Mindful Millionaire with Leisa Peterson

You've been told the same story your whole career. Negotiate. Work harder. Be more confident. Speak up. And if you do all those things, the doors will open.

But what if that story was designed to keep you quiet?

In this episode, I sit down with Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez, author of The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up and Then Pushes Them Down. Stefanie is a journalist, the host of Real Simple Magazine's Webby Award-winning Money Confidential podcast, and the creator of the newsletter Too Ambitious — and she has spent years compiling the research that the mainstream personal finance world has been slow to reckon with.

The gender pay gap in the United States just widened for the second year in a row. It's now back to where it was in 2005 — when many of us started our careers. Decades of girl power, leaning in, and girl-bossing, and we are right back where we started. This conversation is about why. And more importantly, what actually works.

We talk about the ambition penalty — the real, documented, data-backed sum of professional, financial, social, and personal costs women pay for simply wanting more. We dig into the myths of meritocracy that have conditioned women to blame themselves for systemic problems. And we talk about what history shows us actually moves the needle — because it's not power poses.

I also share something I've never talked about on this podcast before: the day I accidentally found my entire team's salary sheet and what I did with it years later.

This is one of the most important conversations I've had on this show. Especially right now.

In this episode:

• Why the gender pay gap is back to 2005 levels — and what that means for every woman doing "all the right things"
• The ambition penalty defined: the professional, financial, social, and personal cost of wanting more
• Why negotiation alone will never close the gender pay gap (and the attorney whose job offer was rescinded for asking)
• The 30 identity characteristics research shows are weaponized against women — while being used to elevate men
• The paradox of meritocracy: why the people who most believe they're unbiased exhibit the most bias
• How feminism was turned into a dirty word the same way socialism was — and why that was strategic
• What the civil rights movement and feminist movement can teach us about what actually works
• Why ambition isn't the problem — hyper-individualism is
• Community as a career strategy: salary transparency, collective organizing, and building resilience together
• Leisa's BART story: the accidental salary discovery that changed everything
• Who this book is for — and why it matters that men read it too

Connect with Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez: Website: www.stefanieoconnell.com Newsletter: www.tooambitious.com (Too Ambitious) Instagram: @stefanieoconnell LinkedIn: Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez Book: The Ambition Penalty — available everywhere books are sold (hardcover, Kindle, audiobook)

Have you been feeling emotionally exhausted? More cynical than usual? Struggling to get the same work done that used to come easily?

That might not just be a hard week. It might be burnout.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sharon Grossman, psychologist, executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of The Burnout Solution. Dr. Sharon has spent over 20 years helping high-achieving professionals understand the root cause of their exhaustion — and do something about it.

What makes this conversation different is what Dr. Sharon brings to the burnout conversation that most people miss: it's not just about rest. It's about identity. Beliefs. The stories you've been telling yourself since childhood about what you have to do to be enough. And until you understand what's actually driving the burnout, switching jobs or taking a vacation won't fix it. You'll just take yourself along for the ride.

We talk about the three burnout types — the Thinker, the Feeler, and the Doer — and why knowing which one you are changes everything. We dig into the seven E's of her Exhausted to Extraordinary framework, starting with the most powerful first step: emotional intelligence and the relationship between your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions.

We also get real about burnout at midlife. What happens when you've spent decades proving yourself, sacrificing for others, or outrunning your own story — and you arrive in your 50s asking, is this all there is? This conversation is practical, grounding, and surprisingly hopeful.

In this episode:

• What burnout actually is — and how it's different from just being tired
• Acute stress vs. chronic stress: when stress becomes something more serious
• The three burnout types: Thinker, Feeler, and Doer — which one are you?
• Why burnout is sneaky: you don't wake up with it the way you wake up with a cold
• The connection between menopause, sleep disruption, and a depleted stress threshold
• When to use the book, when to hire a coach, and how to know the difference
• Generational shifts in boundaries — and what older workers can learn from younger ones

Connect with Dr. Sharon Grossman: Website: www.drsharongrossman.com Book: The Burnout Solution — available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble Podcast: Decode Your Burnout Free resource: Burnout Checklist — drsharongrossman.com/burnoutchecklist Free consultation: https://drsharongrossman.com/breakthroughcall LinkedIn: Dr. Sharon Grossman https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharongrossman/

What does it mean to democratize wellness? And what does yoga have to do with building a more equitable world?

In this episode, I sit down with two of the most important voices in yoga today: Tamika Caston-Miller, E-RYT 500, executive coach, and founder of the Ashe Yoga Collective, and Ashley Nicole Rideaux, E-RYT 500 teacher trainer, meditation teacher, and co-host of This Is Not Tea.

We met at the Sedona Yoga Festival, and this conversation had been brewing ever since.

We go deep on what yoga really is — and what it isn't. We talk about liberation as a practice. About the two pandemics we're navigating: the physical one we lived through, and the spiritual one we're still inside. About why yoga studios are rarely where they're most needed. And about how the tools of classical yoga — tapas, swadhyaya, and ishvara pranidhana — are exactly what we need right now to do the hard work of being in honest relationship across difference.

We also get practical. Tamika and Ashley share how they've built an online, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ affirming yoga community with equitable pricing. I share what happened when I added a sponsorship option to my nine-week workshop — and how it changed everything I thought I knew about generational generosity.

If you've ever wondered whether wellness was designed for you, this episode is for you. And if it was, this episode is even more important to hear.

In this episode:

• Why yoga stalked Ashley into becoming a teacher (and how acting, eating disorder recovery, and a commercial residual check all played a role)
• Tamika's journey through chronic pain, a medical system that only saw her body size, and what hot yoga gave her that doctors wouldn't
• What "democratizing wellness" actually means in practice
• The Yoga Sutras as a roadmap for working across difference: tapas, swadhyaya, ishvara pranidhana
• Why every space needs to be trauma-informed, not just "specialty" ones
• The financial reality of doing liberation work: asking for your worth when you've been conditioned not to
• Tiered pricing, scholarships, community sponsorship, and the economics of shared-care models
• Two pandemics: physical and spiritual — and why the second one doesn't have an end date yet
• What Ashe Yoga Collective is building and who it's for

Connect with Tamika Caston-Miller: Website: tamikacastonmiller.com Studio: asheyoga.com Substack: Soul Garden Instagram: @tamika_castonmiller LinkedIn: Tamika Caston-Miller Podcast: This Is Not Tea Retreat: Sacred Valley, Peru — June 27–July 3, 2026

Connect with Ashley Nicole Rideaux: Website: yoga-with-ashley.com Instagram: @ashleyrideaux Studio: asheyoga.com Retreat: Vietnam (upcoming)

What does it actually take for women to step into financial agency? In this episode, Leisa talks with Natalie Levy — engineer, former Wall Street derivatives trader, and founder of She's Independent — about angel investing, what holds women back from writing checks, and how taking action changes your mindset more than anything else will.

Natalie shares how she started angel investing with $10–15K checks early in her career, how the death of her mother cracked open a deeper mission, and why she built a community where women can learn to invest even before they have the capital to do it.

Guest: Natalie Levy, Founder of She's Independent Website: shesindependent.com Instagram & LinkedIn: @shesindependent

Topics covered: - What angel investing actually is and how it differs from Shark Tank - The difference between venture-backable companies and cash flow businesses - Why mindset — not money — is the real barrier for most women - How stepping into action changes your identity as an investor - Why consumer power and investment power are two sides of the same coin

What if the numbers in your spreadsheet aren't judging you — but the part of you that feels that way could use some healing?

In this episode, Leisa sits down with bookkeeper and financial guide Beth Crittenden to explore the deeply emotional terrain of money tracking. Beth brings a rare combination of spiritual depth, empathy, and practical know-how to bookkeeping — and this conversation goes far beyond spreadsheets.

They talk about why so many high-functioning people avoid looking at their numbers, what shifts when people finally face them, and how to build a money-tracking practice that feels more like tending a garden than sitting in the principal's office.

Leisa also shares her own experience of being "fired by her bookkeeper" — and what she learned about herself in the process.

Guest: Beth Crittenden, Bookkeeper and Financial Guide Website: BethCrittenden.com

Topics covered: - Why money tracking triggers shame, avoidance, and fear even in financially savvy people - The yin-yang embedded in every line of bookkeeping (and why it matters) - How to know whether to DIY your books or hire help - Platform overview: YNAB, QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Monarch - The difference between bookkeeping for tax prep and bookkeeping for real financial clarity

I hit record with a stranger I met on LinkedIn and this is what happened.

Josh Allan Dykstra is an optimistic futurist, keynote speaker, and host of the Hello Tomorrow podcast. He spent two decades inside organizations trying to make them better places for humans to work. By every available metric, the field largely failed. Now he is writing the book that decodes why.

In this conversation we talk about: Why the future is constructed, not inevitable The coming economic reckoning and what life looks like after fiat currency breaks How seasons of history prepare us for what comes next AI, truth, and the discernment we are losing Entrepreneurship as the best preparation for an uncertain world The heart vs. the mind as civilization shifts Non-attachment as a daily practice

Josh also shares something real about going through personal bankruptcy as an entrepreneur. That moment alone is worth the watch.

Find Josh: joshallan.com | Hello Tomorrow podcast and YouTube

Find Leisa: wealthclinic.com | The Mindful Millionaire Podcast

Money and relationships are deeply intertwined — and yet we rarely talk about how our emotional patterns drive our financial decisions. In this eye-opening conversation, Leisa sits down with psychotherapist Michelle Farris to explore the surprising connection between codependency and money. Michelle breaks down how people-pleasing, over-giving, and a lack of boundaries don't just affect our relationships — they quietly drain our finances too.

You'll learn how codependent patterns that start in childhood show up as over-lending, paying for others to feel liked, under-earning, and giving away resources at your own expense. More importantly, Michelle offers practical, compassionate baby steps for reclaiming your financial power — without losing your generous heart.

Whether you've been the person who always picks up the check, lent money that never came back, or found yourself giving more than you can afford, this episode will help you see your patterns clearly and start putting yourself back in the equation.

In this episode:

• What codependency actually is (and why it's more common than we think)
• How over-giving with money is often about seeking love and validation
• What financial boundaries look like in real life
• Why receiving is a skill — and how to practice it
• The connection between self-trust and financial decisions
• How to take baby steps toward healthier money habits in relationships

To Learn more about Michelle Farris LMFT:

🎥 YouTube: Relationships That Work with Michelle Farris

🌐 Website & Free Codependency Guide: counselingrecovery.com

What does it mean to build a life of service that doesn't deplete you? In this profound conversation, Leisa sits down with spiritual teacher and author Simran Singh to explore the intersection of money, consciousness, and true abundance.

Simran shares her journey from working in her family's fashion business to creating 1111 Magazine, hosting 900+ radio episodes, and performing a one-woman show across 66 cities—all as acts of love rather than traditional business. She reveals how she shifted from Type A, masculine-driven productivity to feminine flow and organic creation, and why that shift changed everything about how money shows up in her life.

Key insights from this episode:

• The mantra that guides Simran's life: "in love of love, with love, as love"
• Why money is the "metaphysical equivalent to connection"
• How to work with collective fear without getting swept up in it
• The difference between ego serving you versus you serving your soul
• Why 2026 calls for "positive selfishness"—tunnel vision on your own frequency
• Moving from material obsession to meaningful wealth

Simran offers a different paradigm for those of us building conscious businesses: one where fulfillment matters more than seven figures, where service fills you up rather than depletes you, and where money flows from connection rather than force.

If you're navigating the tension between spiritual values and practical sustainability, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

Learn more about Simran at iamsimran.com and 1111mag.com Find her books on her website and Amazon.

Your relationship with money isn't just about budgets and strategies—it's deeply connected to your earliest attachment patterns, particularly with your mother.

In this conversation, transformational coach Michelle Atlas reveals how the mother-daughter relationship shapes everything from our sense of worthiness to our capacity to receive, and how these early patterns become our money attachment styles.

Michelle, who lived in an ashram for 12 years and has been on a spiritual path for over four decades, shares the surprising connection between anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment styles and our financial behaviors. She opens up about her own journey from shopping to fill a void to experiencing a spontaneous moment of self-forgiveness that completely transformed her relationship with money—and herself.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How mother wounds show up in your bank account
• Why attachment styles and money styles are one and the same
• The somatic sensations that drive your money decisions
• Why decades of spiritual practice matter in transformation work
• How to befriend money the way you'd befriend a trusted companion
• The path from "I need this to feel whole" to "I am enough"

Whether you've been working on your money relationship for years or you're just beginning to sense there's something deeper beneath your financial patterns, this conversation offers a portal to profound healing.

Resources mentioned:

• Money Attachment Style Quiz: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/68deac846f8a60001590a48f
• Michelle's Website: https://www.michelleatlas.com

What happens when you reach that magic number in your bank account—the one you've been telling yourself will finally make the anxiety go away—and… it doesn't?

In this episode, Hanna Horvath, financial advisor and creator of the newsletter "Your Brain on Money," shares her personal journey from compulsively checking her bank account multiple times a day to understanding the deeper psychological patterns driving her money anxiety.

We explore:

• The moment Hanna realized her money struggles were actually inherited beliefs running on autopilot
• Why equating self-worth with net worth is such a common trap (especially after college)
• The trigger-feeling-action loop that drives most money behaviors—and how to break it
• Why we have more financial information than ever, but people are still struggling
• How predatory systems prey on our psychological vulnerabilities
• The surprising power of self-compassion in changing your money story
• Practical steps for becoming aware of and shifting your money patterns

Hanna brings both professional expertise and raw personal honesty to this conversation, making complex behavioral finance concepts feel accessible and actionable. If you've ever felt like you're "bad with money" or wondered why you can't seem to break certain spending patterns, this episode will help you see your relationship with money in a whole new light.

Guest Bio: Hanna Horvath is a financial advisor, writer, and creator of "Your Brain on Money," a Substack newsletter focused on the psychology of money and behavioral finance. She helps people understand the emotional and behavioral forces driving their financial decisions and offers practical tools for aligning money with values.

Connect with Hannah: Newsletter: yourbrainonmoney.substack.com

https://www.hannahorvath.com/