Welcome back to Frog Talk, where we dive into the real stuff that makes leaders tick. Today, I'm thrilled to chat with Katarina Polonska, a behavioral scientist and relationship strategist who's all about helping execs like us fix the emotional chaos that's messing with our personal lives and leadership game. We unpack her wild journey from mediating her parents' divorce to calling off her own engagement, and how healing those wounds led to her "Successfully in Love" method. We talk attachment styles, subconscious blocks, and why sorting your home life boosts team performance and innovation at work. If you're a founder or C-suite leader feeling the strain of relationships impacting your decisions, this episode's got the insights to get you regulated and thriving. Hit play, subscribe, and let's build better cultures together!

Guest Introduction:

I'm excited to introduce Katarina Polonska, a science-backed relationship strategist with a Master's from Oxford and founder of the Successfully in Love Method. As a former VP at Mind Gym, she specializes in guiding high-achieving execs and founders through emotional dysfunction that's sabotaging their relationships and leadership. Her story resonates deeply—drawing from personal turmoil to help others heal and lead with security.

Key Takeaways:

Relationships at home directly affect your leadership—get them right, and you'll create psychological safety that boosts team innovation and cuts attrition.

Attachment styles from childhood show up everywhere; as leaders, recognizing and healing insecure ones lets you focus on strategy, not babysitting drama.

You can fix your partnership solo by tackling subconscious blocks—I've seen how it elevates standards and inspires your partner to level up too.

High performers often avoid relationship issues until they spill into work; addressing them early prevents burnout and unlocks better decision-making.

Psychological safety is key to high-performing teams—start with your own emotional regulation to foster trust and productivity.

Founders, if you're avoidant, delegate the emotional stuff; focus on what you do best while building a secure, harmonious culture.

Chapter Markers:

0:00 Intro

0:49 Guest Introduction

1:30 Katarina's Journey into Relationship Coaching

3:50 Impact of Family Dynamics and Personal Healing

7:10 Calling Off Engagement and Self-Reflection

10:18 Starting the Business and Philosophy Alignment

13:27 How Clients Find Katarina and Fixing Relationships Solo

19:29 When Partners Don't Step Up and Divorce Insights

23:53 Work Spillover from Home Issues

28:31 Attachment Theory in Leadership

32:56 Corporate Work and Building Psychological Safety

37:42 Babysitting Teams and Founder Challenges

41:28 Impact on Company Culture

43:23 Client Success Stories

45:02 Reflection Question for Audience

46:08 How to Connect with Katarina

46:33 Closing

Keywords:

Nader Safinya, Katarina Polonska, Frog Talk, leadership effectiveness, relationship challenges, attachment theory, psychological safety, executive coaching, behavioral science, high-performance teams, subconscious blocks, emotional dysfunction, organizational performance, founder mindset, work-life balance