Ep 36 | How a Busy Mom of 5 Went From Overwhelm and Burnout to Grounded and Confident

Balance is a tempting word when you’re raising kids, carrying a career, and trying to keep your own dreams alive, but it can also be the fastest path to burnout and self-blame. 

In this week's episode of The ROCKSTAR Mom Podcast, Megan sits down with Dr. Leslie Davis, a former client and true rock ROCKSTAR Mom, to talk honestly about what happens when life forces a transition you didn’t ask for and you’re still expected to “hold it all together.” 

We dig into the mindset shift that changes everything: capability doesn’t equal capacity. If you’re a high achiever who keeps adding plates because you can, you’ll recognize the moment when one more demand could tip the whole system. 

Leslie walks through how coaching helped her get grounded, stop white-knuckling outcomes, and start making values-based decisions that support real boundaries.

If you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or on the fence about getting support, let this be your “what if it goes right?” moment. 

You can learn more about Dr. Leslie Davis ⬇️

Check out Dr.Leslie's Instagram

Visit Dr. Leslie's Website

Grab her Freebie

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Get off autopilot, reconnect with what actually matters to you and start creating a life that feels as good as it looks.  That what IGNITE Your Inner Rockstar, is all about.

Doors open soon for the beta round of this new 8-week program and you are going to want to be the first to know!

🔥 Join the priority list for IGNITE: https://www.megancaldwellpdx.com/priority

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Transcript

Welcome And The Rockstar Mom Promise

2:12

You are listening to the Rockstar Mom, a podcast for high achievers who are ready to get off of autopilot and live a life with more intention, peace of mind, and happiness. This is a space to expand, dig deep, get clear, and take action towards living your most authentic, aligned life. I'm Megan Caldwell. As a mom of three, two-time burnout survivor, and empowerment coach and speaker, I've cracked the code on what it actually takes to thrive at work and home. Ditch perfectionism and people pleasing. Get your schedule under control, and live with more ease. So you've got more time and energy to do the things you love without the mom guilt. It's time to get out of your head and into action. Now is the time to live your most rockstar life. Let's go. My friends, welcome back to The Rockstar Mom. I am so incredibly excited for this conversation I'm having ahead with Dr. Leslie Davis. Yes, I wanted to put that doctor in front of your name. Leslie is actually a former client of mine. And so you all are gonna get a glimpse today in terms of some of the work that we've done together and how this has really rippled into her life. And she is a true rock star mom who is just juggling so many different demands of career and motherhood and relationship and home and life. And I think that you're gonna find this conversation really relatable and also really hopeful for you to see what is possible. Because if you are in the thick of it all, know that you are not alone and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So, Leslie, I just, man, we've known each other just over a year now. And I just am so excited to share you with some of my greater audience. So thanks for being here on the Rockstar Mom. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Like I'm I'm genuinely just like aesthetic. This is gonna be so much fun. It is gonna be so much fun. And as as you know, like fun is one of my core values. It is something that I stand for. And so even as before we we hopped on to hit record, I was like, I didn't really script anything. We're just gonna know, we're gonna have like a real, raw, authentic conversation just about some of the work we've done together. And then you're also gonna share a little bit at the end in terms of like the actual professional work that you do in life that is also impacting other women. So get ready, my friends. Let's do this. So, Leslie, can you just start by sharing a little glimpse in terms of like the season of life that you're in, the season of motherhood? Like, what is your day-to-day, the thick of it, really look like for you right now? Yes. My season right now is definitely the thick of it. I have two adult children, one who's living overseas and one in college. And then I have three little children. So seven, five, and three. And the three is very much still acts like a baby. So he's he needs to be held and coddled. And then so for the day to day,

Meet Dr Leslie Davis In Motherhood

5:00

it just, you know, it just looks like the thick of motherhood, and then also juggling working from home. And I absolutely love it. Some days are very hard and some days are very amazing, but it's very rewarding regardless. And so days look like meetings and homeschooling and playing outside and making sure we go somewhere to be social as well. Yeah. And alongside, like as you mentioned, and we'll get into this a little bit later, but like you work from home, you actually operate your own business, and so you really are juggling the thick of it. And so, if you will, working to find that quote, balance, if you will. So I want to, I want you to actually take our listeners back a little bit to when we originally met. Can you share a little bit about what some of your greatest struggles were? Like what was really hard? What were you what were you struggling with? This is really good because you just gave me a good segue. Um, the balance thing. I remember when, I don't remember how I was introduced to you, but I remember what caught my attention when you said balance is actually bullshit. And I was like, That's right. Tell me more about that because I'm looking for balance here. Yeah. And so I started listening to the Rockstar Mom Pat podcast, and I signed up for the VIP, and then I wanted a coaching session, and then we connected, and you made me feel like we could actually do this in the hard part. And I was going through a very difficult transition. I had been released from my contract and my teaching job, and the the school was really just going through some financial difficulties, and so the position that I had could be taken by someone without a doctorate and without the years of experience. And so they saved about $30,000 a year by moving forward. And so while they were saving money, we we felt that. And we were at the time, my husband was the one that was home with the kids so that I could work. And he's often the stay-at-home dad while pursue my professional goals. And so we found ourselves at this place of transition that I didn't really know how to navigate, and I felt very overwhelmed and just not knowing which direction to turn. And when I got on the coaching call that we had, we talked through a little bit of that, and you presented the idea of not doing it alone. And I actually hadn't thought of that. I know that sounds crazy. It seems like a given, but so many times we get on our path

When Balance Breaks During Career Loss

7:35

and we get so driven and we get so forward-moving that to think about opening up our space to allow a guide in during a transition time, yeah, instead of saying, I don't want to be a burden to anyone in the in the thick of my mess, because it was definitely a mess. And it's been an up and down roller coaster since. As is life. As is life. So, but that's that's where I found myself. And so the balance is what I wanted, but the the tools that I gathered were what I needed. Oh, that's so powerful. I literally have goosebumps as you're just kind of recalling some of this story. And to have seen you in those first couple conversations and just the growth that you've made is it's it's wild to me. I feel so grateful to be a guide alongside you. And I think a couple things that that stand out is one is I think so many women, especially high achievers of our day and age, we have been taught to aim for balance, that we can have it all, that we just have to work harder. And it then ends in a lot of self-sabotage, a lot of beating ourselves up, a lot of procrastination, because it's actually we can't do it. That's why I say balance is bullshit, is because we're never gonna have it all quote figured out. And I often find it's it's less about balance, but it's more about alignment. And so I think, you know, it's interesting. I can, I can remember back, I we were in our rental house we were at at the time following our house fire. I remember our very first conversation. And just, you know, oftentimes when we are in the thick of it, especially in a major life transition such as yours, you were in a career transition. Sometimes women come to me when they're moving or they're thinking about shifting careers, or uh, you know, a very close relative is sick or whatever it might be, is we often feel like it's not the right time, right? Because it's like almost too hard. And so I think it's very common, Leslie, what you shared of where because we're high achievers, we're like, well, I should just be able to do this by myself. And so before I kind of ask you like what what actually made you lean into to working together, like how did that struggle of the unknown like make you feel? Oh, that's a good question. Just you know, clinging to hope. You know, I felt confused because I was good at my work and I was good at what I did. And it was not in my thought process to move on before it happened, and so I just kind of felt a little lost. Even just I felt

Capability Does Not Mean Capacity

12:29

when you're a high achiever and so much is based in like performing well and doing well, I felt like I let everybody down. So the transition wasn't a choice to transition. And even when it is, even when it is, it's like I did this. Right. We still take the blame, right? Yes, yeah. And so, like what you know, whatever it was that I caused this, and I felt like searching for answers of what caused this is like whether it was like it's not like a victim place where they did this to me so much as what did I do? What did I do to cause this ripple effect and why are we here? And so there was questioning and heart searching, and and I've been through a lot of transitional seasons and I've learned to dig deep and get anchored in seasons of transition, but this one was like extra hard. Yeah. And so I just didn't want to burn out again. I don't know, I I had burned out several times. Yeah, and so it's like you always been through many sensed it, sensed it coming. Uh-huh. I did. I sensed it coming, and that's probably why I was even listening to the podcast series and things like that. And I think one of the most impactful things that I heard throughout all of that is capability doesn't equal capacity. And I was struggling to keep up with my capabilities and the shoulds of life. Yeah. And I didn't realize I had capacity because I told my husband, I said, I have feel like I'm always having plates spinning in the air, and it feels fine. It feels fine. You've got these plates going, oh, look at this, and it's so cool looking. I got so many plates in the air. But you never know when that next plate is gonna make make everything fall. Right. And so I had the habit of adding plates, thinking I could keep them all spinning. And I even told my husband, please watch me. And if you see me about to put something on my spinning plates and you don't think that it's gonna stand, tell me because I can't see it. And at that time in life I couldn't see it, and I didn't I didn't set myself up for success. Yeah. Yeah, and I think that struggle is real for so many, is because again, I think oftentimes, especially in our our younger adult years, like we actually can, we have we have a lot more capacity, especially before we have kids or before we have partner or before we have the quote real job or whatever it is, is we don't then just keep layering and layering and layering and expect ourselves to be able to like maintain that capacity to just do it all when in in reality, like we're a decade or two older and we have other, we have more beings in our in our lives, whether it be spouses or kids. And it just, I think, oftentimes takes a little bit of pause to say, wait a second, like what actually what actually am I doing here? Like, is this serving me still? Because it might have served us these the high achieving, the perfectionism, the people pleasing, the uh climbing the ranks got us to where we are. And the cool thing is at any season in your life, you can make that choice to change and to pivot. And so what would you say it was for you that that actually allowed yourself to give yourself permission to say yes, to lean into coaching, to lean into support? Yeah, I think just having the the conversation to see that it was actually possible to have the kind of support through like I think you even said something about what would it look like if you'd had support, and I was like, I don't know. Yeah, that was so far off at the time. It was. It just and I think it was just this thought process of well, I do want to be more grounded, I do not want to burn out. And so, yes, our I don't know where our finances are going to be because I lost my job. Right. And so naturally I was thinking, well, I I don't need to do anything because I don't know where I'm gonna be financially. And and I think you said something like, Well, what would it look like if you had someone to guide you through this and help you with all of the things so that you don't burn out in this transition? And I took that to my husband and I said, This is what she said, and he said, My husband, he's so amazing. He just said, anything to keep you from burning out. He said, He said, if anything, if nothing comes from this at all, except that you are a more grounded person and you know who you are a little bit more, then it's worth every penny. And so that's when we made the decision is is okay, I don't have to have the pressure of becoming something, except for just be like just being more me. And that was like a breath of fresh air to both of us. Yeah. And so we decided, well, well, why not? Why not? Why do we have to lose? Yeah. Yes, yeah. And man, I'm sure at this point, so I mean, I'm I'm so grateful we've been connected. So I've been had the opportunity and privilege to guide you. And I'd love for you to share now a little bit about you leaned

Choosing Coaching Support Without Certainty

17:41

in. We did some deep work together. I guided you through a lot of the process of what I call the Rockstar Mom framework. It sounds like one of your biggest desires coming into our work together was this feeling more of the sense of groundedness and just feeling more like connected and aligned to yourself. So, what benefits would you say that you did gain as a result of our work together? Oh goodness, it's so good. It's so it's so good to have the tools and to be, I think, I think one of the best things, Megan, is being reminded. You know, like we go through life, especially in our kind of work, gathering tools and being taught how to use them, helping others use them, and then in the midst of our own mess, we forget to use them. And so and so in the middle of it all, yes, and in the middle of it all, it's like, hey, Leslie, you have the tool. Which one's gonna help you right now? And I'm going, Oh, yes, there's a tool for this. And so it in the I think that the it became ingrained because we worked together for a year and that constant reminder of go to your tools. What do you need? It's okay to to say yes to you. Like, I don't know that I actually felt internally that it was okay to say yes to me. Yeah. And as yes, and as I learned how it became it became more real, it became more tangible. And so all of that really tied into like I've still had some of the hardest months of my life in this in the within the last year. And to not be a crazy person in the middle of it is kind of a it's a wow, you know. Yeah, and I hear this often from clients where it's like, you know, they're getting to the, if you're a teacher, getting to the end of the school year and having the crazy of this end of school year. I just had a client share with me last week, like she went on a family vacation and she felt like this was like the first family vacation that she was able to actually enjoy and be truly present. And so for you to say, like, I'm still in the thick of it. And this is this is, I think, one thing that we often forget as just as humans, is that like life is gonna continue to happen and we don't actually have full control over it. And so it's almost like, how do we surrender and trust and get to know ourselves best so that no matter

Values Aligned Tools For Boundaries

20:07

what happens, whatever comes our way, we can move through with more ease. So I love that you shared where it's like, it's not like life just got easier. It's like you learned how to pull some of these tools out to help you move through and help you to thrive. Are there any oh, one other thing I want to say before I ask my next question is one other thing you said too, which I think is just such a reminder, you having worked with me, hear this all the time, is that this personal growth and development I often refer to as a practice. It's not just a like, okay, learn the tool, now it's in there, or all right, I'm I'm shifting this belief, but it really is something that it becomes lifelong. It's a journey, right? Where it's not just a one and done. So I'm curious if you are able to share like any of those tools, if you will, that you found most impactful from our work together. Oh, yes. So my favorite tool that has actually become integrated into my daily conversations in ministry, in my own work, and in myself is like coming back to the values aligned decisions. I think that really digging in to see where my values actually lie and what they are and why they are what they are, that has been the thing that I come back to again and again when I'm building everything else. And I just remember like a particular situation where as a worship leader, I was going back into lead worship in a church, and I I felt like I was going back to the firing board to be abused, honestly. And so when when we walked through that to say, what are my values and how am I gonna allow people to treat me? Yeah, and am I gonna stand up for myself? It shifted the course of that that time in my life, whereas otherwise I might have just continued anyway just to be what other people needed instead of being what I needed. Yeah. Oh, that's so powerful. And I think you know, this whole concept of really, really getting in tune with your personal core values as Leslie, as a woman. This is different than maybe you went through values when you did premarital counseling, or maybe you did values at a work environment that you were part of, is really thinking about like creating this foundation, and this is how I guide all of my clients, whether they're private coaching clients or in our group program, your Rockstar Life, is without that foundation, and there's three pieces of that foundation, which I now call the Rockstar Mom Essentials, which is getting really, really clear on your priorities, the wellness wheel, getting really, really clear and taking an in-depth look and not just a one and done exercise of your personal values, and then casting that vision through your manifesto. And so I love that you like it's not just a tool or an exercise that you did and checked the box. It is really something that you are living into and using it to guide your life. And I see this time and again where it's like when we are so in tune with who we are wanting to become, it doesn't mean that we're there yet. It allows decisions to be easier, it allows us to set boundaries more easily, it allows us to lean into opportunities that serve and shy away from ones that maybe don't. And just that allows us a deeper sense of peace so we can show up as our best fullest selves. So I love, love, love that you shared that. What are what are a couple of your top personal values? Connection. Connection is one of my favorite, very high connection and adventure, and not forgetting to have fun. So that's engrouped in my adventure. Adventure's not always about the fun one, but I'll, you know, all work and no play makes Leslie a dull girl. You know how I feel on that. Like fun has to be a part of it. Adventure, sponsority. I think that so many of us, again, as per recovering perfectionists, adventure is edgy because it's unknown. So I love that that your leading values. Yes. So connection, my top three would be connection, adventure, and wisdom. Yes, I remember that. Oh, so good, so good, so good. So as you've gotten more clear on your values, and I think one thing that you said kind of offline before we got on was again, this concept of value-aligned action, as I call it, is that you said something and I was like, damn, we should have hit record. So I'm just gonna repeat it now. And if you want to expand on it a little bit, is just the work that we've done together is you said something along the lines of it just becomes part of who you are. Can you expand on that just a little bit? Yes. Excuse me. When you practice this for a while and you're actually leaning into who you're created to be and what makes you thrive, and what gives you energy and what takes energy away from you, it just becomes part of how you operate. I said, and I told, I told Megan before here, it just has become part of who I am, how I think. And it's all part of that rewiring of the brain, going from where we were and all those stories we used to tell ourselves to going into where we want to be and making the connection between where we're going and seeing the possibilities that we can be that person we want to be. And you know what's interesting is when you start scanning for evidence of who you're becoming instead of the failures of what you felt like you've had in the past, you really start to get it though. Like you'll you'll have people just I'll have people say, I've just noticed this about you. And I'm like, I have been working on that. Yeah, it's like confirmation. Yeah. It is. And it just, and it's those, like you said, the opportunities start to open up and you have clarity on which opportunities you're gonna say yes to. Because I've been in business since my teenage years, because I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and they were they brought me up to run business. So managing whether I was gonna teach in high school or run a business, it kind of went back and forth all the time. And but I never really stuck to stuck to it because I didn't know how to choose. Okay. I didn't know how to choose what was going to serve me and my life and what direction to go. So instead, I just kind of floundered for years. And I feel like the That's where the transition point that we started working together started giving me the clarity within myself to start to choose. And so now having made several choices, some of them are questionable choices. We're always learning.

Process Over Goals Owning Your Choices

26:42

Right. But I can own my choice now. Like this is why I made this choice. I can own that. And it helps me to say, okay, no, this is where we were when we made this choice. So instead of being, oh, maybe I got it wrong because it's not turning out the way I got it, or oh, I got it right because it's blossoming. Instead, it's I'm owning this choice. And what am I gonna learn from it and grow from it instead of I guess beating yourself up about how it turned out or not? Like you said, I think the I think the biggest thing that I have come away with in the last year is that circle of control as well. So I have shifted from being so goal-oriented because goals are great. I'm not knocking goals. Goals are awesome, but when you're the type A driven personality that will like run over things to get to your goals, it doesn't always maybe it needs maybe it needs a shift. And so I needed, I needed that shift. And I had to switch to processes. So my goals became your the the tool that you gave me, the minimum viable actions, the the little things to do each day that are gonna make that 1% progress and giving surrender, surrendering and giving up control over the outcomes of what those things are supposed to bring me. Yeah, and that's so powerful and also is can be so challenging, especially for us high achievers who have been taught to measure success by hitting the goal and then setting it higher and then achieving the next thing is really leaning into the process, the journey of it, because that's actually truly where we have the ability to actually make real change is in the present, in the journey, in the process. And you mentioned this whole concept of feeling more grounded as well as gaining a lot more clarity. And you've heard me say probably dozens of times now that action creates clarity. It's one of my favorite sayings that I that I gathered from a mentor of mine. And that's what I think the coaching experience is about is like, how do we get out of just ruminating all the time and get into action, even if the action is small or MVA or minimal viable action? Because over time, those add up. And so I'm curious as you reflect back on our on your work and our journey together, is what areas of your life have would you say have been positively impacted by leaning in and saying yes to doing this deep coaching work? This is great because I think all areas of my life have improved. And when we did the wellness wheel and you're like, you can't focus on everything, just focus on two or three so that you can really dig into those areas. I had a really hard time choosing because I felt like I wanted to improve all these areas. And I remember you telling me it's not that you're not improving the other areas, it's just that you're giving your focus to the thing that needs to be focused on. And in the last year, I think that's been a couple of different things based on the seasons that we flowed through. But some of the main things I think are just the overflow into my family and the way that they operate too. So when I'm presenting the same things that I'm learning, and then they are growing as well. So it's like by default, they're growing too. It's the magical ripple of that. It really is. And it's so good. Yeah. And you know what I really want to say about this is this kind of work that we're that we're doing, that we're receiving, that we're giving either way, is like it's like farming, right? So sometimes the ground is so hard. Sometimes we have to break it up. There's deep work that needs to be done. We have to till the earth before we can plant any seeds. And so the focus can't be on the tomato plants that you want to have for lunch. It has to be where what can I do to prepare the earth to receive and give nutrients, to receive the seeds and to give nutrients. And so I felt at some point that I felt like I was just going out and yelling at the ground, why aren't you producing any fruit? Right, right. Almost trying to force it, right? Yes. And and it's like the reminder that we're tilling the ground here first. We're nurturing the ground, we're giving it fertilizer, and we're planting the seeds in fertile soil rather than casting our seeds out onto dry ground.

Wellness Wheel And The Farming Metaphor

31:10

So when the earth can receive the seeds, then it can nurture the seed, and then we can't see anything. We don't know what it's doing under there. And then eventually, after however long it takes for a seed to get some roots coming out of it, we'll see a little sprout. And it's so easy to be like, oh, well, you're just so tiny. Let me just stomp on that sprout. Our sprouts are so sensitive, and that's like where our gratitude is. Instead, being thankful for the sprout and saying, Oh, this is the gratitude that I have for that coming up, and then all of a sudden it shoots up like a beanstalk. And so I feel like it's like that. Our our work, our internal work is like that. The hard places that are hard to go into, hard to look at, hard to cultivate, hard to dig into. Being willing to do that so that when you plant the seeds of the tools and the different things that we work on, they can be nurtured in that place. Yeah. Because I think that's why I had tools in my toolbox I couldn't use before, is that I didn't even know how to receive it. Right. Right. And I know one thing, one of the pieces of that I'm just remembering of our work together too is really thinking about because you kind of named like three of the main pieces of one of the pillars of the Rockstar framework, which are the mindset mastery. So we're talking about deeper beliefs and beliefs in this internal space. We've talked a little bit about kind of like the sustainable habits and systems, but then it's also this nervous system component. And so I I love the story that you're sharing here about the fertile ground and the seeds, is like if we don't actually like almost like uplift that foundation a little bit, uplift the soil a little bit to nourish and allow ourselves, body, mind, soul, to regulate, the seeds aren't ready to be planted. And I think that this is one of the biggest frustrations that I see with women who are saying, I like I want the results or I want to see the progress, and I just don't feel it yet, is we're forcing versus surrendering and trusting the process that the fruits are gonna come, right? That the fruits are gonna come. So I love that. And before I have you share about some of those fruits, because you shared a little bit in terms of how this has also kind of bled into your business these last couple of months. I'd love for you. You now we had the opportunity to work together both in a private coaching space, but you also were such an integral member during your time of our YRL community, your Rockstar Life community. Can you share just a little glimpse in terms of what that what that was like for you to be amongst other women who were alongside you in this journey? Yeah, I I absolutely love a group environment because I just feel like that's how that's how we're rot wired and connection is a core value. So it's like living out who I am. And that's what I do is I encourage people to live out of who you are wherever you are. And so if you're the kind of person that can make makes connections and helps people grow in those spaces, you can't not do that because it's part of who you are. And if you're living authentically, then it's gonna come forward. And so I feel like it was that for me, and I feel like it was a space, a safe space to do that too, just to bounce ideas off of each other and encourage each other. And uh, some people were in very different seasons of life than me, and some were very similar. And I think that the ability to be able to just say, Hey, you know what? I see where you're at, and I was there, and this is what I did, or hey, I see where you're at, I'm there too. We can do this. Yeah, there's something so powerful about that. Like, one being able to like just be seen, to be like, here's where I am, here's where my struggle is, here's where my progress is. But also, I think this whole concept of knowing that we're not alone and like walking alongside, of course, like in our community, I'm one of the guides there, but I also look at it as a very collaborative space where yes, I have a framework and ways and exercises and things that I'm gonna guide you through, and we are constantly learning from one another because I don't have all the answers. Somebody might get something that you say in a group coaching call or in our WhatsApp community, might get more out of it than what was planned, you know? And so that's awesome. I love it. I love it. Okay,

Why Community Speeds Your Growth

35:24

before I have you share a little bit about your business, which I'm so excited to hear some of the updates, and I think the work that you do is just so powerful in the world. One last question. For women who are like in the thick of it, in the struggle, who are getting curious about like, what does this look like to lean in? What does it look like to somebody who's on the fence of either I was gonna say working with me, but really working with anybody who is looking to get out of the overwhelm and get out of the constant exhaustion and get out of the internal confusion and mental fatigue? What would you say to someone who's on the fence about taking that leap and leaning in? I think what if is the question. What if? What if it goes right? You know, what if this helps me? What if I feel more grounded? You know, and so I think that that that what if question and just kind of exploring your thoughts on it is like what's holding you back? What's holding you back from doing it? And is it is it the really the thing? What's the root of the reason that you're being held back? Yeah, we have our excuses, yeah, we have our quote unquote objections, and some of those are real. But what if they aren't excuses? What if they become something that can be a catalyst instead? And so to be transparent, it it was hard for me financially to do even two two sessions to a whole year, but it was worth it to me because I prioritized it. My husband prioritized it. And if you can prioritize you instead of all the other things that would take from you, then what if it works? Yeah. And and then also, you know, like what's the worst that could happen? You're a better you. Oh my gosh, I love that. It's so true though. It's so true though, and it's so interesting. I oftentimes when I get on, you know, breakthrough calls with women, they're like, Well, what if this doesn't work for me? And, you know, I there's a hundred percent track record in in my business that

The What If Question For Change

37:34

women that have leaned in and said yes, the growth will happen. It might not look exactly as you thought, it might not go as quickly as you want. And you will make progress forward because that's that's the benefit of having some type of guide and accountability to go along with it. So I love that. What if, what if it does work? What could this look like? So, oh, Leslie, so, so good. Okay. I would love for you to well, thank you for sharing all of this and just taking and making some space to really reflect and share a bit of your experience because I think it's so empowering to hear from other women who are in the thick of it and who have have seen movement forward and have moved the dial and have stepped into that next version of themselves. And I know for you, alongside being a mother and a wife and a worship leader and and in all of these spaces, you're a business owner and you've seen some of our work kind of ripple into your business. I'd love to give you the opportunity to share a little bit about the amazing work that you do in this world. And if you want to share kind of some of the growth that's happened, let's hear it. Let's hear it. Yes. So a little bit, I want to I want to tell you, reflect a little bit of the journey that we've had over the last year because it's it's really important because of the role that you specifically play in it. And so I was released from my the at the end of the school year, I what I did not take have a new contract, presented, despite my efforts of applying to probably 50 other high schools to keep teaching. And and my thought process is that I'm I'm not gonna go back into business again because I've been burnt out so many times. And we you were like, well, what does it look like to pause and do something easy? And so that's when I took a job as a at a restaurant. That's it. I'm like, yes, that's right. I decided to go surf tables again, and and that was something that was really hard for me, not because of pride necessarily. I think that might have had a little bit to do with it because it's like, well, I've come this far. I'm I'm now and I did, I probably said to my husband, you know, and now I'm waiting tables again. Why did I go to school? You know, why did I why did I work so hard to do business just to be waiting tables again? I could have just continued doing this. And you know, sometimes we feel that way. And the thing is, is that I think there was a space created for me to be to be allowed to feel that way. Yeah. Whereas before I might have stuffed down, felt it internally, but never said it. And it gave me this the safety to to release that and to be like, okay, so what is for me in this and why do I want to do this? Why am I choosing to do this? And and it wound up being a huge blessing. And I still work at the restaurant sometimes in the midst of building my business, and I probably will continue working there for a while because it's a release. There's

Rebuilding A Business With Rest

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more to it. It is, it's fine to make the connections with the the we live in a tourist town, so there's people that come into the restaurant are never the same people, they're all new people from different places, and so I get to know a little bit more about the world that I live in just by serving tables for a little while and being of service in that way. And I don't know how many times, like just the nature of the work that I do and the nature of who I am authentically is just how it helps to be who you are, gives other people permission to be who they are. Right. And so from there that's where I found this grounded space to be able to say yes to building my business again. So I don't even know that I was if I had started my business right out of the school, I would have started it from a defeated heart posture. Yeah. And then I would have reinforced the lie and failed again. Not this time, but not this time. It's absolutely not this time. Yeah. So I just like I remember you saying, What would it look like to just do this for now and allow your body to rest, allow your mind to recover, and then take the next step. So I I think about that a lot. I'm thinking like, okay, well, what would it look like if I allowed myself this? And then there's so many elements to it. I can't, it would take me, you know, a two-hour podcast to go into that. But fast forward, I said yes to my business and I made the choice. Yep. And running a business is it is beautiful from the outside and the most the difficult thing you could do on the inside, right? Yes. Because you don't see the fruit right away, and it's not all podcasts and rainbows, it's hard work on the day-to-day. And so the processes are what I lacked before. I didn't have a paradigm for what the day-to-day looked like. And so, because of the new value systems and the new ways of looking at things and being able to be willing to invest in ways that I was not willing before or didn't understand or was afraid to before, opened up to me in a way that made honestly made some things hard but worth it. And so I wound up taking out some of my retirement or taking taking out all of my retirement as a seed to sow into my future. So my retirement money, instead of it sitting there earning 0.3% interest, I said, this is gonna be seed for my business to go full force. And some of that went into my coaching, all of it went into coaching in some way or another. All of it, because it was seed money. And so I I was I've been working with both you and some other uh business mindsets that I hadn't thought about before to help me get clarity. So now, with clarity, yeah, what is your business? I can confidently say I help leaders radiate authority without being a jerk. Oh my gosh, I love that. I love that. And I have seen this transition in terms of you, how you speak about what you do and who you serve. And I love that you took a couple moments to kind of give the backstory because again, I think having been an entrepreneur myself for almost 14 years, like oftentimes people just see the front door of what your branding is or what your messaging is. And it's like how you got there is so important. And I think for those entrepreneurs listening, it's like being an entrepreneur is about building a business, but there's also so much self-growth that comes comes with it. So who do you like, who is your ideal client? Like, who do you support and how do you support them if you want to share briefly? And then I'd love for you to also share how how people can connect with you further if they're interested in learning more. Absolutely. My I serve Christian business owners who use their voice for a living to radiate authority without the fear of being arrogant or prideful or all the things that come with the societal norms of what authority is supposed to look like. But instead, authority comes from connection, connection with yourself, connection with other people, and for me, connection to God. And with those things coming together to pour out of who you are. And so we do the inner work. That's where my inner healing and deliverance and emotional release and uh aromatherapy and all of that comes in. But we also do outer work, so presence training, confidence training, vocal training. I'm a certified vocal coach. And so we do all of those things to embody the authority that we already carry and to be authentic enough with ourselves and confident enough to let that expression come forward. And it's about authenticity and vulnerability. And when we can put down the walls and allow for vulnerability to come, then that's when true authority really comes through and shining with the radiance that we have within us already. Oh my gosh, I love I love hearing you speak so confidently about this and like what's coming to me, Leslie, is just like you took a leap and you took a risk and you let your walls down. And what became of it is you stepped into ownership and you stepped into your power and you stepped into that authority. And to me, that's what being a rock star mom is about is about how do we take ownership and take back power for our own freaking lives because it's the one that we've got right now as humans on this earth, and you are doing it. You're doing it, and I just can't wait to see what becomes. I know you've recently had like speaking opportunities and presentations on event and clients coming in your doors, and it's just beautiful to witness and watch. For any of our listeners who are curious to learn more about your work, what's the best way to connect with you? You know, honestly, the best way to connect with me is just to send me an email. It's Leslie at mindshiftl.com. That is the best way to just jump in there and say, hey, I have a free gift if you want to look at more about my work, and that's gift.mindshiftl.com forward slash guide. So if you get that guide, you can download that. You'll be added to my email list and we can stay in touch that way. And then I also have a podcast that is coming up. It's getting launched, and that's the authentic voice leadership podcast. Oh, I can't wait to listen to that. Oh my goodness. Leslie, I just I I love you. I adore you. I am so grateful that our paths crossed when they did, and that you trusted me to be part of your journey and to truly witness and see your growth and you step into your power has just been beautiful, beautiful. I know our lives are forever connected now. And I think like for our listeners today, like I hope that this conversation with Leslie starts to open the door of light and of hope and that the what if and that there is more from you. So even if life feels good right now, know that you are capable of taking it to the next level and really stepping into your most rock star life. Leslie, thank you so much for being part of the Rockstar Mom. I've loved this conversation. Thank you so much, and I love you so much as well, and I'm so glad that we were connected and you're a life changer, and you are the OG Rockstar Mom. Oh my goodness, thank you so much. Thank you so much for tuning into the Rockstar Mom podcast. If today's episode resonated with you, here's how we can keep this momentum going. First, be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode. Next, I'd be so grateful if you took a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps us reach even more women who are ready to live more intentional, fun-filled lives. Lastly, please share your insights on social media and be sure to tag me at Megan Caulphol PDX so we can connect and inspire other rock stars

Connect With Leslie And Closing Steps

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to live their best lives too. Again, I am so glad that you are here, and I'll see you next time.