From Fear To Fire

This week’s theme: Self Care In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather Hansen O’Neill talks with Sarah Sims, a health and wellness coach, speaker, author, and founder of Destined to Live Well, about why self-care matters, especially for high-performing professionals. Sarah shares how health challenges forced her to recognize the importance of managing stress, making intentional choices, and listening to the signals her body was sending her. Sarah encourages listeners to look at how they spend their time and whether their daily lives reflect what matters most. She also explores the role of leaders in creating healthier workplaces where wellbeing and performance can coexist. Her message is simple: self-care is not selfish. Taking care of yourself helps you bring the best version of yourself to your work, relationships, and life. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about the importance of self-care, managing stress, and prioritizing your well-being without sacrificing performance. Sarah Sims Sarah Sims, NBC-HWC, is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, speaker, author, and founder of Destined to Live Well. She helps high-performing professionals and leaders stress less, live well, and build sustainable self-care practices that support their health, energy, and everyday performance. With nearly two decades of experience supporting communities, higher education, and workplaces, Sarah brings both practical wellness expertise and lived experience with burnout and chronic illness. Through Destined to Live Well and her book Stress Less, she teaches people how to manage stress, rebuild wellbeing, and create a healthier foundation for sustainable success. Connect with Sarah: Website: Destined To Live Well LinkedIn: Sarah Sims Instagram: Destined to Live Well | Sarah Sims, NBC-HWC YouTube: Destined to Live Well Take the Free Self-Care Assessment. Discover valuable insights about your health and well-being that can transform your life. Quote of the Day: “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.” ~Katie Reed   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here!   The post Self-Care with Sarah Sims appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Find the Thread In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather Hansen O’Neill interviews Carl Walsh about finding a thread that runs through your being, what excites you, and the work that you are called to do. Carl reflects on his own journey, initially struggling to understand how his professional background in the corporate world and theater could be connected. However, as he explains the thread that connects them, he realizes that it has always been there. He further advises people to think through what they always do, where they invest their energy, and what calms and excites them to discover their thread. In his advice to leaders and managers, Carl shares some of the lessons he learned in the theater that are applicable now in business and leadership. He says that they should show up, own their role, see leadership as a role everyone can play, and learn a new skill set. Moreover, he advises leaders to invest in diversity of thought and destroy silos in their organizations to enhance exchange of ideas and better decision-making. Overall, his main message is that people should look for their thread, which will last forever, as opposed to a career or a job that could change over time, including with the emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about how to find the thread that connects your purpose, strengths, and work while staying aligned through change. Carl Walsh Carl Walsh brings a rare perspective to leadership and business transformation because he has lived both worlds. Before spending nearly three decades in corporate leadership, Carl spent 20 years in professional theater as an actor, director, and Artistic Director of the 21st Street Theater Company in Los Angeles. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and recipient of top honors from UCLA’s theater program, including the Natalie Wood and Hugh O’Brien awards, he built his early career around one essential truth: great performances only happen when people learn how to work together. That lesson never left him. Carl transitioned from the stage to business and spent 27 years building teams, leading operations, and solving organizational problems from the sales floor to the executive level, ultimately serving as an IT Director of Quality Assurance. His experience inside large organizations taught him that the biggest drag on performance is rarely talent, strategy, or effort. It is communication failure. Smart people misunderstanding each other costs companies enormous amounts of money, momentum, and trust. Today, through We Are Alpha Dogs Consulting, Carl helps leaders fix that problem. Using The Oval Table framework and Dogologic methodology, he helps organizations improve decision-making, strengthen team commitment, and reduce the hidden costs of poor communication by creating real diversity of thought around the table. His message is simple: business should work more like great theater. The best results happen when people understand their role, trust the people around them, and commit to building something larger than themselves. Carl and his partner Douglas Bowers are currently launching We Are Alpha Dogs Business Coaching. Connect with Carl: Website: The Oval Table LinkedIn: Carl Walsh YouTube: The Oval Table Offering an online business personality test and a free webinar. Quote of the Day: “Theatre is the art of looking at ourselves.” ~Augusto Boal   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here!   The post Find the Thread with Carl Walsh appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Rethink Retirement Retirement is more than leaving a job. It can impact your identity, purpose, relationships, and sense of belonging. In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather Hansen O’Neill talks with corporate anthropologist and author Andi Simon about why so many people struggle when work ends. Our careers often become part of who we are, so retirement can leave us asking, “Who am I now?” Andi explains that financial preparation is important, but being financially ready does not always mean being emotionally or socially prepared for the next chapter. Andi encourages listeners to rethink retirement as a beginning rather than an ending. Instead of waiting until retirement to figure out what comes next, start exploring hobbies, relationships, service, travel, learning, and other sources of meaning now. She also encourages people to repurpose their experience and wisdom, visualize the life they want, and build a community around them. Retirement can be an opportunity to redefine who you are, what you contribute, and what brings you joy. As Andi says, “You’re in charge. Enjoy the journey.” From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about rethinking retirement as a new beginning filled with purpose, identity, connection, and possibilities. Andi Simon, PhD Andi Simon, PhD, is a corporate anthropologist studying what happens when work ends but life doesn’t, and why retirement has become one of the most misunderstood and emotionally complex transitions of our time. She’s the founder of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC), an award-winning author, and a global keynote speaker who helps leaders see culture and identity more clearly, turning observation into innovation and designing smarter transitions for people and organizations. She also hosts a popular podcast show, On the Brink with Andi Simon. Connect with Andi: Website: Simon Associates Management Consultant LinkedIn: Andrea Simon Podcast: On the Brink with Andi Simon Quote of the Day: “Retire from work, but not from life.” ~MK Soni   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here! The post Rethink Retirement with Andi Simon, PhD appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Uncommon Courage In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather Hansen O’Neill welcomes Becky Estby, CEO of Next Monday and author of Uncommon Courage, to discuss what it means to redefine success, leadership, and belonging. Becky shares how her experiences growing up on a farm, building a corporate career, and creating a community for high-achieving women shaped her mission to help people recognize when they feel unseen, exhausted, or misaligned. Through her work, she encourages women to stop assuming they are the problem and instead find the courage to understand their needs, use their voice, and create a path that aligns with who they truly are. Becky and Heather explore why courage is one of the most overlooked leadership qualities and how leaders can build environments where people feel safe to speak honestly. Becky shares her “mirror test” for making decisions with integrity, the importance of addressing challenges strategically rather than reacting emotionally, and why the answer is not always to leave a situation but sometimes to fix what is misaligned. Her message of uncommon courage reminds listeners that they do not have to navigate difficult moments alone. By finding supportive communities, embracing their authentic selves, and standing up for what matters, they can move from fear toward a more fulfilling and purposeful life. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about embracing uncommon courage, finding your authentic voice, redefining success, and creating alignment between your values, leadership, and life. Becky Estby Becky Estby is the CEO of Next Monday, where she helps professional women in leadership grow through peer groups, coaching, events, and leadership consulting. A former senior HR and organizational development executive, Becky works with high-achieving women who look successful on paper but feel unseen, exhausted, or misaligned. Her upcoming book, Uncommon Courage, helps women stop assuming they are the problem and start redefining success, leadership, and belonging on their own terms. Connect with Becky: Website: Next Monday LinkedIn: Becky Estby, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPCC LinkedIn Company: Next Monday Becky Estby’s new book, Uncommon Courage: How to Reframe Success Without Sacrificing Your Soul, is now available on Amazon. You can learn more about the book HERE. Quote of the Day: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~EE Cummings   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here!   The post Uncommon Courage with Becky Estby appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Navigating the Pause Dr. Ann Marie Peters shares a powerful perspective on navigating the pause, encouraging women to see career breaks not as setbacks but as valuable chapters of personal and professional growth. Whether the pause was for caregiving, motherhood, health, or other life transitions, she explains that the leadership, problem-solving, communication, and resilience developed during that time are highly transferable skills. Rather than apologizing for employment gaps, women should recognize the strengths they have built and confidently reframe their experiences as assets that prepare them for future opportunities. The conversation also explores the emotional side of navigating the pause, including identity loss, diminished confidence, and imposter syndrome. Dr. Peters emphasizes that rebuilding confidence starts with small, intentional steps, reflecting on past accomplishments, identifying existing strengths, and gradually re-engaging with professional networks. Through her book We’ll Be Right Back, she offers practical guidance to help women reclaim their confidence, articulate their value, and embrace the next chapter of their careers with purpose, reminding listeners that their story is far from over. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about navigating the pause by reframing career breaks as opportunities to build confidence, rediscover purpose, and recognize the valuable leadership skills gained through life’s transitions. Dr. Ann Marie Peters Dr. Ann Marie Peters is a research-backed author and leadership strategist focused on women’s career pauses, identity, and return-to-work transitions. Drawing on her PhD research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and decades of leadership experience, Ann Marie explores the questions of identity, confidence, and purpose that women face after stepping away from paid work due to caregiving, motherhood, burnout, health challenges, or major life transitions. Her work helps women reframe career pauses not as gaps to apologize for, but as chapters that can build clarity, resilience, and renewed leadership. Connect with Dr. Ann Marie: Website: AMP Consulting LinkedIn: Dr. Ann Marie Peters Instagram: @backwithamp Facebook: We’ll Be Right Back Dr. Ann Marie L. Peters’ new book, We’ll Be Right Back: A Lifeline for Every Woman Who Hit Pause on Her Career, is a guide to reclaiming your confidence, recognizing the value of your experience, and moving forward with purpose. Buy the book HERE. Quote of the Day: “What a circus act we women perform every day of our lives. Look at us. We run a tightrope daily… This is not the life of simplicity but the life of multiplicity that the wise men warn us of.” ~ Ann Morrow Lindbergh   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here! The post Navigating the Pause with Dr. Ann Marie Peters appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.