The Transition Podcast

What if the moment that knocked you back is where your best idea is waiting?

In this episode, Marie explores what happens after a setback. Drawing on Amy Shoenthal's book The Setback Cycle, she walks through the four phases of moving through a setback (establish, embrace, explore and emerge) and why, as Shoenthal puts it, the aftermath of a setback is when we come up with our best ideas.

With the image of a caterpillar's metamorphosis and three simple questions to ask yourself, this conversation is a reminder that our feelings after a setback don't mean we're stuck. They mean we're changing.

If life has recently knocked you off course, this episode is for you.

📖 Referenced:

Amy Shoenthal (2024), The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward, Post Hill Press: https://posthillpress.com/book/7842-2

Lieberman, M. D. et al. (2007), 'Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli', Psychological Science: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17576282/

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit:

🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

Some traditions grow up with us. 🎃

In this Halloween bonus episode, Marie shares where Halloween comes from: the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, All Hallows' Eve, and how Irish and Scottish immigrants carried the tradition to North America, where turnip lanterns became pumpkins.

She remembers discovering Halloween in her early teens, the sense of community it gave her, and how, living abroad in Greece, American families created their own trunk-or-treat so their children wouldn't miss out. Because when something is not the way we want it, we create our own reality.

As her children grew into adults, the tradition grew with them: from trick-or-treating to building haunted houses for the younger ones. And what impressed them most was the people: neighbors walking down the street, greeting each other, welcoming everyone to come as they are, or as whoever they imagine themselves to be.

This is an episode about our transition as humans: from the carefree years to becoming more conscious of each other, through kindness, community and generosity. Because even sharing an experience is a gift that someone will cherish forever.

Which tradition in your life has grown up with you?

📘 If you'd like more holiday workbooks, you can email Marie at [email protected].

📖 Referenced:

Smithsonian Magazine, Halloween Owes Its Tricks and Treats to the Ancient Celtic New Year's Eve: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/halloween-owes-its-tricks-and-treats-celtic-new-years-eve-180960944/

Library of Congress, Headlines and Heroes (2021), The Origins of Halloween Traditions: https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/

National Geographic, The history of American jack-o'-lanterns: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-twisted-transatlantic-tale-of-american-jack-o-lanterns

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit:

🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

What if hope isn't something you wait to feel… but something you can practise?

In this episode, Marie explores hope as a skill. Drawing on psychologist C. R. Snyder's research, she shares the two parts of hope, the "ways" and the "will", and three small practices you can start today: name one goal, find two possible paths, and take one tiny step.

She shares the people who keep hope alive in her life: a husband who calms every fear, a mother who taught her to "pretend to live in the movies" until hard times pass, and a father whose simple trick still works on difficult days. Plus a client who arrived without a word and is now thriving.

If you're in the middle of a transition and can't yet see where it leads, this episode is for you. You don't need to see the whole path. Only the next right step.

📖 Referenced:

Snyder, C. R. et al. (1991), 'The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.570

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit:

🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

You're invited. 🌿

The Next Chapter is a live online workshop with Marie for anyone standing at the edge of something new: a new job, a new country, a setback, or simply the feeling that one chapter is ending and another is about to begin.

In two hours, in a small group, we'll move through the four phases of every transition: establish, embrace, explore and emerge, inspired by Amy Shoenthal's book The Setback Cycle. You'll leave with your next three steps, a simple 30-day plan and your own workbook.

Every workshop is made to measure: for teams and companies, new mothers, the newly retired, new business owners, a bachelorette party, or anyone getting ready for something that takes courage. Join an upcoming workshop, or book The Next Chapter for your own group.

📧 Write to [email protected] for dates and details.

📖 Referenced:

Amy Shoenthal (2024), The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward, Post Hill Press: https://posthillpress.com/book/7842-2

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit:

🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

Never put your head down.

What happens when life moves from healthy… to not so much?

In this episode, Marie talks about one of the transitions none of us choose: illness. Not with sadness, but with hope.

She shares the story of her father, Nick, a world traveler who left home at fifteen, makes the best Parmigiana, and taught her to 'never put your head down', as he faces cancer one day at a time. She talks about her mother, a soft-spoken powerhouse in the 'sandwich generation', about flying in from three countries to "ring the bell" for a dear friend in Croatia by surrounding her with love, and about a community in Athens that replaced hostess gifts with a care box for a friend who is homebound.

We explore the tradition of ringing the bell at the end of cancer treatment, research showing that a sense of purpose is linked to a longer life, and why caregiving, for all its challenges, can also bring meaning, closeness, and growth.

If you're fighting an illness, caring for someone who is, or simply need a reminder to celebrate the small moments, this conversation is for you.

📖 Referenced:

MD Anderson Cancer Center, 'Ringing the bell marks a milestone in cancer treatment'

Hill, P. L. & Turiano, N. A. (2014), 'Purpose in life as a predictor of mortality across adulthood', Psychological Science

Roth, D. L., Fredman, L. & Haley, W. E. (2015), 'Informal caregiving and its impact on health: A reappraisal from population-based studies', The Gerontologist

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit:

🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

Why do people really leave their jobs?

Not always for money.

Research from MIT Sloan Management Review found that toxic culture was ten times more powerful than compensation in predicting whether employees would leave...and that simple, everyday disrespect does as much damage as anything else.

In this episode, Marie reflects on a conversation between Brené Brown and Barrett Guillen about this research and shares the story of a woman Alleiram who gave twenty years of loyalty, skill, and kindness to her workplace, only to discover how little it was valued when she asked for a fair goodbye.

We explore the "golden unicorns": long-serving, curious employees whose knowledge and care can't be replaced, and why kindness is not a soft skill, but a leadership skill.

If you've ever felt unseen at work, or if you lead others and want to build a place where people can grow, this conversation is for you.

📖 Referenced:

Why Every Leader Needs to Worry About Toxic Culture — MIT Sloan Management Review: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-every-leader-needs-to-worry-about-toxic-culture/

Brené Brown podcast episode: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/why-every-leader-needs-to-worry-about-toxic-culture/

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit:

🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

What happens after the door closes?

After the announcement. After the last day. After the keysare handed back.

In this episode, Marie shares the story of Celine, a brilliant, generous professional who returned to corporate life after becoming an empty nester, won over every client she met, and was then let go for 'taking up too much space.'

Drawing on William Bridges' three stages of transition(endings, the neutral zone, and new beginnings) and research showing that social rejection activates the same parts of the brain as physical pain, we explore why losing a job hurts so deeply, why it's okay to grieve the small things, and how anger can become the energy for something new.

Because sometimes you weren't too much. The room was too small.

If you've recently been let go, pushed out, or made redundant, or if you're standing in that uncomfortable in-between, this conversation is for you.

📖 Referenced:

William Bridges, Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes

Kross, E. et al. (2011), 'Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain', PNAS

Have a transition story of your own? Or interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 Email: [email protected]

To learn more about Marie's work or book a private session, visit: 🌍 www.GlobalExceptional.com

How much energy are you spending on things you can't control?

In this episode, Marie explores the difference between reacting to life and actively participating in it. Through personal stories from her early years in Greece, including an unexpected lesson in cultural integration and a humorous taxi adventure, she shares how curiosity, adaptability, and perspective can help us move from frustration to possibility.

If you've ever found yourself overthinking, blaming, feeling stuck, or repeating the same strategy despite getting the same results, this conversation is for you.

It's a reminder that while we may not control every situation, we do have the power to choose our response.

And sometimes, that choice is where transformation begins.

If this episode resonates with you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit from hearing it.

Have a transition story of your own? Interested in being a guest on The Transition Podcast?

📧 [email protected]

🌍 GlobalExceptional.com

Transitions can leave us feeling stuck, overwhelmed,uncertain, or emotionally exhausted. Yet one of the most powerful tools available to us is something we often overlook: walking.

In this guided walking meditation, we'll explore howmovement helps shift not only our bodies but also our thoughts, emotions, and perspective. Sometimes the next step isn't finding the perfect answer.Sometimes it's simply taking the next step with your feet.

Whether you're walking through a forest, along a beach,in a city park, or simply imagining nature from the comfort of your home, this episode will help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and create space for clarity.

So put on your walking shoes, take a breath, andlet's begin.

for more info head down to www.globalexceptional.com

What if transition isn't something that happens to us?

What if transition is what life actually is?

In this episode, Marie explores the true meaning oftransition, from its Latin origins to modern psychology, from energy and resilience to the messy middle that so many of us find ourselves navigating.

If you've ever felt lost, uncertain, stuck, or afraid ofwhat's next, this episode is a reminder that you may not be broken.

You may simply be crossing a threshold.

For more information head down to www.globalexceptional.com