The Prosperous Empath® Podcast

As we are getting close to 100 episodes of the show, I'm feeling so reflective of the synergies and similar stories that I've heard time and time again during our guest episodes on the show. There's a couple of topics that are super important that I want to take the time to speak to because they feel like breakthroughs that empaths need to overcome in order to prosper. Specifically, I'm thinking of burnout, boundaries, and energy management. Today I want to focus on burnout because it is so worth talking about. Something I have so appreciated in hearing the stories and the journeys of some of our guests over the past two years is that their experience with burnout provided such an invaluable doorway to their success. I've found that oftentimes, the burnout experience can create a no looking back, opportunity to break through, to turn a corner, to start a new chapter, and ultimately to pave the way for success. I think that's why I've created such a beautiful, surrendered experience for myself with reaching burnout, but also being with clients when they're in their moments of burnout or breakdown. So listen to this episode to hear how you can focus your efforts to avoid giver burnout and cultivate more energy all the while prioritizing your own ambition and intentions.

Topics:

• Catherine's first experience with burnout while she was a student, volunteering in the Peace Corps and and working and how she's taken lessons learned from this into her coaching practice
• The two types of giver burnout – physical/well-being and relationship – and being mindful of the energy and relationships you may be attracting
• The importance of receiving positive feedback and seeing the impact of your efforts so that you don't feel taken advantage of and exhausted as a giver
• The difference between "other-ish" and "selfless" givers and where to focus your efforts to avoid burnout while managing your ambition

Episode Resources:

• Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

I've been reflecting on my journey of growing my business as an empath and came across an interesting question: What sets apart empathpreneurs who prosper from those who fail? The hard truth is that empaths are not always successful. They have a tendency to give too much, sustain their business with self-sacrifice, and burn out. But what I noticed is that empathpreneurs who succeed always have a breakthrough in their capacity to receive. They're the ones being vulnerable and asking for help when they need it instead of trying to do everything by themselves. So, how do you become better at receiving both in your personal relationships and at work? I'm sharing my best strategies on this episode of The Prosperous Empath®.

Topics:

• The idea that empaths have to use different strategies and approaches to grow their business than non-empaths and how to use your empathic tendencies to your advantage
• The one seemingly-simple reason why some empaths fail and others prosper (backed by research)
• Catherine's best strategies to ask for help more directly, simply, and openheartedly
• Cultivating self-honor, getting clear on what you need, and becoming a prosperous giver

Episode Resources:

• Give and Take by Adam Grant

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

In this solo episode, I'm continuing the series on the foundational conversations I've had with all of my clients - as well as myself - as an empathpreneur. Many people talk about self-care and taking time to rest, but the truth is that it's not easy to slow down. When things are going well in life and business, you may want to lean into that and pack your agenda with even more exciting things to do. In turn, when you find yourself in a bit of a slump, slowing down is challenging because you feel undeserving of resting. I've been there, and I'm focusing this episode on the importance of cultivating space in your schedule. I hope that after you finish listening, you'll feel inspired to build a spacious life because it's a gift that keeps on giving.

Topics:

• Catherine's personal experience with workaholism, constantly getting sick, and making the commitment to honor herself & her spacious schedule
• Recognizing negative patterns such as time scarcity and false urgency to overcome chronic overwhelm
• The idea that you need to slow down in order to speed up
• Getting to the root cause of why you need to always stay busy
• How to cultivate spaciousness in both your mind and schedule

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

As you're listening to this episode, I'll be on maternity leave learning to take care of our new baby which is just wild to think about. But, as I prepare for my leave, I have been thinking about what I want to share with you during that time. What am I wanting to bring more voice and power to? What has been really speaking to me is that I want to share more about some of the mindset work that I do with clients because I want you to have a little more access to some of the power and transformation that coaching can open up regardless of wherever you are on your own journey. So these next couple of solo episodes will dive into a different facet of this work that I love. Starting with this idea of "being" and "doing". As an ambitious empath, I've come to deeply appreciate the importance of balancing being and doing in my entrepreneurial journey. I've learned that overemphasizing doing can lead to disconnection from our intuitive wisdom and emotional intelligence. By grounding in our essential being, we can tap into our creative potential, make more intentional choices, and experience more joy and fulfillment in our lives. Throughout this episode, I'm sharing six practices you can implement today to strengthen the muscle of balancing being and doing in entrepreneurship. I hope they're helpful for you!

Topics:

• Why the words "being" and "doing" have come to represent the essence of Catherine's work as a coach and is at the core of her own journey of healing, growth, and transformation
• How hyperfocusing on on doing can more viscerally impact empaths and HSPs in a negative way because we aren't leveraging our gifts
• Overcoming our unwillingness to sit with the fear we feel when we try something new and instead slowing down and meeting our own emotions for more calm and clarity
• Six practices you can implement today to strengthen the muscle of balancing being and doing in entrepreneurship

Episode Resources:

• Leader As Healer: New Paradigm For 21st Century Leadership by Nicholas Janni

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

On this solo episode of The Prosperous Empath® Podcast, I'm diving into a topic that's been a huge part of my personal development journey over the past decade: navigating overwhelm. As an ambitious empath, you're likely a high achiever - someone who likes to do things well (or even perfectly) and holds themselves to a high standard. As a result, you may often get overwhelmed and need to find ways to manage or regulate your nervous system. I'm sharing my personal story about how I transformed my relationship with overwhelm as well as five powerful practices you can use to start feeling your feelings without being owned by them.

Topics:

• Catherine's personal experience with overwhelm and how one conversation changed the trajectory of her entire life
• Five powerful practices that helped Catherine and her clients redefine their relationship with overwhelm and stop being disempowered by it
• The power of venting and how to use humor to manage overwhelm as an empath
• Leveraging overwhelm as a signal and creating a distinct experience for yourself
• How to ask for support when you're overwhelmed

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

I'm so excited to have a conversation with Shana James, a relationship coach and author with 20+ years of experience facilitating workshops on communication, mindfulness, psychology, and sensuality. Shana uses her gifts of empathy and compassion to support men and help them connect to themselves and their potential. In our society, men have a lot of power, but they also suffer alone and often struggle with emotional intimacy. As a result, they become more likely to harm themselves (suicide rates for men are three to four times higher than for women) and others. In our conversation, Shana and I dive deep into the nuances that are often lost in translation in heterosexual relationships to answer important questions: What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be human together? If you have a male figure in your life, listen to this conversation to learn more about using empathy for more understanding, connection, and meaning.

Topics:

• Shana's experiences and motivations as the rare female coach who works primarily with men
• How to start seeing and understanding men behind the masks and facades of traditional masculinity
• Living beyond gender stereotypes and recognizing that many men want more emotional intimacy and connection in their relationships
• Moving beyond shame, blame, and fear and creating emotional safety in your relationships and communities
• How to connect beyond past resentments and start applying the nuggets of wisdom from our conversation to your real life

Episode Resources:

• Honest Sex: A Passionate Path to Deepen Connection and Keep Relationships Alive by Shana James
• Redefining Masculinity: A Conversation on Men's Work and Vulnerability with Bob Conlin & Alex Terranova

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

This is the second episode of a two part series where I'm sharing the top 13 self-leadership books that have changed my life and the trajectory of my business. If you haven't already, go back and listen to last week's episode! It's linked below. Now, I talk about this a lot, but as coaches who are truly committed to our own craft, we can only go and grow with clients to the degree that we are willing to evolve with ourselves first. I understand that if I haven't had an insight or a breakthrough in my own personal journey in a specific area, then I will never see or be able to reflect that same gap in a client. In this episode, I'm sharing some of the top books that have helped me unlock new insights, deeper learnings and levels of self awareness and spiritual development in the realm of relationships, overcoming resistance, and money mindset. Again, if you pick up one of these books, I'd love to hear from you! I truly believe that these books have the possibility to change your life, and I hope you enjoy them.

Topics:

• The reminder that it doesn't require anyone else in our lives to be different in order for us to create a different experience of life

• Why shifting your relationship to habits is the number one key that will support you in creating consistency and other lessons from Atomic Habits

• Learning to recognize the synchronicities and similarities of your desires and how they are aligned to connect the why with the want using insights from Worthy

• Knowing that we continually upper limit when we're committed to our own growth and how to overcome them using resources from The Big Leap

• Why The Four Agreements is one of Catherine's favorite, most highly recommended books and the importance of not taking everything and everyone so darn personally

• How Drop the Ball teaches us to (re)design the partnership/marriage that we want, that works for both parties

• The necessity of tuning into your body's knowing and internal wisdom to increase trust in yourself for easier decision making from The Body Keeps the Score

• How Living Nonviolent Communication shows us that we have to first connect with ourselves and our own tragically unmet needs to create authentic intimacy in our relationships

Episode Resources:

• Listen: 13 Self-Leadership Books that Changed My Life (Part 1)

• Listen: Dreaming and Manifesting for Sensitive Empaths Living in a Loud World

• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

• Worthy: Boost Your Self-Worth to Grow Your Net Worth by Nancy Levin

• The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks

• The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

• Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany Dufu

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

• Living Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.

• Website

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Welcome back to the Prosperous Empath®, during today's episode, I'm excited to share with you some of the books that have completely unlocked new perspectives, levels of growth, transformed experiences in my relationships, with my finances, and have ultimately made the biggest difference for me in business and life over the past decade. Each of the books are either related to relationships, money mindset, or overcoming resistance. I'll be sharing the top 13 books, but breaking them into a two-part series so make sure you're subscribed to the show to be reminded of next week's episode. Now, something I really appreciate about personal development books, leadership books, and self-help books is that some people can be empowered by them, and others not so much... If you are someone who uses personal development books to justify why you are where you are, consider not listening to this episode because I don't want to provide more fuel to that fire. But if you're willing to check your own assumptions and start questioning some of the bounds of what's possible for you and the people in your life, then listen on. After listening, let me know which book you are adding to your TBR!

Topics:

• How we can intellectualize ourselves out of changing our lives and the role that books can play in this

• The way our capacity to receive is indicative of the internal work we have to do to transform our external reality

• Using Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay to help you decide if your current romantic relationship is for you or not and cultivate more personal growth

• Reading Calling in the One when you're ready to do the work and welcome in a new romantic partner into your life, including Cat's favorite feng shui exercises

• Disentangling the way you self sabotage and the ways in which we all self sabotage and hold ourselves back from making our dreams a reality using The War of Art

• Why Cat believes you need to have the basics in place with your business finances in order to really leverage and scale your money mindset and how Profit First can help you do this

• Transforming your relationship with money and believing the good that it can do in the world in order to accrue more of it using Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

• Uncovering the common characteristics of millionaires in The Millionaire Next Door and how you can apply them to your own life to call in more wealth

Episode Resources:

• Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Decide Whether to Stay In or Get Out of Your Relationship by Mira Kirshenbaum

• Calling in the One: 7 Weeks to Attract the Love of Your Life by Katherine Woodward Thomas

• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

• Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz

• Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Ecker

• The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley and William Danko

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.

• Website

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

This week on The Prosperous Empath® Podcast, I'm having a conversation with Julie Bjelland, a Highly Sensitive, Autistic, LGBTQ+ Licensed Psychotherapist, author, and founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community. Julie specializes in high sensitivity and adult-diagnosed autism in women, helping them reach their fullest potential and excel in their unique talents. She shares her own story of understanding autism, unmasking her authentic self, and how it allowed her to replace the feelings of being flawed with deep self-compassion. Our conversation doesn't only apply to autism. We talk about the freedom that comes with embracing your quirky and unique self so you can thrive - whether you're empathetic, highly sensitive, or autistic. This episode is for anyone who wants to learn how to take better care of themselves and accept themselves as they naturally are instead of trying to fit the mold.

Topics:

• Julie's story of self-discovery as an adult-diagnosed autistic woman and how embracing her diagnosis changed her life and the trajectory of her business

• The importance of self-compassion and how to love & embrace your authentic self

• The joy of unmasking yourself, following your light, and recognizing your natural patterns

• Learning to follow your energy and prioritize your intuition instead of a to-do list as a neurodivergent entrepreneur

• Building a business out of the box and making it work for you & your values

Episode Resources:

• Join us on Monday, August 5th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empathpreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Community for deep connections and meaningful support.

• Author Katherine May

• Free Autism Quiz

• Guide for Understanding Autism in Women

• The Adventures of Niko the Highly Sensitive Dog

• Free Self-Compassion Video

Connect with Julie:

• Website

• LinkedIn

• Instagram: @hsp.psychotherapist

• Facebook

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.

• Website

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Regina Carey joins me on The Prosperous Empath® this week for a truly heart-centered conversation about neurodivergence and how it is often interconnected with being an empath and/or HSP. Regina is a special ed teacher turned Executive Coach who has spent the last three decades educating, empowering, and advocating for those who feel stuck, yet long to take that next great leap. Recently, she returned from an adventurous trip to Machu Picchu and shares her experience of how saying yes to physical challenges has helped her balance intense emotions as an empath. But something I deeply appreciate about this conversation are Regina's insights on neurodivergence, especially ADHD, and the importance of managing energy and advocating for oneself. Regina reflects on her upbringing and the influence of the women in her life, emphasizing the need to break patterns of burnout and dis-ease to live authentically. This episode is for anyone who is neurodivergent (or loves someone who is) and is seeking energetic balance in their life. Tune in for actionable steps on thriving more as an ambitious empath.

Topics:

• How recognizing energy is everything is the thing that has made the biggest difference for Regina in thriving as a Prosperous Empath®

• What "micro-recoveries" are, why they are better than self-care and how they can help you stay in positive, balanced energy

• The connection between neurodivergence, empathy, high sensitivity, and entrepreneurship and how you as a coach, friend, or partner can support

• Understanding common comorbidities of neurodivergence and how you, as a coach or service-provider, can support your clients in being understood

• Learning how to advocate for yourself and use your voice to ask for what you need, avoid overwhelm and foster more processing time

• Why, as empaths, we must learn to care less about what others think of us in order to find and pursue our own purpose in life

Episode Resources:

• Join us on Monday, August 5th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empathpreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Community for deep connections and meaningful support.

• Listen: Philippa Robinson on Balancing High Sensation Seeking and Being an HSP

• Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell M.D. and John J. Ratey M.D.

• A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden

Connect with Regina:

• Website

• Instagram: @coachmecarey

• LinkedIn

• Facebook

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.

• Website

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.