Episode 8 - Taking Back Your Power with Gina McCarthy

Not all endings mean goodbye. Sometimes, the end only signifies the start of something new.

We have truly achieved so much during this run of The High Achievers Club Podcast. Can you believe it, we made it through 16 strong episodes! I’m truly overwhelmed with the love and support that I have received from you, my hackers.

But as we wrap up the episodes for The High Achievers Club, I want to welcome you all to a new show I’ll be releasing in January 2023 called “The emPOWERed Half Hour: Level Up AND Thrive with Becca Powers” where our stories of high achievements are used to empower not only ourselves but others. It’s a show that uses this platform to share stories and everyday conversations with people who are living an empowered life to encourage others to make their own empowered choices as well.

So, there’s no saying goodbye to you, my hackers. It’s only, ta-ta for now but I’ll see you again real soon!

Wisdom To Live By 

• “Success has its own definition for every single person. ” – Becca Powers
• “We spend so much time thinking about what we are doing rather than who we are. And I think that is one of the major flip-to-script moments that we can have ourselves when we think about success—what does success mean to us and who does it help us become? Not what is it that we achieve.” – Becca Powers
• “The best investment you can ever make is in yourself.” – Becca Powers
• “It's about providing a platform where you can see yourself in my conversations and the conversations with other people so that you can make the empowered changes that you need to make.” – Becca Powers

Resources Mentioned

• Harness Your Inner CEO

Follow Becca:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

It is undeniable—we live in a harsh world that burdens us with responsibilities and pressures us to excel. Every single time. 

It’s a tough competition, not with others around you but with the society that always watches and always expects. And so we run around, do things, and chase a life that the world tells us to live. Sometimes we go by, living life when we don’t understand what living life even means. And even those of us who live with passion, chasing their dreams, and fulfilling a mission still find themselves lost.

So, it is normal to feel tired. Lost. Exhausted. It is okay to feel burnt out. But when we do, we should also know that it’s okay to take a pause, to stop, and take things slowly. You don’t always need to rush and push yourself beyond your limits. The world may seem like it’s dictating to us what to do, but we have the agency to choose what we want and how we want it.

In the previous episodes, we learned that burnout might feel something like exhaustion. But it’s more than that. We also understood that burnout comes in phases. And it is through discussions like this that we can normalize and shed light on what dangers the continuous feeling of burnout might lead us to. Conversations like this allow us to introspect within ourselves and assess whether we are on the verge of burnout or we have already entered its stages. Through conversations like this, we are made aware, and with awareness comes preventions and solutions.

We have talked about the stages of burnout. Now, we wrap up this series by talking about the last stage—Stage 5: Devastations of the Ds. Understand what stage 5 is like as you tune in to this episode.

Wisdom To Live By 

• “It was a monumental mountain of cleanup that I had to do, but at the same time, it was totally worth it because on the other side of burnout was my best life.” – Becca Powers
• “With understanding comes awareness. And with awareness, we can create change. Awareness is always the key to change.” – Becca Powers
• “Give yourself permission to prioritize your well-being.” – Becca Powers

Resources Mentioned

• Harness Your Inner CEO

Follow Becca:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

It cannot be emphasized enough that you have to take care of yourself first so that you can better take care of others. But as much as we want to stay healthy and avoid burnout, our daily activities and life circumstances often take a toll on our health and well-being. Consequently, we sometimes lose motivation, inspiration, and even our sense of joy.  

What do you do when you are at a low point in your life? Do you reach out to others or stay in tune with yourself instead? How do you handle stress to bounce back in life? Sometimes, we think that self-care should involve lavish activities or momentous decisions. Sure, we all deserve that much-needed vacation, or a trip to the spa or salon just to feel good, or to simply drop everything and spend quality time with our loved ones.

However, self-care also means taking time to do the little things that matter on a regular basis. Checking in with yourself and creating awareness about things that give you joy and motivation, finding the energy and will to nourish your body with good food or exercise, or spending quiet time so you can listen to yourself – are also examples of self-care activities. Whatever it is that allows you to find that alignment among your mental, physical, and emotional state, that is definitely going to be helpful in avoiding burnout.

Learn more about finding and sustaining this ‘alignment’ within yourself as Katy Bosso shares her pieces of advice in this episode. She also talks about her awesome book which focuses on the same theme.

Wisdom To Live By:

• “We heal through relationships with people; we heal through support.” – Katy Bosso
• “The relationships that you surround yourself with can make or break your health.” – Katy Bosso
• “People are looking for so many cures everywhere and everything, and they go to all these different doctors. But a lot of the time, your wisdom is within you. It's been with you all along.” – Katy Bosso

Know More About Katy Bosso:

Katy Bosso is a professor of counseling and a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida in private practice. She holds a doctorate in counselor education and works with clients to overcome anxiety, depression, and relationship issues by helping them connect to their most authentic selves. She enjoys working with children, teens, and adults to assist them in reaching a variety of emotional, relational, and behavioral health goals. One of her greatest passions is helping others achieve a deep sense of personal growth and find a life that brings them joy, abundant love, and a strong sense of purpose.

She helps clients with issues such as past traumatic experiences, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, codependency, shame, attachment, and low self-esteem. In addition to her work with adults, she also offers cognitive modalities, play therapy, and mindfulness techniques to help children find balance, solutions, and fulfillment.

Connect with Katy Bosso:

• Psychology Today
• The Mental Health Directory
• Website

Stress and burnout have been constant topics of discussion throughout the years, and have been closely associated with work-related experiences and other overwhelming daily activities. In fact, there are numerous studies about the causes and effects of burnout, and there are a lot of available resources that provide tips on stress management. 

However, when people feel that there is no choice other than to stay in their situation and remain in what feels like a toxic work environment, their bodies begin to feel the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and even financial discomfort. Our bodies contain 80% of our innate wisdom, not our brains. When the aches and pains of our bodies are dismissed whether it be the clenching of the jaw, the tension in the shoulders, or the constant indigestion our bodies respond with anxiety, worry, and hopelessness as a few examples

Therefore, it is essential to recognize the 4th stage of burnout which is disharmony in the bodies. Going through the first stages of burnout will lead you to a point where your body is already giving you “signals” and telling you to take that much-needed pause. Tune in to this episode to know more about this stage and how you can truly listen to your body to avoid disharmony! 

Wisdom To Live By: 

• “The two things that I would say are the most valuable to me right now are my time and my health. Because if I have time and I have my health, then I have time for myself. Then I have time for my family, and then I have time to do all the things I love.” – Becca Powers
• “Practice the pause; connect with your mind, body, and soul.” – Becca Powers
• “Awareness allows change to happen.” – Becca Powers

Follow Becca:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Your skills, talents, and/or actual capabilities are all essential elements in finding a job or establishing your career. Leaders and hiring managers would easily spot these attributes by looking at your credentials and background. 

But in the long run, there are certain intangible qualities that will really set a brilliant employee apart in a company. Motivation, curiosity, self-awareness, empathy, and grit – these are just some of the values that are often overlooked in the hiring process, and are also often diminished or not at all developed throughout a person’s career. 

When people keep on feeling undervalued or unappreciated, no matter how much they try to overcompensate – they enter into a new phase of burnout which puts them in a position where they lose, not just the passion, but the interest to go the extra mile and achieve their full potential. On the surface, it may seem like they are simply doing the bare minimum. But we have to analyze the intentions within and the reasons behind actions that hinder people from attaining a more solid and deeper level of success. 

In this episode, Adam Hommey brilliantly explains the experiences and perspectives of people who go through the burnout phase and, probably after questioning their value and belongingness, have simply settled with stability and compliance with rules and others’ expectations. Do you know someone who is in this state? Or maybe you, yourself, can relate. Tune in and learn more! 

Wisdom To Live By: 

• “Underestimated is something that generally doesn't feel good unless you're using it strategically to exceed expectations and create a perception that you're an even greater winner than you are.” – Adam Hommey
• “Your malcontents are some of your company's greatest assets. They can shed light on your opportunities for growth, which could be your opportunities for success if simply addressed.” – Adam Hommey 
• “A danger zone for you is when a malcontent stops speaking up but they're still there.” – Adam Hommey
• “If they're complaining, they're selling, right? Because they're engaged, they're passionate, and something's going on. And the moment someone is silent and they're doing their job just well enough that they're not ending up on a spreadsheet somewhere and they're just flying under the radar, that's when you got to be concerned because something's going on.” – Becca Powers

Know More About Adam:

Adam Hommey is a speaker, author, consultant, and trainer with nearly 20 years of experience working in a range of industries and supporting the growth of scores of small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. He, himself has been an entrepreneur since 2003 and is the Chief Winning Officer and Situation Creator of The Business Creators' Institute which helps entrepreneurs and small businesses Emancipate the POWER of INFORMATION and Win at the Game of Business and Marketing. Adam is an international Amazon Best-Selling author of "Groundhog Day is an Event, Not a Business Strategy" as well as a contributing author to "Journeys to Success: The Millennial Edition".  He is also the host of the Business Creators’ Radio Show, one of the longest continuously-running entrepreneurial podcasts on the air today. 

Connect with Adam Hommey

• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Resources Mentioned

Too much stress, when not managed properly, can lead to burnout. And while stress can be short-term and may be reduced when addressed, burnout can be more challenging to handle and may become a cycle of negative emotions. 

Thus, it is important to understand what happens to your mind, heart, and body when you experience burnout. Consequently, knowing what stage you are in and your corresponding behaviors and responses will allow you to see patterns or habits that you can learn how to break. 

In previous episodes, we talked about the first two stages of burnout which are the “Unders” and the “Overs”. In these stages, it may be easy to recognize the signs of burnout because the manifestations are extremes – when you feel undervalued, you tend to sulk into a very low point in your life; as a result, you try to prove your worth by overcompensating. In Stage 3, however, you reach a point of exhaustion where you become uncertain what the purpose of trying hard is, and you no longer care as much as you used to if you are underappreciated. 

Do I make a difference? Am I making an impact? Do people care about me or the things that I accomplish? These are just some of the questions that may keep you up at night if you are transitioning into stage 3 of burnout which is called “Questioning Belonging”.  

Learn more about this phase of burnout and take note of some examples and tips as you tune in to this episode!  

Wisdom To Live By: 

• “Change by far is one of the scariest things for people. The unknown on the other side of change keeps people stuck.” – Becca Powers
• “We were meant to thrive. You were born to rise. You were born with potential. You were born with a dream. You were born with a mission.  You were born to be alive. And when we don't feel alive,  our bodies are talking to us through [those] signs.” – Becca Powers
• “The biggest boundary that you can have is the boundary with yourself.” – Becca Powers

Resources Mentioned

• Harness Your Inner CEO

Follow Becca:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Oftentimes, we are so focused on being too busy that we forget what we are truly busy about. As high achievers, we have the tendency to get so caught up in our daily routines and responsibilities that we lose sight of our real purpose and intentions. We also sometimes overcommit and do so many things at once that it becomes difficult to allow ourselves to just be. 

Since we now live in a fast-paced world, a lot of people associate being busy with being productive. But remember, just because you are working all the time does not mean you are achieving a lot. And though success is relative, it would be safe to say that no amount of achievement or work can be meaningful if your mental health and your relationships are being compromised in the process of attaining it.

Yes, we owe it to ourselves to maximize our potential and the opportunities that come our way. However, as you work your way towards your goals, always hold on to your purpose, your values, and what really matters to you.

Our guest and my dear friend, Jessie Andres, is both a high-achiever and a mother. Though she has been thriving as a career woman and a parent, she recalls the challenges she went through and how she managed to still prioritize her health, her wellbeing, and her family while pursuing her dreams. Learn some practical tips on time management and being organized, and gain a nugget of wisdom or two as you listen to this episode! 

Wisdom To Live By: 

• One of the greatest gifts that you could give your kids is time. – Jessie Andres
• For me,  sitting down at your desk for ten hours or eight hours is not healthy. – Jessie Andres
• My best work and my best outcome is when I am all in. – Jessie Andres
• Look at your week ahead,  look at your day, and get those to-do lists. – Becca Powers
• Communicate [with your husband] and just kind of figure out what the plan is.  Also, just make sure that one thing that you can't get back is time... Make sure that time is valuable. – Jessie Andres

Know More About Jessie

Jessie Andres is an award-winning Fortune 500 software tech client executive. In Jessie’s 15+ years in sales, she has worked for the best of the breed companies such as Dell, Riverbed, Splunk, and Dataiku. Jessie's key to success is building strong relationships. Jessie has a passion for WIT and has spent the past 6 years mentoring college graduates to join the workforce

On a personal note – Jessie is a Native New Yorker based in South Florida. She is married and a mother to 3 children – Edward, Hannah, and Abigail. 

Her favorite Tony Robbins quote “ People who succeed at the highest level are not lucky, they’re doing something differently than everyone else”.

Follow Jessie on Linkedin:

• LinkedIn

Click here for "The Workplace Burnout Survey"

Resources Mentioned

• Harness Your Inner CEO

Follow Becca:

• Website

Our minds and bodies have the natural ability to respond to stresses and threats to our wellbeing. In psychology, these unconscious responses that help us protect our sense of self are called defense mechanisms. 

One of the defense mechanisms that gets switched on – especially if we want to make up for our shortcomings or setbacks – is called compensation. And while it may help you achieve goals and excel in some areas of your life, overdoing it may cause more harm than good in the long run. 

Especially at times when we feel unseen, unheard, or unappreciated, that’s when our tendency to overcompensate gets triggered. The more that we feel like we don’t matter or we’re not worthy, the more that we want to prove ourselves; and that often leads us to overwork, overcommit, and overthink. These are just some of the “overs” that we need to understand and be mindful of if we want to avoid being overstressed and overwhelmed! 

Overcompensation is a bit tricky because it makes you feel like you’re doing your best; but it’s actually counterproductive, especially for high achievers. 

In this episode, let’s dive deeper into some of the things we overdo that may cause burnout and ultimately hinder us from giving our best and living life to the fullest.  

 Wisdom To Live By: 

• “At the core of everybody, they wanna be seen, heard, and felt like they mattered.  And on the reverse side, all problems come from not being seen, not being heard, and feeling like we don't matter.” – Oprah
• Success is possible without sacrificing your well-being. Actually, unstoppable success is on the other side of prioritizing yourself. – Becca Powers
• We shouldn't be just surviving our days. We should be alive. – Becca Powers 
• The more times you say yes to yourself,  the more confident you will become that this is the way to be. – Becca Powers
• What if you are feeling the “overs”,  what can you do?... Assess and admit that things might be either off track or getting off track. – Becca Powers

Click here for "The Workplace Burnout Survey"

Resources Mentioned:

• Harness Your Inner CEO

Follow Becca:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram 
• Facebook

"And the Day Came When the Risk to Remain Tight In a Bud Was More Painful Than the Risk It Took to Blossom.” 

- Anais Nin -

How would you feel if you started working in a company that accepted you with a yawn? Like when you are excited to start and to make an impact with your efforts and no one seems to really care.

How would you feel working in a company with a culture that undervalues, underappreciated, and underrecognizes people like you? 

If this resonates, then listen up and listen good!

This week’s episode features a fellow powerhouse, Gina McCarthy, a resilient soul with a High Achievers mindset with the same badass culture. A crucial career pivot led her to move past her own “unders” that were stirring the dark waters that would lead to burnout - and increased her salary by more than 35% in the process!  

Take Inspiration from how Gina took back her own power by:

• Accepting, loving, and being damn proud of herself 
• Choosing to receive and process outside criticism and comments as either positive, irrelevant, or just simply untrue
• Allowing herself to feel motivated and inspired again by what she’s doing
• Avoiding the need to give loyalty to people who don’t reciprocate it
• Finding her people that would check her a** when she’s being “swallowed up” at work

Click here for "The Workplace Burnout Survey"

Wisdom To Live By: 

• I was comfortable. I was loved. I was respected,  but I just wasn't challenged. - Gina McCarthy
• I was told that I was too emotionally invested in my customers. And the problem is I allowed it to be an insult when I should have just flicked my chin and said,  “You're damn right I am!” - Gina McCarthy
• Burnout isn’t abrupt or sudden. It’s a slow drip that bleeds into your system. - Becca Powers
• You can put whatever the hell you want out and say whatever the hell you want to me. But how I receive and process it is on me. - Gina McCarthy
• Sitting in mediocrity is a flame killer. - Becca Powers
• The first layer of burnout is leaving ourselves in situations where we're starting to feel disrespected. - Becca Powers
• Build your support network because you're gonna need it. - Gina McCarthy

Know More About Gina:

Gina is a self-made six-figure technology sales executive and mother of two. Gina’s inspirational story starts when she entered the tech industry in 2011 and worked her way up through the various sales ranks. Starting as a business development rep, she is now a top-performing sales executive managing multi-million dollar sales territories. Gina’s willingness to ack

I appreciate all that I do. I am good enough just as I am. I speak up for myself, I ask for what I want. I claim my power.

- Louise Hay -

Burnout is real and will prevail in your life if you keep tolerating it or denying to yourself that you are, in fact, burnt out. We need to rise against the unders of burnout instead of just accepting what should be unacceptable. Now is the time to take action against it so it doesn’t take over our lives.

Developing self-awareness is an essential step in acknowledging burnout. Recognizing and anticipating the first stage of burnout or the unders will help you overcome it. One way to do this is to stop being a people pleaser and start diverting your attention to yourself. You have to believe that you are good enough and you approve of yourself. It’s time to claim your power!

In this episode, Becca sheds light on the first stage of burnout or the unders and how it leads to the next stage. She shares some examples that trigger the unders by providing real-life scenarios. She also helps people evaluate themselves using a rating scale to know if they are not experiencing burnout or if they are getting closer to it. Hence, early detection is the best prevention for burnout.

Take Inspiration From These Lessons: 

• Burnout is not something that we should power through or tolerate. We should not dwell over burnout all the time, we have to realize that there is a whole big life out there and learn to be alive.
• There are things to ponder when it comes to what’s working and what’s not working in your life, but you must remember that you deserve to fly high and live your best life.
• People get into the overs of burnout when they learn how to put the mask on or to show up differently just to get the acceptance and validation that they are seeking.
• Admitting that you are experiencing burnout is not a sign of weakness, instead, it shows your courage to overcome burnout.
• When people feel unseen, unheard, and underappreciated, they go into perfectionism to prove they are valuable.

Resources Mentioned:

• Power Thought Cards by Louise Hay
• Harness Your Inner CEO Becca Powers
• Claim Your Power by Mastin Kipp 
• The Happiness Recipe by Rebecca Morrison

Burnout out survey link: https://www.beccapowers.com/burnout

Wisdom To Live By: