minutes - 25.4 MBSo many of us want to be more productive. Because most of us live in a chronic state of affairs in which we have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Staring down our never-ending list makes us feel like we’ll never catch a break…we’re just destined to run on this treadmill forever. Worse, we think when we finally get this never ending list done, only then will we have time for ourselves. Time to pursue new goals, find time to rest, and finally be the person we want to be. Yo...
Save money effortlessly (Get what you want - part 2)
January 31, 2023 05:00 - 22 minutes - 32.6 MBWhether it’s for a sense of security, having the funds to fulfill our life goals, or to feel the thrill of freedom, we all want to save money. But most of us get stuck when it comes to actually doing it. Habits like impulse buying or upgrade-itis stop us from saving regularly so we can move closer to our goals. In this episode, I’ll show you a simple hack you can use to save almost effortlessly. You’ll discover how to drop bad spending habits and pick up a saving approach that is just r...
Live healthier and feel better (Get what you want - part 1)
January 24, 2023 05:00 - 34 minutes - 48.5 MBThis is part one of a four part series on “Getting what you want.” And #1 on the list is to live healthier and feel better…which makes sense because a healthy lifestyle helps us feel vibrant and energized so we can contribute in meaningful ways to ourselves, our families and our careers. We know we can maintain this lifestyle by sleeping more, eating healthier, exercising more, and quitting bad habits that impede our progress. But do we DO those things? No! Why on earth is that? Why...
Lizzie Edwards - Dress like the leader you are
January 17, 2023 05:00 - 45 minutes - 64 MBAs we progress in our careers from office newbies to seasoned leaders, we face the challenge of updating our look to keep up with the image we want to project to the world. It can all be confusing: trying to understand your style and what it means for your personal brand, and at the same time wearing what makes you feel confident and look good. So, the million dollar question is: How do you dress like the leader you are? Lizzie Edwards knows how. In this episode, I talk with Lizzie...
Let's get ourselves in order
January 10, 2023 05:00 - 28 minutes - 41 MBJanuary can be seductive with so many “new year new you” marketing messages. We can easily get swept up in the excitement and then crash and burn by taking on way too much at once. It’s not a great way to begin a new year. Instead, we could give ourselves the chance to restore order in our lives and ease into the year one day at a time Let’s take a minute to get our body, mind and space in order so we can get back in sync with ourselves before we take on whatever the next 12 months h...
My one question for you
January 03, 2023 05:00 - 10 minutes - 15.8 MBHappy New Year to you! As I reflect on my years as an entrepreneur, I see that a lot of things have changed in the past 13 years. I’ve changed. My family has changed. My needs have changed. My dreams have even changed. I know that ALL of our lives are dynamic. We all change, learn new things, and face new challenges with every passing day. We’re dynamic. That’s why, going into the new year, I don’t want to guess what you need. I’d rather ask. In this short episode, I have one importa...
A self guided retreat to usher in the new year
December 27, 2022 05:00 - 21 minutes - 31 MBAs we get ready to turn the page and begin the new year, it’s a great time to slow down and reflect on the past one. When we press pause on the typical rhythms of our lives and take a little time to review everything that has happened and what we’ve learned, we can use those insights to move forward. So let’s set you up to host your own self-guided retreat. What’s a self-guided retreat? Glad you asked. It’s an intentional way to account for the growth you made in the past year and ac...
Let it be enough
December 20, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 27.2 MBWhat makes us buy things we don’t need or give our time away by saying yes to all the things - social events, meetings, volunteer shifts, and projects? What is that voice that constantly questions us: ‘is it enough?’ There isn’t exactly an objective definition of enough, so the real question is can we let it be enough? What will it take for us to respect our capacity, our financial and time constraints, and our energy levels once and for all? What will it take for us to finally let it ...
Shauna Niequist - The power of unlearning and accepting unknowns
December 13, 2022 05:00 - 40 minutes - 57.1 MBLife isn’t always as easy as we’d like it to be. We will face difficult chapters in our lives where things feel like they’re crumbling, breaking down, or falling apart. Peculiar seasons where everything seems to just go wrong and the solutions feel out of reach. It’s not impossible to gather the courage to march through these challenging seasons and even take a lesson or two from them. Following the launch of her most recent book, I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet, I interviewed Shau...
How to feel more calm and in control
December 06, 2022 05:00 - 19 minutes - 29 MBWhen I meet other working women and ask how they want to feel, they tell me they want to feel at ease, calm, fully present, or in control. And why? Because that’s NOT how they feel right now! It’s normal, but the key to feeling better is knowing the levers to pull to get you back to a state where you feel a sense of agency and control. Where you have the ability to tap into your inner calm when you need it. Even if you’ve lost it temporarily. In this episode, you’ll discover how you can ...
Stress less during the holidays with these 4 reminders
November 29, 2022 05:00 - 22 minutes - 32.4 MBThe hustle and bustle of the holiday season can seem scary. And understandably so. With so many holiday season milestones looming and approaching faster and faster, it’s easy to hit the panic button and live in dread of the stress surrounding them instead of joyful anticipation and holiday cheer. But what if we could take a step back and remind ourselves that this is supposed to be a magical season. And if we tweak a couple of things to get ourselves in the right mindset, it won’t feel...
Are you hosting guests soon? Try these ideas from a hospitality enthusiast
November 22, 2022 05:00 - 24 minutes - 35.3 MBMany of us cringe at the thought of opening our homes to other people, especially if it extends longer than a single night. But why? The idea of opening your home to other people can seem scary for a wide array of reasons. You think your home isn’t ready to host, the thought of having to feed everyone is overwhelming, or even feel like your space is being invaded! But the truth is, if you understand a few key tips, hospitality can be an uplifting experience not just for the guest, but ...
Stop fixing the wrong things
November 15, 2022 05:00 - 25 minutes - 37 MBDo you ever have problems where it seems that no matter how many times you fix them, they keep re-appearing? You think you’ve taken care of them, but they pop up again and again. They may be big resolutions you set every New Year’s Eve, or little aggravations that nag at you repeatedly. It gets frustrating when you feel like you’ll never be free from these difficulties. Sometimes, that’s because you’re actually fixing the wrong thing. As busy humans, we can be moving so quickly that we ...
Nona Jones - Killing Comparison
November 08, 2022 05:00 - 31 minutes - 45.6 MBDo you ever feel like you don’t measure up? Have you ever felt left out because you weren’t invited to a night out? Does scrolling on Instagram sometimes feel draining and depressing? Do you ever see a 22 year old phenom on Instagram and think, “How the heck is she there already? I’m older than her, and I haven’t achieved half of what she has!” I want you to know: this is completely normal. The data suggests that 95% of American women compare themselves to other women. We compare ours...
Everyone has a story - who's writing yours?
November 01, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 32.6 MB…and she lived happily ever after. As little girls we bought into the fairy tale, so sometimes as women, we want to live a life without any challenges or hiccups — and effortlessly sail into retirement. But the reality is: ALL good stories have conflict. The meaningful things in life are created through struggle. Good stories aren’t planned out or predictable. In fact, a good story is one where you have no idea what’s going to happen, but you can’t wait to find out. In today’s episod...
What if someday were today?
October 25, 2022 04:00 - 19 minutes - 28.3 MBHave you ever heard a story about something awe-inspiring someone has done and you think: ‘It would be so amazing to do that someday’... Then end up never doing it? We’ve all had that experience of looking great experiences square in the eye - ones that are so intensely desirable - and telling ourselves ‘not yet’. Why do we convince ourselves we’re not ready for any new challenge and that we don’t deserve to achieve our dreams ‘yet’? We tend to romanticize the idea of what we want to...
5 year anniversary episode! Meet my team as we share our favorite shows
October 18, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 42.9 MBIt’s our 5 year anniversary, so we’re taking a trip down memory lane. Meet my team as we reminisce about the episodes we’re still talking about, in some cases several years after they originally aired. It’s been a privilege to bring this show to you week after week for the last five years and in some ways I feel like we’re just warming up. To celebrate, today we’re launching the Brilliant Balance Boutique - our own little shop with some really cute items to remind you to get out there and s...
My 10% rule to give a guilt-free no
October 11, 2022 04:00 - 16 minutes - 23.9 MBSo many women struggle to say no. Whenever women get a request for their precious time, they feel like they owe it to the person asking. The reality is that time is finite. It’s the one resource we have that we can’t get back. Every yes we give to someone is a no we are giving to somebody else. That could be yourself, your family, your children, or even your friends. So how can you better manage your time (and give a guilt-free no)? On today’s episode, you’ll discover a framework to ...
Liz Brunner - How to Own the Room with executive presence and powerful communication
October 04, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 51.2 MBFor many years, society has been perplexed by powerful women. Generations of women have been conditioned not to speak their truth, voice their opinions, and use their voice. When women speak up, they get labeled as “bossy” or worse. So what if there were a way to speak up, telegraph confidence, influence others, and own the room — without backlash? In today’s episode, you’ll discover the “65:35” ratio to command presence, earn respect, and wield influence. Listen now! Show Highlights...
Tech tools that helped me stop nagging
September 27, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 32.4 MBIf you find yourself constantly nagging your kids to get off their phones, you’re not alone! Technology has invaded every nook and corner of our lives. Parents are working from home, children are exposed to screens - and everyone's checking social media a zillion times a day! With so many distractions at our fingertips, raising kids took on a whole new dimension in the 21st century. But what if we could use technology to make parenting easier and help our families feel less anxious, stre...
How that "breadwinner" title might be getting in your way
September 20, 2022 04:00 - 20 minutes - 30 MBThe number of incredible women chasing their own career dreams is awe-inspiring. The days when women didn’t stand a chance of holding a breadwinner role are long gone. Sounds amazing, right? Not so fast, my friend. It seems the transition of women into breadwinner roles wasn’t as smooth as it should have been. Sad statistics show that women who are the primary breadwinners of the family are more likely to get a divorce, be cheated on, or feel isolated in their new roles. Yet, the issu...
Karen Hardwick - "Chasing slow" to reconnect with ourselves and others
September 13, 2022 04:00 - 33 minutes - 47.8 MBWhen was the last time you did something for yourself? With so many things on our checklist each day, many of us are guilty of getting lost in the day-to-day activities and stresses of the external world. We neglect the most important thing: connecting with ourselves. But here’s the truth. Whether you are a CEO or a stay-at-home parent, you can’t connect to anyone else in inspiring ways until you connect with yourself in honest ways. Connection heals our wounds, awakens our souls, a...
Endless summer - Build a life you don't need a vacation from
September 06, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 31.4 MBAs summer comes to a close, many of us feel a little blue; we’re not quite ready to bid adieu to the ease and flow of the season. Before we know it, we’re back to the all-too-familiar hustle of everyday life, complete with that feeling of dread that creeps in Sunday evening and the reluctance with which you drag yourself out of bed and into your Monday morning commute. If you feel like this, you’re not alone. But what if we could bring a little of that vacation vibe to our everyday li...
How fear makes us fiction writers
August 30, 2022 04:00 - 20 minutes - 30.4 MBHave you ever thought you were for sure going to bomb a job interview or school presentation but then ended up getting through it with flying colors? That was your mind playing tricks on you. It turns out our brain is an excellent author…of fiction! This is especially true when we’re feeling anxious in a certain situation. That’s when fear grabs the pen from our hands and starts writing its own story. And that story is always fiction. In this episode, you’ll discover 5 ways your br...
Stop checking boxes and start making choices
August 23, 2022 04:00 - 19 minutes - 28.9 MBLife is full of little boxes pleading to be checked off; it all starts in school with classes to be taken, clubs to be joined, and most importantly, a degree to be earned. As we get older and life throws more challenges at us, we realize how many things we think we need to do to meet society’s standards. In the midst of hitting goals, and making plans, it’s easy to get sidetracked from our real passions and go through life just checking off boxes. But that’s no way to live. In this e...
Feel to Heal with Mary Hyatt
August 16, 2022 04:00 - 38 minutes - 54.3 MBSitting with anger, anxiety or sadness may be the last thing you want to do. Because it’s uncomfortable. Because it hurts. Because you’re too tired. Or maybe you just don’t know how. You’re not alone. Many of us are always in our thoughts - wrapped up in our daily agenda, our work, or the people who need us - and we go through the day without ever taking time to acknowledge our feelings. But learning to connect with our emotions is a superpower that can help us avoid burnout, love ou...
Reflections from my family reunion experience
August 09, 2022 04:00 - 17 minutes - 25.2 MBCan you recall a tradition that your family had when you were younger? Maybe it was visiting your cousins every weekend for a Sunday lunch? Or opening a single present on Christmas eve? Whatever your childhood traditions were, they undoubtedly created a sense of belonging and contributed to your shared legacy with your loved ones. Looking back, you might get nostalgic, but the best part is that it’s never too late to begin a new tradition or carry on an old one. In this episode, I sha...
Why walking is a power practice
August 02, 2022 04:00 - 16 minutes - 24.6 MBWhen you think about working out, you probably envision going to the gym or a class. But there’s a powerful exercise that you can fit into your day – even when you feel too busy. What is it? Walking. It may sound too simple but walking is actually one of the most mentally and physically rewarding activities you can do. Its benefits seem endless, especially since you can do it wherever you are. In this episode, you’ll find out how going for simple 15 minutes walks every day can shift...
Chatter - making peace with the voice in your head with Ethan Kross
July 26, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 45.8 MBIt turns out the most important conversations are the ones we have with ourselves. But if you’re not mindful, the discussion in your head can turn into “chatter”. That’s when your self-talk goes sideways and turns into endless anxiety-provoking worry. It’s the dark side of our inner voice that can poison our relationships, health, and well-being. So how can you notice when your self-talk turns into chatter? Is there a way to stop the mental hamster wheel? My guest, award-winning profes...
Natural Strength Parenting with Kerry Brown, Parenting Coach, Parent Connext
July 12, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 58.9 MBIf you feel like being a parent is the toughest job you’ve ever had, you’re not alone. Being a parent is both beautiful and extremely challenging all at the same time. After all, we’re helping a whole new person navigate the world. And every person is unique. This means there are no set rules to tell you exactly how to be a good parent. So how do you ensure that you provide the kind of support that matches your child’s unique needs? Today’s guest, Kerry Brown, a parenting coach with P...
Everything looks messy in the middle
July 05, 2022 04:00 - 20 minutes - 30.5 MBImagine you finally overcame your agonizing “what if” syndrome and jumped into something new. It should all be easy now, right? No fast, my friend. Buckle up because you’re headed straight for the “messy middle”. That’s the time when things start to go a little differently than you may have anticipated. At that point, you can’t even remember why you thought this was a good idea in the first place! It happens to all of us. It’s why so many of us have unfinished projects or why we someti...
The 4 types of dates every couple needs with Cory Carlson
June 28, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 58 MBIf you’re raising kids, life is always super busy. Between household chores, work, and parenting, finding time for your significant other can be incredibly challenging. But if you don’t make time to connect, it’s all too easy to become roommates who just co-exist. You miss out on important moments and your connection can slowly slip away. So how do you maintain a strong bond with your partner when life is pulling you in so many different directions? Today’s guest, author Cory Carlson u...
Pre and post vacation tips so you can take REAL time off
June 21, 2022 04:00 - 20 minutes - 30.2 MBYou plan your vacation to relax and take a break from work. But too often being out of the office means you’re cramming in extra hours right up till the moment you leave. By the time you get to the airport, you’re tired, frazzled, and cranky. If that’s ever happened to you, you’re not alone. Without careful planning, you can easily find yourself glued to your laptop even in the middle of a vacation. That’s no way to spend your holiday. In this episode, you’ll discover some pre and po...
Sharing the mental load of motherhood
June 14, 2022 04:00 - 20 minutes - 29.9 MBLaundry, unwashed dishes, meal plan for the week, work, medical appointments, and so much more. Being a mom comes with a seemingly endless to-do list. And you’re not only staring down a busy schedule – you're also carrying around a mental list of decisions, reminders, and things you need to do. With so much to take care of, you can find yourself in constant overwhelm. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Today, you’ll learn a powerful framework to tackle the mental load ...
Women in the Workplace: Myth vs. Reality with Deanna Bass, former VP of Diversity & Inclusion Procter & Gamble
June 07, 2022 04:00 - 57 minutes - 81.1 MBMost corporate workplaces buy into certain myths that can unintentionally keep women and minorities from reaching their potential (even in diverse and progressive companies). My guest today, Deanna Bass, has codified these myths that keep true equality just out of reach. One of my earliest mentors during my corporate career, Deanna will rekindle your innate confidence that there is plenty of room for you to achieve your professional dreams, and moreover, that you can bring others along wi...
An overachiever's guide to avoiding burnout
May 31, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 31.4 MBDo you ever wake up feeling like your dimmer switch is on? As if some external force needs to rise up to push you through the workday? Pay attention because you could be noticing the signs of early-stage burnout. Without quick intervention, burnout only gets worse. And late-stage burnout is not to be messed with. It’s where women quit their jobs, uproot their lives, and trudge through the day with no zest for life. So if you’re reading this, there’s still time. In this episode...
Turn a bad morning into a great day with "Control - Alt - Delete"
May 24, 2022 04:00 - 15 minutes - 22.9 MBLet’s face it - we all have bad mornings. Whether it’s losing your temper with your little one, getting stuck in traffic, or spilling coffee on your favorite white shirt…little things can add up and make you want to climb back into bed. But if the way your morning unfolds dictates how the rest of your day goes…you’re missing an important opportunity. In this episode, you’ll discover how to turn a morning that went sideways into a truly great day with an approach I’m calling “Control-Alt...
How Threshold Rituals help working moms
May 17, 2022 04:00 - 23 minutes - 34.6 MBAs a working mom, your life may feel like a balancing act. Between juggling school calendars, work, quality time with your family, you’re pulled in a lot of different directions. And you have to switch gears on the regular. When these roles overlap, it’s all too easy to get distracted. You can find yourself not feeling present as a mom or at work. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, you’ll discover how you can create “threshold rituals” that allow you to effortlessly...