Ambitious-ish: Success Without Burnout for Smart, Driven Women

Have you ever tried to build a life while constantly criticizing yourself and wondering why nothing feels stable? Maybe you push yourself under the bus, act like your own worst critic, or apologize for your needs. When you reject yourself, every boundary crumbles and every goal feels impossible because you're building on quicksand.   In this episode, we dive into why self-acceptance is the real antidote to self-abandonment. We talk about how patterns of people-pleasing, over-functioning, and constant apologizing were survival strategies that made sense at the time, and how they can now keep you stuck. Learn a five-step process to start practicing self-acceptance that will help you make decisions from a place of self-trust, deepen your relationships, and show up fully as yourself.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/81   Ready to make this fall different? We have limited spots open for coaching this fall, so schedule a consultation with us: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

A snack-sized episode about the importance of being intentional, not balanced   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

Have you ever felt resentment building up inside you and pushed it aside? Maybe it's when you're carrying the emotional labor in your relationship, or managing extra work while everyone else seems to coast. Resentment isn't just frustration—it's a signal from your nervous system, telling you where your boundaries have been crossed and where you've been carrying more than your share.   In this episode, we explore why resentment is actually valuable information. You'll walk away with five practical steps for redistributing responsibilities, setting boundaries, and stopping the habit of carrying burdens that aren't yours. We'll also talk about why the discomfort others feel when you set boundaries doesn't mean you're wrong. By listening to your resentment and taking action, you can create a life where you show up from choice, not obligation.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/80   Register for How To Get Out Of Survival Mode Masterclass 9/12 at noon MT: https://www.kelleandnina.com/registration-page-620d393c-75dc-4a65-ab98-9d7d8443db92   Ready to make this fall different? We have limited spots open for coaching this fall, so schedule a consultation with us: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

Your Last Chance to Break Free From Survival Mode (With Us, Live, For Free)   LINK: https://www.kelleandnina.com/registration-page-620d393c-75dc-4a65-ab98-9d7d8443db92   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

How many people did you ask before making your last decision? Maybe you reached out to a friend, a mentor, or someone you respect, hoping for clarity. You gathered opinions, weighed options, and still felt unsure. Each new voice adds noise, making it harder to hear your own instincts. Constant advice seeking is actually self-abandonment disguised as thorough decision-making.   In part three of our trust series, we explore why you already know what you want but often hesitate to act without everyone else's permission. You'll learn how to tell the difference between getting support and outsourcing your decisions, how to recognize when advice is filtered through someone else's fears or expectations, and why acting from your own judgment is the key to building confidence in yourself.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/79   Ready to make this fall different? We have limited spots open for coaching this fall, so schedule a consultation with us: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

A bite-sized episode about how this fall is your comeback moment.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

How often do you ignore that quiet knowing inside you, only to realize later it was right all along? That inner guidance—the signals your body and nervous system send—is smarter than you think. Ignoring it keeps you stuck making decisions with incomplete information, second-guessing yourself, and relying on logic alone.   In this episode, we dive into why your gut processes information faster, deeper, and more accurately than your conscious mind. We unpack the science behind your "gut brain," explain why intuition is informational rather than emotional, and show you how to distinguish between anxiety and authentic gut guidance. This isn't about choosing feelings over facts, but about reclaiming the part of you that already knows what's right.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/78   Ready to make this fall different? We have limited spots open for coaching this fall, so schedule a consultation with us: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

A snack-sized episode about how your flaws are ACTUALLY coping mechanisms. You're not broken, you just need to adapt.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

How many promises have you broken to yourself this week? Every time you say you'll take a lunch break and don't, or agree to something you didn't want to do, you chip away at your self-trust. And when that trust is shaky, it gets harder to make bold decisions, hold boundaries, or believe in your own judgment. Self-trust is the operating system everything else runs on. Without it, things fall apart.   This week, we're launching our trust series by getting to the root of it all. What is trust, really? And why does self-trust matter more than you might think? It's not built through grand gestures or broken only by major betrayals. It's shaped in small, everyday moments when your actions align with your intentions, when you follow through on what you say, and when you show up the way you meant to.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/77   Ready to make this fall different? We have limited spots open for coaching this fall, so schedule a consultation with us: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

A bite-sized episode about having your own back.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

A snack-sized episode about how coaching with us for three months this fall is your reset opportunity.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

Scaling rapidly is often seen as the ultimate goal in ambitious organizations, but what happens when the pressure to grow starts to sacrifice your team's well-being? Managers are caught between ambitious growth targets and the reality of managing a team that's already stretched thin. The result? Burnout, turnover, and a culture that struggles to sustain growth.   In this episode, you'll learn how to navigate the pressures of scaling, maintain team morale, and integrate new hires successfully. Plus, we're offering practical strategies to lead through growth, protect your team's capacity, and create a people strategy that aligns with your business goals.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/76

Do you find yourself catastrophizing before an important decision or difficult conversation? It's natural for our brains to imagine the worst-case scenario, but what if this habit is actually stopping you from reaching your potential? In this episode, we explore why your brain defaults to disaster thinking and how to rewire it to focus on success instead.   When facing uncertainty, it's easy for our brains to fixate on everything that could go wrong. But constantly focusing on failure doesn't prepare us for success—it keeps us stuck in survival mode. We're sharing how to shift your mindset to one that anticipates the best, so you can take confident action and move toward the outcomes you truly want.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/75

A snack-sized summer check-in.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

Have you ever set a boundary and immediately felt like you were doing something wrong? In this episode, we dive into why doing what's right for you can feel so uncomfortable. When you say no, put yourself first, or prioritize your own needs, your body may flood with anxiety and guilt, even though you know it's the healthiest choice.    Tune in as we share practical strategies for navigating that discomfort and setting boundaries, even when it feels impossible. You'll learn how to recognize when guilt is just old programming dying, how to handle resistance from others who benefit from your self-sacrifice, and why choosing yourself is key to healing and personal growth.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/74

A snack-sized episode about taking your time.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

How do you keep going when life doesn't go as planned? In this deeply personal episode, we're catching up on where life has taken us lately and getting real about how we're navigating our health journeys. For both of us, it's about facing challenges, finding new ways to live fully, and staying present, even when things feel uncertain. We're learning to embrace the journey, instead of rushing to the finish line.   Grab your favorite bevy and join us as we explore how small changes in routine, stepping out of our comfort zones, and prioritizing fun can make a big difference. We'll also share how we're both learning to slow down—not as a strategy to "speed up," but as a new way of being.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/73

A snack-sized episode about how to ACTUALLY enjoy the life you work so hard to create.   For more information, go to: https://www.kelleandnina.com/

How much time and energy do you spend feeling disrespected or unheard? Many high-achieving women find themselves ruminating over moments when they feel overlooked or ignored, whether it's a boss talking over them or a partner not acknowledging their contributions. These feelings can chip away at trust and collaboration, leaving us emotionally drained. But here's the truth: feeling disrespected is optional. It's not about other people's behavior, but about how we choose to interpret it.   In this episode, we break down how feeling disrespected comes from our thoughts, not someone else's actions. We talk about how our brain adds meaning to neutral events, like someone interrupting us, and how those thoughts create emotional responses. By separating facts from interpretations, we can regain our power and stop outsourcing our worth to others. You'll learn how to stop reacting emotionally and start responding from a place of strategy and clarity.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/72

Do you feel a need to control everything? Your control enthusiasm feels like your superpower. Checking everyone's work, approving every decision, convincing yourself that nobody can do it like you can. You've built something amazing, but you've also built yourself a beautiful prison where you're both the warden and the prisoner.   This episode tackles control enthusiasm head-on - that need to control everything that feels like it's making you successful but is actually keeping you stuck as the bottleneck in your life. You'll discover why your need to be needed is actually making you less effective, not more. When you master the art of true entrustment, you don't just become a better leader, you become free to focus on bigger challenges and grow beyond what you can personally control.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.ambitious-ish.com/71