84: Rigid vs Flexible: The Power of a Flexible Mental Model For High Performers

84: Rigid vs Flexible: The Power of a Flexible Mental Model For High Performers

The most dangerous thing a high performer can do? Stick to a bad plan just because they "said they would." We are taught that consistency is a virtue. We are taught that changing our minds is a weakness, a sign of indecision, or a failure of control. In corporate environments, being "Rule Book" (as Hannah was affectionately nicknamed at LinkedIn) is a badge of honour. But there is a massive difference between commitment and rigidity. In this episode, Hannah gets brutally honest about a massive U-turn she just made in her business. She'd announced one thing, put the plan in motion, and then, after looking at the data, her personal capacity, she chose to change her mind. If you're a high-performing executive who uses rigidity as a trauma response to feel "safe," this episode is for you. The bottom line: The strength of your leadership is not measured by your ability to stay the course — it's measured by your ability to pivot when the course is no longer serving you or your business. Key Takeaways: - Rigidity is often a control mechanism. - Flexible mental models are your biggest competitive advantage. - "Rule Book" is a limiting identity. - The "cost of entry" for high growth is flexibility. - Re-evaluation is data-driven, not impulsive. --- If this episode resonates with you, please leave a rating. It's the biggest way you can support what we're building here, and every single review helps us reach someone who needs this. Big love, dreamers. Gain Access to the free Career Confidence Course: https://www.hannahkissel.com/careerconfidence The Truth About Imposter Syndrome: https://open.spotify.com/episode/129YgMPuJWGLQK5VB9CncR?si=a352646dfec6411a Follow Hannah Kissel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmaekissel/ Connect with Hannah Kissel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahkissel/ Quiz: Discover Your Career Alignment Score: https://hannahkisselcareerquiz.scoreapp.com #mentalmodels #flexibility #adaptable #highperformer #careertransitions #careeradvice #decisionsmatter #workplaceadvice #growthmindset #businessinsight 📩 Got a question for the Hannah Hotline? Email hello@hannahkissel.com

83: Holding a Grudge at Work? Here's What It's Really Costing You

You're senior, successful, and capable, so why is this one coworker still living rent-free in your head? In this Hannah Hotline episode, Hannah responds to a listener navigating a persistent grudge against the colleague who covered her maternity leave. Hannah breaks down the real psychology behind why grudges stick, introduces the Grey Rock Method for disengaging from toxic dynamics, and reveals the surprising reason workplace drama keeps pulling you back in. #highperformer #workplaceadvice #workplaceculture Timestamps: 01:30 — Why grudges have a "payoff" and what yours might be 02:30 — Taking personal responsibility: what was your part in this? 03:15 — What to clean up and do differently next time 03:39 — The Gray Rock Method: become boring, stop providing ammo 05:00 — Why you can't let go: the creative outlet theory 06:17 — The link between workplace drama and a lack of joy in your life 06:30 — How to fill your life so the grudge loses its grip 💬 Loved this episode? Know someone who's still venting about that one coworker? Send this to them. And if you've got a workplace situation you want Hannah to tackle on the Hannah Hotline, email hello@hannahkissel.com — your question could be the next episode. 🚨 Got a career challenge? Submit your questions and frustrations to the Hannah Hotline! Email: hello@hannahkissel.com Gain Access to the free Career Confidence Course: https://www.hannahkissel.com/careerconfidence Follow Hannah Kissel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmaekissel/ Connect with Hannah Kissel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahkissel/ Visit Hannah's website: www.hannahkissel.com ------- Hannah Hotline is sponsored by dominiquejingles — where quirky, clever, and corporate branding is reimagined. A client says, 'We just want something different.' Dominique turns that into a jingle that sticks in your head all day. DM Dominique on Instagram @dominiquejingles or email dominiqueenglish04@gmail.com.

82: 9 Years No Alcohol

Nine years ago, Hannah Kissel made the most important decision of her life. She was sitting in a bathtub, a few days before her 27th birthday, and she realised something: she didn't want to do this anymore. Not life — but the version of it she was living. In this deeply personal solo episode, recorded on her 36th birthday and 9-year sobriety anniversary, Hannah shares what she's never talked about publicly - the moment that changed everything, what sobriety actually gave her, and the new pattern she's currently working through: an addiction to struggle. This isn't a cautionary tale. It's a blueprint. And whether you drink or not, if you're a high performer who constantly makes things harder than they need to be, this one's going to hit home. In this episode, Hannah covers: - The bathtub moment: the decision that started everything - What her therapist said that she'll never forget - Why addiction is really about discontentedness — not willpower - How an addictive, obsessive personality shows up in other areas (work, relationships, sugar, hockey romance novels) - Why the 12-step modality is the most powerful transformation framework she's ever encountered — and how she built her entire coaching program around it - Her current phase of recovery: the addiction to struggle, overcomplicating, and working harder than necessary - The intentional self-care routine that keeps her at equilibrium (and why she does it even when she doesn't want to) - Why "I could have drinking — or I could have everything else" is still the most clarifying thought she's ever had - Learning to let things be easy — and why that's harder than it sounds for high performers The bottom line: Sobriety was the foundation. Everything else — the business, the marriage, the novel, the life — was built on top of it. And the next frontier isn't doing more. It's learning to let it be good. Timestamps: 02:00 — The bathtub moment: sitting in the dark before her 27th birthday 03:30 — What her therapist said that changed everything 04:30 — Growing up in LA: why sobriety and recovery were normalised early 05:30 — Moving to Australia: the taboo around sobriety and why it went underground 06:30 — "I could have drinking — or I could have everything else" 07:15 — The addictive, obsessive personality and where it shows up instead 08:30 — Why addiction is discontentedness, not weakness 09:30 — The 12-step modality: why it's the most powerful transformation framework she knows 11:00 — How Hannah built her coaching program on the AA model 12:30 — What sobriety gave her: business, marriage, novel, PTSD diagnosis, herself 14:00 — The current phase: addiction to struggle — overcomplicating, overworking, overdoing 15:30 — The master's degree story: reading four extra books for a one-page assignment 16:30 — Learning to let it be easy — and why that's the hardest thing yet 17:30 — The intentional self-care routine that keeps her at equilibrium 18:30 — Closing: gratitude, what's next, and the invitation to reach out If this episode resonates with you, please leave a rating. It's the biggest way you can support what we're building here, and every single review helps us reach someone who needs this. Big love, dreamers. #highperformer #sobrietyisworthit #addictionrecoverypodcast #defineyourfuture #womeninbusiness #uncomplicated #highperformancemindset #lessismore

81: Burnout Isn't a Badge of Honour: Here's How to Get Out

Your nervous system is sending you a message. Are you listening? High performers are often the last people to admit they're burning out because they're still getting great performance reviews while their body quietly falls apart. In this episode, Hannah responds to a listener who has been in back-to-back burnout cycles for two years. She's a project manager at a major financial institution - brilliant at her job, crossing time zones daily, triple-checking everything, answering Slack at 10pm and now dealing with stress-related stomach issues and anxiety more days than not. She can't quit. She needs the salary. And she's tried therapy, tried saying no, and keeps ending up right back here. Hannah uses Christina Maslach's clinical framework to diagnose exactly what's happening, and then gives a clear, no-fluff roadmap for getting out of it without torching your career. In this episode, Hannah covers: • Christina Maslach's 3-component burnout framework • Why "greedy jobs" in finance, law, tech, and consulting are burnout factories • How to separate job demands from personality patterns (and why you need to address both) • The financial reality of burnout: the 15% salary hit most people don't see coming • Tactical schedule changes to contain the time zone problem • Why therapy alone isn't enough and what coaching does differently • When to consider a lateral role change (and what you actually trade away) • How to choose between career acceleration and your health The truth: You can have a thriving career and not be sick. But you can't have both at the same time if you keep doing the same things. Timestamps: 02:30 — Christina Maslach's 3-component burnout framework explained 04:00 — Diagnosing the listener: Does she qualify? (All three boxes ticked) 05:00 — "Greedy jobs" why finance, law, and tech normalise burnout 06:15 — Separating job demands from personality patterns: time zones vs. perfectionism 07:30 — The real question: is your priority health or the mortgage? 08:30 — The financial cost of burnout: the 15% salary hit nobody warns you about 09:15 — Tactical fix #1: condensing time zone work to specific days 10:00 — Tactical fix #2: negotiating with your manager + using health as a lever 11:00 — Why therapy alone isn't enough and what coaching does differently 12:30 — Considering a lateral role change: the trade-offs, honestly 13:45 — Career acceleration vs. health: you can't have both right now 14:30 — "You can have a thriving career and not be sick", Hannah's closing belief Resources/ Links: Christina Maslach is best known as one of the pioneering researchers on job burnout and the author of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the most widely used research measure in the burnout field. https://maslach.socialpsychology.org/files 🚨 Got a career challenge? Submit your questions and frustrations to the Hannah Hotline! Email: hello@hannahkissel.com Gain Access to the free Career Confidence Course: https://www.hannahkissel.com/careerconfidence Follow Hannah Kissel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmaekissel/ Connect with Hannah Kissel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahkissel/ Visit Hannah's website: www.hannahkissel.com ------- Hannah Hotline is sponsored by dominiquejingles. DM Dominique on Instagram @dominiquejingles or email dominiqueenglish04@gmail.com. #highperformer #burnoutprevention #burnoutrecovery #healthisthenewwealth #burnouttobreakthrough #workplaceadvice #thebodykeepsthescore #workplacewellness

80: The Real Reason You Feel Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed? It's probably not what you think it is. In this raw, unscripted solo episode, Hannah shares what came out of her most recent therapy session - a realisation that stopped her in her tracks. She'd been feeling overwhelmed. Shutting down. Going full "sloth monster." And when she traced it back to the source, it wasn't burnout. It wasn't doing too much. It was the complete opposite - it was not making decisions. If you're in a season of growth where everything feels uncertain, you have ten browser tabs open in your brain, and you can't seem to pick a direction. This episode is going to land hard. The bottom line: Overwhelm isn't always about doing too much. Sometimes it's about deciding too little. Pick a direction, any direction and let the data tell you what to do next. 📩 DM Hannah if this hit home, she wants to hear from you. Key Takeaways: - Overwhelm is often indecision in disguise. - Know your stress response. - Open decisions are open wounds. - Indecision has a massive opportunity cost. - More research = more paralysis - Ring-fence big decisions with a deadline. - Cap your research time - Execute to get data — not to get it perfect. - Perfectionism is a momentum killer. - You're better at executing than you think. Timestamps: 02:00 — The window of tolerance: hyper-arousal vs. hypo-arousal explained 02:45 — Meet the "sloth monster": Hannah's hypo-arousal shutdown mode 03:30 — The root cause: overwhelm = indecision during hypergrowth 04:15 — Why being good at executing directives doesn't translate to open-ended decisions 04:45 — The "open tabs" problem and the opportunity cost of not deciding 05:30 — Real examples: evergreen vs. launch, program naming dilemmas 06:15 — The 3-step decision-making framework: ring-fence, cap research, execute 07:00 — Why more research leads to more paralysis (not better decisions) 07:45 — Perfectionism + the friend who joined the program for the same reason 08:15 — When big life decisions ARE worth more time (and when they're not) #decisionmaking #overwhelmed #indecision #createyourownfuture #decisionsmatter #lifecoachforwomen #lifeworkbalance