Sustainable Ambition

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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What does it look like to live your ambition sustainably, with joy, intention, and wholeness?

In this episode, I’m joined by Erica Meade, a former tech leader who made an unexpected and inspiring pivot — from product design work to making miniatures, co-founding a startup, and redefining what “work” means on her own terms.

Whether you’re at a crossroads, recovering from burnout, or just seeking inspiration to reconnect with your own joy, this episode offers a refreshing, honest look at ambition done differently.

Learn more about Erica Meade:

• Practice
• Instagram: @minihouseontheline
• Connect on LinkedIn

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Learn more about my book Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work at: https://sustainableambition.com/books  You can also get order links and pre-order bonuses!

Pre-order my book on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4hESYMp 

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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In this deeply resonant conversation, I sit down with Moe Carrick — author, consultant, and advocate for more human-centered workplaces — to explore the role of work in our lives and what it really takes for people to thrive.

Moe brings both research and lived experience to the table, sharing the seven human needs we bring to work, how they shift over time, and why we must move beyond the “ideal worker” and “perfect mother” myths. She challenges conventional narratives about ambition, wellbeing, and gender roles, and calls for a new kind of partnership between employers and employees. Moe outlines a more hopeful vision of work, where we can navigate the integration of life and work with a sense of agency and shape our lives to work better for us.

Learn more about Moe Carrick:

• Moementum
• Connect on LinkedIn

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Learn more about my book Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work at: https://sustainableambition.com/books  You can also get order links and pre-order bonuses!

Pre-order my book on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4hESYMp 

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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How we think about and plan our time matters, especially if we want to focus on the ambitions and goals in life and work that truly matter to us.

My guest, Laura Vanderkam, has been studying time management for over fifteen years. In our conversation, she offers a fresh perspective on common narratives about how much time we have and how we use it. Her approach is both optimistic and practical, with concrete tools and insights to put into your own practice of managing your time.

Learn more about Laura Vanderkam:

• Website
• Instagram: @lvanderkam
• Best of Both Worlds Podcast
• Before Breakfast Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Learn more about my book Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work at: https://sustainableambition.com/books  You can also get order links and pre-order bonuses!

Pre-order my book on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4hESYMp 

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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As leaders, we have to ask ourselves, how can we create more sustainability for ourselves and our teams?

Among the challenges modern leaders face are the emotional demands of their roles, whether we want to acknowledge emotions in the workplace or not.

Dina Denham Smith joins me to dig into the myths and misperceptions around how emotions impact workplaces, why we can’t keep ignoring emotions at work, and how leaders can better navigate being there for their team members in a meaningful way.

Learn more about Dina Denham Smith:

• Website
• Connect on LinkedIn

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Learn more about my book Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work at: https://sustainableambition.com/books  You can also get order links and pre-order bonuses!

Pre-order my book on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4hESYMp 

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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As the Sustainable Ambition podcast reaches its 150th episode, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the journey and the invaluable insights shared by various guests on the show. 

The podcast has consistently explored the concept of Sustainable Ambition, exploring how to be ambitious without sacrificing yourself or your life. But the scope and lens of the show has also expanded to reconsider and rethink conventional narratives about success and ambition, and crafting new ways of living and working that bring personal success and satisfaction, sustainably.

This milestone episode serves as a comprehensive roundup of themes and advice from episodes 101 to 150. I’ll share my perspective on the fundamental challenges we face when we seek more life-work sustainability, how we can reframe success in a sustainable way, and a key mindset shift that brings more peace and ease on the journey of Sustainable Ambition.

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Learn more about my book Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work at: https://sustainableambition.com/books  You can also get order links and pre-order bonuses!

Pre-order my book on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4hESYMp 

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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How can we pursue our ambitions without sacrificing our lives or ourselves in the process?

It’s easy to get overextended while following our passions, but we can use those moments to learn our limits and what we need to do in order to sustain ourselves for the long term. 

In this episode, I talk with Cheri Magid about her art and how creative practices can help us live and work in more fulfilling and satisfying ways.

Cheri leads a full, ambitious, creative life and today, she shares how investing in her creativity helps her stay committed to her work, her interests, and her values without sacrificing herself.

Learn more about Cheri Magid:

• Website
• Instagram: @cherimagid
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Listen to Excerpts of Fail Mary

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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So far this year, my guests and I have been discussing how we can do things differently through experimentation, creativity, and innovation to optimize our life and work for personal success, satisfaction, and sustainability.

I’ve often focused on what we can do individually to ensure sustainability in our life and work, because we can’t rely solely on outside forces to do so. But as Dr. Richard Safeer points out, we have to both take personal responsibility and we need support from those around us, including our organizations, to truly shape a happier, healthier, and more resilient workforce.

Today, Dr. Safeer explains why external support is critical for wellbeing and shares smart, simple tips to move forward as organizations and team leaders supporting a wellbeing culture.

Learn more about Richard Safeer:

• Website
• Connect on LinkedIn
• A Cure for the Common Company: A Well-Being Prescription for a Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient Workforce
• A Cure for the Common Workday: Journaling Towards a Happier and Healthier Workday

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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At the beginning of the year, it can feel like we have to go all-in right away toward our goals. But it’s important, maybe even essential, to pace ourselves.

Today, Merideth Mehlberg returns to dive into how we can optimize our work, not with a full steam ahead press, but by stepping into our own knowing, listening to our bodies, simplifying, and embracing ease, experimentation, and evolution. It’s a more sustainable approach to start the year.

Learn more about Merideth Mehlberg:

• Website: https://meridethmehlberg.com/
• Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meridethmehlberg/
• Book: Your Finest Work: https://yourfinestwork.com/
• Your Finest Work Self-Assessment and Action Guide: https://yourfinestwork.com/assessment/

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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If we want our experience of work and life to be different, we have to be willing to find new solutions and do things differently. We have to be able to innovate and evolve.

I am joined by Dr. Amy Climer to discuss how we can apply that kind of creative thinking and problem solving to designing our work and life. We talk about how we might design work and life in a way that will make it more personally satisfying, successful, and sustainable with deliberate creativity. Creativity is a tool and a resource, if we cultivate it. We need to be deliberate if we want to support teams in finding innovative solutions.

Learn more about Amy Climer:

• Website
• Facebook: @climerconsulting
• Instagram: @amyclimer
• Twitter: @amyclimer
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Deliberate Creative Teams: How to Lead for Innovative Results

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

Discover your state of ambition. Take the quiz at: https://sustainableambition.com/quiz

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Let's start this year by exploring how we can live and work differently for more personal success, satisfaction, and sustainability. 

This complements my last episode that closed out 2024 where I talked about how approaching uncertainty and complexity with a sense of hope, joy, and wonder can help us embrace our agency over our goals and ambitions even in tenuous times. 

Today, neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff joins me to talk about her new book and how bringing curiosity and experimentation to your goals can not only help you to fully embrace your ambition with a new mindset, but also to pursue goals more sustainably and to approach setbacks with more self-kindness.

Learn more about Anne-Laure Le Cunff:

• Ness Labs
• Tiny Experiments Bonus Materials
• Instagram: @neuranne 
• X: @neuranne 
• Connect on LinkedIn

Thanks for Listening!

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!

Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast

Send me ideas for what you’d like to hear on the podcast, or a question that might be read and answered here on the show! Email me at [email protected]

Sign up for my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter at: https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe