Ditch the Doom Spiral: Resilience for High Achievers with Allison Graham

What if your "stress" isn't one big mess, but three distinct types of challenges that require entirely different solutions?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Allison Graham, a leading voice on strategic resilience, and author of books like Take Back Your Weekends. Driven by her own journey through chronic pain and adversity, Allison offers a science-backed framework to help high-achievers stop sacrificing their sanity and manage challenges more efficiently.Join them as they dissect the "tangled up stress mess" we all live in and learn how to separate Adversities (life-changing issues), Obstacles (repeat problems), and the endless Task Circle (the to-do list) so you can regain control and dramatically reduce unnecessary stress.Inside the Episode:The Triple Resilience Model: Allison's revolutionary framework for separating your challenges:Adversities: Catastrophic life events that require survival stress (and self-compassion).Obstacles: Repeating moments of angst that you are paid to solve (requiring problem-solving).Tasks: The endless to-do list that needs zero emotional contribution.The "Task Circle" Trap: Why expecting to ever close the loop on your to-do list is a fantasy that drains your capacity and steals your happiness.Stop the Spiral: How to use the "better word game" to neutralize your language (e.g., swapping "awful" for "mildly irritating") and reverse-engineer the emotional swirl of destructive stress.The X Then Y Fallacy: Why putting off happiness until after you get caught up or after the chaos subsides is a recipe for perpetual unhappiness.Taking Back Your Weekends: The biggest mistake high-achievers make—allowing others to control their schedule—and simple, strategic boundaries to reclaim your time.Awareness Over Judgment: Why approaching your bad habits with compassionate curiosity (e.g., "Hmm, that's interesting that I did that again") is key to creating lasting change.If you're ready to stop the overwhelm and start approaching your life with strategic calm, this episode is your essential guide to building real, practical resilience.🔗 Resources:Learn more about Allison Graham and her work, including the Live Your Best Life Club, at allisongraham.net.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the biggest barrier to gender equality isn't who does the dishes, but who has to remember the dishes need doing?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Allison Daminger, a groundbreaking sociologist and author of What's On Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life. Allison's viral research shines a light on the mental load—the planning, anticipating, and managing of all the things—that disproportionately falls on women.Join them as they dissect why even in "woke" partnerships with hands-on dads, women's brains never get to turn off. Allison reveals the societal structures and deep-seated norms that keep this imbalance sticky and, crucially, how we can start an honest, constructive conversation to create a more equitable home life.Inside the Episode:Defining the Invisible Labor: The difference between the physical execution of a chore and the taxing mental work of planning and anticipating that precedes it.The "Nothing" Response: Erica shares a powerful personal anecdote of asking her husband what he was thinking about, only to receive the one-word answer that perfectly summed up the mental load gap.The Next Frontier of Equality: Why sharing the mental load is the final, sticky frontier in achieving true gender parity, even as men do more physical labor than previous generations.The Policy Problem: Erica and Allison connect the mental load directly to the lack of paid parental leave in the US, arguing that early exposure to a child's needs is key to long-term equity.Superhumans vs. Bumblers: Allison’s favorite part of her research, revealing why women are overwhelmingly perceived as the "superhumans" (naturally organized) and men as the "bumblers" (go-with-the-flow)—and why this is a harmful myth.The Truth About Changing Roles: Insights into how the mental load impacts women's career progression, and why couples with higher-earning women still often see the woman carrying the mental burden.The Unjudged Reality: A liberating conclusion: it's okay if changing the load is too much work, as long as you're clear-eyed and okay with the current arrangement.If you've ever felt deeply frustrated by having to manage all the things for your family, this episode will make you feel seen, validated, and equipped to start the conversation you need to have.🔗 Resources:Find Allison Daminger's book, What's On Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life, wherever books are sold.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

Finish the Year Aligned, Not Exhausted: How to Audit Your Energy and Reclaim Your FocusWhat if finishing the year strong didn’t mean doing more—but doing what actually matters?In this solo episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney flips the script on “year-end hustle.” Instead of sprinting toward burnout, she challenges listeners to pause, take stock, and finish the year in alignment with their goals and energy—not perfection or pressure.Through personal stories, humor, and actionable strategies, Erica lays out her simple yet powerful three-part year-end audit to help you separate impact from activity, identify what truly moves the needle, and stop letting busywork control your life.Inside the Episode:The Corporate Finish Line: Erica recalls her HR days—the endless reviews, budget meetings, and parties—and why women are conditioned to equate doing more with success.The Three-Part Audit: Learn how to evaluate your self, your work, and your energy to prioritize what actually matters.Evidence Over Emotion: Why “what gets measured gets managed” isn’t just a cliché—it’s the key to breaking free from hustle culture.Energy Mapping: The color-coded strategy that helps you spot what fuels you and what drains you, so you can start scheduling your days for success.Bridge vs. Cliff Activities: The powerful framework Erica uses to decide whether something propels her forward—or just keeps her spinning on the hamster wheel.Weekly Reflection Ritual: How one 15-minute end-of-week check-in can lower your stress, boost happiness, and help you start every Monday focused and fulfilled.If you’re tired of ending every year overwhelmed, this episode is your permission slip to slow down, realign, and finish strong on purpose.🔗 Resources:Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedInBUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the biggest barrier to living your dream life isn't your career, but the financial confidence and literacy you still need to claim?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Steph Wagner, National Director of Women and Wealth at Northern Trust, former private equity professional, and divorce financial strategist. Steph's personal story of navigating a life-shattering financial crisis after a successful career fueled her mission to empower all women.Join them as they discuss why financial security is the bedrock of a fulfilling life, the emotional "sticky floors" that keep women from engaging with their money, and the vital steps you need to take now to ensure a prosperous future.Inside the Episode:The Wake-Up Call: Steph shares her powerful story of leaving private equity to prioritize family, falling into a false sense of security, and the devastating, eye-opening moment she realized she had no visibility into her family's finances.The Longevity Crisis: Startling statistics on why women must take financial charge, as they significantly outlive men and risk running out of money in their later decades.The Sticky Floors of Money: Unpacking the emotional barriers—like shame, avoidance, and the deep-seated belief of "I don't know enough"—that hold women back, regardless of their income level.From Scarcity to Abundance: Why a growth mindset is critical, but must be paired with the tools and literacy to grow wealth outside of your paycheck.The Core Message of Fly: Why the book is an empowerment guide disguised as a finance book, emphasizing the correlation between financial well-being and living an authentic life you love.Actionable First Steps: Steph's advice on how to start building your financial foundation today, including the need for transparency, honest self-assessment, and seeking financial literacy.The Never-Say-Never Lesson: The one crucial piece of advice Steph would give her younger self: never allow yourself to lean out or assume you're protected from life's curveballs.If you've ever felt overwhelmed, intimidated, or disconnected from your personal finances, this conversation is an inspiring and urgent call to action to claim your financial power.🔗 Resources:Find Steph Wagner's book, Fly: A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom and Building A Life You Love, wherever books are sold (releasing November 11th).Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the secret to a happy life isn't about productivity, but about confronting your own mortality?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Karen Salmansohn, a bestselling author, wellness expert, and the founder of NotSalmon.com. With a blend of psychology, humor, and a no-BS approach, Karen empowers women to live their happiest, most successful lives. Her new book, Your To Die for Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret Before Your Time Runs Out, challenges us to think about life's end to get the most out of our today.Join them as they explore the power of "mortality awareness" as a motivator for change, the science behind rewiring your brain for confidence, and why humor is one of the most effective tools for managing challenging emotions.Inside the Episode:From Ad Exec to Author: Karen's fascinating journey from a high-stakes, high-stress advertising career to becoming a best-selling author and wellness guru with a book titled How to Succeed in Business Without a Penis.The Stop and Swap: A powerful behavioral change strategy rooted in neuroplasticity. Learn why you can't just stop a bad habit or a negative thought—you must replace it with a positive one.The Power of Your Eulogy: Why writing your own eulogy is a life-changing exercise for reverse-engineering your life's purpose and ensuring you live a life of meaning, not just milestones.The Top Regrets of the Dying: Karen shares how a personal tragedy—the death of her father—inspired her to confront the regrets of the dying and change her life's trajectory, leading her to have a son on the same day her father died.The Identity-Based Statement: Learn this powerful psychological tool for changing your habits by first changing how you see yourself.Core Values Over Goals: The difference between a to-do list and a "to-die list," and why living a life aligned with your core values is the only way to minimize regret.Humor as a Superpower: How to use humor as a strategic tool to navigate challenging emotions and move past self-doubt.If you're an ambitious woman who wants to live a bolder, more authentic life—one with no regrets—this episode is an urgent and inspiring wake-up call.🔗 Resources:Find Karen's new book, Your To Die for Life, wherever books are sold.Explore her work at NotSalmon.comConnect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the hustle culture you've been taught to admire is actually a trap, and the constant demand for more is keeping you from true peace and happiness?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Israa Nasir, a psychotherapist, mental health advocate, and author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World that Always Demands More. Israa is a leading expert in emotional intelligence and sustainable self-care, guiding high-achieving women to dismantle the perfectionism that keeps them stuck.Israa shares her personal journey from overachiever to psychotherapist, revealing how she used psychological research to find a missing link in the self-help world: the emotional drivers behind our unhealthy behaviors. She offers powerful, actionable strategies to break free from the not-enough mindset and build a life that feels aligned and fulfilling, not just productive.Inside the Episode:The Promised Land of Happiness: Israa's personal story of hitting rock bottom despite checking off every milestone, and how it led her to question the toxic beliefs of hustle culture.Toxic Productivity Defined: Understanding this mindset as an obsession with external validation and achievement that leaves you feeling empty and disconnected.The Performance Culture of Social Media: How the pressure to perform on social media has bled into our real lives, turning our hobbies, friendships, and daily routines into performative acts.Permission to Be Mediocre: A powerful strategy for finding peace by identifying areas of your life where it's okay to be "good enough," freeing up energy for what truly matters.Rest as a Requirement: The truth about rest and why it's a fundamental part of healthy productivity, not a reward you have to earn. Israa offers tangible tools for integrating "micro-rest" into your day.The Chanel Rule for Your Calendar: A brilliant tip for the over-scheduled woman: setting a rule to take something off your calendar every time you feel overwhelmed.The Core Invitation: A call to introspection and self-reflection to redefine your values and build a life that is intentional and fulfilling, not just a series of milestones.If you've ever felt guilty for slowing down or believed that your worth is tied to your output, this conversation is a revolutionary wake-up call to reclaim your time, energy, and life.🔗 Resources:Learn more about Israa Nasir and her work at https://www.google.com/search?q=well-guide.com.Find her book, Toxic Productivity, wherever books are sold.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the relentless pursuit of "more" is actually what's holding you back from true fulfillment and sustainable success?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Barbara Burgess, a leader, author, and coach who is challenging the pervasive culture of "not enough." In her book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations, Barbara empowers high-achieving women to break free from the hustle culture and cultivate a deep sense of inner peace.Barbara shares her personal journey from a demanding corporate career to writing a book that came to her as "journaling with no intent." She reveals how she transformed her relationship with self-doubt by turning "not enough" into a comical character, and offers powerful, practical strategies for reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.Inside the Episode:The Not-Enough Character: A surprising and tactical tool for creating distance from your limiting beliefs by giving them a name and a personality.The Self-Improvement Trap: Why the constant hunt for certifications and new skills can be a dangerous form of the "not enough" mindset, particularly for women."I Get To" vs. "I Have To": A revolutionary mindset shift that redefines choice and liberates you from feeling obligated to do things you don't want to.Mastering Your Internal GPS: A powerful exercise using a simple notepad to retrain yourself to tune into your inner knowing and make decisions based on joy and delight.Staying in Your Energy Lane: A crucial strategy for protecting your life force by recognizing what's yours to solve and what's not.Leading with Intuition: How trusting your gut—that "full body yes"—is not a fluffy concept, but a profound and valuable skill that can lead to better outcomes for you and your organization.The Unapologetic Pep Talk: The one piece of advice Barbara would give her younger self: to be unapologetic, embrace change, and trust that she is already enough.If you're an ambitious woman who feels caught between the pressure to perform and a deep longing for peace, this episode is a compassionate and revolutionary guide.🔗 Resources:Find Barbara's book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations, wherever books are sold.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if AI isn't just a tool for productivity, but your secret weapon for building unshakeable confidence in the moments that matter most?In this solo episode, host Erica Rooney shares her AI-powered playbook for ambitious women. She challenges the myth that confidence is a trait you're born with and reveals a powerful truth: confidence is a skill, and like any skill, it can be built and amplified. Erica argues that in a world where time is short and the pressure is high, AI can be the strategic partner that helps you show up bolder, clearer, and more self-assured than ever.Erica dives into real-world, actionable ways you can use AI to prepare for high-stakes conversations, rehearse for critical moments, and build your professional visibility without feeling self-promotional or "salesy."Inside the Episode:Confidence is a Skill, Not a Gift: A reminder that true confidence comes from being prepared and having done the work, a process that AI can supercharge.The Power of Prepping: Learn how to use AI to organize your thoughts and prepare for tough conversations, transforming jumbled ideas into a clear, concise, and confident message in seconds.Rehearsing for the Win: The ultimate guide to using AI for risk-free role-playing. Practice for job interviews, negotiations, or presentations and get real-time feedback without the cringe of doing it with a real person.Building Your Visibility (Without the Cringe): Discover how to use AI to craft compelling stories about your achievements in a humble yet powerful tone, making self-promotion feel authentic and impactful.AI That Sounds Like YOU: A pro tip on how to train AI to match your unique voice, tone, and sentence structure, so your content is always authentic.A Call to Action: A simple, low-stakes way for anyone to get started with AI, even if you're not techy or a little "AI anxious."If you're ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start using every resource at your disposal to lead with clarity and courage, this episode is your first step.🔗 Resources:Join Erica's private community, Her Collective, for more support and tools to advance your career.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the relentless pursuit of success, the very ambition you've been praised for, is leading you toward a breakdown rather than a breakthrough?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Charlène Gisèle, a high-performance coach and former big law litigator. Having intimately experienced the pressures of a high-stakes career, Charlène now helps high-achieving professionals reclaim their well-being and thrive without sacrificing their careers.Charlène shares her personal rock-bottom moment, a profound story about her father's burnout-driven heart attack that forced her to redefine what success truly means. She introduces her unique coaching method, born from a transformative journey from the corporate world to a meditation ashram in India, offering a powerful blueprint for sustainable performance.Inside the Episode:The Tipping Point: The heartbreaking story of a breakdown that forced Charlène to confront her "toxic relationship" with work and the unsustainable nature of her ambition.The Two Versions of You: A powerful exercise to audit your current behaviors against a past version of yourself, helping you identify subtle but destructive shifts that signal burnout.The Weight of the Mask: Unpacking how high-achieving women wear masks of perfection and productivity to hide underlying struggles with stress and emotional exhaustion.The Three Ds of Burnout: Charlène shares the harsh realities of burnout, highlighting the common progression from Divorce to Diagnosis and, in some cases, Death, as a stark reminder of the stakes.Beyond the Limiting Belief: Challenging the fear that prioritizing well-being will lead to professional failure, and instead, proving that sustainable success is your most valuable superpower.Redefining Success: How to expand your definition of success beyond external achievements (like job titles and salary) to include valuable life currencies like health and personal fulfillment.The Power of Moderation: The one piece of advice Charlène would give her younger, more obsessive self: learning to treat the things you love—including your career—with moderation to ensure they last.If you're an ambitious woman who feels caught between the pressure to perform and the need to breathe, this episode is a courageous and compassionate wake-up call.🔗 Resources:Learn more about Charlène Gisèle and her coaching method at charlenegisele.com.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the path to historic leadership isn't about fitting in, but about being so rooted in who you are that you become a force for change?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with her friend, Heather Gray, the newly appointed VP and GM of Capitol Broadcasting Company's WRAL-TV and Fox 50. In a historic move, Heather is the first woman and the first person ever to unify the station's broadcast and digital platforms under a single leadership role.Join them as they discuss Heather's journey through a male-dominated industry, the challenges and unexpected perks of motherhood in a 24/7 news cycle, and the critical importance of curiosity and self-worth in forging your own path to the top.Inside the Episode:Making History: Heather shares what it feels like to be the first woman in a groundbreaking leadership role and the "mantle of responsibility" she feels to the women who follow her.Motherhood and Media: A candid conversation about navigating career momentum while raising a family in an industry built on demanding, non-traditional hours.The Power of Being "Different": Heather's insights on valuing her unique career path, which was not the "same as what came before," and how this difference became her greatest asset.You Are the Value: Heather's journey to becoming "so rooted in who I am" and why she no longer feels the need to prove her worth in the room.Raising Your Hand: The core value of curiosity and how asking questions—even when they're not well-received—has been a consistent track record of success.The Importance of Local News: A deep dive into why local journalism is a critical source of verified information and how it's adapting to a complex, connected world.On Mentorship: The story of a brave colleague who asked Heather to be her mentor and why taking on this role felt like a natural call to action.If you're looking for inspiration to break through your own glass ceilings by fully owning your story and your unique path, this episode is a powerful guide.🔗 Resources:Connect with Heather Gray and Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!