How to Create Joy, Alignment, & High Performance - Without Burning Out

Stop Being the Bottleneck in your Business & Marriage | Chris March

Leadership isn't about carrying more. It's about creating systems that allow people to thrive without everything depending on you. In this episode of the Life Engineering Podcast, Gabriela Embon sits down with executive decision advisor Chris March to explore a challenge that affects founders, executives, and even families: what Chris calls "Founder Gravity." Founder Gravity happens when every decision, approval, and problem flows back to one person. While it often appears to be a leadership issue, Chris explains that it's actually a design issue. The result is slower growth, overwhelmed leaders, disengaged teams, and increased stress that often spills into life at home. Drawing from over 20 years of leadership experience across Australia, Canada, and the UK, Chris shares practical insights on how leaders can redesign decision-making systems, build trust, create accountability, and free themselves from becoming the bottleneck. Gabriela also draws fascinating parallels between business leadership and relationship leadership, showing how the same patterns that create dysfunction in organizations often create frustration in marriages and families. In this episode, you'll discover: * What Founder Gravity is and why it affects so many growing businesses * The hidden cost of becoming the decision-making bottleneck * Why trust and delegation are leadership skills, not personality traits * The surprising similarities between leadership teams and healthy marriages * How operational rituals reduce chaos and increase alignment * The six critical leadership skills needed for the future of work * Why curiosity is one of the most underrated leadership superpowers * How better questions lead to better decisions * The role of psychological safety in high-performing teams * The first step leaders should take when everything depends on them One of the most powerful takeaways from this conversation is that leadership isn't about caring more-it's about designing better systems. When decisions flow, leaders regain capacity. When ownership is shared, relationships breathe. When structure supports life, work and home stop competing. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a leader, founder, or partner who could benefit from redesigning the way decisions flow. 📌 About the Guest: Chris March Chris March is an Executive Decision Advisor who helps founders and leadership teams eliminate decision bottlenecks, improve execution, and scale sustainably. With more than two decades of experience as a GM, COO, executive coach, and advisor across Australia, the UK, and Canada, Chris specializes in helping seven- and eight-figure businesses move beyond Founder Gravity and create scalable leadership systems. Connect with Chris March - LinkedIn: Chris March - Website: https://chrismarchcoaching.com/ [https://chrismarchcoaching.com/] Gabriela Embon – Speaker – Author – Life Engineering Coach Website: https://gabrielaembon.com/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/] Email: Gabriela@GabrielaEmbon.com Becoming a Power Couple – 4 Pillars to Engineer Legendary Marriages Book: https://gabrielaembon.com/book/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/book/] https://www.gabrielaembon.com [https://www.gabrielaembon.com] https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon [https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon] https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon] https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet [https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet]

How to Create Joy, Alignment, & High Performance - Without Burning Out

What if the reason you feel exhausted, disconnected, or stuck... isn't because you need a better strategy-but because something deeper is out of alignment? In this powerful conversation, Gabriela sits down with leadership expert Greg DeKoker to challenge one of the biggest myths in high performance: 👉 That success is built on pressure, sacrifice, and discipline alone. Instead, Greg introduces a radically different perspective: Joy is not a reward. It's the fuel. This episode will shift how you think about leadership, relationships, and what it truly takes to build a life-and career-without regrets. 🔥 What You'll Learn: * Why people don't quit jobs-they quit leaders and cultures * The difference between gratification vs. relational joy (this will change how you see success) * Why joy is the most underutilized and renewable asset in any organization * How your relationship patterns at home show up at work * The truth about alignment-and why strategy alone can't fix misalignment How to create environments where people feel: * Safe * Seen * Heard * Valued Greg DeKoker is a Brand and Culture Transformation Expert, executive advisor, leadership retreat facilitator, best-selling author, and podcast host. Greg has spent over three decades helping organizations unlock the true power of their brand and culture - not through surface-level messaging, but by aligning people, purpose, and performance from the inside out. He's the co-author of Brand: It Ain't the Logo. It's What People Think of You™ and the upcoming book JOY² – The Hidden Power of JOY in Leadership, where he challenges leaders to rethink success, culture, and what actually sustains high performance over time. Connect with Greg DeKoker - Social: @joysquaredofficial - Website: https://www.joy2.ca/ [https://www.joy2.ca/] - Email: greg@joy2.ca - Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/joy-squared-podcast/ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/joy-squared-podcast/] Gabriela Embon – Speaker – Author – Life Engineering Coach Website: https://gabrielaembon.com/ Email: Gabriela@GabrielaEmbon.com Becoming a Power Couple – 4 Pillars to Engineer Legendary Marriages Book: https://gabrielaembon.com/book/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/book/] https://www.gabrielaembon.com [https://www.gabrielaembon.com] https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon [https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon] https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon] https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet [https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet]

Why You Keep Repeating the Same Relationship Even After Doing the Work | Riana Malia

Do you feel like you're almost there in your life or relationships... but not quite? What if the reason your life and especially your relationships still feel misaligned...is not because you haven't done enough work... but because you're still operating from an outdated identity? In this powerful conversation, I get to chat with integrative neuro-somatic practitioner Riana Malia to unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal growth: Course correction doesn't start with changing your life. It starts with changing your internal architecture. Even high-achieving, self-aware individuals, those who have done therapy, read the books, and committed to growth, often find themselves asking: "Why does love still feel like the one place that isn't aligned?" This episode reveals why. In This Episode, You'll Discover: * Why you can do years of personal development... and still repeat the same relationship patterns * How your subconscious identity (formed between ages 0–7) is still running your decisions today * The difference between thinking you're choosing... and actually choosing from freedom * Why clarity not effort is what most people are missing * The "Clear → Create → Claim" process to shift identity at the root * A powerful 72-hour exercise to rewire your thinking and shift your reality fast 📌 Riana Malia Riana Malia is a Board-Certified Neuro-somatic Practitioner and the creator of the Clear to Create Method™, a transformational process that helps high-achieving women clear emotional patterns, reclaim their identity, and finally create love that matches the life they've built. She's the founder of The Brilliance Brunch™ in the Bay Area, and the creator of Magnet for Miracles™, a 72-hour breakthrough experience for women ready to release the emotional weight they've carried for decades. Through intimate intensives, live events, and media appearances, Riana helps women rise into their brilliance, not by doing more, but by becoming more of who they truly are. Connect with Riana Malia * Social: @rianamalia * Website: https://rianamalia.com/ [https://rianamalia.com/] * Email: info@rianamalia.com * The Extraordinary Love Index™ (E.L.I.™) Assessment (https://quiz.rianamalia.com/ [https://quiz.rianamalia.com/]) Gabriela Embon – Speaker – Author – Life Engineering Coach Website: https://gabrielaembon.com/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/] Email: Gabriela@GabrielaEmbon.com Becoming a Power Couple – 4 Pillars to Engineer Legendary Marriages Book: https://gabrielaembon.com/book/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/book/]

What Submarines Teach About Leadership | with Jon Rennie

What does it take to lead when there is no escape, no room for ego, and no margin for error? In this powerful episode, Gabriela sits down with Jon Rennie, former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer turned CEO, leadership expert, and author, to explore what real leadership looks like under pressure and how those lessons apply to business, relationships, and life. From earning trust in life-or-death environments to building unity in organizations and families, this conversation reveals what it truly means to lead with accountability, presence, and integrity. What You'll Learn in This Episode: * Why leadership is not about authority, but earned trust * The meaning of "earn your oxygen" and how it applies to your life * How to lead when you can't escape your problems * Why great leaders create unity, not internal conflict * The difference between learning leadership vs. living leadership * How to let people fail without making them failures * The mindset shift that transforms teams into "we're in this together" * What leadership in business and marriage have in common 📌 About Jon Rennie Jon is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of Peak Demand Inc., a premier manufacturer of critical components for electrical utilities. He is a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer who made seven deployments during the end of the Cold War. Prior to starting Peak Demand, he led eight manufacturing businesses for three global companies. He is the author of the best-selling leadership books: * I Have the Watch: Becoming a Leader Worth Following (https://jonsrennie.com/i-have-the-watch/ [https://jonsrennie.com/i-have-the-watch/]) * All in the Same Boat: Lead Your Organization Like a Nuclear Submariner (https://jonsrennie.com/all-in-the-same-boat/ [https://jonsrennie.com/all-in-the-same-boat/]) He is also, the host of the Deep Leadership podcast (https://jonsrennie.com/podcast-page/ [https://jonsrennie.com/podcast-page/]) Connect with Jon Rennie - Website: https://jonsrennie.com/ [https://jonsrennie.com/] - Website: https://peakdemand.com/ [https://peakdemand.com/] - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonscottrennie/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonscottrennie/] Gabriela Embon – Speaker – Author – Life Engineering Coach Website: https://gabrielaembon.com/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/] Email: Gabriela@GabrielaEmbon.com [Gabriela@GabrielaEmbon.com] Becoming a Power Couple – 4 Pillars to Engineer Legendary Marriages Book: https://gabrielaembon.com/book/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/book/] https://www.gabrielaembon.com [https://www.gabrielaembon.com] https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon [https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon] https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon] https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet [https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet]

Leadership, Marriage, CRM & Courage to Build a Life of No Regrets | with Chad Learmond

In this rich and heartfelt episode of the Life Engineering Podcast, I had the privilege to sits down with @Chad Learmond, partner at Amplify Solutions CRM Strategies, sales leader, entrepreneur, and seasoned executive with over 25 years of leadership experience. What begins as a conversation about leadership and CRM quickly unfolds into something much deeper: a powerful exploration of character, marriage, alignment, values, collaboration, and what it really means to create a life of no regrets. Chad shares how being raised by a military father shaped his leadership philosophy, why character is the foundation of everything, and how his marriage has become one of the central pillars of his success. Together, we explore the connection between leadership at work and leadership at home, why silos damage both organizations and marriages, and how true success requires unity rather than compartmentalization. This episode is for anyone who wants to lead with more integrity, build stronger relationships, and create a life where work, wellbeing, and love reinforce each other instead of competing. Key Takeaways: 1. Character is destiny. Leadership that lasts is built on values, integrity, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. 2. Marriage is not a side project. For Chad, a strong marriage is one of the core pillars that allows him to show up fully in leadership, fatherhood, and business. 3. Work and home are not separate worlds. You do not have one nervous system for work and another for family. The way you lead in one place affects the other. 4. Great leadership is collaborative. Whether in CRM, marriage, or business, the goal is not control - it is transparency, unity, and shared success. 📌 About Chad Learmond Chad Learmond is a partner at Amplify Solutions CRM Strategies, a sales leader, entrepreneur, and business strategist with more than 25 years of experience in leadership, sales, operations, and organizational transformation. He is passionate about helping organizations use CRM not just as a technology tool, but as a human-centered strategy for better collaboration, stronger customer relationships, and greater performance. Connect with Chad - Website: https://www.amplify-solutions.ca [https://www.amplify-solutions.ca] - Email: chad@amplify-solutions.ca - LinkedIn: Chad Learmond Gabriela Embon – Speaker – Author – Life Engineering Coach Website: https://gabrielaembon.com/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/] Email: Gabriela@GabrielaEmbon.com Becoming a Power Couple – 4 Pillars to Engineer Legendary Marriages Book: https://gabrielaembon.com/book/ [https://gabrielaembon.com/book/] https://www.gabrielaembon.com [https://www.gabrielaembon.com] https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon [https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon] https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon] https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.facebook.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet [https://www.instagram.com/coachingacademynet] https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet [https://www.youtube.com/@coachingacademynet]