Ever feel stuck or trapped in your work or life?

My guest Irina F. Cozma, PhD is an organizational psychologist and executive coach who has repeatedly generated bold options for herself in moments when most people would have resigned with a defeated “it is what it is.”

In this conversation, we talk about surviving a micromanaging boss, why that experience became one of the biggest gifts of Irina’s career, and how her journey across four different countries shaped her belief that you always have at least one more option available to you — especially when you feel stuck.

We also get honest about the messy, embodied side of being human: physical pain, hormones, fatigue, and those days when you just want to feel sorry for yourself (I have plenty of those myself). Irina shares how possibility thinking still applies on those days—without pretending everything is fine.

What you'll learn:

• Why surviving a micromanaging boss changed how Irina coaches: she now validates how bad it can really be, stops over‑indexing on “you can always fix it,” and helps clients build parallel options instead of staying stuck trying to change someone who doesn’t want to change.
• How possibility thinking works in practice:understanding all your options (including the ones you don’t like), choosing consciously, and then making peace with—and committing to—your choice so you don’t feel like you’re in a psychological jail.
• How your values and strengths become anchors on hard days: Irina shows how clarity on core values like freedom and fairness, and strengths like persistenceand speed, lets you take action even when you’re in pain, exhausted, or full of self‑doubt.
• Irina’s “possibility thinker” framework: inner, relational, and process possibilities—practical tools that help you expand what you see as possible so you never again feel like you’re truly starting from zero.
• How Irina’s international moves (Romania → Spain → Moldova → U.S.) shaped her worldview: why she now sees “country” as just one small variable, and how clarity about what you want can make even “risky” moves feel obvious rather than terrifying.

Featured in this episode: 

• Irina's Possibility Thinkers Assessment: https://irinacozma.com/assessment
• Connect with Irina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinacozma/
• Jamie's 1:1 coaching for smart women who hate office politics: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply
• Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leejieunjamie/

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