Advertise on podcast: Shamelessly Ambitious I Helping Ambitious Women Prevent Burnout + Create Nervous System First Success in Business, Motherhood

You're all in… you know exactly what you want… you've got the energy, the ideas, the vision but it feels impossible to actually move!? This is not a motivation problem, it's actually a friction problem and there are four specific places it tends to show up with most of my clients. TOPICS WE EXPLORE Vague ideas become paralyzing before you even begin the workThe capacity trap that no amount of time management can fixThe emotional cost you're not naming that's keeping you stuckHow to create the immediacy your brain needs without creating a crisisWhy discomfort is informationThe pressure-powered system ambitious women accidentally buildWhat it means to remove before you addTHE POINT You don't need to feel perfectly focused, motivated, regulated, or ready before you begin. You only need to understand what friction is making it impossible to move, so that you can name the thing holding you back from taking action && MOVE. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

There's a version of you that only shows up when nobody needs anything from you. This episode is about her… what she knows, what she wants, what she's a little jealous of, && what she has absolutely no shame saying out loud. This is a go for it pep talk, my friend. This episode is a reminder to get to know yourself a little bit more as I share a completely unedited version of me, (recorded naked in a bed in Rome… obviously). TOPICS WE EXPLORE The magnetizing portal of living unedited What I am wanting more of right nowThe jealousy mirror we all need to look into Triggers that can derail or inspire you as an entrepreneur What I want people saying about me when I'm not in the roomHow to witness your brilliance and weakness with love Why the magic we give most is usually what we need mostTHE POINT Stop editing yourself into someone easier to digest. The unedited version of you is not a liability… she's the whole f*****g point. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Work with AshShamelessly Ambitious Soundcheck (free curated episode playlists)Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

There’s a strategy I’ve been using in my marriage, my parenting, my friendships, and even with myself that gets me more of what I want without requiring anyone else to lose. And somewhere between two days of nonstop conversation in a tiny village outside Barcelona, I realized… technically, it might be manipulation. So let’s talk about it. TOPICS WE EXPLORE The wildly underrated art of letting yourself be taken care ofWhat hyper-independence cost me in my marriageWhy being needed might matter more than we realizeThe rise of purposelessness in menThe friendship piece we don’t talk about enough as ambitious womenThe two things I bring into almost every hard conversationWhy disarming someone changes what becomes possible nextThe parenting strategy that gets my kids to actually talk to meHow I “manipulate” the people I loveTHE POINT Maybe getting more of what you want from the people you love isn’t about asking harder, explaining better, or controlling the outcome. Maybe it’s about understanding people well enough to create the conditions where you both get more of what you need. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Work with AshP.S I’m back on socials so you can follow along on IGAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

I recorded this from my car on the way to a networking event because I couldn't wait. It started as a rough morning with my middle son && turned into the most important realization I've had in a while. The habit that’s making my life harder these days is a perspective problem. && I caught myself teaching my son something I clearly needed to hear myself. TOPICS WE EXPLORE A rough school morning && what my son was really scared ofThe seed metaphor I used with him && how it landedVulnerability begets vulnerability: how to actually get to the root with your kidWhat we focus on grows, for better && for worseI have to vs I get to && why the difference is everythingWhere I caught myself watering the wrong weedsHow victim mentality shows up without looking like victim mentalityWhat this has to do with the reclamation I'm in the middle ofTHE POINT What you focus on grows. && if you've accidentally been living in “I have to” instead of “I get to,” everything starts to feel like a weight you're dragging instead of a life you're building.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode 208: Shamelessly Reclaiming My EdgeEpisode 209: Shamelessly Practicing Ambition AgainMIXTAPE waitlist (MIXTAPE is open now through September 30th. Waitlist only.)Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

This is a follow-up to my last (Episode 208), so make sure you listen to that first if you haven't already. Last week I announced the 90-day challenge to reclaim my edge && this week I'm getting specific: here are the actual rules, the micro-commitments, && what you're going to see from me starting October 1st.  TOPICS WE EXPLORE Why I can't decide if I'm done with entrepreneurship while only half participating in itThe difference between a vague intention && an observable behaviorShowing up on social media every single day for 90 days && whyPracticing discomfort as a deliberate strategyProtecting my attention && what that looks like in practicePrioritizing income-producing activities for the first time in a long timeWhy I'm collecting data, not trying to be perfectThe thing I wish someone had grabbed me by the shoulders && told me years agoThis isn't about finding the old version of me. It's about reigniting a new one.THE POINT I can't accurately decide whether I'm done with entrepreneurship while I'm only half participating in it. So I'm going all in for 90 days to find out. The answer lives in the evidence, not the thinking. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode 208: Shamelessly Reclaiming My EdgeMIXTAPE waitlist (opens September 21st, waitlist only)Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

I'm giving myself 90 days to find out what happens when I genuinely start going for it again. This is the formal announcement, the whole messy truth, && the reason I'm coming back to social media for a little bit. Also… MIXTAPE opens September 21st to waitlisters only. ;) TOPICS WE EXPLORE The slow unraveling nobody notices until it's already happenedWhy slowing down && soft living literally stole my fireThe moment I realized I'd been laying down for a few yearsWhat I do know even when I don't know what I wantThe intolerance for risk I developed without realizing itWhy comfort is not found in avoiding discomfortThe 90-day challenge: locking in for Q4Why I'm coming back to social media even though I stand by leavingWhat MIXTAPE is actually built for && why I've been living inside itWhat I'm terrified of && going anywayTHE POINT I've been thinking my way to answers for years, but honestly… thinking doesn't give you answers, action does. So I'm taking 90 days to find out: do I still want this? && I'm going all in to find out. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode 206: Shamelessly Not Having It Figured OutEpisode 207: Shamelessly Unaligned: Doing Shit I Don't Want to DoMIXTAPE waitlist (opens September 21st, waitlist only)Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

Last episode I got raw about uncertainty && not having it figured out. This one is the follow-up… because once you admit you've been standing still, the next question is: what does moving actually require? && the honest answer is sometimes it requires doing the shit you don't want to do, whether it feels aligned or not. TOPICS WE EXPLORE Why "does this feel aligned?" can become a very sophisticated excuseThe difference between discomfort as a message && discomfort as an invitationWhy discomfort isn't the same as wrongDoes your behavior match what you say you want?The hard && fast rule that keeps our family saneFeeling fully alive requires willingly experiencing shit that doesn't feel goodLove && grief. Ambition && disappointment. Business && selling. You don't get one without the other.What I think this next season is actually going to require of meTHE POINT Somewhere along the way we started treating discomfort as evidence that something is wrong… it isn't. The version of you that goes all in is still in there, and now it's time to resurrect her. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode 206: Shamelessly Not Having It Figured OutMIXTAPE waitlist (opens September 21st)Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

I didn't know what I was gonna say when I hit record, truthfully… I'm in a funky season. I'm newly 39, && I'm noticing something I didn't expect: the more I know, the less certain I become. This episode is me processing that out loud. We're talking about the certainty epidemic, why we buy it, what it's costing us, && what I actually think it means to be a 39-year-old woman who is ambitious as hell && has absolutely no idea what comes next. This one is unpolished, unscripted && exactly what it needs to be. TOPICS WE EXPLORE What the data actually says about stress at 39 && why it felt like a permission slipThe hidden load epidemic && why millennial women are the most burned out demographicAdmitting out loud that I sometimes want a life where I don't have to workWhy certainty is profitable && what that means for who you're buying fromHomeschooling, travel, business models && the things I've changed my mind onAll in or all out: my unpopular belief about half-measures in businessWhat I actually want back: unbearable belief that success is inevitableTHE POINT Maybe the wisdom isn't in finally having all the answers. Maybe it's becoming a hell of a lot less threatened by the fact that you don't. && maybe the unbearable belief that success is inevitable is the only thing that ever actually mattered. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Wealth Walks (WLTH Walks, Denver)MIXTAPE waitlistWork with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

It's my birthday week, I'm turning 39, && I'm coming in with a raw one. This is a full behind-the-scenes Ash Unplugged episode, which means personal updates, business updates, && the thing I've been sitting with lately that I had to say out loud: it's kind of chic to know where you suck. We're talking about the gaps that actually cost us, why self-awareness is the highest-leverage business skill most people aren't using, && a list of things I genuinely believe are underrated right now. Plus: what's been hard this summer, what's coming with MIXTAPE, && why I'm coming back to social media for a few weeks. TOPICS WE EXPLORE Turning 39 && what this season of life actually feels likeWhat's been hard this summer MIXTAPE opens September 21st && what's inside itComing back to social media for the first time since AprilWhy "fake it till you make it" isn't the whole storySelf-witnessing over perfectionism && what that looks like with a clientSelf-awareness as the highest-leverage business skill you're not talking aboutTHE POINT People don't plateau because of their weaknesses, they plateau because they pretend not to have any. Knowing where you suck is not a liability… It's the most honest && efficient thing you can do for your business && your life. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE MIXTAPE waitlist (opens September 21st)ashmcdonaldmentoring.com (new website && rebrand)Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

I've talked a lot about burnout, but so has everyone else in this space. I'm starting to think we've been diagnosing the wrong thing, because the women I work with aren't always JUST exhausted. They have capacity, however they seem to be lacking the desire they once had. They're functioning, often even performing well, but they feel flat… uninspired && disconnected from the drive that used to make them insatiable. That's not simply burnout, that's disconnection. In this episode I'm breaking down the difference, why it matters, && what I've been doing to actually reclaim the aliveness I thought I'd lost. TOPICS WE EXPLORE Why burnout && disconnection are not the same thingThe difference between anxious-overwhelm && depressive-flatWhy resting your way through disconnection makes it worseCuriosity as a North Star instead of certaintyHow to find aliveness in micro momentsThe body-brain connection && why transition routines aren't optionalWhy I stopped trying to minimize my ambition && what changedLanguage as identity: "I'm overwhelmed" vs "I'm feeling overwhelmed"What reconnection actually looks like in practiceTHE POINT You can recover from burnout && still feel completely, utterly disconnected from your life. If resting isn't working, maybe what you need is to reconnect. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE MIXTAPE waitlist (opens September 21st)Work with AshAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

Welcome to the Grief Series, a collection of conversations about the grief woven throughout our lives with some extraordinary women bringing their raw, vulnerable stories to the mic. I hope you see yourself somewhere in these stories. … This episode is for anyone who has watched a business they built go from printing money to something they barely recognize, and had to figure out who they are on the other side of that. My guest, Megan Yelaney, built her coaching business to insane heights during the golden era of 2018 to 2022, five-x-ed her income, lost her father-in-law && then her dad within fifteen months of each other, had a miscarriage, got pregnant, had twin boys, && came back to a business that just wasn't working anymore. She's one of the most honest people I've had in my corner, and she brought every bit of that honesty here. TOPICS WE EXPLORE The golden era of online coaching && what happened when it endedWatching your income decline && pretending everything is fineThe imposter spiral when your numbers don't match your reputationComing back postpartum to a business that tanked What she had to let die to rebuild with integrityComparison, viral moments, && the benchmarks that rob you of joyWhy unsexily consistent is the only thing that actually worksBuilding back to 100K months in under 30 hours a weekTHE POINT The grief of a declining business isn't just about money, it's about watching an identity you built your whole entrepreneurial-life around stop fitting. The only way out is to stop comparing yourself to a version of you that was built on circumstances you can't recreate, && start building something that actually belongs to you now. ABOUT MEGAN Megan Yelaney is a business coach && strategist who helps online coaches && service providers find and message their distinctive edge, the specific combination of story, process, && approach that makes them unmistakably them. She's based in Babylon, New York, is a theater girly, && is mom to two-and-a-half-year-old twin boys. After a complete rebuild in 2024, she had an almost $200K cash quarter && she is just getting started. Find her on Instagram @meganyelaney && on her podcast Business Not as Usual. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Business Not as Usual (Megan’s podcast)Ash on Business Not as UsualWith Megan Shamelessly Ambitious Soundcheck (free curated episode playlists)Work with Ash Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

Welcome to the Grief Series, a collection of conversations about the grief woven throughout our lives with some extraordinary women bringing their raw, vulnerable stories to the mic. I hope you see yourself somewhere in these stories. … This episode is for the woman who fought hard to build something she loved, then had a baby && came back to her desk crying because she hated all of it. My guest, Sophia Rose, is a marketing coach, strategist, and IVF mom based in London. She had a business she was deeply proud of, a husband who showed up, and a clear picture of the kind of mom she wanted to be. None of that prepared her for sitting at her to-do list a few months postpartum && feeling like she was wearing someone else's shirt. She brought all of that here, one year out, still in it, && more honest than most people ever let themselves be. TOPICS WE EXPLORE The identity crisis nobody warned her about (even though her friend tried)Coming back to a business she'd built from the ground up && feeling nothingThe fog of postpartum grief Saying goodbye to breastfeeding without knowing it was the last timeThe duality of motherhood: joy && grief in the same breathHow navigating loss reshapes your tolerance for things that don't matterThe superpowers that come on the other side of falling apartWhat she wants women to know before they have their first babyTHE POINT You don't graduate from the grief of motherhood. You just get better at walking through the doors it keeps opening. && if you can stop fighting it, it will change you in the best possible way. ABOUT SOPHIA Sophia Rose is a marketing coach, strategist, host of Marketing Unfiltered, and co-host of Relatable with the Roses alongside her husband Bradley, a Peloton cycling instructor. She helps business owners cut through the noise and market in a way that actually works, and she does it from London with her IVF son Grayson. Find her podcast Marketing Unfiltered && Relatable with the Roses. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Marketing Unfiltered (Sophia's marketing podcast)Relatable with the Roses (Sophia's podcast with husband Bradley Rose)Ash on Marketing Unfiltered - Breaking the Cycle of High-Functioning BurnoutShamelessly Ambitious Soundcheck (free curated episode playlists)Work with Ash Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

Welcome to the Grief Series, a collection of conversations about the grief woven throughout our lives with some extraordinary women bringing their raw, vulnerable stories to the mic. I hope you see yourself somewhere in these stories. … This episode is for anyone who has ever had to keep showing up while watching someone they love disappear. My guest, Cait Howard, has experienced profound loss while building a business, raising three little girls, and navigating the many roles life has asked of her. Somehow, through all of it, she has kept moving forward. She brought so much honesty, wisdom, and heart to this conversation, and I think it’s one you’ll carry with you long after it ends. TOPICS WE EXPLORE Losing two parents in a short period of time Being a new mom && a caregiver at the same timeThe guilt of being pulled in every direction at onceHow subconscious work changed the way she moved through her mom's illnessBig G grief && little G griefHow she protects herself through the griefNavigating a business partnership with your husband through lossWhat she wishes someone had told herTHE POINT Grief doesn't have an endpoint. It has seasons && the only way through it is to let it be your own. ABOUT CAIT Cait Howard is the founder of Amplify Boutique, a podcast launch and management agency, and co-host of the Podcasting Moms Conference. She helps women get their voices && messages into the world through podcasting… she does it from just outside Nashville with her husband && their three little girls. Find her on Instagram @heycaithoward and at amplifyboutique.com. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Amplify Boutique (Cait's podcast agency)Shamelessly Ambitious Soundcheck (free curated episode playlists)Work with Ash Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

Welcome to the Grief Series, a collection of conversations about the grief woven throughout our lives with some extraordinary women && men bringing their raw, vulnerable stories to the mic. I hope you see yourself somewhere in these stories. --- This is episode 200 and I knew I had to make it count. I brought on my favorite person in the world, my husband Jake, for the most honest conversation we've ever had on record. We went into his grief around identity and purpose when I was the breadwinner, the resentment he carried for years, what it actually costs to be the supportive one, && what had to die in both of us for our marriage to become what it is today. This one is for every ambitious woman who has ever wondered what her partner is really carrying && every man who has never had the language to say it out loud. TOPICS WE EXPLORE Jake's identity crisis when I became the primary breadwinnerThe grief of losing your sense of purpose and provider identityResentment he buried for years and what it actually looked likeHow my ambition triggered his comparison and jealousyWhat I had to stop doing for him to step into who he wanted to beWhy slowing down in my business saved our marriageThe hyper-independence that was costing me the partnership I wantedWhat Jake sees when nobody's watchingWhat ambitious women get wrong about their husbandsTHE POINT Sometimes the grief inside a marriage is a man who doesn't know how to say he feels purposeless. Sometimes it's a woman who's so busy holding everything that she never leaves room to be held. Both of those things can be true at the same time && both of them can change. ABOUT JAKE Jake is my husband, my best friend, my baby daddy, && the person who knows me better than anyone in the world. He showed up to this conversation with zero prep && more honesty than most people manage in a lifetime of therapy. We've been together 16 years, married for 12, raised three kids, traveled the world full time, filed for bankruptcy, rebuilt, && somehow ended up in the best season of our marriage yet.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Jake's week-long mental health onsite in TennesseeWork with Ash Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

If you've been white-knuckling your way through a season and calling it productivity, this one is going to hit. Sometimes grief isn't about loss… sometimes it's about the story you've been telling yourself so many times it started to feel like fact. A few weeks into summer, I caught my own brain running a narrative I didn't even realize had taken over. I was ending every day feeling like everything was too much and the issue wasn’t my schedule but instead the stories I was telling myself. In this episode I'm sharing exactly what I shifted and how to do it yourself.  TOPICS WE EXPLORE The mental load that doesn't show up on a calendarHow I caught myself in a spiral I didn't even know I was inWhat my inner voice has been dictating in my life  Why your structures and systems can be working and you can still feel like you're drowningThe story your brain tells before you even open your eyesHow to get back in the driver's seat when your mindset has taken overWhy this is a practice && not a one-time fixTHE POINT You have the life you're willing to put up with. The circumstances don't have to change, but the story does. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Ash's new website and brand relaunchWork with Ash (Studio Session, Deep Cuts, The Green Room, MIXTAPE waitlist)Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep CutsFast-track your results → The Green RoomSolve one thing right now → Studio SessionsBurnout-proof your life && business → MixtapeGet your free podcast playlists → The SoundcheckWeekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The BeatWebsite: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com