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
The Canyon Ranch approach to aging beautifully with Dr. Diane Downing
May 10, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 52.5 MBAs we get older, we start to experience a range of mental and physical changes. Whether it’s a little extra weight you’ve never noticed before or a transition into menopause, it can become stressful when you don’t know what’s natural and what’s in your control. But if you understand how to nurture your mind and body through the years, life just feels better. In this episode, Dr. Diane Downing shares the self-care practices she teaches at the famous Canyon Ranch Resort that you can use ...
Jealous Much? 3 steps to feel better about your own life
May 03, 2022 04:00 - 16 minutes - 24.2 MBHave you ever caught yourself feeling jealous of others’ successes, looks, or achievements? Whether we like it or not, we all feel envious sometimes. The feelings can chase us around and fill us with strong emotions like anger, shame, and sadness. You may hesitate to confront your envious feelings but doing so can set your heart free and fill you with joy again. Listen now to discover 3 simple steps to shift your perspective on envy and transform your negative emotions into deep grati...
How do I get my family off their devices?
April 26, 2022 04:00 - 24 minutes - 35.9 MBDo you worry about how TVs, iPads, and phones are turning us (and our kids) into disconnected zombies? You’re not alone. We’re all guilty of being glued to these devices for most of our days. With endless options of entertainment at our fingertips, it’s easy to lose touch with our surroundings and with each other. Listen now to discover simple actions you can take to control the technology in your household before it controls you. Show Highlights Include: A questionable social expe...
What would your future self do?
April 19, 2022 04:00 - 19 minutes - 29.1 MBImagine you’re 16 again. Could you make better choices with the perspective you have today? So often, we base our decisions on our current perspective. And that can keep us stuck. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, fears, or other people’s opinions. But what if we could make all these choices with our “future selves” in mind? In this episode, you’ll discover a powerful framework for making growth-driven decisions with a little help from your future self. Listen now...
Parenting Aging Parents with Mike and Kim Barnes
April 12, 2022 04:00 - 45 minutes - 63.6 MBHelping your aging parents can be a stressful and confusing time. With so many unknowns, it’s hard to even know what to google for answers! You can feel really alone as you navigate uncharted territory. That’s perfectly normal. As adult children, when imagining our parents as seniors, we can’t comprehend how their aging will affect them or us. We don’t like to think about our loved ones declining mentally or physically. However, preparing for this chapter with our parents can save us (an...
Closing the gap between desire and doability
April 05, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 31.7 MBDoes fulfilling your deepest desires sound like a pipe dream? If so, you’re not alone – many of us think executing our vision would take too much time or energy, or that doing so is simply impossible. We don’t always see or honor the gap between our desire and our ability to execute. And this “desire gap” can be the root cause of a lot of suffering. But many times, our dreams are not beyond our reach, we just have to figure out why we’re behaving as though they are. In this episode, yo...
You're allowed to stay calm
March 29, 2022 04:00 - 34 minutes - 48.9 MBHave you been feeling overwhelmed? Worried all the time? Anxious about everything going on in the world? You feel certain you should tend to your own mental health, but it seems impossible when there are so many things going on around you. So how do you stay calm when everything seems to fall apart? In today’s episode, you’ll discover some powerful practices to access your own inner calm—even if it's been hibernating for a while. Show Highlights Include: Why feeling calm has nothing t...
Why is my child's room always a mess?
March 22, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 31.6 MBIf you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the clutter in your kid’s room, you’re not alone. Many of us feel like our child’s room just can’t stay in order. Which leads to an ongoing conflict in a lot of homes. But often the mess is not because our kids don’t want to cooperate. They just don’t know how to do it. They need an effective and motivating system to keep their place clean. In this episode, you’ll discover simple, yet game-changing methods to eliminate the constant clutter. Follow the...
Cultivate a Life You Love, with Emily Thomas of Cultivate What Matters
March 15, 2022 04:00 - 31 minutes - 45.4 MBWe’re often raised to seek approval from others: At school, we’re rewarded for behaving well and studying. As adults, we get job titles and money when we work hard. That makes it easy to neglect the things nobody rewards us for. But the moments no one else sees are often the most fulfilling and meaningful. And if you make more of those moments happen, you’ll be happier and feel more fulfilled. Today, as I talk to Emily Thomas, Chief of Staff of Cultivate What Matters, she shares how...
The paradox of choice
March 08, 2022 05:00 - 19 minutes - 28.3 MBWe’ve all gotten stuck making a decision… Whether it’s finding a new show on Netflix or buying a gallon of milk at the grocery store; the world feels like it has too many options. And when our choices feel limitless, sometimes we freeze. That’s when having too many choices is no longer a good thing. So yes, having options is good…but having too many options isn’t. In this episode, you’ll learn two ways to pull yourself through the paradox of choice and make better decisions. Show h...
Invest in yourself...without the guilt (Finance Series Part 4)
March 01, 2022 05:00 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBInvesting in yourself might seem out of the question. You consider it ‘cash to burn’ and don’t see any financial returns on it. But when you classify everything as an expense, it’s hard to see anything as an investment. You miss the opportunities that come your way and keep tunnel vision on the short-term. Opportunity costs when you hold onto it. But if you play with the right hand, the investments could have a return beyond anything you’ve imagined. In this episode, you’ll learn 3 wa...
How to max out your income potential (Finance Series Part 3)
February 22, 2022 05:00 - 23 minutes - 32.3 MBWe probably all carry a little fear around money conversations… but when it comes to asking for more, it feels easier to budget our days away (than ask for the income we deserve). When we cut back on spending or look at downsizing, we only end up thinking smaller. And when we think smaller, we will always feel limited. There will be no financial opportunities to seize or places to grow. In this episode, you’ll learn the 3 ways of maximizing your income (without having to pinch pennies al...
Are you still a financial child? (Finance Series Part 2)
February 15, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 38.5 MBFinancial management is not a topic everyone wants to talk about. In fact, most people go out of their way to avoid the money talk. Whether it’s a credit score that needs work or a budget that needs focus, finances aren’t always the easiest to discuss. But why do these conversations feel impossible to have? And how can we have a better relationship with money? When you refuse to discuss money, it might mean you are operating as a financial child. You don’t want to be bothered by bills, ...
The hidden cost of financial fear (Finance Series Part 1)
February 08, 2022 05:00 - 27 minutes - 38.1 MBA lot of us have a weird anxiety around money. We don’t like looking at our bank account, thinking about retirement or reviewing our expenses. But being afraid of finances costs you—and not just financially. In this episode, you’ll discover how to defeat financial fear and be more confident around money to have less stress and more balance. Want to remove your fear of finances and live a more balanced life? Listen now! Show highlights include: How to get rid of a scarcity mindset...
The 3 legged stool of mental well being
February 01, 2022 05:00 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBThere are times in life when everything feels out of balance. You struggle through the basics and find every moment stressful. When you’re off your game, everything feels kind of impossible! At those times, it’s important to remember there are three legs holding up the stool of life. And when one is a little wiggly, the rest of your day feels off balance. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use the three-legged stool of mental well-being to find your way to more balanced days. Show h...
Build a wind-down routine that works
January 25, 2022 05:00 - 21 minutes - 30.2 MBWhen you can’t seem to calm yourself down at the end of the day, sleep feels impossible. But what if you had steps to take that led you gently to a state where your body and mind were ready for rest? Between the anxious thoughts and constant pings on our phone, bedtime for us isn’t the magical time we’ve created for our kids. And when you can’t relax at night, you only feel more exhausted the next day. Your wind-down routine doesn’t have to be done in complete solitude (or even all at on...
What if you only tracked your wins?
January 18, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 26 MBWhether it’s a broken New Year’s resolution or blunder at work, we’re all really good at keeping track of what goes wrong. It’s easier to ruminate about our bad days than build the momentum to have better ones. But focusing on what went wrong brings you down. You forget that tomorrow is a new day (while today is already done). There will always be setbacks and things out of your control. But if you want to build momentum and make positive progress, then focusing on your wins is key. ...
Breaking the "getting caught up" cycle
January 11, 2022 05:00 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBYou may think that weekends and holidays are the time to get caught up. You finish the work week only to overstuff your time off with even more things to do. And you’re always trying to catch up. But is being caught up really possible? Or is chasing that myth only leaving you drained and disappointed? Time off should be for true rest and rejuvenation (and not tackling another to-do list). In this episode, you’ll hear my top four ways to keep work in its proper place (while enjoying tim...
What I learned in 2021 that I’m carrying into 2022
January 04, 2022 05:00 - 22 minutes - 30.2 MBOver the last year, many of us have learned powerful lessons. And while sometimes the experiences that teach those lessons can drain us, there’s no better way to start off a new year than with a powerful mindset, rooted in hard-earned wisdom. 2022 is about embracing the lessons we’ve learned last year and walking with confidence into whatever this year has in store. In this episode, you’ll hear my top five lessons from 2021 - I hope they’ll help you have your most peaceful and prospero...
A fresh approach to the Enneagram with Leslie Hershberger
December 28, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 52.5 MBIn last week’s episode, we took a whirlwind tour of the Enneagram and its nine types. You may have even found out where you fit into the Enneagram model (and what drives your behavior). But the gateway to deeper connection is in communicating with all types of the Enneagram. And you can break them up into three centers of communication - head, heart, and body. When you can listen and learn from anyone, patterns emerge. You understand how people thrive, connect, and work best. When you pa...
An introduction to the Enneagram
December 21, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 42 MBThe Enneagram is a model of the human psyche. It reveals what we do to feel loved and what motivates our behavior. The Enneagram uses numbers, instead of language, to explain attitude and behavior. Even though there are nine distinct personality types, one dominates each of our lives. It is our unconscious orientation that drives our behavior. While you may not resonate with every feature of your type, when you understand it, it reveals how to become the best version of yourself. You le...
What stretch of road are you on?
December 14, 2021 05:00 - 18 minutes - 27.1 MBThe promise of a road trip is always exciting. You gather your favorite snacks and queue up a playlist, ready for adventure. But what you’ve envisioned and what actually unfolds can be two entirely different stories. And when you’re on the road of life, it’s the same. So many variations are possible. But when you know the stretch of road you’re on, you can adjust your “driving” accordingly and feel a whole lot better in the process. In this episode, you’ll learn how to navigate four d...
Stop playing “Self on the Shelf” [Encore Episode]
December 07, 2021 05:00 - 17 minutes - 25.6 MBWhen December arrives, you might feel like it’s time to slip into your holiday role. You cook, host parties, wrap gifts, and plan everything start to finish. The days feel rushed and without holiday spirit. It’s easy to get trapped in making sure everyone else has a good time. You always want to give, but are unable to receive. Why? When you don’t take time for yourself, the holidays become bland. You miss out on experiences with people you care about and get lost in the agenda. You pla...
JILL BOLTE-TAYLOR - Learn to Host a Brain Huddle
November 30, 2021 05:00 - 50 minutes - 70.9 MBIt might be surprising to learn that each of us has four distinct “characters” living in our brain. Each one experiences life through a particular lens and brings a unique perspective to situations we encounter. In this episode, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (yes the same one who delivered the now famous TED talk, My Stroke of Insight) helps us learn how to call all four characters into service so we can more fully experience each moment. Learning to work with your whole brain helps ensure you ...
Coping ahead - a strategy to manage your holiday emotions
November 23, 2021 05:00 - 18 minutes - 27.1 MBNavigating the holidays can be a challenge. And while you may be able to avoid those “certain people” throughout the year, the holidays don’t always give you that opportunity. However, when you learn the skill of coping ahead, you can feel confident about your plan to handle holiday emotions so you feel less overwhelmed and more in control. In this episode, you’ll learn six strategies for coping ahead during the holidays. Show highlights include: How to pick your ‘Holiday Ally’ and ge...
How to stop overplanning with Mridu Parikh
November 16, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 40.9 MBHaving the perfect plan can feel like a safety net. You just know it’s going to set you up for smooth sailing, so you feel fully in control…until you don’t. In fact, overplanning can backfire…and when it does you're left with even more things to do, which causes unnecessary stress. Overplanning can block your intuition and keep your day from unfolding with the ease and flow you crave. In this episode, you’ll discover why some of the most productive people have started to plan less and ...
Are you at war with your body?
November 09, 2021 05:00 - 22 minutes - 32.6 MBIf you’ve ever felt like you’re at war with your body, you’re not alone. In fact, 97% of women report that they think intensely negative thoughts about their bodies every single day. We actually bond over this common misery. And yet if you’re always treating your body as the enemy, you’re in for a rough ride. You’ll fight every flaw and try to tweak every aspect of your appearance. Which leads to nothing but more fear, shame, and stress… Finding peace isn’t about having the perfect body...
Tolerating disapproval
November 02, 2021 04:00 - 23 minutes - 33.4 MBSometimes we pride ourselves on ‘caring too much.’ But making a decision can feel practically impossible when you are trying to keep everyone else happy. And if you’re always yearning for approval, you’ll find it harder to make the right decisions for yourself. When you bury your own needs, you lose touch with the things that make you happy. Happiness becomes what everyone else wants. In this episode, you’ll discover how to figure out if you’re a ‘people pleaser’ and learn how to experi...
What if you just stay open to it?
October 26, 2021 04:00 - 19 minutes - 29.1 MBEveryone shuts down sometimes. Whether you’re afraid of getting hurt, want to avoid conflict, or are trying to protect your hard-earned reputation, it’s tempting to put on your armor and hide out. But closing yourself off is no way to live. In fact, when you learn to stay open, your life gets better and better. You grow, you receive, you deepen the connection you feel with others, and you live a more exciting story by having new experiences. In this episode, you’ll discover how to get o...
Building momentum when you need it most
October 19, 2021 04:00 - 18 minutes - 27.7 MBMomentum - like a ferris wheel - is a constant cycle. When you’re at the top, you feel a sense of fulfillment and like anything is possible. But when you lose that momentum, everything starts to feel like an obstacle. In this episode, you’ll discover how to work with the cycles of momentum so you can focus on opportunities and get back up to the top again. Show highlights include: The ferris wheel philosophy for getting to the top of your game (when life feels like it’s in a rut) (1:39)...
Why Change is So Hard with Katy Milkman, Behavioral Scientist
October 12, 2021 04:00 - 44 minutes - 63.3 MBNew Year’s Eve is the most popular time for people to make goals. For example… the gyms are packed in January and full of motivation. But by February, the crowd dies off. People become less interested and don’t follow through on their resolutions. What happened? Reaching your goals is about making better choices. And if you don’t understand the driving forces behind it, you’ll always get stuck doing the same thing. In this episode, Dr. Katy Milkman explains the science behind making y...
3 things we need to teach our girls
October 05, 2021 04:00 - 18 minutes - 27.3 MBFeeling like you have to ‘do everything’ is normal… but it is also draining and leads to high anxiety. And it’s impossible to celebrate your personal wins when you never feel good enough. That’s the last thing we want to teach our girls - and for them to pick up on. It’s not about being EVERYthing. It’s about being ANYthing. You don’t need to ‘do it all’ for self-worth. And it doesn’t need to be perfect to go out into the world. In this episode, you’ll discover the 3 skills a girl nee...
When "I don't know" is a question, not an answer
September 28, 2021 04:00 - 16 minutes - 25 MBWhen it comes to accomplishing your dreams, you might not know what the first step is… It’s easy to say “I don’t know” and make that the end of the road. But what if “I don’t know” is a question, not an answer? In this episode, you’ll discover the three ways to use “I don’t know” as a question for the next step in your dreams. Show highlights include: Using the story of Midnight the Kitten to fulfill your impossible dreams (0:47) How to make connections and gather the right tool...
Is low-power language sabotaging you? (I was just wondering.)
September 21, 2021 04:00 - 23 minutes - 33.7 MBYou need powerful language to command a room or explain a side. And when you don’t know how to make your point, you end up apologizing and underselling. If you fall into patterns of bad communication, you’ll never make the impact you want in the world. You’ll only weaken your authority and confuse those around you. In this episode, you’ll discover the 8 ways to stop weakening your language and have more power in your words. Show highlights include: Why these 4 words soften your co...
Sleep Better and Breathe Easier with Dr. Funke Brown, Sleep Medicine Physician
September 14, 2021 04:00 - 37 minutes - 53.1 MBGetting a good night’s rest makes every part of your day better. It enhances your mood, energizes your spirit, and gets you ready to take on the day. And while we all know how important sleep is, why do we continue to struggle with getting a good snooze? When you lose out on sleep, it throws everything out of balance. Life feels overwhelming, rushed, and even the smallest decisions feel impossible to make. In this episode, sleep expert Dr. Funke Brown shares how to sleep your way to a ...
3 keys to a smooth morning launch
September 07, 2021 04:00 - 21 minutes - 30.8 MBYou know that a good day starts with a good morning. But it only takes one missing shoe to throw off the entire flow of those early hours… Perfect mornings aren’t about being mistake-free. They are about handling things that come your way (while having enough time to get out the door). In this episode, you’ll discover the three keys to feeling calmer, in control, and on top of things in the morning. Show highlights include: Why a morning of smooth sailing starts with these three tas...
Why we stop dreaming and how to start again
August 31, 2021 04:00 - 22 minutes - 32.1 MBWhen you’re asked about your dreams, does it feel like a question of the past? You’ve had your dreams, made life decisions, and closed off the rest. But dreams don’t only belong to kids! And they offer more to adults than ‘fantasy.’ Dreams inspire you, guide you to a greater purpose, and propel you forward. In this episode, you’ll discover why dreaming as an adult leads to your most impactful and creative life yet. Show highlights include: How to escape the “lather, rinse, repeat” cyc...
200th Episode! Listener Questions Answered
August 24, 2021 04:00 - 33 minutes - 47.5 MBThank you for being a loyal podcast listener and helping us get to our 200th episode! To honor this milestone, we’re flipping the script and answering YOUR important questions about living a brilliant and balanced life! Show highlights include: How to ‘tip the scale’ toward personal development (when all you do is work for other people) (3:45) The threshold rituals for making family time magical and being more present (8:15) The energy formula for getting out of your workout slump an...
Letting go of Control with Dr. Nathan Fite, Founder, Cincinnati Anxiety Center
August 17, 2021 04:00 - 35 minutes - 50.5 MBIt doesn’t come as a surprise that most people want control in their lives, but the desire for it feeds anxiety. When you can’t control your environment, you get a gut feeling that something is wrong. It keeps you trapped and in fear of making a move. But if you’re too focused on what you can’t control, the opportunities for what you can are gone. In this episode, you’ll learn how to loosen the grips on life and accept uncertainty for a new level of freedom. Show highlights includ...
Should you really bring your "whole self" to work?
August 10, 2021 04:00 - 23 minutes - 34.2 MBA majority of people feel the need to “hide” parts of their identity at work. They downplay their life, avoid personal questions, and get too wrapped up in projects. But hiding who you are at work takes a lot of time and energy. In this episode, you’ll discover why showing up with your “whole self” at the office creates the most opportunities and connections in your career. Show highlights include: The “I Promise” exercises for strengthening connections outside of work and getting ev...
5 signs of emotional maturity
August 03, 2021 04:00 - 29 minutes - 42.4 MBManaging your emotions isn’t a natural concept. It takes practice and commitment. And even when you take the high road, you might not get the response you want. But emotional maturity is more than asserting yourself. It’s about getting back in control over how you feel. So that no matter what anyone does, you’re always elevating the conversation. In this episode, you’ll discover the five keys to elevating your emotional maturity today. Show highlights include: How emotional maturity ...
Let yourself come up for air
July 27, 2021 04:00 - 26 minutes - 37.6 MBWhether it’s related to work or something personal, we’ve all felt like we’re swimming with our heads underwater. You can only hold your breath for so long. Coming up for air is the only way to live a life with joy (and recover to take on the day). The times you think you can’t take a break are usually when you need to take one the most. In this episode, you’ll discover why coming up for air is essential to your soul (and your life). Show highlights include: The 3 times in life ...
The Way of Integrity with Martha Beck (aka Oprah's Life Coach)
July 20, 2021 04:00 - 28 minutes - 40.2 MBIt’s easy to forget who you are in a world full of social pressure. But if you can’t overcome a fear of judgment, you won’t do the things you’re drawn to. And if you suppress your true nature, life starts to feel miserable. Integrity is about getting in tune with the truth and doing things with purpose. The more integrity you have, the closer you are to your true self. In this episode, Dr. Martha Beck shares the path of integrity in finding who you really are (and feeling whole again). ...
What got you here wont get you there
July 13, 2021 04:00 - 15 minutes - 22.9 MBIf you are stuck doing the same thing every day, life gets stagnant. You start to feel drained, unmotivated, and without options. But unhappy circumstances won’t change unless you do. In fact, you might even be standing in your own way. In this episode, you’ll learn why doing different things brings the most potential to your life. Show highlights include: The ‘up-leveling’ strategy for getting to your goals (and always growing) (0:40) Why having a ‘board game brain’ creates more ...
Strategically Selfish: Is it ever okay to do something for yourself? (Encore episode)
July 06, 2021 04:00 - 19 minutes - 28.6 MBWhen you hear the word ‘selfish,’ you might think of a person who focuses only on themselves. It’s portrayed as a negative trait that puts us above others. But being selfish isn’t as bad as you think. And if you spend all of your time focused on everyone else, you’ll quickly burn out. You need selfishness to steer life in the direction you want, create better relationships, and feel a sense of self-worth. An investment in yourself is an investment in those around you. In this episod...
Can’t make a decision? Try this. (Encore episode)
June 29, 2021 04:00 - 28 minutes - 40.3 MBWhether it’s choosing a restaurant for dinner or deciding to move across the country for a job, we face decisions on a daily basis. And sometimes those decisions can feel so overwhelming, you’d rather not make them at all. But the decision-making process is far more important than the decision itself. And if you spend your time continuously going over the best possible choice, nothing will ever get done. By making decisions daily, you’ll feel confident, have more family time, and get cl...
Elise Loehnen, goop - Are we entering the era of Wise Women?
June 22, 2021 04:00 - 37 minutes - 53.5 MBCrossing paths with highly influential people can be quite nerve-racking. There’s a wave of intimidation surrounding success and social status, even if you’ve only created a persona of the actual person in your head. Besides nerves and intimidation, there’s also a level of energy and excitement around influencers… but why? Is it the need to be seen? Or heard? Or is it because we are entering a new era of women? An era where women are ready to act out of bravery, feel the power in their...
Are your habits working for you or against you?
June 15, 2021 04:00 - 18 minutes - 27 MBIf you find yourself fighting fatigue with an extra cup of coffee or looking to escape your day with a second glass of wine, you’re not alone. And while it can feel like life is full of one-time actions, it’s the habits formed daily that achieve happier days. In this episode, you’ll learn how to build habits in service of your long-term goals and reclaim control over the life you want (instead of feeling victimized and fatigued by the life you have). Show highlights include: Why Netfl...
How to deal with your to do list never being done
June 08, 2021 04:00 - 20 minutes - 29.3 MBMany of us have a love-hate relationship with to-do lists. While some people live through having one, others cringe at the sight of it. And right when you check off a box on your list, it feels like three more things are added. How can you find happiness and family time under the weight of an ever-growing list? In this episode, you’ll learn how to create much-needed breathing room on a never-ending to-do list, and why tackling your tasks doesn’t happen all at once (but in small, victorio...
What are you (really) waiting for?
June 01, 2021 04:00 - 17 minutes - 26.4 MBWe all have a list of excuses, but what’s the real reason you keep standing in your own way? And how do you stop stalling to let the adventure of life unfold? No matter how much fear and discomfort a decision holds, pushing past your comfort zone to accomplish something far outweighs the rest. In this episode, you’ll learn how to overcome resistance and stop stalling for a more adventurous and fulfilling life - even if you can’t see the big picture yet. Show highlights include: How to...