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What happens when your body forces you to stop before you're ready? 

In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with entrepreneur and business owner John de Jong to explore how two unexpected pauses completely changed the course of his life, leadership, and business. 

The first came after a ruptured appendix nearly cost him his life. 

At the time, John was a sales manager in the automotive industry, working long hours in a high-performance culture where showing up mattered more than personal well-being. 

Even while recovering from major surgery, the pressure to return to work never stopped. 

That experience became the turning point that led him to leave a successful career, buy a small business, and redefine what leadership would look like for himself and the people around him. 

Years later, another pause arrived. 

When COVID shut down businesses across Canada, John was forced to lay off his entire team and rethink how his company could continue serving clients in a completely different world. 

That challenge led him beyond signs and marketing into helping businesses become discoverable online through SEO, Google Business Profiles, and now AI search. 

This conversation explores: 

• recognizing when your body is telling you it's time to pause
 • why respect is one of the most overlooked leadership qualities
 • leaving a successful career to build a business around your values
 • how COVID created a second opportunity to reinvent the business
 • the evolution from SEO to AI-powered search
 • why human experience still matters in an AI-driven world
 • building a business that supports your life instead of consuming it
 • the hidden cost of ignoring your own well-being 

John also shares why entrepreneurship helped him regain control of his life after struggling with depression, and how creating a business rooted in service transformed the way he thinks about success. 

More importantly, this episode explores something deeper: 

The cost isn't pressing pause. 

The cost is waiting until life makes the decision for you. 

If you're a founder, executive, entrepreneur, or leader who feels constant pressure to keep pushing forward, this conversation is a reminder that your greatest leadership advantage may come from knowing when to stop. 

Key Themes: 

Leadership Presence • Entrepreneurial Leadership • Strategic Pause • Burnout Prevention • Leadership Under Pressure • Mental Health • Business Reinvention • AI & Search • Values-Based Leadership • Creating Time  

Connect with John de Jong: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-de-jong-alleykat/ 

Website: https://igetyoufound.com/  

Connect with Ellen Williams: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/ 

Website: https://thesalientstrategist.com/ 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/  

Subscribe to Time to Press Pause for more real conversations about leadership, growth, presence, and creating time for what matters most. 

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What happens when the business you built suddenly forces you to stop?

In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with entrepreneur and agency founder Adam Hamadache to explore how an unexpected pause during COVID completely changed the way he approached leadership, business systems, and sustainable growth.

At the time, Adam’s company was thriving. 

Revenue was growing, the team was expanding, and everything looked successful from the outside.

But underneath the surface, the business was operating in constant reaction mode.

Then the world paused.

What started as a short trip to Australia with his family quickly turned into a five-month lockdown experience that forced Adam to step back and see his business  and himself differently.

This conversation dives into:
• leadership presence under pressure
• reactive vs intentional leadership
• why so many leaders stay trapped in constant firefighting
• the hidden cost of “we’ll figure it out”
• operational clarity and sustainable leadership
• cognitive fatigue and decision overload
• how systems create freedom instead of restriction
• why pressing pause can become a strategic advantage

Adam also shares how implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) transformed the way his company handled growth, communication, accountability, and problem-solving.

More importantly, this episode explores something deeper:

How leaders can create success without losing presence, clarity, or themselves in the process.

Because productivity without peace is not success.

If you’re a founder, executive, entrepreneur, or leader trying to balance growth with intentional leadership, this episode will resonate deeply.

Key Themes:
Leadership Presence • Strategic Pause • Sustainable Leadership • Executive Clarity • Intentional Leadership • Business Systems • Cognitive Fatigue • Creating Time • Decision Fatigue • Leadership Growth

Connect with Adam Hamadache:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhamadache/

Website: https://thisisformula.com/

Connect with Ellen Williams:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/

Website: https://thesalientstrategist.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/

Subscribe to Time to Press Pause for more real conversations about leadership, growth, presence, and creating time for what matters most.

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen sits down with Thomas Cox, founder of Cox Capital, investor, and former college football coach, to talk about one of the hardest decisions leaders face: 

👉 When growth starts costing you your life. 

Thomas shares two pivotal “press pause” moments that changed everything: 

•  Walking away from a 75-hour work lifestyle 
•  Hiring before he was financially ready 
•  Choosing family presence over short-term profit 

And here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud:
Sometimes growing your business means making less money first.
 
This episode is about:

•  Why hiring is the hardest (and most necessary) leadership move 
•  The real cost of not delegating 
•  How to know when it’s time to step back 
•  Why you shouldn’t be the smartest person in the room 
•  And what actually matters when you zoom out 

If you’ve been stuck doing everything yourself…

or questioning whether it’s “worth it”…
 
This conversation will hit.

 
🎧 Listen now and ask yourself:

 What do you need to press pause on ?
 

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What happens when everything that’s worked your entire career… suddenly stops working? 

In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen sits down with Nicole Donnelly, co-founder of Cardinal Search Partners, to unpack a deeply human and vulnerable moment in her career, when success stalled, confidence wavered, and nothing seemed to move forward. 

After nearly two decades of success in legal recruiting, Nicole found herself in unfamiliar territory: stuck, uncertain, and questioning everything. 

Instead of pushing harder in the same direction, she did something most high-performers avoid, she paused. 

What followed was a powerful shift: 

•  From autopilot → intentional action 
•  From comparison → self-awareness 
•  From comfort → growth through discomfort 

Nicole shares how leaning into discomfort, building her personal brand, and changing her daily actions helped her rebuild momentum and become a stronger leader in the process.
 
This episode is a must-listen for anyone in sales, leadership, or high-performance roles who feels stuck despite doing “everything right.”


What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

•  Why success can suddenly stop working (even after years of results) 
•  The difference between a forced pause and a conscious pause 
•  How comparison kills momentum and how to break free from it 
•  Practical ways to “get comfortable with the uncomfortable” 
•  How LinkedIn and personal branding can reignite growth 
•  Why vulnerability makes you a stronger leader 

Key Takeaways:

•  “What worked before won’t always work next.” 
•  Growth often starts where comfort ends 
•  Comparison is one of the biggest blockers to progress 
•  Small daily shifts can completely change your trajectory 

 
Connect & Learn More:

Guest:

Nicole Donnelly: 

• Company: https://www.cardinalsp.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleldonnelly/

Host:

Ellen Williams

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwilliamsny/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Time-Ellen-Williams/dp/1637778481/

 
If this episode resonated with you:
Follow the show, share it with someone who needs a reset, and take a moment to reflect, where in your life is it time to press pause?
 

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Entrepreneur Shane Barker built a fast-growing company with 130 employees and a $25M valuation in just two years. 

But behind the success was a dangerous reality. 

He was working 18-20 hour days, living on coffee and energy drinks, missing his son’s baseball games, and slowly pushing his health to the edge. 

Then came the realization that changed everything. 

In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Shane shares the moment he understood that success without boundaries can cost you everything, your health, your relationships, and your presence in the moments that matter most. 

Today, Shane leads a smaller team, protects his energy, and lives by a different philosophy of leadership. 

A powerful conversation about ambition, burnout, delegation, and redefining what success actually means.

We talked about:

• The hidden cost of entrepreneurial hustle culture
• Why working 18–20 hours a day nearly broke him
• The moment Shane realized he was on track for a heart attack
• Why delegation is one of the most important leadership skills
• The difference between work-life balance and life harmony
• Why most entrepreneurs ignore the signals their body sends
• How COVID reinforced the importance of being present
• Building a lean company without sacrificing personal life

This conversation is a powerful reminder for entrepreneurs, leaders, and founders chasing growth at any cost. 

🌐 Shane Barker
 https://tracefuse.ai


📘 Ellen Williams
https://thesalientstrategist.com


📖 Ellen’s Book – Creating Time: The Key to Productivity and Peace
Available on major online bookstores.
 

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In Season 3, Episode 12 of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with Cory Dunham to explore what it truly means to disconnect in a world that never stops. 

Cory introduces the concept of a “Digital Sabbath”  a deliberate 24-hour period without screens, notifications, or digital noise. 

But this conversation goes far beyond productivity hacks. 

It’s about attention.
It’s about presence.
It’s about reclaiming humanity from the algorithms that compete for it. 

Together, they discuss: 

• Why leaders struggle to disconnect
• The anxiety that surfaces when we put the phone away
• How constant interruption erodes deep focus and meaningful relationships
• The difference between being informed and being consumed
• A simple starting point: the “Phone-Free First Hour” 

Pressing pause isn’t about escaping the world.
It’s about returning to it, fully present. 

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What happens when something you believed would succeed… doesn’t ? 

In this episode of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams is joined by Jon Sheldon, founder of Bellewood Coaching, who shares a humbling and deeply honest press pause story about accountability, ego, and misalignment. 

After years of success in real estate investing, Jon made a decision that looked right on paper, but slowly became unsustainable in real life. 

What followed was a difficult realization: the problem wasn’t the market, the property, or the people involved. The problem was his lack of focus and accountability. 

This conversation explores what it really means to take ownership, not just of success, but of failure and how pressing pause can help realign your time, attention, and intention. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How ego can quietly drive misaligned decisions
• Why vision without accountability eventually breaks down
• The cost of assuming past success guarantees future results
• How to recognize when something no longer supports your life
• Why pressing pause is sometimes the most responsible leadership move

This episode is a powerful reminder that real growth begins when we stop deflecting and start owning the truth.
 

 
🔗 Learn more about Jon Sheldon and Bellewood Coaching:

👉 https://www.belleauwood.coach/

 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-sheldon-82760a51/

 🔗 Learn more about Ellen Williams:

📘 Ellen Williams upcoming book (pre-launch):
 Creating Time: The Key to Productivity and Peace

 👉 https://shopbooksdirect.com/product/creating-time/
 
📰 Subscribe to Ellen’s newsletter for updates on new episodes and the book launch:

 👉 https://www.thesalientstrategist.com

👉 https://api.transpond.io/form?am=42668&fid=49041&host=true 
 

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How do you know when it’s time to leave, even when you’re the owner ? 

In this episode of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams is joined by Sean O’Rourke, a cyber liability consultant, CFO, and former IT company co-founder, who shares the moment he realized he could no longer live in a millisecond-by-millisecond business. 

After more than 25 years in technology, including 12 years running the IT firm he co-founded, Sean made the difficult decision to step away from day-to-day operations. 

Not because he couldn’t do the work, but because it no longer aligned with the life he wanted to live. 

Together, they explore what it means to pause without quitting, how identity and motivation shape leadership decisions, and why being honest with the “reflection in the mirror” matters more than external expectations. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear: 

• How to recognize burnout before it defines you
• What it really means to leave, even when you’re the boss
• Why technology became a 24/7 pressure cooker
• How Sean reshaped his career without walking away from his expertise
• The importance of being honest about what truly motivates you

This episode is a powerful reminder that pressing pause isn’t about stopping, it’s about choosing what comes next.

📘 Ellen Williams’ upcoming book (pre-launch):
Creating Time: The Key to Productivity and Peace
👉 https://shopbooksdirect.com/product/creating-time/

Learn more about Sean O’Rourke and his work at Combs & Company:
 👉 https://www.combsandco.com
 

📰 Subscribe to Ellen’s newsletter for updates on new episodes, insights, and the book launch:
👉 https://api.transpond.io/form?am=42668&fid=49041&host=true 
 

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In this episode of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with Susan L. Combs, President of Combs & Company LLC and founder of the nonprofit Pancakes for Roger. 

Susan’s press pause moment didn’t come from long reflection, it arrived suddenly, under pressure, and with real consequences. 

After her nonprofit received an unexpected $20,000 donation, the donor later demanded that a large portion of the funds be redirected to an unvetted project. 

What followed was a high-stakes leadership moment involving legal threats, board deliberation, and the responsibility of stewarding money that wasn’t hers, but belonged to the mission. 

In this conversation, Susan shares how she: 

• Pressed pause during a crisis instead of reacting emotionally
• Brought her board together to evaluate hard options quickly and ethically
• Chose integrity over convenience, even when it hurt financially
• Used the experience to strengthen governance and prevent future risk
• Learned why leadership sometimes means making decisions you won’t celebrate, but can live with

Ellen and Susan also discuss:
 

• Why nonprofits must be run with the same rigor as businesses
• How to handle emotionally charged conversations and legal threats
• Why being able to “sleep at night” is a powerful leadership compass
• The importance of tone-checking responses before reacting
• How moments like these shape better leaders and stronger organizations

This episode is a powerful reminder that pressing pause isn’t always calm or comfortable, sometimes it’s urgent, stressful, and necessary to protect integrity.
 
Learn more about Susan: https://combsandco.com

Learn more about Pancakes for Roger: https://pancakesforroger.org

Learn more about Ellen: https://thesalientstrategist.com
 

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In this episode of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams speaks with Judy K. Herman, CEO of Relationship Wellness LLC, psychotherapist, author, and retreat facilitator who has spent decades helping heart-centered professionals step away from the noise of life so they can return transformed. 

Judy’s press pause story doesn’t begin in a boardroom.

It starts in a graduate school classroom, in the middle of a troubled 30-year marriage, when she realized something had to change, and that something was her. 

What followed was a decisive choice: to step away from her day-to-day life and invest in an individual spiritual retreat in Canada.

That quiet, intentional pause gave her clarity about her marriage, her identity, and the life she wanted to build next. 

From there, Judy: 

• Became a therapist to better understand her own story and help others with theirs
• Wrote Beyond Messy Relationships, blending her personal journey with client-centered insights
• Developed her A.I.R. framework for a “vibrantly authentic life”:
  • Awareness
  • Intentionality
  • Risk of growth
• Learned that you can’t change another person—you can only take responsibility for your own next step

She talks with Ellen about how retreats, body wisdom, and daily micro-pauses can become catalysts for major life shifts and why once you see something clearly, you can’t go backwards and unsee it.
 
In this episode, you’ll hear:
 

• How a single retreat became a defining turning point in Judy’s life
• Why partnership (or the lack of it) shapes both families and businesses
• What it really means to take the “risk of growth” in your personal and professional life
• Why well-intentioned pushback from others can’t be the final word on your decisions
• How to use body signals, journaling, and daily pauses to know when it’s time to press pause

If you’ve ever felt something in your life or leadership isn’t quite aligned, but you can’t yet name what it is, Judy’s story will give you language, frameworks, and courage to explore it.

 
Learn more about Judy: https://judycounselor.com

Learn more about Ellen: https://thesalientstrategist.com

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