Ever had a simple task become overwhelming? 👉🏻 It’s not the task, it’s the story we’re telling ourselves ABOUT the task! This week, Stephanie and Maren dive into the cost of “it’s so hard” and trace where the heaviness really lives: not in the action itself, in the narrative we keep rehearsing. From a timeless Zen parable about two monks to a very modern yardwork fiasco, they unpack how righteous justification sneaks in, drains energy, and keeps us resentful when a small reframe c...

There are very real costs to people-pleasing, and you’re likely living them - the quiet resentment that builds after a hasty yes or the loss of trust that happens when someone can’t deliver on a promise. People pleasing doesn't please, it erodes: trust, time, and energy. With a memorable five-year roof story and hard-won lessons from work and relationships, Stephanie and Maren unpack why “just because I can” doesn’t mean “I should” and map a practical path out of the “pleasing” loopshare the ...

What if you’re not broken—you’re just waiting for permission you can only give yourself? Stephanie and Maren sit down with Jillian Riley, author of The Ten Permissions, to rethink how we lead, parent, and make choices in a world where old formulas no longer fit. Instead of chasing the “right” answer, they explore how to use experiments over equationsbuild the capacity to choose recover quickly when things don’t go as plannedWe were all taught to “ask before you act”, which follows ...

Ever noticed how often we get trapped in rigid, black-and-white thinking that leaves no room for growth or connection? That 'certainty' might actually be your biggest obstacle. Stephanie and Maren share their illuminating conversation, that explores the hidden dangers of all-or-nothing thinking being stuck in patterns of right versus wrongthe 'yes versus no', and 'us versus them' trapinternal boundaries that matter more than the external ones we try to enforce on othersThey share p...

Have you ever felt frustrated with goal setting? Thinking ‘here I go again, next goal, next goal’? Today, Maren & Stephanie offer an alternative to the on-going and soul sucking goal/achievement loop. “How many amazing achievers have gone out there, achieved their goal and think, great... now what? Is this it?” ~ Stephanie J. Allen Whether you’ve used SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals, tend towards BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) or feel ‘do...

Planning is the road to success, the path to freedom. Or is it? What if planning only part of the answer, and not having the whole picture is keeping you VERY stuck? Today Stephanie and Maren unpack what we’ve been taught about planning (and sticking to the plan), how it’s holding us back, how we can use it and what it actually takes to step fully into our flow. It requires both awareness and practice - and it’s a powerful path into the meaningful, fulfilling life that too often feels o...

“Why is that coming up AGAIN? I dealt with that!” Have you felt like that? You think, ‘I've been here. I've done this already.’ When that shows up, do you get frustrated, assume you did something wrong and beat yourself up about it? Or do you get curious and excited? Today’s podcast will give you a perspective that goes beyond the judgement of right and wrong; a perspective that will empower and liberate you AND you’ll even begin to find joy in those normally irritating repeat offenders...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying a big sack of potatoes wondering why you feel tired and heavy and you can't sleep, this podcast is for you. Today, Maren & Stephanie dive into the Shadow, what it is, why it matters and how to use it to lighten your load and lead a more joyful and fulfilled life. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ~ Carl Jung When you don’t address your shadow, you not only miss out on gifts and opp...

What happens when we finally get our needs met? We scramble after money, love, accolades, power, etc., yet study after study shows that once basic needs are met, additional pursuit does not enhance happiness. Will Smith talks about the concept of “cliff top” (opposite of "rock bottom”) where a person has achieved everything they wanted in the material world—money, fame, sex, and success— and still finds themselves missing lasting happiness. He says reaching the cliff top can lead to an ...

Resilience is hot! The word is being used in every context from problems, to theories, to solutions - as well as to push people to do even more. So what is it really and why does that matter to you, your team, and your business? Today, Stephanie and Maren dive into this maelstrom and talk candidly about what it is, why it's important to you and how to build true resilience within yourself, your team members and your business. 🧐 What if instead bouncing back, resilience meant taking a s...

You live with a constant undercurrent of never feeling like you do enough, you are enough, or that you have enough. It's exhausting. That’s the result of being taught to look outside for your value and your worth, it leaves you empty. No matter how much you take from the outside and try to put inside, it doesn’t fill it. Today, Stephanie and Maren talk about this very poignant, timely subject from the freeing place of inner mastery. Never feeling like enough, emotional instability and loss of...

Purpose. Meaning. Clarity. Do you ever feel like you’re chasing these in your life and just as you reach them, they, poof, slip through your fingers? You’re not alone. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren unpack what it really means to pursue this power trio — not as a destination, but as a living, breathing practice. Society treats them as boxes to tick, and that’s part of the problem. Today’s episode explores going beyond what you’ve been taught to a deeper kind of liste...

When your emotions are all over the place, it’s easy to fall for everything and anything. You’re easy to manipulate. On some level you know this, so you tuck those damn emotions aside, ignore them or try to control them - which only makes things worse. They come out at the most inopportune times. Sound familiar? The truth is, emotions are not a flaw to be overcome, they are one of the amazing gifts of being human. They are literally energy in motion, and as such, not only feed us, but are als...

It’s nuts out there. And when it’s calm and focused inside - it changes everything. As a culture, we are easily distracted obsessive over (fill in the blank) - politics, relationships, finances, etc. experiencing one health, environmental, societal crisis after another swinging from wound up to completely disengaged feeling angry one minute to hopeless the nextSo how do you stay sane? Focused? How do you even know what to focus on? The internal impa...

What if you could feel more like yourself, have the energy and motivation you imagine AND create meaningful change in the world. It’s not a pipe dream. If you have ever felt like you’re missing something Like there’s an answer just beyond your graspsmaller than you know yourself to beas if you just weren’t living up to your full potentialnot as happy as you should beToday’s podcast has answers -and tools- for you! This week, Maren and Stephanie pull apart the very means to freeing ...

What if the thing you're clinging to is the very thing holding you back? In this week’s episode, Stephanie and Maren dive deep into the attachments we hold—money, identity, expectations—and the hidden cost of not letting go. Maren shares her powerful personal story of losing $250,000 and the radical transformation that followed when she chose to see it not as a failure, but as a gift. Together, they explore: The emotional weight of attachmentThe courage it takes to surrenderHow to recognize w...

Have you ever hung on to something you know is not good for you? A habit, a belief, maybe even a relationship or a job that you know sucks, but you can't seem to let it go? The thing you say, ‘if only’ this were different, my life would be great, then you don’t change it? ~ If only my husband were kinder, stronger, shorter, taller, etc. ~ If only my job paid me more money ~If only I could lose 20 pounds The truth is that you stay stuck because it’s comfortable. It’s what ...

Energy is an interesting dynamic. It goes where we send it. When you are angry and fight against something, that something actually gets fed. You add your energy to it. Shifting focus towards what you want instead, stops feeding the beast you don’t want and diverts the energy into building your ideal - what you DO want. "I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be th...

Mel Robbins has caught the nation’s attention with her ‘Let Them’ Theory. It’s simple, it’s empowering and it’s not as one-size-fits-all as people want to make it. This week, Stephanie and Maren bring opposing views on “Let Them”, which opens up a world of discussions and several thought provoking examples. The essential aspect for leaders is how they use their own experience of sitting on opposite sides of the fence to uplevel the traditional right/wrong/good/bad argument to a higher place o...

Have you ever felt invisible? Not seen or heard? Isolated? Ironically, you are not alone. More and more people are experiencing this. In today’s powerful podcast, Maren shares her own story and together Maren and Stephanie look at this from multiple perspectives including: the role that AI has played - and will play - in this phenomenonhow to heal from from the isolationthe disease of perfectionism what it means to be a full spectrum humanthe role of business and how agile (or not) it ca...