Play It By Your Rules

'Wow. I don't even know what I did the last hour.' That's not a burned-out junior employee talking. It's Maureen Gibbons - Dr. Mo - 13 years into emergency medicine, describing her own reaction the first time she actually looked at where her calendar went. In this episode of Play It By Your Rules, I sit down with Dr. Mo, an emergency medicine physician turned lifestyle-medicine coach, to talk about what happens when you're too busy running to notice you're exhausted. Maureen spent 13 years in a level-two trauma center, in emergency medicine - the specialty with the highest burnout rate in medicine. She'll tell you she wasn't burned out. She'll also tell you it hurt her more than she knew. Both are true, and that tension is the whole episode: the gap between what we call things and what they're actually costing us. A few years ago she started stepping back from the ER. Tired of being tired, long before it became a crisis. That's when she moved into coaching people through their health and their transitions. She's since built an AI "digital brain," Nav, trained on her frameworks, so the coaching can reach more people than her calendar ever could. We covered: Why "I don't have time" is almost never the real problem - it's bandwidth: energy plus focus, not hours on a clock The "vital metric review": color-coding two days of your calendar by what energizes you and what drains you, and what it reveals Why she dragged out the ending of her own career transition about a year longer than it needed to take - and what it cost her physically "Worst day systems": planning for the least you have to do to succeed, instead of the ideal day you never  have How to find your blind spots by noticing what people already come to you for advice on Her "freedom filter": if it doesn't buy you time, energy, or money, it doesn't make it onto the calendar Practical Takeaways: Run your own two-day review before you assume you have a time problem Ask three people what they come to you for - the pattern in their answers is your blind spot Build your "worst day system" first. The best day plan can wait If you're dragging out an ending, name it. The neutral zone is uncomfortable, but staying half in and half out costs more Quick-Fire Burst: dropped self-criticism, cracked open at rock bottom, unlearned validation, non-negotiable is family, boldest risk was leaving a traditional medical career, one word for this chapter is excitement, hopes her story ripples belief. This episode is for anyone who's been told, or has told themselves, that they're fine — because the alternative felt like admitting defeat. It's for the ones still doing one more shift. Please stop waiting for permission. Start exploring today. That's Maureen's line, not mine, but I'm stealing it. Explore More: 🔗 @DrMoGibbons on Instagram Has working harder stopped working? Take the 90 Second Effort Gap Assessment https://effortassessment.com/ Your life. Your rules. For more freedom, flow, and fun.

"If your body doesn't feel safe, you'll keep looping back to what you've always done - no matter how much inner work you've put in." - Jenny C. Cohen Most of us are excellent from the neck up. We analyse. Reflect. Journal. Reframe. We've done the work - and still find ourselves right back in the loop the moment life gets loud again. Jenny Cohen has a simple explanation for that: you've been working in the wrong direction. She's an occupational therapist, somatic coach and lifelong dancer. Her method is called outside-in - body first, mind second, and not just as a theoretical concept but as a practical non-negotiable she applies with every client. Her argument: your nervous system is wired to keep you safe, which means it will keep pulling you back to familiar patterns no matter how much internal work you do. Unless your body gets there first, nothing sticks. The entry point? Movement. Simpler than you think, and more radical than it sounds. 💡 In this episode: ✔️ Why lasting change has to start in the body - and why your brain is literally wired to pull you back to old patterns when it doesn't feel safe ✔️ What movement does to the brain that nothing else replicates, and why it works across cultures, ages and fitness levels ✔️ Why women in midlife often feel like they're disappearing - and why the answer has nothing to do with weight or beauty ✔️ The Care Bear stare: how to watch yourself without your inner critic hijacking the whole thing 🌟 Plus: why Jenny's non-negotiable is radiance, how motherhood gave her a spine she never had, and why - if you can walk, you can dance. Try it today No studio. No playlist. No rhythm required. Three minutes of free movement, filmed on your phone. Watch it back like you'd watch someone you love. That's the start. Free monthly masterclass - open to everyone, wherever you are: 👉 movetobloom.com Find Jenny: @JennyCCohen on Instagram and all platforms

A summer treat - released on purpose while I'm on holiday.   As this episode goes live, I'm on a beach listening to Greg's book on Audible. Because if there was ever a conversation to practice what it preaches, it's this one. What if presence isn't something you find - but something you build? In this episode of Play It By Your Rules, I sit down with keynote speaker, world-touring performer, and author Greg Bennick to talk about juggling, serendipity, and his book Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now. Greg's whole career started with a clerical error. At twelve, a school secretary accidentally signed him up for a juggling class instead of coin collecting. He walked in, saw someone juggling, and knew: this is it. By thirteen he was presenting professionally - and he has been on stages around the world ever since. The juggling became more than a skill. It became his life philosophy: you cannot juggle and think about next Thursday's lunch. You focus on what's in front of you, or everything drops. We go deep on what steals that focus. Greg draws on Guy Debord's Society of the Spectacle: the distractions around us don't just interrupt our lives - they replace them. We watch other people fall in love, take adventures, live boldly - and stop doing it ourselves. Coming back to center, being present with the people in front of us, is the rebellion. (And yes - this episode is audio only, on purpose. One distraction less. Listen while you walk, cook, or watch the waves.) We covered: The serendipity that built a career: how one wrong class changed everything - and why the "uncool" thing you love is your differentiator The spectacle: why modern distraction keeps us living vicariously instead of living - and how to come back to center Greg's seven strategies, including: believe in the possibility of kindness, leap into the dark (fear of success is real), and keep your eyes on the knife The reverberation effect: beyond the ripple - how ideas can come back bigger and better instead of fading at the edge of the pond Why being a better teammate in life starts with being a better listener Advice for teens (and midlifers): stick with the thing you love, even when it's not cool - especially then Practical Takeaways: Lead with the possibility of kindness - try it for one day and watch what changes Shut off the glowing rectangle once in a while: walk, read, call someone, or just be with yourself Keep your eyes on the knife: what's the one thing in front of you that matters most if dropped? Let yourself (and your kids) be bored - it's a skill Ask the midlife question: what did I love before the ladder? That's where the next chapter might start. Quick-Fire Burst: One belief he had to drop: Self-doubt A place that cracked something open: Thailand - ten days underwater on a scuba trip One thing he had to unlearn: Listening to the voice in his head His non-negotiable right now: Authenticity Boldest risk that paid off: Never having a day job - working for himself, on his own terms, his entire life One word for leadership in this chapter: Kindness The 'reverberation' he hopes his story creates_ Live more effectively - better connections, better meals shared, better nights with friends. We don't have a lot of time. Let's engage. This episode is for leaders and high achievers who are always three steps ahead - and starting to suspect they're missing the step they're on. Because a better later is a bet. A better now is a choice. Explore More: 📖 Greg's book: Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now (also on Audible - beach-tested by your host) 🔗 Find Greg: https://www.gregbennick.com | LinkedIn & Instagram: Greg Bennick - he'd love to hear your story If this episode landed - share it with someone who needs a better now. Your life. Your rules. For more freedom, flow, and fun.

Not a Crisis. A Second Act. What Midlife Is Actually Doing to Your Body - and Why That's Good News. With Tamara Koval — Gynecologist, Longevity Advisor, Founder of Longevity for Her What if the hormonal changes of midlife are not something to manage around — but something to move with? Tamara Koval is a gynecologist by training, a serial career reinventor by choice, and the founder of Longevity for Her on Substack. She has been in clinical practice in Europe, worked in the pharmaceutical industry, advised government agencies in the US, and built her own company — all driven by one belief: that the second act of a woman's life (and a man's) is not a decline. It is a different kind of power. In this conversation, we go into the biology, the psychology, and the practical reality of what midlife hormonal changes actually look like — and why most workplaces and most leaders have no script for it. What we cover: Why perimenopause starts in your 30s — and what the first signs actually look like The cortisol-sleep-weight-mood cycle: why it is all connected, and what to address first What the research says about hormone therapy — and why the message changed after 2023 The alcohol question: why two glasses hit differently now, and what to do about it The 12-hour intermittent fasting hack you are probably already doing without knowing it Why resistance amplifies suffering — and how acceptance breaks the cycle Bore-out and menopause: the surprising connection between hormonal transition and disconnection from work What Tamara means by unlearning smallness — and why the second act can be the most powerful chapter yet   Quick-Fire Burst: One belief she had to drop Obedience A place that cracked something open Zurich One thing she had to unlearn Smallness Her non-negotiable right now Independence. Sovereignty. Boldest risk that paid off Reinventing herself. Multiple times. One word for leadership in this chapter Kindness — understanding the position of others The ripple she hopes her story creates Permission — to be beautiful, wise, and powerful in this stage   Resources mentioned: Tamara Substack: Longevity for Her: https://longevitylounge42.substack.com/p/you-dont-need-a-tribe-to-live-long Meggi free Recalibration Baseline Assessment: https://meggi-pjyicln1.scoreapp.com/ If this episode landed — share it with someone who needs to hear it.    

We’re getting very good at asking technology for answers. But what if a more powerful way to use AI isn’t to let it think for us - but to let it guide our thinking? To help us sit with better questions. In this episode of Play It By Your Rules, I sit down with entrepreneur, impact investor, and author Florian Kemmerich to explore a different conversation about AI - one that is less about productivity and automation, and more about reflection, vocation, and understanding ourselves better. Florian believes one of the biggest opportunities of AI isn’t replacing human thinking. It’s helping us think more deeply. Through his work and his new venture, he is using AI to help people - particularly young people entering the world of work, but also people in midlife asking “what’s next?” - discover their vocation: the place where personal calling, strengths, and profession come together to create meaningful contribution. Finding your vocation isn’t about being handed answers. It’s about becoming more conscious of your motivations, and unique contribution - so you can build a working life that is not only more fulfilling, but also more relevant in a rapidly changing world. This conversation explores purpose, education, identity, experimentation, and how we can use technology to become more intentional - not less. We covered: Why the future may require more self-awareness, not just more knowledge The difference between a career, a job, and a vocation How AI can support reflection instead of replacing thinking Why experimentation matters when exploring your next chapter How education and work may evolve in a rapidly changing world Practical Takeaways: Use AI to ask yourself better questions, not to get quick answers Treat your career as an experiment rather than a fixed path Pay attention to what gives you energy and meaning Build self-awareness before seeking external validation Focus on contribution and curiosity, not only credentials This episode is for leaders, parents, entrepreneurs, and anyone at a crossroads - especially if you’re wondering what comes next and want to stay intentional in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms. AI can help us process more information and recognize patterns faster. The deeper work of discovering your why still belongs to us. Explore More: 🔗 Learn more about Florian and his work: On Vocation 🚀 Explore Florian’s AI-powered vocation platform: Vocating AI 🎓 Join the vocation challenge: Vocating Challenge Your life. Your rules. For more freedom, flow, and fun.