Not a Dead End

The Power of Quiet Leadership: A Conversation with Patti

What does leadership look like when it isn't loud? In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Patti, a woman whose impact has never depended on titles, credentials, or being the loudest voice in the room. Patti is one of the most compassionate and effective leaders I've had the privilege of knowing, and her story is a powerful reminder that quiet strength can create lasting change. We talk about the self-doubt that almost kept her from applying for a job because she didn't have a college degree, the courage it took to take that chance anyway, and the leadership philosophy that helped her successfully navigate complex projects and teams throughout her career. Patti also shares lessons from a life filled with reinvention, including raising two children, navigating multiple divorces, taking a leap of faith to move from Florida to Michigan with her partner Adam, becoming a grandmother to four grandchildren, and entering retirement after decades of work and responsibility. Now living on a dirt road off a dirt road, Patti reflects on finding peace, embracing simplicity, and creating a life that feels aligned with who she truly is. In this conversation, we explore: • Why leadership doesn't have to be loud to be powerful • Moving beyond self-doubt and trusting yourself • The value of compassion in leadership • Lessons learned through life's unexpected transitions • Retirement, reinvention, and finding peace in a new season • What it means to create a life that feels true to you Listener Reflection Questions: • Where might you be underestimating yourself because of a story you've been telling yourself? • What strengths do you possess that others may not immediately see? • How has your definition of success evolved over time? • Where are you being invited to trust yourself more deeply? • What does peace look like in this season of your life? If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that some of the most powerful leaders are the ones who lead with quiet confidence, steady courage, and a generous heart.

A Boy Mom's Mother's Day Musings

Mother's Day stirred up something unexpected in me this year. In this deeply personal episode, I share a part of my story that I've carried quietly for many years. The grief of never having a daughter. As a proud mom of three incredible boys, I've often felt guilty for acknowledging that longing. But through coaching, reflection, and a willingness to sit with difficult emotions, I'm learning that gratitude and grief can exist side by side. I talk about miscarriage, infertility, the imagined daughter we called Ripley, and the dreams we create about what motherhood is supposed to look like. I also reflect on the incredible role Gerard has played in our family, the unique gifts each of my sons has brought to my life, and the ways our expectations can sometimes create suffering when reality doesn't match the stories we've written in our minds. This episode is ultimately about holding space for the tender places within us. The losses that are real, the futures that never happened, and the courage to honor our feelings without shame. If you've ever grieved a version of life you thought you would have, this conversation is for you. Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of miscarriage, infertility, pregnancy loss, unmet expectations around motherhood, and emotional grief. Listener discretion is advised if these topics are tender for you.

The Nourished Recovery: A Conversation with Kerry

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by my cousin Kerry for a conversation about recovery, grief, leadership, creativity, and the long process of becoming yourself again. What started as a reconnection between cousins turned into a deeply honest conversation about the many ways people heal. Kerry shares her journey from a prescription opioid addiction that began after a car accident, to years of alcohol dependence, to finding lasting recovery and community through Celebrate Recovery. We talk about relapse, shame, self-awareness, and the daily practices that help her stay grounded today. But this episode is about so much more than addiction. It’s about motherhood. Holding space for others. Working for 35 years in a male-dominated industry. Learning to lead even when you don’t feel fully ready. Processing the loss of a parent. And discovering creativity later in life through cooking, storytelling, and her YouTube channel, The Nourished Recovery. Kerry’s story is a reminder that healing rarely happens in one big breakthrough. More often, it happens in small honest moments. In conversations. In community. In learning how to feel instead of numb. We also talk about: • the difference between guilt and shame • why mindset matters • how recovery applies far beyond addiction • what it means to truly let people support you • and how creativity can become part of healing This conversation felt incredibly special to me, and I think it will stay with you too.

Real Life, Real Work: Anger Is Not Danger

In this Real Life, Real Work episode, we explore what happens when someone else’s anger or distress activates our own nervous system. Why do some of us rush to reassure, reframe, fix, or smooth things over the moment emotions get intense? Why can another person’s frustration feel so uncomfortable in our own body? This episode dives into the connection between nervous system activation, people pleasing, conflict avoidance, and emotional safety. We talk about how early experiences can shape the way we respond to anger, why many of us confuse anger with danger, and how those protective patterns may now interfere with the way we want to show up in our relationships, parenting, leadership, and work. We also explore: * the difference between anger and aggression * co-regulation and how nervous systems affect one another * why trying to “fix” someone’s emotions can leave them feeling dismissed * practical ways to stay grounded during difficult conversations * how to build more tolerance for emotional discomfort * the role of centering practices, boundaries, and nervous system healing If you have ever felt responsible for making everyone else okay, this conversation may help you understand why and offer a more grounded way forward. Because real growth is not learning how to control every emotional moment around you. It is learning how to stay present without losing yourself inside of it. This is Real Life, Real Work.

Digging Until You Find Your Thing: A Conversation with Sarah

So many of us build lives that look right on paper before we stop and ask ourselves: But does this actually feel like me? In this episode, my friend Sarah shares the winding path that took her from psychology student to lawyer to stay-at-home mom to therapist in her 40s. What I love most about Sarah’s story is that she kept listening to the quiet voice inside her that said: there is something more true for me than this. We talk about: • chasing approval • success that does not feel aligned • motherhood and identity • starting over later in life • marriage and support • and the courage it takes to keep becoming yourself One of my favorite lines from the conversation: “I wanted to show up in my life as the best version of myself, so I kept digging until I found the thing that felt like... this is the thing.” I think this episode will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever felt pulled toward a different version of their life. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.