The Story I'm Telling Myself

Is your career success outrunning your own biography?Grab your complimentary episode self-reflection guide hereIf you’ve ever found yourself sitting in a high-level meeting—maybe you have the degree, the signing authority, and the title—yet you feel like the outsider who doesn't belong, this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself is for you.In this powerful installment of our mindset podcast, host Rita Ernst sits down with global technology executive and career advisor Mike Dwyer. Mike opens up about his journey from the "triple-deckers" of Somerville to the elite yacht clubs of Bermuda, revealing the profound discomfort of having his professional progress outpace his personal history.This isn’t just another self-help podcast; it’s a masterclass in personal transformation. Mike shares his "Daily Fear Challenge"—the practice of doing the one thing you are most afraid of first every morning—and explains how to build a "Personal Board of Directors" to provide the feedback and judgment you need to stay unstuck.Stop letting your internal narrator keep you in a lane that is too small for your potential. Join us for this deep dive into self-improvement and self-development.Listen now and subscribe to the mindset podcast that helps you change the story you’re telling yourself.Connect with Mike DwyerConnect with your host, Rita Ernst

My brother was making $90,000 a year shooting videos on "auto-settings" while I was a "cliché starving artist" with a film degree.Grab the epiosde companion self-reflection guide hereIn this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst sits down with filmmaker and agency owner Jake Isham to dismantle the myth that technical perfection equals professional success. If you’ve ever felt like you’re standing in your own way, this mindset podcast is your wake-up call to stop being the "mechanic" of your career and start becoming the executive.Jake shares the raw reality of his personal transformation, including why he "burned his business to the ground" six times when reality didn't match his dreams. We dive into the "Three Ps" framework—Produce, Promote, and Persist—and explore how to navigate the "boring work" of consistency that leads to compounding success.Key Takeaways:The Technician vs. The Administrator: Why your love for the craft might be the very thing stopping you from building an enterprise.The Simplicity Trap: Why we chase complexity to avoid the routine work that actually moves the needle.The Power of Compounding: Understanding that self-investment is a slow-growth bamboo tree that eventually scales overnight.Whether you're a new graduate or a seasoned professional at a transition point, this episode provides the tools for personal growth and the courage to rewrite your internal narrative. Stop letting your inner critic win—it's time for a positivity podcast that actually deals in reality.Connect with Jake IshamFollow Jake on LinkedIn and InstagramConnect with host, Rita Ernst

In this moving episode, Rita Ernst sits down with integrated health and wellness coach Kathy Yavari to explore a journey that spans continents, revolutions, and radical self-discovery. Grab the episode companion self-reflection guideKathy shares her harrowing "Big T" childhood traumas—from witnessing her mother’s stroke at Disney World to fleeing the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the sirens of the Iran-Iraq War.After moving to the U.S. alone at 14 and building a "perfect" corporate life on autopilot, Kathy faced a midlife "trifecta" of loss that forced her to stop running and start rising.Key Takeaways:The F.E.A.R. Framework: Learn to choose between "Fear Everything And Run" or "Face Everything And Rise."Healing Health Anxiety: Discover how childhood trauma "sticks" in the body and how to release it.The Autopilot Trap: Why high achievers often ignore their own stories until a crisis hits.Inner Child Connection: Practical ways to provide yourself with the love and protection you lacked as a child.Stop living for the future's anxiety or the past's depression and learn how to stay in the powerful, authentic present.Connect with Kathy YavariInstagram | LinkedInConnect with your host, Rita Ernst - speaker | author | consultant

Are you hiding your flaws?Grab the episode self-reflection guide hereHost Rita Ernst sits down with Nicole Angai Galindo (Nic), founder of Guiding Brilliant Writers Publishing House, for a raw conversation on reclaiming identity from the shadows of stigma. For decades, Nick navigated a high-pressure career while managing a Bipolar diagnosis, often facing professional pressure to "shut up" and hide her reality.Nick shares her transition from the "Comparison Game" and the pursuit of perfection. We break down the "Self-Coaching Loop"—a practice of interrupting the negative "tapes" our brains play to keep us small. Whether you are struggling with a mental health diagnosis or feeling stuck in a "chapter" of your life you didn't write, this episode is your invitation to own your flaws and rewrite your potential.Key Takeaways:How to discern when mental health struggles require professional intervention.The danger of defining success through someone else’s "yardstick".A framework for using writing as a tool for reinforcement and self-awareness.Why we must stop being "meaning-making machines" that prioritize negative labels.Connect with NicGrab the book "We Choose To Be More Than Our Diagnoses Vol.2"Connect with Host Rita Ernst

From Overachieving to Authentic Self-Care with Gerri Sapinoso HudsonGrab the complimentary self-reflection guide for this episode.In this episode of The Story I'm Telling Myself, host Rita sits down with Gerri Sapinoso Hudson, a self-care coach and the founder of Vision Bridge Leadership, to discuss the high cost of the "hyperachiever" lifestyle and the journey to reclaiming personal agency. Gerri shares a vulnerable look at her life as a first-generation Asian American woman navigating the "third culture"—a space pulled between roots and the American dream of academic achievement and corporate success.The Performance of Perfection For decades, Gerri lived by a script of obligation, believing that following the rules and achieving milestones would ultimately lead to happiness. She describes "growing up in corporate America," where she thrived in hierarchical systems by being compliant, respectful of authority, and careful not to take up too much space while making others look amazing. This perfectionism and "automatic pilot" mode created an idyllic-looking life from the outside that masked a lack of true self-knowledge.The 48-Hour Collapse The turning point of Gerri’s story is a harrowing 48-hour window that shattered her sense of safety. On a Tuesday morning, just before leading a corporate team off-site, her husband revealed a long-standing secret addiction. The very next day—her birthday—she learned she was being laid off. This total collapse stripped away the identity she had built around her career and family, forcing her to confront a life without the markers of value she had relied upon for 30 years.Reclaiming the Power to Choose Gerri details her arduous path through recovery, moving from the "victim story" and anger to a realization that she had been choosing to hold on for the wrong reasons. She highlights the transformative power of the proverb "let go or be dragged," emphasizing that true healing began when she reclaimed her power to choose her own path rather than following a predetermined social blueprint.A New Toolkit for Self-Care Moving beyond superficial self-care like "mani-pedis" or spa days, Gerri shares the modalities that provided true nourishment:Intense Exercise: Using CrossFit to process anger and change her physical state.Mindfulness & Meditation: Finding stillness to separate herself from "spinning thoughts".Journaling & Writing: Discovering her voice as an author and published article writer.Community: Reaching out to recovery groups and friends to learn she was not alone in her suffering.Know yourself deeply: Take the time to understand what actually works for you, regardless of societal expectations or social media trends.Healing is a journey, not a destination: It is never too late to start again or try something new.Forgiveness is for you: Choosing to forgive is a path to personal healing and happiness.Key Takeaways for Listeners:Listen now to discover how to find "safety in your own skin" and transition from a life of autopilot to one of radical authenticity.If this story resonates with you, please leave a five-star review and share the episode with a friend who may be struggling with their own "one story" trap.Connect with GerriGrab Gerri's gift to you, her 7 day jumpstart to start your self-care journey.Connect with your host, Rita Ernst

Unpack Anxiety, Nervous System Regulation, and High-Achiever Burnout with Robyn GrahamGrab your complementary companion guideAre you a high-achieving professional woman or entrepreneur who feels like you are standing in your own way?. You might be telling yourself the story that you don’t need to heal because your past wasn’t “bad enough” to count as trauma. But if you find yourself trapped in a cycle of perfectionism, control, and people-pleasing, your nervous system is revealing the truth.In this motivational and relatable episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, you will discover:The Science of "Nervous System on Fire": Learn why high achievers often live in a state of constant high alert, cycling through fight, flight, freeze, or "fawn" (people-pleasing).The Truth About "Discounted Trauma": Robyn explores the internal narrative of believing your experiences weren't "bad enough" compared to others and why acknowledging your hurt is the first step to true healing.Breaking the Generational Curse: Understand how maternal anxiety and a dysregulated nervous system can create a "vicious cycle" that impacts your children.Rewiring Your Brain for Calm: Discover how your mind can control your brain to grow new neural pathways and move you from "emotional chaos" to a thriving life and career.Practical Tools for Resilience: Robyn shares the neuroscience behind a gratitude practice, explaining how identifying three things daily activates the prefrontal cortex to enhance creativity and executive functioning.Why Professional Women and Managers Need to Listen: Manager burnout is at an all-time high, often driven by the simultaneous pressure to please bosses, please teams, and maintain perfect control. Robyn identifies the "alarm bells" of dysregulation, such as overreacting to small requests, chronic physical pain, and the inability to sleep.Whether you are navigating a career transition or struggling with self-doubt, this conversation offers the practical tips and inspiration needed to rewrite your narrative and create the life you truly desire.Be sure to subscribe and leave a five-star review to help other ambitious women challenge their self-limiting stories.Connect with Robyn Graham:Website: www.therobyngraham.comBook for ParentsBook for Teens

What happens when you build a brand from scratch, reach the top 5% of Etsy shops worldwide, and realize the success you’ve built is actually exhausting you?In this powerful episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst sits down with Allison Sherwin, the founder of Threads and Honey, to redefine the 'F' word—failure. Allison shares her transition from a 15-year corporate sales career to building an international embroidery brand featured in Food Network, House Beautiful, and The Observer.Despite hitting profitability within three years and scaling to a team of six in her in the basement of her home, Allison found herself stuck in the "messy middle" of growth. She reveals the internal battle she faced with imposter syndrome, the "ego trap" of viewing her business as her "baby," and the overwhelming mom guilt that surfaced as the business outpaced her gifts and desires.In this episode, we explore:The Scaling Trap: Why Allison chose "peace and joy" over scaling to an eight-figure manufacturing organization.The Permission Slip: The life-changing advice Allison received from her father during his final illness: "It’s okay to walk away and change your mind".Redefining Failure: How to dismantle the story that stopping a profitable venture negates your past achievements.The "What Next" Phase: Allison’s journey into her new chapter as an author and partner in her husband's business.Whether you are a perfectionist struggling with burnout, an entrepreneur contemplating an exit strategy, or a professional navigating a new season of life, Allison’s story is a "permission slip" to prioritize your mental health and purpose over your pedigree.“You are never stuck. Take the next right step that is right for you.” — Allison Sherwin-------------------------Connect with Our Guest: Allison SherwinEpisode Resources:Companion Journal Guide: Download our premium guide featuring prompts to redefine your relationship with failure and unlock your permission to act.Recommended Reading: What Color Is Your Parachute?.Don't forget to subscribe to The Story I’m Telling Myself and leave a five-star review if this episode helped you rewrite your own narrative!

What if the thing you’ve been muting your entire life is the very thing meant to heal you? Grab the companion journalIn this deeply moving episode, Rachel shares how being literally hit by a truck became the catalyst for reclaiming a dream she had silenced for decades. While out for a run with her husband, Rachel was struck by a truck, leaving her with a compression fracture and alone in a trauma room for nine hours, without her phone, family, or certainty about her future.In the middle of shock and pain, something unexpected happened: she began to sing.That moment revealed what years of perfectionism, fear of judgment, and self-doubt had buried: her identity as a singer and her ability to regulate her nervous system through creativity. What started as a small act of survival became a powerful lesson in emotional regulation, resilience, and rewriting self-limiting narratives.This episode is especially for highly sensitive people (HSPs), perfectionists, and overwhelmed entrepreneurs navigating imposter syndrome, burnout, and the relentless pressure to succeed. Rachel walks us through the small, imperfect steps that rebuilt her confidence, from hiring a virtual voice coach during recovery to performing on the very stage she once avoided, and eventually seeing herself on a Times Square billboard.We explore:How self-limiting beliefs and perfectionism mute our most meaningful dreamsWhy confidence is built through action, not waiting until you feel “ready.”Overcoming imposter syndrome at work and in entrepreneurshipEmotional regulation skills during trauma, burnout, and high stressThe power of “borrowed belief” when your inner critic is loudGrowth mindset vs. fixed mindset in business and personal reinventionWhy so many entrepreneurs regret not being bolder, and how to stop repeating that patternRachel’s story is a masterclass in cognitive reframing, resilience, and choosing expression over fear. It’s a reminder that healing doesn’t always come from pushing harder, but from finally letting yourself be seen.If you’re an entrepreneur struggling with self-doubt, burnout recovery, work-life balance, or the fear of failure, this episode will challenge you to ask:What dream are you still muting, and what might happen if you let it speak?🎧 Listen now for inspiration, mindset shifts, and permission to stop dying with your music still locked inside.Connect with Rachel:www.racheldruckenmiller.comRachel's TEDxLightbulbs Music VideoRachel's Podcast Playlist