How are you, really? Sometimes it feels easier to give the polite answer than to name what’s true when the world feels heavy and your heart is carrying more than words can hold.

In this reflective solo episode, Monique opens up about what it means to live with the weight of so many emotions at once and why protecting our energy is our first responsibility. She shares the small but powerful practices that kept her grounded - closing the door on noise, making space for joy, and giving herself permission to feel without staying stuck. Because when life feels too much, and the world feels broken, the question isn’t how to fix it all. The question is: how do we keep showing up whole for ourselves, our families, and the people who depend on us?

If you’ve been feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward, this is an invitation to pause, to be honest about how you’re actually doing, and to remember that you’re not alone in the weight of it all.

(00:53) - When “How are you?” isn’t just small talk (01:47) - Carrying sadness, anger, fear, and confusion all at once (02:41) - Why managing your energy is the non-negotiable (03:53) - Choosing light and joy when you can’t fix the brokenness (05:37) - Creating boundaries with media and inputs to protect your heart (06:59) - It’s not your fault, but it is your responsibility (08:30) - You are not alone

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

'Ask Monique' is your chance to get personalized insights. Submit your questions about business, professional life, or personal development, and let's dive into the messy, beautiful, and ever-changing world together.

https://forms.gle/iGZv2bVnhBSXbnbc8

When the rules of the game keep shifting, what does bold leadership look like?

In this 'Ask Monique' episode, Ben Schafer (Rev Op Leader and husband) joins Monique (Product Leader and Advisor) to explore a listener's questions: do we make bold moves in uncertain times? And how do you, as a leader, show up with all this uncertainty?

Together, Monique and Ben explore the nuances of courage, risk, why inaction is often the riskiest of all, and how to make decisions when the future refuses to give you clarity. This is a conversation that moves beyond easy answers and into the deeper work of leadership, navigating complexity, staying grounded in first principles, and helping others metabolize change.

Through both personal and professional stories, from parenting during the pandemic to the disruption of AI, Monique and Ben reveal what it takes to lead with intentionality when uncertainty is the only constant. You’ll walk away with clarity on why boldness doesn’t mean recklessness, how to navigate the risks of the status quo, and what it looks like to lead others through change without losing sight of your values or purpose.

(01:47) - The HBR headline that sparked this conversation (05:44) - What “being bold” really means (and doesn’t mean) (10:49) - Why even small bold moves carry hidden risks (13:20) - When not making a decision is a decision, and often the riskiest one (18:28) - Unpacking uncertainty at both personal and business levels (19:31) - Parenting during the pandemic: making bold moves when the stakes are high (23:38) - AI disruption and the temptation of reactive boldness (31:11) - Experiment over analysis over paralysis (35:47) - Time horizons and pacing bold decisions (39:51) - The boldness of speaking truth into leadership (47:24) - Playing your own game without losing your core strengths (50:37) - Lessons from hard choices: one-way vs two-way doors (55:44) - Final reflections: brave, intentional, uncomfortable action in uncertain times.

• Harvard Business Review (September/October 2025) | https://store.hbr.org/product/harvard-business-review-september-october-2025/BR2505

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

'Ask Monique' is your chance to get personalized insights. Submit your questions about business, professional life, or personal development, and let's dive into the messy, beautiful, and ever-changing world together.

https://forms.gle/iGZv2bVnhBSXbnbc8

What if the tension you are feeling right now, whether in your career, business, or life, isn’t a problem to solve, but an invitation to step into flow?

In this episode, Monique sits down with Kathy Keating, a technology executive and bestselling author of Liquid. With more than 30 years of experience as a CTO, founder, board director, and advisor, Kathy has walked leaders through the fire of SaaS, FinTech, HR Tech, and healthcare, always in the moments where growth felt the most complex.

Kathy’s framework is simple yet profound: complexity isn’t something to fix. It’s something to influence. She reveals why speed is an outcome - not a checklist item, why leaders who embrace stretch unlock the deepest growth, and what AI really means for the future of our work. She also shares why discomfort isn’t a threat, but the most powerful signal of expansion.

This episode will shift how you see leadership, growth, and change, not just in your career, but in the way you live your life.

(03:27) - Sneak peek of Kathy’s new book, Liquid (04:49) - Complexity, systems theory, and leadership choices (05:59) - Boling, freezing, and liquid: a new metaphor for business (09:47) - The myth of speed, and why chasing it makes you slower (13:18) - Speed as an emergent property (14:35) - The Four Sentinels (18:17) - Stretching into discomfort and rethinking growth (21:50) - Why separating actions from outcomes changes everything (24:16) - Where AI is really heading (29:52) - What leaders get wrong about productivity gains vs workforce cuts (33:06) - Influence, tension, and how mid-level leaders speak truth up (36:52) - Pivots, networks, and the hidden work of building influence (40:35) - Why progress is built on tiny iterations, not one big leap

• Liquid: How CEOs & CTOs Unlock Flow and Momentum in Complex Systems | https://ctosentinel.com/

• Website | https://kathkeating.com/
• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathykeating/

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

'Ask Monique' is your chance to get personalized insights. Submit your questions about business, professional life, or personal development, and let's dive into the messy, beautiful, and ever-changing world together.

https://forms.gle/iGZv2bVnhBSXbnbc8