Nursing the System

This week’s episode isn’t what I originally planned. After the ICE shooting of a Minneapolis mom, I shifted my focus. Instead of leadership strategies or business updates, I’m sharing something heavier: how we show up as leaders when the world feels deeply wrong. This episode is a reading of my System Sunday email—a message I spent the week crafting, revising, and grounding in real-life experience. If you're a nurse, a leader, or simply someone trying to navigate injustice while staying present at work, this message is for you.

• What emotional regulation really means—and what it doesn’t
• How silence from leadership during crisis shapes team culture
• Ways to practice professional resistance inside healthcare systems
• Why naming injustice out loud matters more than perfect wording
• Specific leadership actions you can take when the world feels unstable

• Transparency is not the same as emotional leakage. Regulated leaders hold space without handing off their overwhelm.
• Silence is not neutral. Naming what's happening—no matter how messy—builds trust.
• Your influence matters most when values are tested. Build it before you need it.
• Leadership isn’t about having answers. It’s about staying in the conversation when it would be easier to walk away.

Listen slowly. Reflect intentionally. This isn’t an action-packed, high-energy episode—it’s a grounded moment to sit with what’s happening and consider how you want to respond. Whether you’re leading a team or showing up for your community, this episode is about staying human in hard times.

• Check your nervous system before meetings. Are you regulated, or are you leaking?
• Say the quiet part out loud: “This isn’t normal.” It’s enough to break the silence.
• Make space for your team to process. It doesn’t have to be a meeting—just an acknowledgment.
• Revisit your “red lines.” What won’t you do, even if asked?
• Learn documentation strategies that protect your patients, not just the system.

Nurse Leader HQ applications are open this week (starting Monday, January 12). If you want to be in community with nurse leaders doing healthcare differently, now’s the time to apply. I’d love to walk alongside you.

• Share this episode with someone who’s been navigating hard decisions in their workplace.
• DM me on Instagram if you have thoughts or reflections to add—I genuinely want to hear from you.
• Apply for Nurse Leader HQ if you're ready to do leadership in a new way.
• Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode.

• Join the System Sunday email list
• Apply to Nurse Leader HQ
• Connect with me on Instagram

This episode is part reflection, part reality check. I'm sharing how 2025 really played out—what changed in my corporate life, my business, and my personal world—and what those shifts taught me. You’ll hear how I set the foundation for a life that feels more stable and aligned than it has in years, and why I’m not setting huge overhauls for 2026 (even though I still have big goals). If you want to use systems thinking to reflect on your own year, this one’s for you.

• What I actually did and didn’t accomplish in 2025—and why that’s not a bad thing
• How I balanced running a business with working full-time in a corporate role
• The small changes that added up to big shifts in stability and clarity
• Why things get easier with familiarity, not just more effort
• How I’m thinking about 2026 as a year to make my life work even better—not rebuild it from scratch

• You don’t need to reinvent your life every year. Sometimes the best thing you can do is build on what’s already working.
• Things get easier when you just show up. Familiarity and consistency matter more than force.
• Stability is a huge win. There’s power in setting up systems that keep working, even when you’re not hustling 24/7.
• Burnout prevention isn’t sexy—but it’s essential. Creating space, re-evaluating priorities, and resetting recovery systems pays off.

Approach this like a guided self-reflection. Listen to the episode, then pause and ask yourself: What actually changed in my life this year? What’s working better now? And how can I make next year feel easier, more meaningful, or more aligned?

• Write down the specific ways your life looks different now than it did last year—no matter how small.
• Ask: What was quietly set up in 2025 that I can build on in 2026?
• Reflect on the systems that worked (or didn’t). What helped you stay grounded this year?
• Set intentions not just for growth—but for ease, recovery, and sustainability.

• Enjoying the show? Leave a review—it seriously helps more nurses find these conversations.
• Share this episode with a friend or colleague who’s reflecting on their year too.
• Get on the Nurse Leader HQ Waitlist.
• Follow me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes reflections and updates.

🎙 Episode Overview

This week’s episode is a vulnerable one. I’m sharing what it looked like when I hit the early warning signs of burnout this fall and what I did to swerve before it turned into a full-blown crash. This isn’t a theoretical lesson. It’s a real-time reflection on what burnout actually feels like, what it taught me, and how I’m doing now. If you're starting to feel that low hum of stress in your own life or work, this episode is for you.

🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• The specific burnout symptoms I started noticing in myself
• Why burnout doesn’t always mean you’re in the wrong job
• How I started course-correcting in the middle of Q4
• What it means to “swerve burnout” instead of “bracing for impact”
• Three ways you can reflect and reset before it’s too late

🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You

• Burnout is a feedback signal—not a diagnosis.
• Different people burn out for different reasons.
• You can love your job and still be running too hot.
• Recovery systems matter just as much as strategy.
• Your burnout symptoms are valid—even if no one else sees them yet.

🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode

Listen with a notebook (or your Notes app) open. Track your own warning signs. Pause and jot down what comes up for you—especially if you’ve been brushing off exhaustion, irritability, or that feeling of wanting to delete your calendar.

🛠️ Practical Actions You Can Take

• Make space to think clearly. Block 1–2 hours to reflect without distraction.
• Rank your current life priorities (1–6) and let the list guide your bandwidth.
• Re-establish the recovery systems that help you feel like yourself: gym, connection, rest, joy.
• Write out your personal early warning signs of burnout and share them with someone who can help spot them.
• If you're in a leadership role, talk openly about how you’re doing—modeling honesty helps the whole system.

📲 Call to Action

• If this episode resonated, share it with a friend or colleague who might need to hear it.
• DM me your personal burnout signals—I’d love to learn from your experience.
• Leave a review if you’ve found value in the show. It helps more nurses find our community.
• Want coaching support in 2026? Join the waitlist for Changemaker Essentials.

🎙 Episode Overview

In this milestone 50th episode, I’m bringing you a very real-time reflection on a common mindset trap, one I’ve personally wrestled with and one I teach in Changemaker Essentials: the belief that we must get it right the first time. This episode started with me on the couch doing my year-end planning, spiraling into perfectionism, and then remembering, oh right, this is myth #7. Whether you're planning a project, launching a new initiative, or setting goals for the year ahead, this is one you're going to want to unpack.

🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why perfectionism sneaks into year-end planning and change work
• The key risks of trying to “get it right the first time”
• How to reframe your mindset to embrace iteration and learning
• Two frameworks for action: the PDSA cycle and design thinking
• Why failure isn’t final—and how I used a failed launch to redesign Nurse Leader HQ

🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You

• Planning forever delays the actual learning.
• Failure isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of iteration.
• Trying to get it right the first time can block meaningful progress.
• Design thinking is not just for designers—it’s a powerful tool for change leaders.
• Instagram will not be the death of me (but I need a more iterative strategy there too).

🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode

Bring your planner or whatever you're using to map out 2026. As you listen, notice where perfectionism might be creeping into your thinking and where you might need to release control and let learning lead the way.

🛠️ Practical Actions You Can Take

• Use this reframe: “We are well prepared for our first run at this. What processes can we put in place to support continuous adaptation?”
• Choose one project and map it through the design thinking cycle (Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test → Implement).
• Identify one place where perfectionism is stalling progress—and take imperfect action anyway.
• Build in check-in points (weekly, monthly, quarterly) to revisit and refine as you go.

📣 Special Announcements

Nurse Leader HQ launches in January! If you’re a CME alum, there’s still time to join the next cohort. Reach out if you want details or help figuring out if it’s the right fit.

📲 Call to Action

• Share this episode with a perfectionist friend or colleague who needs to hear it.
• Leave a review to help others find the show (especially if you’ve been here since episode one).
• Join the email list to get updates and resources.
• DM me if you want to chat about your own plan to “iterate and improve” in 2026.

👉 Resources Mentioned

• Learn more about Changemaker Essentials.
• Join the NLHQ Waitlist if you're a CME alum
• Follow me on Instagram

🎙 Episode Overview

Right after watching my team present during a company-wide session, I hit record. I couldn’t help but reflect on how many times I’ve coached others (and myself) through the basics of giving an effective presentation-whether it's on Zoom, in a meeting room, or from a keynote stage. In this episode, I’m sharing the quick, practical mindset shifts and strategies that help presentations actually land, whether you're speaking to staff nurses or hospital execs. I also explain how my corporate and coaching work feed each other in real time and why I wouldn’t trade that synergy for anything.

🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How to slow down your speech so your message sticks
• Why signaling confidence and ease matters more than you think
• The two things to lock in before you ever build a slide deck
• How to adapt your message based on who's in the room
• Why you should always open with a story—and how to do it without forcing it

🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You

• People can't absorb your message if you're rushing.
• Audiences mirror your energy—signal ease and they relax.
• A presentation without a clear audience and goal? Missed opportunity.
• Good storytelling isn't about impressing—it's about connecting.

🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode

Think about a real presentation you have coming up. Maybe a project update or a team training. As you listen, jot down where you're already strong and where you could try a new approach. I promise, one or two shifts can change the whole experience.

📣 Special Announcements

Power Hours are 50% off this for Black Friday! If you're prepping for a presentation or want help refining your message, this is a great time to book a focused session.

📲 Call to Action

• Want help with an upcoming presentation? Book a Power Hour while it’s on sale.
• DM me on Instagram

After receiving upward feedback from my team, I tried something a little meta and surprisingly effective. In this episode, I walk you through exactly how I used ChatGPT to synthesize, share, and build on the feedback my team gave me. You’ll hear the full behind-the-scenes on the activity I created, why I think it’s a must-try for leaders, and how it’s already transforming the way we work together.

• A simple but powerful feedback activity any leader can replicate
• How I used ChatGPT to process and synthesize 10 forms of upward feedback
• Why modeling transparency matters more than we think
• What my team told me—and how I’m using that input to grow
• How this activity helps turn feedback into systems-level change

• Feedback is a system input—what matters is how we process and act on it
• Modeling vulnerability and transparency can change team culture
• When you invite your team into the meaning-making process, you get better results
• Good leadership includes showing your team how you think, not just what you decide

As you listen, think about the last time you asked your team for feedback and what you did with it. Consider what it would look like to reflect that data back to your team, and use it to shape future conversations.

• Try the “Start, Stop, Continue” feedback format with your team or peers
• Use an LLM (like ChatGPT) to help summarize feedback and extract patterns
• Share anonymized or aggregated feedback with your team and invite comments
• Build structured, asynchronous ways for quieter team members to weigh in
• Create reflection prompts to turn feedback into a living system of improvement

• Subscribe to Nursing the System so you never miss an episode
• Try this feedback-sharing activity with your own team
• Message me if you do, I’d love to hear how it goes!

This week we’re talking about culture. Not as a vague workplace buzzword, but as something you’re constantly shaping through your behavior, your feedback loops, and your presence. Whether you're a formal leader or not, you're feeding data into your system every single day. This episode is about how to do that more intentionally.

• What makes up a workplace culture (hint: it’s not your policies)
• The three most powerful levers you can pull to shift culture
• Why feedback loops are the lifeblood of a healthy system
• How modeling behavior (even casually) sends strong signals
• The difference between organizational structure and culture—and why it matters

• You’re never separate from the culture—you’re shaping it every day.
• Micro-interactions send macro signals about what’s normal.
• Modeling and feedback are culture-change tools, not just leadership fluff.
• The healthiest cultures aren’t perfect—they’re self-correcting.

Listen with curiosity about your own patterns. What are you modeling? How are you receiving feedback? And how might those habits be shaping your team’s culture, on purpose or not?

• Ask yourself: What do I want to be more normal in my work culture? Then model that.
• Pay attention to how you receive feedback. Do you get defensive? Over-implement? How can you shift toward curiosity?
• Introduce a 360-style feedback loop (even informally!) by asking peers or your team: “What’s one thing I could start, stop, or continue?”
• Normalize feedback as data and use it to help your system see itself and evolve.

If you want to understand your influence inside a system and take more strategic action—check out the Map Your Impact Mini Course. It's only $27 with our podcast code and is packed with value for nurse leaders and change makers.

• 👉 Take the Map Your Impact Mini Course (use your exclusive podcast discount code-MYI10OFF)
• 📩 Join the System Sunday Newsletter for weekly strategy and behind-the-scenes insights

🎧 Episode Overview:

Yep, we’re talking about dating today. Stick with me.

In this very fun (and surprisingly strategic) episode, I’m walking you through a little experiment my friends and I did this summer: we turned dating into a game. From point systems to profile prep nights to tracking rejection resilience, we gamified the entire experience. And it got me thinking about how any unsavory or tedious process, whether it’s finding love, job searching, or leading change can be made better with intentional systems design.

Gamification isn’t fluff. It’s systems thinking in disguise.

• How a brunch gripe session turned into a summer-long social experiment
• The full breakdown of “The Dating Game” we created (rules, scoring, prizes)
• The dating app that actually made the process better (shoutout to Breeze)
• Why rewarding effort—not just outcomes—can shift motivation dramatically
• How you can use gamification in your work life (for yourself or your team)

• Most systems (like work or dating) only reward outcomes—but we stay more engaged when we also reward effort.
• Feedback loops and visible progress are key to staying motivated.
• You don’t need to wait for something to feel fun—sometimes you have to design it to be fun.
• Whether it’s patient recovery, conflict resolution, or giving feedback, gamification can help you and your team keep showing up.

• Where in your life or leadership could you use a little more motivation?
• How could you make your effort feel visible and fun—even in serious or boring areas?
• What “point-worthy” actions would move you toward a goal you're working on?

• Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode
• Join the System Sunday email list for weekly reflections and behind-the-scenes updates
• Follow me on Instagram for more real-life systems thinking in action

This week’s episode is part confession, part coaching. I recorded this late at night after one of the roughest work weeks I’ve had in a while. I had planned to read you my most recent System Sunday email… but as I was preparing, I realized I was living through the exact lesson I’d written about. So instead, I’m sharing the email and the messy reality of what happens when we don’t follow our own advice.

If you’ve ever found yourself skipping your reset rituals, stacking your calendar with back-to-back meetings, or drowning in mental clutter... this one's for you.

• Why reflection isn’t a luxury—it’s a leadership necessity
• The hidden cost of letting your foundational habits slip
• How mental clutter fuels chronic stress (and what to do about it)
• What I did to course-correct a week overloaded with meetings and overwhelm
• Questions you can ask to reset when everything feels like too much

• The slow, silent buildup of open loops and unfinished tasks is what burns most nurse leaders out—not the occasional crisis.
• Strategic reflection helps you see patterns and gives you permission to move differently.
• Our brains lie to us when we’re overwhelmed, telling us we don’t have time to pause—when in fact, that pause is exactly what would help.
• You can’t lead well if you’re constantly saying yes without checking if you have the capacity.

Listen with an open mind and a compassionate lens toward yourself. Pay attention to any habits or reflection rituals you’ve let go of recently and ask yourself whether they’ve been costing you more than you realized.

• Block 15 minutes to do a reflection check-in: What’s heavy? What’s unfinished? What can wait?
• Audit your calendar for the upcoming week. Where are your “slow leaks”?
• Reinstate one helpful habit you’ve let slide (your version of a weekly reset, we-day, or task triage).
• Use the three reflection prompts from this week’s System Sunday email:

1. If work feels hard, why?
2. What patterns are emerging in your work days?
3. What could shift if you gave yourself permission to pause?

• Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
• Forward this episode to a friend or teammate who’s feeling overwhelmed.
• Join my System Sunday email list for weekly reflections you won’t get anywhere else.
• Follow me on Instagram

Yes, you read that right- we’re talking about Taylor Swift on the podcast today. Specifically: what we can learn from her about systems thinking, leadership, emotional regulation, and culture change. Whether you’re a full-blown Swiftie or just Swiftie-adjacent, this episode is a creative, thoughtful deep dive into five leadership lessons I pulled from her lyrics, interviews, and approach to impact. This one was just plain fun to make—and I hope it gets you thinking about your own leadership in new ways.

• How Taylor Swift models system pattern awareness (even in her lyrics)
• What “losing your sh*t” has to do with losing your leadership
• Why emotional regulation is a non-negotiable skill for leading change
• How to treat your energy like it’s expensive (because it is)
• Why kindness and competence are not opposites—and what it means to lead like a human

• You don’t have to be a healthcare executive to be a systems thinker. Taylor Swift shows us that impact requires awareness, strategy, and humanity—no matter your industry.
• Emotional regulation doesn’t mean pretending you’re fine. It means being honest, self-aware, and clear-headed when it matters most.
• Not everyone gets access to your mental energy. Be strategic about what—and who—you let in.
• You can be kind, warm, funny, and approachable and be deeply respected as a leader. These are not mutually exclusive.
• Culture change starts with humanity—but it doesn’t stop there. Strategic tools + a human approach = sustainable impact.

Listen with curiosity and see which of these five lessons hits home the hardest. If you’re a Swiftie, let the songs anchor the ideas for you. If not, don’t worry—this episode still packs a systems-level punch.

• Ask yourself: Where am I holding too tightly to a plan that needs to flex?
• Notice the systems patterns around you: What vicious cycles are you part of (or perpetuating)?
• Start piloting. Don’t wait for perfect—start with thoughtful, strategic action.
• Audit your energy: Who gets it, and who doesn’t need to?
• Write out what it looks like to “lead like a human” in your world—then build a strategy to make it real.

• 🎧 Share this episode with a fellow Swiftie who’s also a nurse leader (they’ll love it)
• 📩 Take the quiz to get personalized support for your leadership journey
• 💬 DM me on Instagram with your favorite T-Swift lyric that hits a leadership note—I want to hear them!
• 🎵 Stream the new Life of a Showgirl album and let’s dissect it together

• Taylor Swift albums referenced: Folklore, Lover, Tortured Poets Department, Evermore, Midnights, Red, Life of a Showgirl
• Songs mentioned: “Mad Woman,” “The Archer,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” “Mirrorball,” “All Too Well,” “Marjorie,” “Mastermind,” “The Life of a Showgirl,”