We’ve all been told to manage our time better if we want to be more productive. But here’s the truth: you don’t run out of hours, you run out of energy.

In this episode of Tales from The Lane, Kate Kayaian unpacks why energy – not time – is the true currency of high performance. You’ll learn:

• Why stress is one of the biggest drains on your energy (and how to reframe it into fuel).

• The surprising science behind energy management vs. time management.

• Seven proven ways to generate energy when you need it most – without a nap.

• How shifting into a higher-energy state makes the same challenges suddenly solvable.

If you’re tired of feeling depleted, scattered, and behind – even with a perfectly planned calendar – this episode is your wake-up call.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

• Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers 

• Sign up for Kate's Friday newsletter: The Weekend List

• Connect with Kate on Instagram → @kkayaian

Excellence doesn’t require obsession—it requires integration.

We’ve all heard the advice: focus on one thing, say no to everything else, single-minded purpose is the path to success. Books like Gary Keller’s The One Thing and Greg McKeown’s Essentialism make a powerful case for focus. But what happens when that focus becomes obsession?

In this episode of Tales from The Lane, Kate unpacks the dark side of a single-minded pursuit—burnout, isolation, and the crushing disappointment of reaching the “top” only to find it lonely. Drawing on insights from Benjamin Hardy, research from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and real-world examples from Yo-Yo Ma to Venus Williams, Kate makes the case for a different kind of excellence.

One rooted in balance, relationships, and impact.

You’ll learn:

• Why obsession is not the same as excellence.

• How even your biggest achievements can feel hollow without integration.

• The critical role relationships and contribution play in long-term fulfillment.

• Practical strategies for pursuing excellence without sacrificing everything else.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to “go all in” on one singular purpose—or if you’ve achieved success but still feel something’s missing—this episode is for you.

Tales from The Lane is the podcast for high achievers and successful creatives who want more than just accomplishments—they want a deeply fulfilling life.

Links & Resources:

• Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide

• Follow me on Instagram: @katekayaian

• My book: Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers – Order here

If you lived the same week over and over for the next 52 weeks… where would you be a year from now? Would you be healthier? More successful? Closer to your goals—or stuck in the same place you are now?

In this episode of Tales from The Lane, Kate Kayaian shares her 365-Day Week framework, a powerful way to assess where your time, focus, and energy are going. You’ll learn how to identify the “dials” in your life—work, relationships, health, personal growth, community—and make small, intentional adjustments to keep all areas moving forward.

From automating and outsourcing to combining activities in creative ways, Kate gives you the tools to build a life that’s balanced and ambitious—without falling into the trap of tunnel vision or burnout.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, this episode will help you break the cycle and design weeks that lead to a year you’ll be proud of.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The simple question that reveals whether you’re moving forward—or spinning in place

• Why focusing on one area of life 100% and ignoring the rest is a recipe for burnout

• How to think of your priorities as “dials” you can adjust in real time

• Practical strategies to automate, outsource, and combine tasks for better balance

• How to keep all areas of your life moving—even during busy seasons

Links & Resources:

• Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide

• Follow me on Instagram: @katekayaian

• My book: Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers – Order here

In this episode of Tales from The Lane, Kate takes a candid look at a growing trend: using self-care and boundaries as default reasons to opt out of opportunities, connection, and growth.

While the movement to prevent burnout was born out of necessity—helping leaders, parents, and professionals stretched impossibly thin—somewhere along the way, it became a lifestyle brand. And now, more and more early-career professionals are declining every extra task, gig, or invitation in the name of “protecting their peace,” only to find themselves feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.

Kate explores:

• Why self-care and boundaries matter (and where the movement started)

• How the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction

• How saying yes (even when it feels inconvenient) can build skills, networks, and community

• What the most fulfilled, high-achieving people do differently

If you’ve been wondering how to balance protecting your time with showing up fully for your life and your community, this conversation will help you reframe what it means to be both intentional and engaged.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Thrive by Arianna Huffington

• Essentialism by Greg McKeown

• Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide to help you map your year and reclaim your calendar. 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian

In this solo episode of Tales from The Lane, Kate explores how summer—with its longer days, lighter rhythms, and natural pauses—can become a powerful opportunity for purposeful reflection.

If you’ve ever found yourself feeling stuck, burned out, or constantly “too busy,” this conversation is your invitation to slow down and check in with yourself. Kate shares why high-achievers often resist reflection, what it really means to pause with intention, and simple ways to reconnect with what matters most.

You’ll learn:

• What purposeful reflection is—and isn’t

• Why so many successful people avoid it

• Three practical approaches you can try right now

  • The Summer Solstice Check-In

  • Micro-Reflection Rituals

  • Treating vacations as integration time

• How to use reflection to design a fall season that feels more intentional and aligned

This is your reminder: you don’t have to earn the right to slow down. Sometimes, the clarity and courage you’re searching for are already waiting—if you’re willing to listen.

Grab my (free) Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide! 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian

In this episode of Tales from The Lane, I’m joined by the brilliant and ever-evolving vocalist Emily Byrne.

Emily’s career has spanned opera houses across Europe, intimate cabaret stages here in the U.S., and now, a bold new project close to her heart: recording a jazz album with her father in honor of his milestone birthday.

We talk about:

• How Emily navigated the shift from opera to cabaret and jazz

• The internal scripts she had to rewrite to embrace reinvention

• What she learned about vulnerability and community support through crowdfunding

• The habits and mindsets that have fueled her creative resilience

• Why taking artistic risks is not just worthwhile, but essential

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to pivot into a new chapter of your creative life, this conversation will inspire you to step beyond your comfort zone and say yes to what lights you up.

Emily also shares details about her jazz album project and how you can be part of bringing it to life.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Emily’s one-woman show Siren, Songbirds, and Showgirls

• Her upcoming cabaret projects, The Hostess with the Mostes’ and A Cool Yule Cabaret

• My book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-assess, Re-define, and Re-ignite Their Careers

Learn more and support Emily’s new album 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most overlooked yet powerful elements of success, connection, and fulfillment: the energy you bring into any room or situation.

We often think strategy and planning are everything. But what if your emotional lens—the default assumptions, emotions, and intentions you carry—was the hidden factor shaping your outcomes more than anything else?

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why your energy is often more impactful than your words or actions

• How to identify your default lens in stressful or high-stakes situations

• Why emotional contagion affects everyone around you (especially if you’re in a leadership role)

• How to intentionally choose a more aligned and empowering energy before you walk in the door

• Real-life stories of how reframing your emotional lens can completely transform your experience

This is an invitation to unpack what you’re carrying, choose what you bring, and show up as your most powerful, aligned self.

Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide to help you map your year and reclaim your calendar. 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian

Welcome back to Tales from The Lane, the podcast for high achievers and successful creatives who want more than just a stacked resume.

Today, we’re exploring how to design a Quarter 3 that blends high performance and la dolce vita.

Summer can feel like an awkward season. July and August have a slower pace—fewer decisions, more distractions, and the pull of sunshine and adventure. Then September barrels in like a high-speed train with fresh routines, new seasons, and a sense of urgency.

How do we create a quarter that fuels momentum and lets us savor life?

In this episode, I share:

• My own Q3 plans for work, travel, and rest
• Why Q3 feels so different from the rest of the year—and how to embrace it
• 7 powerful questions to design your own fulfilling, productive summer
• How to prepare now so Q4 feels clear and energizing, not overwhelming

If you’re ready to stay ambitious while enjoying every gelato, sunset, and hammock nap, this one’s for you.

Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide to help you map your year and reclaim your calendar. 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian

Get your copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers, today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever books are sold. 

In this episode of Tales from The Lane, I’m joined by thought leadership strategist Macy Robison—creator of the Resonant Thought Leadership System™ and former Senior Director of Certification for StoryBrand. Macy has seen too many brilliant experts burn out trying to copy someone else’s content strategy. So she helps high achievers do something radically different: lead with their strengths.

Together, we explore the mindset shifts and strategic insights that allow creatives and experts to stop chasing visibility and start building it in a way that feels aligned, energizing, and truly impactful.

Whether you're launching a platform, promoting a book, or just trying to be more visible in your field, this conversation will help you understand how to build thought leadership that sticks, without losing yourself in the process.

You'll learn: 

• Why copying someone else’s content strategy rarely works (even if it’s “proven”)

• How Macy helps experts find their natural communication style—and build from there

• The surprising connection between musical theatre and thought leadership

• What to do if you’re multi-passionate and don’t want to be “pigeonholed”

• The most important question to ask before starting a podcast, blog, or brand

Follow Macy at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/macyrobison/

https://www.instagram.com/macyrobison/

https://www.threads.com/@macyrobison

Take the quiz: https://macyrobison.com/quiz 

Listen to the Own Your Impact Podcast: https://macyrobison.com/podcast

Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide to help you map your year and reclaim your calendar. 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian

Most high performers have mastered efficiency—they can knock out to-do lists like pros. But what if all that efficiency is just keeping you busy… not moving you forward?

In this episode, Kate dives into one of the most transformative mindset shifts for ambitious professionals: the difference between being efficient and being effective.

You’ll learn:

• Why doing more isn’t always doing better

• The truth about “rocking chair tasks” vs. real needle-movers

• How to audit your time for impact (not just activity)

• Why the true goal of time management is more life, not more work

Packed with real-life examples, practical strategies, and Kate’s signature blend of clarity and humor, this is a must-listen for anyone looking to shift out of overwork and into impact.

Grab my free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide to help you map your year and reclaim your calendar. 

Want more great tips on how you can continue to pursue excellence without burning out?  Grab a copy of my new book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers. 

Let's Hang Out!  Follow me on Instagram: @kkayaian