Holistic Mental Health for the Woman Behind the Vision

What do you do when life interrupts your plans, your momentum disappears, and the business path you felt so sure about suddenly feels unclear?

In this episode, I’m sharing what I learned during a forced pause and how that unexpected season gave me a deeper level of business clarity than I would have found by simply pushing harder. If you’re a solopreneur, creative entrepreneur, or purpose-driven woman trying to navigate burnout, overwhelm, shifting capacity, or a major life transition, this conversation is for you.

Sometimes we assume clarity comes from doing more, moving faster, or trying harder. But this episode explores a different truth: sometimes clarity comes when life forces you to slow down long enough to finally see what no longer fits, what matters most, and what needs to change.

In this episode, I break down the 4 biggest lessons I learned during my forced pause:

2. Less Is More / Clarity Needs Space

I learned that capacity matters in business decisions. Business strategy that ignores your wellness is not sustainable. Your life and your business have to fit each other, and you cannot build well by abandoning yourself in the process.

If you’ve been asking questions like:

• How do I find business clarity when I feel stuck?
• How do I move forward after burnout?
• What do I do when life forces me to pause?
• How do I build a business that honors my mental health and real-life capacity?

This episode is for you.

• how to find business clarity during a forced pause
• burnout, overwhelm, and solopreneur mental load
• why clarity often comes through slowing down
• how to pivot in business without seeing it as failure
• the connection between wellness, capacity, and sustainable entrepreneurship
• why prioritizing wellness is a real business strategy

• solopreneurs and women entrepreneurs navigating burnout
• creatives and purpose-driven women in a season of transition
• anyone feeling stuck, unclear, or forced to reevaluate their business path
• women who want to build without abandoning themselves

The pause may not have been part of the plan, but it may be the very thing that helps clarify your path.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to stay connected to my newsletter, The Pause for Solos, on Substack, where I share deeper reflections, encouragement, tips, strategies, and practical insight on wellness, business clarity, purpose, and building a life and business that honor your real capacity.

Don’t Leave the Dream Buried Inside You

In this conversation, I share about how facing the loss of my dear friend impacted my journey, the heartbreak of learning she was at the end of her life, and the powerful realization that came as I reflected on the dreams she once shared with me, dreams that never got the chance to fully manifest.

We talk about grief, mental health, purpose, and the emotional weight of postponing what matters most. This is not about pressure or urgency driven by fear. It’s about perspective, intention, and honoring the life you’ve been given.

• the emotional impact of learning my friend was at the end of her life
• how grief can bring clarity to your purpose and priorities
• remembering the dreams she shared that never got to manifest
• mental health, burnout, and navigating heavy life seasons as a solopreneur
• why life transitions can awaken a deeper urgency around your calling
• what it means to live fully and not leave your dreams buried inside you

• you’ve been putting your dreams on hold while navigating a hard season
• you’re experiencing grief, burnout, or emotional exhaustion
• you’re a solopreneur or creative trying to balance life and purpose
• you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to fully go after what’s in your heart
• you want to live more intentionally and aligned with your purpose

Don’t leave the dream buried inside you.
But because what’s in you matters and it deserves to be lived.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to stay connected with me through my newsletter, The Pause for Solos, over on Substack. That’s where I share deeper reflections and encouragement around mental health, grief, purpose, and what it looks like to pursue your dreams without abandoning yourself in the process.

What happens when the very thing you once felt called to starts feeling too heavy to carry?

In this episode, I’m talking about the quiet battle between burnout and the dream in your heart. I’m sharing part of my own story when the weight of everything I was carrying made me want to walk away from something I deeply cared about. Not because the vision no longer mattered, but because I was depleted.

If you’ve ever felt so exhausted that you started questioning your calling, your capacity, or whether the dream is even worth it anymore, this conversation is for you.

Burnout has a way of distorting vision. It can make meaningful things feel burdensome and cause you to confuse exhaustion with clarity. In this episode, I’m unpacking why that happens, what I learned in that season, and why it’s so important not to make permanent decisions from a temporary state of depletion.

• what burnout can do to your vision
• how exhaustion can make you want to walk away from meaningful work
• the difference between being out of alignment and being depleted
• why capacity matters in the way you carry your dream
• how to pause before making permanent decisions in a temporary hard season
• protecting the dream in your heart without breaking yourself in the process

• you feel tired, discouraged, or emotionally drained
• you’ve started questioning a dream you once felt sure about
• you’ve been tempted to give up on something meaningful
• you’re trying to build, lead, or create while navigating burnout
• you need permission to pause, rest, and reassess without abandoning yourself

Burnout will have you questioning everything, your capacity, your calling, your direction. But don’t make a permanent decision in a temporary state of capacity depletion.

• the emotional toll of carrying vision while depleted
• the importance of rest, support, and restructuring
• the need to discern whether you are truly out of alignment or simply exhausted

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to my newsletter, Pause for Solos, over on Substack for deeper reflections, encouragement, tips, and strategies about wellness, wholeness, and what it looks like to pursue the dream in your heart without abandoning yourself in the process.

I didn’t plan to pause, and I definitely didn’t plan to disappear from my own podcast!

After ending 2025 full of vision, momentum, and big plans for what I called The Year of the Pause, 2026 arrived with sickness, grief, caregiving, and an abrupt shift in capacity that changed everything.

In this episode, I’m sharing where I’ve been, what happened, what this unexpected season revealed about my mental health, and how I’ve had to rethink capacity, wellness, and the way I pursue my work as a solopreneur.

This is an honest conversation about what it feels like when life interrupts your plans, when your energy disappears, and when the version of the year you imagined slips out of reach. I’m also sharing what I learned about trusting the process, honoring my wellness, embracing strategic pivots, and leaning on community when my heart felt stretched beyond what I could carry alone.

If you’re a woman entrepreneur, creative, or purpose-driven solopreneur navigating burnout, grief, caregiving, or an unexpected life transition, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk about:

• mental health and capacity as a solopreneur
• caregiving, grief, and abrupt life changes
• trusting God’s timing in difficult seasons
• the importance of community and belonging
• building your dreams without abandoning yourself
• giving yourself permission to pivot, pause, and move imperfectly

Subscribe to my Substack, The Pause for Solos, where I share deeper reflections, encouragement, and honest words about wellness, wholeness, and pursuing your dreams without losing yourself in the process. The podcast is just a taste. So, make sure to get those The Pause for Solos emails!

My first episode of the new year with my fabulous sister, Tiffany Young! Here are a few links we referenced in this conversation.

No More Silos- Click HERE

Envision 2026- Click HERE

Mosaic Mindset Newsletter- Click HERE

Sweet Freedom (Sugar FREE FB Group)- Click HERE

Our conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities of starting the year, the impact of illness on plans and productivity, the importance of holistic health and well-being, the burden of responsibilities on women, the challenge of pausing, adapting to change and expansion, building healthy habits, strategic direction and personal growth, the power of the pause, envisioning 2026, and the significance of consistency and small daily actions for long-term success.

We also chatted about power of consistency, the creation of sustainable habits, the No More Silos community, choosing words for the year, embracing elevation and momentum, self-love and stewardship, parting words of wisdom, and plans for future conversations. The discussion emphasized the importance of personal growth, holistic well-being, and ongoing support within the community.

Takeaways

• The importance of self-awareness and honesty in health management
• The value of envisioning who you want to become and the power of small daily actions for long-term success Consistency leads to significant long-term impact
• Building sustainable habits is essential for personal growth
• Self-love and stewardship are crucial for holistic well-being

Chapters

• 00:00 Starting the Year with Excitement
• 06:22 The Challenge of Pausing
• 13:00 Building Healthy Habits
• 19:24 Strategic Direction and Personal Growth
• 29:27 Envisioning 2026
• 35:13 The Power of Consistency
• 42:08 No More Silos Community
• 51:03 Elevation and Momentum
• 56:56 Self-Love and Stewardship
• 01:04:14 Parting Words of Wisdom
• 01:11:02 Future Conversations

Are you feeling the weight of everyone else’s needs as we head into the holidays… while your own needs are sitting on the back burner?

In this episode of Leading Through the Cracks, I’m joined by a very special guest—my younger sister, Tiffany Young, CEO of The Young Impact Group. We’re talking about wholeness, grief, pivots, women’s health, and why saying “no” can be one of the bravest things you do.

We don’t hold back in this conversation. From losing our dad and navigating the “hallways of grief,” to leadership, purpose, and our sugar-free health journey, this is a sister talk—but it’s also a woman who leads talk. If you’re a purpose-minded woman who pours out for everyone else, this one’s for you. ❤️

In this conversation, we explore:

🔴 How our upbringing and family values shaped the way we lead, love, and build community🔴 Losing our father, “being strong,” and what people get wrong about grief🔴 Why the holidays can feel heavy—and how to honor what you actually need this season🔴 The power of the pause and why 2026 is my Year of the Pause🔴 Tiffany’s pivot from Think Equity to The Young Impact Group and what it really costs to rebrand your purpose🔴 Our sugar-free journey (how we’ve each lost ~30 lbs, reduced inflammation, and found more energy & joy)🔴 How guilt keeps women from caring for themselves—and how to start rewriting that script🔴 Boundaries, saying “no,” and learning to pour from the saucer instead of the cup

This episode is especially for you if:

🔴 You’re a woman in leadership, entrepreneurship, or ministry who feels pulled in a thousand directions🔴 You’re navigating grief (of a person, a role, a dream, or a season) and trying to function at the same time🔴 The holidays bring more anxiety than joy and you’re craving permission to do things differently🔴 You know it’s time to make a shift in your health, habits, or purpose… but you’re not sure where to begin

Stay connected ✨

If this conversation spoke to you, don’t just click away—take a pause and ask yourself:

“What do I need in this season and am I willing to honor it?”

📌 Subscribe to the channel for more real conversations with whole women and transformative leaders.📌 Share this episode with a sister, friend, or colleague who needs a reminder that she is worthy of care, too.

#LeadingThroughTheCracks#WomenWhoLead#WomenInLeadership#WomenSupportingWomen#PurposeDrivenWomen#CreativeWomen#LiveFromWholeness#BraveConversations#PowerOfThePause#EmotionalWellness#ReclaimYourVoice#ReclaimYourLife#ReclaimYourPower

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nicolepertillar.substack.com

In today’s episode of Leading Through the Cracks, we’re diving into a powerful, heart-opening conversation with Janica (“J”) Davis all about cultivating bravery — especially as women who lead, mother, build, create, and carry so much.

❤️ This conversation is for the woman who knows she’s called to more…but has been held back by old stories, childhood scripts, or the fear of taking that first bold step.

Together, we unpack:

🔴 What bravery really looks like in everyday life🔴 How childhood scripts and cultural expectations shape our confidence🔴 The danger of “clearance tag thinking” and shrinking yourself🔴 How to rewrite your narrative with compassion and spiritual grounding🔴 Why healing requires community, reflection, and pausing🔴 The power of coming home to yourself — spirit, mind, and body

This one goes deep. It’s personal. It’s honest.And it’s full of the kind of wisdom that helps you breathe again and say, “It’s okay today.”

💬 Episode Highlights

00:00 – Welcome & intro01:20 – What cultivating bravery really means03:00 – Leadership, identity & the journey of reconnecting with yourself08:00 – Purpose, calling & trusting the inner knowing14:50 – The cost of self-sacrifice and reclaiming your worth17:40 – “Clearance Tag Thinking” — a powerful identity breakthrough22:00 – How childhood scripts shape adult behavior27:00 – The role of spirituality in healing34:00 – Why community is essential for emotional growth41:00 – Responding vs reacting45:50 – Recognizing your patterns and beginning the healing work52:00 – The power of pausing + why 2026 is the Year of the Pause1:04:00 – Creating your top 5 priorities & putting yourself at the top1:08:00 – Closing encouragement

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nicolepertillar.substack.com

If you’ve been with me for a while, then you know that every Monday, I interview an extraordinary woman with a powerful story of life leadership and transformation. We have a great time sharing, encouraging, teaching, and empowering women to PAUSE, SHIFT, and take their places in life and leadership with wisdom and grace.

This week, the tables were turned and I invited my dear friend Dr. Towera Loper to interview me! The concept came because I’d just finished my first challenge Sip from the Well: 10 Days of Pause, and Dr. Towera being the lovely supportive friend that she is texted me through her coaching lens all of these powerful questions about my experience. Most leaders and creatives skip: pausing long enough to hear ourselves, to name what worked, what we learned, and what we’re carrying forward. I decided it was important for me to demonstrate this process in real time as an encouragement to my community to do this for themselves on a regular basis.

This conversation became a case study in the how of pausing: how we keep momentum and make room for reflection; how we honor purpose while loosening perfection; how we follow the small nudge and let it grow. It was so awesome, I’ve decided to have Dr. T back regularly to do this with me. Take a listen to our conversation above.

Coming up in December, I’ll be leading a workshop where I’ll be helping women PAUSE and chart their next chapter. This two day workshop will be a powerful time of reflection(much like what you see me doing in the video above) and strategizing….AND each woman will have unlimited access to me through January 31st for continued support in charting their next course!!! More info below:

ShiftWell Life Mapping Workshop

If this conversation stirred something in you, come do the work with support.

ShiftWell Life Mapping is a two-evening live workshop for women ready to design 2026 with clarity, compassion, and capacity. We’ll map what matters, turn wishes & hopes into powerful achievable goals, and set a rhythm that honors your real life.

You’ll get:

* A guided life mapping framework that aligns vision with capacity (no more random half-baked goals without clear strategy)

* A clear, doable next-90-days plan to carry momentum into the new year.

* Continued support through January via Marco Polo Video/Voice messaging app for questions and accountability.

* The ShiftWell workbook + prompts you can reuse each quarter.

👉🏾 Register HERESeats are limited so we can keep it personal, spacious, and practical.🔴

See you in the workshop if you’re ready to map a year that matches your calling and your capacity.

Love & PeaceDr. Nic🔴

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nicolepertillar.substack.com

In this conversation, I was joined by Macea (The Pigtail Prophet), whose “30 Days of Peace” personal experiment has become The Peace Experience.

What We Mean by “Peace” (and what we don’t)

Peace isn’t pretending nothing is wrong. Peace is not perfection or passivity. Peace is a practice, a muscle, a decision. Macea share with us that peace is wisdom, a skill that integrates our emotional brain and our logical brain so we can respond instead of react.

Line we kept coming back to: “Peace is possible.”Reframe Macea offered: Peace can bend in a storm without breaking.

Journal prompt (2 minutes):Where in my life am I expecting peace to look like still water when it may actually look like steady breath in choppy waves?

The Mantra: I’m Okay Today

Journal prompt:What shifts in me when I choose calm over control today?

From Deficit to Overflow

We talked about the quiet slide into leadership-from-empty: the strong friend, the coach, the one who “always has it.” Overflow requires rest and release, not just more grit.

What helped (in her words + mine):

* Rest on purpose. Not a reward for finishing; a rhythm for functioning.

* Gentle questions. “What do I need today?” “What would work for me right now?”

* One small shift. Peace on a 1–10 scale. If I’m at a 2, what carries me to a 3?

* Listening inward. Make space to hear: That didn’t feel good. I need help. I’m not okay yet.

Journal prompt:What’s one gentle boundary that would move your peace from a 2 → 3 today?

Be Love (To Yourself)

I wore my Just Be Love tee today on purpose. Yes, we’re called to be love out there in the world, but can we be love to ourselves? To let grace cover the gap between where we are and where we hoped to be?

Self-compassion check-in:

* Where am I still carrying yesterday?

* What can I put down for the next 24 hours?

* If a friend were me, what would I say to her?

Journal prompt:Write yourself a three-sentence affirmation/mantra that begins with “I’m okay today…”

The Hard Thing We Named

So many of us learned to survive by pleasing, adapting, shrinking. Rejection recruited our masks. Peace gave us permission to say: I need help. I don’t like that. I’m ready to be seen.

Journal prompt:Where am I hiding to stay “safe,” and what tiny act of visibility could honor the truer me?

* Join The Peace Experience (January cohort)A 30-day journey with daily micro-practices, weekly touchpoints, and a gentle plan to build durable peace.→ Learn more: The Peace Experience – details & registration

* Come back Monday, November 3rd @ NOON ESTWe’re flipping the script: my dear friend Towera will coach me live. We’ll unpack what happens when vision takes off, momentum builds, and you forget to pause and reflect. I promise you, I’m going to cry. It’s an important vulnerable conversation about the importance of honoring your journey…all the wins and all the grows.

About Macea (The Pigtail Prophet)

Creator of The Peace Experience—born from her personal “30 Days of Peace” practice—Macea helps women rebuild capacity, regulate emotions, and return to inner calm through simple daily rhythms of rest, reflection, and gentle action.

In this episode of Leading Through the Cracks, I welcomed back Kelly from Life Between the Systems, a systems strategist and self-proclaimed “9-to-5 Fixer,” who helps women create ease in their lives and work by simplifying what they already do.

Our conversation is a powerful reminder that ease is possible in the midst of full thriving lives.

🔴 Frustration Can Lead to Genius

Kelly shared how her love for systems began in one of the most stressful work situations imaginable. She was managing logistics for massive international trade shows. Every document was manual, every change meant hours of tedious updates, and the workload grew heavier by the year.

One day, out of pure exhaustion and frustration, she grabbed a blank notepad and wrote and began to create her own process that led to smoother and faster systems for her team.

🔴 Reflect: Where are you frustrated right now? What might that frustration be trying to teach you?

🔴 Bundle, Stack, and Simplify

Kelly’s first tip for ease:“Bundle what belongs together.”

Simplify your day by connecting related tasks: Habit Stacking

* Make your coffee while your baby’s bottle warms.

* Clear your counter while waiting for the kettle to boil.

* Combine errands in the same part of town.

These small connections save not only time, but mental energy.

“It’s the little tweaks to your morning that make a huge difference in how the rest of your day feels.”

🖥️ Systems That Serve You

Kelly also shared information about Notion, which I was beyond excited about

For years, she tried to make other people’s templates work for her. But the breakthrough came when she stopped trying to make it pretty and made it hers.

“I started from scratch, kept it simple, and just built what I actually needed.”

Now, her Notion dashboard includes:

* A home tab (for family & routines)

* A business tab (with spaces for every project)

* A personal tab (for habits, hobbies, and dreams)

She calls it her “home base” — where every idea, task, and plan finds a place to land.

🔴 Reflect: Where does your mind keep ideas? Are they landing somewhere safe?

📱 Automations for Everyday Ease

Kelly lights up when she talks about automating everyday life from hydration to laundry and honestly, I lit up when she shared. I need these strategies in my life ASAP.

Her secret weapon?NFC tags (Near Field Communication).

They’re small stickers you can program with your phone. A simple tap can:

* Log your water intake

* Start a laundry timer

* Add groceries to your shopping list

* Even trigger affirmations or money mindset reminders

“ These tiny automations remove mental friction and add peace.”

You don’t have to be a tech expert to use them. You just need a willingness to notice what feels hard and ask, “Could this be easier?”

💼 The 9-to-5 Fixer

Kelly’s bigger mission is helping women in corporate life find freedom without leaving their jobs.

“You don’t always have to quit your job to live a life you love. Sometimes the shift you need is already within your skillset.”

She teaches women how to:

* Identify what’s draining them

* Leverage what they already know

* Propose new roles or processes that align with their strengths

It’s about reclaiming agency and purpose right where you are.