212: The Cost of Staying Quiet with Dr. Shikha Jain

Community can be powerful on its own. But when you combine community with evidence-based thinking, real leadership, and women who are willing to share both their ideas and their doubts, something even more meaningful happens. In this conversation with Dr. Shikha Jain, we talk about what it really takes to build a mission-driven community, why evidence-based voices matter more than ever, and how courage often looks a lot less polished than we expect. This episode is a conversation about leadership, vulnerability, and what becomes possible when smart women stop trying to do everything alone. About Dr. Shikha Jain Dr. Shikha Jain, MD, FACP is a physician leader, oncologist, and nationally recognized voice working at the intersection of medicine, policy, and healthcare system transformation. A tenured Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago and a national media contributor, she is the Founder and Board Chair of Women in Medicine®, a nonprofit advancing leadership and equity in healthcare. Dr. Jain's work spans clinical care, national policy discussions, and public communication, and she is widely recognized as a leading voice shaping the future of healthcare.   Resources: Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/212 Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress     Follow Shikha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shikhajainmd/  Women in Medicine: https://www.wimedicine.org/

This episode is a powerful conversation about what changes when you stop trying to do everything alone. I'm joined by Dr. Karen Leitner for an honest, layered discussion about community, self-advocacy, and the invisible ways so many high-achieving women hold themselves back without even realizing it. We talk about the thoughts that keep women playing small, why asking for more can feel so uncomfortable, and how one simple conversation can create the kind of spark that changes everything. If you've ever felt yourself overthinking, waiting for permission, or staying quiet when you know you want more, this episode will give you plenty to sit with. About Dr. Karen Leitner Dr. Karen Leitner is the founder of Karen Leitner MD Coaching. Since 2021, she has coached full time and worked with over 500 women physicians. Her work focuses on strategies that enhance well-being, reduce burnout, support leadership and career development, improve negotiation skills, and foster self-exploration and growth. She received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and her medical degree from the University of Rochester before completing a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She later held a community primary care role and a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School before transitioning into digital medical patient advocacy until 2021. Karen is also an international speaker, and an Ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of healthcare professionals. She is the proud mom of 3 school age daughters and lives in Newton with her husband and mini golden doodle Oscar.   Resources: Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/211 Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress     Follow Karen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenleitnermd/  Karen's Program How to Feel Better for Women Physicians: https://go.karenleitnermd.com/how-to-feel-better-page

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Steph Crowder for a conversation about the kind of community that changes you. Not just the feel-good kind, but the kind that helps you see your blind spots, dream bigger, and keep going when your brain wants to quit. We talk about friendship, motherhood, ambition, and what happens when you stop trying to do everything alone. If you've ever felt like you should be able to figure it all out by yourself, this episode will give you a new perspective. It's honest, layered, and full of the kinds of insights that only happen when two women are willing to tell each other the long version. About Steph Crowder Steph Crowder is a Sales and Strategy Coach who helps entrepreneurs sell with courage, clarity, and confidence. A former Director of Sales Training at Groupon, she's coached thousands of business owners to land clients quickly and scale into sold-out group programs using simple, authentic sales strategies. Steph also hosts the Courage & Clarity podcast and runs a multiple 6-figure business in under 20 hours as a mom of two. Resources: Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/210  Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset  Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress Steph Crowder website: https://stephcrowder.com/ Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heystephcrowder/  Listen to her podcast: https://stephcrowder.com/podcast/

In this first episode of a new three-part series, I'm joined by Dr. Erica Howe to talk about the real power of community for high-achieving women. This conversation explores why so many professional women carry the badge of doing everything on their own—and what becomes possible when you step into a room where honesty, strategy, and shared experience replace isolation. We talk about the small conversations that can shift your perspective, why community is more than just support, and how the right environment can spark the courage to change something in your career or life. About Dr. Erica Howe Dr. Howe is a board-certified Hospitalist and a nationally known educator, wife, and mother to three crazy kids. As a prolific speaker and lifelong advocate for improved wellness in medicine, she has delivered hundreds of talks nationally and internationally on topics like conflict management and boundary setting. In 2018, she founded the Women Physicians Wellness Conference, held in Aruba, Grand Cayman, and Amelia Island, exclusively for women physicians. In 2024, she expanded this vision by founding the Women Professionals Wellness Conference, a three-day event in the Bahamas each January designed to bring women from demanding professions together to share their struggles and strategies for success. Dr. Howe believes women are stronger together and is passionate about helping them find the courage, clarity, and community to succeed on their own terms—not someone else's.   Resources: Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/209  Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset  Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress Connect with Dr. Erica Howe: https://www.womenphysicianswellness.com/

If you're exhausted by the end of the day and still wondering why your goals feel so hard… this episode will explain why. In this episode, I'm breaking down the invisible drain most overachieving women don't see: open tabs in your brain. The interruptions. The half-decisions. The constant renegotiating. And how not having clear boundaries is quietly costing you time, energy, and momentum. If weight loss or career goals feel heavier than they should, this will feel like relief.   Resources:  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/208 Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset  Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress  

What if the very emotion you think is driving your success… is actually the thing slowing you down? In this episode, I'm bringing a little spice to your masala chai and saying the quiet part out loud: frustration isn't fuel. For high-achieving women, it's often an adult temper tantrum in disguise. And while it might feel powerful in the moment, it's quietly costing you time, energy, and your highest-quality thinking. If you've been stuck in "this should be easier" or "I shouldn't be here by now," this episode is your loving (and direct) wake-up call.   Resources:  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/207 Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset  Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress  

Have you ever told yourself, "I've gone backwards"? In this episode, I'm breaking down one of the sneakiest thoughts high-achieving women carry — and how it quietly sabotages sustainable results. Whether it's the scale, your career, your marriage, or parenting, that single sentence can drain your momentum faster than you think. This is part of my "If I Wasn't Afraid to Hurt Your Feelings" series — direct, no-fluff truth (including my own messy StairMaster plot twist). If you're tired of the start–stop cycle, this one is for you.   Resources:  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/206 Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset  Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress  

In today's episode, I'm sharing the one shift I wish I had made sooner—because it would have saved me years of frustration and a very familiar cycle many overachievers know all too well. If you're someone who thrives on gold stars, results, and external validation, this episode may gently challenge how you've been measuring success… and why that might be the very thing keeping your results fragile. We'll talk about what really happens after the goal weight, the quiet danger of boredom and complacency, and the missing piece that makes follow-through feel sustainable instead of punishing. This is a conversation about pride, reward, and how to turn your plan into a true lifestyle—without needing more discipline, willpower, or pressure.   Resources:  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/205 Get The Body Reset Mini Course: https://burnstressloseweight.com/bodyreset  Take the Stress Quiz: https://burnstressloseweight.com/stress    

The January motivation high has faded… and if you're noticing old habits creeping back in or your confidence wobbling, this episode is for you. In this timely workshop-style episode, I walk you through why losing belief in yourself is not a failure—and how waiting to "feel confident again" might actually be the thing keeping you stuck. This episode introduces a powerful framework I teach my private clients to help them understand where belief breaks down, why it's normal, and how to keep taking action even when confidence feels shaky. If you've ever thought, "I just need to believe in myself more," this conversation will challenge that idea—in the best way.   Resources:  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/204 Learn more about The Unstoppable Group: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/group

In this episode of Burn Stress, Lose Weight, I'm putting words to something I've been seeing over and over again with high-achieving, professional women—and something I've lived myself: fragile confidence. It's that familiar pattern where confidence feels rock-solid when results are going well… and completely collapses the moment things don't. Whether it's the scale, feedback at work, or a missed follow-through, confidence suddenly feels conditional. In this conversation, I unpack why this happens, how it quietly stalls momentum, and what actually creates confidence that doesn't shatter under pressure.   Resources:  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/203 Learn more about The Unstoppable Group: https://www.burnstressloseweight.com/group Learn more about The Joyful Project: https://burnstressloseweight.com/joyful