Hello Moxie

Michael Scarano, Grandma Dorothy, and the Hidden Signs of High Functioning Anxiety

Host: Nicole Donnelly  Guest: Michael Scarano, Retired Physician, Executive Coach, TEDx Speaker  If you're a high-functioning woman searching for real emotional exhaustion recovery — and you're tired of toxic positivity and quick fixes — this conversation is for you.  In this episode of Hello Moxie, Nicole sits down with retired physician and executive coach Michael Scarano to talk about something most successful women don't have a name for yet: high functioning anxiety and the pattern Michael calls toxic perseverance. After the devastating loss of his closest friend, Michael spent a year and a half researching what keeps high achievers stuck in cycles of overwork, self-sabotage, and emotional exhaustion — even when they've checked every box.  This isn't toxic positivity. This is a real, honest look at what it costs successful women to keep performing when the engine underneath is running on shame, fear, and unprocessed trauma. You'll exhale. You'll feel seen. And you'll probably rethink what you've been calling ambition. 🌟 What You'll Learn * The signs of high functioning anxiety most successful women miss * Why your ambition might actually be self-sabotage in disguise * The difference between intrinsic motivation and the goal-chasing that's burning you out * How childhood trauma shows up in adult overachievement * The five-step framework Michael uses to break the cycle * Why self-forgiveness — not self-improvement — is the real foundation of healing ✨ Michael's Moxie Highlights * Walked away from a successful medical career at 50 to pursue a deeper mission * Coined the term toxic perseverance after a devastating personal loss * Selected as a TEDx Third Ward speaker (Houston, January 2026) * Helps high achievers break free from shame-based achievement cycles 📚 About Michael Scarano Michael is a retired physician, executive coach, and emerging TEDx speaker whose upcoming talk and forthcoming book explore toxic perseverance — the subconscious mindset that keeps high achievers stuck in overwork, self-sabotage, and emotional exhaustion. 🔗 Connect with Michael 🌐 Website: michaelscaranollc.com [https://www.michaelscaranollc.com/] 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-scarano-m-d-087b19139 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-scarano-m-d-087b19139/] 🧠 Favorite Quote "Your armor has been protecting you all your life. And guess what? You're burning from the inside. It's not working. And you know it." Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Join the Community Become a member and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/]

Adaku Mbagwu, Beyoncé, and Why Eldest Daughter Syndrome Is Quietly Burning Out the Best Women in Business

Host: Nicole Donnelly Guest: Adaku Mbagwu — Transformational Coach, Founder of HEAL, and Creator of The Healed Hero Community In this candid episode, host Nicole Donnelly is joined by eldest daughter syndrome expert Adaku Mbagwu, whose work has been featured by CBS, FOX, ABC, and Essence. Adaku shares her journey of building a £2.4 million women-owned business through 80-hour weeks and burnout — and the moment she realized scaling was not the thing breaking her. The conversation goes deep into the unconscious patterns shaping women in leadership, why working harder is not getting you noticed, and what it takes to lead without being the bottleneck. 🌟 Adaku and Nicole dive into: * The eldest daughter trap and how it quietly runs your career * Why working harder is not the answer (and what actually is) * Why therapy for burnout often misses the root pattern * The five levels of vulnerability and stepping into your "God's self" * Why being courageous enough to be embarrassed is an entrepreneurial superpower * How to stop being the person everything depends on Adaku also honors one of her modern-day heroines, Beyoncé — for her consistency of standard and what her journey teaches us about the hidden pressure of being a firstborn daughter. This episode will reframe how you think about ambition, success, and the cost of carrying it all. 🔥 Highlights * 💼 The £2.4M walk-away: leaving at the peak of growth * 🪞 "It wasn't the scaling that was hard. It was how you showed up." * 🩹 Why high-achieving women stay silent in rooms they fought to be in * 🎯 Her client Shirley: £160K to £800K in 8 months * 💡 "I'm supposed to be here." — Adaku on stepping into your God's self 💼 About Adaku Mbagwu Adaku is a transformational coach for women in leadership and the founder of HEAL, where she helps women entrepreneurs and executives break the unconscious patterns keeping them exhausted at the top. After scaling her London recruitment business to £2.4M and walking away, Adaku rebuilt her life around what she actually wanted. She now lives in Tulum, Mexico, and her work on eldest daughter syndrome has been covered by CBS, FOX, ABC, AP News, and Essence. 📬 Connect with Adaku * Website: healedhero.com [https://healedhero.com] * LinkedIn: Adaku Mbagwu [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adakumbagwu/] * Book a connection call: calendly.com/healedhero/connectioncall [https://calendly.com/healedhero/connectioncall] 💬 Memorable Quote "It wasn't the scaling of the business that was hard. It was how you showed up. Once you understand that, you can actually grow and do less." 🎧 Listen Now Whether you are scaling something successful and quietly burning out, or you are the eldest daughter everyone leans on and you are tired of carrying it, this episode will give you language for what you have been feeling and a path through it. Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Join the Community Become a member to stay up to date on the latest from Hello Moxie, plus exclusive bonus content with every episode: https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/] Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Join the Community Become a member and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/]

Monica Roca-Quesada, Serena Williams, and the Power of Building a Business That Works Around Your Life

What if the reason your business feels overwhelming has nothing to do with how hard you're working — and everything to do with the story you've been telling yourself about money? For Monica Roca-Quesada, a Fractional CFO and Financial Operations Strategist who has spent 30+ years helping growth-focused entrepreneurs turn financial chaos into clarity, the answer starts with one honest question: when did you last connect back to why you started? In this episode of Hello Moxie, Monica shares what she has learned from working with small business owners who are doing everything right and still hitting a wall — and why the most powerful thing an ambitious woman can do right now is stop carrying the weight of financial overwhelm alone and start getting clear on what her numbers are actually telling her. In this episode, you'll hear: * Why the "I should know this" shame spiral around money is keeping more business owners stuck than any financial problem ever could * The loneliness at the top nobody talks about — and how reconnecting to your why is what actually pulls you through * How your personal money story follows you directly into every business decision you make * What AI is actually doing to finance and accounting — and the honest truth about what it can and can't replace * How Monica built a thriving 12-year business while taking days off every week to be present for her family * What Serena Williams teaches us about vulnerability, visibility, and living unapologetically on your own terms This episode is for you if: * You are a small business owner who feels overwhelmed by your finances and not sure where to start * You have been doing all the right things in your business and still feel like something invisible is holding you back * You are ready to stop building a business that consumes your life and start designing one that actually works for it Connect with Monica Roca-Quesada: * Website: https://www.agileplanners.com [https://www.agileplanners.com/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-roca-quesada [https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-roca-quesada] * Book a Call: Book a "Let's Chat" directly on her website Leave Us a Review: If this episode resonated with you, we'd be so grateful if you took a moment to leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your review helps amplify women's voices and spread the kind of truth-telling our world needs more of. Follow Hello Moxie: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellomoxieus/ [https://www.instagram.com/hellomoxieus/] * Website: https://hellomoxie.biz/ [https://hellomoxie.biz/] Share your thoughts and questions Join the Community: Become a member to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode. https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/] Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Join the Community Become a member and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/]

Suzanne Longstreet, Sally Field, and the Courage to Charge What You're Actually Worth

What if the reason you're not where you want to be in your career has nothing to do with your skills, your strategy, or how hard you're working — and everything to do with a story your unconscious mind decided about you before you were old enough to question it? For Suzanne Longstreet, a bestselling author and mindset coach who has helped hundreds of women entrepreneurs scale to seven figures, the answer has always started from within. Using neuro-linguistic programming and timeline therapy, she goes back to the root — the childhood memories, the inherited beliefs, the unspoken rules about money and worth — and clears what's been quietly running the show. In this episode of Hello Moxie, Suzanne shares what she has learned from working with women who are doing everything right and still hitting a ceiling — and why the most powerful thing an ambitious woman can do right now is stop performing her worth and start believing it. In this episode, you'll hear: * Why women lost $800 billion in revenue in a single year — and the deeper reason behind it * The one question Suzanne asks her clients for over an hour and a half to get to the real answer * How unhealed childhood memories show up as fear of visibility, fear of charging more, and fear of success * Why affirmations alone don't work — and what actually shifts the unconscious mind * How Suzanne cleared complex PTSD using NLP and watched her own revenue increase five times * What Sally Field teaches us about vulnerability, owning your worth, and letting yourself be fully seen This episode is for you if: * You are an ambitious woman who has been doing all the right things and still feels stuck * You know you're undercharging but can't seem to make yourself stop * You are ready to stop operating from fear and start building from your true identity Connect with Suzanne Longstreet:  - Website: https://successandclarity.com [https://successandclarity.com]  - Book: Millionaire Codes — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indigo - Free Clarity Session: https://successandclarity.com [https://successandclarity.com] Leave Us a Review: If this episode resonated with you, we'd be so grateful if you took a moment to leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your review helps amplify women's voices and spread the kind of truth-telling our world needs more of. Follow Hello Moxie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellomoxieus/ [https://www.instagram.com/hellomoxieus/] Website: https://hellomoxie.biz/ [https://hellomoxie.biz/] Share your thoughts and questions Join the Community: Become a member to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode. https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/] Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Join the Community Become a member and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/]

Beth Mooney, Margaret Thatcher, and the Courage to Build a Life on Your Own Terms

What would it take for you to pack up your life, get on a train, and spend five months traveling solo across Europe — at the absolute peak of your career? For Beth Mooney, a 30-year global marketing and eCommerce executive who has led digital transformation at some of the world's largest industrial and automotive companies — including Danfoss, Dana, Eaton, Tenneco, and Sherwin-Williams — the answer was simpler than you might think. Set the goal. Build the tools. Don't give your power away. In this episode of Hello Moxie, Beth shares what she learned from 8,000 miles, six countries, and 40 cities — and why the most radical thing an ambitious woman can do right now is get radically focused on what is actually hers to build. In this episode, you'll hear: * Why social media is shortening our thinking and what to do about it * How Beth used her business skills to plan a five-month solo sabbatical from scratch * Why your network is your greatest asset during uncertain times * The one question every ambitious woman should ask herself before the day begins * What Margaret Thatcher teaches us about assertiveness, boldness, and owning your power * Three practical tips for any woman dreaming of taking a sabbatical This episode is for you if: * You are an ambitious woman feeling exhausted from carrying the weight of a world you cannot control * You have a big life goal that keeps getting pushed to the back burner * You are ready to stop giving your power away and start building a life that actually belongs to you Connect with Beth Mooney:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethmmooney/  Leave Us a Review: If this episode resonated with you, we'd be so grateful if you took a moment to leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your review helps amplify women's voices and spread the kind of truth-telling our world needs more of. Follow Hello Moxie:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellomoxieus/  Website: https://hellomoxie.biz/  Share your thoughts and questions [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397037/fan_mail/new] Join the Community Become a member and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from Hello Moxie, plus get access to exclusive bonus content from our guests with every episode https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/ [https://hellomoxie.us/]