In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr Karyn Shanks discuss:

• Holding space for yourself through hard times

• Being brave enough to pause and be

• Overcoming the need to constantly do more

"Our addiction to distraction have led us to not be able to just 'be'." - Dr. Karyn Shanks

Guest Bio:

Karyn Shanks, MD is a board-certified physician, author, and pioneer in the field of root-cause healing, with over forty years of experience helping clients recover their lives from chronic, complex illness. A graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, she is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Functional Medicine, and a founding diplomat of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She is also trained in trauma-informed psychotherapy through Dr. Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training Program.

Dr. Shanks brings together the sciences of directable human potential—epigenetics, neuroplasticity, systems biology—with the deep wisdom of lived experience, spiritual inquiry, and narrative transformation. Her work centers on the belief that people are not broken, but wise and whole, and that sustainable healing begins with reclaiming that truth. Her private practice, teaching, and writing are deeply influenced by her own journey through illness and recovery.

Karyn is the founder of the Unbroken Academy, an online educational platform for healing through story, self-trust, and embodied resilience. She is the author of two previous books—Heal: A Nine-Stage Roadmap to Recover Energy, Reverse Chronic Illness, and Claim the Potential of a Vibrant New You and The Wisdom of COVID-19—as well as dozens of essays published in Thrive Global, Holstee, Huffington Post, and MindBodyGreen. Her voice is known for its clarity, warmth, and fierce compassion.

Through her work, writing, and lived wisdom, Karyn is trusted by both patients and professionals alike—as a guide, mentor, and visionary voice in a new healing paradigm.

Website: www.KarynShanksMD.com Instagram: @karynshanksmd Facebook: Karyn Shanks MD

Book Dr. Sasha to Speak

Sasha's greatest passion is empowering and encouraging others to achieve wellbeing in their professional and personal lives. She speaks frequently to executives and leaders on the topics of professional burnout, resilience, and gender equity.

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses:

• Redefining Ambition

• Productivity vs. Purpose

• Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) as Self-Trust

• Perfection is a Thief of Presence

Quote:

"Peace is not found by doing more; it's found by doing what matters." - Dr. Sasha Shillcutt

A beautifully designed club built just for women who are building their legacies—on their terms. Whether you're growing a business, raising a family, or both, this is your space to pause, connect, and thrive.

Join our online community!

The Table is a private, safe society for women physicians to gain work-life control. Sasha's community is off social media, a protected place for women to find out how to manage things like time management, gender bias, and navigating egos in the workplace. It's private, confidential, and the mentoring you have always wanted in a safe, closed environment. Join our community created for women physicians like you today!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Cy Wakeman discuss:

• The power of re-remembering

• Finding your voice in your 50s

• Reinventing yourself and leaving past versions behind

"At some point I started to realize I had lived a dream life. I am just not sure it was my dream." - Cy Wakeman

Cy Wakeman:

Drama Researcher, NY-Times Bestselling Author and Leadership Consultant

I am a drama researcher, a career I discovered accidentally and have since quantified how much drama there is in the workplace. Our research has shown that the average employee spends nearly 2.5 hours per day in drama – gossiping, tattling, withholding buy-in, resisting change and stepping down from accountability.

Drama is emotional waste – any unproductive thought or behavior – and like any other waste in the workplace, I believe drama can be eliminated through great mental processes. My work is focused on giving leaders tools to recapture that emotional waste and upcycle it into results.

I started Reality-Based Leadership in order to teach leaders and individual contributors ways to lead in reality that diffuses drama in the workplace. We have formed that into an organization that does leadership development, speaking and training, and publishes unconventional tools and leadership programs to use to diffuse drama in the workplace.

Join our online community!

The Table is a private, safe society for women physicians to gain work-life control. Sasha's community is off social media, a protected place for women to find out how to manage things like time management, gender bias, and navigating egos in the workplace. It's private, confidential, and the mentoring you have always wanted in a safe, closed environment. Join our community created for women physicians like you today!

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt is a top empowerment keynote speaker and Vice Chair of Strategy in the Department of Anesthesiology at the UNMC. In 2016, Sasha was awarded the national American Medical Association's Women Physicians' Inspiring Physician Award by her peers. Sasha's greatest passion is empowering and encouraging others to achieve well-being in their professional and personal lives. She speaks frequently to executives and leaders on the topics of professional burnout, resilience, and gender equity.

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Amy Shah discuss:

1. Why your gut health is critical to everything

1. Intentional and easy ways to increase your fiber intake

1. How to establish a circadian rhythm as a busy woman

1. How our body changes as we age and what we can do about it

"Your gut is the girl boss of your life. She handles a million things, and so you must take care of her." - Dr. Amy Shah

Guest Info:

Dr. Amy Shah is an MD and nutrition specialist. She works in clinical medicine,

allergy/immunology, and over the last 10 years has developed a world-renowned wellness

education platform, successfully launched a growing collection of health and wellness products,

written bestselling books, including I'm So Effing Hungry and I'm So Effing Tired, and has made

numerous national network appearances. She works to discover less invasive interventions,

promote wellness, and teach others how to impact their health via nutrition and exercise -- using

medication as a last resort. Her goal is to empower people to "save themselves" through

nutrition and lifestyle changes.

Website/Social Media Handles:

Website

Instagram

TikTok

Youtube

LinkedIn

Podcast

Join our online community!

The Table is a private, safe society for women physicians to gain work-life control. Sasha's community is off social media, a protected place for women to find out how to manage things like time management, gender bias, and navigating egos in the workplace. It's private, confidential, and the mentoring you have always wanted in a safe, closed environment. Join our community created for women physicians like you today!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Amy Vertrees talk about:

• Being brave enough to take risks
• Breaking free from an employee mindset
• Opinions of others and letting go of likeability

"Once I realized I could take chances, the world opened up for me in ways I could not have imagined." - Dr. Amy Vertrees

Guest Bio:

Amy Vertrees, MD is a board-certified general surgeon, Army veteran, certified coach, author, and founder of the BOSS Business of Surgery Series. She served 17 years in the Army, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel, and deploying 3 times to Afghanistan and Iraq as a general surgeon. After leaving the military, she was an employed surgeon and then created Columbia Surgical Partners, a private practice general surgery group. She discovered there were lessons that she was never taught in residency that were necessary for a successful surgical career. She created the BOSS Business of Surgery Series to fill in that gap and has used everything that she has learned to become a successful private practice general surgeon. The BOSS series includes a highly rated podcast, group coaching, 1:1 coaching, and the book "Become the BOSS MD: Success Beyond Residency."

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Stay Connected With The Scoop

Join our online community!

The Table is a private, safe society for women physicians to gain work-life control. Sasha's community is off social media, a protected place for women to find out how to manage things like time management, gender bias, and navigating egos in the workplace. It's private, confidential, and the mentoring you have always wanted in a safe, closed environment. Join our community created for women physicians like you today!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Jenn Landis discuss:

• Breaking free from golden handcuffs

• Major career and life pivots and the courage to take them

• Moving from making plans to chasing purpose

"So many of us chase plans when we need to chase purpose." - Jenn Landis

"You may be released from a job, but that does not mean you are released from your calling." - Jenn Landis

Guest Info:

Jenn navigated her career from juggling three entry-level jobs to ringing the bell at the NY Stock Exchange as a C-Suite member of a $4.5B publicly traded company. She is a testament to the power of breakthroughs! Having experienced firsthand how these moments can dramatically change the trajectory of your life and career, she is determined to help you achieve your own career-altering Breakthroughs. In her first career, Jenn served as a businesswoman and HR senior executive, amassing over 25 years of experience, including six years as Senior VP & Chief HR Officer. In 2023, she made a purposeful pivot to broaden her reach by stepping away from a corporate leadership role. Now, Jenn leverages her background and expertise to help goal-minded professionals achieve transformative breakthrough moments.

As a keynote speaker, author, coach, leadership strategist, and breakthrough artist, Jenn's influence is expansive. Her book, *Break Up, Break In, Breakthrough: A Formula to Dramatically Change Your Career Trajectory, was released in July 2025

Podcast Book Work with Jenn Follow on IG, FB, YT, X - @AskJennLandis or LinkedIn - in/jennlandis

Private Coaching with Dr. Sasha

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt is a certified Enneagram Coach and has over 6 years of experience coaching women like you through physician burnout. Dr. Shillcutt uses the Enneagram as a tool to help you understand yourself so you thrive in your relationships at home and work!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses:

1. The Mirror as a Battleground — and How to Take It Back

2. Aging as Power, Not Decline

3. Radical Self-Love in a World That Profits From Our Insecurities

4. Modeling a New Legacy of Beauty for the Next GenerationTop of Form

"At fifty and beyond, we are not fading — we are fierce. We are not less — we are more. More experienced, more grounded, more willing to live on our own terms." - Dr. Sasha Shillcutt

RISE 2.0 Mastermind

RISE is an 8-month guided journey for women physicians ready to reclaim their energy, voice, and joy. You weren't meant to hustle through life—you were meant to rise. Join my private mastermind designed to help you reset boundaries, restore purpose, and elevate your life. RISE is the course your future self is begging you to take. Class starts Oct. 6th

Private Coaching with Dr. Sasha

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt is a certified Enneagram Coach and has over 6 years of experience coaching women like you through physician burnout. Dr. Shillcutt uses the Enneagram as a tool to help you understand yourself so you thrive in your relationships at home and work!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses:

1. The Cultural Weight of "Yes"

2. No as an Act of Self-Preservation and Self-Respect

3. The Fallout and the Freedom from saying No

4. Boundaries every woman needs

Your no is not rejection. It's a declaration. A declaration that your life, your time, and your worth are sacred. And that is the kind of brave, healing freedom you deserve.

RISE 2.0 Mastermind

RISE is an 8-month guided journey for women physicians ready to reclaim their energy, voice, and joy. You weren't meant to hustle through life—you were meant to rise. Join my private mastermind designed to help you reset boundaries, restore purpose, and elevate your life. RISE is the course your future self is begging you to take. Class starts Oct. 6th

Private Coaching with Dr. Sasha

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt is a certified Enneagram Coach and has over 6 years of experience coaching women like you through physician burnout. Dr. Shillcutt uses the Enneagram as a tool to help you understand yourself so you thrive in your relationships at home and work!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Dr. Kathy Stepien discuss:

• Letting go of hustle
• Quitting over-functioning.
• Dr. Kathy's upcoming book release, Done with Grit: On walking ourselves home.

Kathy Stepien, MD, is a board-certified Pediatrician, Certified Coach, and Director of the Institute for Physician Wellness. She is also a mother to two teenage boys. In 2016, Dr. Stepien founded the Institute for Physician Wellness with the mission of helping physicians learn, heal, grow, and connect. Through the Institute's retreats, coaching, and Chief Wellness Officer Certification program, she and her team have supported thousands of physicians worldwide.

Dr. Stepien's passion for wellness stems from her personal experience with burnout during her first career as a physical therapist. After realizing the toll of caring for others at the expense of her own well-being, she entered medical school with a new approach to balance, determined to avoid burnout while raising her two young sons.

Her work is driven by a deep commitment to helping physicians, especially women in medicine, live empowered and fulfilling lives on their own terms. She believes in fostering a life where women can fully stand in their power and embrace their role as the authors of their own stories.

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Anti-Burnout Program for Women Physicians

RISE 2.0 Mastermind

RISE is an 8-month guided journey for women physicians ready to reclaim their energy, voice, and joy. You weren't meant to hustle through life—you were meant to rise. Join my private mastermind designed to help you reset boundaries, restore purpose, and elevate your life. RISE is the course your future self is begging you to take. Class starts Oct. 6th

Private Coaching with Dr. Sasha

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt is a certified Enneagram Coach and has over 6 years of experience coaching women like you through physician burnout. Dr. Shillcutt uses the Enneagram as a tool to help you understand yourself so you thrive in your relationships at home and work!

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt discusses:

1. The Weight of "Should" — and Who Put It There

2. The Liberation in Shedding Roles, Not Just Clothes

3. Reclaiming Joy Without Explanation

4. Rewriting the Rules—and Writing New Ones

Quote: "You don't owe anyone the version of you they built from their own expectations. You get to choose joy, rewrite the rules, and live fierce—on your terms." Dr. Sasha Shillcutt

This conference will specifically address how to combat the isolation of women working in healthcare with strategies to foster deeper connections and promote accountability. The conference will cover specific topics to create allyship and peer mentorship by focusing on topics women in medicine face, in order to leave the conference with strong allies. We want every woman to leave with a group of friends that can be there for her all year through. Attendees will have time to connect with phenomenal speakers, ask questions, and experience live coaching in a protected, safe environment.

RISE 2.0 Mastermind

RISE is an 8-month guided journey for women physicians ready to reclaim their energy, voice, and joy. You weren't meant to hustle through life—you were meant to rise. Join my private mastermind designed to help you reset boundaries, restore purpose, and elevate your life. RISE is the course your future self is begging you to take. Class starts Oct. 6th

Follow Brave Enough:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN

Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.