Empowered Team Podcast

The Fresh Start Effect: Your Secret Weapon for Success

In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider explores the Fresh Start Effect, a psychological phenomenon that pushes us to take action on our goals during key milestones like New Year’s, birthdays, or even a change of seasons.

Through research-backed insights from scholars like Hengchen Dai and Katherine Milkman, Kari explains how these temporal landmarks help disassociate from past failures and motivate a clean slate mindset.

She shares a relatable personal story about her daughter’s friends experiencing a “fresh start” in high school and provides 3 actionable tips to help you capitalize on your fresh starts for lasting success.

Key Takeaways:

• How temporal landmarks create psychological momentum.
• How to harness the fresh start effect for new goals or long-term projects.
• The importance of planning beyond the initial motivation to maintain consistency.

Whether you're planning for the New Year or your next personal milestone, this episode offers the tools to make those fresh starts work for you.

Back on Track: Easing into Work After Illness

In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider shares her personal experience recovering from COVID and offers a practical guide to easing back into work after illness.

Kari explains the dangers of rushing back into a full workload, citing research showing that over 80% of people recovering from COVID experience lingering fatigue and cognitive issues, which can affect both productivity and long-term health.

Listeners will walk away with actionable steps to ensure a gradual and thoughtful return to their routines, including starting with lower stress loads, staying hydrated, and keeping open communication with their teams.

Kari emphasizes the importance of self-care and pacing recovery to avoid severe relapses, using personal stories to illustrate each point. This episode is a must-listen for anyone coming back from illness or other setbacks.

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t rush! Start with half-days or lighter workloads.
• Hydration and proper nutrition are essential for recovery.
• Communicate with your team and set clear boundaries.
• Celebrate small wins to maintain motivation during recovery.

Communication for Connection: Without Losing Your Professional Edge

In this Empowered Team Podcast episode, Kari Schneider dives into Communicating for Connection While Maintaining Professionalism—an essential skill for leaders, team members, and professionals looking to elevate workplace communication.

This episode covers the four main communication styles—assertive, passive, aggressive, and passive-aggressive—and how each impacts relationship-building at work. Kari reveals research on the risks of transactional communication in digital spaces, from increased feelings of loneliness to breakdowns in trust, and shares insights on integrating emotional intelligence and active listening to boost engagement, loyalty, and productivity.

Kari’s ACE Framework (Active Listening, Clarity, Empathy) offers actionable tools to foster connection authentically in every interaction. Listeners will learn how to keep conversations focused, professional, and genuine, boosting collaboration and team morale.

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or new to management, these strategies will empower you to connect meaningfully with your team, drive trust, and create a culture of support and psychological safety.

Jordan Thomas Interview: Trauma's Impact on Success

In this compelling episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider engages in a transformative conversation with Jordan Thomas, a seasoned psychotherapist and founder of London Trauma Therapy.

Jordan shares her journey of overcoming childhood abuse and severe domestic violence that culminated in profound PTSD. With vulnerability and wisdom, she discusses how trauma impacts high achievers, the hidden emotional toll of relentless striving, and the pivotal steps to reclaim personal worth and step into authentic power.

Listeners will gain valuable insights on recognizing trauma responses disguised as achievement, breaking cycles of people-pleasing, and leveraging vulnerability as a tool for deeper human connection.

Jordan’s experience underscores the importance of embodying resilience and embracing self-worth without external validation.

This episode is perfect for those looking to understand the psychological underpinnings of high achievement, explore self-leadership after trauma, and learn how to transform life’s hardest moments into opportunities for growth.

Don’t miss the opportunity to uncover actionable takeaways for a more connected and fulfilled life!

 

Interests to support https://www.wallettowealth.ca/ 

Reach out to Jordan here: https://www.instagram.com/jorditee/ 

How to Unlock Happiness

In this episode, Kari Schneider dives into the fascinating world of Hedonic vs. Eudaimonic Happiness. Kari shares a personal story about overeating to uncover why many of us chase short-term pleasures and miss out on deeper, lasting happiness. You’ll learn the differences between pleasure-seeking happiness (hedonic) and purpose-driven fulfillment (eudaimonic), backed by research from the likes of Ryan & Deci and insights from the Harvard Grant Study.

Takeaways include actionable tips on how to align your daily actions with long-term happiness and reflections on balancing life’s pleasures with meaningful goals. If you want more joy, health, and a stronger sense of purpose, this episode is for you!

 

The Empowered Team is your ticket to your next level - learn more via the link below:

 

https://bit.ly/TheEmpoweredTEAM

Live a Life in a Day

In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider unpacks the transformative concept of living your life as if it’s a single day. Drawing from personal stories and leadership insights, Kari explores how to be fully present, intentional, and focused. She shares strategies for treating each day with purpose and urgency, enabling you to achieve more while enjoying the journey.

Key takeaways include:

• Why the "Live Life in a Day" approach shifts your mindset from overwhelm to clarity.
• Practical ways to break down long-term goals into powerful daily actions.
• How this method helps you reclaim your focus, energy, and presence.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to sharpen their leadership skills, boost productivity, and live a more intentional life.

The Empowered Team is your ticket to your next level - learn more via the link below:

 

https://bit.ly/TheEmpoweredTEAM

Mastering Procrastination: From Delay to Action

In this episode of The Empowered Team, we uncover the psychology of procrastination and explore powerful strategies to break the cycle of delay and indecision. You’ll learn how to identify when procrastination is creeping into your life, the difference between situational and chronic procrastination, and actionable techniques to get moving when it matters most. Whether you're delaying that big work project or stuck in the endless scroll, we’ll guide you through proven methods to overcome procrastination and reclaim your time and energy.

Key Takeaways:

• What is procrastination? Understand the core definition and how to spot it in your daily life.
• Breaking tasks into smaller steps: Learn how simplifying your work can reduce overwhelm and boost productivity.
• Perfection isn’t the goal: Discover why striving for progress, not perfection, is the key to consistent achievement.
• Action before motivation: Why waiting for the perfect mood or inspiration is a trap—and how to break free.

Tune in and learn how to turn procrastination into action so you can hit your goals and lead with confidence!

 

The Empowered Team is your ticket to your next level - learn more via the link below:

 

https://bit.ly/TheEmpoweredTEAM

Throwback to Alysha Newman Pole Vault Olympic

In this special re-air of the second episode ever recorded for The Empowered Team Podcast, we revisit an incredible conversation with Alysha Newman. At the time, she was already a three-time Olympian and five-time All-American, navigating the challenges of elite competition.

Now, she’s reached new heights as an Olympic bronze medalist from the 2024 Summer Olympics. In this episode, she shares the mindset that helped her push through setbacks, stay focused, and turn challenges into opportunities for success.

Whether you’re pursuing athletic goals or personal milestones, her story offers valuable lessons on resilience, dedication, and growth. Tune in to get inspired by her journey, and take away powerful insights to fuel your own.

Want to connect? Check her out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyshanewman

Mastering Stress: The TACK Framework to Thrive Under Pressure

Stress. It hits us all, whether we’re ready or not. But what if you could actually use stress to move forward? In this episode, Kari Schneider reveals the TACK Stress Recovery Framework, a proactive tool for mastering stress before it masters you.

Inspired by sailing, TACK shows you how to "tack" into the wind of stress and steer your way through. It’s a 4-step approach that works before, during, and after life’s biggest stressors:

• Timing: Learn when to step back or act to prevent burnout.
• Awareness: Tune into your stress triggers before they overwhelm you.
• Control: Focus on what you can change and release what you can’t.
• Kindness: Give yourself grace—yes, even in stressful moments.

Kari shares personal experiences—from navigating 18-hour road trips, moving homes, family chaos, and big business changes—proving that stress doesn’t have to break you. In fact, with TACK, it can be the wind beneath your sails.

Key Takeaway: Don’t let stress control your life. Instead, tack through it and use it to your advantage.

The Empowered Team is your ticket to your next level - learn more via the link below:

https://bit.ly/TheEmpoweredTEAM

My 5 Keys for Consistency

In this solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari dives into the 5 Keys for Consistency, essential strategies for anyone looking to maintain momentum and achieve lasting results in their personal and professional life. Kari shares actionable insights, including the importance of starting with small, manageable steps, the role of repetition in mastering new habits, and how to leverage accountability to keep you on track. Whether you're struggling to stick with a new habit or looking to refine your approach to long-term goals, this episode provides the tools and motivation you need to stay consistent and succeed.

 

The Empowered Team is your ticket to your next level - learn more via the link below:

https://bit.ly/TheEmpoweredTEAM