When Does It Get Good?

You did your part. You did it well, on time, and then some. They still didn’t show up, and somehow it feels like your failure. Learning how to stop overfunctioning starts with a harder question about how to know when you’ve done enough. Most leaders never stop long enough to answer it.

On When Does It Get Good?, host and executive coach Zovig Garboushian holds a real coaching session with Michelle, a small business owner who offers a very personal, individualized service. Michelle arrives wanting to know how to hold clients accountable. Underneath that question sits a belief. If something failed and she had more to give, the failure was hers. That is over-responsibility at work, and Zovig hears versions of it from nearly every leader she coaches.

Listen to Michelle's birthday-party analogy, where the guest of honor stops for pizza instead of showing up to the celebration planned just for them. Zovig asks what it means to Michelle when they don’t show up, and Michelle names a feeling most high achievers keep to themselves. She also recognizes the moment when trying to escape her own frustration pushes her beyond what she can reasonably give. And for the fear that a client might blame you for what you chose not to do, Zovig offers one question worth keeping. It helps with setting boundaries with clients and with learning how to stop taking things personally at work.

If you keep giving more than your clients are willing to meet you with, press play. You’ll hear how to stop overfunctioning without caring any less about the work.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Michelle’s question about holding clients accountable

05:22 The belief that doing more will make clients do more

11:35 Zovig on how to stop overfunctioning

17:21 The birthday party and the pizza joint

19:54 What it means when clients don’t show

29:44 Holding up an iceberg that isn’t yours

34:42 Why Zovig doesn’t take it home

42:53 The signal that you’ve hit enough

48:00 Facing the boogeyman of blame

50:30 Why workplaces reward going above and beyond

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Visit the Boldness Ablaze website

Connect with Zovig on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You made the call with care. You did the research, talked it through, and weighed the risks. Then someone questions it, and you spend days replaying every step. If you want to know how to stop second-guessing your decisions, start by asking whether the pushback proves anything at all.

On this episode of When Does It Get Good?, host Zovig Garboushian coaches Megan, a leader a year and a half into her first seat at the executive table. Megan came in looking for more self-trust. Her decisions are getting questioned more than she expected, and each challenge sends her back into the same spiral. The gray areas she once loved now leave her ruminating, and confidence as a new executive has been harder to hold onto.

Zovig names why Megan sounds almost apologetic for wanting her authority respected. She asks what Megan is really resisting, and Megan lands on a surprisingly straightforward answer. Zovig also gets honest about the tension between caring for people and making the calls they won't like. Megan walks away with a practical question for testing her own decisions, along with a truth about executive leadership she calls "the relief that I needed."

If you are tired of defending every decision in your own head, this session shows you how to stop second-guessing your decisions and stand behind the ones you made with thought and care. Press play and hear real leadership coaching as it happens.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Megan's First Doubts at the Executive Table

01:57 Megan Names the Self-Trust She Lost

05:30 When Questioned Decisions Start a Rumination Spiral

10:41 Feeling Apologetic for Wanting Your Authority Respected

14:17 Redefining Authority as Care and Thoughtfulness

23:38 Managing a Boss Who Keeps Weighing In

29:34 How to Stop Second-Guessing Your Decisions Under Pushback

36:58 Why a Good Decision Should Stand Questioning

42:52 "I Get To" Lead With Authority and Care

46:42 Zovig on Managing Your Manager and Authority

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Visit the Boldness Ablaze website

Connect with Zovig on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You keep saying yes to everyone on your team, and somehow you are the one running out of steam. If that sounds familiar, the problem might not be your workload. It might be how you define your job.

On this episode of When Does It Get Good?, host Zovig Garboushian runs a real coaching session with a leader named Mike, who recently went from having no direct reports to managing a team of nine. He came in wanting to understand where that sense of pressure is coming from and what to do to manage it, and the conversation uncovered something he had not named before. Mike walks through the exact moment he realizes his sense of duty might be the thing wearing him down, a clear picture of burnout as a new manager hiding behind good intentions.

Zovig points out the specific language Mike keeps repeating and what it reveals about his identity as a leader. She pushes past his measured, polished answers and into the part he has been avoiding, the fear that if his approach stops working, he will not know who he is without it. Together they work through how to stop overfunctioning at work without abandoning the people who depend on him.

If you have ever questioned whether your leadership identity goes beyond problem solving, or wanted a real example of how to sit with uncomfortable emotions instead of fixing them, this episode gives you language for both. Press play and see what shifts.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Kicking off a season of real coaching sessions

02:27 Mike names the pressure of leading again

06:51 Why leading with heart feels risky

11:40 Fear of letting his people down

19:27 How to stop feeling responsible for everyone's happiness

23:01 The show must go on mentality

30:29 Zovig reframes the action taker identity

44:29 Naming the fear of failure underneath

50:46 Choosing wait and see over action

57:18 Closing thoughts and what comes next

Links

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Visit the Boldness Ablaze website

Connect with Zovig on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Getting diagnosed with ADHD at 47 changed the way Zovig Garboushian sees everything – her drive, her emotions, her past, and the pressure she’s always put on herself to hold it all together.

This episode is less of a lesson and more of a moment. Zovig shares what it’s like to be in the middle of something big: a late diagnosis that’s bringing clarity, grief, relief, and a whole lot of questions. How do you process a lifetime of feeling “too much” or “not enough” when you realize your brain has been wired differently all along? What does ADHD in women actually look like, especially in high performers who never thought it applied to them?

Zovig talks openly about patterns she used to dismiss or joke about, and how those quirks now make more sense through the lens of ADHD. Her story reflects what so many women experience: going undiagnosed for years because they don’t fit the loud, restless stereotype. Instead, they get labeled as intense, emotional, forgetful, or inconsistent, until something clicks and the pieces finally start to fit.

If you’ve ever questioned why you operate the way you do, or felt frustrated by patterns you can’t seem to shake, this episode offers a new lens and a lot of validation.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Personal Revelation and ADHD Diagnosis

01:24 Misconceptions About ADHD in Women

04:15 What the ADHD Assessment Was Really Like

05:29 The Emotional Impact of Getting Diagnosed

07:01 How ADHD Affects Relationships

08:45 High Performance, Creativity, and Burnout

10:43 Self-Discovery and What Comes Next

13:26 The Emotional Side of ADHD

14:08 A Message for Listeners

Links

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: http://www.boldnessablaze.com/

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Most abrasive leaders don’t realize they’re causing harm until the culture breaks and someone finally says it out loud.

Catherine Mattice, the CEO and founder of Civility Partners, has spent years coaching leaders who’ve been called a workplace bully but who don’t see themselves that way. In this episode, Catherine joins Zovig Garboushian to break down what really drives abrasive leadership, how it quietly fuels toxic workplace dynamics, and why so many leaders stay silent instead of addressing it.

Is being high-performing enough if people around you feel silenced or shut down? What’s the cost of avoiding hard conversations to keep a top performer happy? And how can executive coaching turn a pattern of damage into a chance for growth?

Catherine shares how she uses direct, honest feedback to help leaders understand their impact and rebuild trust. From the subtle signals of culture erosion to the big organizational risks that come from letting bad behavior slide, this episode challenges leaders to take a harder look at how company culture is shaped and what happens when no one speaks up.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Understanding the Abrasive Leader

03:17 How Toxic Behavior Impacts Company Culture

09:00 Executive Coaching for Workplace Bullies

14:01 Why Employers Avoid Confronting High Performers

20:29 The Cost of Fear in Leadership

31:21 Toxic vs. Tough Leadership Styles

42:16 A Message to Abrasive Leaders

Links

Connect with Catherine Mattice:

Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies Pre-order: https://civilitypartners.com/navigating-a-toxic-workplace-for-dummies/

Website: https://civilitypartners.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/civilitypartners/

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: http://www.boldnessablaze.com/

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Top-down change is easy to mandate but nearly impossible to make stick without the people it affects.

Why do so many leaders still default to pushing change from the top when it so often leads to resistance, confusion, or quiet disengagement? In this episode, Zovig Garboushian challenges the old playbook and shares a more human-centered approach to change management, one that invites participation, builds trust, and actually works.

Zovig unpacks the common ways people react to change—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—and how leaders can spot these behaviors before they become roadblocks. You’ll hear why open-source change, a model that puts employees at the center of planning and implementation, leads to stronger outcomes and less pushback.

If you’re leading through change right now (or about to), you’ll walk away with clear ideas for building a real plan, communicating with purpose, and helping your team feel safe and supported through the messiness. Because resistance isn’t a problem to avoid. It’s a signal worth listening to.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Change Management

02:06 Ineffectiveness of Top-Down Change

03:44 Resistance to Change

05:00 Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Responses

08:52 Addressing Resistance in Change Management

10:30 ProSci Framework for Change

13:32 Shifting Implementation to Employees

15:29 Focusing on Talking, Not Telling

18:42 Role of External Organizations in Change Management

Links

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: www.boldnessablazecoaching.com

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Feedback can build careers or hold them back. When it’s vague, biased, or filled with adjectives instead of actions, it does more harm than good, especially for women.

Zovig Garboushian sits down with Dora Mołodyńska-Küntzel, a DEI trainer and consultant from Punt Kick, to talk about the hidden bias in giving feedback. Why do women get more personality-driven critiques while men receive clear, actionable advice? How does that impact performance, confidence, and career growth? Research shows a clear pattern, and the consequences reach far beyond individual employees.

Dora shares practical ways for leaders to check their own bias, shift from vague observations to behavior-based feedback, and create a culture where everyone gets the guidance they need to succeed. She challenges the idea that feedback bias is only a DEI issue—when employees don’t receive clear direction, businesses suffer too.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:53 Importance of Addressing Feedback Bias

05:57 Impact of Vague Feedback on Women

08:17 Role of Confidence in Feedback

10:02 Confusion Created by Contradictory Feedback

12:09 Organizational Impact of Biased Feedback

14:07 Recognizing and Addressing Personal Bias

17:02 Importance of Self-Reflection and Humility

20:20 Strategies for Receiving Better Feedback

24:20 Pushing Back on Vague Feedback

27:04 Organizational Strategies for Fair Feedback

31:10 Role of Psychological Safety in Feedback

32:08 Business Impact of Quality Feedback

Links

Connect with Dora Mołodyńska-Küntzel :

Website: www.puntkick.pl

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puntkick.pl

Links to studies mentioned:

https://explore.textio.com/feedback-bias-2024/language-bias-in-performance-feedback-2024

https://explore.textio.com/feedback-bias

https://www.bain.com/insights/crisis-of-confidence-women-lose-faith-careers-infographic/

Bias Reduction Checklist https://www.puntkick.pl/bias-reduction-checklist

Free Ebook on Inclusive Leadership: https://www.puntkick.pl/ebook

Link to the LinkedIn Post we mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dorakuntzel_gender-bias-in-feedback-activity-7274326972325916673-Z2YW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAEqDREBjiJ_stnF64FelYqG1b8lxUtHtHc

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: www.boldnessablazecoaching.com

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Greatness isn’t about medals or rankings. It’s about showing up fully, embracing who you are, and meeting the moment with everything you’ve got.

How often do high performers and high achievers chase success but still feel like they’re falling short? Joanna Lohman, a former professional soccer player and performance igniter, knows that struggle firsthand. In this episode, she sits down with Zovig Garboushian to talk about breaking free from perfectionism and redefining what it really means to be great.

Joanna calls perfectionism the “anti-resilience,” a mindset that keeps people stuck in fear, comparison, and self-doubt. She shares how she moved beyond the pressure of external validation and found a deeper sense of fulfillment. Her journey offers a powerful lesson: success isn’t about chasing an impossible ideal. It’s about recognizing your own unique strengths, stepping fully into your role, and trusting that your contributions matter.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they weren’t doing enough, despite giving everything they had. Joanna challenges listeners to rethink personal development, embrace the messy parts of growth, and shift their focus from being the best to showing up as their best.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:35 The Concept of Being Great Without Being the Greatest

02:17 Joanna’s Soccer Career and Challenges

04:44 Personal Identity Crisis and Coming Out

07:03 Family Reactions and Self-Acceptance

09:45 Nomadic Soccer Career and Realizations

12:10 Acknowledging Greatness in the Journey

13:04 Team Dynamics and Individual Contributions

15:20 Letting Go of Comparisons and Embracing Individual Greatness

17:38 Compassion vs. Comparison

20:00 Performance-Based Identity and Its Pitfalls

24:20 The Importance of Self-Compassion

25:09 Evolving Identity and Self-Reflection

28:00 Challenging Limiting Beliefs and Rewriting Narratives

30:00 Aligning Identity with Values

34:04 Perfectionism vs. Excellence

38:15 Meeting the Demands of the Moment

41:25 Embracing Discomfort and Growth

44:02 Closing

Links

Connect with Joanna Lohman:

Website: https://joannalohman.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannalohman15/

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

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: www.boldnessablazecoaching.com

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“When we trust ourselves, we spend less time proving ourselves and more time being ourselves.”

Trust starts from within, but how often do we actually stop to assess our own self-trust? In this episode, Zovig Garboushian unpacks why trust-building isn’t just about how others see us, but also about how we see ourselves. When self-doubt creeps in, it affects our confidence, decision-making, and ability to influence. If we don’t trust our own judgment, how can we expect others to?

Zovig introduces a four-part trust formula that helps break down what makes someone truly trustworthy. She also calls out the ways people-pleasing can backfire, leading to hesitation, inconsistency, and broken trust. The takeaway? Trust isn’t given. It’s built, starting with the way we show up for ourselves.

Quotes

Links

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: www.boldnessablazecoaching.com

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Our bodies hold wisdom that often whispers before it screams. Are you tuned into what yours is saying?

In this episode, Zovig Garboushian welcomes executive and wellness coach Deanna Moffitt to discuss the power of somatic awareness in leadership and stress management. Deanna shares how practices like Qigong and breathwork can help leaders process stress, prevent burnout, and reconnect with the often-ignored wisdom our bodies hold.

With insights from her book, “The Rewrite: Change Your Life One Story at a Time,” Deanna challenges the culture of constant productivity and explores how listening to your body can transform both personal well-being and workplace dynamics. She offers simple, practical ways to start tuning in, reminding us that small steps toward self-care can make a big difference.

Deanna’s parting wisdom? Start a dialogue with your body by asking, “What do you need right now?” It’s a small step toward greater self-awareness and a healthier, more balanced life!

Quotes

Links

Connect with Deanna Moffitt:

Website: https://deannamoffitt.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannamoffitt/

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Rewrite-Change-Your-Life-Story-ebook/dp/B0CMPRQZKM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TT1XMJGVDB9C&keywords=the+rewrite+deanna&qid=1700474477&sprefix=the+rewrite%2Caps%2C393&sr=8-1

Connect with Zovig Garboushian:

Website: www.boldnessablazecoaching.com

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

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm