Advertise on podcast: Time to Reset

What if the biggest shift in your leadership doesn't start with a new strategy, but with you? In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and executive coach Pauline Nguyen to explore what it means to move from reacting to consciously choosing how you lead, work, and live. Drawing from her extraordinary personal journey, Pauline shares how she learned to stop allowing her past to determine her future. Her experience became the foundation for a powerful approach to conscious leadership: change the story, shift your internal state, and make more intentional choices about what happens next. Penny and Pauline explore: How to move from reactive leadership to conscious choiceWhy self-mastery is an essential leadership skillHow the stories we carry influence our decisions, behavior, and leadershipWhy resilience isn't just about getting back up, but knowing what to put downHow a reset moment can become the beginning of lasting changeWhy your internal state affects the way your team responds and performsWhat it means to lead by design rather than by defaultHow leaders can build greater capacity without simply pushing harder Pauline also shares lessons from 25 years of leading Red Lantern, where she built a culture that went beyond employee engagement and loyalty to what she calls team devotion. Her experience demonstrates how the way a leader shows up can shape trust, commitment, and the culture of an entire organization. If you're a leader, executive, entrepreneur, or manager who feels caught in a cycle of reacting, pushing harder, or constantly trying to keep up, this conversation offers a different kind of reset. You don't have to wait for circumstances to change before you do. The leadership reset starts within. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

Are you addicted to distraction? Do you constantly check your phone, struggle to stay focused, or feel like your attention is no longer under your control? In this solo episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker explores why we're becoming addicted to distraction, how our phones are shaping our habits, and what it takes to regain control of our attention. Penny shares a personal story about reaching for her phone during a funeral, an experience that made her question just how deeply connected we've become to our devices. From phantom phone vibrations to the constant urge to check notifications, distraction has become more than an occasional interruption. It's a habit that can affect our productivity, creativity, relationships, and well-being. But here's the reset: We have more control over our distractions than we think. In this episode, discover why distraction can become a self-reinforcing habit, how to recognize when your phone is controlling your attention, and why taking ownership of your focus is the first step toward meaningful change. Penny challenges you to stop simply reacting to distractions and start intentionally directing your energy toward the people, priorities, and goals that matter most. Ready to find out what's stealing your focus? Take Penny's free Distraction Profile Assessment to discover your distraction habits and identify practical skills to strengthen your focus in just 5–10 minutes a day. https://pennyzperspective.com/distraction It's time to stop letting distractions run your day. Take back your focus, take back your time, and reset what matters most. About Penny Zenker: Penny Zenker is the host of Time to Reset, where she explores the Reset Mindset, helping leaders and professionals step back, gain perspective, and realign their focus to achieve more meaningful results. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

What happens to your leadership when the pressure rises? When emotions run high, personalities collide, or uncertainty takes over, people look to the leader for cues about how to respond. And as resilience educator and leadership facilitator Sara Wegwitz explains, calm is contagious. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker and Sara explore how leaders can stay calm under pressure, regulate their emotional state, and create the steadiness their teams need to think clearly and respond effectively. You'll discover why your emotional state can influence a room before you say a word, how to become the "thermostat instead of the thermometer," and simple techniques for staying grounded when tension starts to rise. You'll learn: Why calm leadership matters in high-pressure and uncertain environmentsHow a leader's emotional state affects team communication, trust, and decision-makingWhat it means to "observe, don't absorb"How to create space between stimulus and responseSimple techniques to regulate your nervous system in stressful momentsWhy calm is a skill you can practice, not a personality trait you're born with You don't need the perfect words or all the answers to lead effectively through a difficult moment. Sometimes the most powerful reset is simply learning how to steady yourself first. Because when you change the energy you bring into the room, you can change what happens next. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

What if burnout isn’t simply a workload problem? We often blame burnout on too much work, constant change, AI, limited resources, or the pressure to do more with less. But in this solo episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker challenges that assumption and explores why some people can move through periods of intense demand while others become overwhelmed, exhausted, and disengaged. Penny shares three warning signs that can show up before burnout begins affecting your performance: everything starts to feel urgent, simple tasks begin requiring more effort, and your focus becomes so narrow that you lose sight of the bigger picture. The problem may not always be how much you’re doing. It may be how long you’re going without the reset and recovery your brain and body need. You'll learn how chronic urgency can flatten priorities, why overwhelm makes even simple work feel harder, how stress can narrow your thinking, and why noticing these patterns sooner gives you more opportunity to adapt before exhaustion takes over. Penny also shares practical ways to interrupt the cycle, including small reset moments that can help release accumulated stress, restore clarity, and allow you to approach problems with fresh eyes. If you're experiencing burnout, cognitive overload, change fatigue, or constant overwhelm, this episode offers a different question to consider: Do you need less work, or do you need to reset and recover differently? It’s time to notice sooner, reset sooner, and create the clarity you need to focus on what matters most. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

What if the definition of success you’ve been chasing isn’t actually yours? For many high achievers, success becomes a never-ending pursuit of the next promotion, bigger goal, higher income, or greater recognition. But when achievement starts costing you your health, relationships, time, and joy, it may be time to question the rules you’ve been following. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with bestselling author, business anthropologist, and leadership and culture strategist Meghan French Dunbar, author of This Isn’t Working, to explore how to redefine success, prevent burnout, set healthier boundaries, and build a life and career aligned with your values. Meghan challenges the traditional “bigger is better” definition of success and explains why high achievers can find themselves trapped on a hamster wheel of KPIs, promotions, revenue goals, and external validation. The problem isn’t ambition itself. It’s when your identity and self-worth become so connected to achievement that you stop asking whether the life you’re building is actually the life you want. Penny and Meghan explore what it means to reset your definition of success by optimizing for quality of life instead of quantity of achievement. In this conversation, you’ll discover: How to redefine success on your own termsWhy high achievers are especially vulnerable to burnout and overwhelmHow values alignment affects your work, wellbeing, and decision-makingWhy your career should not determine your entire sense of self-worthHow to create an “ideal life statement” that guides your choicesWhen saying no can protect what matters mostHow to set healthier boundaries at work and in your personal lifeWhy it may be time to “unsubscribe” from obligations, relationships, and beliefs that drain your energyHow to reconnect with joy without feeling guilty about it Meghan shares the powerful practice of creating an ideal life statement: deciding what you want your life to look and feel like first, then making career and financial decisions that support it. Rather than waiting until retirement to finally live the life you want, what could you change now? Penny also shares a personal example of accepting a career opportunity just before her son’s graduation, then realizing the decision conflicted with the person and parent she wanted to be. It became a real-life reminder that success isn’t only about what you achieve. It’s also about whether your choices reflect what you say matters most. If you’re feeling burned out, overwhelmed, stuck in the achievement cycle, or questioning your relationship with work, this episode is an invitation to reset. Ask yourself: What does success actually mean to me now? Because sometimes the most important reset isn’t doing more to reach the next level. It’s deciding whether that’s where you want to go in the first place. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

We’re more connected than ever. We have followers, downloads, views, emails, messages, and endless ways to reach one another. But are those connections actually meaningful? In this solo episode of Take Back Time: Time to Reset, Penny Zenker reflects on a question she’s been asking herself about the podcast: Is it still creating the kind of connection and value she wants it to create? It’s a question that goes far beyond podcasting. Sometimes we get so focused on doing the work, producing the content, checking the boxes, and watching the numbers that we lose sight of the people on the other side. We forget to ask: Who am I doing this for? Is it creating value? And does it still feel meaningful? Penny explores why connection matters, how easily we can lose sight of the bigger picture, and why sometimes the reset isn’t about stopping what we’re doing. It’s about stepping back and reconsidering how we’re doing it. And this episode comes with an invitation: reach out. If Time to Reset has sparked an aha, helped you see something differently, or given you a reset when you needed one, Penny wants to hear from you. What do you value? What do you want more of? What keeps you listening? Because meaningful connection isn’t measured by a download. It happens when we actually engage with one another. Maybe it’s time for all of us to ask: Where could I reach out, reconnect, and make the work I’m doing more meaningful? Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

Your team can be productive, efficient, and incredibly busy—and still be focused on the wrong things. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with John J. Murphy, global authority on change mastery, operational excellence, and leadership, to explore why leadership alignment is essential for sustainable business performance. John explains why many organizations mistake symptoms for root causes, how individual departments can become highly efficient while the overall business remains inefficient, and why leaders need to stop measuring activity and start examining the entire value stream. As John puts it, a leadership team is like an orchestra: everyone may know how to play their own instrument, but that doesn’t mean they know how to play together. Penny and John unpack lean leadership principles, operational excellence, root cause analysis, customer value, organizational alignment, and the hidden “white space” where time and resources are often wasted. They also explore why standardization can actually create greater flexibility and how the same principle of controlling your inputs applies to today’s use of AI. You’ll discover: Why executive alignment has to come before organizational changeHow to distinguish symptoms from the real root cause of a problemWhy being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re creating valueHow departmental efficiency can actually hurt overall performanceWhy leaders need humility to recognize what isn’t workingHow lean thinking helps organizations eliminate waste and improve flowWhy controlling inputs can produce better outputs in business and AIHow to refocus your organization on what creates real value for the customer John also shares a striking real-world example of executives discovering that a process taking 184 days contained surprisingly little actual value-added activity—revealing just how much opportunity can exist in the space between the work. If your organization is working harder but not necessarily moving faster, this conversation will challenge you to rethink focus, efficiency, alignment, and what “productive” really means. It may be time to stop asking, “How can we do this faster?” and start asking, “Should we be doing this at all?” Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

Why is it so hard to simply accept a compliment? Someone tells you that you did a great job, that you look great, or that they appreciate you, and suddenly you're explaining it away, minimizing it, or deflecting the attention. In this short episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker explores why learning to receive can be just as important as learning to give. A compliment is a gift. When we immediately deflect it, we may be missing an opportunity to receive appreciation, recognition, support, and connection. And as leaders, parents, colleagues, and partners, the way we receive also sets an example for the people around us. Penny shares a simple story about accepting compliments that recently came full circle with her own mother, along with a powerful reminder: sometimes the best response really is just “thank you.” In this episode, you'll discover: Why we instinctively deflect or minimize complimentsHow receiving appreciation can strengthen connectionWhy the way leaders receive mattersHow accepting support, recognition, and even difficult emotions can shift your mindsetA simple reset to help you become a better receiverThe next time someone offers you a compliment, recognition, gratitude, or support, notice what happens. Instead of explaining it away, practice receiving the gift. Just say thank you. It might be a much bigger reset than you think. #TimeToReset #PennyZenker #ResetMindset #LeadershipMindset #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

What separates exceptional leaders from everyone else? It's not talent. It's not intelligence. And it's not working harder. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with Sébastien Page, Chief Investment Officer at T. Rowe Price and author of The Psychology of Leadership, to explore the mental habits that help leaders thrive under pressure. Together they unpack why the most successful leaders focus on mastery over ego, why resilience is built through setbacks—not avoiding them—and how a psychology-first approach creates stronger teams, better decisions, and long-term success. You'll also discover why leaders need more than measurable goals, how AI changes what leaders should prioritize, and why meaning—not metrics alone—is the key to engagement. In this episode: The difference between mastery goals and performance goalsWhy resilience starts with your mindset—not your circumstancesHow positive psychology differs from toxic positivityThe leadership psychology behind high-performing teamsWhy focusing on process leads to better resultsHow AI is changing effective leadershipThe hidden danger of goal-induced blindnessWhy meaning drives motivation more than metrics Whether you're leading a business, managing a team, or simply trying to become a better decision-maker, this conversation will help you build the mindset needed to succeed in today's rapidly changing world. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Time to Reset for more conversations on leadership, focus, productivity, communication, and navigating change with clarity. Connect with Sébastien Page 📘 The Psychology of Leadership Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

Scripts can help you prepare for a presentation, sales conversation, negotiation, or difficult conversation. But when you become too dependent on getting every word right, you can lose the one thing that matters most: connection. In this solo episode of Time to Reset Penny Zenker explores how to prepare for important conversations without sounding rehearsed or losing your ability to listen and respond in the moment. Penny breaks down why scripts should be used as a framework rather than something you have to follow word for word, how over-preparing can interfere with authentic communication, and why presence matters in leadership, sales, presentations, and difficult conversations. She also shares how to use AI as a role-play partner to practice conversations, anticipate objections, switch perspectives, and test how your message might be received before a high-stakes interaction. In this episode, you'll learn: How to prepare for difficult conversations without sounding scriptedWhy relying too heavily on a script can hurt connectionHow to stay present and listen during high-stakes conversationsHow leaders can prepare for objections and unexpected responsesHow to use AI to role-play conversations and improve communicationWhy your objective matters more than finding the perfect wordsPreparation gives you confidence. Presence gives you connection. The reset is knowing when you've prepared enough to let go of the script and engage with the person in front of you. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

What if the biggest threat to your team isn't resistance to change—it's apathy? In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with keynote speaker, improv expert, and bestselling author Avish Parashar to explore how the simple phrase "Yes, And" can transform leadership, communication, innovation, and workplace culture. Drawing lessons from the world of improv comedy, Avish reveals why the best leaders don't shut down ideas—they build on them. Together, Penny and Avish discuss how curiosity, adaptability, and emotional intelligence help leaders navigate uncertainty, inspire engagement, and create teams that are willing to think, contribute, and grow. Whether you're leading through AI disruption, organizational change, or simply trying to create a more engaged workplace, this conversation offers practical strategies you can apply immediately. In this episode you'll learn:  Why "Yes, And" is a powerful leadership mindsetHow leaders unintentionally create employee disengagementThe surprising connection between improv and business successHow curiosity builds trust and innovationWhy apathy—not resistance—is the biggest workplace challengePractical ways to increase creativity and collaborationHow to lead through uncertainty with confidence and flexibilityWhy asking better questions creates better teams If you're a leader, manager, entrepreneur, or anyone looking to improve communication, decision-making, and adaptability, this episode is packed with actionable insights.  📖 Learn more about Avish Parashar and his book "Say 'Yes, And!' to Change." Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

How do great leaders make employees feel valued? What increases employee engagement without spending more money? How can leaders create stronger workplace culture through everyday interactions? In this episode of Time to Reset, productivity expert and leadership strategist Penny Zenker explores why the most memorable leaders aren't necessarily the loudest or the busiest. They're the ones who intentionally create moments that matter. Using a personal story about planning a milestone birthday celebration, Penny reveals how the same principles can transform team meetings, customer experiences, employee engagement, and even family relationships. The lesson is simple: meaningful leadership isn't built through grand gestures. It's built through consistent, thoughtful actions that help people feel seen, appreciated, and connected. In this episode you'll learn:How to make employees feel valued at workSimple leadership habits that increase employee engagementWhy meaningful workplace culture is built through small momentsWays to create more engaging meetings and stronger team connectionsHow thoughtful follow-up builds trust after employee surveysPractical leadership strategies to improve communication and retentionIf you're a leader, manager, business owner, or anyone looking to build stronger relationships at work and at home, this episode offers practical strategies you can implement immediately. Keywords: leadership, employee engagement, workplace culture, leadership communication, management skills, employee experience, leadership development, team engagement, company culture, trust in leadership, meaningful leadership, customer experience, workplace relationships, communication skills, productivity, Penny Zenker, Time to Reset Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

Most companies measure financial performance with precision—but struggle to measure the true value of their people. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with entrepreneur and former Wall Street investment banker Jacob D. Chase, founder of The INFIN, to explore a new approach to measuring human capital, employee contribution, and organizational value. As AI transforms the workplace and top performers create exponentially more value, traditional performance reviews and compensation models are becoming outdated. Jacob explains why annual reviews often miss the employees making the biggest impact—and how organizations can use collective feedback to build a more accurate, fair, and motivating system. In this conversation you'll learn: Why traditional performance reviews failHow to measure employee contribution beyond job titlesThe connection between culture, performance, and business resultsHow AI is widening the gap between average and exceptional performersWhy crowdsourced feedback creates fairer compensation decisionsHow to identify hidden high performers before they leaveA new way to think about meritocracy, employee engagement, and leadership Whether you're a CEO, HR leader, manager, entrepreneur, or team leader, this conversation offers practical insights into creating a workplace where people are recognized for the value they actually create. If you're ready to rethink performance management, employee recognition, and modern leadership, this episode is for you. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

AI can write, code, brainstorm, organize, and solve problems faster than ever—but that doesn't mean it's always right. In this solo episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker shares hard-earned lessons from building real AI-powered projects using Claude and ChatGPT. She explains why treating AI like a brilliant teammate—not an infallible expert—can dramatically improve your results while preventing costly mistakes. You'll learn: Why AI makes assumptions—even when you tell it not toHow long conversations can reduce the quality of AI responsesWhy documenting your project is essential for consistent resultsHow version control can save hours of frustrationThe importance of auditing AI instead of accepting confident answersWhen to use multiple AI tools for better outcomesHow a Reset Mindset helps you work smarter with artificial intelligence Whether you're using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, or another large language model, these practical strategies will help you build better workflows, avoid hidden pitfalls, and collaborate with AI more effectively. In this episode: AI best practices, ChatGPT tips, Claude AI, prompt engineering, AI productivity, artificial intelligence, AI coding, version control, documentation, leadership, problem solving, decision making, and the Reset Mindset. If you've been experimenting with AI, we'd love to hear from you. What has worked well? What mistakes have you learned from? Share your experience in the comments so others can learn faster, too. #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #ClaudeAI #AIProductivity #Leadership #Productivity #PromptEngineering #BusinessAI #Innovation #TimeToReset Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with addiction expert Amber Hollingsworth, founder of Put the Shovel Down, to discuss functional alcoholism, denial, and the communication strategies that actually help someone change.   Rather than relying on confrontation, blame, or emotional reactions, Amber explains why influence—not force—is the key to supporting someone struggling with alcohol addiction. Together, they explore how emotional intelligence, strategic communication, and understanding human psychology can create meaningful change in relationships, leadership, parenting, and recovery.   Whether you're supporting a spouse, family member, friend, or simply want to become a better communicator, this conversation offers practical insights that extend far beyond addiction.   In this episode you'll learn:   What functional alcoholism really looks likeWhy people stay in denial about alcohol addictionThe biggest mistakes families make when trying to helpHow empathy creates more influence than criticismWhy natural consequences are more effective than punishmentCommunication techniques that reduce defensivenessHow beliefs shape addictive behaviorsLeadership and parenting lessons that apply to every relationship  If you've ever wondered how to help someone with alcohol addiction—or how to influence positive change without creating resistance—this episode is for you.   Subscribe to Time to Reset for conversations that help you gain clarity, reset your mindset, and lead with greater intention. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/