Hey Sue

Sarah Climenhaga is a writer and facilitator of Byron Katy’s The Work. She is also a self-professed attention hog who loves to talk! But in this live coaching session with Sue and Leah, she brings her secret worry: “Does anyone actually care about what I have to say?” In this episode of the HeySue podcast, Leah and Sue inquire about the two competing voices in Sarah’s mind, the one who loves to talk and the one who thinks Sarah takes up too much space. This internal contradiction is likely familiar to anyone who is a creator – it certainly resonates for Leah and Sue. What competing messages do you experience? You can learn more about Sarah’s work at https://sarahclimenhaga.ca. And those nifty boots Leah mentioned at the top of the episode? Those are available here.

Fernanda Bertrand is a business coach and the host of her own podcast. She came to the session with Sue and Leah wanting to better understand the “darker side” of her – a judgmental voice – that keeps intruding on her thoughts. She admits that she has been judging herself and others her whole life... and she judges herself for that! In this live coaching episode of the HeySue podcast, Sue and Leah lead Fernanda to consider what those judgmental thoughts mean, for her sense of self-worth, as a type of gift, and as an internal radio station of judginess. As you listen, hear the openness in Fernanda and hear how your own internal patterns are echoed. We invite you to tune in. You can learn more about personas in Sue’s new co-authored book, Leader Coach: Scaling Conscious Leadership at Work. If you want to go deeper on Leah’s suggestion that your thoughts are not your fault, she recorded a teaching inspired by the session with Sue and Fernanda. You can hear more from Fernanda on her podcast, The Higher Self Project.

Nick Smith is the CEO and Co-Founder of Hauska, which uses AI to make home remodeling easier. But the real challenge in his life right now is how to raise a house full of teenage girls. Sue and Leah dive into what that responsibility means to Nick, as well as his core belief that “you either pay now and play later, or you play now and pay later.” The session investigates how to use anxiety as an invitation to get curious about your priorities. For Nick, that means leaning into what he knows is most important to him and discovering his own tricks for spending more time doing things he loves with the people he loves. If you find yourself staring at a full calendar wondering what you need to do to be happier, we recommend this piece by Sue on being “full” and this meditation by Leah on the tension between doing and rest. If you are also a golfer, you may enjoy this post where Sue gets some timely coaching during one of her worst games ever.

Dominique Aubry-Morgan is a high-achiever who is on a quest for more ease. In this episode, Sue and Leah engage with Dominique about how her desire to find a new cadence is in tension with her ambitious nature. They dive into her familiar cycles around all the competing desires she has for her life. What would happen if she did a trust fall into life? At the heart of this episode is the issue of how to navigate — and eventually release — the complex emotions, diligence, and “doing” that often accompanies (and can forestall) learning and change. To dig into these ideas a bit more, you can read about Sue’s strategy for shifting core patterns and listen to Leah’s exploration on not knowing.

Rachel Pickett comes to this coaching conversation with Sue and Leah with a pretty common problem: figuring out how to get her organization to grow. Rachel is the Founder and Executive Director of The Thinking Project, which also makes her the first non-profit leader on the HeySue podcast. Her organization (and her passion) is focused on bringing Byron Katy’s The Work to children in educational settings. This conversation becomes an exploration of how love for something – an idea, a product, a cause – can be the key to unlocking growth. If you are not yet familiar with Byron Katy and The Work, you can visit thework.com. And if this is an entirely new tool to you, then this episode will certainly spark some curiosity!

Sue and Leah welcomed the first anonymous guest “Ryan” to the HeySue podcast! He kicked off the conversation by explaining that he is in the market for a coach who can help him get out of a funk. Sue and Leah invited Ryan to reflect on different parts of himself – from the achievement-oriented “higher self” to the cheese-loving slacker “Gary.” Ryan’s curiosity and self-reflection shine through in this conversation that spans creativity, self-worth, quantified-self journaling, and Miyazaki’s Fujimoto from Ponyo. This is a great listen for anyone (i.e. everyone) familiar with patterns of “productivity” and “laziness.” To go deeper, here is an exploration about how to allow yourself to rest. If you want to explore Ryan’s pop culture references, listen to some Sufjan Stevens or watch the 1983 movie Wind in the Willows.

David Secunda is a successful serial entrepreneur who has big ideas ranging from tech solutions for talent management at companies to what may be the best adventure summer camp for kids in the US. In this live coaching episode of the HeySue podcast, David opens his heart and mind, sharing the deep questions he wonders about in his leadership. He talks about a recurring worry that he is “too much.” The inquiry around that worry unlocks a conversation about wanting to be liked as a leader, the upper limits he encounters as a visionary, reacting to internal and external critiques, and a persona named “Tiny” who is trying to protect David.

Robin Izsak-Tseng is the VP of Revenue Marketing at G2. She is a leader with a lot of expertise to offer, but having so many young tech dudes around makes her feel like an imposter. She wonders if she is holding herself back from the next level of leadership. In this bold and revealing session, Robin, Sue, and Leah Pearlman talk about the perks of being self-effacing, the desire to be more punk rock, and a tension between leading and belonging. You will hear about personas and why they show up, as well as how to stay with feelings of insecurity as you grow and move to the next level.

Shawna Barnhart is a seasoned product leader in tech who loves team building, cross-functional project orchestration, and deep, revealing client conversations. Like many leaders in tech, she was recently a part of a reduction in force. Shawna is trying to balance “holding on” and “letting go” in the midst of that transition. During this honest and joy-filled conversation, Shawna, Sue, and Leah dig into the issue of “selling yourself” on the job market by simply showing up with your passion and genius. This episode in particular showcases guest coach Leah Pearlman’s coaching technique of “welcoming.” You can learn more about it at www.welcomingway.com.

Rachel Beisel is a seasoned executive who has achieved a lot of her goals and feels like she’s at her next phase of growth. She climbed all of Colorado’s 14-ers, ended her marriage, rang many professional bells, and wrote a book. She’s looking at rewriting her bio in a literal and metaphorical sense. In this live coaching session, Rachel shares the questions she’s facing as she is looking at the next chapter of her life and career with a hope of shifting some of her core patterns of planning, goals, and checklists for achievement. In this episode, Leah takes Rachel through an exploration to tune into her inner seven year old, finding a place of not knowing and opening to wonder.