Holistic Mental Health for the Woman Behind the Vision

This was such a powerful conversation between Crystal and myself. These conversations have quickly become the highlight of my business. The lovely Crystal speaks about her voxer coaching services in this video, which are a great option for busy multi-passionate people who do not have the time or energy to get dressed and camera ready for a coaching session. Look into it HERE.

Here are a few highlight from our conversation…

When Awareness Meets Acceptance

Crystal’s story is one of awareness unfolding into acceptance.After years in marketing and a later-in-life ADHD realization, she began studying her energy patterns. She took note of the moments she felt most creative, most focused, most alive.

“I started time-logging myself for a week,” she said.“That’s when I discovered my core hours. When my energy is high, that’s when I create. When it dips, that’s when I rest.”

Instead of forcing her life into someone else’s system, she built one that honored her brain. She learned that capacity isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters in a way that honors who you are.

🔴 Journal Prompts

* When during your day do you feel most creative or energized?

* Where are you forcing yourself to function in a way that doesn’t fit how you actually work?

* What would it look like to build your systems around your energy, not against it?

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The Myth of “Too Much”

Crystal and I laughed (and nearly cried) over being called “too much.”Too many ideas. Too many passions. Too many pivots.

But multi-passionate doesn’t mean scattered, it means ALIVE, vibrant, and free-flowing. It means honoring the mosaic of who you are, not slicing yourself into parts that make other people comfortable.

“I help multi-passionate people shape their ideas into something undeniable—without sacrificing their wellbeing,” she said.

That sentence stopped me. Because that’s the real work.To build in a way that doesn’t break us.To sustain the creative spark without burning down our peace.

🔴 Journal Prompts

* What parts of yourself have you hidden to seem “manageable” to others?

* What does being multi-passionate look like in your life right now?

* How can you begin to protect your joy and wellbeing while you build?

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The Red Dot: No More Hiding

If you’ve seen me use the red dot 🔴 across my work, you know it’s more than a brand mark.

It’s my declaration.I used to hide behind black clothes, busyness, fear of being seen. I hid because of fear of judgement and rejection.

Stacy London is one of my style icons and watching her on What Not to Wear, I realized red symbolizes confidence, presence, visibility. I decided I would no longer hide from my own brilliance.

So I placed a red dot over the “i” in the word SHIFT, a reminder that every pause, every pivot, every shift toward alignment is a choice to be seen as your full authentic self.

🔴 Reflection Prompts

* Where have you been hiding parts of your light or voice?

* What color—or symbol—represents your re-emergence?

* How might you honor your capacity this week by being seen in one small way?

Episode: Lessons Learned from the Pause Challenge (with Lisa Zader)Host: Nicole (Mosaic Life)Guest: Lisa Zader — mom, photographer, creative, communications educator, lifelong learner

Episode Overview

What does it really mean to pause—and why is it so hard? In this soulful convo, Nicole and her lifelong bestie, Lisa Zader, reflect on the Sip from the Well: 10 Days of Pause challenge. They unpack capacity shifts across seasons, why “pause ≠ stop,” how comparison sneaks in, and practical ways to build redemptive rhythms so you’re not constantly recovering from your own life. Expect tender truth, lived wisdom, and a few powerful visuals (hello, bubbles and camera lenses) you’ll carry into your week.

Listen For

The difference between simple and easy when it comes to self-care

Why the silence of a pause can feel uncomfortable—and what that’s telling you

How capacity changes across seasons (motherhood, work, caregiving, business)

“Redemptive rhythms” vs. patterns that leave you depleted

The bubble visual: gently expanding your personal space without pushing people away

The lens visual: when to zoom out for perspective and zoom in for focus

How beliefs drive behavior (and why naming your story matters)

Using pause to prevent forced pauses (Nicole’s brick-house accident story)

Practicing grace over judgment in your self-care journey

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome + why we’re here

01:06 Real Stories, Whole Women, Transformative Leadership

03:10 Meet Lisa + why she joined the Pause Challenge

06:20 The silence feels hard: “My body forgot what pause feels like”

08:40 Capacity shifts & comparing seasons

12:35 Simple ≠ Easy: building the pause muscle

14:40 What pause looks like in real life (it’s not an overhaul)

15:05 Bubble visual: expanding space with compassion

18:05 Listening for your inner voice vs. autopilot

21:00 Nicole’s forced pause: the accident + world shutdown

24:15 Alignment vs. doing “all the good things”

26:20 Patterns, autopilot, and why we must re-check the story

48:20 Lens visual: wide-angle vs. zoom focus for your life

54:45 Letting go of stories that aren’t yours

59:00 Redemptive rhythms you don’t have to recover from

1:01:30 Stop abandoning yourself: reclaim your daily rhythm

1:03:35 What’s next + how to join Pause Sessions

Memorable Quotes

“A pause isn’t stopping—it’s the sacred breath before the next movement.”

“You can be doing good things and still be out of alignment.”

“We behave from belief. Shift your thinking, shift your world.”

“Create a life you don’t have to keep recovering from.”

“Sometimes you need the wide-angle lens. Sometimes you need to zoom in.”

Try This: 5-Minute Pause Practice

Sit quietly, no phone.

Ask: What season am I in?

Ask: What does my body, mind, and spirit need right now?

Notice without fixing. Breathe.

Journal Prompts

Where am I living without margin?

What small rhythm would bring peace and presence this week?

Which story about myself needs updating?

When did I last feel aligned—and what supported it?

About Our Guest — Lisa Zader

Lisa is a mom, wife, photographer, and communications educator who’s learning to live creatively across every area of life. She brings a rich perspective on capacity, communication, and the courage to practice pause in real time.

🔴 Leading Through the Cracks | Unlocking Your Strengths with Jolene Pickens

In this powerful episode of Leading Through the Cracks, we dive into the transformative power of knowing your strengths—and how this awareness shifts everything from leadership to relationships, creativity to communication.

My dear friend, leadership consultant Jolene Pickens, joins me for a rich conversation on how understanding your StrengthsFinder results can unlock your potential, reframe your mindset, and help you lead with more intention—at work, in your family, and within yourself.

🔑 Whether you’ve taken the assessment before or never even heard of it, this episode will show you how your strengths shape the way you show up… and how to grow into the best version of yourself, on purpose.

🔥 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

– Why strengths-based development matters more than "fixing weaknesses"– How your top 10 strengths operate intuitively—and how to work with them– How strengths show up in parenting, marriage, business, and leadership– The difference between raw and mature strengths (and how to grow yours)– Why understanding team dynamics through strengths boosts communication– How creative women can align their business vision with their natural wiring– BONUS: Details about our upcoming Strengths-Based Leadership Workshops 🔴

⏳ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Jolene01:10 – What is StrengthsFinder and why does it matter?03:00 – Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and owning your strengths06:00 – Why your strengths can shift with seasons11:30 – Using strengths to lead in business and life16:00 – Team dynamics and communication breakthroughs21:00 – Strengths in relationships, marriage, and parenting25:00 – Children & Strengths: A homeschool wellness connection29:00 – Fixed vs. Growth mindset and strengths development32:00 – Understanding your full 34 strengths report35:00 – Win-win collaboration through strengths37:00 – Upcoming workshop announcement + closing words

💥 JOIN THE UPCOMING WORKSHOP

Jolene and I are teaming up to lead a Strengths-Based Leadership Workshop just for you!We’ll go deeper into the themes from this episode and help you apply them to your real life, work, and relationships.

🔴 Want to lead from your design and not lose yourself in burnout?📩 Subscribe to my email list or follow on Substack to stay in the loop → Mosaic Life

🌍 STAY CONNECTED

✨ Subscribe to the channel for new conversations every Monday📣 Follow Jolene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolene-pickens/🔴 Join The Mosaic Life movement: SUBSCRIBE

🎨 CREDITS

Guest: Jolene Pickens, Organizational Leadership & Strengths ConsultantHost: Dr. Nicole Pertillar, Founder of The Mosaic Life & Live From Wholeness CoachingTheme: Leading Through the Cracks – Real Stories. Whole Women. Transformative Leadership.

🔖 HASHTAGS

#LeadingThroughTheCracks #StrengthsFinder #WomenInLeadership #StrengthsBasedLeadership #CliftonStrengths #CreativeWomenLead #LiveFromWholeness 🔴

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

I Am Me with Kelly of Life Between the Systems

These Monday conversations have become a true highlight of my week. I get to sit down with women who carry powerful stories; stories of resilience, leadership, and the courage to live aligned with who they truly are.

This week, I had the honor of speaking with Kelly of Life Between the Systems about pivoting, motherhood, burnout, and the power of remembering who you are.

Kelly’s story is a reminder that leadership is not just about the roles we hold; it’s about our wholeness, the pivots we allow, and the courage to declare: I am me and know that is enough.

The Power of the Pivot

Kelly spent twelve years in corporate, pouring herself into a company she once considered her family. But over time, the culture shifted. Toxicity crept in. Burnout hit her repeatedly.

Her breaking point came in a team meeting where she turned off her camera and broke down in tears. That was her wake-up call: “Something’s not it. This is not what brings me joy.”

From that moment, she began shifting. She pitched herself into a new role that aligned with her strengths, found systems that brought her joy, and eventually stepped away entirely to embrace a new season of motherhood and purpose.

PAUSE 🔴 + Journal Prompt:Where in your life are you doing something simply because you would feel guilty if you stopped, not because it brings you joy?

Motherhood as a Leadership Shift

Motherhood reshaped everything for Kelly. She shared vulnerably about the guilt of leaving her company before maternity leave, the tears of those first six weeks, and the eventual realization that motherhood killed her career but in the best way.

Her words: “It established it into the path I want to take; helping women find the gold in themselves without abandoning who they are.”

PAUSE 🔴 + Journal Prompt:What roles in your life feel heavy right now? How might you reframe them as invitations to grow into more of who you already are?

Not Leaving Yourself Behind

Kelly’s most powerful reminder was this:

“Do not leave yourself behind. Do not leave the thing that brings you joy. And if you don’t know what brings you joy, then it’s time to take a moment of stillness, a pause, and discover it.”

So many women, when asked what brings them joy, don’t know how to answer. We can list our roles: mother, daughter, friend, leader. But when asked who we are? That’s harder.

Kelly reminded us of her childhood mantra: “Yo soy yo. I am me.”

PAUSE 🔴 + Journal Prompt:Who are you outside of your roles? Take 10 minutes today to write without titles or expectations. Just: I am…

A Collective Invitation

This conversation is a beautiful example of why I believe so deeply in the power of the pause.

Kelly and I both know firsthand what it means to keep pushing past our limits. We also know the beautiful shifts that can happen when we finally stop abandoning ourselves.

That’s why I’m inviting you into Sip from the Well: 10 Days of Pause (October 1–10). Ten days to breathe, reset, and rediscover joy again. Because when we pause, we pivot. When we pivot, we realign. And when we realign, we remember: I am me.

“Pausing is not weakness. It is the bravest act of remembering who you are, and giving yourself permission to who you are, and returning to your place of peace and ease.”

We live in a world that glorifies busyness. Our calendars are full, our minds are racing, and our bodies often feel like they’re running on fumes. But what happens when we stop long enough to ask ourselves: How am I really doing?

Samantha Edu of Brown Heart TV and I dive deeply into this powerful conversation regarding being positioned to pause.

Two events we would like you to know about:

Practice the Pause with Nicole's Sip from the Well : 10 Days of Pause October 1st -10thLive from Wholeness CoachingDaily prompts, gentle practices, and community accountability.

Deepen the pause with Samantha's Positioned to Pause Mini-Retreat, October 11thBrown Heart WellnessTeacher-led mindful movement, guided journaling, tea tasting, and a planning circle for your next brave step.

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

🔴 Listen in as ‪Radha Dala @radhathetherapist and I‬ and I explore the journey of the Soft Life.

🔴 KEEP EXPLORING If today’s conversation sparked something within you, subscribe and follow along for more leadership, creative renewal, and honest reflections on your journey

🔴 Subscribe to Mosaic Life to stay informed. 💌 Get weekly strategies, inspiration, or encouragement for life, love, and leadership by subscribing to Mosaic Life: https://nicolepertillar.substack.com/

🔖 HASHTAGS #LeadingThroughTheCracks #WomenInLeadership #ThePowerofthePause #WholeLifeLeadership #LiveFromWholeness #lifeloveleadership #thewellcollective

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

On Monday’s episode of Leading Through the Cracks, I had my dear friend Rachel Renee on to chat about the importance of self-advocacy. Self-advocacy is something that doesn’t come easy to many women. We tend to be nurturers, caretakers, and constantly on the go taking care of everyone and everything else but our own needs. If that sounds like you and you need a little encouragement to just stand up for YOU, take a listen and be encouraged.

Please comment or message with any thoughts and questions. Rachel and I would love to take the conversation even further.

Thank you LP's vibe, Netta Fei, Tiffany M. Young, and many others for tuning into my live video with Rachel Renee! Join me for my next live on Monday, September 8th, when I’ll be chatting with Radha Dalal about the topic of “Permission to Live The SOFT Life” video in the app.

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

🔴 Belonging: To Be Seen, Hear, and Understood. How creating atmospheres of belonging can truly shift things in a woman's life. Join in as Dr. Towera Loper and I explore issues of belonging

🔴 KEEP EXPLORING If today’s conversation sparked something within you, subscribe and follow along for more holistic leadership, creative renewal, and honest reflections from the journey.

🎥 Watch next: Creating Space for Other Women in Leadership→ https://youtu.be/1G_VAkrBy0M

🔴 Join my community: The WELL Collective: Registration link coming soon. Subscribe to Mosaic Life to stay informed.

💌 Get weekly strategies, inspiration, or encouragement by subscribing to Mosaic Life: [https://nicolepertillar.substack.com/]

🔖 HASHTAGS #LeadingThroughTheCracks #WomenInLeadership #ThePowerofthePause #WholeLifeLeadership #LiveFromWholeness #lifeloveleadership #whengriefhits 🔴

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

Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Nichole Lee, Towera Loper, and many others for tuning into my live video with Roni | Your Midlife Bestie!

My conversation with Roni today was fabulous! It's always life-giving to speak with like-minded women about what we can do to lift up one another. Ladies, as a Wholeness Advocate & Life Purpose Coach, I am here for you! If you've been feeling like lost, frustrated, confused, or like life comes at you faster than you can keep up, I'm here for you. If you've been feeling alone on your journey of entrepreneurship, leadership, or just life in general, I'm creating community for you. If you are a creative, multi-passionate women who needs assistance in finding your sweet spot so you can run with purpose, I AM HERE FOR YOU! Stay close & connected. Be on the lookout for the launch of the community I'm creating just for you!!!

Know another woman who needs to be encouraged in her journey, SHARE. We’ll be back every Monday through the end of the year with powerful conversations to uplift and empower women in life, love, and leadership.

If you missed me LIVE, it’s not too late to join in the conversation. I’d love to hear from you. What stood out to you? What hit you in an empowering way? What created an aha moment for you? What other topics would you love to see covered?

Join me for my next live video in the app.

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

Thank you to everyone who joined “leading from the cracks” today! We started off with a powerful conversation surrounding grief. Grief is one of the universal experiences of live but shows up so uniquely in our individual lives.

May you be encouraged by our conversation. May it lead to a spark on your journey to wholeness and authentic living. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the conversation!

One of my passions is to help you SHIFT into position for your wholeness, your purpose, and the mark you’re called to leave on the world.

Connect with me if you’re a woman who desires to lead your life in a way that allows you prioritize your wholeness and wellbeing.

Connect with me if you’re a woman who feels like you’re always giving, always comforting, always loving, but not often feeling the love and support in return.

Connect with me if you’re a woman of faith, but struggle to sometimes find your place within religious systems.

Connect with me if you’re a creative woman who struggles to find space for your creative outlets.

Connect with me if you know you’re called to something more but doubt, confusion, the illusion of no time, and fear of your own success blocks you from trying.

I see you. 🔴

I know this struggle.

I know what it’s like to be the leader…to be the strong one…to feel like no one is ever available to hold space for your emotions.

I know what it’s like to know there’s more in you but not have the clarity or the confidence to walk it out.

I know what it’s like to feel like there’s no time to focus on you and burnout trying to keep up with all the “should” of life.

I see you. 🔴

I’m creating space for you.

Coming Soon…

The WELL Collective…where women like you gather, PAUSE, REFILL, REALIGN, RENEW SHIFT🔴

We’re going deep and we’re doing it in community…

Stay Tuned!

From My Mosaic Life to Yours, and Committed to Your Wholeness, Dr. Nic🔴

My Mosaic Life is an invitation into wholeness. An Invitation into community. An invitation to prioritize your wellness & not lose yourself as you lead your life.

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