Beyond Should: women reinventing their lives, careers & owning their power

What happens when you stop following the path you were supposed to take—and start trusting what actually feels right?

In this episode of Beyond Should, Lucy sits down with creative executive and brand strategist Shena Patel to unpack how letting go of “should” can open the door to a more aligned, expansive career. From switching from pre-med to English lit to building a non-linear path across publishing, fashion, and creative leadership, Shena shares how trusting her instincts—and embracing uncertainty—changed everything.

They explore the difference between expectation and expectancy, the power of relationships in shaping your career, and why you’re allowed to change your mind at any stage of your life.

Shena Patel is a New York–based creative executive, strategist, and writer with over 20 years of experience shaping brand voices and campaigns across luxury, fashion, lifestyle, and women's health. Today, she works with founders and CEOs as a fractional creative leader, helping build purpose-driven brands with clarity and impact.

Connect with Shena: 

• https://www.shenapatel.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/shena-patel-09533/

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Interested in 1:1 Coaching with Lucy
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
  
  

Beyond Should is creatively supported by a team of dynamic women: 

Host and Founder of TMC : Lucy Reynolds 

Executive Producer: Lauren LoGrasso

Producer: Daniela Silva  

Marketing Manager: Esti MacInnes

When did “I can” quietly become “I should”? Lucy sits down with mountaineer Meg Whicher to unpack the cost of overcapacity, external validation, and ignoring the body’s warning signs. After surviving a devastating fall, Meg reimagines success, boundaries, and what it truly means to honor our limits. For every woman who’s ever pushed past exhaustion in the name of “should.”

Connect with Meg: 

• Meg Rogosienski Whicher (@megwhicher) 
• LinkedIn 

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Interested in 1:1 Coaching with Lucy
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
  
  

Beyond Should is creatively supported by a team of dynamic women: 

Host and Founder of TMC : Lucy Reynolds 

Executive Producer: Lauren LoGrasso

Producer: Daniela Silva  

Marketing Manager: Esti MacInnes

Sarah Aubrey has spent her career helping shape some of television’s most talked-about stories — from producing films like Bad Santa to leading original programming at HBO Max.

But in this conversation, we go beyond Hollywood and into the deeper question many ambitious professionals face: What happens when achievement stops feeling like the goal?

Sarah shares candid insights about leadership, navigating industry disruption, mentoring teams, and why she stopped chasing titles in favor of building a career aligned with what actually brings her joy.

We talk about the confidence gap between men and women, how to lead through uncertainty, and why expanding your sandbox can be more powerful than constantly jumping to the next one.

…

Show Notes: 

• Sarah’s book recommendation: Pema Chödrön - Comfortable with Uncertainty 

More about Sarah: 

Working with the best storytellers from around the world, Aubrey is focused on broadening HBO Max's audience with a range of breakthrough programming. Her slate includes the Emmy-winning titles THE PITT (Best Drama Series) and HACKS (Best Comedy Series), Golden Globe and Emmy-decorated THE PENGUIN, and hits like AND JUST LIKE THAT..., PEACEMAKER, DUNE: PROPHECY, and IT: WELCOME TO DERRY. She is also overseeing the highly anticipated HARRY POTTER series, which is currently in production in the UK. Previously, she developed the critically acclaimed Max Originals LOVE & DEATH, STATION ELEVEN, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, SCAVENGERS REIGN, and THE STAIRCASE along with comedies like THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS, OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, STARSTRUCK, and more.

“I shouldn’t talk about money.” “I shouldn’t ask for more.” “I shouldn’t want wealth.”

Kim Shappee, Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor with RBC Wealth Management, founder of the Athena Conference, and a Forbes Top Women Financial Advisor since 2022, joins us to unpack the “shoulds” women carry around money.

From the cultural conditioning that shaped women’s relationship with wealth to the $34 trillion wealth transfer coming to women over the next decade, Kim invites us to rethink power, investing, and financial agency.

If money conversations have ever felt uncomfortable or intimidating, this episode will help you start rewriting your money story.

Episode Notes: 

• Is it better to rent or buy?
• Connect with Kim Shappee: 
  • LinkedIn
  • Kim Shappee
  • RBC Wealth Management

Books mentioned in this episode: 

•  Jeannette Walls Books: Glass Castle + Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
• On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good
• The Little Book of Impact Investing
• The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

Alice Walker: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.”

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Join us on our next TMC Spain Immersive Retreat this May 
• Interested in 1:1 Coaching with Lucy
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

Beyond Should is creatively supported by a team of dynamic women: 

Host and Founder of TMC : Lucy Reynolds 

Executive Producer: Lauren LoGrasso

Producer: Daniela Silva  

Marketing Manager: Esti MacInnes

“I should go.” “I should help.” “I should say yes.” Christina Glickman, Head of Community and Experience at THE BOARD, as well as Co-CEO + Founder of I’m Not Dead Media Company, helps us dismantle the reflexive “yes” that leads to exhaustion and resentment. We talk about body wisdom, energy protection, and how boundaries transform not just schedules — but identity. If you’ve ever struggled with guilt around saying no, this episode will hit home.

Christina’s work: 

• I'm Not Dead Podcast
• Reclaiming Our Voices. Women - Ones You've Been Waiting For | Christina Glickman | TEDxLehighRiver
• Xtra: The Art of Being: Glickman, Christina - Book

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Join us on our next TMC Spain Immersive Retreat this May 
• Interested in 1:1 Coaching with Lucy
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

Beyond Should is creatively supported by a team of dynamic women: 

Host and Founder of TMC : Lucy Reynolds 

Executive Producer: Lauren LoGrasso

Producer: Daniela Silva  

Marketing Manager: Esti MacInnes

Beyond Should is a podcast about breaking down the barriers of our “shoulds.”

“I should stay in this job… I should take that meeting… I shouldn’t say how I really feel… I should, I should, I should.” Sound familiar?

But what if everything powerful, beautiful, true, and authentic lives on the other side of should?

Hosted by Lucy Reynolds, certified coach and founder of The Murmuration Collective, Beyond Should invites listeners to stop living in their “shoulds” and start naming, claiming, and pursuing what they deeply want. Through stories, wisdom, and candid conversations with inspiring guests — thought leaders, creative minds, advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, and storytellers — each episode explores courage, self-trust, asking for help, embracing failure, and stepping into a more vibrant, authentic way of living.

Expect laughter, honesty, vulnerability, and the occasional f-bomb as we challenge cultural conditioning, shed inherited expectations, and reclaim personal power.

Because when we show up boldly, we elevate not only our own lives — but the world around us.

Beyond Should premieres on Tuesday, March 10th in honor of Women's History Month.

New episodes will be out every other Tuesday. Follow on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever good podcasts are found. See you on the other side of Should!

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Join us on our next TMC Spain Immersive Retreat this May 
• Interested in 1:1 Coaching with Lucy
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

Happy Summer, Murmuration Collective. This week, Lucy is wrapping season two with a very special guest: her daughter, Maddy!

Together, Lucy and Maddy take us behind-the-scenes on how they’ve designed their relationship to be full of care and intention — even as they navigate stress, conflict, and shifting roles.

Maddy shares what it’s like to have a coach for a mom, and she tells us how a Murmuration Collective Immersive helped her chart her unique career path as a visual storyteller in the outdoor industry.

Tune in for a joyful, honest, messy conversation between mother and daughter, and stick around to learn about Maddy’s impressive adventures!

Jump into the conversation:

[04:00] The conflict Lucy and Maddy overcame to record this episode

[07:30] Asking questions vs offering advice

[12:00] Making sense of your career path and why Maddy decided to leave college (temporarily)

[25:00] How Maddy’s navigated the male-dominance of the outdoor industry

[28:00] Listening to your body while confronting imposter syndrome

[40:00] Connecting with your intuition in decision-making

[43:00] Generational differences of vulnerability and sharing online

[44:00] The importance of refusing to rush
 

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
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• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
• Follow Maddy on Instagram @maddy_reynolds_

It’s time for women to shine and have a voice!

In this episode, Lucy is joined by Sarra Fleur Abou-El-Haj and Nicole Fasolino of The What Lies Beneath Project.

They discuss Sarra and Nicole’s careers in the fashion industry and how their work led them to launch a new photography project celebrating the essence of women at their strongest, most authentic and beautiful selves.

They also pull back the curtain on their decades-long friendship and how they support each other personally and professionally in good and bad times.

Tune in for inspiration to let your vulnerability — and your mistakes — guide you forward. Then subscribe to our monthly newsletter to connect with other women seeking freedom and friendship.

Jump into the conversation:

[07:00] Nicole & Sarra’s career journeys

[12:00] Female friendship & the power of community

[15:00] The origins of The What Lies Beneath Project

[22:45] Stories of the women photographed

[29:15] Expectations vs expectancy

[34:00] Working with women you trust & how to find them

[38:30] Generational differences between women

[45:20] Pearls of wisdom from Nicole & Sarra

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
• Follow The What Lies Beneath Project on Substack and on Instagram
• Follow Sarra on Instagram @sarrafleurphoto
• Follow Nicole on Instagram @nicolefasolino

Happy Spring, Collective Wisdom listeners! In this episode, Lucy is joined by Chelsea Madeline, the brilliant author of In Her Own Right.

Chelsea shares her journey as a writer and community builder — telling us the stories of the women she’s gathered, the family she’s tended, and the words she’s written.

This conversation is about all the ways women can support each other as we create tangible manifestations of our dreams. Chelsea also shares a few poignant passages from her book to draw us deeper into our soul’s work.

Tune in for inspiration to go deeper together. Then join us in Spain this May to meet more women who can change your life. Use the code CREATE20 for 20% off.

Jump into the conversation:

[03:00] Why Chelsea created Boss Ladies Magazine

[07:00] The importance of connecting deeper with women

[10:30] Chelsea’s greatest fear & how it inspires her creative process

[13:00] How to create tangible manifestations of our lives

[19:00] Simple ways to gather communities of women

[23:25] The questions Chelsea asks to deepen relationships

[25:00] The beautiful story behind In Her Own Right

[28:00] Cultivating self-trust & overcoming doubt

[39:00] The stories of Toni Morrison & Lee Krasner

[42:30] Finding space to create

[45:00] How Chelsea wrote her book in stolen moments of time

[49:30] The moment of great repair

More about our guest: Chelsea Madeline is a writer, editor, and a mother exploring the world through a kaleidoscope of philosophy and poetry. She grew up in a fishing town in Maine, spent a decade in Santa Monica and currently lives with her family on a finca in Puerto Rico covered in mango trees and roaming chickens. Chelsea's editorial projects include Boss Ladies Magazine, Paper Airplanes, a newspaper of the poetry and art created during quarantine, and the Love Calendar. She is committed to creating contexts that evoke our brightest, softest selves.

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
• Buy Chelsea’s book In Her Own Right
• Follow Chelsea on Instagram @chelsea.k.madeline
• Mentioned in the episode: Reshma Khan, Sofia Sprechmann

We all know work-life balance is a lie. But how can we build fulfilling careers without sacrificing our lives or leaving our jobs in the process?

In this episode, Lucy is joined by Christiana Smith Shi, a retail executive and management consultant formerly of Nike and McKinsey who is now the co-author of Career Forward: Strategies of Women Who’ve Made It — which just came out in paperback last week!

Together they dive deep into how to take control of your career, build your professional equity, and cultivate your 360° life. Christiana also answers your questions about how to handle lay-offs, ways to avoid career breaks, and places you can find support when your company’s values don’t align with your own.

Tune in for a powerful pep talk on getting your needs met while staying in the game. Then join us for an upcoming immersive in Montana, Spain or Kenya where you can get the support you need to design what’s next for your work and life!

Jump into the conversation:

[6:00] Creating options and opportunities for your career

[9:30] The story of how Christiana wrote Career Forward with Grace Puma

[15:00] Why your job is not your career

[18:00] How to build rapport with recruiters and why LinkedIn matters

[25:15] Building your professional equity

[34:45] The power of staying in the game

[38:15] Why work-life balance is a lie and how to cultivate a 360° life

[51:00] How to steer into the skid and make career pivots

[56:45] How to handle a lay-off or being fired

[63:00] The pros and cons of being a “strong contributor”

[69:20] Why it’s worth it to build a successful career

Stay connected:

• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Connect with us on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
• Buy Christiana’s book Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who’ve Made It