Many of us move through life believing our future has already been decided—by our upbringing, our circumstances, our career path, or the rules we’ve been taught not to question. 

But what if those limitations aren’t fixed at all?

In this episode, Monique sits down with Jacob Warwick, known as the “Billion Dollar Man,” to explore how negotiation is really about changing the way we think. Together, they unpack why curiosity is more powerful than confrontation, how challenging predetermined beliefs opens doors to new possibilities, and why the stories we tell ourselves often become the biggest obstacle to creating the life we truly want. 

Whether you’re navigating compensation negotiation, a career transition, advocating for yourself, or simply wondering what’s possible beyond the limits you’ve accepted, this conversation will inspire you to rethink what’s negotiable—not just in business, but in life. 

(00:00) – Introduction

(01:05) – Meet Jacob Warwick: The Billion Dollar Man

(04:32) – Why Jacob wants to teach negotiation without using the word "negotiation"

(13:39) – The biggest mistakes people make before negotiating

(18:45) – Internal promotions, confidence, and advocating for your value

(24:54) – The "Predetermined" mindset and challenging invisible rules

(26:15) – Curiosity as your greatest negotiation advantage

(32:30) – Why "No" is often where the real negotiation begins

(35:57) – The hidden cost of success and redefining wealth

(39:48) – Jacob's extraordinary personal story and rewriting his own future

(48:04) – Responsibility, resilience, and choosing your own path

• Substack Publication | https://www.predetermined.com/ 
• Website | https://www.thinkwarwick.com/ 

• Website | https://greatlifeexperiment.com/ 
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer 
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment 

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem? 

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A quick look at what's coming on the Great Life Experiment Podcast.

After weeks of conversations with executives and leaders navigating change—at a breakfast with 40 SVP and C-suite folks in San Francisco, connecting with her network, and a tech and media industry council event—Monique kept hearing the same theme: careers, businesses, and personal lives are all in transition, and none of it is linear.

This preview introduces an upcoming series digging into that messy, exciting, exhausting reality. Here's the lineup:

1. Negotiation & Influence — with Jacob Warwick (out August 6th)
2. Career Pivots — reinventing and changing direction
3. Exits — what happens when you transition out of a company
4. New Careers — branching out and building something of your own
5. Time Off — sabbaticals, breaks, and the space in between

No one's story is linear. They're all messy, full of a wide range of emotions—and this series brings together the tactical, the personal, and the mental models to meet you wherever you are.

Have a topic you keep wrestling with, a guest suggestion, or a book recommendation? Reach out at [email protected] or find Monique on Instagram and LinkedIn.

• Website | https://www.greatlifeexperiment.com
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer 
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment 

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight.

Long before we reach exhaustion, our emotions, our relationships, and even our bodies begin telling us that something is out of alignment. The question is: are we paying attention?

In this episode, Monique welcomes multi-time CEO, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Heartnomics founder Hanna Bauer to explore a new way of thinking about leadership - one that builds resilience before burnout even takes hold. 

Drawing from her experience surviving childhood heart diseases, leading organizations through constant transformation, and helping teams thrive through change, Hanna introduces Hearnomics — a leadership philosophy that brings heart and execution together. Rather than seeing emotions as distractions, she explains why they’re some of the most valuable data leaders have, and how learning to listen to them can create healthier people, stronger teams, and more resilient organizations. 

Together, Monique and Hanna unpack why sustainable leadership isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about building the kind of resilience that allows both people and performance to flourish long before burnout becomes the cost of success.

Whether you’re leading a business, a team, or simply navigating a demanding season of life, this conversation will challenge the way you think about success and what it truly means to lead well. Because the strongest leaders aren’t the ones who wait until they’re burned out to change. They’re the ones who build a life and a leadership that make burnout far less likely in the first place. 

In this episode:

(03:16) - Understanding Heartnomics: The Intersection of Emotion and Execution

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem? 

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You don’t always need more discipline to find your creative spark again. Sometimes, all you need is one conversation. 

In this episode, Monique reflects on what happens when creative energy begins to fade under the weight of a full, demanding life, and how, unexpectedly, one conversation can shift everything. 

What starts as a reflection on corporate pressure, survival mode, and creative depletion becomes a powerful reminder: creativity is often reawakened through connection, not isolation. And the real shift happens when you stop trying to push through alone, and instead start paying attention to the people, conversations, and environments that bring you back into alignment with your energy, clarity, and creative spark. 

(01:31) - The Tension Between Corporate Demands and Creative Energy

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AI is moving fast, and the pressure to keep up can feel even faster.

In this episode, Monique unpacks the quiet guilt many professionals are experiencing as AI reshapes workflows, product strategy, and the future of work. From internal company initiatives to the endless stream of LinkedIn hot takes, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has already figured out the tools, the language, and the pace of change. 

But the reality is far more nuanced. 

Monique shares what teams are actually seeing inside product and business environments — the gap between compelling demos and scalable execution, the tension between speed and business value, and why the real differentiator is not fluency alone but clarity on the outcomes you’re solving for. 

(00:53) - March catch-up, full seasons, and operating through personal and professional intensity

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem? 

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So often we find ourselves frustrated at work, in teams, in family, or in friendships, because someone else isn’t showing up the way we think they should. We get stuck waiting for them to act, to decide, and to fix things. And in that waiting, we surrender the control that’s always been ours. 

In this episode, Monique dives deep into the concept of reclaiming your agency, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming personal power in various aspects of life, including relationships and workplace dynamics. Whether it’s navigating constant urgent requests at work, negotiating expectations with a team, or stepping back from relationships that no longer align with your values, this episode is a reminder that you always have a choice, and real change comes when you take action. 

(01:16) - Understanding “Agency”: The Power of Choice

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Leadership isn’t about doing it all. It’s about making clear decisions, defining accountability, and protecting your team’s energy.

In this episode, Monique draws insights from a quarterly business review to explore how leaders can prevent cognitive overload while maximizing team performance. She highlights the power of clear roles, well-defined accountability, and strategic prioritization - not just to keep projects on track, but to protect people, sustain productivity, and drive meaningful outcomes. 

(00:54) - Quarterly Business Review and Leadership Accountability

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Life doesn’t slow down when you’re overwhelmed. 

In this episode, Monique explores what it’s like when all aspects of life demand attention at once - work, parenting, health, leadership, and personal projects. She examines how to stay present and effective without letting overwhelm take control.

Monique reframes difficulty as an opportunity rather than a failure. She shares practical strategies for navigating busy seasons with clarity, intention, and self-compassion. Through stories and reflections from her own life, she demonstrates how to use friction as a signal, make strategic decisions about what truly matters, and how to protect energy while still showing up fully. 

(00:51) - How Are You, Really?

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In this episode, Monique gets honest about breaking her own consistency streak and why giving ourselves grace matters in a messy, overwhelming world. She talks about holding space for real feelings at work and at home, and shares practical, down‑to‑earth ways she’s using AI in real life—from planning a family trip to synthesizing feedback and even learning to build with AI through a product boot camp. Take what resonates, leave the rest, and keep experimenting.

(01:36) - Consistency, Priorities, and Starting Again

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At the start of every year, we quietly hope that this will be the one where we finally feel in control of our time. We imagine a calendar that feels calm, a life that feels balanced, and a year that feels ours. 

But the truth is, most of us aren’t overwhelmed because we lack discipline. We’re overwhelmed because we’re trying to keep every option open, and the pressure of possibility quietly becomes a weight to carry.

In this episode, Monique shares the exact vision-planning framework her family uses to design their year with intention - without burnout, guilt, or decision fatigue. It’s not about doing more, but choosing with clarity. It’s a grounded, realistic method that turns broad dreams into a clear calendar, while still leaving room for life’s unpredictability. You’ll learn how to prioritize outcomes, reduce mental load, and make big decisions early so your year can flow with purpose.

(00:54) - The Family Vision Planning Tradition

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'Ask Monique' is your chance to get personalized insights. Submit your questions about business, professional life, or personal development, and let's dive into the messy, beautiful, and ever-changing world together. 

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