EP 15. Own Your Comeback with John Mabry

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com    🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… You know how to succeed at work, but the same approach may leave you frustrated at home or uncertain about your next chapter. Former corporate partner turned counselor Randy Free shares what parenting children with ADHD and changing careers taught him about strengths and identity. Discover a more compassionate way to support different minds and rethink who you are when a familiar job title falls away.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Randy Free here: https://coachtoresilience.com/about/  ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Opening: Find Strength in a New Chapter 03:00 See Your Child's Strengths Differently 15:36 Help Different Minds Do Their Best 23:10 Find Yourself Beyond Your Job Title

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com    🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… What happens when the career you worked so hard to build starts to feel like a life you have to survive? You can be capable, dependable, and successful and still feel your own voice getting quieter beneath constant decisions, expectations, and the pressure to keep performing. When your body is telling you no but your resume keeps telling you to stay, it can be difficult to know which voice to trust. In this episode, Allison Hare shares the turning points that led her from more than two decades in corporate sales to hosting Culture Changers and helping other people use their voice. She and Joy explore the yes and no signals that burnout can make impossible to ignore, the courage required to outgrow an identity that once fit, and why protecting your energy matters when the people around you do not understand your next chapter.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Allison Hare here: https://allisonhare.com/  Culture Changers podcast (now Reinvention Room): https://podcast.allisonhare.com/  Mirrors in the Earth - Asia Suler: https://asiasuler.com/mirrors-in-the-earth/  Merlin Bird ID - Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/  ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:34  When success leaves your real voice simmering in the background 06:18  The yes feeling that exposed what burnout was costing 09:48  Leaving security and waiting until you can hear yourself again 12:20  Protecting your energy when people do not understand your next chapter 16:28  Becoming, unbecoming, and releasing identities that no longer fit 20:00  Why helping other people reclaim their voice became personal

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com    🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… You have built valuable skills. Where could they make a difference that you can actually see? David Jorgensen joins Joy St. John to share how his work in finance became connected to helping children and families through Impact Others. From a hospital in Honduras to projects in Egypt, this conversation invites you to connect professional strengths, generosity, and a deeper sense of purpose.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Explore Impact Others and its projects: https://impactothers.com/  ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Opening: Connect Work With Purpose 05:08 Take a Purposeful Leap 08:03 Make Each Dollar Help More 10:45 Find Meaning Through Service

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com    🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… You may already know the conversation, decision, or change you need to make. Fear keeps giving you reasons to wait. Author Margie Warrell explores what that hesitation costs and how small acts of courage can help you move toward the life you want. For leaders tired of overthinking their next step, this conversation invites a braver story about what's possible, including permission to slow down.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action: https://margiewarrell.com/books  ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Opening: Close the Gap Between Knowing and Doing 06:00 Make the Move You Keep Avoiding 12:13 See Beyond the Worst Case 23:37 Change the Story Holding You Back

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com    🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… A full calendar can hide a frustrating gap between what you imagine and what you finish. If you're an ADHD high achiever or creative leader tired of fighting your to-do list, Think Time creator Christine Howe offers a different starting point: picture the life you want before filling the hours. Explore how a purposeful pause, realistic planning, and clearer boundaries can make space for progress and rest.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Think Time planner and membership: https://www.think-time.com/ Think Time free training: https://www.think-time.com/free-training  ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Make Progress Without Burning Out 08:05 Find a Pause That Helps You Focus 18:28 Plan for the Life You Actually Have 26:56 Protect Your Energy with Boundaries

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… When you're the one others lean on, finding a place to admit you need help can feel surprisingly hard. Kristin Thompson shares what community has meant in her career, faith, and family life. For Christian working women who want support beyond another networking event, this conversation offers permission to find trusted peers, receive help, and choose commitments that fit the season you're actually in.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE 4word community and mentoring: https://4wordwomen.org/ BOLDLY conference: https://4wordwomen.org/boldly/ 4word executive events: https://4wordwomen.org/forum/ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Opening: Find a Community You Can Lean On 11:34 Find Support That Fits Your Life 21:28 Find Peers Who Understand Leadership 30:06 Choose Commitments You Can Enjoy

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… You can be the person everyone counts on and still feel unseen in your closest relationships. Relationship coach Danielle Lee Darling explores the proving, pleasing, performing, and protecting that can keep you working for love. If you're ready to stop hiding your needs, this conversation offers a starting point for more self-trust, honest connection, and room to be yourself at home and at work.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST. JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.   Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine.   ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Danielle's Love Pattern Quiz: https://danielleleedarling.com/lovequiz Sovereign Love Academy: https://danielleleedarling.com/sovereign-love-academy   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Stop Working for Love 06:06 Recognize Your Relationship Pattern 15:22 Build Trust in Yourself 21:04 Create Safety for Honest Conversations

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… Everyone needs an answer, the pressure keeps rising, and saying yes to the wrong work is costing you time and energy. How do you lead without losing your footing or your values? Drawing on her experience at CNN and the CDC, Loretta Lepore joins Joy St. John to explore staying steady under pressure, knowing when to say no, and building a team you can count on when crisis hits.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST. JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.   Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine.   ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Loretta Lepore here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettalepore   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Stay Grounded Under Pressure 11:24 Choose Work That Fits Your Values 17:56 Lead Through a Crisis 27:26 Build a Team Ready for Crisis

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… In a world where high achievers are expected to keep performing, stay positive, and hold everything together, it can be easy to look successful on the outside while silently falling apart on the inside.   Today, Joy sits down with John Mabry to talk about addiction, recovery, trauma, silence, and what it means to become the hero of your own comeback story. John shares how a devastating car accident changed his life, how pain, grief, and addiction pushed him toward rock bottom, and why asking for help became the turning point that saved him.   They also unpack the cost of performing perfectly in public while perishing privately, the power of telling the truth, and the simple steps that help people begin again when they do not know where to start.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST. JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.   Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine.   ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Connect with John: https://www.johnmabryconnects.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:09 When Success Hides Suffering 04:35 Life Can Change Fast 10:19 The Resilience Trap 19:25 The Cost of Silence 24:49 When the Mirror Finally Hits 33:21 Start With One Step 40:08 Full Is Not Fulfilled 43:32 Own Your Comeback 47:21 What Brings John Joy

💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… In a world full of information, expertise alone is no longer enough. The leaders and speakers who truly move people are the ones who can bring clarity, ask better questions, and create spaces where ideas can turn into real change. Today, Joy sits down with Jacqui Chew, the leader of TEDx Atlanta, to talk about what makes an idea worth spreading and what it really takes to build a volunteer-powered movement. Jacqui shares the story behind TEDx Atlanta, why volunteers are led and inspired rather than managed, and how the best speakers use curiosity to help people see something differently. They also unpack the power of helpful cultures, why "super chickens" can damage teams, how safe feedback makes speakers stronger, and why belonging matters deeply for leaders who often carry more than people realize. 👋 WHO IS JOY ST. JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead. Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Jacqui Chew: Linkedin ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:23 How TEDx Atlanta Became a Pioneer Chapter 03:33 What It Takes to Build a Volunteer-Powered Movement 07:33 Volunteers Are Led, Not Managed 08:20 Why the Right Idea Can Change Everything 11:18 Expertise Is Table Stakes. Clarity Is Leadership 12:34 The Best Speakers Ask Better Questions 13:59 Why "Super Chicken" Cultures Hurt High-Performing Teams 17:22 How Helpful Cultures Create Better Results 18:38 Better Feedback Makes Better Speakers 21:58 Creating Space for Curiosity and Childlike Wonder 23:49 Normalizing the Mental Health Conversation 26:32 Belonging, Estrangement, and the Loneliness of Leadership 30:07 What Brings Jacqui Joy 31:30 Why You Should Experience TEDx Atlanta 2026