Your Coach Charlene: Where purpose meets wellness, and whispers become movement

It’s been a minute, but I wanted to jump on and share a quick life update with you all. Since retiring early, I've had the incredible opportunity to step fully into my purpose: taking care of our healthcare workers. Over the last month, I’ve been hosting recharge and well-being experiences for charge nurses, and it has been an amazing journey.I'm also finally sharing some new projects I’ve been working on, including the launch of the Heart Whisper App and my new book, Women Guardians of the Future, coming out next month.If you're feeling stuck, exhausted, or carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders—especially my fellow leaders and healthcare workers—I want you to hear this: you don't have to suffer in silence. You are the captain of your ship. Reach out and find your tribe.Chapters: 0:00 - Catching up & working with charge nurses 2:00 - Why I retired early to chase my dream 3:00 - How to find time for your goals (even when exhausted) 4:44 - Keynote speaking & Wellness Whisperer workshops 5:20 - Introducing the Heart Whisper App 6:14 - Dream Girls Network & my new book announcement 6:41 - Living with intention at 60 (You don't have to stay stuck) 8:48 - You are the captain of your shipLinks & Resources:Get the Heart Whisper App: https://the-heart-whisper.appPre-order Women Guardians of the Future: The Yes That Births Legacy: email [email protected] Coach Charlene for Workshops & Speaking:https://wellnesswhispererconsulting.com/contactYour Coach Charlene: Where purpose meets wellness, and whispers become movementAre you a nurse, a healthcare worker—or simply someone running on empty? Do you struggle with burnout and exhaustion, always caring for others while forgetting yourself?If that’s you, or if you’ve been hearing a whisper to step out of your comfort zone and step into your purpose… this podcast is for you.I’m Coach Charlene, founder of The Wellness Whisperer, speaker, and author. My purpose is to bring transformation by creating and inspiring destiny moments, because every single heartbeat matters.Join me for compassionate, courageous conversations with some of the most daring trailblazers and change agents in the world—people who dared to respond when the moment chose them. Here, you’ll find the wisdom, stories, and tools to help you heal, thrive, and ignite the dreams inside you.This is where you move from thinking and talking about your dreams to manifesting the desires of your heart. Be inspired to become the highest expression of yourself.What will you do when the moment chooses you?Listen to new episodes any

What if getting older isn't something to fear, but something to embrace?In this conversation, Coach Charlene sits down with retired nurse, midwife, author, and Nurses Talking founder Dale Barzey-Pond to discuss purpose, identity, healthy aging, and why our greatest years may still be ahead of us.After more than 50 years in nursing and healthcare, Dale shares the lessons she's learned about living with intention, overcoming limiting beliefs, and refusing to let age define what's possible.Linktree: https://linktr.ee/barzeypondWebsite: https://nursestalking.com/Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2G4CK8CThey also discuss:• Why aging is an evolution, not a decline• Finding purpose in every season of life• Overcoming ageism and limiting beliefs• Why experience is one of your greatest strengths• The story behind Dale's book Aging Without Limits: Can I Still Wear Stilettos?• How gratitude changes the way we experience lifeWhether you're approaching retirement, starting over, or simply wondering what's next, this conversation will encourage you to see aging through a completely different lens.If this conversation encouraged you, we'd love to hear from you in the comments.What is one thing you're looking forward to in your next season of life?#AgingWithoutLimits #HealthyAging #Purpose #PersonalGrowth #Leadership #CoachCharlene

In this conversation, Charlene sits down with Dr. Andrea Hall, nurse leader, educator, and mind-body coach, to talk about what it really looks like to reconnect with yourself after years of pouring into others.With over 30 years in healthcare, Dr. Hall shares how she transitioned into a more holistic approach to healing, focusing on the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. This is a grounded and honest conversation about identity, purpose, and what it takes to move forward with intention, especially in the later seasons of life.If you’ve ever felt like you lost yourself in your work, your roles, or your responsibilities, this conversation will meet you there and help you think differently about what’s still possible.Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, personal development, and real growth in healthcare and beyond.#nurseleadership #personaldevelopment #mindbodyconnection #healthcareleadership #womeninleadership

Staying calm is not something you’re born with. It’s something you build.In this video, Charlene shares the foundation of what she calls “undisturbed composure” and how it became a non-negotiable skill during her years in nurse leadership. From leading high-pressure hospital units to navigating difficult people and chaotic environments, this is the mindset and practice that helped her stay grounded when everything around her wasn’t.This is the first video in a series where we break down how to actually build this skill in real life. Not just talk about it, but live it.If you’ve ever felt pulled out of character under pressure, this is for you.Comment “COMPOSED” if this resonated with you and stay tuned for the next video where we break down why this skill matters more than most people realize.#leadership #nurselife #personaldevelopment #emotionalintelligence #healthcareleadership

What if the most powerful leadership skill in healthcare isn’t clinical expertise, but love?In this episode, Coach Charlene sits down with Darlene A. Cunha, MMHC, BSN, CENP-RN, WCSI, Caritas Coach and former Chief Nursing Officer, to talk about the leadership skill no one teaches nurses, but every great leader eventually learns.With more than four decades of executive nursing experience, Darlene shares how human-centered leadership, Caritas principles, and authentic presence can transform team culture, strengthen resilience, and improve patient outcomes. Together, we unpack why love in leadership is not soft or sentimental. It is precise, disciplined, and often requires courage.This conversation is for nurses, healthcare leaders, and anyone responsible for guiding teams through high-pressure environments. If you care about ethical leadership, staff retention, cultural humility, and building trust in healthcare systems, this episode is for you.Topics include:– Heart-centered leadership in healthcare– Love as a leadership competency– Caritas and human-centered care– Leading through conflict and difficult conversations– Building cultures of trust and belonging

In this video, Coach Charlene explores why humility matters just as much as knowledge in healthcare. Drawing from lived experience and clinical leadership, she unpacks the critical difference between cultural competence and cultural humility—and why humility must be a lifelong practice, not a checked box.She introduces the 5Rs Framework as a practical, reflective tool providers can use to strengthen trust, improve communication, and build more respectful, human-centered relationships with patients.This episode also highlights calmness as a core clinical competency, the role of self-awareness in patient safety, and how small mindset shifts can create safer, more meaningful experiences for the people we serve—especially in spaces where outcomes matter most.#CulturalHumility #BlackMaternalHealth #HealthcareProviders #PatientCare #HealthEquity #MaternalHealth #PatientSafety #MindfulHealthcare #NursingLeadership #CHAMPExperience

Pregnancy and birth should feel safe, supported, and respectful. In this video, Coach Charlene speaks directly to Black moms about how to find your voice, build trust with your provider, and advocate for your health every step of the way.You will learn how to ask the right questions, recognize when something does not feel right, and bring support into your care so you are not navigating this journey alone. This conversation is about empowerment, preparation, and honoring what your body is telling you.If you are pregnant, planning to be, or supporting a Black mother, this video is for you. Topics include Black maternal health, pregnancy advocacy, patient safety, doulas, midwives, postpartum care, and supportive birth experiences. #BlackMoms #MaternalHealth #PatientAdvocacy #PregnancySupport #birthpreparation

Are you good at your job but secretly burned out? In this episode, Nurse Practitioner turned Marketing Expert Lauren Leigh reveals why so many healthcare professionals get trapped in the "Zone of Excellence"—where competence and a steady paycheck keep you from finding your true purpose.Lauren shares her 15-year journey from the ER to the streets of Detroit doing harm reduction, and finally to launching her own agency, Transformative Ads. We discuss the reality of "doing more with less" in healthcare, how to identify your "Zone of Genius," and the specific marketing strategies clinicians need to build a profitable business.In this episode, we cover: Intro: Meet Lauren Leigh The reality of ER burnout: "Do more with less" The defining moment: Mortality and making the leap Advice for the stuck nurse: Self-care before the pivot The "Zone of Excellence" Trap vs. The "Zone of Genius" From bedside to business: Discovering Facebook Ads The Social Strategy RX: The S3 System for content Lauren’s 3 Wisdom Gems for new entrepreneursAbout the Guest: Lauren Leigh is a Nurse Practitioner and the founder of Transformative Ads. She helps clinician entrepreneurs build profitable, purpose-driven businesses through high-level social media strategy and advertising.  Website: www.transformativeads.com  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-leigh-dnp

"You better think twice about whether or not you have what it takes to be a nurse." Those were the devastating words a preceptor said to Dr. Renee Thompson just two weeks into her nursing career. She went home that night and told her husband she was quitting. If it wasn't for one manager who intervened, the nursing world would have lost one of its most vital leaders. In this episode, Charlene sits down with Dr. Renee Thompson, the CEO and Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute, to discuss the silent epidemic of bullying in healthcare. With over 32 years of experience. from bedside to corporate, Renee reveals why nurses "eat their young," the critical mistakes leaders make when trying to fix toxic cultures, and why kindness must become the new norm.Connect with Dr. Renee ThompsonDr. Renee Thompson is the CEO & Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute. She works with healthcare organizations to cultivate a professional workforce by eradicating bullying and incivility. Website: HealthyWorkforceInstitute.comYouTube:    / rtconnections  LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/rtconnectionsPodcast: HealthyWorkforceInstitute.com/podcast Renee’s Books & Resources:Enough! Eradicating Bullying & Incivility in Healthcare (2015/Updated)Do No Harm Applies to Nurses Too!From Exhausted to ExtraordinaryShop Books: HealthyWorkforceInstitute.com/shop#NurseBullying #NursesEatTheirYoung #NurseLeadership #ReneeThompson #ToxicWorkplace #NursingBurnout #HealthcareCulture #NurseManager #NewGradNurse #nursing #nurseburnout #nurseentrepreneur

Welcome to the final video of my series on nurse burnout! In this episode, I’m getting personal because we're talking about the real battlefield—the one inside your mind.Do you feel like your inner critic is louder than any praise? Or that burnout has become so personal, you feel like you're the problem? I want to remind you: You are not the problem; you are the solution.I believe that healthcare can shape you, but it should never define you. I'm here to help you recognize when that inner critic is driving and instead activate your "inner coach," which is filled with truth, values, and possibility.In this talk, I share my practical keys to:Self-Discovery: Figuring out who you are beyond your title.Self-Manifestation: Doing the work to strip away the false labels and become who you were intended to be.Daily Power Practices: Using affirmations and declarations to set your intention, reclaim your power, and build yourself up every single day.This isn't just an end; it's the beginning of your return to yourself.And if you want to continue this work, comment "Count me in" below! I'll add you to the interest list for my new 6-month virtual course, "Cultivating the Inner Coach," which starts in January 2026.