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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What if the relentless pursuit of success, the very ambition you've been praised for, is leading you toward a breakdown rather than a breakthrough?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Charlène Gisèle, a high-performance coach and former big law litigator. Having intimately experienced the pressures of a high-stakes career, Charlène now helps high-achieving professionals reclaim their well-being and thrive without sacrificing their careers.

Charlène shares her personal rock-bottom moment, a profound story about her father's burnout-driven heart attack that forced her to redefine what success truly means. She introduces her unique coaching method, born from a transformative journey from the corporate world to a meditation ashram in India, offering a powerful blueprint for sustainable performance.

Inside the Episode:

• The Tipping Point: The heartbreaking story of a breakdown that forced Charlène to confront her "toxic relationship" with work and the unsustainable nature of her ambition.
• The Two Versions of You: A powerful exercise to audit your current behaviors against a past version of yourself, helping you identify subtle but destructive shifts that signal burnout.
• The Weight of the Mask: Unpacking how high-achieving women wear masks of perfection and productivity to hide underlying struggles with stress and emotional exhaustion.
• The Three Ds of Burnout: Charlène shares the harsh realities of burnout, highlighting the common progression from Divorce to Diagnosis and, in some cases, Death, as a stark reminder of the stakes.
• Beyond the Limiting Belief: Challenging the fear that prioritizing well-being will lead to professional failure, and instead, proving that sustainable success is your most valuable superpower.
• Redefining Success: How to expand your definition of success beyond external achievements (like job titles and salary) to include valuable life currencies like health and personal fulfillment.
• The Power of Moderation: The one piece of advice Charlène would give her younger, more obsessive self: learning to treat the things you love—including your career—with moderation to ensure they last.

If you're an ambitious woman who feels caught between the pressure to perform and the need to breathe, this episode is a courageous and compassionate wake-up call.

🔗 Resources:

• Learn more about Charlène Gisèle and her coaching method at charlenegisele.com.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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What if the path to historic leadership isn't about fitting in, but about being so rooted in who you are that you become a force for change?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with her friend, Heather Gray, the newly appointed VP and GM of Capitol Broadcasting Company's WRAL-TV and Fox 50. In a historic move, Heather is the first woman and the first person ever to unify the station's broadcast and digital platforms under a single leadership role.

Join them as they discuss Heather's journey through a male-dominated industry, the challenges and unexpected perks of motherhood in a 24/7 news cycle, and the critical importance of curiosity and self-worth in forging your own path to the top.

Inside the Episode:

• Making History: Heather shares what it feels like to be the first woman in a groundbreaking leadership role and the "mantle of responsibility" she feels to the women who follow her.
• Motherhood and Media: A candid conversation about navigating career momentum while raising a family in an industry built on demanding, non-traditional hours.
• The Power of Being "Different": Heather's insights on valuing her unique career path, which was not the "same as what came before," and how this difference became her greatest asset.
• You Are the Value: Heather's journey to becoming "so rooted in who I am" and why she no longer feels the need to prove her worth in the room.
• Raising Your Hand: The core value of curiosity and how asking questions—even when they're not well-received—has been a consistent track record of success.
• The Importance of Local News: A deep dive into why local journalism is a critical source of verified information and how it's adapting to a complex, connected world.
• On Mentorship: The story of a brave colleague who asked Heather to be her mentor and why taking on this role felt like a natural call to action.
  
  

If you're looking for inspiration to break through your own glass ceilings by fully owning your story and your unique path, this episode is a powerful guide.

🔗 Resources:

• Connect with Heather Gray and Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.
  
  

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What if the most critical skills for navigating the age of artificial intelligence aren't technical, but deeply human?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Dr. Felicia Newhouse, a visionary leader and the host and founder of the AI Powered Women Conference. With her work at Business to Human, Dr. Newhouse is a passionate advocate for a human-centered approach to AI, championing diverse voices—especially women—to be at the forefront of its development and application.

Join them as they explore the urgent need for women to engage with AI, the common "sticky floors" that hold them back, and how to use technology to amplify our unique humanity rather than automate it away.

Inside the Episode:

• The Catalytic Shift: Dr. Newhouse's personal journey from AI product executive to an advocate for human-centered technology, driven by a concern for burnout and the accelerating pace of change.
• The Macro Problem: Why designing AI through a lens of speed and extraction risks automating ourselves out of empathy and ethics, and why businesses that slow down to ask the right questions will ultimately win.
• A "Sticky Floor" for Women: Discussing a recent Harvard study that found women are adopting AI tools at a 25% lower rate than men, driven by imposter syndrome, tech intimidation, and a fear of being perceived as "cheating."
• Yesterday's Soft Skills, Tomorrow's Hard Skills: Highlighting why emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and resilience are the top skills for 2025 and why organizations need to start training for them now.
• AI and Ancestral Intelligence: The importance of anchoring ourselves in uniquely human qualities—like intuition, creativity, and compassion—as we leverage AI to amplify our work.
• The Future for Our Kids: Dr. Newhouse shares her concerns about the mental health impacts of technology on the next generation and identifies human-centered professions that are likely to thrive.
• The Antidote to Cheating: Actionable advice for women on how to use AI responsibly for brainstorming, delegating low-leverage tasks, and magnifying their unique brilliance without compromising their integrity.

If you're ready to move past the fear and uncertainty of AI and step into your power as a leader in this new era, this episode is your guide.

🔗 Resources:

• Learn more about the AI Powered Women Conference at aipoweredwomen.com.
  
  
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.
  
  

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What if the moments that make you want to shrink or disappear are actually your greatest opportunities for growth?

In this solo episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney gets real about the power of triggers. She reveals a truth that can transform your career: the discomfort, the hot face, and the gut punch you feel when challenged is not just an emotion—it's valuable data. When you learn to read and understand this data, you unlock one of the most powerful leadership tools in your arsenal.

Erica shares a personal story about a high-stakes training session and the feedback that initially triggered her deepest fears. By breaking down her own reaction in real-time, she illustrates how to turn those moments of discomfort into profound self-awareness, resilience, and unshakeable leadership presence.

Inside the Episode:

• The Trigger as Data: Understanding why your emotional reactions are not weaknesses to be suppressed, but powerful "post-it notes" from your brain telling you what matters.
• The "What If" Sticky Floor: Erica's personal story about a client feedback session that revealed her fear of "not being enough," and how she turned that vulnerability into strength.
• The SNAP Method: A powerful, step-by-step framework for turning gut-punch moments into gold:
  • Stop and Notice: The importance of pausing to observe your body's physical reactions.
  • Name the Trigger: How giving a voice to your fears—such as "not being enough"—helps you regain control.
  • Ask and Answer: The critical step of digging into the "why" behind your trigger.
  • Pivot: How to reframe the narrative from a perceived attack into a moment for growth.
• Building Unshakeable Presence: The link between self-awareness and better performance under pressure, faster professional growth, and handling feedback with grace.
• The Invitation to Grow: A call to action to see your triggers as invitations to grow, not signs of weakness.

If you're ready to stop suppressing your reactions and start using them as a roadmap for your growth, this episode is a must-listen.

🔗 Resources:

• Join Erica's private community, Her Collective, to get more tools like the SNAP method.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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What if fear isn't just something to conquer, but a natural human experience that can be understood, managed, and even used to propel you forward?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Dr. Mary Poffenroth, a groundbreaking scientist, fear and courage researcher, and author of the must-read book, Brave New You: Strategies, Tools, and Neuro Hacks to Live More Courageously Every Day. From her unique personal journey to her work at San Jose State University and NASA, Mary has dedicated her life to understanding how we can all do the scary things.

Join them as they explore the fascinating spectrum of fear and courage, offering practical strategies and "neuro hacks" to navigate anxiety, take courageous leaps, and truly rewrite the rules of what's possible in your life.

Inside the Episode:

• From Childhood to Science: Dr. Mary's personal origin story and how growing up in a household that suppressed "darker emotions" led her to scientifically study fear and courage.
• The Three Tiers of Fear: Understanding the biological, cultural, and personal roots of our fears, from universal anxieties to the limiting beliefs that hold us back.
• The Power of "Neuro Hacks": Discovering practical, in-the-moment tools to short-circuit fear spirals and regain calm, even in high-stress situations. Learn one of Mary's favorite "pinch the valley" techniques!
• The Many Faces of Courage: Exploring different types of courage, including physical, moral, social, intellectual, emotional, and existential courage, and how to identify where you can grow.
• Moral Courage in Action: Delving into what it means to live courageously by defending your North Star and standing up for what you believe is right, even at personal cost.
• Embracing Existential Courage: Why regularly choosing the least familiar path is a powerful act of courage, challenging the well-trodden road for a more adventurous life.
• The RAIN Method for Fear: Dr. Mary shares her unique framework to Recognize, Assign, Identify, and Navigate fear, helping you calm your system and regain control.

If you're ready to transform your relationship with fear and discover the courage to live a life of impact, adventure, and fulfillment, this episode is your essential guide.

🔗 Resources:

• Get free Neurohacking resources and the RAIN Method infographic at hellobravenewyou.com.
• Find Brave New You: Strategies, Tools, and Neuro Hacks to Live More Courageously Every Day wherever books are sold or here.
• Connect with Mary on LinkedIn.

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