The Soulful Leader Podcast

Hosted by Stephanie Allen & Maren Oslac

Business Management Education

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Episodes

216

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

As a Soulful Leader you want your success to mean something. Professionally, you're flourishing. Personally, you're still searching. Deep inside you know there has to be more to life. Acknowledging that your outer world doesn’t align with your inner longings can feel scary and overwhelming. In a world where achievements and accolades motivate us to do more and be more, we’re often left wondering, “Is this really it?” Instead of sticking to the status quo, you’re ready to embrace a new way of being, thinking, feeling, and doing so you can fulfill the deeper life that’s calling you. We’re your hosts, Stephanie Allen and Maren Oslac. We’re both soulful leaders in our own right whose lives have been dedicated to living that 'something more'. We can’t wait to save you time and share the shortcuts we’ve uncovered. By tuning into the Soulful Leader Podcast you’ll discover that you don’t need to sacrifice to find meaning, success or true happiness. Instead, you’ll learn practical solutions infused with a healthy dose of woo for tapping into your Divine DNA. We’ll help you see that going inward is the secret. Each week we break down the barriers that will help you decrease your stress, find that fulfillment, and create the conditions so you can thrive in life.

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August 11, 2026Episode 21627 min

Your Need to Control Is Holding You Hostage

Control equals competence, right? That’s the common belief. In reality, control is tight shoulders, a busy mind, and a simmering irritation when other people don’t do it “the right way.” This week, Stephanie and Maren take a candid look at how the need to manage everything is actually a leadership trap . As always, they don’t leave you hanging - they tell engaging stories, bring wisdom with laughter and share a grounding, usable practice. In this episode they pull apart everything from boundaries and emotional regulation to what it means to stay in your lane tell the truth about how trying to fix others always backfires connect the dots between stress and the body, including tension and digestion issues, and why your nervous system cannot “digest” other’s problems flip the script on courage showing how it’s actually a result and dive into cultivating the skill of serenity (yep, it’s a skill) to protect your energy Instead of struggling to control everything or waiting to feel brave, listen in and hear real stories about DIY gone wrong, procrastination, and the fear of being seen, plus a more compassionate way to meet those inner layers as they come up. If you want more peace, stronger self-leadership, and cleaner boundaries at work and at home, come listen, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find this work. TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video REFERENCES: 1:02 The Serenity Prayer - two versions Original (short) version “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” ACA version (Adult Children of Alcoholics) “God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know that one is me.” 4:40 Byron Katie 's "three businesses" teaching 13:20 Roger James Hamilton' s courage/clarity-confidence-commitment 22:35 Marianne Williamson quote “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

July 28, 2026Episode 21526 min

Your Next Job Doesn't Exist Yet

The world is changing faster than the plans you were taught to trust. That’s why the question “What’s next?” feels both urgent and impossible. Careers peter out, industries disappear, and AI is reshaping the job market - the old strategy of lining up a safe, logical path has not only stopped delivering the expected security, it barely functions at all. It’s most likely that your next job doesn’t even exist yet. This week, Stephanie and Maren talk honestly about the anxiety this is bringing up and share options and alternative ways of thinking. Questions like “What if what you’re really meant to do doesn’t even exist yet?” are at the heart of their conversation which changes the whole conversation - it would mean you’re ahead of the game, not behind. Today’s podcast covers: Why outer preparation alone (money, credentials, a tidy plan) isn’t enough for real resilience What actually helps you navigate uncertainty How “best practices” usually backfire and create bigger problems Symptoms versus root causes in bodies, relationships, and systems Why unlearning industrial-era beliefs helps to rebuild our creator mindset (and why that’s essential) A simple, effective and powerful practice for clarity If you are ready for clarity without forcing an answer, this conversation will hit home Subscribe and share it with a friend who’s in transition Please also leave a review so more people can find the Soulful Leader Podcast. If you were to stop chasing best practices and start aligning with what's actually yours to do - what would you do? We’d love to hear. TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video REFERENCES: 11:02 Buckminster Fuller Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

July 14, 2026Episode 21425 min

Stop the Dream Killers

You had a dream once. Maybe you still do — buried under "being realistic," other people's opinions, and the quiet voice that says "who do you think you are?" In this episode, Stephanie and Maren share their own stories about dream killers — both the external ones (threatened bosses or co-workers, well meaning parents, etc) and the internal ones (our own fears and doubts, the stories we tell ourselves). If you've ever talked yourself out of something big, felt pressured by someone else's success, or quietly put a lid on your own potential to stay comfortable — this one's for you. There’s a truth you may not realize: you cannot have a longing that doesn't already exist in your future. Your dream is there for a reason. The challenge is continuing to choose it. That’s what today’s episode will help you do - find the support you need to claim your dream and stop the dream killers. 🙌 If this episode stirred something in you — a dream you've been sitting on, a longing you've been dismissing — we want to hear about it. 📨 Share your answer with us at support@tslp.life or find us on social media @SoulfulLeaders ✍️ Here’s a great question to consider this week : If no one in your life would ever know what you chose, what would you choose? Content note: This episode includes open conversations about self-doubt, playing small, and the emotional weight of going after your dreams. Approached with warmth, humor, and a whole lot of heart.* TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video RESOURCES : - 11:01 The Two Wolves parable — classic Cherokee story - 11:49 "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light and not our darkness that most frightens us." ~Marianne Williamson from A Return to Love - 16:20 “Is it true?” from Byron Katie's "The Work": thework.com Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

June 30, 2026Episode 21330 min

The Pattern You Can't Escape (Until Now)

Have you ever wondered, why does this keep happening? Does it sometimes feel like you keep falling into the same hole? This week, Stephanie and Maren get real about what it means to lead from a higher place when life (or the people in it) comes at you hard. Using the powerful Buddhist parable of the "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters," they unpack why high-functioning people so often ‘fall into the same holes’ (destructive patterns) in life - and why it’s not a character flaw, it's actually just an unexamined habit. You'll walk away with a fresh lens on shame, confidence, surprise, and what it actually means to build true wealth from the inside out. If you've ever held it together on the outside while quietly unraveling on the inside, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways SHAME = Should Have Already Mastered Everything. The moment you start with "I should have..." you've entered the shame cycle — and it keeps you stuck in the hole. Swap "need to" for "get to." This one word shift moves you from hard, contracted energy into curiosity and possibility — and it changes everything. Falling in the hole isn't punishment — it's an invitation. Each time you fall, you're being offered the next level of growth. The hole is the reward, not the consequence. Your reticular activating system is always listening. What you focus on, you find more of. Deliberately training your brain toward delight, gratitude, and possibility is a practice — and it works. True wealth is what you have when the money's gone. Your character, your gifts, your relationships — that's the foundation that holds when everything else shakes. If this episode stirred something in you, we'd love to hear about it. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts — it helps more soulful leaders find their way to this conversation. And if you're ready to stop white-knuckling your way through life and start working with it instead of against it, get on the waitlist for our Co-Creation Circle at tslp.life/co-creation-circle. Content note : This episode includes a candid discussion about family conflict, shame cycles, and navigating serious life challenges (illness, loss, grief). Shared with care and compassion. TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video REFERENCES : 2:50 "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters" — a Buddhist parable link 14:26 Daniel Goodenough TheHuPersonProject.com 17:22 Roger Hamilton/Wealth Dynamics https://www.wealthdynamics.com/ 19:24 Truck quote: if you lose your money, you've lost nothing. If you lose your health, you've lost something. If you lose your character, you've lost everything 24:50 Reticular Activating System Ep 103: Success: Straight Line or Meandering Road 28:24 Book of Delights by Ross Gay amazon link (affiliate) Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

June 16, 2026Episode 21216 min

Running on Fumes Isn't Strength

You're doing all the things. Checking every box. Pushing through. And yet the mountain in front of you still looms. You’ve been told that needing support is a weakness, so you keep going- running on fumes. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get real about what happens when achievers hit empty — and why the instinct to push through ‘one more thing’ is actually flawed conditioning, not real wisdom. Drawing on bodywork truths, real-life business coaching moments, and a surprisingly powerful metaphor about gas tanks, they explore the empowerment of being able to stop, soften, and ask for help. If you’re living the ‘I-need-to-just-get-through-this-one-thing’ life, or haven’t yet recognized that asking for help just might be the most powerful thing you do (for you AND those around you), today’s podcast is for you. In This Episode Why "less is more" is more than a meme — and how to actually live it Reframing how you approach struggle with a clear, helpful analogy What happens in a conversation when one person softens first Maren's honest moment of vulnerability with her business coach — and what it unlocked Stephanie's 15-minute rule for getting unstuck without draining yourself Why the silo mentality is keeping all of us stuck The belief system shift you need *before* you can ask for help Does this sound like someone you love? Do them a favor and share it with them while you’re thinking about it. TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

June 2, 2026Episode 21124 min

The 3am Wake-Up Call

Do you ever wake up at 3 a.m. wondering what it’s all for? Thinking there must be something more ? Maybe you've checked all the boxes. Career? Thriving. Family? Taken care of. Life on paper? Pretty great. So why are you waking up in the middle of the night with that gnawing feeling that something is... off? In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get real about those middle-of-the-night moments when the big existential questions show up uninvited —Why am I here? What is this all for? Is this really it? — and what it actually means when they do. Spoiler : nothing is wrong with you. In fact, something very right is happening. This conversation explores the difference between outer success and inner success, why even the most accomplished people can still feel deeply empty, and how to change the narrative. If you've ever secretly questioned what it’s all for, this episode is for you. In This Episode Why waking up in the middle of the night with existential questions is actually a gift Three ways to work with the 3 a.m. angst The difference between suffering and suffering over your suffering Why highly successful people still feel that "fingernails on a chalkboard" emptiness Waking up at the end of your life, the cost of delaying finding real meaning A simple question to sit with this week: What would it mean to be internally successful? Ready to stop sleepwalking and start living your life mission? Join our community at tslp.life — a growing movement of people choosing to live from the inside out. TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video REFERENCES: 7:33 Ep 196 Pick Your Hard Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

May 19, 2026Episode 21027 min

From Emptiness to Fulfillment

You’re spinning in place. You’ve done this already and your success is feeling hollow. 👉🏻 Maybe you've built the business, or climbed the mountain. 👉🏻 Maybe you've checked every box society told you to check. 👉🏻 Maybe it’s just a quiet, persistent whisper telling you “there’s more, there’s something else…” In this episode, Stephanie and Maren explore what happens when the formula society teaches you stops working — and why so many amazing achievers find themselves spinning in place, wondering why success feels hollow. If you've ever felt like you're running on autopilot, doing all the right things but feeling strangely disconnected from your own life, this one is for you. This isn't about blowing up your life. It's about getting curious enough to ask better questions — and brave enough to sit in the uncertainty long enough to hear the answers. Included in today’s episode: The man who built his business three times — and why his energy completely collapsed when asked if he'd do it again Why we’re are trained to * do * yet never taught how to * be * The Spiral Dynamics framework (developed by Clare Graves, expanded by Ken Wilber) and why the "apex achiever" is only the halfway point of human development Byron Katie's powerful question: Is it true? How stuck energy in the mind and emotions eventually shows up as physical pain — and what Chinese medicine teaches us about flow The Hopi wisdom: "Push off from the shore and find the flow" Why questioning your internal narrative is the most radical (and most avoided) act of self-leadership Loved This Episode? If this resonated with you, the best thing you can do is share it with someone who needs to hear it — that friend who keeps telling you they feel like something's missing. They'll thank you for it. And if you haven't already, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more soulful leaders find their way to this conversation. TRANSCRIPT Watch on YouTube REFERENCES: 8:08 Byron Katie The work 13:10 Spiral Dynamics 19:27 Your Body Doesn’t Lie - John Diamond 19:33 You Can Heal Your Life - Louise Hay Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

May 5, 2026Episode 20929 min

Why 'Holding On' Is Holding You Back

You've worked hard to build the life you have. So why does it feel like something's missing — or worse, like you're stuck? Here's the uncomfortable truth: the very things you're gripping tightest might be exactly what's keeping you from the life you actually want. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren go down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland to uncover her secret of letting go and explore the powerful (and often misunderstood) relationship between trust and surrender. Inspired by a clip from renowned Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön, they unpack the difference between surrender and weakness and explore the metaphor of Alice falling down the rabbit hole -with curiosity instead of terror- to show what it could look like to stop white-knuckling your way through change and start trusting the process. The life you're dreaming of is not about doing more or climbing another mountain, it's actually about going inward and making space and embracing curiosity. It’s about discovery. Key Takeaways Surrender isn't weakness — it's courage . Real surrender means trusting and that trust has to be built. It's a practice, not a personality trait. Your resistance to change is normal . Just like a caterpillar literally dissolves before becoming a butterfly, your inner immune system will fight transformation. That discomfort doesn't mean you're failing — it means you're becoming. The thoughts that fill your head aren't yo u. Write them down — I'm too old, I don't have time, it's too late — and look at them. What you witness loses its grip. Scrolling, snacking, and staying busy are false escapes . They give you the feeling of relief without building the actual capacity to sit with discomfort. The real practice is learning to be uncomfortable — consciously and on purpose. Stillness is not the same as doing nothing . Listening inward, tracking what your body is telling you, asking what is this asking of me? — that IS the work. And it changes everything in your outer world. We'd love to hear where you are with this. Are you in the free fall right now? Grabbing for every branch on the way down? Or have you found your wings? Find us on Facebook and LinkedIn (links below) — and come tell us your story. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs it — and subscribe so you never miss an episode. TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video REFERENCES : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnObGF4WQkE 23:21 Pick Your Hard 26:29 Inner Mastery Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

April 21, 2026Episode 20829 min

When Pushing Harder Makes Everything Worse (and how to change it)

Do you ever feel trapped between going all-in (the constant go, go, go, go), or needing to check out (the I've earned it, I've put in my time, I'm just I'm done.) You are NOT alone. The secret that no one tells us - there IS another option. Society teaches us to push, push, push — in business, in relationships, in life — which works for awhile. Then we crash and burn, and all too often, that frustration turns inward. Well, there’s good news, in today’s episode, Stephanie and Maren share an alternative path. They unpack one of the most overlooked leadership skills: the difference between presence and pressure . Why does our culture reward relentless doing while quietly starving the roots that sustain us? What does it actually look like to slow down without checking out? Stephanie and Maren tackle these questions, and more, through real stories, honest reflection, and a few unexpected analogies (think: scuba diving, lawnmowers, and Will Smith). The "go-go-go then crash" cycle is real and this conversation will give you tools to not end up as just another statistic. Tangible, actionable practices will help you shift out of the all-or-nothing loop, reconnect you to what you love and help you find actual fulfillment in your life. If you've ever felt like you're running on empty yet can't seem to stop, this episode is for you.--- Resources & References Mentioned 17:14 - Collateral Beauty (2016) — starring Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren - https://amzn.to/4mODUja 22:10 - Rumi — "Meet it at the doorway" reference 21:06 & 27:00 - Saint Francis of Assisi — the practice of giving inward first, then to a stranger Enjoyed This Episode? If this resonated with you, the best thing you can do is **share it with someone who needs it** — and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more soulful leaders find their way to this conversation. --- “You cannot give somebody what you think they need. You can only give yourself what you need.” — Stephanie Allen --- TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life

April 7, 2026Episode 20727 min

The Thing Nobody Tells You About Success

You did everything right. You climbed the mountain, hit the milestones, checked all the boxes — and then you got there and thought... is this really it? That quiet emptiness at the top of success is something nobody warns you about. In this episode, Stephanie and Maren get honest about why achieving your goals can feel like the loneliest moment of your life — and what's actually missing. Spoiler: it's not another goal. It's the inner work that most of us were never taught to do. From Alex Hormozi's "apathy problem" to the woman who thought her gift was numbers (it wasn't), this conversation will have you rethinking what success actually means — and how to make it feel as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. Key Takeaways Success can feel empty when it's built on someone else's prescription . When we follow the "right house, right car, right job" formula without checking in with our own longings, we arrive at the top of a mountain that was never ours to climb. Your gifts and your skills are not the same thing . You may have built skills to survive or fit in — but your true gifts are the things that come so naturally you've probably dismissed them entirely. Your inner world creates your outer reality . Most of us are unconsciously running on autopilot. Pausing to ask what do I actually need? — emotionally, mentally, spiritually — changes everything. Identity is not static. Who you are right now doesn't have to be who you stay. Growth requires updating the story you tell yourself about yourself. Simple practices create profound shifts . Evening journaling, flow writing, asking better questions — these aren't soft extras. They're how you access the magic that your conscious mind filters out. Referenced in This Episode - Alex Hormozi — entrepreneur and investor who openly discussed his "apathy problem" after achieving significant outer success - Vicki Keith (Ep. 150) — Neurodiversity is Your Superpower (https://thesoulfulleaderpodcast.com/2024/05/28/150-neurodiversity-is-your-superpower-with-vicki-keith/) — referenced in the conversation around ADHD as a gift, not a deficit - Morning Pages / Flow Writing — a journaling practice (popularized by Julia Cameron's *The Artist's Way*) that Maren uses as evening pages to access subconscious insight TRANSCRIPT YouTube Video Love this episode? Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts —it helps other soulful leaders find us! Have a question or topic suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our website or social media. 📬 Connect With Us Website: www.TheSoulfulLeaderPodcast.com Main Website: www.tslp.life Find us on: YouTube: @soulfulleaders LinkedIn: The Soulful Leaders Facebook: The Soulful Leaders Newsletter : Get our weekly newsletter 'Shift Happens' with tips, tricks, and insights to uplevel your life and leadership, plus notifications of new podcast releases and blog posts. Sign up at www.tslp.life