What if the permission you've been waiting for to slow down was yours to give all along?

Karen Bartholomew knows firsthand what burnout looks like — running from 6 AM to 9 PM, no time for a cup of coffee, no room to breathe. In 2010, as a single mom of three, she hit a wall and gave herself four months to figure out what she actually wanted. That pause didn't just change her life — it became the foundation of The Pause Method, a five-step framework she now uses to help high-achieving women strip away the conditioning, stories, and expectations that have been running the show, so they can design their next chapter with clarity and confidence. Karen and I talk about the fear of slowing down, the difference between scarcity and abundance, why we carry childhood stories into our fifties, and how courage isn't always about moving forward — sometimes it's about being still.

HIGHLIGHTS

• How Karen recognized her own breaking point in 2010 and gave herself permission to pause
• The difference between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset — and how childhood conditioning hides our natural abundance
• Why fear of the future is really our imagination running wild with stories that haven't happened
• The childhood story Karen told herself at age 12 — that she wasn't loved — and how she learned it wasn't truth
• A powerful moment in a classroom exercise that helped Karen discover her voice and step into leadership
• How Karen coaches her own daughter through childhood conditioning at age 26
• The five steps of The PAUSE Method: Perceive, Acknowledge, Unwind, Shift, and Embody
• Why slowing down feels so scary — and what we're really afraid of facing
• The courage to be still, ask "What do I need today?" and let that be enough
• Why you don't need a crisis to deserve a pause

CHAPTERS

1:51 — Why Women Seek Change

2:02 — Burnout And Overload

3:08 — Asking For Help

3:50 — Karen's 2010 Breaking Point

4:41 — Taking A Four Month Pause

8:26 — Fear Of The Future

11:17 — Scarcity Versus Abundance

12:06 — Childhood Stories And Conditioning

15:39 — Finding Your Voice

17:32 — Coaching Through The Past

18:23 — The PAUSE Method Steps

22:46 — Embodying The New Truth

24:49 — Designing The Next Six Months

25:33 — Courage To Be Still

27:18 — How To Work With Karen

27:56 — Rest Without A Crisis

28:22 — Retreats And Closing Thanks

RESOURCES

Karen Bartholomew's website: karenbartholomew.com

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the guilt you feel every time you say "no" is actually costing you more than the yes ever could? After a peer advisory group session turned into an unexpected goldmine of ideas, I knew I had to bring it straight to you. If you're a people-pleaser, a do-gooder, or someone who feels a pang of guilt every time you turn someone down, this one's for you. I'm sharing the practical frameworks that came out of that conversation — from budgeting your time like a budget line item, to getting curious about what people actually want from you, to understanding why your "no" protects the power of your "yes." We also get into the guilt-versus-pride dynamic between how women and men tend to overcommit, and why learning to trust your body's signals might be the most important skill of all as we head into Q4.

Highlights

• Why saying no matters more than ever heading into the last stretch of Q3 and into Q4
• Budgeting your time like money: predetermine how many "yeses" you can afford to give
• Asking for the "why" behind a meeting request before automatically saying yes
• How offering a group workshop can turn one-on-one asks into a scalable win-win
• The idea that unchecked "yeses" dilute in power if you never say no
• Creating a "not now" list of things you're saying no to for this season of life
• Learning to trust your body's signals over your mind's endless search for reasons to say yes
• The difference between guilt-driven overcommitment (often seen in women) and pride-driven overcommitment (often seen in men)
• Why it's okay for "no" to come with a little guilt sometimes

Chapters

0:00 — Why Saying No Matters

2:57 — Time Budget Your Yeses

4:14 — Ask For The Why

7:09 — Offer A Group Workshop

9:09 — Protect The Power Yes

9:59 — Create A Not Now List

11:27 — Trust Your Body Signals

13:42 — Guilt, Pride, And Overcommit

16:50 — Closing Pep Talk

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the way you've shown up for the people you love has quietly changed — and that's actually okay? This week, Audra reflects on a simple moment (last-minute ice cream sandwiches vs. planned-out chocolate banana popsicles for her son's birthday treats) that cracked open a much bigger conversation about navigating seasons of change, letting go of guilt, and learning to sit with discomfort instead of controlling your way around it.

Highlights

• Audra compares showing up for her son's first-grade birthday treats (homemade chocolate-dipped banana popsicles) versus his fifth-grade birthday treats (last-minute Kroger ice cream sandwiches) — and how the joy was the same despite looking completely different.
• Why we talk ourselves out of embracing change by judging our current selves against who we used to be.
• The three things Audra is personally processing while going through her own season of change (including the recent evolution of "the thread").
• Letting go of the need to explain your choices to others before making a change.
• Learning to examine the stories you tell yourself about your identity and success — even the positive ones.
• Building your capacity for discomfort instead of over-controlling outcomes, including how her emotional agility certification has helped.
• Practical ways to "anchor back to yourself" during uncertain seasons — stillness, movement, or connection.

Chapters

1:04 — Happy August: back-to-school fatigue and why you're not alone

2:28 — A tale of two birthday treats: first grade vs. fifth grade

5:15 — This season of change: why we resist embracing it

8:12 — Three things Audra is processing through her own transition

9:36 — Letting go of "what will people think?"

12:32 — Examining the stories you tell yourself

14:16 — Getting comfortable with discomfort

17:46 — Closing thoughts for the week

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

Yes, we are still friends. No, the band is not breaking up. 

Are you really ready to let go of something that isn't broken? That's the question at the heart of this episode, as Audra sits down with Kendra and Kristen to share the news: after 11 cohorts in Wichita and 3 in Kansas City, The Thread is holding one final cohort before evolving into something new—an alum-first community. They get into the "why" behind the pivot, the mixed public reaction, and what's coming for The Thread's 300+ alumnae in 2027.

Highlights

• The Thread will run one last cohort (Cohort 12) from October through March, with a welcome party in the spring for alum and new members
• After a year of curiosity and "itchy" feelings about what's next, the team decided to pause cohorts and double down on alum programming
• A "what if" brainstorming session sparked the idea: what if The Thread centered on alum instead of cohorts?
• A summer listening session with ~30 alumnae from Cohorts 1–11 confirmed the demand for deeper alum community and support
• New alum offerings in the works include mastermind groups and revamped book clubs
• The mission stays the same—building confidence and community—but the focus shifts from delivering a program to alumnae to engaging with them directly
• The team addresses public reaction (a mix of excitement and confusion) versus the alum community's overwhelmingly positive response
• They answer the most common question they've gotten: "Are the three of you still friends?" (Yes.)

Chapters

0:00 – Welcome and Updates

1:51 – Why Change Now

4:52 – Final Cohort Details

5:42 – Public Reaction and Emotions

10:35 – Alum Momentum and Vision

11:22 – What If Alum First

12:51 – Listening Session Insights

16:18 – New Alum Programming Plans

20:18 – Still Friends

21:22 – Join Cohort 12 and Next Steps

23:56 – I will be the Jessica Biel to your JT

Resources Mentioned

• Cohort 12 (deadline to apply: September 25, 2026)

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What does it look like to stop running from tension and start letting it fuel you? Fresh off two full days at the Global Leadership Summit in Wichita, I'm sharing the lessons that hit me hardest — the kind that make you reconsider the way you've been thinking about discomfort, uncertainty, and what freedom actually means. I'm also throwing in a bonus lesson from a kid-free night and Season 4 of Ted Lasso, because sometimes the most profound wisdom shows up in the most unexpected places.

Highlights

• Why tension isn't something to escape — it's the fuel that drives growth
• How to reframe the tension between ambition and real life demands (contentment vs. ambition, work vs. family, self vs. craft)
• The concept of "the fog" — why uncertainty is a universal human experience, not a personal failure
• Why you should avoid big, irreversible decisions when you're in a foggy season
• The power of looking down at your feet and taking just the next right step
• Jim Collins' reframe of freedom: not the ability to do anything, but the ability to choose your responsibilities
• Ben Franklin's second act — and why 53% of his biographies cover his life after age 60
• Why self-renewal is a leadership responsibility, not a luxury
• A (mostly spoiler-free) lesson from Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 1 on taking bold leaps

Chapters

1:04 – Summit Recap Kickoff

2:05 – Embracing Tension (David Ashcraft, President & CEO of the Global Leadership Network)

4:09 – Navigating the Fog (Jim Collins)

7:42 – Freedom and Self-Renewal (Jim Collins)

11:14 – Bonus Ted Lasso Lesson

12:50 – Wrap Up & What's Coming Next Week

Resources Mentioned

• Global Leadership Summit
• What to Make of a Life by Jim Collins
• Suzy Welch's Values Bridge

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the way you think about self-trust is actually keeping you from it?

Audra breaks down a coaching conversation that flipped her thinking on self-trust — and shares the real definition that's helped her stop abandoning herself every time she falls short of a goal. Then she walks through five practical habits she's built over the past few years to strengthen that trust from the inside out.

Highlights

• Why self-trust isn't about always making the right decision or hitting every goal
• A reframe: trusting yourself to make the best decision with what you have right now — and not abandoning yourself when it doesn't work out
• Five ways to build self-trust: self-compassion, knowing how you operate, tracking your wins, surrounding yourself with mirrors, and coaching
• Why forgiving yourself and giving yourself grace is the foundation of confidence
• The power of a weekly practice of recording 3–5 wins
• How working with a coach helps you access answers you already have

Chapters

0:00 — Back to School Setup

0:22 — Redefining Self Trust

1:40 — Self Trust Means Staying

3:08 — Five Ways Overview

3:34 — Self Compassion First

4:59 — Know How You Work

6:46 — Track Your Wins

8:09 — People Who Mirror You

9:08 — Coaching Builds Trust

10:13 — Quick Wrap Up

Resources Mentioned

• Emily Stevens
• Susan David
• Ashley Watkins

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the story you've been told about the teenage years is just... wrong? My guest today, Megan Saxelby, founder of Wild Feelings, spent 15 years teaching middle school and 4 teaching high school before becoming a parent coach — and she's here to make the case that adolescence isn't something to survive, it's a season to actually enjoy. We get into what parents misunderstand before the tween years even start, what it really costs us when we buy into the "terrible teens" narrative, and how to stay close to our kids as they pull toward independence.

Highlights

• The "terrible teens" narrative is a socially constructed story — and believing it primes you to see your kid's behavior through a negative lens.
• Adolescence, by current research, spans ages 10–25 (early adolescence 10–14, adolescence 14–17/18, late adolescence 18–25).
• Believing the bad narrative costs you connection and self-trust as a parent.
• Separate "connection" from "administration" (logistics) — they are not the same relationship currency.
• Happiness isn't the goal — resilience and contentment matter more than chasing a feeling.
• The research-backed parenting style that works best: high expectations + high support (authoritative parenting).
• Anxious kids need validation of their feelings paired with high expectations — not accommodation of the anxiety.
• Little-kid connection tools (playfulness, silliness, jokes) still work in the teen years — you just have to apply them differently.
• A single family "anchor behavior" (like a weekly dinner or movie night) is linked to a 20% reduction in anxiety and depression in youth.
• Family shorthand phrases (inside jokes, references) become powerful emotional shortcuts that last for decades.
• A "family care chart" — a shared, visible list of everyone's comfort items and needs — is Megan's top back-to-school tip.

Chapters

0:00 — Meet Megan Saxelby

2:11 — The Teen Myth

4:30 — Beyond 18 Summers

6:03 — Happiness Isn't the Goal

9:26 — Defining Adolescence Ages

10:17 — Cost of the Bad Narrative

10:32 — Connection vs. Logistics

12:10 — Trust Your Kid

14:54 — Boundaries Without Shame

17:55 — High Support, High Expectations

19:29 — Helping Anxious Kids Grow

20:20 — Holding the Line

21:02 — Discomfort Isn't Failure

21:17 — Capitalism and Parenting Pressure

22:09 — Tween Parenting: A Second Act

22:58 — Keep the Playfulness

23:43 — Stay a Full Person

26:38 — Build Connection on Purpose

27:36 — Weird Questions and Anchor Rituals

30:25 — Family Shorthand Moments

34:11 — The Story You Tell Yourself

35:55 — High Expectations, High Support (Revisited)

37:48 — Back-to-School Encouragement

38:50 — Family Care Chart Tip

39:46 — Wrap Up and Where to Follow

Resources Mentioned

• Wild Feelings
• Megan Saxelby on Instagram, LinkedIn and Substack

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

Ever feel like your best years might already be behind you? Lee Gray would tell you they're just getting started.

At 50, Lee was laid off from her corporate marketing job — and instead of it breaking her, it became the launchpad for the most successful chapter of her career. Today she's a business coach, entrepreneur, and podcast host who's helped over 100 business owners build companies that don't depend on them for everything. We talk about the mindset shift from employee to true owner, why "busy" isn't the same as "business," the sales and marketing muscles every entrepreneur has to build, and the simple, almost anticlimactic traits that actually predict success. If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start over, this conversation is your permission slip.

Highlights:

• Lee's story of getting laid off at 50 — and turning it into fuel instead of defeat
• Why most "second acts" start with a gift, not a plan
• The mindset shift from employee thinking to true ownership
• Why business owners buy themselves a job instead of building a business (and how to avoid it)
• The three simple traits Lee has seen in every successful entrepreneur she's coached
• The difference between being "busy" and actually doing "business"
• Lee's DGLPA formula for turning a dream into a plan
• Why telling the world about your second act is the most important first step

Chapters:

0:00 – Dream Becomes Real

1:30 – Meet Lee Gray

3:36 – Laid Off at 50

5:39 – Gift and Retaliation

8:34 – Ownership Mindset Shift

11:58 – Why Second Acts Work

14:07 – Traits of Winners

15:44 – Passion vs Business

17:15 – Sales and Marketing Muscles

19:03 – Busy vs Business

19:59 – Scaling Fears and Stories

21:56 – Dreams, Goals, Learning, Action

24:56 – Stop Buying a Job

27:13 – Make It Public

28:27 – Closing and Connect

Resources mentioned:

• Action Coach Business Coaching with Lee Gray
• The Second Act Business Owner podcast, available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube
• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

How do you inherit someone else's dream and make it your own? Molly Motsinger built a 21-year career in healthcare before walking away to become CEO of Sapahn, an ethical fashion brand she didn't found but fell completely in love with. We talk about what it's like to step into a mission you didn't create, why she got "obsessed" with Sapahn before she ever considered leaving healthcare, and how founder Brooke is learning to hand off her 15-year-old baby without losing what makes it special. Molly gets honest about the fear of disappointing investors and mentors, the guilt of not working "100 hours a week," and why she believes there's never actually a good time to take a leap. If you've ever felt torn between honoring where you've been and stepping into who you're becoming, this conversation is for you.

Highlights

• Molly spent 21 years in healthcare, starting as a dietary aide at age 15, before pivoting into fashion
• She founded Superb, a healthcare tech company giving nurses scheduling flexibility and advocacy
• Molly met Sapahn founder Brooke through the same entrepreneurial accelerator where she met Audra
• She describes getting "obsessed" with Sapahn as a signal that a bigger change was calling her
• Molly and Brooke essentially became "each other's equal" — each needed what the other loved doing
• Molly reframes stepping back from Superb's day-to-day as growth, not giving up
• She unpacks the guilt of not working 50-60 hours a week and equating time with worth
• Her advice: stop making up stories about disappointing others — most people are quietly doing the same thing
• As Sapahn's CEO, her job isn't to fix a broken business — it's to protect what works and grow what's next, especially shifting into e-commerce
• Key advice to women: there's never a good time to take the leap, so take it anyway

Chapters

1:03 — Meet Molly Motsinger and Sapahn's mission

3:32 — Molly joins the show

4:13 — Molly's 21 years in healthcare and building Superb

6:06 — How Molly met Brooke and fell in love with Sapahn

10:08 — Recognizing "the bridge" and the divine timing of the decision

15:02 — Letting go of guilt around time, hours, and disappointing others

19:56 — Leading Sapahn forward without losing its soul

25:40 — What Molly has learned watching Brooke let go and grow

28:01 — Advice for women standing on their own bridge

30:41 — Closing and where to find Sapahn

Resources Mentioned

• Sapahn
• Superb

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the real reset you need this year isn't about a new planner or another five-year plan — but about getting brutally honest with who you are right now? In this solo episode, I'm walking through the psychology-backed "fresh start effect" and sharing the three lessons I'm personally carrying into the second half of 2026: why the real work always starts internally, why it's time to let go of who you used to be (and what used to work for you), and why choosing to believe life is happening for you — not to you — can change everything about how you move through overwhelm.

Highlights

• The "fresh start effect" is a real psychological phenomenon — meaningful dates and transitions (New Year's, birthdays, Mondays) boost our motivation to pursue goals by giving us psychological distance and a mental clean slate.
• Lesson one: no matter the goal, the work always starts internally — chasing external milestones (a new job, a relationship, a certain income) means your sense of purpose stays tied to a constantly moving goalpost.
• Practices that support "internal work" include therapy, examining thought patterns, meditation, journaling, self-compassion, and visualization.
• Lesson two: get honest about who you are now, not who you were 6 months or 10 years ago — habits and structures that worked in a past season (like working from home) may no longer serve you.
• Lesson three: life happens for you, not to you — reframing overwhelm as something you have agency over, rather than a fixed state, helps break negative patterns.
• A personal story about a birthday slumber party with her team, where a bracelet reading "for you" became a symbol of choosing agency over victimhood.

Chapters

1:04 — Fresh Start Effect

2:33 — Midyear Reset Setup

3:19 — Work Starts Within

5:28 — Tools For Inner Work

8:07 — Be Honest Now

9:48 — Life Happens For You

11:02 — Breaking Overwhelm

12:60 — Three Lessons Recap

14:02 — Wrap Up And Share

Want to learn more?

The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.