Rise To More

AI is changing the way we work. But I’ve been thinking about what happens to us when the things we’ve spent years becoming good at begin to change.What happens when you’ve spent twenty years becoming exceptional at something, and suddenly a machine can do a good portion of it in seconds? What happens to the designer, the writer, the lawyer, the business owner who has built an entire identity around being needed for a particular skill?And because I work as a coach, I couldn’t help turning the question toward myself. This episode addresses that. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com

What if some of the sleep advice you’ve been following isn’t actually right for your body?Neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. Michael Howell joins Jasna Burza for a fascinating conversation about what we’re getting wrong about sleep—and why understanding your own biology may matter more than following the latest sleep rules.They explore the biggest sleep lie Dr. Howell sees, why your chronotype matters, whether you really need eight uninterrupted hours, why you can sleep all night and still wake up exhausted, and what chronic poor sleep may be doing to your brain and long-term health.Dr. Howell also breaks down sleep apnea, blue light and screens, sleep trackers like Oura Ring, catching up on lost sleep, snoring, cold plunges before bed, sleeping separately from your partner, and how elite athletes use sleep as a tool for performance.And perhaps most reassuringly: better sleep doesn’t require perfect sleep.This conversation may completely change the way you think about the thing you spend nearly a third of your life doing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com

What if the thing you think is helping you get ahead is actually keeping you stuck?After spending time with two extraordinary women recently, I started noticing a pattern I couldn’t stop thinking about. It made me question how we create, where our best ideas actually come from, and whether some of our most useful modern tools might have an unexpected downside.In this solo episode, I’m sharing what I noticed, why I think it matters more than ever right now, and one question I believe every person trying to build, create or do something meaningful should be asking themselves.This one might change the way you approach your next idea. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com

Are travel sports, elite teams and expensive training actually helping our kids succeed—or are parents being sold a version of youth sports they don’t need?In this episode of Rise to More, recorded at Grand Casino Arena, home of the Minnesota Wild, Jasna Burza sits down with Mike Snee, Vice President of Foundation and Community Relations for the Minnesota Wild and creator of Skate It Forward, for an important conversation about youth sports, youth hockey and the growing commercialization of kids’ athletics.Mike shares what makes Minnesota hockey different, why community-based sports are worth protecting, and what happens when fear of missing out convinces parents that their kids need elite teams, year-round training and expensive travel programs just to keep up.We also talk about Skate It Forward, the Minnesota Wild’s initiative to strengthen community hockey and help make the sport accessible to more kids.In this conversation, we talk about:When youth sports became big businessTravel sports, elite teams and the pressure parents feel to keep upWhether kids really need elite training to succeedThe risks of specializing too youngWhy Minnesota’s community hockey model is differentThe rising cost of youth sports and who gets left behindWhy local, community-owned ice rinks matterMaking hockey accessible to more families through Skate It ForwardWhat sports teach kids beyond winningThe role of fun, failure, resilience and simply playingWhat parents should remember when deciding how much is enoughThe future of community hockey in MinnesotaMike also shares one of the simplest lessons hockey teaches children: everyone falls. You learn how to get back up.This conversation is for parents of young athletes, hockey families, coaches and anyone wondering whether youth sports have become too expensive, too competitive and too focused on getting to the “next level.”ABOUT MIKE SNEEMike Snee is Vice President of Foundation and Community Relations for the Minnesota Wild and creator of Skate It Forward, an initiative of the Minnesota Wild Foundation focused on preserving, strengthening and celebrating community hockey throughout Minnesota.Rise to More with Jasna Burza explores the people, ideas and conversations shaping how we live, lead and make an impact. Jasna sits down with leaders, founders, athletes, executives and changemakers to uncover the lessons behind meaningful success.Subscribe for conversations about leadership, personal growth, business, community, purpose and what we can learn from people doing extraordinary work.To hire Jasna as life and business advisor, go to www.jasnaburza.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com

What if the thing people keep telling you to soften is actually one of the reasons you’re so good at what you do?I kept thinking about that while reading Bobbi Brown’s Still Bobbi. Throughout her career, there were plenty of people with bigger titles and more traditional credentials telling her what she should change. Sometimes she listened. But often, she trusted herself—and some of the things others wanted her to change were the very things that made what she built extraordinary.It made me think about how often capable women are told they’re too demanding, too particular, too intense or too difficult to please. And sometimes we are. But I think we’re so quick to correct those qualities that we forget to ask: What if she actually does know better?There’s a difference between arrogance and earned judgment. When you’ve spent years doing something, made thousands of decisions, developed an eye and lived with the consequences, your instincts contain information. Constantly overriding them because someone else has a better résumé isn’t always humility.I am particular. I notice language, positioning, how something looks and how it feels. I could absolutely make my life easier by caring less about some of those things. But I also know some of my best work exists because I care so much.The question I’m learning to ask is whether my standard is creating excellence or simply creating unnecessary friction. Sometimes I need to communicate better, loosen my grip or listen more carefully. And sometimes I need to trust that I know what I’m doing.Become a better leader. Listen to smart people. Own it when you’re wrong. But don’t spend years sanding down the very qualities that made you exceptional just because they make someone else uncomfortable.They will call you bossy. Build it anyway. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com