1228: Boundaries That Build Respect in My Marriage

In this episode, Heather sits down with Elise Loehnen, New York Times bestselling author of On Our Best Behavior, to unpack what it really means to break free from the pressure to be “good” and start living from a place of wholeness. Together, they explore how generational and cultural conditioning shapes women’s roles, the emotional cost of over functioning, and how to rewrite the stories we’ve been taught to live by. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the invisible scripts running your life and invites you to stop performing, start feeling, and come home to yourself. What we cover: 🩶Why women are unconsciously conditioned to perform “goodness” (and how it shows up) 🩶The deeper fears and attachments underneath the ‘do-it-all’ identity 🩶How to begin choosing wholeness over goodness—and what makes that so emotionally uncomfortable About Elise Elise Loehnen is the New York Times bestselling author of On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good and the host of the podcast, Pulling the Thread, where she interviews cultural luminaries about the big questions of today, including people like Joy Harjo, John & Julie Gottman, Dr. Gabor Maté, and Esther Perel. In addition to On Our Best Behavior, she is the author of a corresponding workbook—Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness—with coach Courtney Smith (July 2025), and the co-author of True & False Magic, which legendary psychiatrist Phil Stutz. Elise lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Rob, and their sons, Max and Sam.  ***** Ready to make your time work for you without adding more to your plate? Book your audit here: https://heatherchauvin.com/audit For those of you who are ready to stop feeling drained, overextended, and out of alignment… join me for a one-on-one Time & Energy Audit, a focused session designed to help high-achieving women uncover what’s draining them, clarify what truly matters, and create a simple plan that fits their life. We’ll pinpoint your biggest time + energy leaks, identify the top areas to focus on for quick momentum, and map out exactly what to let go of so you can reclaim your energy, your time, and your joy. Ready to make your time work for you without adding more to your plate? Book your audit here: https://heatherchauvin.com/audit

What does it really take to stay connected in marriage while raising a family, running a household, and navigating the emotional ups and downs of everyday life? In this episode, Heather sits down with her husband Bryan for an honest conversation about partnership, communication, and boundaries inside a real relationship. Together, they pull back the curtain on what it looks like to grow individually while still choosing each other daily. In this episode, we talk about: 💛 Why weekly “marriage meetings” can prevent resentment and build connection 💛 How to navigate discomfort and triggers without making your partner the enemy 💛 The role of radical responsibility in keeping love and partnership alive 💛 Why emotional regulation is essential for true intimacy Marriage isn’t about perfection, it’s about choosing to grow together, even when it’s uncomfortable. This episode is an invitation to look at your own relationships, get honest about what’s not working, and start creating the connection you crave. ******* For those of you who are ready to stop feeling drained, overextended, and out of alignment… join me for a one-on-one Time & Energy Audit, a focused session designed to help high-achieving women uncover what’s draining them, clarify what truly matters, and create a simple plan that fits their life. We’ll pinpoint your biggest time + energy leaks, identify the top areas to focus on for quick momentum, and map out exactly what to let go of so you can reclaim your energy, your time, and your joy. Ready to make your time work for you without adding more to your plate? Book your audit here: https://heatherchauvin.com/audit

“She’s so strong.” That’s what people say when a woman holds it all together on the outside but what happens when she’s quietly suffering inside? In this episode, Heather sits down with entrepreneur and mother Lily Walla, the founder + CEO of Auggie, for a conversation about the stories women often don’t tell—the health scares, the quiet fears, the identity crises, and the hidden rage that shapes how we show up as mothers, leaders, and humans. Lily shares how a life-threatening tumor reshaped her sense of self, why she built a parenting community rooted in honesty, and how she’s learning to surrender in seasons of uncertainty. In this episode, we talk about: 🩶 The emotional toll of being the “strong one” through crisis. 🩶 Why storytelling and community are essential for maternal mental health. 🩶 The real reason women are over-functioning—and what healing actually looks like. There comes a point when carrying it all becomes unsustainable. This episode is a call to release the pressure, share your truth, and choose a different way forward. ***** She closed $9,200 in 15 minutes—during soccer practice! That’s what happens when you stop trading time for money and start building strategic, scalable profit. The 90-Day Profit Accelerator is for high-achieving women ready to simplify their business, reclaim their time, and scale without burnout. You’ll get: **Weekly 1:1 coaching **Real-time Voxer support **Custom Profit Roadmap **Emergency breakthrough sessions **Proven systems to turn your brilliance into scalable revenue Start with a $497 Strategic Profit Audit—your first step to clarity, focus, and more freedom. Book your 1:1 now at https://heatherchauvin.com/profit

If you’re feeling the urge to hit the reset button as your family transitions into fall, this episode is for you. Heather is pulling back the curtain on how she’s personally re-evaluating her time, energy, and money boundaries and how you can do the same without guilt, shame, or overwhelm. This isn’t about setting rigid rules or reinventing your whole life from scratch. It’s about refinement, alignment, and real emotional accountability so you can start this season feeling clear and in control. In this episode, Heather walks you through how to: Audit what’s actually working (and not working) in your time, energy, and money habits Distinguish between resistance and misalignment so you stop procrastinating and start taking action Create micro-boundaries that build identity-level change no, “start Monday” energy required If you’re ready to get back in the driver’s seat of your life and move into the new season with clarity and confidence, this one’s a must-listen. Heather also shares powerful journaling prompts, mindset shifts, and the exact coaching frameworks she uses with clients to create real transformation. For those of you who are CRAVING a reset and ready to break free from overwhelm, resentment, the continual exhaustion.... join me for a Cottage Retreat Intensive—four peaceful days designed to help high-achieving women reclaim time, energy, and clarity. We have multiple dates, so find out more and apply at https://heatherchauvin.com/retreat Ready to reclaim your time and energy without adding more to your plate? Yes, please! Then join I have also created the Time Rich Reset—a proven system to help high-achieving women gain back 10+ quality hours a week (that's 520 hours a year, ladies) as well as their ENERGY without having to do more. Make your time work for you. Head to https://heatherchauvin.com/timerich

What if empathy wasn’t about absorbing everyone’s emotions but about leading with heart and boundaries? In this episode, Heather sits down with Shermin Kruse for a powerful and timely conversation about stoic empathy, emotional discomfort, and the messy middle between caring deeply and protecting your energy. They explore the spectrum of empathy; from burnout and people-pleasing to disconnection and avoidance. And they discuss what it really takes to lead, parent, and grow from a place of internal strength. In this episode, they cover: 🩶 How to know when your empathy is hurting more than helping 🩶 Practical tools to stop absorbing others’ emotions and energy 🩶 The hidden discomfort in emotional growth—and how to face it with clarity Whether you over-function, shut down, or toggle between both, this conversation will help you build emotional capacity that fuels your mission without draining your soul. About Shermin Shermin Kruse (most people call me Sher) is an author, speaker, professor, and TEDx producer who helps leaders, teams, and organizations master resilience, influence, and the power of human connection. Her new book, Stoic Empathy (Hay House, April 2025), introduces a groundbreaking framework that fuses Stoic resilience with deep emotional intelligence, giving readers practical tools to navigate high-pressure decisions, lead with confidence, and build meaningful relationships in business and life. Sher’s work is deeply rooted in experience. From growing up in war-torn Iran, fleeing to the West, and later becoming a successful lawyer, speaker, and executive coach, she has spent her career helping people harness both strength and connection to create lasting impact. She has been featured in Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, and on TEDx stages, speaking on leadership, negotiation, resilience, and emotional intelligence. She also works behind the scenes, producing TEDx events, coaching speakers, and consulting with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and corporate teams to help them master the art of influence, communication, and decision-making. Sher brings high energy, deep insights, and engaging storytelling to every conversation and she’s excited to bring that to your audience. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sher.kruse  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sher_kruse/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shermin-kruse/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZEnWQF0ONo-IE2PLsBI2Eg  Website: https://www.sherminkruse.com/  Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-empathy-with-shermin-kruse/id1744005230  ***** Time Rich Reset - buy back 10+ hours a week and put your soul have on the calendar  heatherchauvin.com/timerich Join our membership  heatherchauvin.com/membership Want 1:1 support? Let’s start with an audit  heatherchauvin.com/audit 

The older your kids get, the more they need you. Not for rides to soccer practice or packed lunches, but for leadership, boundaries, and emotional presence. In this life update, Heather pulls back the curtain on a summer filled with big transitions, personal growth, and hard choices. From her oldest son moving across the country on short notice, to restructuring her business and team, to dialing in her health with more intentional energy management, she’s sharing what’s working, what’s not, and the uncomfortable truths she’s had to face to stay in alignment. Listen in as Heather breaks down: 🩶Why “it gets easier” in parenting is only true if you get better at leading yourself 🩶How she’s handling the emotional reality of launching her oldest into adulthood 🩶The patterns she’s breaking in business and leadership to protect her vision 🩶The physical and mental shifts she’s making to prevent burnout and sustain momentum If you’ve been feeling stagnant, overextended, or stuck in “busy but not better,” this episode is your invitation to look in the mirror, face what you’ve been avoiding, and make one bold change in the next 90 days. For those of you who are CRAVING a reset and ready to break free from overwhelm, resentment, the continual exhaustion.... join me for a Cottage Retreat Intensive—four peaceful days designed to help high-achieving women reclaim time, energy, and clarity. We have multiple dates, so find out more and apply at https://heatherchauvin.com/retreat Ready to reclaim your time and energy without adding more to your plate? Yes, please! Then join I have also created the Time Rich Reset—a proven system to help high-achieving women gain back 10+ quality hours a week (that's 520 hours a year, ladies) as well as their ENERGY without having to do more. Make your time work for you. Head to https://heatherchauvin.com/timerich

What if success doesn’t have to cost you everything? In this weeks episode, Heather sits down with author and entrepreneur Alyson Caffrey to talk about the unseen emotional labor of being "the strong one." From the moment she checked in with clients after giving birth to her first child, Alyson began questioning the cultural narratives that taught her to grind, produce, and prove her worth no matter the cost. Together, they unpack what it really takes to shift out of burnout and into alignment, create systems that support rest, and redefine success on your own terms. In this episode, they discuss: 🩶 The hidden cost of tying your self-worth to productivity 🩶 What it really looks like to rest, recover, and still lead powerfully 🩶 How to grieve old identities while raising your standards If you’re the one everyone leans on but you’re secretly wondering who supports you—this episode will remind you of what you actually deserve. About Alyson Alyson Caffrey is a small business Operations Strategist, Bestselling Author and founder of Operations Agency. Alyson is best known for helping founders escape the bitter day-to-day of running a growing company. Over the last 8 years, Aly and her team have helped streamline the back-end ops for a multitude of brands and using her Operations Simplified™ framework to unleash the power of small teams. She left the board meetings, consulting 8-figure companies on their operations, to serve founders running small businesses. Alyson believes that if she can return fulfilled founders back to their families, she can generate a much larger impact in the world. Alyson is committed to using her experience growing businesses and streamlining operations to help founders (mostly parents) have better relationships with their business. Whether navigating a new baby, managing the chaos with young kids, or simply making sure you’re front row at all the wrestling matches, Alyson helps create businesses that give time back to our family, not the other way around. Alyson is mom to two young sons (yea, it’s crazy) and enjoys spending her time at home with her growing family.   https://instagram.com/alycaffrey/ https://instagram.com/mastermaternityleave/ https://alysoncaffrey.com/handbook/ https://mastermaternityleave.com/workshop/ *** Don't let another summer go by drowning in task lists, and the guilt of snapping at the kids. The Energetic Time Management Membership is where you learn my proven system that has helped high-achieving women gain back 10+ quality hours a week (that's 520 hours a year!) while deepening family connections and recharging without burning out. Maximize the impact of everything you already do. See real results in less than 30 days at a no-brainer price point. Get started at https://heatherchauvin.com/membership/

What does it really look like to reclaim your power after years of people-pleasing, perfectionism, and putting everyone else first? In this episode, Heather sits down with educator, coach, and mother Adriana Mastronardi to explore the transformation that begins the moment a woman stops asking for permission. From redefining fun and food to building a thriving business and becoming the breadwinner in her household, Adriana shares how she learned to question everything—and create a life that reflects who she really is. In this episode, they cover: 🩶 The identity shift that happens when women stop living for others 🩶 Why confidence is built through action, not aesthetics 🩶 How to redefine health, fun, and strength on your own terms If you’ve ever felt like you lost yourself in motherhood, marriage, or the roles you’ve been handed, this conversation will show you what’s possible when you come home to who you truly are. *** Don't let another summer go by drowning in task lists, and the guilt of snapping at the kids. The Energetic Time Management Membership is where you learn my proven system that has helped high-achieving women gain back 10+ quality hours a week (that's 520 hours a year!) while deepening family connections and recharging without burning out. Maximize the impact of everything you already do. See real results in less than 30 days at a no-brainer price point. Get started at https://heatherchauvin.com/membership/

"I don’t want to watch my kids play the same game I had to play growing up." What happens when a mom watches her bright, curious daughters slowly lose their love of learning in traditional school? MacKenzie Price didn't just complain she revolutionized education entirely. In this powerful conversation, MacKenzie shares how she went from frustrated parent to education innovator, creating Alpha School and the 2H Learning model that's transforming how kids learn across North America. In this episode, we cover: 🩶 How to spot the signs that your child is checked out and what to do about it. 🩶 Why screen time for learning isn't the same as mindless scrolling 🩶 How to find your child's unique spark (hint: stop projecting your dreams) If you're ready to think differently about your child's education, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about school and inspire you to advocate fiercely for your child's potential. About MacKenzie MacKenzie Price is the Co-Founder of 2 Hour Learning and Alpha Schools, Texas Sports Academy, NextGen Academy, and GT School, a growing suite of groundbreaking ventures revolutionizing the landscape of K-12 education by harnessing the power of AI to offer students personalized, mastery-based learning. Students in her schools spend just 2 hours a day on academics while classes scoring in the top 2% nationally, freeing up most of their day to pursue passions, learn life skills and do project-based workshops. Price shares her ideas about reimagining education with her considerable social media following, including her 730K followers on Instagram, her YouTube channel and through her Future of Education podcast. Price is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and the advisory board of the Center for Education and Public Service at the University of Austin. A Stanford University graduate with a BA in Psychology, Price lives in Austin, Texas with her family. *** She closed $9,200 in 15 minutes—during soccer practice! That’s what happens when you stop trading time for money and start building strategic, scalable profit. The 90-Day Profit Accelerator is for high-achieving women ready to simplify their business, reclaim their time, and scale without burnout. You’ll get: **Weekly 1:1 coaching **Real-time Voxer support **Custom Profit Roadmap **Emergency breakthrough sessions **Proven systems to turn your brilliance into scalable revenue Start with a $497 Strategic Profit Audit—your first step to clarity, focus, and more freedom. Book your 1:1 now at heatherchauvin.com/profit

If you’ve been telling yourself you’re stuck, overwhelmed, or waiting for clarity… this one’s for you. In this episode, Heather unpacks the illusion of "stuckness" and how it’s often a sign of avoidance, not incapacity. Drawing parallels between human emotion and the laws of nature, she explains why resistance to discomfort is the very thing holding us back from growth and how we can reclaim our energy by leaning into contrast, not running from it. In this episode, you’ll hear: 🩶 Why “feeling stuck” is often a choice, not a circumstance 🩶 What nature teaches us about contraction, push, and transformation 🩶 How to get unstuck with one small, aligned decision If you’re craving clarity but resisting the discomfort that comes with it, this episode will help you break through one push at a time. *** She closed $9,200 in 15 minutes—during soccer practice! That’s what happens when you stop trading time for money and start building strategic, scalable profit. The 90-Day Profit Accelerator is for high-achieving women ready to simplify their business, reclaim their time, and scale without burnout. You’ll get: **Weekly 1:1 coaching **Real-time Voxer support **Custom Profit Roadmap **Emergency breakthrough sessions **Proven systems to turn your brilliance into scalable revenue Start with a $497 Strategic Profit Audit—your first step to clarity, focus, and more freedom. Book your 1:1 now at heatherchauvin.com/profit