Rise From The Ashes
"Burnout to Brilliance: Great CEOs, No Burnout"
Leadership is tough. Burnout makes it tougher.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Rise From The Ashes is the ultimate podcast for visionary CEOs and executives who refuse to let burnout rob them of their brilliance, legacy, and impact.
Hosted by Baz Porter, this show isn’t just about surviving leadership it’s about transforming it. Each week, we delve deep into the art and science of thriving at the top, combining actionable strategies, spiritual alignment, and raw truths that reignite your purpose and optimize your energy.
Here’s what you’ll get:
- Bold Frameworks: Learn the exact steps to conquer decision fatigue, streamline your mental energy, and reclaim control of your leadership.
- Spiritual Awakenings: Explore the intersection of purpose, alignment, and success to lead with clarity and connection.
- Transformational Insights: Hear unfiltered stories and practical wisdom from world-class leaders who’ve turned their burnout into brilliance.
This isn’t just a podcast it’s a revolution for leaders ready to rise, inspire, and leave a legacy that outlasts them.
Rise From The Ashes
She Lost Everything. Then Became the Guide She Needed Most.
Michelle Collins lost her husband to suicide. Then her mother.
That kind of grief doesn’t just hurt it shatters you.
But instead of staying broken, Michelle turned her pain into power—and now helps others walk out of the dark.
This episode isn’t about healing in theory.
It’s about how to survive when your life has exploded and you’re still expected to function.
Inside this episode of Rising From the Ashes, Michelle strips it down:
🔥 What grief really feels like when the world moves on and you’re still stuck in pain
🔥 The brutal truth about dating again after death (and what no one talks about)
🔥 Why “healing” doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time it means you recover faster
🔥 The divine downloads that became her books and lifelines for survivors
🔥 The words that saved her life: “You will not always feel the way you do now.”
This isn’t just a personal transformation podcast it’s a damn emotional healing activation.
If you’ve ever loved someone… and lost them…
This episode will rip you open, hand you the tools, and say:
“You’ve got this. Let’s rise.”
🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or Buzzsprout.
🔗 Share with someone who’s quietly falling apart. It might save their life.
Friends, as we wrap up today’s powerful conversation, hear me loud and clear: I’m grateful for you. You’ve chosen greatness over settling, clarity over chaos, and brilliance over burnout. Remember Great CEOs deserve NO burnout.
Did this hit home? Pass it on. Your share could be the spark someone desperately needs. Together, we’re rewriting the rules of leadership, one bold conversation at a time.
I want to hear YOUR story your wins, your struggles, your breakthroughs. My door is wide open whether you’re in Boulder or reaching out at support@ramsbybaz.com, I'm here.
Here is a gift For you Click Here
Are you ready to drop confusion, claim clarity, and step powerfully into purpose?
Let’s connect. Book a coaching session today and experience firsthand how the RAMS framework amplifies results, shatters limits, and creates lasting legacies.
This is Baz Porter, in your corner, fiercely committed to your brilliance. Keep rising, stay unstoppable, and know you’re never alone in this climb.
Until next time rise boldly.
Welcome back to part two of Rise from the Ashes, an episode that I can never remember the name of, but I'm here with Michelle Collins. This is part two. As I said In part one, we heard how she lost her husband, she lost her mum and had a very challenging time. We're at the time now of an ascent for her, where she took all the trials and tribulations and, as many people do, come rocking out the other side like a fucking phoenix, and this is why I love michelle, because she did just that, and one of the things that I like to ask people, because I really want to get the audience and the people who are listening to this to know who you are. So, what really lights you up, michelle? Before we go into what you do, what is the one thing that really does light you up?
Speaker 2:I am so incredibly fortunate because what lights me up is what I do. When I am working with a group client, a one-to-one coaching client, when I provide a tool that eases their suffering, when I see that light bulb moment of you mean I could just be nice to myself. You mean I could just be nice to myself, I could just forgive myself. Or oh, this person wasn't being mean to me because of anything I did, it's because they're hurt and hurt. People hurt people. That's one of my things. That's what lights me up, because I feel like a freaking magical fairy or something. I feel the good witch right With my wand or maybe the bat, I don't know the witch. I feel like I gifted some magical thing to someone and their life gets better for it, and then that ripple effect is endless. To be honest, it's my work, but it's my passion, it's my purpose and that's what lights me up but it's my passion, it's my purpose and that's what lights me up.
Speaker 1:You said something there I like when you said the gift. I'm going to reverse that and give you the you know card and just acknowledge that you are that gift because you make other lives possible and other routes of healing and a deeper and awareness, a deeper awareness and understanding possible, michelle. So you are the gift and please, in times of challenge, don't ever forget that.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that and there are still times of challenge. People think when they listen to a podcast like this and they hear my story, they hear your story, they think, oh, she's joyful all the time. You know what? My life still sucks a lot sometimes. There are still really deep divots. The difference is I know how to take care of myself, I know how to observe the situation, know what I need to get through it, and the down times are much shorter and not quite as far down, but they still happen.
Speaker 1:Before we go into the book and what you do, how you help people, let's do a bit of a dating show, because someone might listen to this and say I need to date, I need to get hold of you. You, this is not a dating thing, all right, but I'm just offering it out there. If you were looking for a person today, what would the criteria be for that person? You mean then take note as a life partner.
Speaker 2:Is that what you're talking about? Yeah, I didn't know.
Speaker 1:This was a dating no, no, but we're to have an opportunity here. I made you a little bit of fun.
Speaker 2:Interesting. People ask me all the time why I'm single. Glenn died nine years ago and I have not really essentially had a relationship since then. I did, ironically, start to date someone for the first time last year and then he died. I don't want to go into it. First time last year and then he died.
Speaker 2:I don't want to go into it, but I'm a little bit hesitant. But, to be honest, I don't need someone to. I don't need anything Like. I am a whole, complete person.
Speaker 2:I would love to have a partner, though I'd love to have a more a playmate, someone who just I'd love to have a more a playmate, someone who just let's giggle at these cat videos, let's go lay on a beach in Hawaii, let's paddleboard on the Willamette, which is the river by my home.
Speaker 2:It's just someone to have fun with, someone to share the joy that I've worked so hard to be able to connect with in life. And it would have to also be a grownup, someone who's been through their stuff and by grownup I don't mean anything bad. I just mean that they've apologized, They've taken ownership of the shitty things they've done in their life, and all of us have. I'm sorry, but you have. And if you're listening and you think you haven't. You're wrong, but you take ownership of it, you forgive yourself, you ask for forgiveness of others, like your own 12 step program. That's what I would want. So if I can get a partner which I would like I said I would love to have he would also need to enjoy Broadway, musicals and music of all types, but especially Broadway and songbook kind of music and just be kind. Just be kind, oh, and he would have to love my dogs, Not my cat my cat's an asshole, but he would have to love my dogs.
Speaker 1:I like you Men. I'm married, I'm out of the question, I'm happily here. I've fucked that up many times and come back, but people are like no Men. Please take note, get in contact with her. Go to her website on LinkedIn. Do not stalk her, because you'll have me to deal with if you do that. So the book what you Do is connected to everything. It is the foundation and cornerstone of who you are, your purpose and how you give value in the world. Can we talk about the book for a moment and the process of not just writing it but releasing it, how that helps people?
Speaker 2:yeah, sure, thank you for that question. So so actually I started trying. I was actually writing books before I even met Glenn, none of which ever made it to birth. It's kind of like a pregnancy, maybe a pregnancy that just went away Just lots of creative ideas, but nothing that ever came out into publication. And then, after Glenn died a year after he died, when I was spreading his ashes in Hawaii, actually I got a message from the universe Say how you will spirit God. Somebody spoke to me and said you need to write a book about how to survive your spouse or partner's suicide, and this was 2017. And I was so strongly rejecting that idea I couldn't talk about it. I couldn't think about it and then it. But if you get a message from the universe like that, I recommend not ignoring it, because you will never talk about hounding, talk about stalking Spirit or my conscience or whatever you want to call. It is not going to let me off the hook for that one.
Speaker 2:So a year later, I found a book coach and started writing and stopped and started and stopped and started, and I actually was asked by one of my yoga therapy friends to contribute a chapter to her book. So my first book was actually called Awakening the Divine Feminine, and I have a chapter in that. My second book you're going to love, I have a chapter in. It's called Phoenix Rising and it's all about people going through difficult times. And then my third book is you can't make this story up another chapter I contributed to about how life bounces you on your head until you figure it out. And then, finally, in 2023, january of 2023, I was able to release a book about how mindfulness can help you survive spouse or partner suicide, but I skipped over a part, but you're going to love this. So in August, I was done with the book. I was done with all the rewrites. It was time to send it off for typesetting, editing, whatever I don't know, the stuff that I don't have to worry about, because the publisher does that. The night I handed her the manuscript which, of course, you don't do stuff that I don't have to worry about because the publisher does that. The night I handed her the manuscript which, of course, you don't do you hit send. I went to bed that night and I got another message from the universe. I'm like are you kidding? I couldn't have one night off. Seriously, you have to write a companion book. And the companion book, which came out the same day, january of 2023, is supporting a survivor of spouse or partner suicide.
Speaker 2:Because what I learned from my experience, from my grief educator training, from coaching people in grief, is a lot of times people around us don't know how to behave and they can make your trauma and your grief worse by interjecting themselves into it. Everybody has feelings about it. Great, if you have a friend who went through a trauma, you do not help them if you are in trauma, so you go get help and then you come when you can be whole and there for the person. And that's what the second book is, and they really are very similar in concepts and lessons, but one is directed towards my friends and family essentially not my friends and family, but in that respect, friends and family of someone, co-workers Because in our society, grief is like a disease.
Speaker 2:People they're like oh, I don't want to catch that. People stop talking to me. After Glenn died, you haven't been returning my calls. I'm sorry, I can't even put my pants on right now and you're mad at me because I didn't return your calls. So that second book is for all the people who are supporting someone and they don't know what to do. And then a lot of the feedback I got from my books is write a more general book. So put all these concepts in, but don't make it just for spouse or partner suicide loss, so that one's in the works. I am not even going to speculate on the publication date. I've learned better and the audio book for my books is coming out this year Interesting.
Speaker 1:I love the audio book because that'll be great for a lot of people, because yeah a lot of people don't read books.
Speaker 2:I've got that a lot of people that said, oh, I want to hear your book but I don't read books. Yeah, the audio books, I'm done recording them and they'll be out. I'm also not going to say the date because they'll be out when they're out, hopefully, hopefully this year.
Speaker 1:I love this conversation. I think what you do, michelle, is so unique because you've actually lived this. This isn't coming from an academic or a theoretical point of view. This is real-life experience. This is real life experience and in my own experience, from spending more money than I care to imagine or even say on the podcast on personal development, on people that don't deliver what they said they're going to deliver and all sorts of other crazy stuff the best people I find to help others with specific situations are the people who've gone through it themselves, who have gone through the fire and they've got burnt, they've kicked. I call it going to kiss the devil and coming back and he's never a good kisser, I'll assure you.
Speaker 2:I haven't heard that one, but I like that I can see what you're saying.
Speaker 1:But these people like yourself, they make this podcast worthwhile. You make this podcast what it is. It's not me. I'm just the steward of going tell me, give me the information, because it's your message, it's your experience that's going to help another person change their life. I can't do what you do. Certainly I wouldn't have the brains or even the concepts to do that. I stick in my lane and you do what you do, which is also incredible.
Speaker 1:What you do is I haven't got the patience to do what you do. Frankly, I don't. And the way you show up with compassion, with love, with empathy, quite frankly I don't. And the way you show up with compassion, with love, with empathy, with real under. I'm going to frame it like this real inner standing, not understanding, and it's a whole different concept.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I like that. If I wanted to get your book which I'm going to because I'm just greedy and I like to do all these things where do I go? Is it Amazon? Is there a specific site? Where do you want me to go, personally?
Speaker 2:I have an author page on Amazon. That's probably the easiest Michelle Ann Collins. I put my middle name in there as an author, because there is another author named Michelle Collins, totally different genre, but just to make me easier to find. And then you can also order them from my website if you want me to write something in them, and that's inhabitjoycom.
Speaker 1:That's inhabitjoycom. The links will be below Before we go and I don't want to go, but before we have to, because otherwise it will just go on Is there anything you want to leave the audience with other than your book and everything else? What advice would you give somebody now going through a challenging time, through the loss of somebody in their life? What is the one thing you would always go to in this situation?
Speaker 2:yeah, thank you. I'm going to say two, even though you asked for one. One is you will not always feel the way you do now. I'm not going to say it's going to go away or you'll get over it or be fine, but you won't always feel the way you do now. Things will change and you get to guide that change by reading, studying, getting a coach, getting a therapist. You get to decide what that change looks like. But it will change. So that's number one. Notice how I didn't say time heals all wounds. I think that's crap.
Speaker 2:Number two is just and this is for everyone you don't have to be in grief or trauma or anything. Just be nice to yourself. Just once, treat yourself the way you would like your best friend to treat you, because you deserve it. And we are so mean to ourselves.
Speaker 2:If you ever and this is something mindfulness taught me if you ever take a minute to listen to that voice in your head, it's it can be so mean more mean than your worst teacher that you ever had, more mean than your terrible sibling, if you have one and if you do, I'm sorry that voice in your head. So, like mindfulness, training helped me to be able to hear that voice and go oh yeah, thanks for that. See you later, guy, just get and just I'm enough. Like you're wearing this sweatshirt today, you are, are enough. That was one of my mantras that helped me overcome that nasty self-criticism that can really be one of the most painful things in your life, because you never can get away from that. Well, with mindfulness and sweatshirts like you are enough, you can. So that would be my biggest thing is just quit picking on yourself. You're really a good, useful, valuable, amazing human being and if you talk to yourself that way, you're going to feel a lot better thank you for sharing that information.
Speaker 1:And now, michelle, I want to thank you for your time, your love, your energy and your passion for helping other people. It really, really is needed at the moment in the world.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I think every single level will always be needed. So thank you for doing what you do For my listeners. Please share the message. You will change someone's life. I guarantee it. Just a simple click and a share. It also helps the podcast helps me grow, helps get that message out there to somebody else who may need it. For myself, I'm baz porter. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you, michelle, and get your message out here, and I hope to have future conversations with you thank you so much.
Speaker 2:I really enjoy you, baz.
Speaker 1:I appreciate what you do I appreciate you greatly for my listeners until next time, which will be next week at some point. I'll see you then and have a great day, Be blessed, be well and remember yes, you are enough. Talk to you soon.
