Have you noticed that the closer you get to 40, the more you crave space, in your mind, in your calendar, in your home, in your relationships? It’s not because you’re falling behind. It’s because your nervous system evolves as your identity evolves. In this episode, we explore elevated simplicity, not minimalism as an aesthetic, but simplicity as a biological, emotional, and identity-led necessity for ambitious women entering their ICONIC era. Women 38–46 often carry a cognitive load no one sees: the mental to-do list, the emotional labor at home, the relational expectations, the invisible work of being “the one who holds everything together.” By your late 30s, your brain, your hormones, and your identity begin shifting simultaneously. Research shows:

So when your mind feels full… When your body feels tired… When your relationships feel overstimulating… When you crave slower mornings, quieter evenings, and more intentional rituals… You’re not losing your edge. You’re upgrading it. Your 40s require elevated simplicity, a life curated around clarity, nervous system safety, emotional grounding, and the luxury of slowness. Because slow is not a pause. Slow is precision. Slow is identity. Slow is power.

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways:

Actionable Steps:

Your body feels the truth before your mind names it.

This is where your 40s are asking for space, not speed.

2️⃣ The Cognitive Declutter

Simplicity begins internally.

This single question creates immediate clarity.

3️⃣ The Relational Reset

Your standards evolve as your identity evolves.

4️⃣ The Luxury of Slow Rituals

Choose one ritual that signals safety and spaciousness to your nervous system:

Slow is precision, power, and emotional regulation.

👉 Take the ICONIC Archetype Quiz to unlock your ICONIC Archetype and receive a personalized, inside-out roadmap for your next chapter.

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Breaking Barriers as a Woman of Color in Finance

The Introverted Leader: Harnessing Quiet Power in Loud Spaces

40 Is the New ICONIC: Reinvention, Resilience & Redefining Success

This episode explores the emotional and identity shift ambitious women experience as they approach 40, and how to step into your next chapter with clarity, purpose, and self-defined power.

Have you ever noticed how the closer you get to the woman you’re becoming, the more the life you’ve outgrown starts to resist?

Most women entering their 40s feel this subtle shift, a quiet tension between who they used to be and who they are meant to become next.

In this season-opening episode, I’m sharing the unspoken emotional and identity transition that unfolds as ambitious, purpose-driven women approach 40: the pull toward reinvention, the desire for deeper alignment, the rising standards, and the quiet refusal to keep living on autopilot.

This is the beginning of your ICONIC era, the chapter where success becomes self-defined, ambition becomes softer yet stronger, and you finally stop negotiating with the outdated version of yourself.

Whether you’re feeling disconnected from old goals, craving a new rhythm, or sensing that you’re evolving faster internally than your life reflects externally, this episode will help you put language to the shift.

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways:

The moment you stop negotiating with your old self, everything begins to make sense.

The woman you’re becoming requires a new pace, new boundaries, and new standards.

Actionable Steps:

You can’t enter a new chapter if you're still living by your old rules.

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How to Clear Subconscious Blocks and Unlock Your Leadership Potential

Breaking Barriers as a Woman of Color in Finance

The Introverted Leader: Harnessing Quiet Power in Loud Spaces

What if the biggest barrier to your next level of success isn’t external — but internal?

In this transformational episode of STANDOUT From The Crowd, Dr. Theresa L. Smith joins Darine to explore how subconscious patterns, beliefs, and emotions silently shape our leadership, relationships, and results.

A chiropractor turned success mentor, Dr. Theresa combines science, spirituality, and mindset mastery to teach high-achieving women how to rewire their thoughts, align their energy, and manifest results with ease.

If you’ve ever felt stuck despite doing “all the right things,” this episode reveals how to get out of your own way and step fully into your power.

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways:

The 95% Rule: Approximately 95% of your limitations and stress stem from subconscious thoughts and emotional patterns, not a lack of effort.

Internal vs. External: The true barriers to the "next level" of success are often internal self-sabotage and limiting beliefs, rather than external market factors.

Flow Over Force: Sustainable leadership is achieved through energetic alignment and intention, rather than burnout-inducing hustle.

Actionable Steps:

Connect with Darine:

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- Visit her website

Connect with Dr. Theresa L. Smith:

Linkedin: @transformationdc

Instagram: @drtheresasmith

Facebook: @transformationdc

Website: www.thesuccesszones.com

Subscribe & Review:

Other episodes you may like:

Breaking Barriers as a Woman of Color in Finance

The Introverted Leader: Harnessing Quiet Power in Loud Spaces

How to Bend Time - Align Energy, Work & Purpose Without Burnout

In this empowering episode of STANDOUT From The Crowd, Darine sits down with Urmi Hossain — author, speaker, and finance professional — to explore what it means to lead authentically while navigating identity, confidence, and belonging in traditionally male-dominated spaces.

From earning both the CFA and CAIA designations to building a career in finance and becoming a global voice for women’s empowerment, Urmi’s journey is one of resilience, cultural pride, and self-discovery.

She opens up about overcoming self-doubt, conquering her fear of public speaking, and finding her voice as a woman of color in corporate leadership. Together, Darine and Urmi unpack how embracing one’s cultural identity — rather than hiding it — can become a powerful driver of influence, purpose, and success.

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Actionable Steps:

Connect with Darine:

- On Instagram

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- Visit her website

Connect with Urmi Hossain:

Linkedin: @urmihossain

Instagram: @storiesbeyondborderspodcast

YouTube: @urmihossain

Website: https://www.womeninleadership.ca/

Subscribe & Review:

Other episodes you may like:

The Introverted Leader: Harnessing Quiet Power in Loud Spaces

How to Bend Time - Align Energy, Work & Purpose Without Burnout

Back to Work: Show Up Rooted, Not Rushed (3/3)

When you think of a “leader,” what comes to mind? For many, it’s the loudest voice in the room, the one who always networks, speaks up, and commands attention. But what if leadership didn’t require extroversion at all? In this powerful episode of STANDOUT From The Crowd, Darine is joined by Seyi Kakanfo, a global program leader with 16+ years of experience driving multimillion-dollar initiatives for Global Affairs Canada, the EU, USAID, DFID, and the UN. Despite excelling in global, high-stakes roles, Seyi describes herself as 80% introverted. She shares how her introversion has shaped her leadership style, why authenticity beats performance every time, and the powerful lessons she’s learned mentoring newcomer immigrant women in Canada. This conversation will inspire ambitious women to embrace their quiet power, stand out authentically, and redefine what leadership truly looks like.

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Connect with Darine:

- On Instagram

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- Visit her website

Connect with Seyi Kakanfo:

Linkedin: @seyidada

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Other episodes you may like:

How to Bend Time - Align Energy, Work & Purpose Without Burnout

Back to Work: Show Up Rooted, Not Rushed (3/3)

Mid-Year Check-In for Women Leaders: Reflect, Realign & Reclaim Your Energy (2/3)

If you’ve ever felt like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, this episode will shift your perspective. In today’s conversation, Darine sits down with Michelle Niemeyer — speaker, coach, and former attorney — who developed The Art of Bending Time, a framework that helps high-performing professionals reclaim their energy, align their lives with purpose, and prevent burnout. After a 33-year legal career that led to both burnout and an autoimmune disease, Michelle reinvented her life and work. She now teaches leaders and professionals how to stay sharp, profitable, and energized by creating harmony across work, wellness, and relationships. This episode blends research, personal transformation, and practical strategies you can use immediately to rethink productivity and make time work for you.

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways

Actionable Steps:

Connect with Darine:

- On Instagram

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- Visit her website

Connect with Michelle Niemeyer:

Linkedin: @michelle-melin-niemeyer

Facebook: @michelle.melin.niemeyer

Website: https://www.michelleniemeyer.com

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Other episodes you may like:

Back to Work: Show Up Rooted, Not Rushed (3/3)

Mid-Year Check-In for Women Leaders: Reflect, Realign & Reclaim Your Energy (2/3)

Mid-Year Reset: Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Pause with Intention (1/3)

After taking time to reflect, reset, and realign this summer, Q3 is where the rubber meets the road. But for ambitious women leaders, the temptation is to hit the ground sprinting—and lose the calm, clarity, and grounded energy you just cultivated.

In this episode, Darine walks you through a rooted reentry framework so you can:

You’ll also hear science-backed strategies for avoiding the “post-vacation burnout spike” that hits 3 out of 4 professionals within two weeks of returning to work (American Psychological Association, 2024).

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways

Actionable Steps:

Connect with Darine:

- On Instagram

- On LinkedIn

- Visit her website

Subscribe & Review:

Other episodes you may like:

Mid-Year Check-In for Women Leaders: Reflect, Realign & Reclaim Your Energy (2/3)

Mid-Year Reset: Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Pause with Intention (1/3)

The New Power Moves - Boundaries, Balance & Being Unapologetically You (4/4)

Mid-year is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a leadership strategy.

In this episode, Darine takes you through a guided mid-year reflection designed for ambitious women leaders and entrepreneurs. Using her Wins–Lessons–Shifts framework and drawing on research in leadership and well-being, she’ll help you identify what’s working, what’s draining you, and how to set up the second half of 2025 for success—without burnout.

You’ll learn:

If you’re tired of autopilot, craving alignment, and ready to lead with purpose, this episode is your roadmap.

Want more tools and insights?

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways

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Connect with Darine:

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- Visit her website

Subscribe & Review:

Other episodes you may like:

Mid-Year Reset: Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Pause with Intention (1/3)

The New Power Moves - Boundaries, Balance & Being Unapologetically You (4/4)

From Exhaustion to Empowerment - Rewriting Your Definition of Success (3/4)

Superwoman Syndrome & How to Finally Let Her Go (2/4)

Welcome to Episode 100 of STANDOUT From The Crowd! 🎉In this milestone moment, we kick off our Summer Reset Series by inviting you into the power of the pause. As we hit the midpoint of the year, this is your chance to slow down, reflect, and ask: “How is this year really going for me?” In a world that rewards nonstop hustle, giving yourself permission to stop, breathe, and reassess is a radical — and empowering — act of leadership. In this episode, Darine guides you through the emotional and strategic value of a mid-year reset, shares how to break free from pressure-filled productivity, and offers reflective prompts to help you realign with what truly matters

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways

Actionable Steps:

Connect with Darine:

- On Instagram

- On LinkedIn

- Visit her website

Subscribe & Review:

Other episodes you may like:

The New Power Moves - Boundaries, Balance & Being Unapologetically You (4/4)

From Exhaustion to Empowerment - Rewriting Your Definition of Success (3/4)

Superwoman Syndrome & How to Finally Let Her Go (2/4)

The Burnout Behind the Badge of Honor (1/4)

In this special milestone episode—our 99th—we close out the Redefining ‘Having It All’ series with a grounded, inspiring conversation about what it means to protect your energy, lead with intention, and show up unapologetically as yourself.

Joining Darine is leadership and team coach Nataisha Revoy, a woman whose bold career pivots, values-based leadership, and deep belief in authenticity offer a fresh and deeply human perspective on how we define success.

From walking away from “secure” roles with no safety net, to building a business that empowers kind, people-centered leaders around the world, Nataisha Revoy opens up about the courage, mindset, and boundaries that helped her step into her true calling—and how you can do the same.

This is more than a conversation—it’s a reset. For anyone feeling the weight of overachievement, this episode will help you pause, realign, and redefine power on your own terms.

Key Topics Discussed:

Key Takeaways

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Connect with Darine:

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- Visit her website

Connect with Nataisha:

- On LinkedIn

- Visit her website

- Book a call with her

Subscribe & Review:

Other episodes you may like:

From Exhaustion to Empowerment - Rewriting Your Definition of Success (3/4)

Superwoman Syndrome & How to Finally Let Her Go (2/4)

The Burnout Behind the Badge of Honor (1/4)