Introduction: Success Beyond the Overachieving

Hello friends!A short update for you...A fresh batch of episodes are in the works as I type.  I can't wait to bring you more honest and empowering conversations with inspiring humans, each on their unique journey to redefine their own version of success.Look out for new episodes to drop within the next eight weeks.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Wren Jones is finally being herself.After decades on the mainstream path of her white, upper middle class upbringing - Wren’s life took an unexpected turn. Suddenly, the risk of not being herself seemed greater than the fear of owning who she truly was.Ask her what she does today and Wren will tell you that she’s a writer.  But, just a few years ago, she wouldn’t call herself a writer...let alone say she did much writing at all.  So, what changed?“I had spent so much time giving to other people and focusing on other people's needs. I had a lot of anger and resentment…I needed to really make my health and myself a priority.”We often hear the phrase “just be yourself” but what does it actually feel like to be yourself?  And, how do we put that feeling into practice?  Wren's wisdom on these questions will leave you feeling both emboldened and softened.In this conversation you’ll learn:• What led Wren to finally decide to be herself• Why putting creativity at the centre of your life is vital if you want to honour your spark• What Wren is no longer saying yes to• What changed when Wren started to see herself as a writer and not just as someone who writesLet's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSLearn more HERE about Wren JonesThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Renee Laforet is no longer trying to fit in.  For much of her young adult life, Renee was the “only” in many boardrooms. As a Black, female, C-Suite executive in tech, she strived hard to fit in.  The constant overachieving led Renee into serious illness, imposter syndrome and impossible pressures put on herself and her family.  Eventually, Renee gave up trying to fit in - and woke up to a whole new version of success. Today, Renee is most interested in becoming –Becoming her own personal best version of success.Becoming her best version of a leader.Becoming her best version of a human.  “What do I need to learn from this situation? What do I need to learn from this person? What do I need to learn from this challenge? It's really all about how you choose to interpret it,” Renee shares.Renee joins me this week on the podcast for an empowering conversation on how to awaken your highest calling by getting honest about who you are - and who you aren’t.In this episode, we’ll speak about:- What depths Renee hit to finally wake up to the disconnect she was living- How Renee’s mom’s guidance about being Black impacted her overachieving streak- The power of mindset in Renee’s life today - and how it keeps her connected to the highest version of herself Let's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Todd Spencer’s greatest fear came true.  He got fired.Decades into a thriving journalism career and in his most senior role yet, Todd finally had to face his fear.  He was fired - in spectacular fashion - for something he didn’t do.Can you imagine…the very thing you fear most happening to you?According to Todd:  It happens for you.“You find your limitations only when you break things. And I started to learn what my limitations were by being broken,” Todd says.In conversation with Natalie, Todd tells his remarkable story of transformation. He shares why getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to him - and how he stays motivated today as a leader of others, as a parent, and as a human.  Hint: It all has to do with radical kindness.In this episode, you’ll hear about:- How getting fired brought Todd closest to his most authentic self- Why Todd said “no” to leading Canada’s most beloved flagship sports program- Why Todd’s central metric for success has very little to do with himself- What Todd and Ted Lasso have in commonLet's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Is there a secret to accessing our creative callings?   Nikki Leigh McKean seems to have it.  The lifestyle photographer, coach and two-time cancer survivor shares her “full body yes” philosophy and how we can all bring a positive mindset to our creative urges.  Ever had the urge to spend winters someplace warm and rejuvenating?  Nikki did too – and then made it happen.Do you dream of trading in your busy urban life for countryside calm?  Nikki had that dream – and made it real.“If you desire something or someone or a circumstance or a feeling or a state of mind, then that’s worth investigating,” she says.The self-described creative brings a contagious kind of wonder to her desires.  We want that too, Nikki!  This is an inspiring and fun episode where we travel inside the magical brain of “Nikki Magic”, as she is known.  Join Natalie and Nikki for an honest and heartfelt conversation about desire, abundance and a new perspective on the privilege of making money.In this episode, McKean shares:- How she lives with radical freedom- The abundance mindset that guides her decision making- Why she views financial success as a privilege that can bring good the community- The raw moments that inspire her on a daily basisLet's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Garvia Bailey is no longer apologizing for being who she wants to be.Despite breaking barriers as one of only a few on-air Black journalists at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and host of the country’s top radio jazz show, the award-winning producer and host felt stuck.  Publicly, she was the picture of success as she interviewed famous writers, actors and musicians, and gained public recognition for her work.  At home, Bailey was down and lost.  “When a perceived notion of your identity becomes your ‘beat,’ that can be pretty limiting,” she says, “and it can be pretty hard on your spirit.” Trapped by the public perception of how she should succeed, the stories she should cover, the persona she should have, Bailey had no choice but to release the pressure.  A brave venture – and some solid advice from her mother – led her to reexamine her goals and her relationships.Bailey is now a co-founder of Media Girlfriends, a production company that aims to amplify underrepresented voices in media. She fully embodies all parts of herself and is working to create a legacy beyond what she felt pressured to be in the past.In this episode, Bailey shares:- How she navigated a role in media as one of only a handful of Black voices- How a toxic work environment led her to pursue her truth- Why it’s important to find what you want in a career, and not just want you don’t want- How she became intentional about her goals and her purpose- The advice her mom shared with her about releasing friendships that no longer serve her- The ways she is working to give herself graceLet's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Amanda Munday is finally free. For much of her adult life, the bestselling author, advocate for universal childcare and regular contributor to major media outlets, such as Forbes and The Globe and Mail, was living a lie.Her life as CEO of a child-friendly coworking space and parent to two young kids in a heteronormative marriage was a constant cycle of stress, despair and burnout. “This hustle and ‘grit and bear it’ for the sake of some big goal—it ate away at me,” she says.Then, it all unravelled. Munday separated from her husband, came out as queer, and closed her brick and mortar business due to the pandemic. Now, she’s redefining success in a way that is closer to her truth.So, how did Munday’s transformation happen? What do freedom and success look like for her today?In this episode, Munday shares:• How chasing the “shoulds” from her traditional upbringing led to a nervous breakdown • The radical path she is on to live in alignment with her truth • Why our mainstream definition of success is unsustainable and needs to evolve• What needs to shift in our economy and society for success to feel more sustainable—and how the next generation of young workers will lead that charge• Her personal antidote to burnout and how she prioritizes it above all elseLet's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Kunal Gupta is a master of non-attachment in a busy world. The serial entrepreneur who founded and led one of Canada's top digital advertising companies manages to maintain a monk-like detachment from his results.But he wasn’t always this way.Like many tech innovators, Gupta pushed hard to reach the career milestones he’d set out to achieve. Eventually, he had the job, the apartment, and the social life he’d always wanted, but something was still missing. “I didn’t feel that sense of satisfaction, that sense of success that I was expecting to feel,” he says.That’s when he began to reexamine his inner compass. He changed jobs and left downtown Toronto for Portugal, where he now starts his business meetings with a meditation practice. Though he still works in the tech sphere, Gupta has reframed the experiences he sees as successful. So, what are the metrics Gupta is using now to evaluate his success?In this episode, we'll speak about:• Why Gupta felt lost when he reached his own pinnacle of personal and professional achievement and how he discovered a new version of success• The metrics Gupta now uses to evaluate his own success (these are good!)• How personal awareness helps him make the right choices in daily life… and how we can each increase our own awareness• What quality is most important to Gupta today and how he is accessing it for himself***Gupta also leads us through a brief meditation at the start of the episode Let's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.

Caroline Marie Brooks is a Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter. Her livelihood depends on her ability to navigate an industry that measures artistic success in hard numbers—album streams, social media likes, concert tickets. Those same external indicators can also become a preoccupation and disable the artist's spirit. It’s a trap Brooks herself used to fall into, before she began to define her own criteria for success. “I will no longer open Spotify and say, ‘wow that song got a million streams, that’s a good song.’ I don’t live like that anymore,” she says.Do you get sucked into the external validation trap? Does your mood change based on how many compliments you receive or how many likes you get after posting on social media?Brooks reveals key lessons she has learned to keep that desire for external validation in check and focus on more authentic benchmarks for success. She also discusses how motherhood has shaped her vision of ambition, and shares tips for those who struggle with journaling—a practice she swears by. In this episode, Caroline Marie Brooks shares:• How she learned to truly be herself and why authenticity is so important in her career • When discomfort can be a good thing, and how to tell the difference between good gut feelings and bad gut feelings• Why she needs to spend time away• The importance of being financially responsible as a creative/entrepreneur• The key practices that helps her stay centred and connected with herselfLet's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry..

How do we get started at creating a success of our own, beyond the "shoulds" fed to us by our current overachieving culture? Join host Natalie Ruskin as she introduces the central question of this podcast and helps you begin to envision your own sustainable version of success—beyond the mainstream metrics of achievement, like status or a high salary. (Hint: We ask the provocative questions we're afraid of, listen, and wait for the answers to come.)When we shift from striving to surrendering, we can discover our most honest, joyful, and purposeful self. We will then begin to relax into A Success Of Our Own.Podcast Theme MusicPodcast Theme Music courtesy of singer songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks. The track is called “Night Drive” from Brooks' solo album: Everything at the Same Time. Brooks is part of the Canadian Juno Award- and CFMA-winning folk-pop harmony trio The Good Lovelies.Let's connect...Learn more HERE about how Natalie supports transformation for individuals, teams and corporate culture.Join Natalie for her LIVE Daily Guided Sessions.Email questions to: [email protected]. Natalie will reply personally.CREDITSThe song in this podcast is called Night Drive, by the amazing Singer-Songwriter Caroline Marie Brooks, part of the beloved Canadian music trio Good Lovelies.Photo for the podcast cover art by Jennifer Squires.Editing by Katie Jensen of Vocal Fry.