E #505: Why Motivation Works — Why It Never Lasts (And What to Do Instead)

What happens when motivation works… but never lasts? In this episode, Kehla unpacks a pattern that runs quietly through the personal development and coaching industry — one that keeps people cycling through insight, activation, purpose, and burnout without ever actually relocating where decisions are being made from. After listening to a conversation between two wildly successful entrepreneurs grappling with apathy, fulfillment, and “what’s next,” Kehla noticed something familiar: the solution wasn’t wrong — it was symptomatic. Bigger missions. New purpose. Identity reframes. Emotional activation. They create movement — but they don’t change what’s governing that movement. This episode explores the difference between soothing experience and changing position. You’ll hear why: Feelings, motivation, identity, and purpose are effects, not causes Awareness alone doesn’t equal authority Most growth work resolves reality from inside its symptoms Emotional states quietly end up governing life and business decisions And why real relief doesn’t come from feeling better — it comes from standing somewhere else Kehla introduces the distinction between sovereignty and governance, the difference between being in a feeling versus seeing it, and why coherence isn’t something you create — it’s what’s left when nothing false is running the show. This isn’t an episode about fixing yourself, upgrading your mindset, or finding a bigger why. It’s about locating the place from which decisions are actually being made — and what changes when that place shifts. If this conversation resonates, Your Vantage Point is where this work continues — not as a framework to apply, but as a place to return to when you notice yourself slipping back into feeling-led decision making. Follow Kehla on IG Kehla's Website Grab the freebie: Your Business, Reoriented  

In this episode, Kehla sits down with Maggie Olson, strategic business advisor and mentor to high-achieving women entrepreneurs, to unpack a quiet but critical distinction most businesses miss: attention is not influence. They explore why visibility, engagement, and growing an audience often fail to translate into clients—and how the real work happens in the middle layer most people avoid. Maggie shares how simplifying her offers, sharpening her communication, and prioritizing intentional conversations reshaped her growth as a 1/4 Sacral Manifesting Generator, especially after years of scattered momentum and too many parallel paths. This conversation challenges the idea that more content, more leads, or more effort creates traction. Instead, it examines the role of quality conversations, direct but grounded communication, and community as the long-term infrastructure that turns “not yet” into trust. Human Design is woven in not as an explanation for why something can’t work, but as a lens for discernment, focus, and cleaner decision-making. This episode is for entrepreneurs who are visible but under-converted, busy but unsatisfied with their results, and sensing that the problem isn’t effort—it’s orientation. Follow Maggie Olson on Instagram Book an Offer Audit call with Maggie Explore all of Maggie’s links Visit Kehla G’s website Grab Kehla’s Your Business, Reoriented Audio Seriesfreebie

In this special seven-year anniversary episode of Built for the Edge, Kehla G reflects on what actually changes when you stay in business long enough to mature — not just in strategy, but in nervous system capacity, decision-making, identity, and leadership. This is not a highlight reel or a list of “mistakes to avoid.” It’s a grounded, lived conversation about the realities of entrepreneurship that don’t get talked about enough: the chicken-and-egg nature of investing and income, why waiting to feel ready keeps people stuck, how productivity can become a sophisticated form of avoidance, and what it really means to regulate your nervous system while scaling a business. Kehla shares how staying in her own lane — reducing external input, unsubscribing from borrowed frameworks, and reclaiming original thinking — sharpened her clarity and conviction. She explores the loneliness of long-term leadership, the grief of shedding outdated identities, and why sustainability doesn’t come from reaching a finish line, but from learning how to stay in contact with the process through every season of growth. This episode also marks a threshold. Kehla names what she is no longer available for after seven years in business, the depth and pacing she is committed to protecting moving forward, and why orientation — not urgency — has become the foundation of how she builds, sells, and leads. If you’re an entrepreneur navigating uncertainty, burnout, rebuilding, or the quiet recalibration that comes with maturity, this episode offers perspective you can’t shortcut — only earn. 👉 Your Business Reoriented – Free Audio Series A short orientation for entrepreneurs who feel off-track, overwhelmed, or caught in reaction mode — designed to help you locate yourself before you make your next move. 👉 Gene Keys Compass Calendar (V1 closes January 21st) An annual orientation tool designed to help you work with the Gene Keys transits through a grounded, business-relevant lens — so you can discern what’s yours to engage and what to release. 👉 Kehla G’s Website Explore Kehla’s work, offers, and long-term containers. 👉 Follow Kehla on Instagram Behind-the-scenes reflections, leadership conversations, and direct connection.

In this episode of Built for the Edge, Kehla sits down with Deb Boulanger, founder of Life After Corporate, to explore why so many business strategies that once worked are quietly failing as entrepreneurs move toward 2026. Drawing from decades of leadership and advisory experience, Deb names a growing disconnect between traditional growth models and the reality of today’s market — one shaped by accelerating AI adoption, a saturated coaching industry, and a deep erosion of trust. Together, they examine what happens when speed outpaces discernment, visibility replaces depth, and expansion becomes fragmented rather than directional. The conversation moves through questions many entrepreneurs are avoiding: Why top-down revenue strategies are losing traction. Why being everywhere no longer builds momentum. Why relationships, capacity, and precision are becoming pressure points rather than “nice to haves.” Rather than offering a playbook, this episode lingers in the tension of the moment — between old strategies that no longer convert and emerging approaches that haven’t fully taken shape yet. Deb shares how her own business has shifted in response to these changes, and why the next era will demand a different relationship with growth, technology, and leadership. This is not a conversation about doing more. It’s about recognizing what no longer fits — and being willing to question the structures that once felt reliable. Books, resources, and Deb’s revenue modeling gift are linked in the show notes for listeners who want to explore the ideas further. Recommended Books: 1/ 10x is Easier than 2x - Dan Sullivan 2/ Rich Relationships - Selena Soo Follow Deb on IG Follow Deb on LinkedIn Listen to Deb's Podcast: Life After Corporate Deb + Kehla's episode on her channel: E #235: Decode the Gene Keys for Business Growth with Kehla G Grab the 'Expert Pricing Calculator' here Follow Kehla on IG Check out Kehla's Website Grab Kehla's Free Resources

In this episode of Built for the Edge, Kehla G names a quiet tension many entrepreneurs are feeling but struggling to articulate. They’re visible. They have leads. They’ve built funnels, offers, systems, and pathways that look “right” on paper — yet conversion feels heavier than it should. Momentum stalls. Decisions slow. And passive strategies that once worked now require constant effort to sustain. Rather than diagnosing this as a messaging or positioning issue, Kehla points to something far less discussed: orientation. This episode explores what happens when businesses are built to move people toward outcomes without accounting for how people are actually arriving — emotionally, energetically, and neurologically. It challenges common assumptions about “meeting people where they’re at,” questions the confusion between attention and readiness, and examines why pressure-based funnels no longer land in a more discerning market. Through a vivid highway-under-construction metaphor, Kehla invites listeners to consider how the quality of movement through their business — not just the destination — may be shaping client behavior, hesitation, and decision-making. This is not an episode about fixing funnels or optimizing copy. It’s an invitation to notice what becomes visible when those explanations stop working. The conversation closes at the threshold, opening into a deeper inquiry around timing, inner authority, and what it takes to build a business that can actually hold the level of discernment present now. Sign up for the Gene Keys Compass Calendar (Early bird until Jan 7th: KEYEDIN44 at checkout to save $44) Kehla's Website Follow Kehla on IG Kehla's Free Resources  

What does it actually take to show up for 500 episodes — and what does consistency really look like behind the scenes? In this milestone episode, Kehla reflects on nearly seven years of podcasting and entrepreneurship, closing the loop on her 2025 words of the year — Impact, Responsibility, and Expansion — and the Gene Keys (52, 53, 54, 22 & 55) that shaped one of the most transformative seasons of her business. This conversation goes beyond motivation and discipline and into the truth of long-term growth: responsibility as the doorway to freedom, expansion as capacity (not hype), and why most entrepreneurs burn out trying to build momentum without orientation. Kehla also shares how her 2025 word Ascend revealed itself as subtraction rather than hierarchy, and introduces her 2026 word Precision, alongside the Gene Keys of Precision (62) and Orientation (2), exploring how feminine intelligence, structure, and systems restore clarity, sustainability, and trust in decision-making. You’ll also be guided through a simple reflective process to choose your own word and Gene Key for the year ahead — not as a goal to chase, but as a mirror to deepen self-leadership. Finally, Kehla introduces the Gene Keys Calendar, a daily orientation tool designed to help entrepreneurs locate themselves inside collective and personal cycles — grounding insight, timing, and cleaner decisions throughout the year. If you’re done chasing motivation and ready to build something that actually holds you, this episode is a powerful place to begin. Follow Kehla on IG (Click here to enter the giveaway) Join The Architectrix Atelier Kehla's Website Free Gene Key Resources

In this raw, year-end episode, Human Design, Gene Keys & AI Business Coach Kehla G takes listeners inside the most honest breakdown of her entrepreneurial journey yet — a year marked by grief, fraud, financial contraction, ruptured relationships, backend collapse, and a complete restructuring of what leadership looks like for the next era of online business. Instead of hiding the mess, Kehla names every layer of it. And while the 2025 coaching industry leaned heavily into identity-led branding, performative “evolutions,” and hype-driven movements, Kehla reveals the quieter — and far more powerful — shift she experienced: She stopped softening herself to match an industry performing its evolution. She stopped cushioning her boundaries. She stopped mothering clients who needed truth, not comfort. She stopped diluting her genius to avoid being misinterpreted. She stopped holding together systems, friendships, and offers that were already collapsing. This episode marks the moment she stepped into structural maturity: precision, directness, intentionality, and a business model built on rhythm instead of forever-access hoarding. Kehla shares what actually cracked open beneath the surface — the death of old identities, the end of rescuing, the void that forced her into total surrender, and the rebuild that followed as she left Kajabi, rebuilt her backend, simplified her offers, and embraced a cleaner, sharper, more architected way of doing business. For entrepreneurs navigating their own unraveling, this episode offers a grounded, SEO-rich reflection on the future of the coaching industry, Human Design–aligned leadership, Gene Keys–inspired refinement, and the collective shift toward precision as we move into 2026. Inside this episode, Kehla explores: ✨ What Actually Happened — loss, fraud, financial collapse, ruptures, the void 💥 Why Movements Crumbled — and why identity-led business couldn’t withstand stagnation 🔥 The End Of Softening — Kehla’s transition into direct, precise, deeply honest leadership 🧱 The Rebuild — leaving Kajabi, rebuilding her backend, simplifying her entire ecosystem ⏳ Rhythm Over Forever — time-bound access, participatory learning, and the end of hoarding 🎯 What 2026 Requires — maturity, specificity, accountability, and the architecture of precision A defining moment in the Built for the Edge archive — and a must-listen for anyone ready to walk into 2026 with deeper clarity, stronger standards, and a business built on truth rather than performance. Check out Kehla's website Follow Kehla on IG Join The Architectrix Atelier Grab Kehla's Free Resources

This episode offers a grounded, emotionally resonant look at why 2025 carried so much heaviness — and what the astrology is signaling as we enter the fiery, forward-moving landscape of 2026. Astrologer KJ Atlas returns to the show to unpack the collective themes that shaped this year: the grief cycles so many have felt, the emotional density created by water-sign retrogrades, the slow-fast disorientation of 2025, and the “first quarter Moon” sensation of seeing the deeper impact of everything set in motion since 2020. KJ and Kehla explore the astrological events that defined 2025 — from the grand water trine, to Mars retrograde in Cancer, to the intense September eclipse season — and how these transits have been quietly reshaping our inner lives, our relationships, and our sense of direction. The conversation then opens into the seismic shifts of 2026: Neptune’s once-in-a-lifetime move into Aries, Saturn joining it, February’s powerful eclipse season, and the collective pivot into self-led momentum, clarity, independence, and creative fire. Together, they map out what entrepreneurs, creators, leaders, and sensitive beings can expect as the year unfolds. They also share a deeply honest moment from their own friendship — a vulnerable conversation around AI, integrity, and leadership — revealing how 2025 has demanded a level of truth-telling and relational depth from all of us. Their story highlights the very themes this year has surfaced: shedding, discernment, and strengthening what’s built to last. Listeners will walk away with a clear understanding of: ✨ Why 2025 felt so dense and emotionally charged ✨ The major astrological transits shaping 2026 ✨ How February’s eclipses will ignite momentum and reveal truth ✨ Why authenticity, discernment, and intentional community will define the new business landscape ✨ How to navigate Mercury retrogrades, Jupiter’s shift, and the evolving collective energy This is the astrology forecast listeners have been craving — grounded, relatable, emotionally intelligent, and packed with cosmic clarity for the year ahead. Sign up for KJ's Moon Mapping  Get KJ's Calendar: The Grove Almanac Follow KJ on IG   Follow Kehla on IG Check out Kehla's website Want to learn more about your Gene Keys in Business? Click here.

2025 is a 9-year in numerology — a collective closing of loops, karmic clean-ups, and completions. 2026 begins a 1-year — a rebirth into innovation, leadership, and integrity-driven creation. In this illuminating conversation, Kehla G welcomes spiritual mentor and numerologist AnnMarie McKenzie, who offers a grounded yet visionary forecast for how to navigate the energetic bridge between these two pivotal years. 🌿 The 9-year cycle (2025): AnnMarie reveals why this year invites deep endings, emotional release, and spiritual maturity — the courage to let go of what no longer fits, whether that’s systems, relationships, or identities. 🏡 Integrity as currency: She explains how discernment and self-responsibility are the real measures of wealth as the collective moves away from performative success toward embodied alignment. 💸 Liberation through surrender: AnnMarie shares how this year’s lessons demand trust — not control — and how true leadership means leading from grounded presence rather than external pressure. ⚡ The 1-year cycle (2026): She maps out what’s coming next — an energetic renaissance of creativity, technology, and conscious innovation where simplicity becomes the most powerful strategy. 🔥 The essence: “You can’t start a new beginning without taking responsibility for the past.” Together, Kehla and AnnMarie explore how these cycles shape life, business, and leadership — giving you the clarity to end with integrity and begin with conviction. 🌹 Connect & Explore ✨ Follow AnnMarie McKenzie on Instagram for more on numerology, leadership, and soul-aligned strategy. 🌐 Explore Kehla’s website at @kehlag for daily insights on Human Design, Gene Keys, and AI-powered business strategy. 🎧 Subscribe to the Built for the Edge Podcast and leave a review if this episode moved you — it helps get these transmissions into the hands of more conscious leaders.

In this rich and revealing conversation, Kehla sits down with Classical Feng Shui Master Nixie Marie to unravel why 2025 demanded so much shedding, releasing, and deep inner restructuring — and what’s waiting for us as we cross the threshold into the Year of the Horse in 2026. Nixie brings the potency of Classical Feng Shui, elemental alchemy, and Chinese metaphysics into a grounded, modern conversation that makes the ancient feel immediately usable. Together, she and Kehla explore how your home isn’t just where you live — it’s your mirror, your teacher, your initiator, and a living participant in your spiritual evolution. As the two reflect on the intensity of this past year and the fire-forward momentum of the coming cycle, you’ll hear a blend of mysticism, practicality, humor, and depth that makes this episode feel like a warm, clarifying exhale for anyone who’s been moving through big transitions. Inside the episode, you’ll experience: ✨ Understanding how Classical Feng Shui actually works and why it’s so different from the “move your couch here” pop-Feng-Shui online. ✨ Recognizing the deeper purpose behind the snake-year shedding — identity dissolutions, relationship endings, home changes, business restructures, and the clearing of what couldn’t come with you. ✨ Preparing for the Horse year ahead, a fiery and fast-moving cycle where momentum, clarity, and direction will take center stage. ✨ Grounding the mystical into the tangible as Nixie explains what to do now, what not to touch yet, and how to work with your space before the Lunar New Year shift. ✨ Revealing the energetic connection between clutter, scarcity patterns, nervous system overwhelm, and the limits we unconsciously place on receiving. ✨ Exploring how your home becomes a portal for abundance, healing, and alignment when you understand what it’s actually saying back to you. This conversation is spacious, validating, and deeply orienting. If you’ve felt untethered, in transition, or aware that your environment needs to evolve with you, you’ll walk away with language for your experience and a clear sense of how to prepare your home — and your spirit — for the next cycle of expansion. Nixie also shares details about her upcoming 30-day Year of the Horse ceremony journey and how to join the waitlist for her 2026 Feng Shui Mystery School offerings. Follow Nixie on IG Nixie's Website Feng Shui Mystery School Waitlist link for the horse Feng Shui ceremony Follow Kehla on IG Kehla's Website Grab your Actualize Your Genius E-book