The Robyn Engelson Podcast

Ever wish you had a life mentor with over decades of experience whispering million dollar tips in your ear? That’s exactly what you will get each week when you tune into The Robyn Engelson Podcast. I’m your host, a sought after burnout recovery coach for high-achieving women and help you heal from burnout and survival mode, so you can reclaim your energy, joy, and rediscover your voice. Each week, I bring you inspiring guests, insights, and tools to empower you to be energized, compress time, and start living instead of existing.

 

Episode Title:  What Does True Freedom Look Like in a Busy World?

Host: Robyn Engelson

Guest: Michael Gardon

Episode Summary: 

In this episode, we sit down with Michael Gardon, a creative strategist, leadership coach, and champion of Time Sovereignty. Michael’s story isn’t about hustle. It’s about waking up, reclaiming your time, and building a life around what truly matters.

After years of following the “default path” chasing achievement, checking boxes, and staying busy, Michael realized success without intention is just noise. So, he broke away. Now, he helps others do the same.

This conversation is for anyone who feels like they’re constantly running, but getting nowhere. Michael invites us to slow down, think deeper, and make powerful, present choices. Because freedom isn’t found in doing more. It’s found in doing what matters.

 

 You’ll learn:

• Why Michael says being “busy” is the new burnout

• What it means to stop renting your time and start owning it

• How to identify the busywork that’s draining your energy

• What Time Sovereignty looks like and how to practice it

• Why saying “no” can be the most productive thing you do

• How sharing your story can shift lives, including your own

 

Memorable Quotes:

• “Busy is not a badge. It’s a boundary issue.” – Michael

• “The cost of default living is your actual life.” – Michael

• “You can’t own your time until you own your truth.” – Robyn

 

Actionable Steps for Listeners:

Audit Your Time:   Track your time for one day. Where is it going? What could shift? Practice a 10-Minute Rule:   Set a timer. Spend 10 minutes each morning doing only what feels aligned. Say “No” (Just Once):   One small "no" to something draining = one big "yes" to something meaningful. Tell Your Story:   Your journey might be the permission someone else needs. Share it.

 

Final Thought:

You don’t need to fill every hour to prove your worth. As Michael reminds us: “Success without self-awareness is just performance. Real success is personal.”

 

 What listeners have to say:

• “Michael’s take on Time Sovereignty changed how I look at my week. Life feels lighter.” – Jenna B., Entrepreneur

• “Finally, someone talking about success in a way that actually makes sense.” – Omar L., Leadership Trainer

• “That quote, ‘Busy is a boundary issue,' I wrote it on a sticky note. Needed that.” – Tracey D., C-Suite Leader

 

These stories remind us:

•  Failure isn’t the end. It’s an invitation to evolve.

•  Success means nothing if you lose yourself in the process.

•  True connection comes from authenticity, not achievement.

Now it’s your turn:

Where are you spending your time?

What would it mean to reclaim it?

Tag us, DM us, or share your thoughts. We want to hear your story.

 

Loved this episode?

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Connect with Michael Gardon:

• Youtube

• Linkedin

• Website

 

About  Michael Gardon:

Michael Gardon is a 3x entrepreneur and CEO of Rejoin Coaching where he inspires, supports and coaches a community of 14,000+ to break work and break their limits in order to build purposeful lives.

In 2018, Mike decided work wasn’t working for him, so he engineered his BREAK, taking his ‘side hustle’ from nothing to full time escape from corporate work, then scaling it into a million dollar business that fuels his purpose. The framework he built is called Advantage Mapping and it serves as the foundation for supporting his community through their own work-life explorations.

 

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