Breaking Through The Noise

How To Lead Without Burning Out

What if the best thing you could do as a leader was to make yourself obsolete? In this episode, Stefani Schwartz joins Catherine Jelinek to unpack why the old "hero leader" model (the one where you're the chief problem-solver carrying the weight of the team on your back) is driving record-high burnout (56% and climbing in 2025) and quietly suffocating the talent around you. After two decades as an executive, Stefani burned out living in that paradigm. Now, as the founding practitioner of Be Generative and a professional EOS Implementer, she helps leaders shift from controlling outcomes to shaping environments and from seeing the world as a problem to solve to a possibility to step into. In this conversation, you'll learn: * Why the hero leader model is breaking down across five generations in today's workforce * The hidden "fixer" voice that hijacks how leaders listen * How to step into a room with presence instead of an agenda * The discipline of cutting through your own noise to focus on what actually matters * Why questions are doorways and how to ask better ones * The difference between managing business systems (science) and leading human systems (art) * How to build an autopoietic team that self-generates without depending on you Chapters:00:00 – Welcome & introducing Stefani Schwartz01:24 – The noise inside modern leadership03:36 – From hero leader to generative leader04:14 – Five generations, one workplace07:00 – Signs you're stuck in the old paradigm08:06 – The "fixer" and the stories that shape how we listen12:27 – Problem-driven vs. possibility-driven leadership14:17 – The inner and outer steps to making the shift19:36 – Leadership as art, not science23:51 – Inside Be Generative's workshops and 12-week program26:31 – Parting wisdom: don't be afraid to make yourself obsolete About Stefani Schwartz:Stefani is the founding practitioner of Be Generative, a professional EOS Implementer, and the founder of Roots to Rise. Her work helps leaders and teams break out of outdated leadership patterns and build adaptive, self-sustaining organizations. If this episode resonated, hit subscribe and leave a comment with the one thing you're ready to let go of as a leader. #Leadership #BurnoutRecovery #GenerativeLeadership #ConsciousLeadership #EOSImplementer #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamCulture #ExecutiveCoaching #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipPodcast

How I Beat McKinsey as a One-Person Shop

How do you compete with McKinsey and BCG when you're a one-person consulting shop? Yogesh Chavda spent five years floundering between enterprise giants and contractor pricing until generative AI cracked the game wide open. In this episode, Yogesh (founder of Y2S Consulting, co-founder of Yogi AI, former marketing & insights leader at Pinterest and Spotify) breaks down the exact 3-year playbook he used to build a reputation, land partnerships, and turn a stuck consultancy into a productized AI business with 40+ tools. 🎯 What you'll learn: * How to stay 6 months ahead of every AI trend (the signal-spotting system) * Why TikTok and 100+ newsletters beat traditional B2B research * The 3-part trust formula: give first, build relationships, over-deliver * How to pivot from selling hours to selling products * Why "strategy consulting" is a trap for solo operators * How a single breakfast meeting led to funding for Yogi AI ⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Intro — Breaking through the noise01:08 The McKinsey vs. contractor trap02:36 Picking your AI swim lane03:43 How to stay 6 months ahead05:21 The TikTok algorithm hack for B2B07:44 The 3-part trust formula11:24 Why services don't scale (and products do)16:36 Industry recognition and awards17:35 Building a podcast and newsletter from scratch21:36 The breakfast that launched Yogi AI23:39 Authentic networking that actually works25:32 Final advice for solo founders 🔑 Key topics: AI consulting, solo entrepreneurship, personal branding, agentic AI, marketing insights, synthetic data, productized services, thought leadership, LinkedIn growth 👤 Guest: Yogesh Chavda — Founder, Y2S Consulting | Co-founder, Yogi AI | Top 250 Global Consumer Insights Leader (SOMAR) 🎙️ Host: Catherine Jelinek #AIConsulting #SoloEntrepreneur #AIMarketing #PersonalBrand #ThoughtLeadership #AgenticAI #ConsultingBusiness #StartupStory

How to Give & Get Feedback

Most people dread giving feedback but what if there was a simple framework to make it land every time? In this episode of Breaking Through the Noise, host Catherine sits down with Kim Baker, founder of Vivid Performance Group and author of WTF: What the Feedback, to break down the COIN framework, a powerful tool for having productive, clear, and compassionate feedback conversations at work and in life.In this episode, you'll learn:✅ The 3 phases of giving feedback: Before, During & After✅ The COIN framework — Context, Observation, Impact, Now/Next✅ Why the Impact step is the most critical (and most skipped) part of any feedback conversation✅ How to give behavior-based feedback without triggering defensiveness✅ What to do when someone shuts down or rejects your feedback✅ A live role-play demonstration of COIN in actionWhether you're a manager, team leader, or just someone navigating tough conversations, this episode will completely change how you think about feedback.🎓 Take Kim's course & save 25% off using code: COINVisit: https://wtf-whatthefeedback.com/📖 Get Kim's book — WTF: What the Feedback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-the-feedback-kim-baker/1149730003?ean=9781968247775⏱️ Timestamps:0:00 – Welcome & intro to Kim Baker1:08 – The two critical feedback skills1:29 – The 3 phases of giving feedback2:24 – Introducing the COIN Framework3:54 – O is for Observation: behavior-based feedback tips5:35 – I is for Impact: the "so what" of feedback7:12 – N is for Now/Next: moving into dialogue27:36 – Live role-play: COIN in action31:11 – Recap & key takeaways32:20 – 25% off Kim's course (code: COIN)34:26 – The PAUSE model & what's in the book

How to Go Viral With Your Message Before the Moment Even Arrives

What does it take to become a recognized thought leader before the world even knows it needs your message? Kim Fischer built a national platform around sexual assault and trauma stories two years before #MeToo exploded. She followed her passion and got ahead of the curve instead of looking to follow the latest trend. Now a communications strategist and founder of Kim Fisher Collective, Kim helps executives and emerging thought leaders do the same through the power of spoken storytelling. In this episode, Kim breaks down exactly how to find your thought leadership lane, amplify your message, and connect with audiences even if public speaking or media exposure feels completely out of reach. You'll learn: * Why you need to repeat your message 13 times before people actually hear it * How to use plain language to connect with any audience (the TV news trick that changes everything) * How to insert yourself into the right conversations before your competition does * What to do when trolls, critics, and competitors come for your work * How to turn everyday moments into thought leadership content that performs on social media 🎙️ Guest: Kim Fischer | Founder, Kim Fisher Collective🔗 Connect with Kim: [link] Timestamps:00:01 – Meet Kim Fischer01:06 – How Kim broke a national story two years before #MeToo04:43 – How to position yourself as a thought leader before the moment arrives07:37 – Why people need to hear your message 13 times before taking action09:47 – What happens when your story goes viral (and draws adversaries)14:03 – How to handle criticism, trolls, and competition16:43 – Kim's tools for emerging thought leaders18:40 – Why plain speak is your most powerful communication tool21:32 – How to deliver your core message in 30 seconds24:14 – How to find thought leadership content in everyday life25:37 – "Clarity is kindness" — Kim's closing philosophy If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more conversations on personal branding, storytelling, and building a platform that actually connects.

How to Use Human Design to Build a Magnetic, Aligned Business

Get $20 off of Danielle's Human Design Guide to discover your authentic self: https://danielleburken.hbportal.co/public/hd-guide-breakingthrough/1-Human_Design_Guide Are you tired of forcing marketing strategies that don’t feel natural? In this episode of Breaking Through the Noise, host Catherine Jelinek sits down with human design–led business coach Danielle Birkin to unpack how entrepreneurs can use human design to build an aligned, magnetic business — without chasing algorithms, batching content that feels lifeless, or copying someone else’s strategy. Danielle shares how discovering her human design helped her: * Leave corporate and build a 6-figure business * Attract clients through depth-driven networking * Stop forcing strategies that weren’t aligned * Market in a way that actually felt energizing You’ll learn: ✔ What human design is (and how it differs from Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, and DISC) ✔ How generators can use the “wait to respond” strategy in marketing ✔ Why batching content doesn’t work for everyone ✔ How to use your profile lines (like 3/5 or 2/4) in your messaging ✔ How alignment creates magnetism in business If you’ve ever wondered: * “Why doesn’t this marketing strategy work for me?” * “Why does content feel forced?” * “How do I trust my intuition in business?” * “Can I grow without cold outreach and hustle tactics?” This conversation will give you a completely different lens. Human design isn’t about being “woo.” It’s about understanding how you’re naturally wired to communicate, create, and attract the right clients — and building your strategy around that. If you're an entrepreneur, coach, creative, or thought leader looking to grow your business in alignment instead of burnout, this episode is for you. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about thought leadership, aligned marketing, and breaking through the noise.