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.

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?

_________________________________________________________________________

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?

_________________________________________________________________________

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