Taking Back Monday
Welcome to "Taking Back Monday," the podcast designed for the go-getters, the visionaries, and the trailblazers who are ready to say "goodbye" to the Sunday Scaries and lead the way in creating meaningful work.
We talk about building high-performance teams, enhancing leadership skills, and creating impactful customer relationships.
It's time to say "goodbye" to the Sunday Scaries.
Episodes
80 episodes
Field Notes: The Comfort Zone That Makes You Less
I've lived by "be all in or be all out" for years. Then I realized I was the half-in person I couldn't stand.In this micro episode, I'm reflecting on my recent conversation with Rachel Burr, author of "Butterfly Goo," and something she s...
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4:41
How to Build Black-Belt Leadership Instincts feat. Aslak de Silva
This episode goes deep into what it takes to grow as a leader. Alyssa talks with Aslak de Silva about how lessons from martial arts can shape the way we lead, recover, and build trust with our teams. Aslak shares how he went from world champion...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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21:10
Escaping the Wrong Path and Building the Right One feat. Rachel Burr
Alyssa and Rachel Burr talk about what real transformation looks like, far beyond the feel good quotes online. Rachel shares the story behind her book Butterfly Goo and explains why change often starts the moment you admit you are on the wrong ...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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25:00
Redefining "Having It All" feat. Mireia Mujika
When Mireia became a mother, everything changed. What started as a struggle to balance work and family became the spark for an entirely new path—one built around authenticity, courage, and redefining what “having it all” really means.In ...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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24:01
Alyssa Likes to Talk (and That’s the Whole Point)
When your high school coach tries to sum you up in a few words, "Alyssa likes to talk," it can feel like a punchline. But what if that label was actually the throughline?In this Field Note, Alyssa shares the story behind her umb...
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4:27
Redefining Success: Choosing Joy Over Burnout feat. Eric Nehrlich
What happens when the thing you’ve been chasing suddenly doesn’t feel worth it anymore?In this conversation, Alyssa Nolte and Eric Nehrlich unpack the pressure to achieve constantly and the freedom that comes from saying no. Eric shares ...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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25:31
You Can’t Be Every Tree in the Forest: The Power of Niching Down feat. Dr. Munira Zahabi
When Alyssa sat down with Dr. Munira Zahabi, known as The Niche Navigator, the conversation quickly turned to one of the hardest lessons for any entrepreneur - you can’t be everything to everyone.Munira shares how her own career...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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26:35
Leading Without Triggers: The Science of Calm Communication feat. Dr. Dee Trudeau Poskas
In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Dr. Dee Trudeau Poskas to talk about how understanding your triggers can change the way you lead. They explore what happens in your brain when you’re under stress, how language shapes influence, and why se...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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26:30
Why Passion Isn’t Enough: Build a Life Around Meaning, Not Motivation feat. Alan Lazaros
When Alan Lazaros says passion isn’t enough, he means it. In this conversation, Alyssa and Alan dive deep into what it really takes to live a meaningful life, not just a busy or successful one. From near-death experiences to redefining what wor...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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31:02
You Are Not Your Job: Redefining Success Beyond Titles feat. Angie Callen
In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Angie Callen, a self-described “recovering engineer who loves people,” to talk about the pressure we all feel to define ourselves by what we do instead of who we are. Angie shares how she walked away from ...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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27:09
Leadership Is a Skill, Not a Personality Trait feat. Jen Silva Boucher
What if leadership isn’t something you’re born with? In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Jen Silva Boucher to explore why leadership is a skill you can learn, practice, and grow.Jen shares her own origin story of moving from individua...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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26:22
When Following Your Passion Means Letting Go feat. Renee Murphy
What happens when the dream career you built turns into the very thing that drains your joy? In this episode, Alyssa talks with Renee Murphy about leaving behind a successful career in fashion to find peace, purpose, and a new passion in scienc...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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34:35
Belonging Starts with Language feat. Lori Baker
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa sits down with Lori Baker to talk about language, belonging, and the hidden barriers people face at work. Lori went from engineer to English teacher for international professionals, and her story sh...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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24:22
Big Decisions Beat Habits: How to Change Your Life Trajectory feat. Apollo Emeka
Alyssa sits down with Dr. Apollo Emeka for a powerful conversation about the choices that shape our lives. Apollo shares his journey from high school dropout to Green Beret, FBI agent, entrepreneur, and coach. Together, they explore why big dec...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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32:37
Booked, Not Busy: Why Strategic Rest Fuels Better Leaders feat. Dr. Erin Wilson
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa sits down with Dr. Erin Wilson, co-author of Strategic Rest in Leadership. Together they dive into why rest isn’t a luxury...it’s a leadership strategy. From Erin’s own story of bu...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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28:15
When Leadership Protects Comfort Over People feat. Kimberly Harden
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Dr. Kimberly Harden to explore a hard truth: too many leaders build for their own comfort instead of building real connection. Kimberly shares her experiences in corporate ...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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27:00
When Being a Badass Becomes a Burden feat. Kirstin Carey
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Kirstin Carey to explore what happens when your strength becomes your biggest obstacle. From growing up in a “walk it off” culture to burning out while helping others heal, Kirs...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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29:32
Visibility Is the Real Currency feat. Christelle Biiga
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Christelle Biiga - speaker, coach, and founder of Exposure Maven - to explore the unexpected power of visibility and the journey that led her to podcasting as a pa...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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31:36
You Don’t Have to Earn Rest feat. Johanna Sanchez
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Johanna Sanchez to talk about what it really means to build a business—and a life—on your own terms.From working 70-hour weeks in child protection to building a ...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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22:58
Unreasonable Belief: What It Really Takes to Bring an Idea to Life feat. Jenny De Leon
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Jenny De Leon—IT consultant, reluctant inventor, and founder of Repeatable Travel Systems—to unpack what it really takes to bring an idea to life...especially when no o...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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25:51
Stop Waiting to Be Chosen feat. Andrea Mohamed
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Andrea Mohamed, co-founder of Quantum Bloom, to explore what it really takes to build a career, and a company, on your own terms.From boldly quitting her boss (but not t...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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32:06
Heart-Brain Hacks for Better Leadership feat. Natalie Alesi
What if the key to better leadership isn’t another tool or framework, but your own nervous system? In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Natalie Alesi unpacks the science behind heart-brain coherence and how leaders can use it to build trust, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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28:23
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Stop Chasing Customers, Start Attracting Them feat. Charles Browne
What if your customer growth problem isn’t a product issue but a people one?In this episode, Alyssa Nolte sits down with leadership strategist Charles Browne to unpack why so many organizations chase the wrong customers, build bloated o...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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36:41
Santa in the Bushes and Other Lessons in Letting Go feat. Rebecca Link
What do falling holiday decorations, dirty dishes, and single parenthood have in common? For Rebecca Link, they became unexpected metaphors for letting go of perfection, surviving the unimaginable, and rewriting the rules of leadership....
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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26:20
The Death of Coffee’s for Closers: Helping Beats Hustling feat. Tom Whalen
Tom Whalen didn’t set out to be in sales - he just needed a job. Fast forward a few decades, and he’s built his entire career (and even a college course) around it. In this episode, we talk about how modern sales has evolved past cheesy scripts...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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25:47
