Open Doors Podcast

If 2025 felt like a year of letting go—relationships, jobs, identities, roles you used to play—you weren't imagining it. According to the Chinese zodiac, last year was the Year of the Wood Snake. And snakes? They shed.

Ready to name what you're leaving behind? Start with one word for 2026.

Everyone sees the beginning—the excitement, the launch, the "I'm doing this new thing!" post. And everyone sees the end—the exit, the success story, the "look what I built" moment.

If you're in the middle of something hard right now—building a business, stuck in a career transition, working toward a goal that feels far away—don't quit. Just keep going.

If you've been telling yourself you "should" meditate but can't find the time, or you've tried it once and felt like you were doing it wrong—this one's for you.

Here's the thing: mindfulness isn't about adding another task to your to-do list. It's not about sitting in silence for an hour while your brain screams at you about everything you should be doing instead.

We break down what mindfulness actually looks like when you're overwhelmed (spoiler: it's not what Instagram makes it seem), how to find those micro-moments throughout your day when life is throwing everything at you, and why watching yourself like you're a character in a movie might be the key to staying sane.

Shannon just did a global meditation with 1,000 people on Zoom (yes, really) and found more peace than she's had in months. Lauren's been shifting her language from "I have to" to "I get to"—and adding why it matters. It's simple. It works. And it might save you this holiday season.

In This Episode:

If you're heading into the holidays feeling maxed out, burnt out, or just barely holding it together—take a breath. We're all in the dance together.

Listen to Open Doors wherever you get your podcasts! 🎧

Okay. If you've been lying awake at night wondering if your job is safe, if your skills still matter, if you're going to be okay, you're not alone.

What if you could go back and tell your younger self the one thing that would've changed everything?

Here's what nobody tells you: your purpose isn't hiding in a job title, a career path, or some grand revelation you're waiting to stumble upon.

We break down why the question "what should I be doing with my life?" is actually the wrong question. The real work? Transformation. Growth. Learning to feel your actual feelings (not what you think you should feel).

We walk you through making the list—the actual exercise that helps you filter every decision. Every job offer. Every relationship. Every opportunity. It's about asking: how do I want to feel? And then building your life around that answer instead of what you think you're supposed to do.

Scroll through LinkedIn right now. Count how many people have posted about career changes in the last three months alone. Lost jobs. New jobs. "Exciting pivots."

It's a lot.

But here's the thing—life is full of all types of pivots. The ones you choose and the ones that choose you.

We talk about how to actually move through unexpected change, why the only way out is straight through, and what to do when the pivot chooses you.

If you feel like you're in a weird life pivot right now, this episode is for you.

What's the worst thing that's happened from asking for help? Probably nothing. So why does it feel so terrifying?

We're back! And we're talking about something that's been eating at both of us: why does promoting yourself online feel so uncomfortable? Like you're bragging or being too much?

We get into the weeds on naming what actually scares you, why everything you want really does live on the other side of cringe, and the difference between building a brand and just... being a person who's growing.

If you've ever typed a caption about your work, hovered over "post," and then deleted the whole thing because you didn't want to seem self-promotional—this episode is for you.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

In this episode, Lauren Douglass and Shannon Pruitt sit down with powerhouse communicator and author Maha Abouelenein to unpack one of the most transformational mindset shifts we can make: self-reliance.

Maha shares the inspiration behind her book, The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance, and how these principles can help anyone stop waiting for permission and start building the life they want. From building your personal brand to ditching the “waiter” mindset (think: stop waiting, start doing), Maha shares how to invest in yourself and take control of your future. They also unpack the challenges of speaking up as a woman, navigating imposter syndrome, and getting out of your own way to actually move forward.

Whether you’ve ever felt stuck, unseen, or like you’re just waiting for your next opportunity, this episode is your invitation to stop waiting and start doing.