Overview

I’m thrilled to be joined in this episode by Katie Ceccarini, founder of Endurance Management Coaching. She is an executive coach and trainer who works with leaders to empower their vision and unleash their strengths. She is also an endurance athlete and mom.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground. Katie first shares her own career journey and her career transition to becoming a business owner, trainer, and coach. She shares what prompted her to leave Corporate, lean into what was drawing her next, and how a shift in life stage coupled with the pandemic led her to think differently about the work+life she wanted to craft for herself.

We delve into leadership and the work that Katie does as a coach. She shares tips on improving leader effectiveness and shares one of her pet peeves, the focus on “fake it till you make it.” She’d say it’s much more powerful to be vulnerable, be genuinely curious, and find footing in purpose and making it matter.

We close with some wise tips on how Katie leads a full life while staying in sync with her life vision and keeping herself sustained and whole.

Thanks so much for being on with me, Katie! SO many good, clear tenets you share in this episode for people to take forward and apply in their lives, careers, and as leaders.

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Overview

On this episode, I was honored to be joined by Dorie Clark to discuss her latest book, The Long Game, that was released on September 21, 2021. If you are seeking to build a sustainable, enduring, fulfilling career from decade to decade, The Long Game is a must on your reading list! And in this conversation, we delve into why Dorie’s concepts have such application to building Sustainable Ambition.

In the book, Dorie demonstrates how doing away with short term thinking and instead taking the long view can help us achieve any goal we set out for ourselves. Anything is possible if you have the courage and strategic patience, as Dorie says, to play the long game. Dorie shows us the way from making the time to put against the goals that will fulfill you to the strategies to win at playing the long game to tips to keep the faith.

In our conversation here, we talk about being realistic about the length of time it takes to reach our goals, how the long game can take courage yet also be freeing, the importance of setting a vision, how long-term thinking and the strategies Dorie lays out apply to any stage in one’s career, and much more.

Thanks so much for your incredible work and being on to share your insights with us, Dorie! I loved the conversation.

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Overview

Today I’m joined by Bethanie Baynes, a tireless women’s advocate and recognized leader on the topic of breadwinning women and host of the podcast, “Working Wife, Happy Life.” A proud breadwinning woman herself, Bethanie has created awareness, built community, and provided resources for women who are the sole or primary earners for their households.

In this conversation, we dive into what it means to be a breadwinner and how societal constructs limit women in not seeing themselves in this role. We explore the question of “how to manage it all” (or not!), and Bethanie passes on some great advice on how to set boundaries and signal to people how we can best be utilized both at work and at home. Importantly, she reminds us of the power in giving ourselves and others grace. And given Bethanie’s own experience and leading a community of 3,000 breadwinning women at Google, she offers tips on how to navigate bucking societal norms in taking on different roles within a household and encourages us to lean into resistance and difficult conversations.

I loved having you on, Bethanie! Such great wisdom to share with all of us. And thank you for all you do to break down societal constructs to help women AND men step into the roles that are most powerful for them and support them in building fulfilling lives on their terms.

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Overview

In this episode, I’m speaking with Kristoffer Carter (“KC”) who is a spiritual teacher at the intersection of consciousness and business. He is the founder of This Epic Life, a website and podcast devoted to conscious living, which has created a daily meditation practice for thousands. We discuss KC’s new book, “Permission to Glow: A Spiritual Guide to Epic Leadership.” The book is available for pre-order on September 7 and comes out on October 5.

Don’t get scared off by this episode if you aren’t a spiritual person! I suggest you be open to the power of what KC is “preaching.” This is all about ways to open ourselves up to truly lead in all aspects of our lives and do so in a way that is sustainable. KC might say this is “soul level work,” and it’s about being able to show up in your life as your true, unapologetic self and to allow others to do the same.

So if you’re looking to up your leadership game in any area of your life and to find more capacity for what life is throwing at you, then KC’s 4 Permissions™ framework can help unlock new potential and give you insight into building more Sustainable Ambition.

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Overview

Are you like me and wondering this summer, “Where did my ambition go?!” Ugh. Perhaps we are still in the pandemic’s “languishing” fog, as Adam Grant brought to our attention earlier this year. Some of us may simply be exhausted and need to restore ourselves. Or, maybe life is rightly pulling your attention towards other pressing personal matters.

And yet, there can be other reasons why our ambition might wane. In this solo episode, host Kathy Oneto offers tips on ways to help find your way back to your ambition and flourishing.

This might be a perfect way to focus a bit of attention at the end of summer to help you find renewed energy as you enter the Fall season.

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Overview

In this episode, I’m joined by Anne LaFollette, the founder of Anne LaFollette Art, a thriving digital business centered around surface pattern design. Anne found her way to this work after a 25+ year career in corporate with retailers such as Esprit, The Gap, and Old Navy.

Anne’s story is one of Sustainable Ambition, as she forged a new path for herself and opened a new door building a creative business when the corporate door closed in her 50’s. Having an unexpressed love of art that manifested in a collection of art supplies purchased over the years and with a nudge from her husband and mother, Anne found her way towards a creative business that is both successful and brings her a tremendous amount of joy.

Listen in to hear about Anne’s journey and her counsel to achieve Sustainable Ambition both in managing through a career transition and in the day-to-day, finding a more sustainable work-life while still being ambitious.

Thank you so much for being on, Anne! It was wonderful to speak with you!

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Overview

As we start to look out past the end of this month and think about heading back-to-work (as kids head back-to-school, too), Kathy Oneto, Founder of Sustainable Ambition, wanted to provide some thoughts on how to step into this “new normal,” when it comes to going back to the office. Of course, the Delta variant is throwing some kinks into our re-entry plans, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thinking about how you want to structure your work-life going forward.

In this episode, Kathy offers tips to help you re-write your re-entry on your terms and help you ask for what you need and want to build a more sustainable work-life.

A consideration if you usually listen to these episodes driving or walking… This might be an episode that you actually want to listen to as part of a quiet mini-strategy session for yourself. Consider listening and going through the prompts, pausing to capture your notes as you go along. Or, if you prefer, listen and take what you want from the episode and apply Kathy’s suggestions in whatever way best serves you.

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Overview

Today I’m joined again by friend, mentor, and business colleague Philip VanDusen for Part 2 of our conversation. Philip was one of my first guests in Episode #6, and I ran out of time with him. As I mentioned then, he is one of my favorite people to talk to, and I seek him out often for his wisdom, so I wanted to have him back.

In this episode, I wanted to explore Philip’s thoughts on burnout, the issue with confidence that many, especially creative people, are experiencing during the pandemic, which he’s been witnessing amongst his community, and how he has sustained his own ambition over time. We also touch on how to maintain focus and discern between intentional use of time and procrastination. Philip would say, "Stop puttering!"

Philip has held esteemed roles in his creative career, such as VP Design at Old Navy and Pepsico, as well as serving as an Executive Creative Director on the agency side. After Corporate life, Philip went out on his own and now runs his own branding agency, as well as fosters a creative community. Philip offers a lot of free content to creatives and entrepreneurs, has a community to help reduce isolation and build confidence, and offers courses, which I encourage you to check out.

Philip—thanks for all you do in sharing your learning with all of us and showing us the way towards building sustainable, rewarding careers and businesses!

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Overview

In this solo episode, I offer 3 challenges to help you cut back on demands and expectations so you can create more space in your life for summer and going forward.

I read an article on burnout from The Economist’s 1843 magazine by Josh Cohen who is a psychoanalyst, academic, and writer. And he had this to say at the end, “Burnout is not simply a symptom of working too hard. It is also the body and mind crying out for an essential human need: a space free from the incessant demands and expectations of the world…. The amelioration of burnout begins in finding your own pool of tranquility where you can cool off.”

So, the intent of this episode is to help us find that pool of tranquility Cohen describes, which is perfect for this overly hot summer. How do we allow ourselves to cool off, as he notes? How do we cut down on all the demands and expectations of the world?

Try these challenges to help.

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Overview

In this episode, I’m joined by Liz Koehler and Clare Davenport, both who are experts in positive psychology and well-being. They conducted research around addressing well-being amid constant choice and change rooted in positive psychology. This topic is so important right now in the age of the pandemic and post-pandemic. According to a 2020 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends study, well-being was the top-ranked trend that year even before the pandemic fully hit us, and in a more recent study individual workers rank “improving worker well-being” in the top 3 of initiatives for work transformation efforts over the next 1-3 years.

What’s great about what Liz and Clare share is how we can take small actions to take back control of our days and improve our well-being. They also share how doing this for oneself can have ripple effects to those around you, both through how you are able to then operate better but also through one’s own modeling of behaviors that prioritize and improve well-being.

Thank you so much for sharing your learning and counsel, Liz and Clare! There are insights here for all of us to get into action with small changes that can make a big impact for our individual and collective well-being.

If you want to get in touch, find Liz on LinkedIn (Elizabeth Koehler) and Clare at her company, Designing4Better: designing4better.com.

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Overview

Join me for this brilliant and action-packed episode with Clare Josa, an expert on and author of, “Ditching Imposter Syndrome.” We talk about the definition of imposter syndrome and why so many of us, especially high performers, suffer from it, why it’s helpful to distinguish between imposter syndrome and self doubt, and why we need to shift from judging to evaluating. Clare also offers some great tips on how we as leaders can support employees with imposter syndrome and how we as individuals can start to gain back our personal power. And as Clare passionately rallies at the end of our conversation: “Do something. Please, I implore you! Take one action in the next 24 hours to move you towards setting yourself free from imposter syndrome.” You can do something about imposter syndrome, and thankfully Clare shows us the way.

I loved this conversation, Clare, and your book! Thank you for doing this work and helping us all find a path to being the powerful leaders we can all be.

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Overview

I was excited to speak with Cathryn Caruthers, an executive coach who specializes in working with senior and emerging leaders in navigating major career transitions.

In this conversation, Cathryn offers great tips for managing a sustainable career, dealing with impostor syndrome (or she’d call it impostor phenomenon), which most of us experience even high performers, and paying attention to what might lead to burnout.

This is a great episode for people at all stages of one’s career, as Cathryn offers tips that apply from the time you’re in college to what we should all prioritize to sustain us throughout our careers and support our ambition, the foundational elements of staying healthy physically and mentally and taking care of our relationships.

I also found Cathryn to be an inspiration for us all to really think about sustainability when we think about our careers and making choices that consider both what we want personally and professionally. What impresses me about Cathryn’s journey is how she has been so attuned to herself and paid attention to how her career needed to support the kind of life she wants to live.

I loved this conversation, Cathryn! Thank you for sharing your own career journey and your smart guidance for us all to navigate our career transitions with more confidence and ease and building more sustainable careers.

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Overview

In this solo episode, I talk about creating space and what will sustain you. The topic of sustainability, creating space, and sustaining myself has been present for me of late, so I thought I’d do a short episode on what I’ve been experiencing in the hopes that it will help you, too.

And with the official start of summer right around the corner, I think it’s a perfect time for the topic. Summer offers us a time when we typically slow down, so despite the world picking up coming out of the pandemic, I encourage you to do the opposite—create space, slow down, and invest in those activities that will sustain you and keep you at your best.

If you’re feeling like you could use a deceleration for the summer, too, just like me, and want time to further recuperate and restore, listen in and consider the questions I offer as prompts to reset your world for summer.

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Overview

Joining me on this episode of the podcast is Leslie Forde, founder of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs, which researches and illuminates stress, self-care and growth for Moms, and founder of Allies @ Work, which helps employers use data to retain working parents and create inclusive workplaces where caregivers can thrive. Leslie is shedding the light on just how broken our current system is in supporting caregivers, both women and men, and offers great insights and tips for both companies and individuals to find a more sustainable way to achieve successful outcomes in both work and life.

I could have talked with Leslie for a long time! And in this conversation she shares a lot of great advice for individuals, leaders, and companies to consider to help us all have a more sustainable work-life. Leslie shares how the solution doesn’t lie in working harder or just being ruthless about prioritization; we also need to be ruthless about carving out space for those things that feed us and regenerate us so our energy and spirit can be intact.

I was thrilled to hear that Leslie is hearing progress from companies and an openness to changing corporate cultures to support “self care” and caregivers.

Thank you for your important work, Leslie, and helping individuals, managers, and companies find the way towards more sustainable work-life happiness. And thank you for sharing your advice and insights with us in this episode!

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In this episode, I’m joined by Laila Tarraf, a senior human resource executive who is currently the Chief People Officer of Allbirds, a sustainable footwear and apparel brand, and the author of the recently released book, “Strong Like Water: How I found the Courage to Lead with Love in Business and in Life.” In this beautifully written book, Laila is generous with her own vulnerability in sharing her personal story so that we all can learn through her experiences of both loss and growth.

Together we talk about becoming a heart-based leader, what being “soft but strong” and “firm yet kind” looks like, and the power of leaning into discomfort. Laila shares what she learned at Peet’s Coffee about what it takes to create an environment where employees feel like they can bring their full selves to work and offers tips on both how to strengthen one’s heart as a leader and how to build Sustainable Ambition for oneself. We close by talking about the power of taking pauses, and Laila shares a favorite quote by Brother David Steindl-Rast (which I loved, too!): “You know the antidote to stress is not necessarily rest.... The antidote to stress is wholehearted living.” Amen!

I encourage you to pick up Laila’s beautiful book. Not only is it a wonderful read, it will leave you feeling inspired to lean into your own growth journey.

Thank you so much for being in conversation with me, Laila!

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Overview

For those of us who are ambitious, it can be easy get to a point of burnout. So to live in a Sustainable Ambition way, we need to find tools to help us recognize when we’re moving towards it and to direct our energy so our work doesn’t unintentionally take over our life, as I say around Right Effort, the third pillar of Sustainable Ambition.

So, I was thrilled to speak with Talia Rosenblum who specializes in working with people who have experienced burnout and with those who want to find better work-life integration. We share a lot of philosophies and perspectives, as you’ll hear in this episode where we explore what burnout is, signals that you’re on a slippery slope to burnout, how to start to get control of your time and life, and Talia’s rallying cry to put just as much attention on building success and happiness in your personal life as in your professional life and moving from “I should” to “this is what I want to do.”

Wonderful to be in conversation with you, Talia! Appreciate all of your so helpful insights.

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