I’m thrilled to introduce Michelle Grosser, a powerhouse former trial lawyer, law professor, and a mom of two, with a story so many of us can relate to: outward success paired with hidden exhaustion and stress. She seemed to be managing it all until her body and mind hit their limits.

Today, she’s a nervous system strategist and the host of the Alive and Well podcast, who helps high-achieving women build burnout-proof lives. She’ll guide you through science-backed strategies and simple, impactful daily habits that you can start using right away to break free from chronic stress and reclaim mental wellness. Together, we’ll bust the cultural myths about success and perfection, and explore ways to create more energy, presence, and joy in our lives.

If you crave a fuller, healthier chapter and practical, empowering tools to support a vibrant, resilient life, join us for this energizing, wisdom-packed conversation.

Show Highlights:

• Fast-tracking to burnout and the roots of a driven nature. [02:23]
• Physical and mental signs of burnout. [05:30]
• Shift both the state and traits of burnout—recover and prevent. [07:37]
• The power of addition by subtraction to shed unneeded routines. [09:41]
• A simple tip to tune into your body and mind every day. [11:52]
• “Movement, stillness, play” daily trio for nervous system support. [19:23]
• What are somatic cues? [19:23]
• Life-changing tools to safely release emotions at home or work. [22:47]
• The role of the prefrontal cortex in nervous system strategy. [29:51]
• Access Michelle Grosser’s podcast and her 17-page free guide. [33:02]

To find Michelle's work, including the Alive and Well podcast, please visit https://michellegrosser.com.

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In this episode, I’m exploring a topic that touches all of us, yet one we so rarely anticipate: setbacks. I’ll also reveal the art (and the necessity) of bouncing back from setbacks, how instead of defining us, they can shape us, helping us grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

I’m going to talk about the two different types of setbacks—permanent losses and temporary obstacles—and help you understand which ones require letting go and which call for persistence. I’m going to walk you through my “Bounce-Back Blueprint,” a straightforward, three-step process that can help you recover from disappointments, extract meaningful lessons, reexamine your goals, and move forward with fresh energy and clarity.

If you’ve ever gotten thrown off course, whether in your career, relationships, or personal pursuits, this episode will offer practical advice and encouragement to help you regain your momentum and step boldly into your next chapter.

Show Highlights:

• Making sense of setbacks and resilience before bouncing back. [01:19]
• The type of setback the Bounce-Back Blueprint resolves. [02:47]
• The art of finding the lesson in a setback. [05:43]
• The power of seeing that life is “for” you. [07:01]
• Reevaluating goals after learning from a setback. [08:16]
• Learn to pause, recover, and then recommit. [09:58]
• A real-life scenario with the Bounce-Back Blueprint in action. [12:00]
• Plateauing with setbacks vs. rising with a comeback. [14:20]
• Do you need support from the Brilliant Balance community? [15:27]

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Today, I’m taking a close look at the invisible pressures so many ambitious women, including myself, face while trying to have it all. If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly running… juggling work demands, family obligations, and the endless “extras” that keep life moving, this episode is for you.

I’m calling out the unrealistic expectations we’re accepting including the invisible labor trap, and explaining why it can feel like we’re playing in a rigged game. I’ll help you recognize the hidden work you do, explore why it often goes unnoticed, and, most importantly, show you how to redefine what’s actually reasonable for your life.

Join me for actionable insights, some deeply needed reality checks, and a powerful permission slip to stop overcompensating for a system that isn’t serving you. 

Show Highlights:

• Spot the self-perpetuating trap of invisible labor. [03:20]
• Beware of non-promotable work volunteerism. [05:23]
• Consider the hidden costs of the invisible labor trap. [07:48]
• Are you underreporting your unseen contributions? [09:19]
• The problem of managing perception, not reality. [11:14]
• The power of reframing and making work visible. [14:06]
• Reclaim your agency in a rigged game to redefine success. [15:07]
• Recognize what’s not a “you” problem. [19:14]
• Action steps to unlock agency without guilt. [20:28]
• Reach out for support, plus, share and spread the balance. [22:27]

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In today’s episode, we’re talking about a framework for making sense of our emotions with Kathy Washburn, a positive psychology practitioner, life coach, cancer survivor, and extraordinary human. We’ll explore her “emotional weather” metaphor, which offers a fresh perspective and actionable wisdom on the storms we can feel within.

Kathy draws on her powerful story of resilience and healing, moving from a life of outward success and emotional numbness to one marked by disruption, disease, deep self-inquiry, and reinvention, and shares how to become a compassionate witness to our emotions and those of others, letting go of people-pleasing and emotional suppression. She offers practical tools for positively weathering emotional storms, insights on fostering emotional awareness, and tangible steps for using curiosity and presence to maintain connection, even when someone else’s “weather system” rolls in.

I hope you’ll walk away feeling inspired and ready to try some new practices that can help you handle whatever weather comes your way.

Show Highlights:

• Kathy Washburn’s backstory of her “house blown down.” [02:56]
• Positive psychology and generational gaps in emotional literacy. [07:09]
• Understand emotions as weather, and yourself as the mountain. [10:21]
• Emotional contagion and the “Mother, may I?” steps strategy. [13:46]
• How to respond with curiosity when it’s hard to empathize. [16:58]
• Discover the “gift and opportunity” in difficult situations. [20:18]
• Why bypassing dis-ease turns into physical disease. [25:26]
• Learning to sit with emotions for 90 seconds. [27:19]
• Balancing emotions vs. toxic positivity. [34:47]
• Can we forecast and prepare for inbound relational storms? [40:18]

To find Kathy's work, visit https://kathywashburn.net.

Also, Kathy references Jill Bolte Taylor's work. Here is a link to her episode on Brilliant Balance: https://brilliant-balance.com/podcast/episode-214-jill-bolte-taylor-learn-to-host-a-brain-huddle/

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I’m so excited to bring you today’s episode because I had the pleasure of sitting down with the dynamic Julie Solomon, author, speaker, coach, and host of The Influencer Podcast, to talk about what it takes to turn our boldest visions into reality with her “Be her now” mantra.

Julie reveals her evolution beyond her bestselling book Get What You Want and her unique perspective on “identity recalibration.” She shares how getting radically honest about who you are and what you want is the decisive first step toward living the life you want. You'll hear about how the hidden stories from our past shape our choices and the power of embracing self-trust and clarity through action.

Whether you’re leading a team, building a business, or just striving to show up more fully in your life, Julie’s insights are both practical and inspiring and will help you step into the fullest, most confident version of you. I can’t wait for you to listen!

Show Highlights:

• Julie Solomon’s journey and deeper focus on identity recalibration. [03:45]
• Defining desires through radically honest self-reflection. [08:02]
• How to create clarity and trust the process. [10:54]
• The power of accepting and rewriting your origin story. [13:33]
• Embody your message through authentic personal presence. [18:24]
• “If you spot it, you’ve got it” - discovering yourself in others. [25:05]
• The “Be her now” strategy to be your highest self now. [26:31]
• Shift messaging to serve your future (not former) version. [29:45]
• How stagnant messaging leads to loss of inspiration. [32:31]
• Reinventing your professional identity. [34:02]

To find Julie's work online visit https://juliesolomon.net/ or find her on Instagram @julssolomon at https://instagram.com/julssolomon.

Subscribe to the Brilliant Balance Weekly: www.brilliant-balance.com/weekly

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Do you feel like the “noise” in your life is turned up way too high? Between buzzing phones, the din of a busy home, endless notifications, and the constant pulse of comparison, it can be nearly impossible to hear your own thoughts. Today, I’ll talk about the shocking impact of noise on our clarity, creativity, and sense of calm.

I’m sharing how to spot the three major types of noise that keep us from hearing our inner voice and what to do about it. But don’t worry, you don’t have to escape to a mountain retreat or delete every app on your phone—I’ll share simple strategies and mindful shifts to help you tune out the noise and reconnect with your inner compass right where you are, making space for your most brilliant self to step forward!

If you’ve been craving a little peace amidst the chaos and want to reconnect with what’s true for you, don’t miss this episode.

Show Highlights:

• The cacophony of noise that drowns out inner clarity. [00:47]
• What’s the definition of “noise”? [02:38]
• How literal noise overstimulates the nervous system. [03:24]
• The danger of comparison through social noise. [05:22]
• What a loud inner critic does to intuition. [07:31]
• The collective impact of noise and the path out. [08:39]
• Reviving inner wisdom with contemplative practices. [11:05]
• Embrace the power of single-tasking. [12:57]
• Listen to your body and its “punctuation on truth.” [14:42]
• Curating your inputs for nourishment. [18:11]

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If you often catch yourself thinking, It’s just easier if I do it myself, this episode is for you. I’m sharing the truth behind why so many women try to do it all and how it’s holding us back from freedom and lasting happiness.

I’ll share some of my own stories of control and explain how the drive to control often creates burnout and strained relationships….but guess what!  We don’t have to stay stuck in that exhausting cycle. I’ll share the eye-opening concept of “locus of control” and what happens when our healthy sense of agency becomes overdeveloped and turns into hyper-control.

I’m also giving you three practical steps you can start using today to relinquish some of that control and let trust and connection flourish in your life as it returns to balance. So, tune in and discover how redefining responsibility can create space for more brilliance and balance in your next chapter.

Show Highlights:

• Hyper-control and what it’s about. [01:08]
• Why do women universally conflate responsibility and control? [03:02]
• Discover the “locus of control” theory. [04:42]
• The downsides of an overdeveloped internal locus of control. [06:13]
• Who or what don’t you trust? [10:01]
• The transformative power of genuine trust. [12:17]
• Find others’ trustworthiness through micro-delegation. [13:59]
• Embrace the 80% rule for the joy of “done” over precision. [16:07]
• The power of the pause in sitting with discomfort. [17:10]
• An exercise to restore connection over perfection. [20:05]

Subscribe to the Brilliant Balance Weekly: www.brilliant-balance.com/weekly

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Today, I’m talking about something that hits close to home for so many of us: how to spark motivation on those days when you’re just not feeling it.

Even though I’m ambitious by nature, there are days when motivation is tough to find. Whether it’s being stuck inside on a gorgeous summer day or just feeling bored with a routine that’s gotten stale, I know how hard it can be to get moving again.

In this episode, I’m sharing my own experiences with these motivational slumps and the three things that have helped me get back on track. These are real, practical steps that can help you reignite that drive. If you’ve been struggling to find your groove, you’re in the right place.

Show Highlights:

• Seasonal triggers for low motivation and boredom. [00:49]
• Change your environment to jumpstart motivation. [03:08]
• How making shifts in physical space boosts creativity. [05:32]
• The power of decluttering to reorder energetics. [07:11]
• What’s in your intake of food, media, and company? [08:39]
• Set a back-to-basics reset plan for big results. [10:57]
• Change goals that have run their course. [13:53]
• Why letting go of dead goals should be guilt-free. [17:31]
• Find me on LinkedIn. [19:53]

Subscribe to the Brilliant Balance Weekly: www.brilliant-balance.com/weekly

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I can hardly believe this is the 400th episode of the Brilliant Balance show! Today, I’m taking a beat to honor the milestone and sharing some of the powerful shifts I’m seeing in women like us that will influence where we go from here.

From letting go of “busy” as a badge of honor to seeking real connection and weaving more ease into our lives, I’m highlighting what’s changing and what’s next - for me, for you, and for our community. You’ll also get a glimpse of the new experiences (including in person events) I’m building to support growth for all of us.

Whether you're a longtime listener or brand new to the show, this episode is a great place to pause, reflect, and look forward together because I’m inviting you to shape the next chapter with me. Let’s make this next season the best one yet!

Show Highlights:

• Celebrating the 400th episode millstone. [00:47]
• How the podcast has evolved over seven years. [01:45]
• Shifting out of overwhelm and ending the glorification of “busy.” [05:47]
• Why we crave real, meaningful human connection. [06:40]
• Integration of masculine and feminine leadership traits. [08:06]
• Choosing ease as a strategy, not a luxury. [09:57]
• We want to empower your sense of personal presence. [11:39]
• Let’s go beyond content into a deeper community model. [12:50]
• Look forward to amazing curated experiences. [14:18]
• What’s next for you? [17:05]

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Today, I’m inviting you to shake up the routine of your daily life and revive the sparks of sheer delight, pleasure, and aliveness you may be missing lately. This week, I’m introducing the "Live a Little” challenge, a seven-day invitation to rediscover the small moments that make life truly worthwhile.

From dancing in your kitchen to savoring a sunset or saying yes to that spontaneous treat, you’ll find practical ways to rekindle creativity, resilience and genuine joy. I’ll share science-backed insights on the power of positive emotions and challenge you to not just survive your days, but to truly feel good, right now.

Follow along on Instagram (@cskolnicki) for inspiration, ideas, and a gentle push to live a little this summer—because your most brilliant life starts with the micro-moments you choose to savor.

Show Highlights:

• Find delight in simple spontaneity. [00:47]
• What if we rediscover everyday pleasures together this summer? [05:23]
• Positive affect and the science of feeling good. [08:07]
• Remembering that you are allowed to feel good. [09:41]
• Announcing the “Live a Little” challenge. [11:00]
• A list of simple ideas to spark delight. [12:59]
• The power of small stuff. [17:26]
• Spread the word. [19:12]

Subscribe to the Brilliant Balance Weekly: www.brilliant-balance.com/weekly

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Join the Brilliant Balance Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/281949848958057