Have you ever taken a personality test and thought, “Well, that’s just who I am—I’ll never change”? In this episode of Unbreakable Mompreneurs, host Charisse Walker sits down with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala, clinical psychologist, researcher, professor, and mom of two, to challenge that myth.
Shannon explains why popular tools like the Myers-Briggs or Enneagram may not tell the full story—and how personality is far more flexible than we think. She shares powerful insights from her research on evidence-based treatments that can help us “nudge” traits like people-pleasing, perfectionism, and overachieving when they’re no longer serving us.
In this conversation, you’ll discover:
Why personality tests can hold us back if we treat them as destiny.
The role of values in motivating lasting personality shifts.
How traits like perfectionism and overachieving can both help and harm us—and how to find balance.
Real strategies for breaking free from people-pleasing, burnout, and self-limiting beliefs.
Why personality is not fixed—and how change can happen faster than you think.
Shannon also shares candidly about her own journey as a “recovering overachiever perfectionist” and how becoming a mom forced her to rethink what success and happiness really mean. Her story, combined with cutting-edge research, offers both hope and practical tools for high-achieving women who feel stuck in patterns that no longer fit.
✨ Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or mom navigating the pressures of doing it all, this episode will inspire you to step outside the box of labels, let go of old narratives, and embrace the possibility of change.
🌟 Connect with Dr. Shannon Sauer-ZavalaWebsite: personality-compass.comInstagram: @self.made.personality
🌟 Connect with Host Charisse WalkerWebsite: unbreakablemompreneurs.comInstagram: @charissewalker1