Sparks by Ignium by Ignium Consulting Ltd

February 24, 2026 Enough is enough: Breaking Free from the Emptiness of Success with Dr Sharon Spano

The saying goes, we always seem to have either time or money – but never both at the same time. But is this really the case? Are all people abundant in one, really lacking in the other? If someone has the balance right, what’s their secret? If you want to unlock next-level success in your business, career or leadership, then this podcast has the answers you’re looking for.

Phil Rose talks to Dr Sharon Spano, author of The Pursuit of Time and Money, about what she’s learned from her years of research and executive coaching. Rather than a picture of time and money at war with each other, she’s discovered from interviews and data crunching that they’re tightly interrelated and, with the right mindset shift, we can rethink (and become abundant in) both.

Running alongside, her own story of profound loss shows how we can grow through life, gaining greater perspective, deep compassion and genuine generosity as we go. It’s a compelling tale of days spent working next to her son’s hospital bed and the years that have followed without him.

You’ll want to listen out for:

The six of twelve human developmental stages leaders potentially pass through and the impact this has on their effectiveness, health and wellbeing.
Why the entrepreneur’s mindset that’s catapulted you to success may now be holding you hostage.
The emptiness success can bring and how to push beyond it into a more meaningful life.
Feeling yucky about your life, career and business? Good news – it’s a time of growth and what’s next may blow your expectations.
The never-before-seen challenges leaders are handling today – and why new circumstances call for new tools.
The price those you love are paying for your scarcity mindset.
Why the phrase work/life balance is misleading and the updated concept you’ll want to try.
What radical abundance means and the crystal clear logic behind it.
Your childhood beliefs are holding you back – no news here. But what can you do about it?
The undisputable role of coaching in going beyond what we can see, hear and touch, so we can stop asking ‘how do I get to the next level in my business?’ and go do it.

A few quotes we love:

1. On being enough:

"I think I would have wanted her to believe that she was enough. Because I was such that achiever that needed another degree, needed another lesson, needed another seminar. I'm always striving, striving, striving. It's only been in the last two years where I finally settled in to believe that I am enough."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

2. On feeling stuck as a sign of growth:

"If you're feeling stuck in life, you are not failing. You are most likely leaning into a later stage."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

3. On the abundance mindset:

"We live in a world of abundance. We really do. It doesn't always feel that way. But we are above the reptile. We have the mind to change our circumstances if we so desire. I really do believe that."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

4. On the legacy of her son Michael:

"My purpose came to life through his life, but then even deeper, so through his death. It's a legacy — his life is a legacy that I try to live up to."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

5. On time integration and presence:

"I don't believe in the phrase work-life balance because I don't think we're ever fully balanced. I think we have to learn to integrate the circumstances of our life, the reality of what we're in, with what's available to us in terms of time, money, whatever those resources are, even energy. The key to integration is to be where you are and be present where you are."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

Other Quotes to consider:

‘As much as we feel [as leaders] that we’re in a fishbowl these days, being watched, people don’t feel seen or connected.’

‘I don’t think we’re ever fully balanced. We have to learn to integrate the circumstances of our life and the reality of what we’re in with what’s available to us – whether that’s time, energy or money.’

‘The reality is, it’s never convenient to take time for ourselves away from the business.’

‘I was led to believe that rich people were bad… What I’ve learned is that you need entrepreneurs with philanthropic hearts to do good for others.’

‘Remember, we live in a world of abundance.’

‘The expansion of consciousness allows us to have a bigger, broader perspective on the world. It’s no longer egocentric on me, mine and myself. I’m looking around at what’s happening in the world and the universe.’

We hope you enjoy this utterly uplifting but completely grounded episode. It’s refreshing to hear that when we tune into what the heart yearns for, we’ll unlock next-level success.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, we’d love to hear from you – feedback makes our day. Remember to subscribe and share so that others can enjoy it too. Thanks.

TL; DR

Asking How do I get to the next level in my business?’ This episode challenges the idea that you need to sacrifice time for money and vice versa, and that you have to be more than you are.

Phil Rose talks to Dr Sharon Spano, executive coach and author of The Pursuit of Time and Money about how time and money aren’t opposing forces but deeply connected and shaped by mindset. Leaders move through developmental stages, and the drive that created success can later limit growth.

Feeling stuck or unsatisfied? It’s a sign that expansion is underway. Through coaching and a shift from scarcity to radical abundance, entrepreneurs gain perspective, integrate life and work, unlock sustainable next-level success – and are able to do the good in the world they’ve come here to do.

Key insights include:

• The scarcity-abundance spectrum is more nuanced than most people realise; fear-based decisions and responsibility-based decisions can look identical from the outside but lead to very different lives.

• Entrepreneurs at the Achiever stage are natural creators and goal-chasers, but risk blind optimism and inadvertently imposing pressure on the people around them.

• Time integration, not work-life balance, is the more honest and achievable goal for today's leaders.

• Feeling stuck is not failure — it is often the signal that you are growing into a later stage of development and need support to make the transition.

• The emptiness of success is real, and the antidote is not more achievement but a deeper connection to purpose, presence, and the people who matter most.

• You are enough. The most powerful shift any leader can make is from perpetual striving to a settled state of being.

More about Sharon:

Dr. Sharon Spano helps high-impact leaders break through what’s holding...

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