Can You Balance Passion and Career?

Are You Uncomfortable Enough?

Is your career success outrunning your own biography? Grab your complimentary episode self-reflection guide here [https://vod.hbportal.co/public/6966ae2985755800334a023c] If you’ve ever found yourself sitting in a high-level meeting—maybe you have the degree, the signing authority, and the title—yet you feel like the outsider who doesn't belong, this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself is for you. In this powerful installment of our mindset podcast, host Rita Ernst sits down with global technology executive and career advisor Mike Dwyer. Mike opens up about his journey from the "triple-deckers" of Somerville to the elite yacht clubs of Bermuda, revealing the profound discomfort of having his professional progress outpace his personal history. This isn’t just another self-help podcast; it’s a masterclass in personal transformation. Mike shares his "Daily Fear Challenge"—the practice of doing the one thing you are most afraid of first every morning—and explains how to build a "Personal Board of Directors" to provide the feedback and judgment you need to stay unstuck. Stop letting your internal narrator keep you in a lane that is too small for your potential. Join us for this deep dive into self-improvement and self-development. Listen now and subscribe to the mindset podcast that helps you change the story you’re telling yourself. Connect with Mike Dwyer [emplanacareer.com] Connect with your host, Rita Ernst [https://www.igniteextraordinary.com/]

Do I Actively Participate in My Life?

Are you an active participant in your life, or are you waiting for a "tap on the shoulder" that might never come?. Grab the episode companion journal here [https://vod.hbportal.co/public/6966ae2985755800334a023c] In this personal growth episode, host Rita Ernst is joined by Nancy Griffin, founder of Women Worth and Wellness, to explore her journey from a corporate clerk to a community leader. Nancy shares her story of rising through the ranks at Procter & Gamble, only to discover that her career was being managed by others rather than herself. This conversation on mindset dives into the internal narratives and scars that stop high-achieving women from advocating for their own worth. Nancy introduces her 360-degree approach to navigating professional transitions and explains the vital shift from passive observer to active participant. Listeners will learn how to identify self-limiting stories, find internal champions, and finally give themselves permission to pivot when a path no longer serves them. This is more than just a self-improvement podcast; it is a provocative invitation to treat yourself like the "treasure" you truly are. Whether you are a young professional in your first decade or a seasoned leader looking to reach back and pull forward, you'll walk away with the positive energy and actionable wisdom needed to reclaim your agency. Stop waiting for permission and start leading your own adventure. Connect with Nancy Griffin [https://womenworthwellness.com/7000-jars-of-jam/ ] Connect with your host, Rita Ernst [https://www.igniteextraordinary.com/]

Can You Balance Passion and Career?

My brother was making $90,000 a year shooting videos on "auto-settings" while I was a "cliché starving artist" with a film degree. Grab the epiosde companion self-reflection guide here [https://vod.hbportal.co/public/6966ae2985755800334a023c] In this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst sits down with filmmaker and agency owner Jake Isham to dismantle the myth that technical perfection equals professional success. If you’ve ever felt like you’re standing in your own way, this mindset podcast is your wake-up call to stop being the "mechanic" of your career and start becoming the executive. Jake shares the raw reality of his personal transformation, including why he "burned his business to the ground" six times when reality didn't match his dreams. We dive into the "Three Ps" framework—Produce, Promote, and Persist—and explore how to navigate the "boring work" of consistency that leads to compounding success. Key Takeaways: The Technician vs. The Administrator: Why your love for the craft might be the very thing stopping you from building an enterprise. The Simplicity Trap: Why we chase complexity to avoid the routine work that actually moves the needle. The Power of Compounding: Understanding that self-investment is a slow-growth bamboo tree that eventually scales overnight. Whether you're a new graduate or a seasoned professional at a transition point, this episode provides the tools for personal growth and the courage to rewrite your internal narrative. Stop letting your inner critic win—it's time for a positivity podcast that actually deals in reality. Connect with Jake Isham [www.creativemindsofficial.com/digitalshow]Follow Jake on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeisham/]and Instagram [http://instagram.com/jakecreativemarketing/] Connect with host, Rita Ernst [https://www.igniteextraordinary.com/]

How Do You Find You?

“I looked in the mirror, and I said: Where are you? I miss you.” Have you ever reached the pinnacle of success only to realize you’ve become a stranger to yourself?Grab the episode companion self-reflection guide [https://vod.hbportal.co/public/6966ae2985755800334a023c] In this raw and transformative episode, Rita Ernst sits down with Jane Bond, a Naples-based multimillion-dollar real estate broker and Identity Strategist, to discuss the high cost of "shape-shifting" for a paycheck. Jane reveals how she walked away from a life of "identity foreclosure"—doubling down on a version of success that was never truly hers. She shares her blueprint for the “Great Unpacking,” a process of stripping away external expectations to find the human being underneath the performance. Key Takeaways: The Identity Audit: How to recognize when you are living by default rather than design. The Four Interior Empires: Why you must align your Mindset, Heart set, Health set, and Soul set to feel whole. Success vs. Happiness: Understanding why "bore out" is often more dangerous than burnout. The Resilience Birthright: Reframing failure as a skill-building opportunity. Stop carrying a suitcase that isn't yours. It's time to unpack. Connect with Jane [https://paperbell.me/jane-bond ]: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/janebond___/?hl=en]| Facebook [ https://www.facebook.com/JaneBondTBG]| LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebondtbg/]| YouTube [ https://www.youtube.com/@JaneBond-r1e]Listen to Unpack Your Life with Jane Bond [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/jane-bond08/]Read Jane's Book [https://www.amazon.com/Land-First-Million-Dollar-Listing/dp/1662402902]Connect with Host, Rita Ernst [https://www.igniteextraordinary.com/]

Is Your Success Just Survival on Autopilot

In this moving episode, Rita Ernst sits down with integrated health and wellness coach Kathy Yavari to explore a journey that spans continents, revolutions, and radical self-discovery. Grab the episode companion self-reflection guide [https://vod.hbportal.co/public/6966ae2985755800334a023c] Kathy shares her harrowing "Big T" childhood traumas—from witnessing her mother’s stroke at Disney World to fleeing the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the sirens of the Iran-Iraq War. After moving to the U.S. alone at 14 and building a "perfect" corporate life on autopilot, Kathy faced a midlife "trifecta" of loss that forced her to stop running and start rising. Key Takeaways: The F.E.A.R. Framework: Learn to choose between "Fear Everything And Run" or "Face Everything And Rise." Healing Health Anxiety: Discover how childhood trauma "sticks" in the body and how to release it. The Autopilot Trap: Why high achievers often ignore their own stories until a crisis hits. Inner Child Connection: Practical ways to provide yourself with the love and protection you lacked as a child. Stop living for the future's anxiety or the past's depression and learn how to stay in the powerful, authentic present. Connect with Kathy Yavari [kathy@whiteorchidswellness.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whiteorchidswellness/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khatereh-kathy-yavari/] Connect with your host, Rita Ernst - speaker | author | consultant [https://www.igniteextraordinary.com/]