When Success Becomes the Problem: A CEO’s Press Pause Story

The Cost of Not Pressing Pause, with John de Jong

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356494/fan_mail/new]   What happens when your body forces you to stop before you're ready?  In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with entrepreneur and business owner John de Jong to explore how two unexpected pauses completely changed the course of his life, leadership, and business.  The first came after a ruptured appendix nearly cost him his life.  At the time, John was a sales manager in the automotive industry, working long hours in a high-performance culture where showing up mattered more than personal well-being.  Even while recovering from major surgery, the pressure to return to work never stopped.  That experience became the turning point that led him to leave a successful career, buy a small business, and redefine what leadership would look like for himself and the people around him.  Years later, another pause arrived.  When COVID shut down businesses across Canada, John was forced to lay off his entire team and rethink how his company could continue serving clients in a completely different world.  That challenge led him beyond signs and marketing into helping businesses become discoverable online through SEO, Google Business Profiles, and now AI search.  This conversation explores:  • recognizing when your body is telling you it's time to pause  • why respect is one of the most overlooked leadership qualities  • leaving a successful career to build a business around your values  • how COVID created a second opportunity to reinvent the business  • the evolution from SEO to AI-powered search  • why human experience still matters in an AI-driven world  • building a business that supports your life instead of consuming it  • the hidden cost of ignoring your own well-being  John also shares why entrepreneurship helped him regain control of his life after struggling with depression, and how creating a business rooted in service transformed the way he thinks about success.  More importantly, this episode explores something deeper:  The cost isn't pressing pause.  The cost is waiting until life makes the decision for you.  If you're a founder, executive, entrepreneur, or leader who feels constant pressure to keep pushing forward, this conversation is a reminder that your greatest leadership advantage may come from knowing when to stop.  Key Themes:  Leadership Presence • Entrepreneurial Leadership • Strategic Pause • Burnout Prevention • Leadership Under Pressure • Mental Health • Business Reinvention • AI & Search • Values-Based Leadership • Creating Time   Connect with John de Jong:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-de-jong-alleykat/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-de-jong-alleykat/]  Website: https://igetyoufound.com/   Connect with Ellen Williams:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/]  Website: https://thesalientstrategist.com/ [https://thesalientstrategist.com/]  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/ [https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/]   Subscribe to Time to Press Pause for more real conversations about leadership, growth, presence, and creating time for what matters most.

Leadership Clarity, Systems & The Power of Pressing Pause with Adam Hamadache

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356494/fan_mail/new] What happens when the business you built suddenly forces you to stop? In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with entrepreneur and agency founder Adam Hamadache to explore how an unexpected pause during COVID completely changed the way he approached leadership, business systems, and sustainable growth. At the time, Adam’s company was thriving.  Revenue was growing, the team was expanding, and everything looked successful from the outside. But underneath the surface, the business was operating in constant reaction mode. Then the world paused. What started as a short trip to Australia with his family quickly turned into a five-month lockdown experience that forced Adam to step back and see his business  and himself differently. This conversation dives into: • leadership presence under pressure • reactive vs intentional leadership • why so many leaders stay trapped in constant firefighting • the hidden cost of “we’ll figure it out” • operational clarity and sustainable leadership • cognitive fatigue and decision overload • how systems create freedom instead of restriction • why pressing pause can become a strategic advantage Adam also shares how implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) transformed the way his company handled growth, communication, accountability, and problem-solving. More importantly, this episode explores something deeper: How leaders can create success without losing presence, clarity, or themselves in the process. Because productivity without peace is not success. If you’re a founder, executive, entrepreneur, or leader trying to balance growth with intentional leadership, this episode will resonate deeply. Key Themes: Leadership Presence • Strategic Pause • Sustainable Leadership • Executive Clarity • Intentional Leadership • Business Systems • Cognitive Fatigue • Creating Time • Decision Fatigue • Leadership Growth Connect with Adam Hamadache: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhamadache/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhamadache/] Website: https://thisisformula.com/ [https://thisisformula.com/] Connect with Ellen Williams: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/] Website: https://thesalientstrategist.com/ [https://thesalientstrategist.com/] Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/ [https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/] Subscribe to Time to Press Pause for more real conversations about leadership, growth, presence, and creating time for what matters most.

Press Pause to Grow: Hiring, Letting Go & Choosing Family Over Hustle with Thomas Cox

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356494/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen sits down with Thomas Cox, founder of Cox Capital, investor, and former college football coach, to talk about one of the hardest decisions leaders face:  👉 When growth starts costing you your life.  Thomas shares two pivotal “press pause” moments that changed everything:  *  Walking away from a 75-hour work lifestyle  *  Hiring before he was financially ready  *  Choosing family presence over short-term profit  And here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud: Sometimes growing your business means making less money first.   This episode is about: *  Why hiring is the hardest (and most necessary) leadership move  *  The real cost of not delegating  *  How to know when it’s time to step back  *  Why you shouldn’t be the smartest person in the room  *  And what actually matters when you zoom out  If you’ve been stuck doing everything yourself… or questioning whether it’s “worth it”…   This conversation will hit.   🎧 Listen now and ask yourself:  What do you need to press pause on ?

Press Pause on Autopilot: Nicole Donnelly on Reinventing What No Longer Works

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356494/fan_mail/new]   What happens when everything that’s worked your entire career… suddenly stops working?  In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen sits down with Nicole Donnelly, co-founder of Cardinal Search Partners, to unpack a deeply human and vulnerable moment in her career, when success stalled, confidence wavered, and nothing seemed to move forward.  After nearly two decades of success in legal recruiting, Nicole found herself in unfamiliar territory: stuck, uncertain, and questioning everything.  Instead of pushing harder in the same direction, she did something most high-performers avoid, she paused.  What followed was a powerful shift:  *  From autopilot → intentional action  *  From comparison → self-awareness  *  From comfort → growth through discomfort  Nicole shares how leaning into discomfort, building her personal brand, and changing her daily actions helped her rebuild momentum and become a stronger leader in the process.   This episode is a must-listen for anyone in sales, leadership, or high-performance roles who feels stuck despite doing “everything right.” What You’ll Learn in This Episode: *  Why success can suddenly stop working (even after years of results)  *  The difference between a forced pause and a conscious pause  *  How comparison kills momentum and how to break free from it  *  Practical ways to “get comfortable with the uncomfortable”  *  How LinkedIn and personal branding can reignite growth  *  Why vulnerability makes you a stronger leader  Key Takeaways: *  “What worked before won’t always work next.”  *  Growth often starts where comfort ends  *  Comparison is one of the biggest blockers to progress  *  Small daily shifts can completely change your trajectory    Connect & Learn More: Guest: Nicole Donnelly:  * Company: https://www.cardinalsp.com/ [https://www.cardinalsp.com/] * Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleldonnelly/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleldonnelly/] Host: Ellen Williams * Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/] * Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/ [https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/]   If this episode resonated with you: Follow the show, share it with someone who needs a reset, and take a moment to reflect, where in your life is it time to press pause?

When Success Becomes the Problem: A CEO’s Press Pause Story

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356494/fan_mail/new] Entrepreneur Shane Barker built a fast-growing company with 130 employees and a $25M valuation in just two years.  But behind the success was a dangerous reality.  He was working 18-20 hour days, living on coffee and energy drinks, missing his son’s baseball games, and slowly pushing his health to the edge.  Then came the realization that changed everything.  In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Shane shares the moment he understood that success without boundaries can cost you everything, your health, your relationships, and your presence in the moments that matter most.  Today, Shane leads a smaller team, protects his energy, and lives by a different philosophy of leadership.  A powerful conversation about ambition, burnout, delegation, and redefining what success actually means. We talked about: * The hidden cost of entrepreneurial hustle culture * Why working 18–20 hours a day nearly broke him * The moment Shane realized he was on track for a heart attack * Why delegation is one of the most important leadership skills * The difference between work-life balance and life harmony * Why most entrepreneurs ignore the signals their body sends * How COVID reinforced the importance of being present * Building a lean company without sacrificing personal life    This conversation is a powerful reminder for entrepreneurs, leaders, and founders chasing growth at any cost.  🌐 Shane Barker  https://tracefuse.ai [https://tracefuse.ai] 📘 Ellen Williams https://thesalientstrategist.com [https://thesalientstrategist.com] 📖 Ellen’s Book – Creating Time: The Key to Productivity and Peace Available on major online bookstores.