The Hidden Cost of Being Easy to Work With

The Hidden Cost of Being Easy to Work With

She's so easy to work with. It sounds like a compliment. But is it? In this solo episode of Possibilities, Monique asks a question that most high-performing women have never stopped to answer: what does being easy to work with actually cost you? Because behind that phrase there is often a very different story, one about boundaries that were never drawn, yeses that were never really meant, and a quiet pattern of saying yes to other people's priorities while slowly starving your own. The opposite of easy to work with is not difficult. It is discerning. And there is a significant difference. This episode covers: →  Why being easy to work with can be code for something you do not want to own →  The ROI of saying yes: what you are actually agreeing to when you agree →  The rocks and the sand: why women keep filling their jars the wrong way →  The hidden driver behind the yes you never should have given →  The difference between being easy to work with and being great to work with →  How Monique's fixer identity started at age five, and what it cost her →  Why no is a full sentence, and what it takes to actually believe that →  What discernment, not difficulty, looks like in practice Don't be generic. Stand for something. Own it. If you have been saying yes when you mean no, or if you have been proudly called easy to work with while quietly running on empty, this one is for you. ABOUT MONIQUE Author. Speaker. Strategic Navigator. Monique de Maio helps women leaders and organizations move from chaos to clarity, in business and in life. Founder of OnDemandCMO and an active CMO, Monique brings more than 30 years of marketing and leadership experience across global brands, Wall Street, nonprofit, and publishing. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy and humanity, cutting through noise, simplifying the complex, and delivering solutions that actually work. As host of the Possibilities with Monique de Maio podcast, Monique explores the real conversations behind growth, reinvention, and decision-making. Through her Strategic Navigator work, she applies the same rigor used in business strategy to help women think clearly about their careers, wellness, and life design, without burning everything down. Follow Monique for More Possibilities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio Newsletter: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up Book Monique as a speaker: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G Referenced in this episode: EP81: Mary Lou Quinlan on intentionality and communicating what really matters EP83: Emily Claire Hughes on betting on yourself and setting boundaries EP112: Kirsten Sharo on intentionality and listening to your intuition

When Did You Stop Trusting Yourself? Intuition, Inner Knowing, and Calming the Chaos | Featuring Kirsten Sharo

What if the voice you've spent your entire life trying to silence is actually the one you should trust most? Most of us were taught, early and repeatedly, not to trust ourselves. Not directly. Through school systems, social norms, performance metrics, and the constant pressure to be logical, productive, and certain. We got very good at listening outward. In this episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, Monique sits down with Kirsten: an intuitive coach, energy healer, Reiki Master Teacher, and animal communicator. Her work is built on a single belief: you already know. You have just forgotten how to hear it. Kirsten Sharo has spent years helping people find their way back to themselves. In this episode: →  Why children are naturally intuitive and what happens to that ability when we grow up →  How Kirsten discovered her own gifts: through her kids, her horse Dicey, and a Reiki book she found at the exact right moment →  What your body is actually telling you: the physical signals most of us override every day →  The practice of the pause and why the hustle culture we celebrate is working against us →  How Kirsten stayed calm in a hospital waiting room on Thanksgiving Day while her husband had a heart attack and what that calm was built on →  How to begin tapping into your own intuition, even if you have never tried →  What to do when you have unresolved grief or regret with someone who has passed →  The misconception that holds the most people back from doing this work Monique has worked with Kirsten personally for years. This conversation is candid, grounded, and more practically useful than you might expect. If you have ever dismissed a gut feeling, pushed through a signal your body was sending, or wondered why you can trust your instincts at work but not in your own life, this one is for you.  ABOUT OUR GUEST: Kirsten is the creator of the Metatron Animal Knowledge System and founder of Diceys Healing LLC, where she offers private sessions and leads two supportive communities: The Empowered Journey and Whispers of Knowing.  A full overview of her services is available as a free download on my website: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/app/uploads/2026/06/112_Possibilities-with-Monique-de-Maio-Podcast_Kirsten-Sharo-DOWNLOAD-.docx.pdf [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/app/uploads/2026/06/112_Possibilities-with-Monique-de-Maio-Podcast_Kirsten-Sharo-DOWNLOAD-.docx.pdf]    TIMESTAMPS:  02:00 – What an intuitive medium and energy healer actually does 03:15 – Why children are naturally intuitive and what shuts it down 05:00 – Past lives: the story of Kirsten's youngest and what it started 06:00 – How Kirsten's horse Dicey accelerated her intuitive development 07:50 – The physical signals of intuition: what your body is telling you 08:45 – Practice the pause: the discipline that unlocks everything 09:40 – Hustle culture and why the go-go-go kills our inner knowing 10:30 – Kirsten's journey: from Reiki book to Reiki master teacher 16:30 – Calming the chaos: Thanksgiving, a heart attack, and what inner peace looks like under real pressure 22:00 – How to prepare for an intuitive session and what to expect 24:10 – Everyone has intuition: how to start tapping in 25:25 – Unresolved grief and the deceased: you can fix it, everything is energy 26:55 – Common misconceptions and the dismissal Kirsten still encounters 30:00 – Parting wisdom and final thoughts  This podcast is part of our mission to amplify women who are redefining work, life, and leadership. Follow Monique for More Possibilities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio [https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio [https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio] Newsletter: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up] Explore Strategic Navigator Sessions with Monique: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/strategic-navigator/ [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/strategic-navigator/] Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact] Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G [https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G]

The Quarterly Review You Should Be Running on Your Own Life

When was the last time you stopped to ask yourself how things are really going? In business, we call it a QBR. A quarterly business review. You know the format: leadership gathers, metrics get reviewed, what is working gets reinforced, what is not gets a plan. It is a discipline most organizations treat as non-negotiable. Most of us have never run one on our own lives. In this solo episode of Possibilities, Monique makes the case for the Quarterly Life Review (QLR) and gives you a simple, practical way to start running one today. No fancy tools required. Just honesty, a few categories, and the willingness to look at where your time and energy are actually going versus where you said they would. This episode covers: → Why most high-performing people never pause long enough to assess what is and is not working in their personal lives → The "life buckets" framework Monique has used for years and the two tools she has leaned on to do the inventory → The year-of-the-fire-horse moment that reframes this quarter as a perfect time to dust off your goals and actually look at them → Why your calendar is the most honest document you own → How to use your three words as a decision filter when you run your QLR → The difference between reflecting on your life and actually making a decision about it → Why people do not resist change: they resist change that is hoisted on them This is not about overhauling everything. It is about stopping long enough to look honestly at what is working, what is not, and what needs your attention next quarter. Four times a year. That is all it takes to feel like you are running your life instead of your life running you. ABOUT MONIQUE Author. Speaker. Strategic Navigator. Monique de Maio helps women leaders and organizations move from chaos to clarity, in business and in life. Founder of OnDemandCMO and an active CMO, Monique brings more than 30 years of marketing and leadership experience across global brands, Wall Street, nonprofit, and publishing. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy and humanity, cutting through noise, simplifying the complex, and delivering solutions that actually work. As host of the Possibilities with Monique de Maio podcast, Monique explores the real conversations behind growth, reinvention, and decision-making. Through her Strategic Navigator work, she applies the same rigor used in business strategy to help women think clearly about their careers, wellness, and life design, without burning everything down. Follow Monique for More Possibilities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio [https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio [https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio] Newsletter: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up] Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact] Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G [https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G] Timestamps  00:00 – Introduction: When did you last do a real personal assessment? 01:00 – What a QBR is and why you should apply it to your life 02:00 – The year of the fire horse: why this quarter is the moment 03:30 – The life buckets framework: what categories to review 05:00 – The Vistage story: Monique's wake-up call about scaling vs. living 06:00 – Doing the inventory: tools, planners, and honest scoring 07:00 – Your calendar is the most honest document you own 08:00 – Using your three words as a decision filter during your QLR 09:30 – Protecting your joy: how to block your calendar strategically 11:00 – Reverse engineering your quarter: what do you want and what will it take? 12:30 – The QLR in practice: quarterly life review, branded 13:30 – Why people do not resist change; they resist change forced on them 14:00 – Closing: take control, take your calendar, do the inventory

Nurture With Intention: The HR Truths Leaders Avoid

Most companies do not have a culture problem. They have a leadership problem. In this episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, Monique sits down with Maria Reis, a senior member of the HR leadership team at LG Electronics, to unpack what actually builds high-performing teams and what quietly destroys them. Maria Reis is a results-driven HR executive with a career spanning financial services, retail, and global corporate HR. At LG Electronics, she sits at the forefront of creating a better life for people and a better future through smart life solutions, leading strategies that drive employee development, engagement, and retention. She is also a coach, a mentor, and a former president of the Junior League of Bergen County, where she has championed the development of women and community leadership for years. This is not a surface-level conversation. This is about:    →  Why promoting high performers into leadership roles backfires    →  The difference between culture on paper and culture in practice    →  Why HR cannot fix the leadership problems leaders create    →  What feedback actually looks like when it works    →  Why organizational change fails (and it is not strategy)    →  What women must unlearn to lead at the highest level    →  The career risk Maria avoided out of fear and has never forgotten Maria brings the perspective most people never hear: what is happening inside organizations when no one is saying it out loud. If you have ever worked somewhere and thought "something is off here," this episode will explain exactly why. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Maria Reis is a senior member of the HR leadership team at LG Electronics, where she sits at the forefront of creating a better life for people and a better future for the planet through smart life solutions. With a results-driven focus, she builds employee communities where HR strategies, services, and solutions drive development, engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Her career spans financial services, retail, and global corporate HR, including significant tenure at Toys R Us where she held global responsibility for compensation and was part of major organizational transformations. She brings both the strategic depth of a senior executive and the hands-on conviction of a coach and mentor who has developed leaders at every level. Outside of work, Maria is a former president of the Junior League of Bergen County, an organization dedicated to volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through effective action and leadership. Maria is open to connecting on LinkedIn. This podcast is part of our mission to amplify women who are redefining work, life, and leadership. Follow Monique for More Possibilities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio [https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio [https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio] Newsletter: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up] Explore Strategic Navigator Sessions with Monique: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/strategic-navigator/ [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/strategic-navigator/] Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact] Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G [https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G]

Business Q&A: What 50+ Years of Combined Experience Actually Sounds Like | Featuring Stephanie Baker

Most business podcasts follow a script. A host asks a question. A guest gives a polished answer. Everyone sounds smart. Nobody says anything new. This is not that conversation. In this episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, we introduce a new format: Business Q&A: In the Room Two leaders. Real decisions. No theory. Monique sits down with Stephanie Baker, former Chief Commercial Officer, COO, and CMO at EBG, for something different: A real-time business debrief between two operators with 50+ years of combined experience. No scripts. No polished talking points. Just two people who have been in a lot of rooms… processing out loud what they’ve actually seen, what they’ve gotten wrong, and what they now recognize immediately when they walk into a company that’s in trouble. In this episode, we explore: → Why “we need more sales” is almost never the real problem → How to spot a broken org chart in the first 30 days → When a rebrand request is actually a symptom → What changes first when leadership teams stop being honest → Why fighting your way to the top is the wrong strategy → The role of value alignment in building teams that actually work If you’ve ever sat in a room where everyone agreed in the meeting and nothing changed afterward... If you’ve ever been handed an org chart that looked fine but felt completely broken... Or if you’re navigating growth that isn’t landing the way it should... This conversation will feel familiar. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction: A Different Kind of Business Conversation 01:53 What 50+ Years of Experience Teaches You to Spot in 30 Days 07:22 The “We Need More Sales” Problem: Why It’s Usually Not the Real Issue 11:43 When the Org Chart Looks Fine on Paper 14:14 The Role of the Consultant vs. the Insider 19:03 When a Rebrand Request Is Actually a Symptom 25:59 Brand Promises You Haven’t Earned the Right to Make 29:51 What Changes First When Honesty Leaves the Room 33:37 Value Alignment: The Non-Negotiable Foundation 36:58 What People Don’t Know About Stephanie (Bikram Yoga for 20 Years) 38:21 What She Now Questions About Leadership 40:26 On Helping Each Other: Why Women Can’t Do It Alone 45:51 Worst and Best Career Advice (The Job in Amsterdam) 50:51 Closing: If This Sounds Like Your Company, You Know Where to Find Us ABOUT OUR GUEST Stephanie Baker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie--baker/] is a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience leading commercial strategy, operational transformation, and growth across travel, entertainment, and consumer sectors. Most recently, Stephanie served as Chief Commercial Officer at EBG, one of the largest privately held travel and entertainment companies in the U.S., where she led product strategy, corporate sales, business development, marketing, digital customer experience, and partner development. During her 14 years at EBG, she also held the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer. Earlier in her career, Stephanie held senior leadership roles at Madison Square Garden Entertainment and Feld Entertainment, where she drove marketing strategy, production growth, and international expansion across Europe. She currently serves on the Iron Eagle Advisory Board, is a board member of Thrive Women in Travel, and is a member of Chief. This podcast is part of our mission to amplify women who are redefining work, life, and leadership. Follow Monique for More Possibilities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio [https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio [https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio] Newsletter: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up] Explore Strategic Navigator Sessions with Monique: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/strategic-navigator/ [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/strategic-navigator/] Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact [https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact] Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G [https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G]