Time To Press Pause - Real-Life Stories from the C-Suite
The only constant is change.
To successfully navigate through the change, leaders need the time and space to focus.
It’s time to press pause.
Ellen Williams, CEO of The Salient Strategist, is the host of these raw, intimate C-Suite "press pause" stories. Listen to the why, when, and how they knew it was time to press pause and their outcomes.
Pausing to focus is crucial, whether it is minutes, days, weeks, or longer because some decisions can be made quickly, but many can’t and shouldn’t.
Time To Press Pause - Real-Life Stories from the C-Suite
Later is Not Guaranteed with Ann Sheu
In this heartfelt episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Ann Sheu, CEO and founder of Mpowered Journey, about two pivotal moments in Ann’s life when she chose to "press pause" and radically re-evaluate how she was spending her time. The first pause came after the unexpected passing of her father, which led to deep regret over not being more present during his final days. Ann shared how this experience awakened her to the danger of assuming there will always be more time for the things—and people—that matter most. It sparked a journey of personal development and prompted her to re-center her priorities around presence, values, and meaningful relationships.
The second major pause in Ann’s life was a career shift from practicing law to becoming a business and family coach. While she enjoyed aspects of being a lawyer, Ann realized that the work didn’t align with her natural talents or fulfill her at a deeper level. Taking time away from work—and her identity as a lawyer—allowed her to reflect and fully embrace a new path where she could lead, coach, and help others build not just successful companies, but strong, intentional families. She now helps couples treat their family as their most important team, bringing the same level of clarity, structure, and intentionality to home life as they do to work.
Ann’s advice to other leaders is to trust the quiet nudge when it arises—to listen to their intuition and take a pause before burnout or regret sets in. She encourages doing the "ME work": understanding your core values, identifying what energizes or drains you, and crafting a long-term personal vision, what she calls your “decade dream.” This thoughtful and vulnerable conversation is a reminder that success isn’t just about achievement—it’s about alignment, purpose, and choosing how you spend your most valuable resource: time.
To learn more about Ann, visit https://www.mpoweredfamilies.com/
To learn more about Ellen, visit https://thesalientstrategist.com/