The Ambition Penalty: Data, Power, and the Rules No One Told You with Stefanie O'Connell

The Ambition Penalty: Data, Power, and the Rules No One Told You with Stefanie O'Connell

Your ambition was never the problem. The system you’ve been applying it in? That’s where things get expensive. In this episode, Lauren sits down with Stefanie O'Connell, personal finance expert, author, and founder of Too Ambitious, to break down the real economics of ambition. This isn’t theory. This is data-backed reality on how success actually plays out. We get into: * Why ambition isn’t rewarded equally (and what the data actually shows) * The hidden penalties tied to performance, efficiency, and leadership * How hustle culture quietly reinforces inequality * The difference between individual success… and systemic change * Why community—not just self-optimization—is the real power move Bottom line: You’re not doing it wrong. You’ve been operating inside a system that was never designed to fully support you. Links & Resources: Explore Stefanie’s work: https://tooambitious.com/ [https://tooambitious.com/] Pre-order [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ambition-penalty-stefanie-oconnell/1148171301?ean=9781541705210]The Ambition Penalty [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ambition-penalty-stefanie-oconnell/1148171301?ean=9781541705210] Work With Lauren: If you’re ready to rethink your relationship with success and stop overpaying for a version of ambition that doesn’t fit, apply to work together here [https://calendly.com/laurendegolia/fsconsult]. Subscribe & Review: If this episode hit, send it to someone who needs to hear it and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.

Cosmic Goodness, Burnout, & Preserving What You Own with Cassidy Gard

Cosmic Goodness, Burnout, & Preserving What You Own with Cassidy Gard You can be exceptional at a life… and still feel completely disconnected from it. In this episode, I sit down with Cassidy Gard, journalist, storyteller, and author of Cosmic Goodness, to unpack what actually happens when high performance, identity, and reality stop aligning. After more than a decade inside national news, producing under extreme pressure and shaping stories in real time, Cassidy made a decision most people avoid: She stopped building a life that required her to abandon herself to sustain it. This conversation is a real-time look at what it means to: * walk away from environments that reward over-performance but drain your humanity * redefine success outside of external validation * and start building something that is actually yours We get into the nuance most people skip: - burnout as an identity issue, not a time management problem… - motherhood as a complete psychological and emotional reorganization… and the uncomfortable truth that many women are building careers on patterns that were never meant to sustain them. This is not a polished transformation story. It’s a conversation about what it takes to tell the truth about your life and have the courage to choose differently. Resources & Links: * Follow Cassidy on Socials: [https://www.cosmicgoodness.com/#dataItem-m35v5sp4] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cassidygard/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cassidygard?lang=en] * Cosmic Goodness by Cassidy Gard, launching May 12 (preorder here [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cosmic-goodness-cassidy-gard/1148697944]) * Join The Expansion Suite [https://www.laurendegolia.com/offers/biqNfSAA/checkout] https://www.laurendegolia.com/offers/biqNfSAA/checkout(formerly Pivot Club): a free space to upgrade your energy, shift your thinking, and expand your identity * Explore 1:1 work with Lauren [hello@laurendegolia.com] (limited openings available)

The Truth About Internet Magic: Why Intuition Requires Action

The Truth About Internet Magic: Why Intuition Requires Action This week on Corporate F*ckery, Lauren goes solo and breaks down one of the most misunderstood ideas in personal and professional growth: intuition. After years of operating in survival mode, chasing logic, and trying everything from corporate hustle to backyard full-moon manifestation rituals (yes, really), Lauren shares what she’s learned about the difference between waiting for magic and actually creating momentum. The episode also includes the story behind a bold new idea she recently followed—an unexpected attempt to explore a female-led ownership bid for the Seattle Seahawks—and what it taught her about intuition, courage, and taking aligned action even when the outcome is uncertain. This conversation isn’t about blind faith or spiritual bypassing. It’s about something far more practical: learning to recognize the signals inside you that point toward your next move. In this episode, Lauren explores: 1. Why high-performing people often ignore their intuition 2. The trap of waiting for manifestation instead of taking action 3. What it actually looks like to follow a “crazy” idea 4. How intuitive hits can lead to unexpected opportunities 5. Why detaching from outcomes can unlock real momentum If you’ve ever felt a pull toward something bigger, but talked yourself out of it, this episode is your reminder that inspiration is rarely convenient, but it’s often worth following. Sometimes the boldest move isn’t having the perfect plan. It’s trusting the nudge and taking the first step to let go of what isn’t working.

Severance Isn’t a Gift: Negotiate the Layoff, Not Your Worth with Tara Bodine

This season, we’re rewriting the rules. And today’s rule is simple: don’t confuse a corporate decision with your worth and don’t sign away your power because you’re in shock. In this episode of Corporate F*ckery, Lauren sits down with Tara Bodine, global HR and talent leader and CEO of True North People Consulting. After seeing the writing on the wall at her company, Tara was laid off and offered a two-week severance package. So we talk about what most people don’t realize in that moment: You have leverage. Even if they act like you don’t. Together, Lauren and Tara unpack: 1. Why layoffs hit your nervous system like a threat 2. What HR is actually optimizing for and how to navigate it 3. Why severance is an exchange, not a favor 4. What can be negotiable (and how to advocate for more runway) 5. Why you shouldn’t do this alone: resources, counsel, and community This conversation isn’t about “being difficult.” It’s about being self-led, when the system shifts and your body, ego, and identity take the hit. Connect with Tara Bodine 🌿 Website: https://www.truenorthpeople.com/ [https://www.truenorthpeople.com/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarabodine/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarabodine/]

The Sledgehammer of the Universe: When Stress Forces the Truth with Carole Murko

The Sledgehammer of the Universe: When Stress Forces the Truth with Carole Murko This season, we’re rewriting the rules. And today’s rule is simple: trust yourself before it costs you. In this episode of Corporate F*ckery: Stories of Survival, Psychological Warfare, and Choosing What’s Best for You*, Lauren sits down with Carole Murko, founder of Love. Eat. Heal. and certified consultant with NeuroChangeSolutions. Carole shares how decades in finance and corporate leadership, combined with suppressed anger, people-pleasing, and chronic stress, culminated in a rare eye disease that threatened her vision. The wake-up call? What she calls the “sledgehammer of the universe.” Together, Lauren and Carole unpack: 1. How corporate conditioning teaches women to override their intuition 2. Why unprocessed emotion doesn’t disappear — it stores 3. The difference between external achievement and self-mastery 4. How to observe the signals your body is giving you before they escalate 5. Why you don’t have to burn your life down to start telling the truth This conversation isn’t about quitting your job. It’s about reclaiming your authority, internally first. Because sometimes stress isn’t random. It’s redirection. Connect with Carole Murko 🌿 Website: https://www.loveeatheal.com/ [https://www.loveeatheal.com/] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveeatheal/ [https://www.instagram.com/loveeatheal/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-murko-2b310b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-murko-2b310b/]