What if the career you've worked so hard to build is costing you the very thing that makes life worth living?

We're ambitious. We're capable. We're saying yes to the projects, the promotions, the committees and everyone who needs something from us. And somewhere along the way, joy becomes something we'll get to later.

In this episode of Lead Like a Girl, Coralyn, Jamie and Jessica sit down with Joy St. John, former KPMG managing director, executive advisor, speaker and host of The Joyous Edge podcast, for a conversation about ambition, burnout, leadership and rediscovering joy.

After 25 years working in risk and compliance, including leadership roles at some of the world's largest financial institutions, Joy made a major career change. Despite loving her work, she realized the pace of her life was taking a toll on her health, priorities and sense of purpose.

Now she's helping leaders and professionals figure out how to succeed without sacrificing what matters most.

Three takeaways:

• Stop saving joy for later. Joy doesn't have to wait until after the next promotion, project or season of life.
• Take a look at what you're saying yes to. Being capable of doing something doesn't mean it deserves a place on your calendar.
• Joy and success aren't competing priorities. Purpose, connection and a healthy team can strengthen how we lead and work.

We also talk about career transitions, recognizing the signs of burnout, navigating difficult people with empathy, taking small steps through fear, and finding the courage to rethink what success looks like.

Because what good is building a successful life if you're too exhausted to enjoy it?

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories, the good, the bad and the funny.

Connect with Joy St. John:

Website: https://thejoyousedge.com

Free introductory call: https://freejoycall.com

Podcast: The Joyous Edge, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Connect with Lead Like a Girl:

https://leadlikeagirllab.com

If this conversation reminds you of a woman who's doing everything for everyone else, send it her way.

Ever given someone the silent treatment and convinced yourself you were taking the high road? Yeah, about that.

In this episode of Lead Like a Girl, Coralyn, Jessica and Jamie are talking about emotional maturity, self-control, workplace professionalism and what happens when grown women have some not-so-grown-up moments.

Coralyn confesses to giving two coworkers the silent treatment for an entire five-hour road trip. Jessica admits to cleaning only her half of the bathroom to make a point. And Jamie shares why sometimes the first response that pops into your head probably shouldn't come out of your mouth.

But beyond the laughs, we're asking some bigger questions. What does emotional maturity actually look like? How do you stand up for yourself without stooping to someone else's level? And why is it so hard to let things go when you know you're right?

Three takeaways:

• Respond, don't just react. You can feel frustrated without letting those feelings decide what you say or do.
• Being mature doesn't mean being a pushover. You can stand your ground, own your mistakes and still treat people with respect.
• Ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish. Sometimes winning the argument costs you the outcome you actually wanted.

From passive-aggressive emails and difficult coworkers to marriage, apologies and character growth, we're laughing at ourselves while figuring out how to do life a little better.

Because growing older is automatic. Growing up? Apparently, that's still a work in progress.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories, the good, the bad and the funny.

Connect with us:
https://leadlikeagirllab.com

If you've ever had a moment where your petty side won, share this episode with a friend who will appreciate the confession.

Did your New Year’s resolutions fall apart somewhere around January 19? You’re definitely not alone.

But you don’t need to wait until January 1, next month or even Monday to start again.

In this episode of Lead Like a Girl, Jessica, Jamie and Coralyn talk about how to get back on track with your goals, build better habits, stay motivated and recover when you fall off.

Whether you want to exercise consistently, eat healthier, save money, change careers, travel more, reconnect with friends or finally pursue a personal goal, the same principle applies: stop waiting for the perfect time to begin.

We talk about why goals fail, the problem with all-or-nothing thinking, accountability, tracking progress, creating realistic goals and building a recovery plan for the days when life inevitably gets in the way.

In this episode:

• Why waiting until Monday keeps us stuck
• How to restart a goal after falling off
• Why one bad day doesn’t mean you failed
• Setting smaller, realistic goals that create momentum
• Tracking progress beyond the final outcome
• Finding an accountability partner who actually helps
• Creating habits that fit who you really are
• Applying these ideas to fitness, money, careers, relationships and travel
• Why “partial credit is still credit”
• Building a recovery plan before you need one

One of our biggest takeaways?

Don’t chase the outcome. Chase the behaviors that get you to the outcome.

The calendar didn’t fail you. Maybe the plan just needs to change.

You still have time.

Start again today.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories, the good, the bad and the funny.

Learn more and connect with us:

https://leadlikeagirllab.com

If there’s one goal you’ve fallen off this year, tell us in the comments what you’re starting again. We might just hold you accountable.

#Goals #Motivation #Habits #PersonalGrowth #WomenInLeadership #GoalSetting #LeadLikeAGirl

When did being exhausted become something we brag about?

“I’m slammed.” “I haven’t stopped all day.” “I’m running on four hours of sleep.”

In this episode of Lead Like a Girl, Jamie, Jessica and Coralyn are talking about our obsession with being busy and asking a bigger question: Are we actually being productive, or have we just gotten really good at filling our time?

From answering emails at 10 PM and feeling guilty about PTO to struggling to delegate, overexplaining our “no,” and even organizing the pantry when there are more important things to do, we get into the habits that keep women constantly running.

We talk about setting boundaries at work and home, delegating without expecting perfection, saying no without a 10-minute explanation, making room for rest, and recognizing when busyness has become part of our identity.

Three takeaways:

• A full calendar doesn’t necessarily mean a full life.
• Measure productivity by results, not activity.
• Every yes costs you something, so know what you’re trading your time for.

And maybe the biggest reminder: You don’t get extra points for being the most exhausted person in the room.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories, the good, the bad and the funny.

Topics: work-life balance, burnout, busyness, productivity, time management, setting boundaries, saying no, delegation, women in leadership, career growth, working women, leadership and personal development.

LeadLikeAGirlLab.com

She pulled off a flawless multi-day event, everything went exactly as planned, and her manager said absolutely nothing — not a text, not a thumbs up, not even a "good job" — and that silence is exactly what this episode is about.

This week Coralyn, Jamie, and Jessica dig into why praise matters so much more than most leaders realize — and why a paycheck is not the same thing as recognition. They talk about the husband who asks "how does the lawn look?" after mowing it, the boss who believed a paycheck was the only "good job" you needed, and why some of us have been chasing a gold star since third grade and never stopped. They get into the psychology behind why recognition can matter as much as money, how to actually give praise that lands, whether praise should happen in public or private, and why accepting a compliment is not the same as being arrogant.

If you've ever done something great and heard nothing back, or you're a leader who assumes people already know they're doing well — this one is for you.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Why recognition and a paycheck are not the same thing
• The psychology behind why people crave praise
• Whether needing praise is a personality trait or a gender pattern
• How to give praise that actually sounds genuine
• Public praise versus private praise, and when each one works
• Why accepting a compliment is a sign of confidence, not ego

If this hit home, send it to someone who needs to hear "good job" today — or to a leader who needs the reminder to say it.

Follow Lead Like a Girl on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

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youtube.com/@LeadLikeaGirlLab
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Lynne Ghelfi spent 15 years leading in a male-dominated industry with zero natural talent for it — and she says that's exactly why it worked.

Lynne never waited for a title to catch up to her influence — in this episode she breaks down why courage and consistency beat raw talent every time, why tough conversations are a leadership skill and not just an awkward moment to survive, and why "courage is doing it scared" isn't a motivational poster line but something she practiced daily.

We get into mentorship, community, and the soft skills that get dismissed as "nice to have" until someone realizes they're actually the whole game — Lynne shares stories of resilience that will make you rethink what leadership potential looks like on paper versus in real life, and why promotions built on tenure instead of leadership skill are quietly holding good people back.

If you've ever felt like you needed permission or a promotion before you were allowed to lead, this episode is your permission slip — send it to the woman on your team who's already leading, title or not.

Connect with Lynne Ghelfi: soleilleadership.com | linkedin.com/in/lynne-b-ghelfi-3882b364

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A car dealership manager pulled Jessica aside ten minutes after she walked away. "You're my type of girl," he told her — not because of anything she sold him, but because of what she refused to promise.

This week Jessica, Jamie, and Coralyn break down the sales principle that quietly determines whether people trust you — in business, in friendship, in marriage, everywhere: underpromise, then overdeliver. Jessica's built her entire career refusing to tell people what they want to hear. She'd rather warn a customer it might take six weeks than promise 24 hours and fall short — and it's made her more trusted, not less.

Then the conversation turns a corner. Jessica confronts a rep who's earned a reputation across the company for being impossible to reach. His response barely matters, because she hands him the line that reframes the whole episode: it doesn't matter if it's true — perception is reality.

From there, all three co-hosts turn the mirror on themselves. Coralyn admits the resume lie she told for a decade — calling herself "detail-oriented" when her actual gift was big-picture vision. Jamie realizes she's stopped holding her own kids to the expectations she set years ago, and traces her daughter's radio silence back to habits she let slide. And they land on the same challenge: when's the last time you actually asked someone — a spouse, a kid, a friend with some distance — what they really think of you?

Your reputation isn't something that happens to you. It's something you're building every single day, in every promise you keep or quietly let slide. This episode is your reminder to start paying attention.

Ready to find out what people actually think of you? This episode will show you exactly where to start.

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youtube.com/@LeadLikeaGirlLab
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She wasn't disorganized. She wasn't rude. She wasn't even wrong. She just didn't talk like everyone else in the room — and that was enough to get her written off.

Jessica, Coralyn, and Jamie unpack the assumption that quietly wrecks more work relationships than actual conflict does: mistaking a different communication style for a personality problem. Jamie sits through a 40-minute interview where the interviewer never asks her a single question — and doesn't stop it, then spends the rest of the episode figuring out why. Coralyn admits she wrote off a coworker as standoffish for weeks before realizing he just needed time to think before he spoke. Jessica confesses the bias she still has to catch herself in: she gravitates toward hiring people who think exactly like her.

Then it gets sharper. What happens when you're the only person in the room who sees it differently — and everyone else is staring at you like you grew a second head? Jamie tells the story of raising her hand when no one else would, and what her manager told her afterward that changed how she shows up in every meeting since.

And the line that reframes the whole conversation: personality explains behavior. It does not excuse bad behavior. Because knowing someone processes differently doesn't mean you have to accept being talked down to — and this episode gets into exactly how to call it out without blowing up the relationship.

If you've ever left a meeting wondering whether you're the problem, or spent months resenting a coworker before realizing you just never learned how they actually communicate, this is the conversation you didn't know you needed.

This is the first of three episodes in the Networking series — the ones that get into what actually builds (or quietly destroys) professional relationships.

Send this to the friend who vented to you about a coworker last week. She needs to hear this.

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youtube.com/@LeadLikeaGirlLab
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