What if the hustle culture you've been taught to admire is actually a trap, and the constant demand for more is keeping you from true peace and happiness?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Israa Nasir, a psychotherapist, mental health advocate, and author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World that Always Demands More. Israa is a leading expert in emotional intelligence and sustainable self-care, guiding high-achieving women to dismantle the perfectionism that keeps them stuck.

Israa shares her personal journey from overachiever to psychotherapist, revealing how she used psychological research to find a missing link in the self-help world: the emotional drivers behind our unhealthy behaviors. She offers powerful, actionable strategies to break free from the not-enough mindset and build a life that feels aligned and fulfilling, not just productive.

Inside the Episode:

• The Promised Land of Happiness: Israa's personal story of hitting rock bottom despite checking off every milestone, and how it led her to question the toxic beliefs of hustle culture.
• Toxic Productivity Defined: Understanding this mindset as an obsession with external validation and achievement that leaves you feeling empty and disconnected.
• The Performance Culture of Social Media: How the pressure to perform on social media has bled into our real lives, turning our hobbies, friendships, and daily routines into performative acts.
• Permission to Be Mediocre: A powerful strategy for finding peace by identifying areas of your life where it's okay to be "good enough," freeing up energy for what truly matters.
• Rest as a Requirement: The truth about rest and why it's a fundamental part of healthy productivity, not a reward you have to earn. Israa offers tangible tools for integrating "micro-rest" into your day.
• The Chanel Rule for Your Calendar: A brilliant tip for the over-scheduled woman: setting a rule to take something off your calendar every time you feel overwhelmed.
• The Core Invitation: A call to introspection and self-reflection to redefine your values and build a life that is intentional and fulfilling, not just a series of milestones.

If you've ever felt guilty for slowing down or believed that your worth is tied to your output, this conversation is a revolutionary wake-up call to reclaim your time, energy, and life.

🔗 Resources:

• Learn more about Israa Nasir and her work at https://www.google.com/search?q=well-guide.com.
• Find her book, Toxic Productivity, wherever books are sold.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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What if the relentless pursuit of "more" is actually what's holding you back from true fulfillment and sustainable success?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Barbara Burgess, a leader, author, and coach who is challenging the pervasive culture of "not enough." In her book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations, Barbara empowers high-achieving women to break free from the hustle culture and cultivate a deep sense of inner peace.

Barbara shares her personal journey from a demanding corporate career to writing a book that came to her as "journaling with no intent." She reveals how she transformed her relationship with self-doubt by turning "not enough" into a comical character, and offers powerful, practical strategies for reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Inside the Episode:

• The Not-Enough Character: A surprising and tactical tool for creating distance from your limiting beliefs by giving them a name and a personality.
• The Self-Improvement Trap: Why the constant hunt for certifications and new skills can be a dangerous form of the "not enough" mindset, particularly for women.
• "I Get To" vs. "I Have To": A revolutionary mindset shift that redefines choice and liberates you from feeling obligated to do things you don't want to.
• Mastering Your Internal GPS: A powerful exercise using a simple notepad to retrain yourself to tune into your inner knowing and make decisions based on joy and delight.
• Staying in Your Energy Lane: A crucial strategy for protecting your life force by recognizing what's yours to solve and what's not.
• Leading with Intuition: How trusting your gut—that "full body yes"—is not a fluffy concept, but a profound and valuable skill that can lead to better outcomes for you and your organization.
• The Unapologetic Pep Talk: The one piece of advice Barbara would give her younger self: to be unapologetic, embrace change, and trust that she is already enough.

If you're an ambitious woman who feels caught between the pressure to perform and a deep longing for peace, this episode is a compassionate and revolutionary guide.

🔗 Resources:

• Find Barbara's book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations, wherever books are sold.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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What if AI isn't just a tool for productivity, but your secret weapon for building unshakeable confidence in the moments that matter most?

In this solo episode, host Erica Rooney shares her AI-powered playbook for ambitious women. She challenges the myth that confidence is a trait you're born with and reveals a powerful truth: confidence is a skill, and like any skill, it can be built and amplified. Erica argues that in a world where time is short and the pressure is high, AI can be the strategic partner that helps you show up bolder, clearer, and more self-assured than ever.

Erica dives into real-world, actionable ways you can use AI to prepare for high-stakes conversations, rehearse for critical moments, and build your professional visibility without feeling self-promotional or "salesy."

Inside the Episode:

• Confidence is a Skill, Not a Gift: A reminder that true confidence comes from being prepared and having done the work, a process that AI can supercharge.
• The Power of Prepping: Learn how to use AI to organize your thoughts and prepare for tough conversations, transforming jumbled ideas into a clear, concise, and confident message in seconds.
• Rehearsing for the Win: The ultimate guide to using AI for risk-free role-playing. Practice for job interviews, negotiations, or presentations and get real-time feedback without the cringe of doing it with a real person.
• Building Your Visibility (Without the Cringe): Discover how to use AI to craft compelling stories about your achievements in a humble yet powerful tone, making self-promotion feel authentic and impactful.
• AI That Sounds Like YOU: A pro tip on how to train AI to match your unique voice, tone, and sentence structure, so your content is always authentic.
• A Call to Action: A simple, low-stakes way for anyone to get started with AI, even if you're not techy or a little "AI anxious."

If you're ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start using every resource at your disposal to lead with clarity and courage, this episode is your first step.

🔗 Resources:

• Join Erica's private community, Her Collective, for more support and tools to advance your career.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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Connect with me on LinkedIn

Be a Book Launch Insider!!!

My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedIn

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