The JOY CEO

You would never walk into a big board meeting without a plan. You’d know the room, and you’d know the hard questions before anyone asked them. So why do so many of us walk into a hard week with our heads down, bracing for impact?

This week I’m sharing a week of my own that I could see coming from a mile away. My boys’ birthdays are only three days apart, and this year neither of them is home. Add Halloween, my least favorite holiday, and the clocks falling back, and I knew I was in for a doozy.

An old version of me would have plowed right through it. In this episode, I talk about what I did differently this time, how my Hula Hoop Theory helped me focus on what I could actually control, and how I planned my week so that joy had a place in every day.

If you can feel a hard week coming, this one is for you.

1. Name the hard parts before they catch you off guard.

You’d prepare for an important meeting, so prepare for a hard week too. When you name what’s coming, it loses some of its power to surprise you.

2. Focus on what’s inside your Hula Hoop.

You can’t control the calendar or the weather. You can control how you plan your days and how you take care of yourself. That’s where your energy belongs.

3. Don’t wait for joy to find you.

Joy doesn’t mean pretending the hard parts aren’t hard. Both can live in the same week. Look at your calendar, find the people and moments that fill you up, and make room for them on purpose.

• The Hula Hoop Theory: Lori’s reminder to put your energy into what’s within your control.
• Inner Work: Lori reflects on her 20-year journey of personal growth and how working on the inside has changed the way she experiences life.
• Planning Joy on Purpose: Lori walks through her own week, day by day.
• Daily Anchors: the meditation, journaling, and gratitude practice that keep Lori grounded.
• Giving Yourself Grace: why lowering the bar and letting things go can make a hard week lighter.

• What’s on your calendar in the next week or two that already feels heavy?
• What would change if you named those feelings instead of pushing through them?
• What’s inside your Hula Hoop right now, and where are you spending energy on things you can’t control?
• Who or what is already on your calendar that could bring you joy?
• Where could you lower the bar this week?

• Corporate women who are used to pushing through hard weeks without checking in with themselves.
• Leaders who want to manage their energy more intentionally when the calendar gets heavy.
• Women whose kids are growing up and whose family traditions are changing.
• Anyone who has ever looked at her calendar on Sunday night and thought, oh boy.

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram at @loripine to continue the conversation.

Visit Lori Pine's website to learn more about Lori's coaching, retreats, and ways to work together.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast for more conversations about leadership, personal growth, and creating a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show.

📲 Share this episode with a friend who could use a reminder that she doesn't have to push through everything alone.

Have you ever looked at another woman's success and felt that uncomfortable little voice whispering, Wow, she’s really impressive. Maybe she's landed the promotion you wanted, built a thriving business, or seems to have everything figured out while you're still finding your way. It's a feeling many of us experience, but one we don't often talk about because professional jealousy can bring up shame, insecurity, and the fear that we're somehow not doing enough.

In this episode of The Joy CEO Podcast, my dear friend Andrea Leigh, Amazon alum, retail media expert, executive, and founder of her own company, joins me for an honest conversation about what professional jealousy is really trying to teach us. AAndrea shares two moments from her own career when that feeling showed up, the relationship it nearly cost her, and the questions she asks herself now instead of closing the door. We talk about why comparison gets loudest when we are unclear on our own goals, what changes when the person stirring up the feeling reports to you, and a simple phrase I use to cheer another woman on while trusting my own timing.

Then we switch gears completely. Andrea takes us inside what is happening in retail media right now, from AI shopping assistants to an ever expanding digital shelf, and why brands need to show up long before a shopper reaches a retailer's site.

1. Jealousy can be information, not a character flaw.

Professional jealousy is a natural human emotion, even for accomplished women. Instead of shaming yourself for feeling it, get curious about what it's bringing up. Is it pointing toward something you genuinely want? Does it reveal an insecurity or an area where you feel stuck? Understanding the feeling gives you a chance to learn from it rather than allowing it to dictate your behavior.

2. Comparison gets loudest when your own goals are fuzzy. When you are clear on your values and priorities, you can ask a better question: is what she has something I am willing to work for?

3. Curiosity keeps doors open. Shutting out the person who makes you uncomfortable can cost you learning, allies and opportunity. Ask questions instead. If she reports to you, you are in the best possible position to learn from her.

• Professional Jealousy and Envy – The uncomfortable emotions that can reveal our insecurities, values, ambitions, and unfulfilled goals.
• Andrea Leigh's Experience at Amazon – Andrea reflects on her career at Amazon and how leaving her role prompted a period of identity reevaluation.
• The Power of Curiosity – Asking questions and learning from people whose success triggers comparison, rather than avoiding them.
• “It's Her Turn” – Lori's perspective on celebrating someone else's moment while trusting that your own journey is unfolding in its own time.
• Long-Term Professional Relationships – Why supporting colleagues, developing people on your team, and maintaining meaningful connections can contribute to long-term success.
• Retail Media and the Changing Digital Shelf – Andrea discusses how social media, AI-powered discovery, and large language models are changing how shoppers discover and choose products.
• Social Listening and Customer Value – Why brands need to understand what customers care about by listening to online conversations, communities, and product reviews.

• When have you felt jealous of another woman's professional success, and what did that feeling reveal about you?
• Is the thing you are envying something you want, or is it someone else's priority?
• Have you ever distanced yourself from someone because she made you feel insecure? What might that have cost you?
• If you were completely clear about your own goals, what would you stop comparing yourself to?

• Corporate women who quietly measure their progress against peers and former colleagues
• Leaders who want to champion the rising stars on their teams, even when it stings
• Women who feel behind and need a reminder that their path is their own
• Brand, sales and marketing leaders who want a sharp read on where retail media is heading

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram at @loripine to continue the conversation.

Visit loripine.com to learn more about Lori's coaching, retreats, and ways to work together.

Find Andrea Leigh on LinkedIn or visit http://www.allumegroup.com/ to learn more about her retail media and commerce consulting work.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast.

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show.

📲 Share this episode with a woman who needs a reminder that someone else's success doesn't take anything away from her own.

Have you reached a point in your career where you're wondering how much longer you can keep doing this?

Maybe you're exhausted, carrying too much, or waiting for things to get better. Maybe you've started looking at other jobs and wondering if leaving is the only way to feel like yourself again.

I've been there. After 25 years in corporate America, more than 14 reorganizations, and 7 relocations, I know what it's like to navigate the demands of a corporate career. And while leaving was the right decision for me in 2021, I've learned that leaving isn't always the only option. Sometimes, what you need is a different plan.

In this final episode of The Leadership Reset series, I'm bringing together everything we've explored about team stress, putting work where it belongs, and directing your ambition toward what truly matters. I'll walk you through how to take an honest inventory of your current role, reconnect with your strengths, identify what needs to change, and consider whether you can redesign your work before deciding to leave.

Because you are more than your title, your paycheck, or the work you do. You have more agency than you may realize, and you deserve to build a role that allows you to thrive rather than simply get through another day.

1. Leaving isn't always the only option.

When you're exhausted, it's easy to believe that a new company or a completely different career is the answer. But before making that decision, take an honest look at what's happening. Sometimes the problem isn't the entire role or organization; it's the way you're working, the expectations you're carrying, or the responsibilities that no longer fit.

2. Take an inventory of what is and isn't working.

Ask yourself two important questions: Is the job right for me? Am I right for the job? Look at what energizes you, where you're uniquely qualified to contribute, what work doesn't belong to you, and what needs to change. A “no” doesn't automatically mean you need to leave. It may mean your role needs to be redesigned.

3. Your agency and joy live inside your hula hoop.

You can't control every organizational decision, your title, or how other people perceive you. But you can influence how you show up, what you prioritize, which relationships and expectations need resetting, and where you focus your energy. Start with the changes within your control and build a plan that allows you to do your best work.

The Hula Hoop Theory – Lori's framework for understanding what you can and cannot control. Your choices, priorities, identity, and approach to your work live inside your hula hoop.

The Leadership Reset Series – This four-part series explores team stress, putting work where it belongs, directing ambition toward what matters, and building a personal blueprint for a more sustainable leadership role.

Personal Retention Plan – A practical approach to identifying what needs to change in your current role so you can continue to grow and thrive rather than automatically deciding to leave.

Zone of Genius and Superpowers – Understanding the work you love, the strengths you bring, and the areas where your experience makes you uniquely qualified to contribute.

Deloitte and Gartner Leadership Research – Lori references research on executive turnover intentions and well-being to illustrate how widespread the struggle to remain in demanding leadership roles has become.

Is the job right for me? Am I right for the job?

What parts of my role energize me, and what parts leave me feeling depleted?

What work am I doing that doesn't belong to me, or that someone else may be better suited to handle?

What do I want to keep the same about my role, and what do I need to let go of?

Which relationships, expectations, or responsibilities need to be reset before I decide to leave?

• Women in senior corporate roles who are quietly wondering how much longer they can keep this up
• Leaders who love what they've built and want to stay, just not like this
• The woman everyone counts on to hold it all together, who has started to wonder what holds her

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram at @loripine to continue the conversation.

Visit loripine.com to learn more about Lori's coaching, retreats, and ways to work together.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast.

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show.

📲 Share this episode with a leader who is wondering whether leaving is the only way forward.

In pre-k I was voted most likely to become President of the United States. Ambition has been one of the greatest forces in my life. It pushed me to work hard, take risks, stretch myself, build a career, and keep asking what else was possible.

And I don't want less of it.

But I do believe ambition evolves.

After years of proving that you can do hard things, carry the load, achieve big things, and lead at a high level, there comes a point when the question changes. Instead of constantly asking “What’s next?”, we get to start asking “What’s worth it?”

In this episode, I’m talking about the difference between those two questions and how they can completely change the direction of your life and leadership. I walk you through five questions designed to help you understand what your ambition is actually chasing, whether you're pursuing achievement or meaning, and where your energy is going.

Because ambition isn't something you need to get rid of. It’s a gift. But as you evolve, you get to decide where you want to point it.

1. Ambition isn’t the problem — but it may need a new direction.

Early ambition can be about proving yourself, getting the promotion, earning recognition, and showing the world what you're capable of. But once you've already earned your seat at the table, ambition can evolve into something more intentional.

2. “What’s next?” and “What’s worth it?” are very different questions.

“What’s next?” keeps you focused on achievement, titles, money, recognition, and external markers. “What’s worth it?” asks what actually matters to you and where you want to invest your time and energy.

3. You get to choose where your ambition goes.

You may not control what sparks your energy, but you do have agency over where you spend it. The goal isn't to become less ambitious — it’s to make sure your ambition is taking you somewhere you actually want to go.

The Hula Hoop Theory:my framework for separating what is within your control from everything outside your hula hoop.

The Leadership Reset: my four-part series on leadership. Next week's finale is a practical one: building a personal retention plan for staying in a role you have designed on purpose.

What is my ambition actually chasing?

Am I chasing achievement or meaning?

What am I asking achievement to prove about me?

Where is my ambition taking my energy?

Is this still where I want to give my ambition?

Ambitious women who have spent years building successful careers and lives

High-achieving leaders who feel like their own drive may be exhausting them

Women questioning whether the next promotion, title, or achievement is actually what they want

Leaders ready to become more intentional about where they invest their energy

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram @loripine to continue the conversation.

Visit loripyne.com to learn more about Lori’s coaching, retreats, and ways to work together.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with an ambitious woman who might be asking, “What’s next?” when the better question might be, “What’s worth it?”

What do you do when your team is overwhelmed, overworked, and coming apart at the seams?

You take work off their plate for them, right? I mean, that might instinctively seem like an obvious answer. Or you might push everyone to work harder, optimize their time, and somehow get more done.

But what if there’s a third option?

In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when there is simply too much work moving through too few people — and why the answer isn’t always to work harder. Instead, we need to ask a different question: Who is best suited to do this work, and where does the work actually belong?

I share a story from my time as a VP running a billion-dollar sales team, when I learned that my greatest value wasn’t in doing the tactical work my team was already doing. My value was in the strategic thinking, identifying opportunities, and moving the business forward. I also share my “90% approach” — getting the work to 90%, then bringing in the people closest to the work to add what I couldn’t see.

Because great leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about knowing where you add the most value, trusting your team’s expertise, and creating enough space for everyone to do their best work.

1. Overload can be a routing problem.

When too much work is passing through too few people, the answer may not be to work harder. Look at who is best suited to do the work and where the work actually belongs.

2. Know your zone of genius.

As a leader, your job isn’t to go back and do the work you were once promoted for doing. Get clear on where you bring the greatest value, where you are energized, and where your strengths can move the business forward.

3. Get to 90%, then invite your team in.

You don't need to finish everything alone. Get clear on the direction, then ask your team: What am I missing? What would you add? What would you delete? This creates ownership, uses their expertise, and builds trust.

The 90% Approach – Lori’s practice of getting strategic work to 90% before bringing in her team to add their expertise, perspective, and knowledge.

Zone of Genius – Understanding where you, as a leader, add the most value and where your strengths, energy, and perspective are best used.

Ritz-Carlton – Lori references the well-known example of Ritz-Carlton empowering employees to resolve guest issues on the spot, illustrating what can happen when leaders trust their people to make decisions.

Positive Intent – The leadership practice of trusting that people are showing up each day intending to do the right thing and give their best.

What work are you currently doing that someone else may actually be better suited to own?

Where is your zone of genius, and are you spending enough of your time there?

What could you bring to 90% and then hand to your team by asking, “What am I missing? What would you add? What would you delete?”

What is one decision your team could make without you?

CEOs, executives, and leaders managing overloaded teams

Leaders who find themselves absorbing work instead of leading strategically

Managers who want to create more ownership and decision-making within their teams

High-achieving women who want to lead with more trust, clarity, and joy

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori at loripyne.com.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show.

📲 Share this episode with a leader who may be carrying work that doesn’t belong to them.

What if your team isn’t overwhelmed because they have too much work? What if they’re overwhelmed by the guessing?

Welcome to The Leadership Reset, a four-part series about what you carry, what you choose, what you pursue, and how you stay engaged. In Part 1, I'm starting with the issue I see most in the leaders I coach: ambiguity.

I once inherited a team that looked like it had a workload problem. Deadlines were slipping, work was overlapping, people were waiting on each other, and the finger pointing had started. The obvious fix was to ask for more resources. Instead, I stepped away from my desk.

What happened next is the heart of this episode.

We also dig into new research featured in Harvard Business Review on the three kinds of role stress, and why workload may not be the one weighing on your team the most.

You can't simply hire smart people, tell them to figure it out, and then judge the outcome. Clarity is your job. When your team knows what is expected, they finally have room to do their best work. That is where JOY at work starts. JOY is the strategy.

1. Your team may not have a workload problem.

When people look stressed, our instinct can be to move work around, add resources, or suggest time off. But role ambiguity and competing priorities can be just as damaging as having too much work.

2. Clear direction is a leadership responsibility.

You can’t tell smart, capable people to simply “figure it out” and then judge them when they make a decision without the information they needed. Leaders need to own the direction, expectations, priorities, and decision-making.

3. You have to slow down to speed up.

The thinking work may not be visible, but it is essential. When you protect time to get clear, map responsibilities, define priorities, and decide what matters, your team can execute faster and with greater confidence.

• "Research: Work Stress Isn't Always About Workload" by Gargi Sawhney and Mallory McCord, Harvard Business Review, September 2026: https://hbr.org/2026/09/research-work-stress-isnt-always-about-workload
• Role overload, role conflict, and role ambiguity: the three types of role stress
• Kobe Bryant's line, "You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.”
• The Five-Mile Walk – Lori’s personal example of stepping away from the noise, moving her body, and using that space to map out her team’s roles and responsibilities.

• Where is my team guessing right now?
• When did I last make time for the thinking work my leadership role requires?
• What is one thing I’ve been keeping big because committing feels risky?
• Who owns what, who decides, and what does good actually look like?
• What priorities do I need to make crystal clear for my team?

• CEOs, executives, and leaders managing teams
• Managers whose teams seem overwhelmed, stuck, or unclear
• Leaders dealing with missed deadlines, duplicated work, or unclear ownership
• Leaders who want their teams to move from guessing and waiting to confident execution
• High-achieving leaders who need to make more space for strategic thinking
• Anyone who wants to create more clarity, confidence, and joy at work

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

• Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com
• Explore Lori’s coaching, community, and retreats at loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with a leader who needs a little more clarity—and a little less guessing.

What if the people around you aren't disengaged, careless, or pulling away? Specifically, what if the people who work for you are actually doing their absolute best? In this episode, I'm talking about the power of positive intent and how simply changing the story we tell ourselves about other people can completely change the way we lead.

I share a conversation with a CEO client who noticed that when budgets and timelines got tight, his anxiety would kick in and he would become more reactive and start micromanaging. The problem was that he was interpreting short replies and lack of response from his team as apathy, when in reality, they were heads down doing the very work he was so worried about.

Positive intent isn't about being naive or ignoring problems. It's about starting from the belief that the people you hired, your team, your partner, your friends, and the people you love are likely trying to do their very best.

1. Your assumptions shape how you lead.

When pressure rises, it’s easy to interpret silence, short replies, or delays as a lack of investment. But the story you create in your head may not be the truth.

2. Positive intent can interrupt the cycle of reactivity and micromanagement.

When you trust that your people are trying to do good work, you create space for them to work from motivation rather than fear of your reaction.

3. Pause before creating a story about someone else.

The next time someone goes quiet or their response feels short, ask: What would I assume if I believed this person had positive intent and was doing their absolute best right now?

• Positive Intent – The leadership practice of assuming that the people around you are showing up with good intentions and doing their best.
• The CEO Client Story – A client noticed that pressure around budgets and timelines caused him to become reactive and micromanage his team.
• Motivation vs. Fear – The difference between having a team that works from motivation and one that works out of fear of their leader’s reaction.
• The Story We Create – How short replies, silence, or unanswered messages can lead us to make assumptions that may not reflect what is actually happening.

• Where have you assumed someone stopped caring when they might simply be overwhelmed or focused on solving a problem?
• What story are you creating about someone based on their silence or a short response?
• What would you assume about this person if you believed they had positive intent and were doing their absolute best right now?

• CEOs, executives, and leaders managing teams
• Managers who find themselves becoming reactive or micromanaging under pressure
• Leaders who want to build teams motivated by trust rather than fear
• Anyone looking to communicate and lead with more awareness, curiosity, and joy

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation

• Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who’s navigating pressure and wants to do it with more grace

In this episode, I’m calling myself out. We all do this: judge people before we actually know them. You walk into a meeting, meet someone new, and within seconds you’ve decided whether they’re capable, trustworthy, professional, or someone you want on your team. We like to call it intuition, but sometimes it’s simply our brain taking a shortcut with almost no information to go on.

I bring in Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, including the Warren Harding error and our strange habit of linking physical appearances (height) with leadership ability. I also tell you about the day someone joined my team and my first reaction was, “Ew, who picked him?” The important part wasn’t my first thought—it was what came next: “What am I missing?”

This episode is an invitation to catch your judgments, question them, and give people enough space for your second thought to know more than your first one did.

Your First Thought Is Not a Fact

• We size people up in seconds, long before we have enough information to actually know them.
• That snap reaction gets shaped by our own history, our insecurities, and whatever mood we walked in with.
• The leadership skill isn't eliminating judgment. It's catching it and choosing what you do next.

Replace Judgment With Curiosity

• My first reaction to a new team member and how I actually experienced him later were two completely different stories.
• Instead of letting that first impression become the final word, I asked, "What am I missing?"
• Curiosity buys people the time to show you who they really are.

The Box You Put Someone In Costs Everyone

• When a leader judges fast, that opinion carries weight. It shapes how the rest of the team sees that person too.
• Someone who feels boxed in stops bringing their ideas, their energy, and their full self to the room.
• Before you make it permanent, ask yourself: “How would I want to be treated in this situation?”

• Malcolm Gladwell's Blink — his research on snap judgments and the unconscious assumptions running the show underneath our decisions.
• The Warren Harding Error — judging someone's capability by how they look instead of what they can actually do.
• The CEO Height Example — how something as simple as height quietly shapes who we assume is fit to lead.
• The "Mr. Chipper" Story — my own real time lesson that my first reaction to someone wasn't the truth.
• September Reset — my personal invitation to clear the slate after summer and take stock of the judgments you're carrying into the last months of 2026.

• Who have you judged in about five seconds flat?
• Did a first impression quietly become a permanent verdict?
• What might you be missing?
• Where could curiosity replace judgment this week?
• Is someone on your team holding back because they feel you've already boxed them in?
• How would you want to be treated if you were the one who made a rough first impression?
• Who might deserve a second look?

• Leaders ready to get honest about their blind spots
• Managers walking into a new team, or welcoming someone new to theirs
• High achieving women who want more curiosity and less snap judgment in how they lead
• Anyone who has made, or been on the receiving end of, a bad first impression
• Leaders who want their team to feel safe enough to show up as themselves

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram to continue the conversation.

• Explore Lori’s coaching, retreats, and community at loripine.com
• Consider joining Lori’s upcoming Hudson Valley retreat, October 14–16, for women ready to think differently about leadership and bring more joy into how they lead.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder to pause, take inventory, and trust what’s unfolding

In this inspiring conversation, Lori sits down with Heather Bell, CEO of the Orange County Chamber, to talk about resilience, leadership, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Heather shares the winding path that brought her to leadership—from being a single mom who went back to school at 30, to building a career at Heineken, taking a leap into entrepreneurship, leading at the YMCA, and eventually stepping into the CEO role at the Chamber during the chaos of 2020. Four years later, the Chamber was named New York State’s Chamber of the Year.

But this episode isn’t just about professional success. It’s about knowing when to take a risk, surrounding yourself with the right people, building a team instead of trying to do everything yourself, and leading with compassion without compromising accountability.

If you’re building a business, leading a team, or wondering what your next chapter could look like, this conversation is full of reminders that resilience, connection, and knowing your “why” can change everything.

You Don’t Build a Career or Business Alone

Heather’s journey is a powerful reminder of the importance of mentors, connections, and knowing when to ask for help. From leaders who saw potential in her to hiring the right people as an entrepreneur, she learned that success isn’t about doing everything yourself—it’s about surrounding yourself with people who can help you grow.

Resilient Leadership Means Knowing When to Adapt

When Heather stepped into the CEO role, the Chamber was struggling financially and lacked a clear vision. She created a 90-day plan, rebuilt the team, focused on delivering real value, and stayed committed through the challenges. Four years later, the Chamber was named New York State’s Chamber of the Year.

Joy Comes From Knowing Your Why—and Lifting Others Up

For Heather, joyful leadership means loving what you do, knowing who you’re doing it for, and seeing the impact of your work. She finds particular joy in watching her team grow and succeed, believing that great leaders don’t need to be the center of everything—they create space for others to shine.

• Orange County Chamber – Heather’s work building membership, partnerships, programs, and community impact.
• Heineken USA – Where Heather began developing her corporate relations, government affairs, and community relations experience.
• YMCA – Heather’s leadership experience, including Executive Prep Institute and growing programs by 80%.
• Chamber Grow – Heather’s entrepreneurial success program, designed to help business owners understand the value of investing in support and professional expertise.
• Launchpad Program – A business academy for graduating seniors interested in entrepreneurship, culminating in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition with a $5,000 prize.
• Women Mean Business – A Chamber initiative focused on Mentoring, Empowerment, Authenticity, and Networking.
• New York State Chamber of the Year – The prestigious recognition the Orange County Chamber received after Heather’s leadership helped transform the organization.

• Where are you trying to do everything yourself instead of asking for help?
• Who are the mentors who helped you become the leader you are today?
• Are you leading people—or simply managing tasks?
• Where could you create more space for your team to step up?
• What is your “why,” and is your current work actually answering it?

• Entrepreneurs who are trying to grow without burning themselves out
• CEOs and leaders building stronger, more empowered teams
• Women navigating a career pivot or second act
• Business owners learning when to delegate and invest in support
• Leaders who want to build with compassion, resilience, and purpose
• Anyone wondering what their next chapter could look like

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation

• Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who’s navigating pressure and wants to do it with more grace

In this episode, I’m checking in halfway through the Fire Horse year and reflecting on the intentions I set back in February: to speak more and move my body more. Six months later, I can see those intentions have unfolded in ways I never expected—from speaking at Google and being invited back to Harvard, to growing The Connect, hosting my first retreat, and becoming stronger both physically and emotionally.

I also share what I’ve been seeing with my clients—women stepping into dream opportunities, leaving rooms that no longer fit, taking time to rest, and building something new. This episode is really an invitation to pause and take inventory: What has changed in your life since February that you never could have predicted? Sometimes the next right step is all we need to take before life starts surprising us.

Your Intentions May Be Bigger Than You Think

• Lori reflects on how her two simple intentions, speaking more and moving her body more, ended up representing something much deeper.
• Speaking became about sharing her truth and years of hard earned wisdom, while movement became about moving energy and becoming stronger emotionally and physically.
• Audience follow-up → Go back to the intentions you set earlier this year. What might they actually be asking of you now?

You Don't Need Ten Priorities

• Lori revisits the idea that a high energy year requires focus, not an endless list of goals.
• Her approach was to choose two priorities and stay intentional about taking the next step.
• Audience follow-up → If you could only focus on two things for the rest of the year, what would they be?

Sometimes You Need to Rest Before You Sprint

• One of Lori's clients took an entire year away from work and is now choosing between two dream senior level opportunities.
• Another accelerated her corporate exit and moved into consulting while building a business of her own.
• Audience follow-up → Where might rest, space, or a pause actually be preparing you for your next move?

The Room You're In Shapes What You Believe Is Possible (revised header)

• Lori shares the story of a client who left a larger company for a smaller organization where her creativity, diversity, and thinking are truly valued.
• Another client finally declared that it was time to leave, and that decision expanded what she believed was possible.
• Audience follow-up → Are you in a room that recognizes and values what you bring?

Pay Attention to What Has Changed

• Six months can create an enormous amount of movement when you consistently take the next right step.
• Lori encourages you to look beyond the goals you remember and notice the unexpected ways your intentions may already be showing up.
• Audience follow-up → What has changed in your life since February that you couldn't have predicted?

• The Fire Horse Year – Lori’s reflection on the rare energy and intensity associated with this lunar year.
• Speaking More & Moving More – Lori’s two personal intentions for the year and how they evolved beyond their original meaning.
• The Connect – Lori’s community for women, which has grown largely through referrals.
• The Connect Retreat – Lori’s Hudson Valley retreat and the powerful response from the women who attended.
• The Next Right Step – Lori’s reminder that intentional action doesn't require knowing exactly where everything will lead.

• What intentions did you set at the beginning of the year?
• What has happened since then that you never could have predicted?
• Where are you stronger than you were six months ago?
• Do you need to sprint right now—or do you need to rest?
• Are you currently in a room that values what you bring?
• What would happen if you trusted your next right step?

• Ambitious women reflecting on their goals and direction
• Leaders navigating a season of change or transition
• Women who feel like they’ve lost sight of their original intentions
• High-achievers who need permission to slow down and reassess
• Anyone looking for more joy, movement, and possibility in the second half of the year

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram to continue the conversation.

• Explore Lori’s coaching, retreats, and community at loripine.com
• Consider joining Lori’s upcoming Hudson Valley retreat, October 14–16, for women ready to think differently about leadership and bring more joy into how they lead.

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a five-star review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder to pause, take inventory, and trust what’s unfolding