The Charlene Gisele Show

Fertility for Type A Women: IVF, Burnout & Egg Quality with Dr. Natalie Crawford

What happens when a high-achieving woman hits her mid-to-late 30s, wants a baby more than anything… and realizes nobody ever taught her how fertility actually works? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified in OBGYN and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, and co-founder of Fora Fertility in Austin, Texas. We talk directly to the “Stephanie” archetype: the brilliant, driven, time-poor, high-performing woman who’s crushing her career… and now feels like fertility is the one thing she can’t outwork. We cover what to do before jumping into IVF, how to think about genetic testing, how many IVF rounds are “safe,” and the emotional reality of the two-week wait (and why you shouldn’t go through it alone). Dr. Crawford also breaks down the science of stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance, without the dismissive “just relax” narrative. If you’re trying to conceive, considering IVF, navigating pregnancy loss, or planning baby #2 in your 40s, this conversation will give you data, clarity, and a calmer way to make decisions. Timestamps  0:00 – Why fertility planning matters for high-achieving women 5:18 – IVF at 38: should you fast-track or gather data first? 10:42 – Family goals (1 vs 3 kids) and why strategy changes 15:27 – Genetic testing: benefits, limits, and embryo expectations 21:08 – IVF rounds, safety, and clinic age cutoffs 28:54 – The emotional weight of the two-week wait 34:36 – Chronic stress, cortisol, and egg quality 41:22 – Support systems: therapy, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, community 48:03 – Planning baby #2 in your 40s + embryo banking 54:10 – Who The Fertility Formula is for + pre-order bonuses What We Cover * Fertility planning for high-achieving women with low time and high stress * What to test before IVF: ovarian reserve, anatomy, semen analysis, cycle tracking * IVF vs trying naturally at 38+: how to choose based on your family goal * Genetic testing (PGT-A): pros, limitations, and decision-making benefits * How many IVF rounds are safe + why “caps” aren’t one-size-fits-all * The two-week wait, infertility grief, and reducing isolation * Stress physiology: inflammation, glucose, insulin resistance, and egg/sperm quality * Planning postpartum IVF/embryo banking for baby #2 in your 40s Key Takeaways * Your plan should reflect your family goal (one child vs multiple), not just “get pregnant now.” * Data first: you can’t make good fertility decisions without testing and cycle awareness. * Genetic testing can reduce time, cost, and heartbreak by prioritizing embryos with higher potential. * Chronic stress has real biological effects, support and recovery time aren’t optional add-ons. * If you want baby #2 in your 40s, embryo banking can keep the door open while you recover postpartum. Connect With Natalie Website: https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/about [https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/about] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NatalieCrawfordMD [https://www.youtube.com/c/NatalieCrawfordMD]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliecrawfordmd/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/nataliecrawfordmd/?hl=en] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-crawford-md [https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-crawford-md] Pre-order Natalie’s “The Fertility Formula Book”: https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book [https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book] Connect With Me 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com [https://charlenegisele.com]📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele [https://instagram.com/charlenegisele]💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/]✉️ Subscribe to my Life Less Burnt Out Newsletter [https://charlenegisele.com/newsletter/] 📖Read Your Fertility-Ready Home [https://charlenegisele.com/your-fertility-ready-home/]

From Magic Circle Lawyer to The Royal College of Art: Pursuing Passions Without Burnout

What happens when a high-achieving lawyer walks away from billable hours… and into a painting studio? In this episode, James Nepaulsingh shares his journey from working in high-pressure law to studying an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art, and what it really feels like to rebuild your identity when your entire sense of worth has been tied to productivity, achievement, and external validation. We talk about success addiction, workaholism, the brutal vulnerability of making art, and why painting isn’t always “healing”, sometimes it’s straight-up torturous. James opens up about perfectionism, criticism, flow state, synesthesia, and the surprising emotional cost of becoming an artist after building a career in one of the most demanding industries in the world. Timestamps  0:00 – Intro 2:12 – Productivity identity + billable-hour PTSD 6:12 – Stigma in the art world: “lawyer with a hobby” 11:33 – RCA critiques, unlearning, and why painting feels torturous 14:33 – Family reactions + redefining identity 20:20 – Art as self-reflection (and what law suppresses) 23:34 – Burnout culture, overwork, and death in law 38:44 – Synesthesia, music, and how James experiences art 46:10 – Imperfection as rebellion against perfectionism 54:28 – Flow state, time distortion, and reduced anxiety What We Cover * Leaving a successful legal career to pursue art full-time * Success addiction, overachiever patterns, and external validation * Identity loss after stepping away from Big Law productivity * Why painting can feel like therapy and emotional torture * Synesthesia, sensory creativity, and hearing/seeing color * Burnout culture in law firms and the cost of overwork * Flow state, time distortion, and how creativity impacts anxiety Key Takeaways * Achievement can become an addiction, even when it looks like “success.” * Creativity isn’t always calming, sometimes it’s physically and emotionally brutal. * Productivity isn’t the same as purpose, and stepping away can feel destabilizing. * The artist's identity is built through struggle, not certainty. * Perfectionism can be unlearned by embracing imperfection on purpose. * Financial discipline creates freedom and options later in life. Flow state is real, and it can be one of the most powerful anti-anxiety tools. Connect With James 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nepopublic/ Connect With Me 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/ ✉️ Subscribe to my Life Less Burnt Out Newsletter If this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s quietly burning out behind a “successful” career.

Preventing Burnout Through Cycle Syncing for High-Achieving Women with Renae Fieck

If you’ve ever had one week where you’re unstoppable… and another where everything feels heavier, this conversation will change how you see your calendar. In this episode, Renae Fieck breaks down cycle syncing (and cyclical living), why ovulation is the “queen” of the cycle, and how to align your work, workouts, food, and sleep with your natural rhythms—without letting your cycle limit your ambitions. Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction 4:05 – Cycle tracking vs syncing vs charting (and why it matters) 8:26 – Biggest misconception: your period isn’t the “main event”—ovulation is 11:32 – Menstrual phase: energy, iron, rest, and vision-setting 18:55 – Follicular phase: momentum, productivity, workouts, and “get it done” energy 19:59 – Ovulation: confidence, communication, visibility, and pitching/asking 21:46 – Luteal phase: detail work, admin, emotional depth, and turning inward 23:39 – Sleep changes across the month (and why luteal + menstrual can be harder) 25:42 – Cravings, carbs, iron, and planning date nights around nourishment 33:16 – When life doesn’t sync: races, board meetings, and performing on “low” weeks What we cover, 1. Why women’s hormones operate on a monthly rhythm (vs a 24-hour rhythm) 2. The 4 phases of the cycle and how they affect energy, mood, and focus 3. Practical ways to match work outputs to each phase (creative, social, admin, strategy) 4. Training and performance: when to push, when to recover, and how to stay consistent 5. Sleep patterns, vivid dreams, and what helps during tougher sleep phases 6. Food rhythms: warming vs fresh foods, carbs, iron, and listening to cravings 7. How to handle real life when big meetings or events land on your hardest days 8. Cycle syncing on hormonal contraception + using the moon cycle as a rhythm Key takeaway, 1. Ovulation drives the cycle — your period follows what ovulation is doing 2. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s awareness + support, so you stop blaming yourself 3. “Low” phases still have strengths: intuition (menstrual) and emotional/detail power (luteal) 4. Sleep often needs more protection during luteal and menstrual phases — plan accordingly 5. Cravings can be information (iron, magnesium, hydration), not a character flaw 6. Cycle syncing should be a flexible framework, not another rigid system to “get right” Guest resources, Website: https://cyclesyncyourbusiness.com/ [https://cyclesyncyourbusiness.com/] Free Audiobook (Cycle Sync Your Business): https://renae-fieck.mykajabi.com/offers/BFXdXMLG/checkout?preview=true [https://renae-fieck.mykajabi.com/offers/BFXdXMLG/checkout?preview=true] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renaefieck/ [https://www.instagram.com/renaefieck/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/risingmoms [https://www.facebook.com/risingmoms] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RenaeFieck [https://www.youtube.com/@RenaeFieck] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@renaefieck [https://www.tiktok.com/@renaefieck] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaefieck/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaefieck/] 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com [https://charlenegisele.com] 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele [https://instagram.com/charlenegisele] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/] ✉️ Subscribe to my Life Less Burnt Out Newsletter ⏱️ Timestamps📌 What We Cover✨ Key Takeaways🔗 Guest Resources🤍 Connect With Me

Human-in-the-Loop Isn’t Optional: The Real Future of AI in Law with Sam Dixon

What happens when a traditional profession meets generative AI, and now agentic AI? In this episode, I’m joined by Sam Dixon (Chief Innovation Officer) to unpack how law firms can adopt GenAI responsibly, train teams to critically evaluate outputs, and use AI to deliver more value, without burning out in the process. We cover what GenAI is (and isn’t), why humans must stay in the loop, how to overcome resistance to change, the reality of “hallucinations,” and what the next phase, agentic AI, could mean for legal research, negotiation simulation, and early-talent development. Timestamps 0:00 – Intro 1:39 – Sam’s role as Chief Innovation Officer & how he defines innovation 5:29 – Getting partners to embrace change (and what actually works) 8:39 – Why GenAI adoption is different from past legal tech waves 10:26 – Explaining AI to senior leaders (without the jargon) 14:49 – “Human in the loop” + the risks of over-trusting AI 19:26 – GenAI vs Agentic AI: what changes, and why it matters 22:46 – New lawyers, verification skills, and “AI makes people lazy?” 33:11 – Simulation: negotiation practice, interviews & training with GenAI 47:02 – AI & well-being: tool or threat? What we cover * The real job of innovation inside a law firm * How to get buy-in from busy, skeptical stakeholders * The difference between AI, ML, GenAI, and Agentic AI * Why hallucinations are misunderstood, and why that matters * Guardrails: verification, accountability, and client expectations * The future of training: simulations for negotiation, interviews, and client conversations * AI and burnout: productivity vs cognitive load and recovery * Innovation isn’t just tech, sometimes it’s removing a step entirely. * GenAI adoption is faster because users can get value immediately, unlike tools that require heavy setup. * Agentic AI adds value through multi-step planning, not just answering prompts. * “Hallucinations” aren’t a rare bug, GenAI always generates probabilistically; the key is how you manage risk. * The winning model is human + AI, where each catches different kinds of errors. * As outputs become “more accurate,” verification discipline becomes even more critical, not less. * AI may improve efficiency, but well-being depends on how work is redesigned, not just sped up. Guest Resources Sam Dixon’s Legal Firm: https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/uk/people/sam-dixon [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/uk/people/sam-dixon] Sam Dixon’s LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/innovationinlaw [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/innovationinlaw] Connect with Me 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com [https://charlenegisele.com]📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele [https://instagram.com/charlenegisele]💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/]✉️ Subscribe to my Life Less Burnt Out Newsletter [https://charlenegisele.com/newsletter/] Timestamps What we coverKey takeawaysGuest Resources

Hidden Toxins in Makeup & Cookware: What the Beauty Industry Isn’t Telling You with Ashley Deeley

In this eye-opening clean health episode, I sit down with Ashley Deeley, clean beauty expert and wellness educator, to uncover the hidden toxins quietly impacting our skin, hormones, thyroid, and overall wellbeing, often without us realizing it. From exposing where heavy metals, forever chemicals, and endocrine disruptors hide in everyday products to explaining how “natural,” “fragrance,” and “long-lasting” labels can be misleading, Ashley breaks down how modern living is contributing to inflammation, fatigue, skin issues, and hormonal imbalance. Whether you’re a high-performing professional dealing with unexplained exhaustion, someone struggling with thyroid or skin concerns, or simply trying to make healthier choices without extremes, this conversation will completely change how you think about your bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. Ashley doesn’t promote perfection, she teaches practical, realistic upgrades that protect your health without adding stress. What we cover: • Why “clean beauty” is about what you remove, not what you add • How forever chemicals hide in makeup, floss, and waterproof products • The connection between fragrance, hormones, and thyroid disruption • Why many anti-aging products actually accelerate aging • Heavy metals in cookware, glassware, and kitchen appliances • What to know about mattresses, bedding, and fire retardants • How synthetic dyes affect skin and immune function • Why detergents and cleaning products matter more than you think • Travel hacks to reduce toxic exposure on the road • How to read labels without needing a chemistry degree • Small, realistic changes that make the biggest impact over time Timestamps, 00:00 - Introduction 06:00 - Forever chemicals explained: where they hide in beauty & daily products 14:00 - Bedding, mattresses & fire retardants: what you’re breathing at night 22:00 - Cookware, slow cookers & air fryers: hidden lead and heavy metals 31:00 - Daily exposure overload: detergents, fragrance & “natural” marketing traps 40:00 - Skincare myths: retinol, vitamin C, collagen & what actually works 50:00 - Botox, anti-aging & safer alternatives for skin health 57:00 - Thyroid health, blue light & hormone disruption 1:03:00 - Travel hacks: reducing toxin exposure on the road 1:07:30 - Final takeaways: small upgrades that make a big difference Key Takeaways: For High-Performers: You can’t outwork environmental stress. Hidden toxins quietly drain energy, disrupt hormones, and slow recovery, even when your habits look “healthy.” For Thyroid & Hormone Health: Everyday products can interfere with endocrine function. Reducing exposure often matters more than what you add. For Skin & Aging: What you put on your skin matters just as much as what you eat. Clean ingredients support regeneration; synthetic ones can accelerate inflammation and aging. For Sustainable Wellness: Health isn’t about doing everything, it’s about removing what doesn’t belong and upgrading gradually. Ashley doesn’t just talk about clean beauty, she provides a grounded framework for creating a healthier environment that supports long-term energy, sleep, and resilience. Guest Resources: 🌿 Ashley Deeley’s Website:  https://www.ashleydeeley.com/ [https://www.ashleydeeley.com/] ▶️ Ashley Deeley on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@ashleydeeley [https://www.youtube.com/@ashleydeeley] 📱My Home Ready Fertility E-Book: https://charlenegisele.com/your-fertility-ready-home/ [https://charlenegisele.com/your-fertility-ready-home/] Connect with Me: 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com [https://charlenegisele.com] 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele [https://instagram.com/charlenegisele] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/]