Book 101 Review

Why Work-Life Balance Is a Myth and What to Do Instead.

Today’s guest is someone who openly challenges one of the most popular ideas in modern work culture. Carol Enneking does not believe in work-life balance. In fact, she thinks the pursuit of balance is exhausting people more than it is helping them. Carol Enneking spent decades inside high-level corporate roles, including serving as a vice president in talent and leadership at a global company. On paper, it looked like success. Big roles, big responsibility, big impact. But she started noticing a pattern, not just in herself but in other high performers. The more successful people became, the heavier their lives felt behind the scenes. She saw leaders who were admired professionally but depleted personally. People who were achieving more and enjoying it less. That observation changed the direction of her work. Instead of teaching people how to squeeze more into their lives, Carol began helping high achievers ask a different question: What if success was not just about how much you accomplish, but how sustainable it feels while you are accomplishing it? She is the author of The Rebalancing Act, and her work focuses on what she calls “rebalancing,” the ongoing, real-life adjustments we all have to make as priorities shift, careers evolve, and life happens. Her message is not about doing less or lowering ambition. It is about pursuing meaningful success without burning out or losing yourself along the way. Carol works with senior leaders, ambitious professionals, and high-performing women who want success that aligns with their values, energy, and real lives. She is known for being both practical and honest, blending corporate experience with real-world perspective. If you have ever looked successful on the outside but felt stretched thin on the inside, this conversation may feel uncomfortably relatable, and incredibly refreshing. Today, we are talking about sustainable success, ambition without self-sacrifice, and how to redefine achievement before it quietly redefines you.

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Like many others, I once followed the path that seemed to make sense - prestigious firm, corporate ladder, chasing the next promotion and payrise. At PwC, I had the career that looked impressive on paper. But working myself into the ground, stressed and time-poor, I had a moment of brutal clarity sitting in the office late one night: there has to be more to life than this. That moment changed everything. Not overnight but it set me on a path that led me to become an ICF certified life coach, co-found Wildest Dream, work with some of the world's largest organisations, and dedicate my life to helping people build lives that are genuinely fulfilling - not just externally impressive. Your audience will hear someone who has lived both sides. I know what it feels like to be trapped in a life that ticks every box but feeds nothing inside you - and I know what it takes to rebuild it around what actually matters. Alongside coaching and running my business, I compete as an Ironman triathlete - racing across the globe, reaching the Half-Ironman World Championships. I live the holistic, high-performance life I coach. Your listeners won't just hear theory, they'll hear someone who applies these principles across multiple demanding domains at once. While making sure that I am spending time with my wife, friends and family - the people that make it all worth it. My perspective is also genuinely unique. I'm a Muslim convert, married to my Palestinian wife. My spiritual and philosophical perspective on life have profoundly shaped how I understand meaning, purpose, and what it means to live well. Alongside my expertise in the physiology and psychology of high performance, this gives me a lens that goes far deeper than productivity hacks and morning routines.

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Author, Consultant & Speaker Helping Individuals and Communities Rise with Intention.

I’m Lin Green — an award-winning community advocate, columnist, author, speaker, and business and nonprofit consultant. My work sits where real life meets real growth: helping people and organizations turn hard stories into healing, purpose, and impact. I didn’t start out with a polished plan — I started out with a strong willed Matriarch of a Mother. And oh boy, did she give me material. My memoir, Enough with the Secrets, Mama!, is about the messy, hilarious, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive journey of trying to survive a complicated mother-daughter relationship while breaking generational patterns most of us would rather ignore. Part immigrant family story, part self-help disguised as memoir, and part “please tell me I’m not the only one,” the book takes readers from cultural shifts and childhood chaos to the moment when you decide you’re done waiting for permission — and give yourself grace instead. This lived experience fuels everything I do. From serving on community task forces to empowering nonprofit leaders, I blend real-world strategy with heart — helping audiences laugh, reflect, and do something with what they feel. Podcast hosts book me because I bring depth without dryness, vulnerability without self-pity, and practical insight that meets listeners where they are — whether they’re navigating forgiveness, leadership, or legacy.

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Storyteller, Author, Nurse and Wonderful Mom.

I’m Nancy Jasin Ensley author, legal nurse, hospice specialist, and teacher. Writing has always been my way of listening to life, remembering the moments that shape me, and processing the experiences that leave a mark. Over the years, I’ve written across multiple genres including memoirs, literature and fiction, science fiction, mystery, thriller, action and adventure, and children’s literature. Each story I create is rooted in family, faith, service, and lived experience, and my goal is to explore what it means to grow, persevere, and reflect on life through words. My life and career have been shaped by a commitment to service and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. In my professional journey, I’ve worked as a nurse, hospice specialist, legal nurse consultant, coding specialist, teacher, and supervisor. Each role has provided unique insight into the human experience from the challenges of caregiving to the lessons of empathy, resilience, and compassion. Those experiences inform the stories I tell, helping me craft narratives that are authentic, relatable, and meaningful across all the genres I write in. I write because it is how I listen. I write because it is how I remember. And by grace, I will keep writing. Writing has allowed me to reflect on life, family, faith, and the work I’ve devoted myself to, and it continues to be a source of clarity, insight, and creativity. Living with my husband, John, surrounded by our five children and fourteen grandchildren, I draw inspiration from the everyday moments of family, community, and the world around me. I approach storytelling with curiosity, intentionality, and a deep respect for the human experience whether I am crafting suspenseful mysteries, imaginative science fiction, thought-provoking literature, or stories for children. My goal in sharing my work and my voice is to invite meaningful conversations, inspire reflection, and explore the depth of human experience. Whether discussing the creative process, the intersection of professional experience and storytelling, or the ways we make sense of life through writing, I aim to offer insight, perspective, and a thoughtful, authentic presence. Across all that I do, writing remains my constant a way to preserve memory, share perspective, and engage with the world. It is my intention to continue creating, reflecting, and exploring stories that resonate with readers and listeners alike, and to do so with a sense of purpose, curiosity, and gratitude.

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The Traveling Publisher: At the intersection of publishing and RVing.

Having worked in publishing for more than 30 years and contributed to thousands of books, I have many funny, interesting stories to share and tons of tips and advice on what to do and what not to do to help bring your book to life. I also like to share how people can expand their view of "publishing" and use their book to promote their business and meet personal goals. For example, here are some new programs I'm launching this year: Welcome Home: Turnkey closing gifts Our Coloring Circle: Subscription program connecting families across the miles Goose Day Adventure coloring book and rewards book: annual series published to celebrate our town's local holiday Virtual Book Fairs I'd love to talk with you about them! Thank you for your consideration! Jennifer.

Jennifer Bright has worked in all aspects of publishing for more than three decades. She informs and inspires writers and readers on YouTube at The Traveling Publisher. Her publishing company, Bright Communications, publishes more than 40 books a year--of all types, fiction through nonfiction and children's through adults. With her team, Jennifer makes publishing easy and fun!

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I Got Fired. Then I Built a 1,300-Employee Company That Actually Does Good.

Podcast Guest Pitch: From Fired to Inspired My Story Two months into what should have been my job until retirement, I was fired. My boss, his attorney at his side, informed me by way of a two page single spaced soliloquy of all the reasons I had been terminated. As a single parent with two teenagers heading to college, I was terrified. In the depths of my despair, I remembered the two most powerful influences in my life: my mother, a Holocaust survivor who escaped both a death train and a death march, and Oscar Schindler, who proved that creating meaningful work could literally save lives. Inspired by their examples, I launched a for-profit social enterprise specifically designed to hire people with the greatest barriers to employment—disabled veterans, veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities, and people living in the most economically challenged parts of the U.S. Over a 20-year period this venture grew to employ over 1,300 people across 30 states. Getting fired forced me to finally listen to the voice inside and honor the legacy of resilience and purpose I'd inherited from my mother.. This experience inspired my book "Fired to Inspired" and my workbook series on: * Embracing Courage * Finding Your Life Purpose * The Holy Grail of Informational Interviews Why This Resonates with Podcast Audiences Your listeners who have been: • Recently fired or laid off • Afraid of losing their job • Desperate to leave a soul-draining position * Who have been yearning to embark on the career or business that's been calling to them

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Author, Speaker, & Bible Teacher.

Sheila is a wife, mother, and grandmother of six. She holds a master’s degree in Biblical Studies and Cultural Apologetics and has taught religion at the college level. At her church, she serves as a worship leader, Bible study leader, and member of the Women’s Ministry leadership team, and she serves as a mentor at Journey Pregnancy & Life Hub. Sheila is an author and released her first book, What Makes You Say That? How to Study What You Believe So You Can Share It with Others in November, 2025. She also contributed a chapter to the book Miracles Still Happen by Hope Writers. Through writing and speaking, she is passionate about helping people seek truth, find their identity in Christ, and grow in confidence about what they believe. She also equips believers to discern the accuracy of Scripture, understand the history of the Bible, and develop a strong Christian worldview.

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Humanizing Leadership Through Resilience.

Ralph Kellogg is an HR executive, TEDx speaker, author, and advocate for human-centered leadership who speaks openly about the realities many leaders experience but few discuss publicly — identity, mental health, resilience, shame, success, and survival. Raised in the Midwest, Ralph built a successful leadership career while privately navigating the pressure of perfectionism, belonging, and the emotional toll that often comes with leadership roles. As an LGBTQ executive, he understands firsthand what it feels like to simultaneously appear successful on the outside while struggling internally with identity, expectations, and isolation. After surviving a suicide attempt, Ralph began rebuilding his life through radical honesty, personal reflection, and years of journaling that ultimately became the foundation for his book, Leading While Human Notes I Wish Someone Had Given Me. His work challenges traditional leadership narratives that equate strength with invulnerability and instead explores how authenticity, emotional intelligence, and humanity create stronger leaders and healthier organizations. Through his TEDx talk and speaking engagements, Ralph creates conversations that resonate deeply with audiences because they are not theoretical — they are lived. He speaks candidly about resilience, burnout, workplace culture, mental health, executive pressure, and the courage required to lead authentically in a world that often rewards performance over humanity. Audiences connect with Ralph because he bridges two worlds rarely brought together with honesty and credibility: executive leadership and deeply human vulnerability. His conversations are thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, and practical — leaving audiences reflecting not only on how they lead others, but how they lead themselves.

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Author, mom, violinist.

Brigid Kennedy is a debut YA historical fantasy author, violin teacher, and mother whose series OF IRISH MYTHS & INCAN LEGENDS is rooted in real family history spanning two continents and over a hundred years. Her debut novel LOST — The Lost City of Incan Gold launched on St. Patrick's Day 2026 with 75 five-star reviews at 100% rating on Amazon. The series follows the Kennedy family — Irish treasure hunters whose real history includes a great-grandfather who married in Peru in 1910 and disappeared into the Amazon on his final expedition, never to return. Three years ago Brigid's grandmother Catalina came to her in a dream and asked her to write the family story. She said yes. She wrote three books and a novella. She recently traveled to Ireland — standing on the cobblestone streets of Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, and Oranmore Castle — the real locations inside her book. Her debut is now available at her hometown indie bookstore Blacksburg Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Audible. As one NYT bestselling author said after reading her work — "That's not fantasy. That's reclamation." LOST — The Lost City of Incan Gold is available now wherever books are sold. brigidkennedybooks.com | @brigidkennedybooks | YouTube: An Author's Dream

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Australian Author

James is a musician, songwriter, filmmaker, author, and educator with more than 30 years of experience inspiring audiences through music, storytelling, and the creative arts. A lifelong music educator, James has spent over three decades teaching and mentoring aspiring musicians while building a diverse creative career spanning music, film, and literature. Today, he performs as the lead guitarist and vocalist for The Waterloo Sunsets, a popular 1960s tribute band that celebrates the music and culture of one of the most influential decades in popular music. As a songwriter, James achieved national recognition when his song "I'm Trying To Get To You", recorded by his band No. I.D., won Triple J Unearthed in 2001. His success continued into filmmaking, with his short film Just Friends selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. His feature film Zyco Rock subsequently screened at film festivals around the world. In addition to his achievements in music and film, James is the author of the Beth Duncan book series, a collection of twelve novels available through Amazon. Through this series, he has expanded his passion for storytelling into the literary world, creating compelling characters and narratives that have attracted readers across multiple genres. Drawing on his unique experiences as a teacher, performer, songwriter, filmmaker, and novelist, James offers podcast audiences engaging conversations about creativity, artistic reinvention, storytelling across different mediums, the evolution of the music industry, independent filmmaking, publishing, and the lessons learned from a lifetime dedicated to the arts.

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