Courage & Purpose

Ep 34: High Performance Without Burnout — Purpose-Driven Leadership & Courage

What does real high performance look like—and how can tech leaders avoid burnout while building a legacy? In this energizing episode of Courage & Purpose, Diana sits down with Certified High Performance Coach Shawn Buttner to explore how purpose-driven leaders in tech and high-pressure industries can thrive without sacrificing well-being. Shawn shares his personal journey from software engineer to business analyst to coach, what it taught him about reinvention, and how the High Performance Habits framework (by Brendon Burchard) creates structure and intentionality—so leaders can live and lead with alignment, not exhaustion. They unpack: * 💻 The hidden cost of success in high-pressure tech environments * 🧠 How emotional intelligence improves team trust, engagement, and innovation * ⚡ Why burnout isn’t about being weak—it’s often about living out of alignment * 🔁 How identity shifts can become a portal to deeper fulfillment * 🧭 Tactical mindset tools to stay grounded in purpose, not fear Whether you’re a tech founder, product leader, creator, or coach—this conversation will challenge how you define success and inspire you to lead from within. 🔗 Connect with Shawn Buttner: * 🌐 Website: shawnbuttner.com [https://shawnbuttner.com] * 📲 Instagram: @coach_shawn_buttner [https://www.instagram.com/coach_shawn_buttner/] * 🎙️ Podcast: Creators That Crush [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKjv-purm27O-va5-0NkxaPrCo6W_CSr8&si=v2Gr9VE3j-ssezhF] * 💼 LinkedIn: Shawn Buttner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnbuttner/] * 💻 YouTube: @ShawnButtner * 📧 Book a High Performance Strategy Call: Link [https://shawnbuttner.com] 🙋‍♀️ Connect with Diana Ordonez: * 🌐 Website: lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.lifeonpurpose.coach] * 📲 Instagram: @lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.instagram.com/lifeonpurpose.coach] * 🎧 Podcast: Courage & Purpose [https://tr.ee/odWBpoDGsq] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com [https://lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ep 33: From Appraiser to Coach — Reinvention, Grief, and Growth

In this heartfelt episode of Courage & Purpose, Diana sits down with Karen Howard—gemologist, educator, and founder of Jewelry Appraisers Coach—to talk about what it really means to reinvent yourself after loss. Karen shares her deeply personal journey through grief, chronic illness, and entrepreneurship—and how those experiences shaped the way she now leads, coaches, and lives with purpose. If you’re a service-based business owner or leader navigating change, loss, or identity shifts… this one will land deeply. 🔥 What You’ll Learn: * How Karen transitioned from retail to gemology—and later to coaching * The mindset shifts that helped her rebuild after deep personal loss * How chronic illness transformed her approach to business and sustainability * Why narrowing your niche isn’t limiting—it’s liberating * How emotional intelligence fuels stronger client relationships * What it looks like to build a business from wisdom, not burnout 🧠 Key Quote:“Failure doesn’t mean stop. It just means figure out a new way to keep going.” 🙋‍♀️ Connect with Karen Howard: 🌐 Website: www.jewelleryappraiserscoach.com [https://www.jewelleryappraiserscoach.com]📲 Instagram: @the_language_of_gems [https://www.instagram.com/the_language_of_gems/]🔗 LinkedIn: Karen’s Appraising [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karensappraising/]📘 Facebook: The Language of Gems [https://www.facebook.com/thelanguageofgems/] Free Resources: * “ From Challenges to Unstoppable: Your roadmap to Professional Success in Jewellery Appraising” - https://zpr.io/UDZw3nC6bJrZ [https://zpr.io/UDZw3nC6bJrZ] * “ The Art of Work-Life Balance” - https://docs.google.com/document/d/196wzpW54Uq2nT6PafgCNTjxi-D9x_5kz/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116369053099329677903&rtpof=true&sd=true [https://docs.google.com/document/d/196wzpW54Uq2nT6PafgCNTjxi-D9x_5kz/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116369053099329677903&rtpof=true&sd=true] * Book A Call - https://zpr.io/rSijC9AarKM6 [https://zpr.io/rSijC9AarKM6] 🎙️ Connect with Diana Ordonez: 🌐 Website: www.lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.lifeonpurpose.coach]📲 Instagram: @lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.instagram.com/lifeonpurpose.coach]🎧 Podcast: Courage & Purpose → Listen now [https://tr.ee/odWBpoDGsq] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com [https://lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ep 32: Stories That Change The World, Journalism That Honors Humanity

In this raw and moving episode of Courage & Purpose, Diana reconnects with Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and freelance journalist Nora Neus. Nora’s career has spanned war zones, daily breaking news coverage, and award-winning books—covering everything from the war in Ukraine and the Uvalde school shooting to racial injustice and white nationalism. Now the founder of Longform Lab Media Group, Nora shares her personal journey of navigating trauma-heavy stories, experiencing newsroom burnout, and making the courageous decision to leave an acclaimed career in pursuit of deeper purpose, healing, and human-centered storytelling. 🎙️ They discuss: * The emotional responsibility of compassion in journalism * The Uvalde story that will stay with everyone who hears it * How boundaries and purpose go hand in hand * The empowering role of storytelling in creating hope * Why honoring your unique wiring can become your superpower You’ll walk away with powerful insights about what it means to lead with empathy, purpose, and humanity—especially when the world feels heavy. 🔗 Connect with Nora Neus:🌐 Website: noraneus.com [https://www.noraneus.com]🧠 Storytelling Services: Longform Lab Media Group📲 Instagram: @noraneus🐦 Twitter/X: @noraneus📘 Books: https://noraneus.com/books - NEW RELEASE January 2026 - 24 Hours At The Capitol 🙋‍♀️ Connect with Diana Ordonez:🌐 Website: lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.lifeonpurpose.coach]📲 Instagram: @lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.instagram.com/lifeonpurpose.coach]🎧 Podcast: Courage & Purpose [http://linktr.ee/lifeonpurposecoach] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com [https://lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ep 31: Emotional Mastery, Nervous System Healing & Mindset Shifts

Ep 31: Emotional Mastery, Nervous System Healing & Mindset Shifts Ever feel like you’re doing all the “right” things… but fulfillment still feels just out of reach? In this episode of Courage & Purpose, I sit down with Keenan Crisp—a former paratrooper turned yoga teacher, and now transformational performance coach—to talk about what real inner work looks like when you’re leading, healing, and trying to show up fully for your life. Keenan shares the practices and mindset shifts that helped him move from high-functioning survival mode into deep presence, healing, and leadership. We unpack the nervous system’s role in burnout and self-worth, how early complex trauma creates unconscious patterns of protection, and how emotional mastery isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating space between the trigger and the response. This conversation is a permission slip to soften, breathe, and rewire your relationship to stress, success, and self-worth—especially if you’ve been operating like your value is tied to your achievements. 🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: * Why high achievers often miss the emotional roots of their burnout * The power of somatic practices and nervous system healing to create internal peace * How to stop outsourcing your worth and feel safe being seen in your authenticity * How the identities we build to survive can block our joy, love, and fulfillment * What it really means to feel enough—without striving to prove it 🧠 Key Insight:“You can’t think your way out of what your body learned in trauma. But you can create enough presence and safety to feel your way through it.” 🌍 Connect with Keenan Crisp:📲 Instagram: @keenancrispcoach [https://www.instagram.com/keenancrispcoach]🌐 Website: foundationsforsuccesscoaching.com [https://foundationsforsuccesscoaching.com/]🔗 LinkedIn: Keenan Crisp [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keenan-crisp-ffsc/] 📬 Connect with Diana:🌐 Website: www.lifeonpurpose.coach [http://www.lifeonpurpose.coach]📲 Instagram: @lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.instagram.com/lifeonpurpose.coach]🔗 LinkedIn: Life On Purpose Coach [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifeonpurposecoach/]🎙️ Podcast: Courage & Purpose [https://tr.ee/odWBpoDGsq] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com [https://lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ep 30: Creating Joy, Connection & Meaningful Micro-Celebrations

As a leader, you move fast, solve problems, and drive outcomes—but are you also creating the energy you want to lead with? In this episode of Courage & Purpose, I sit down with Sherry Richert Belul—GrowthDay’s Director of Joy, founder of Simply Celebrate, and author of Say It Now—to talk about something every high achiever needs but rarely prioritizes: intentional joy and connection. We unpack how micro-celebrations, joy triggers, and courageously authentic appreciation aren’t just feel-good extras—they’re strategic tools. The kind that fuel sustainable performance, deepen meaningful relationships, and infuse your work with purpose—regardless of the pressure or pace. This conversation is for the high performer who’s tired of checking boxes and ready to create a life—and career—that actually feels joyful. Because joy is fuel. And when you learn how to generate it intentionally, everything else in your business—and life—elevates. 🔥 What You’ll Learn: * Why joy and celebration are powerful tools for energizing the way you lead * How to create authentic, meaningful connection in fast-paced environments * Simple shifts to move from transactional to relational communication * How small, thoughtful gestures can transform those around you—and your own energy * What it looks like to lead with heart and humanity, even under pressure 🧠 Key Insight: “Look for the glimmers. Tiny sparks of light that remind you—there is beauty, connection, and meaning right here. You just have to celebrate now —and say it now.” 🌍 Connect with Sherry Richert Belul 📲 Instagram: @simplycelebrate [https://www.instagram.com/simplycelebrate/]🌐 Website: www.simplycelebrate.net [https://www.simplycelebrate.net]📘 Book: Say It Now [https://a.co/d/8Jhisvp] on Amazon [https://a.co/d/8Jhisvp] 📬 Connect with Diana 🌐 Website: www.lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.lifeonpurpose.coach]📲 Instagram: @lifeonpurpose.coach [https://www.instagram.com/lifeonpurpose.coach/]📘 Facebook: Life On Purpose Coach Diana [https://www.facebook.com/lifeonpurposecoachdiana]💼 LinkedIn: Life On Purpose [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifeonpurposecoach/]🎧 Podcast: Courage & Purpose [https://tr.ee/odWBpoDGsq] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com [https://lifeonpurposecoaching.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]