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What do you do when you’re burning out—but you don’t want to lose the things that matter most, like faith and family? In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Rijken to talk about navigating burnout, shifting seasons of leadership, and holding onto what truly lasts.

Ryan shares his journey from ministry into higher education, the toll of burnout on his life, and the lessons he’s learned about creating healthier rhythms for himself, his family, and his team. Together, we unpack what it looks like to step away without giving up, and how to protect your soul in the process.

If you’re in a season where the weight feels heavy and you’re craving change, here are 3 tools to help you make a shift without letting go of what matters most:

1. Redefine Success – Instead of measuring your worth by output or busyness, ask: Does this choice align with my faith and values? This keeps your focus on what matters most, not just what demands the most.
2. Set Rhythms, Not Just Boundaries – Boundaries are important, but rhythms create sustainable patterns. Protect your time for rest, worship, and family by building it into your calendar as non-negotiable, not optional.
3. Find Safe Community – Burnout grows in isolation. Invite mentors, counselors, or trusted friends into your journey. Let them remind you of your purpose when exhaustion makes you forget.

Ryan’s story reminds us that seasons of transition don’t mean failure—they can actually be an invitation to deeper faith, healthier leadership, and a more grounded life.

🛠 Stop–Start–Stay Check-In: 

When you feel burnout creeping in, pause and ask yourself three questions:

1. Stop – What’s one thing draining me right now that I can stop doing, even temporarily?
2. Start – What’s one small practice I can start that restores me (prayer, rest, walk, laughter with family)?
3. Stay – What’s one thing that truly matters—faith, family, calling—that I will stay committed to no matter the pressure?

Write these three down each week (or talk them out with a friend) and use them to guide your choices. It’s a simple reset that helps you shift without losing what matters most.

Ryan's Recommended Resources:

• Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton
• The Seven Primal Questions framework by Mike Foster

✨ If you’re walking through burnout, or feel stuck after burnout - this conversation will give you hope that you don’t have to choose between leading well and protecting what you love most.

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

In this week’s episode of The Hey Rhona Podcast, Tonya shares her journey of finding freedom and purpose by breaking the silence on what she once kept hidden. Her story is a powerful reminder that vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s a path to healing and can be scary even in places that should feel safe.

We talk about creating safe spaces as leaders, and how shame loses its power when we speak our truth. Tonya reminds us that sharing our story is a gift that creates a safe space for others to find freedom. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to step into your own story and stop sitting in silence, here are three ways to start:

1. Own it privately. Take time to write it down, pray through it, or reflect in a safe space. Naming what you’ve hidden begins the journey of release.
2. Share it safely. Speak with someone you trust—a friend, mentor, or small group. Practicing vulnerability builds confidence. 
3. Reframe it as a gift. Your story can inspire and heal others. Speaking what was once secret allows connection and hope to flourish.

🌱 Put It Into Practice
Conversations bring clarity, but practice brings change. This week’s small step toward freedom:

• Spend 10 minutes writing one part of your story you’ve kept quiet. End with: “This is part of my story, but it does not define me. This story can dismantle the shame and bring freedom to others when I'm willing to share.”
• Share a small piece of it with a trusted person.
• Reflect on how your story could encourage or free someone else.

Remember, your story matters, your voice carries hope, and you don’t walk this road alone. Keep living with courage and grace.

Cheers to hope + healing, 

Rhona

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

What happens when a teacher becomes the student of her own healing? Brittany Cooper-Castro opens up about childhood trauma, stepping away from the classroom, and rewriting her family’s legacy—one boundary at a time.

This episode is a tender reminder that healing isn’t just about the past—it’s about choosing how we show up today for ourselves and those we love.

Brittany shares her journey in education teaching at inner-city schools from Chicago to Miami for over a decade.

The conversation takes a deeper turn as Brittany shares about childhood grief—the tragic loss of her grandparents and great-uncle—and how those early wounds shaped her perspective on life, empathy, and leadership. As an adult, therapy became a path to healing and breaking free from the weight of unprocessed trauma.

Together, Rhona and Brittany explore the importance of self-care, setting healthy boundaries, and intentionally rewriting generational patterns. 

Your past may shape you, but it doesn’t have to define the story you write next.

The “3Rs of Intentional Living”

You can apply Brittany’s insights to your own life with this simple journaling prompt:

1. Reflect: What childhood experiences still influence how you parent, lead, or love today?
2. Reframe: What beliefs or patterns are you ready to release or rewrite?
3. Reset: What’s one boundary or self-care practice you can put in place this week?

Whether you’re parenting, teaching, in the healing process, or navigating a new life chapter, Brittany’s story will meet you with grace and encouragement.

Cheers to hope + healing ❤️‍🩹

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

Today Rhona sits with Sandra Shaw. She shares her story of pivoting from the news room to the weather room. Join our conversation on faith, healing, and living with intention.

Sandra opens up about her journey of knowing about God but not truly knowing Him, and how hitting rock bottom became the turning point that awakened her faith and reshaped her future. Together, she and Rhona talk about the everyday discipline of renewing the mind, the  work it takes to heal from trauma, and how faith carried them through.

Sandra also shares her debut novel—a futuristic story that blends AI, philosophy, and faith. 

If you’re in a season of rebuilding, questioning your path, or searching for purpose—you’re not alone. This conversation is for you.

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

What if the fear you feel isn’t a stop sign—but a starting point? In this heartfelt episode, Rhona sits down with author, speaker and coach Erin Cuccio to talk about what it really looks like to begin again after loss, shift direction, and chase dreams that feel too big (or too soon).

From leaving a steady career to walking through grief, Erin opens up about how purpose often finds us in our most uncertain seasons—and why she believes, “You don’t have to feel ready. You just have to start scared.”

3 Ways to Lead When You’re Starting Scared:

✨ Be honest. Let others see the real you—it builds trust.

🤝 Go slow. Lead with care, not pressure.

🔥 Stay anchored. Purpose matters more than polish.

Ask yourself: “What’s one small, brave step I can take today?” Then take it—even if it’s messy. Forward is forward.

The questions underneath our decisions—Am I safe? Am I good enough? Do I have purpose?—shape how we lead through transition, grief, and growth. 

Your Primal Question will remind you: healing and clarity begin when we answer those questions with truth, not fear. Having a clear perspective of your primal imprint will fuel growth or keep you from it. Check out my website to learn more about WORKING TOGETHER.

Learn more about Erin: erincuccio.com

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

This week, I sit down with Andrea for a vulnerable conversation about the grief in surrender, identity, and the work God as we move from anxiety to self-leadership.

Andrea shares her journey of walking away from an engagement, building a thriving career as a wedding photographer, and facing the anxiety that came with letting go of the life she once pictured.

We talk about how easy it is to anchor our identity in relationships and work — and what happens when God invites us to release those things to discover who we truly are.

Grief isn’t just about death; it shows up in breakups, career shifts, and the loss of old dreams. 

Through it all, Andrea found purpose in her pain, and a deeper sense of community and calling on the other side.

If you're in a season of transition, heartbreak, or questioning who you are beyond what you do or who you’re with, this episode will remind you that letting go is not the end — it’s the beginning of becoming.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How grief often begins with letting go of identities, not just people
• The connection between anxiety and losing what once defined you
• How God meets us in the "in-between" seasons with purpose and healing
• Why cultivating honest community is essential in times of change

3 Tips for Navigating Grief and Transition:

1. Release false identities tied to work and relationships.
   Your worth isn’t built on what you do or who you’re with.
2. Find purpose inside the pain, not after it.
   God often uses broken seasons to plant the seeds of your next calling.
3. Surround yourself with community that speaks truth when you forget it.
   Healing rarely happens in total isolation — we need safe spaces and safe people as we navigate grief and transition. 

How to Support Someone Letting Go of a Dream

✨ Just Be There “I’m here with you.” No fixing. Just presence.

💔 Validate the Loss “It’s okay to grieve what you hoped for.” What they lost mattered.

🌊 Make Space for All Emotions “Whatever you feel right now is allowed.” Grief is messy. Let it be.

⏳ Name the In-Between “You’re in the space between what was and what’s next.” This is a tender and sacred place.

🌱 Hold Hope Without Rushing “You don’t have to make sense of this yet.” Let healing come slowly.

🫶 Invite Gentle Sharing “If you ever want to talk, I’m here to listen.”

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Audra Walters! In this episode, we pick up where we left off, diving deeper into her Primal Question. Together, we explore how she scrambles for a "yes", how avoidance sneaks in, and — most importantly — how she's begun to recognize the unique gifts that her Primal Question offers personally and professionally.

Whether you're familiar with the Primal Question framework or new to it, this conversation will give you a powerful look at how understanding your core question can transform the way you lead, love, and live.

Tune in to hear:

• What scrambling for a "yes" looks like in real time
• How avoidance patterns reveal deeper needs
• The surprising strengths hidden within her Primal Question
• Audra’s reflections on healing and growth

Thanks for being here — let's dive in!

Not knowing your Primal Question means living with unmet emotional needs that quietly sabotage your relationships, leadership, and self-worth.
When you do know it, everything changes.
You stop scrambling. You start leading.

Ready to uncover your Primal Question? Take the assessment linked below!

Three Ways Primal Questions Transform Leadership:

1. You lead with self-awareness.
   You spot your triggers early and respond with clarity.
2. You communicate with more trust.
   You meet real needs — yours and others' — without power struggles.
3. You stay grounded under pressure.
   You lead from confidence, not insecurity.

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

In this episode Rhona  and Audra unpack her Primal Question.  They explore her scramble for a “yes,” leading from gifts instead of fear, and facing avoidance with honesty. 

This episode is for anyone who struggles with fearful avoidance, people pleasing, or a longing to be seen, heard, and known.

3 Tips if You’re Struggling with Boundaries and Avoidance:

1. Start with small no’s – You don’t have to leap into hard boundaries. Begin by honoring one small “no” this week that protects your peace.
2. Let someone see the real you – Share something vulnerable with a safe person. Being seen starts with letting yourself be known.
3. Avoidance isn’t weakness—it’s protection – Gently ask, “What am I afraid will happen if I show up fully?” Compassion opens the door to change.

Like, subscribe, and share if this conversation speaks to you.

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

In this heartfelt episode, Rhona sits down with Karen Inderbitzin Olaleye— music artist, songwriter and mama—for a rich conversation about creativity, calling, and the quiet courage it takes when life gets heavy. Karen shares her story and a reminder that hope is heavy, but when we hold on to hope there is healing.

Together, they explore:
🎙️ Karen's journey in the music industry and her faith and how the two have intertwined — Click here for her new album 
🌿 The tension between motherhood and creativity—and how to honor both
🕊️ What it means to surrender your timeline and let God shape your story while navigating PTSD
👩‍👧 Real talk on postpartum depression, mom guilt, and the pressure to “do it all”
💡 How to start again, even when it feels like your dreams are on pause

Whether you're in a season of waiting, rebuilding, or simply longing to create in the middle of real life, this episode offers honesty, hope, and a reminder: God’s not done with your story.

🗣️ Gentle Questions for Holding Space in the Workplace

These can help invite conversation without pressure:

• “How can I support you right now?”
  (Not if they need support—how. It assumes presence without pressure.)
• “Is there anything you’d like me to be aware of in terms of how we work together right now?”
  (This offers respect for their boundaries while honoring the professional dynamic.)
• “Would it be helpful to talk or just to sit quietly with some coffee?”
  (This gives permission to be, not perform.)
• “When things feel heavy, what tends to help you feel grounded again?”
  (This supports self-agency and invites them to share without expectation.)

💛 How to Support Others Navigating PTSD

1. Be a non-anxious presence.
You don’t need to fix, diagnose, or guide—just be. Your calm presence helps regulate theirs. Listen more than you speak. Trust that silence can be healing too.

2. Don’t rush their story.
Avoid asking for details they haven’t offered. Let them reveal at their own pace. Trust is a slow build—and that’s okay.

3. Validate their experience.
You can’t always relate, but you can acknowledge. A simple “That makes sense,” or “I imagine that was incredibly hard,” goes a long way.

4. Respect their boundaries.
Sometimes support looks like giving space, not filling it. Let them set the tone for how much they want to share or engage.

5. Offer consistency.
Safe spaces are built through consistency over time. A check-in here, a coffee break there—it adds up. Be someone they can count on, not someone who needs them to "be okay."

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com

In this heartfelt episode, Rhona sits down with Karen Inderbitzin Olaleye— music artist, songwriter and mama—for a rich conversation about creativity, calling, and the quiet courage it takes when life gets heavy. Karen shares her story as a reminder that sometimes hope is heavy, and when we hold on to hope there is healing.

Together, they explore:
🎙️ Karen's journey in the music industry and her faith and how the two have intertwined
🌿 The tension between motherhood and creativity—and how to honor both
🕊️ What it means to surrender your timeline and let God shape your story while navigating PTSD
👩‍👧 Real talk on postpartum depression, mom guilt, and the pressure to “do it all”
💡 How to start again, even when it feels like your dreams are on pause

Whether you're in a season of waiting, rebuilding, or simply longing to create in the middle of real life, this episode offers honesty, hope, and a reminder: God’s not done with your story.

🗣️ Gentle Questions for Holding Space in the Workplace

These can help invite conversation without pressure:

• “How can I support you right now?”
  (Not if they need support—how. It assumes presence without pressure.)
• “Is there anything you’d like me to be aware of in terms of how we work together right now?”
  (This offers respect for their boundaries while honoring the professional dynamic.)
• “Would it be helpful to talk or just to sit quietly with some coffee?”
  (This gives permission to be, not perform.)
• “When things feel heavy, what tends to help you feel grounded again?”
  (This supports self-agency and invites them to share without expectation.)

💛 How to Support Others Navigating PTSD

1. Be a non-anxious presence.
You don’t need to fix, diagnose, or guide—just be. Your calm presence helps regulate theirs. Listen more than you speak. Trust that silence can be healing too.

2. Don’t rush their story.
Avoid asking for details they haven’t offered. Let them reveal at their own pace. Trust is a slow build—and that’s okay.

3. Validate their experience.
You can’t always relate, but you can acknowledge. A simple “That makes sense,” or “I imagine that was incredibly hard,” goes a long way.

4. Respect their boundaries.
Sometimes support looks like giving space, not filling it. Let them set the tone for how much they want to share or engage.

Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

Support the show

Click HERE  to take my free assessment and unlock your gifts in life + leadership. Nothing's wasted. The seasons that shape you are filled with challenges. These challenges create and opportunity to sink into your struggles or step into your gifts.

Your primal question will stunt your growth or propel you into your greatest gifts. Start Today at www.heyrhona.com