Savvy Leader Podcast

What happens when the things you're really good at don't pay the bills?

In this solo episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, I'm exploring an uncomfortable question: What if some of our greatest strengths aren't meant to become products, services, or businesses?

I've spent years developing ideas, recognizing patterns, solving problems, and helping people see possibilities. Like many professionals and business owners, I've also wrestled with how to turn those strengths into sustainable income.

But what happens when the financial return doesn't match the value you believe you're providing?

In this episode, we explore the relationship between purpose, self-worth, work, and money—and how to recognize when it's time to rethink the model without questioning your value.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why we sometimes measure our worth by what we earn.

• How to recognize when a business model isn't working.

• The difference between contributing freely and being expected to work for free.

• Five ways to reconsider your direction without treating change as failure.

• Why your calling and career don't have to be the same thing.

• How the people and communities around us help us discover where our strengths belong.

A few questions to consider:

Are you trying to turn every strength into an income stream?

Who benefits most from what you do—and is there a realistic way to connect that value to income?

What if the next step isn't creating another offer, but finding a different environment where your strengths can make a difference?

My central takeaway: Your gifts don't lose their value when they don't generate income. And you don't lose your worth when you haven't figured out how to make a living from them.

The goal isn't to monetize everything you're good at. It's to build a life where your strengths, values, livelihood, and sense of purpose have room to coexist.

RESOURCES & CONNECT

• Get the free The Power of Your Circle Podcast Companion / Reflection Workbook
• Explore Compass Sessions: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/compass
• Join the conversation on Substack: https:savvyleaderslounge.substack.com
• Website: https://savvylivingnetwork.com
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1

Subscribe to the Savvy Leader Podcast for conversations about leadership, reinvention, clarity, and navigating what comes next with intention.

Grit, Grace and Gratitude.

Until next time, stay aligned, stay intentional, and keep moving toward your True North.

Time stamps:

00:00 — When Your Gifts Don't Pay the Bills 01:14 — What If Your Strengths Aren't Meant to Make Money? 02:54 — When We Measure Our Worth by Our Income 04:48 — When a Business Challenge Becomes Self-Doubt 05:35 — No Strings, No Stress, No BS 07:07 — Money Still Matters 08:12 — How to Know When It's Time to Change Direction 10:29 — Four Questions to Evaluate Your Business Model 12:20 — When It's Time to Rethink Your Direction 14:48 — Five Ways to Move Forward 15:52 — Separate Your Identity From Your Income 16:44 — Give Yourself Room to Grieve 17:30 — Rethink the Role of Your Calling 18:55 — Ask Different Questions 20:09 — Give Yourself Permission to Build a Different Life 21:31 — Your Calling and Your Career Aren't the Same 23:03 — Deep Work, Over Time, in Community 24:14 — Where Will You Find Your People? 25:15 — What This Means for Me Right Now 25:38 — Your Gifts Don't Lose Their Value 27:00 — The Power of Your Circle Workbook

What if being ready to quit isn't always a sign that you should?

Sometimes it might be.

But sometimes, it may be a signal to pause, step back, and get curious about what's actually happening.

In this solo episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, I'm about 30 days into a 90-day experiment designed to get me out of my own head and into the real world—to test, listen, gather information, and learn.

And I'm discovering something important:

I'm not necessarily tired of creating.

I'm tired of creating without seeing results.

That distinction has made me look differently at numbers, influence, control, expectations, and what I'm actually responsible for.

In this episode, I explore:

• Why numbers should be information—not a verdict • The difference between control, influence, and what's not mine • The uncomfortable question: Who am I trying to convince? • Why I'm resisting the urge to turn every strength into an offer • What "not yet" can look like as a leadership decision • The four things I'm no longer willing to compromise: health, energy, values, and freedom • Why influence with integrity means doing your part without owning someone else's response • What I'm learning about patience, active attention, and staying close to your True North

I'm not at the end of the experiment.

I'm still gathering information.

And maybe that's the point.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — When you're ready to quit 02:00 — Getting out of my own head 04:30 — I'm not tired of creating 07:00 — Information vs. verdict 09:00 — Control, influence, and what isn't mine 12:00 — Who am I trying to convince? 15:00 — When an idea becomes an offer too soon 18:00 — Choosing three areas of influence 20:00 — The power of "not yet" 22:00 — What integrity looks like right now 24:00 — My integrity filter 26:00 — Learning to be patient 28:00 — What influence with integrity actually looks like 30:00 — If you're ready to quit… pause

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

Explore the Savvy Leader Resource Library and find practical tools for clarity, direction, orientation, and navigation.

Paid subscribers to Savvy Leaders Lounge can also access the When You're Ready to Quit, Pause — Podcast Companion, designed to help you reflect on what you're tired of, what you still enjoy, what gives you energy, and what you're curious about.

Savvy Leader Podcast Grit. Grace. Gratitude.

For seasoned, values-driven leaders navigating transition, reinvention, and recalibration.

#SavvyLeaderPodcast #Leadership #InfluenceWithIntegrity #TrueNorth #LeadershipDevelopment

Connect with Kristin and the Savvy Living Network:

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com 🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ Savvy Leader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristingallatin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/savvy-leader-podcast/id1828922809 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LtvC5cETHWX3JQaujzC0I Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/es-cl/podcasts/991dcc01-efc2-46a1-beaa-fc44679aa337/savvy-leader-podcast iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-savvy-leader-podcast-287097154

What happens when the version of success you've been chasing no longer fits the life you actually want?

For Angie Weber, the answer was reinvention.

After years in marketing, Angie found herself married with twins and increasingly aware that the career she had built was taking her away from the kind of mother and person she wanted to be. Eventually, she made the difficult decision to leave her corporate career and create something different.

That decision became the beginning of a much larger journey—one that included entrepreneurship, personal healing, parenting, emotional regulation, divorce support, community building, and learning to define success on her own terms.

In this episode of The Savvy Leader Podcast, Angie and Kristin talk about what it really takes to reinvent yourself when the life you've built no longer feels aligned.

They explore:

• Why we often adopt someone else's definition of success without realizing it • The courage required to step away from a path that no longer fits • Why reinvention can bring both freedom and self-doubt • Learning to regulate emotions instead of simply reacting to them • Breaking patterns we inherited from our own childhoods • The unique challenges of co-parenting and navigating different households • Why one parent can begin creating meaningful change • The importance of having people in your corner during vulnerable seasons • How Angie came to create the Find Your Elephants community for women business owners • Why sometimes the most important next step is simply learning to pause

Angie also shares a powerful reminder for anyone navigating reinvention:

"All of me with me, all of them with them."

You can't control what other people think, how they respond, or whether they understand your choices. You can control how you show up, what you choose next, and the direction you're willing to take.

Sometimes reinvention isn't about becoming more.

It's about becoming more intentional about what you actually want.

Angie Weber, owner of The Parent Toolbox, developer of the C.A.L.M. Approach to Parenting©, creator of The C.A.L.M. Family Planner, and host of the podcast Mom Essentials, is on a mission to help break generational parenting cycles. Angie helps parents upgrade their own toolboxes with new strategies and approaches to create more communication, connection, and calm in their homes!

Find Angie and learn more about her work through:

The Parent Toolbox, Divorce Support Collective, and Find Your Elephants. https://www.theparenttoolbox.info/ Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/angieweber

Get in touch with Kristin and the Savvy Living Network:

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ Savvy Leader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 https://instagram.com/kristingallatin https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795

Chapters:

00:00 — Meet Angie Weber 02:00 — From marketing to entrepreneurship 05:00 — Realizing the life she wanted was changing 07:00 — Leaving corporate life 10:00 — Redefining success 14:00 — The fear and freedom of reinvention 18:00 — Emotional regulation and learning to pause 24:00 — Breaking patterns we learned growing up 29:00 — Parenting and modeling healthy coping skills 34:00 — Co-parenting and focusing on what you can control 40:00 — The Divorce Support Collective 44:00 — Finding Your Elephants 48:00 — Why community matters in business and life 51:00 — One-second pauses and small changes 53:00 — Advice for anyone navigating reinvention

What happens when the life you planned disappears—and you're forced to discover a different way forward?

Rachel Schneider shares what caregiving, widowhood, parenting through grief and addiction, faith, and rebuilding taught her about leadership, capacity, asking for help, and trusting that your story may unfold differently than you imagined.

What does leadership look like when life doesn't go according to plan?

In this deeply honest conversation, Rachel Kerr Schneider and I talk about the kind of leadership that doesn't happen in a boardroom. It happens when someone you love receives a devastating diagnosis, when you're raising children through grief, when you're trying to help a child struggling with addiction, and when the future you envisioned suddenly disappears.

Rachel is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker, and CIO of Spirited Prosperity. But her most meaningful leadership lessons came through lived experience.

After her husband John was diagnosed with ALS, Rachel found herself navigating caregiving, parenting, grief, and the reality of a terminal illness. She sought out a faith-based therapist—not because she lacked faith, but because she recognized that faith didn't make her indestructible.

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation comes from something her therapist told her:

"You're not Jesus. Maybe, just maybe, you need some help."

From there, we explore why asking for help is not weakness, why capacity matters as much as time management, and why sometimes the strongest thing we can do is let go of our expectations of how help should look.

Rachel also shares what happened after her husband's death—including raising two boys through grief and addiction, discovering that her own rebuilding process would take much longer than expected, and realizing that the calling she had envisioned didn't disappear. It simply unfolded differently.

We talk about:

• Why crisis can sharpen clarity while reducing capacity • The importance of recognizing when you've reached your limits • Asking for help before you're completely depleted • Setting boundaries and letting go of expectations • Parenting through grief, trauma, and addiction • How faith can provide direction without removing the hard parts • Why your vision may unfold differently than you imagined • The leadership lessons our life experiences leave behind • Finding purpose in the story you're actually living—not just the one you planned

Rachel's story is a reminder that resilience isn't about being indestructible. Sometimes resilience looks like asking for help, taking the next step, and trusting that there may be more of the story still to be written.

And perhaps most importantly, she reminds us that the life we imagined isn't necessarily the only life available to us.

Sometimes the path changes.

And we learn to navigate.

Connect with Rachel Kerr Schneider

🌐 Spirited Prosperity: https://www.SpiritedProsperity.com

LinkedIn Profile * https://www.linkedin/in/rachelkerrschneider Additional Social Media Links https://www.facebook.com/rachel.k.schneider.1 https://www.instagram.com/rachelkerrschneider https://www.youtube.com/rachelkerrschneider

📚 The Widow Chose Red: My Journey with Jesus, John, and ALS

📚 The Boys, the Bible, and the Battles

Get in touch with Kristin and the Savvy Living Network:

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ Savvy Leader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 https://instagram.com/kristingallatin https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795

What if the path you've been dismissing because it feels too easy is actually the path that fits?

As I step into a new season at 55, I've been thinking differently about success, failure, hard work, and the opportunities we sometimes walk away from because they don't look impressive enough.

For years, I've measured progress by what I didn't accomplish—the million dollars I didn't make, the first place I didn't take, the things that got close but somehow never became what I imagined.

But what if some of those "failures" weren't failures at all?

What if we're sometimes afraid of what winning might require? What if we're forcing something that isn't our path? And what if we've been taught to value struggle so much that we don't recognize ease as a sign of alignment?

In this episode, I explore the difference between effort and resistance, ambition and alignment, control and relationship—and why the opportunities we dismiss as too small, too easy, or "not enough" may deserve another look.

I also share how I'm approaching my own next 90 days differently: choosing relationship over control, paying attention to what keeps showing up, and becoming more willing to explore before I demand certainty.

You'll hear questions to help you consider:

• What have I been measuring as failure? • What have I dismissed because it felt too easy? • Where might I be forcing instead of navigating? • How many green lights do I really need? • What keeps showing up that I keep saying no to? • And perhaps most importantly: Would it be so bad?

You don't need to know the entire path.

You need enough clarity to recognize the next right direction.

Direction before speed.

CONNECT WITH KRISTIN Kristin Gallatin Creator of the True North Navigation Method | True North Strategist | Host of The Savvy Leader Podcast

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ Savvy Leader Podcast: / @savvyleaderpodcast https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 https://instagram.com/kristingallatin https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795

What happens when you stop trying to fit into systems that don't fit you—and start building a life and business that actually do?

What if the next chapter of your life doesn't require you to become someone different—but to finally stop pretending to be someone you're not?

In this episode of The Savvy Leader Podcast, I sit down with my friend Donna Hartley, owner of Hartley Resources, for a conversation that goes far beyond artificial intelligence.

Donna has spent decades moving through leadership, corporate America, nonprofit work, entrepreneurship, caregiving, and reinvention. Along the way, she has learned a great deal about what happens when your values no longer align with the environment you're working in—and what becomes possible when you finally trust yourself enough to leave.

Donna also shares the deeply personal story of raising her son Jeffrey, living with neurodivergence herself, and how her experiences shaped the way she thinks about resilience, boundaries, purpose, and unconditional love.

Eventually, those experiences led her to a new realization: she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life working for someone else.

Instead, she's building Hartley Resources around a simple idea: AI should make business easier, not more overwhelming.

Donna explains how she uses AI to help small businesses and nonprofits with marketing, sales, operations, lead generation, websites, automation, planning, and more—especially for people who don't have the resources to hire an entire team of specialists.

But perhaps the most important lesson isn't about AI at all.

It's about learning to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Donna shares how trauma taught her to anticipate the worst—and how faith, self-awareness, and experience have helped her replace that mindset with something different:

"The gifts are coming. The abundance is coming."

This is a conversation about reinvention, caregiving, leadership, entrepreneurship, faith, neurodivergence, resilience, and creating work that fits the life you're actually living.

What You'll Take Away

• Why Donna changed her name to "DJ" when she entered the workforce—and what that experience taught her
• What decades of corporate and nonprofit leadership taught her about people and organizations
• Why she believes leaders should judge employees by results rather than rigid schedules
• How caregiving shaped her decision to build a different kind of life
• Why she refuses to return to traditional employment
• How neurodivergence influenced her leadership style and perspective
• Why Donna believes AI can become a practical "second brain" for small businesses
• How entrepreneurs can use AI when they can't afford a full marketing or consulting team
• What people misunderstand about AI
• How faith and intuition influence Donna's decisions
• Why she believes everyone "shines somewhere"
• How trauma can cause people to abandon their dreams
• The mindset shift from "the other shoe is going to drop" to "the gifts are coming"

Key Episode Moments / Chapters

These are based on the actual recording timestamps and can be adjusted slightly once the final edit is exported.

00:00 — Introduction

Kristin introduces Donna Hartley and Hartley Resources.

01:30 — From bartender to corporate leadership

Donna's unconventional career path begins with a degree in English, a job at Chili's, and a surprising reason she started using the name DJ.

04:00 — Finding her way through corporate and nonprofit leadership

Donna shares her experiences with healthcare, chambers of commerce, Meals on Wheels, marketing, and financial services.

08:00 — The leadership lesson of letting people work differently

Donna explains why leaders should focus on outcomes rather than forcing talented people into rigid schedules.

11:00 — Learning to leave when something no longer aligns

Donna talks about walking away from organizations when the culture, leadership, or values no longer fit.

15:00 — Faith, intuition & trusting the next step

Donna explains how faith and gut instinct influence her decisions.

18:00 — The story behind Hartley Resources

Donna explains why she created a business designed to help small businesses access practical consulting and AI support.

24:00 — AI as the assistant small businesses couldn't afford

How AI can help with marketing, SEO, planning, lead generation, content, operations, and more.

29:00 — What people get wrong about AI

Donna challenges some of the common objections and explains why she sees AI as a practical tool.

34:00 — Neurodivergence, identity & learning to stop masking

Donna talks about spending much of her life trying to fit in and what changed when she began allowing herself to be more fully herself.

39:00 — Caregiving, Jeffrey & unconditional love

Donna shares the deeply personal story of raising her son and how motherhood changed her understanding of boundaries, priorities, and purpose.

47:00 — Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop

Donna explains how trauma shaped her expectations—and the mindset shift that helped her move toward faith, abundance, and possibility.

52:00 — What Donna wants for this next chapter

Why she wants to spend the rest of her life helping people, accepting people, and creating a business surrounded by smart, kind, diverse people.

54:00 — Where to find Donna

Connect with Donna (DJ) Hartley:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-j-hartley-5861bb9/

🌐 https://hartleyresources.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hartleyresources/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Hartley-Resources/61575416078079/

CONNECT WITH KRISTIN Kristin Gallatin Creator of the True North Navigation Method | True North Strategist | Host of The Savvy Leader Podcast

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com 🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ Savvy Leader Podcast: / @savvyleaderpodcast https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 https://instagram.com/kristingallatin https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795

What if the life you worked so hard to build became the very thing keeping you trapped?

In this episode of The Savvy Leader Podcast, I'm joined by Heather Simco, a life and transformation coach whose story takes us from childhood instability and entrepreneurship to major success, addiction, sobriety, loss, rebuilding, and a very different definition of what it means to live a successful life.

Heather shares what happened when the accomplishments, titles, businesses, financial success, and external recognition she had worked so hard for still left her feeling emotionally and spiritually empty.

After years of alcoholism, a devastating personal and professional unraveling, and eventually surrendering to the realization that she could not do it alone, Heather began rebuilding her life from the inside out.

Today, more than 12 years sober, she helps women recognize when they have become trapped by the very lives they worked so hard to create.

Our conversation explores:

• Why high-functioning women can be especially vulnerable to burnout • The difference between financial success and a genuinely rich life • What sobriety taught Heather about identity, resilience, and self-leadership • Why capable people often struggle to ask for help • How boundaries protect transformation • Why delegation can actually strengthen leadership • The danger of constantly chasing the next goal • Moving from survival mode into "thrive mode" • How to recognize the "but" in your life—the thing that keeps you from fully enjoying the life you've built • The simple time-inventory exercise Heather recommends as a starting point for change

One of the most powerful ideas Heather shares is this:

You don't become stronger by holding onto everything. You become stronger by holding onto what you're actually wired to do—and letting go of what someone else can carry.

If you've ever looked at your life and thought, "I should be happy. I have everything I worked for. So why doesn't this feel right?" this conversation is worth your time.

Sometimes transformation doesn't mean becoming someone new.

Sometimes it means finally becoming whole enough to stop living behind the mask.

Contact Heather:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersimco/ Instagram/Tiktok/Youtube @heathersimco

Heathers BIO:

Heather Simco is a transformation coach, founder of Complete Concierge Solutions, and creator of Balanced Boss Babes, where she helps high-achieving women break free from burnout, unhealthy coping patterns, and self-sabotage to build lives and businesses that are both successful and sustainable. Drawing from more than 20 years of entrepreneurship and her own journey of rebuilding through recovery, Heather empowers women to reclaim their health, confidence, and energy, elevate their leadership, and create lasting transformation through greater balance, resilience, and intentional living.

Contact Kristin:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1

Website: https://savvylivingnetwork.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast

Substack: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com/

Subscribe to The Savvy Leader Podcast for conversations about leadership, identity, reinvention, resilience, intentional living, and navigating life's transitions with greater clarity and direction.

What happens when the way we work changes faster than the systems designed to measure us?

In this episode of The Savvy Leader Podcast, I sit down with Tamara Laine, Founder and CEO of MPWR AI, for a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence, financial identity, the changing workforce, ethical technology, and what it means to navigate a rapidly changing world.

Tamara's journey is anything but traditional. She began her career as an investigative journalist, uncovering corruption, environmental issues, and human trafficking before moving into technology, communications, marketing, and eventually fintech.

Her early work investigating ethical AI gave her a front-row seat to the potential—and responsibility—of technology. Today, she's focused on helping reshape how financial systems understand people whose lives and careers don't fit the traditional model.

We talk about:

• Why traditional credit systems are struggling to keep up with today's workforce
• The rise of gig workers, creators, solopreneurs, and multi-income earners
• How AI could create a more dynamic picture of financial identity
• Why regulation may actually be a good thing when it comes to AI and financial technology
• Privacy, consumer data, and the hidden cost of "free" AI tools
• Why AI literacy matters—even if you don't think you use AI
• How AI can enhance expertise rather than simply replace it
• The importance of human judgment, EQ, creativity, and discernment
• The challenge of developing the next generation of experts
• Why the future of work may require us to rethink how we define success
• Tamara's own career pivot from investigative journalism to technology and entrepreneurship
• Her advice for anyone standing at the edge of a major career or life change

One of my favorite takeaways from our conversation is Tamara's reminder that we can spend too much time worrying about the perfect outcome when what really matters is taking the next step in the direction that feels right.

Because the path rarely unfolds exactly as planned—and sometimes the outcome is better than the one we imagined.

Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about AI, financial identity, reinvention, and navigating what's next.

Bio: Tamara Laine is the Founder and CEO of MPWR, the first policy bound agentic infrastructure for lending, and an Emmy Award winning investigative journalist, former financial news anchor, technology founder, and business strategist with expertise in AI, finance, and growth. She has launched and scaled high growth companies and advised startups, fintechs, and mission driven organizations on innovation and expansion. Her reporting on ethical AI and corporate accountability earned national recognition, alongside multiple Telly Awards for investigative journalism and a People's Choice Award for storytelling and audience impact. Her work has been published in Forbes, Nasdaq, Foreign Policy, The World Bank, DEVEX, and The Journal of Peacebuilding & Development. Tamara is also the co-host of What the Frac?, a YouTube show focused on business growth, innovation, and fractional leadership. CONNECT WITH TAMARA: Website: mpwrai.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tamaralaine LinkedIn (MPWR): linkedin.com/company/mpwrai CONNECT WITH KRISTIN

Kristin Gallatin Creator of the True North Navigation Method | True North Strategist | Host of The Savvy Leader Podcast

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com 🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ The Savvy Leader Podcast: www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristingallatin/ 💬 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795

Have a question, idea, or topic you'd like Kristin to explore on the podcast? Connect with her through Savvy Living Network.

Podcast Timestamps / Chapters

Based on the transcript, I'd use these chapter titles:

00:00 — Meet Tamara Laine: From Journalism to AI & Fintech

01:52 — The Investigative Journalist Who Wanted to Change Systems

06:43 — How Ethical AI Changed the Direction of Her Career

09:43 — From Killer Robots to the AI Revolution

10:48 — How Many Workers Are Actually Using AI?

12:44 — Will Everyone Eventually Use AI?

14:50 — AI, Credit & the New Majority of Workers

17:19 — Why Traditional Financial Systems Can't Keep Up

18:56 — Where AI Could Transform Financial Access

20:22 — Will AI Give Consumers More Control Over Their Finances?

21:39 — AI's Benefits, Risks & the Problem of Too Much Noise

22:28 — Privacy, Data & the Hidden Cost of "Free" AI

24:10 — Tamara's 30-Minute-a-Day AI Advice

25:33 — Will AI Replace Jobs—or Enhance Expertise?

27:14 — How Do We Create the Next Generation of Experts?

28:29 — Why Human Skills Still Matter

29:28 — The Coming "Trust Recession"

31:00 — Reinventing a Career After Journalism

33:25 — Entrepreneurship, Learning & Building New Skills

36:08 — Tamara's Advice for Anyone Navigating Change

38:05 — Where to Find Tamara & MPWR AI

What if sustainable success isn't about doing more—but becoming more intentional about what you carry?

We spend a lot of time learning how to build the life we want. But once we've built something meaningful, another question emerges:

How do we protect it?

In this episode of The Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin Gallatin explores the often-overlooked side of success: capacity, margin, reserve, and discernment.

Because being capable doesn't mean everything is yours to carry.

We'll explore:

• Why "just because you can doesn't mean you should" matters for capable people
• The difference between what is possible and what is purposeful
• Why margin is more than extra time
• How reserve protects your future capacity
• The danger of spending every ounce of time, energy and attention simply because you have it
• Why optimizing every inch of your life can actually make it less livable
• What the Cathedral of Palms can teach us about actually living inside what we've built
• Why sustainable success sometimes requires subtraction
• Five questions to help you determine what to carry, release, protect and reserve

And we'll begin looking ahead to September's theme:

Focused Growth: Where should I invest my time and energy next?

Because before you can decide where to invest your energy, you have to create some capacity to invest.

Possible → Purposeful → Focused.

CONNECT WITH KRISTIN

Kristin Gallatin Creator of the True North Navigation Method | True North Strategist | Host of The Savvy Leader Podcast

🌐 Savvy Living Network: https://savvylivingnetwork.com 🎯 Work With Kristin: https://savvylivingnetwork.com/work-with-me 💌 Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com 🎙️ The Savvy Leader Podcast: www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristingallatin/ 💬 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/743925124329795

Have a question, idea, or topic you'd like Kristin to explore on the podcast? Connect with her through Savvy Living Network.

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 — Welcome & The Question We Don't Ask About Success How do we protect the life we're building once we've started creating the success we wanted?

02:30 — Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should Why capable people can easily turn their strengths into obligations—and the difference between what is possible and what is purposeful.

06:00 — Capacity Is Not the Same as Responsibility Learning to distinguish between what we can do, what we're expected to do, and what actually deserves our energy.

08:30 — This Is Where Margin Comes In Why margin is more than extra time and how it creates breathing room when life doesn't go according to plan.

11:00 — Reserve: The Capacity You Intentionally Keep Why you don't need to spend every dollar, minute, opportunity, or ounce of energy simply because you have it.

13:30 — The Danger of Spending Everything You Have How constant productivity can leave us with no capacity for rest, relationships, creativity, or the unexpected.

15:30 — The Problem With Optimizing Every Inch of Your Life Why a completely optimized life can leave very little room for spontaneity, creativity, people, or simply being human.

18:00 — What Are You Actually Building Success For? A deeper look at whether the life you're building actually supports the freedom, relationships, health, faith, adventure, and purpose you value.

20:30 — The Cathedral and the Spring Kristin's Cathedral of Palms story and the reminder that reaching the "cathedral" isn't enough—you have to actually live inside it.

23:00 — Sustainable Success Requires Subtraction Why growth isn't always about adding more—and how removing what isn't aligned can create space for what matters.

25:00 — The Five-Question Sustainable Success Check A practical reflection exercise to identify what you're carrying, what is yours, what needs to be released, what needs protection, and what reserve you need to keep.

28:30 — From Sustainable Success to Focused Growth The transition into September's theme: creating capacity first, then deciding where that capacity deserves to be invested.

30:00 — A Final Thought Why sustainable success isn't about creating a life that never needs to change, but one that can change without falling apart.

A QUESTION FOR YOU

What are you carrying right now simply because you're capable of carrying it?

And once you've created some space:

Where should you invest your time and energy next?

KEEP CONNECTING

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may be carrying more than they need to.

And if you're looking for greater clarity, alignment, and direction in your life, leadership, or business, learn more at:

savvylivingnetwork.com

Technology should simplify our lives—not complicate them.

In this episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin Gallatin sits down with Monica Swanson, founder of MonRoe Business Solutions, Fractional CIO, technology strategist, and author of the upcoming book The Family Phone Contract.

After more than 30 years leading technology initiatives for global organizations including Cargill and Thomson Reuters, Monica now helps growing businesses transform technology from a constant frustration into a strategic advantage.

Together they discuss:

• Why technology should support business growth—not slow it down • The warning signs your systems are holding your company back • What a Fractional CIO actually does—and why every growing company should understand the role • Why work-life balance looks different for everyone • Leadership lessons that apply equally in business and at home • Creating healthier technology habits for families • Building trust through clear expectations, communication, and consistency • Why empathy may be the most important leadership skill of all

Whether you're leading a business, raising a family, or navigating both, this conversation offers practical leadership insights you can apply immediately.

Connect with Monica Swanson

Website: https://monroebusinesssolutions.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicaswanson/

Email: [email protected]

Guest

Monica Swanson

Founder, MonRoe Business Solutions

Fractional CIO | Technology Advisor | Author

Host

Kristin Gallatin

Creator, Savvy Living Network

Host, The Savvy Leader Podcast

Connect with Kristin Gallatin

🌐 https://savvylivingnetwork.com

LinkedIn: https://LinkedIn.com/in/kristingallatin1

Savvy Leaders Lounge: https://savvyleaderslounge.substack.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyLeaderPodcast

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, intentional living, business growth, personal development, and creating a life aligned with your True North.

#SavvyLeaderPodcast #Leadership #BusinessLeadership #FractionalCIO #TechnologyLeadership #DigitalTransformation #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkLifeBalance #IntentionalLiving #FamilyLeadership

Podcast Summary

Technology is only part of the equation.

Leadership is what determines whether technology becomes a competitive advantage or another source of frustration.

Kristin Gallatin welcomes Monica Swanson, Founder of MonRoe Business Solutions and former technology executive with more than three decades of leadership experience at Thomson Reuters and Cargill.

Monica shares how her corporate career led her into Fractional CIO consulting, why growing businesses often outgrow their technology without realizing it, and how strategic leadership can simplify complex systems.

The conversation then shifts from the boardroom to the family room as Monica discusses her upcoming book, The Family Phone Contract, explaining how the same leadership principles that strengthen organizations can also strengthen families.

Listeners will leave with practical insights on leadership, communication, empathy, technology strategy, and building healthier relationships both at work and at home.

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

02:15 Monica's journey from corporate executive to entrepreneur

06:40 What work-life balance really means

13:20 Technology as a business strategy

19:05 Warning signs your technology is slowing growth

25:10 What a Fractional CIO actually does

32:30 Consultant vs. Fractional Executive

37:10 Leadership lessons beyond business

40:30 The Family Phone Contract

48:40 Building healthier technology habits

56:00 Leadership at home

1:02:30 Advice for leaders

1:06:30 What's next for Monica