In today’s episode, I share the question that’s been sitting deep in my spirit lately: “What could this moment be trying to give me?” I talk about this gentle whisper I keep feeling — don’t miss what this moment is trying to offer you. I open up about how easy it is for me to slip back into striving, overachieving, staying relevant, or trying to control what God has already released me from. This episode is really a pause… an invitation to notice the transformation God might be doing in...

Today I’m sitting with a simple but grounding question: What do I need to believe about myself - and about God’s sovereignty - in this moment? I think about David in 1 Samuel 17, standing before Saul, naming the evidence of who he was and the evidence of who God had already been to him. He didn’t hype himself up he remembered. He pulled from his history with God. So I’m asking myself the same thing: What truth do I need to stand on today, and what evidence do I already have that s...

If you really knew that everything happening right now — the uncertainty, the waiting, the transition — was actually working for you, how would you move through this season? I’m not talking about the surface-level “it’s gonna be okay” kind of faith. I mean deep down in your spirit, in your belly, where peace lives even when the path doesn’t make sense. If you believed that all things were working together for your good — not in hindsight, but right now — what would shift? Would your posture c...

In this short, reflective episode, I invite you to pause and look at what’s forming in you and not just around you. So often, when life shifts or things fall apart, we focus on what’s being taken instead of what’s being taught. But every experience carries the power to reveal a new version of you — one that’s stronger, softer, wiser, or more grounded than before. This isn’t about pretending the hard isn’t hard. It’s about asking, “Who am I choosing to let emerge because of this?” Because whe...

When everything shift- your title, your role, your season - it’s easy to feel like you’ve lost a piece of yourself. But even in the middle of change, there are things that can’t be taken: your growth, your lessons, your love, your character. In this short reflection, I share the question that’s grounding me right now: When everything else falls away, what’s yours to keep? Because some things aren’t lost-they’re just coming with you into the next chapter. Reflection question: What’s mine to ke...

In this episode, I want you to really see yourself through this—whatever this is for you right now. I want you to imagine being on the other side of it, standing in your promised land, and ask yourself: what would that version of you say to the you who’s still in the thick of it? A week before I got laid off, I was walking through my yard and had this quiet moment where I realized… I was standing in the middle of answered prayer. Not because of anything material, but because of the peace I wa...

Before we dive into daily prompts, you need to understand WHY they work—so you don't skip them when you need them most. This episode breaks down the neuroscience of the Reticular Activating System (RAS), the brain's filter that decides what you notice out of 11 million bits of information per second. Host Sonia Holmes explains how daily questions literally rewire your neural pathways, and shares how years of this practice gave her peace instead of panic when she got laid off last week. This i...

I got laid off from Amazon this week. My 9-year-old announced it to my 7-year-old: "MOM GOT FIRED!" This is me processing out loud. Figuring out what's next. In real-time. I'm launching Season 2 of Own Your Work and I will be doing daily prompts for people in transition for the next 2 weeks. Not from the mountaintop. From the field. Here's the thing: I'm really talking to myself. These are the messages I need to hear. The questions I'm asking myself as I build something new. But I'm sharing t...

In this conversation, Elaine Lin Hering discusses the power of silence and the importance of unlearning it. She shares her personal journey from being a lawyer to becoming a leadership development consultant and author. Elaine emphasizes the need to create safe spaces for individuals to speak up and challenges the notion that speaking up is solely an individual's responsibility. She also explores the unintentional ways in which people silence others and suggests ways to design communication f...

Are you ready to redefine success on your own terms and live a joyful life? That's what we did in our recent life-transforming conversation with the dynamic Jessica Kascov. As a bestselling author, speaker, and life coach, Jessica shared her journey from a thriving engineering career to the inception of her company, Joyfulness with Jess. We delved into her personal life and discovered her deep-seated love for self-help books. You'll be inspired as we explore her transformation and learn how i...

What if you could take control of the autopilot mode of your life? That's what we're diving into in today's episode. I share my personal journey of disrupting ingrained habits, those default modes that have been silently dictating the course of my life. Using a specially created journal, filled with insightful prompts, I've been able to identify and begin to alter these default habits. Change isn't easy, but acknowledging these habits and recognizing their impact on our lives is the first ste...

What if we could disrupt the ingrained habits and routines that dictate our actions and potentially hinder our growth? Join me as I candidly share my own journey of challenging my default mode, a habit of remaining silent when I should speak up and saying yes to everything to the detriment of myself. This is an expedition not just into my personal default mode, but a collective exploration of how our default modes shape our work life, sometimes incongruously with our desires. Brace yourselve...

What if the secret to a fulfilling future lies in your ability to understand your current life season? Join me as we dig into this question and unravel the importance of recognizing your life season when casting a vision for your future. We'll journey through my personal experiences on how I set achievable goals based on my current life season, and how you can do the same. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone wanting to navigate and optimize their life seasons. We ex...

Unplugging: More Than Just a Day Off Sure, we've all been there—those PTO days when you promise yourself a break, only to find yourself checking emails or brainstorming work ideas. Been there, done that. But what if unplugging could be more than just an event? In this episode, I lay it all out—why unplugging is a crucial part of self-care, and how it's become a daily practice for me. Spoiler alert: it's not about being a superhero for everyone else; it's about recharging and being the best ve...

Have you ever wondered about the real essence of self-care? Is it just about being better for others or more about recognizing our own worth? I'm Sonja Holmes, your host and I'm thrilled to share my self-care journey. Often, we see self-care as a tool for productivity. But what if we shift this narrative and see self-care as an ultimate goal, a testament to our self-worth, not just a means to an end? Let's challenge traditional thinking and appreciate that we deserve care, nurture, and love s...

Imagine truly owning your work life, making decisions seamlessly, and carving a career path that aligns with your desires. Sound impossible? Think again! The power to decide what you say 'yes' and 'no' to at work is the game-changer you've been missing. Join us as we embark on this empowering journey towards gaining control over your work life. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of opportunities and tasks that come your way? Before you dole out another 'yes', let's pause and ev...

What if being a high achiever and an under-earner were not mutually exclusive? What if the answer to breaking the cycle of under-earning wasn't just about shifting jobs, but about shifting mindsets? Welcome to a powerful episode of Own Your Work where we challenge these deep-seated beliefs and explore how to truly value your worth. We're diving head-first into the demoralizing cycle of under-earning. We identify the common misconceptions, like the belief that volume equals value, and we disc...

Can you imagine leaving a high-flying Wall Street career to pursue your passion for wellness? Meet Anthony Franzese, a seasoned professional who took the leap, navigating the terrains of a drastic career transition and fatherhood. Anthony shares insights from his journey, shedding light on the advantages of taking career breaks, the significance of personal wellness, and the unexpected gears you discover in the early days of parenting. In addition to his career transition story, we delve int...

Ever wondered how to nail the 'work-life balance' equation? Our guest this week, Erin McVan, a successful learning and development consultant, leadership coach, and training facilitator, reveals how she transformed her life by stepping away from the corporate world and charting her path as an entrepreneur. We delve into her journey, walking through the intricate maze of learning, development, and training. Erin discusses moving beyond the 'order taker' mentality to create a more strategic app...

What if you could revive the child in you and navigate life with contagious curiosity? What if the key to your success and happiness was not perfection but exploration? Join me on this ride of self-discovery as we dare to ask ourselves the big "what if" questions on the Own Your Work podcast. Get ready to shed the fear of making mistakes and embrace the thrill of learning, as we aim to redefine success not by the number of achievements but by the quality of our joy. In a world that often pus...