self-improvement podcast

One night, at the tail end of a vacation in Europe, Kelli Field suddenly hit a wall. “I just started crying and I just told my husband, I can't do it anymore”. After decades of working in a high earning, high stress career that took a huge toll on her health, she realized she couldn’t go back to work. Something deep inside her had finally said no. “My life had all the trappings of the American dream. Big house, expensive cars, long commute. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do to be happy…but it was like a suit of clothing that no longer fit, and something had to give”.

With no idea what to do next, Kelly followed a longtime goal to walk the Camino de Santiago, a grueling 800 kilometer pilgrimage across northern Spain.  It was a walk that laid bare everything that needed to change, and kick-started an amazing journey of personal growth. 

On this episode, Kelly takes us through the profound experience of the Camino and the extraordinary choice she and her husband made once she returned. It’s the story of jumping off a cliff, without knowing there’d be a net at the bottom.This is the first of two episodes where we look at the stories of Camino walkers and how this epic pilgrimage changes lives. 

Kelli’s story is about taking leap after leap into the unknown. It’s about learning to be comfortable with discomfort, and being really really bad at something until you can be good at it. Kelli’s interview is packed with nuggets of hard-won wisdom, including a beautiful story of  Kelli and her fellow pilgrims braving the Trail of Tears across the Pyrenees and then shedding their over-packed bags, and the fears that go into them. Kelli’s transformation, and her courage to pursue a life beyond expectations is pretty wonderful. Don’t miss this episode. 

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms.  Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, will be out in June 2024 and is available for pre-order now!

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

The Breakout on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

About Kelli Field

Kelli Field is an American writer living in Spain. Her debut novel, The Grief of Goodbye, was released in 2023. It’s a story set in beautiful northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. Her second book in The Camino Family Trilogy will be released in 2024. She writes and paints from a converted chicken coop on her lavender farm in Galicia, Spain, and she is the founder of the Santiago de Compostela Book Club for Pilgrims (@santiagodecompostelabookclub on FB). Kelli also runs the Happiness Cafe vegetarian and non-gluten food truck for pilgrims walking the Camino France. Kelli's personal motto is to 'Make friends with discomfort, and lean in hard to being really, really bad at something so that you can get good at it.'

Connect with Kelli Field

www.vivaespanamovingtospain.com

@happinessonthecamino (instagram)

Kelli’s novel, The Grief of Goodbye can be found at a range of retailers including
 Amazon and Barnes and Noble

“There’s this really old, really crap story that how we got here is about what the guys did. And women were just like some side character behind a hill, just like pounding some tubers, saying, ‘Oh, sorry guys. I see you're busy. I'm just gonna build the future of our species in my actual body’.” That’s how the brilliant and hilarious Cat Bohannon introduces the idea behind her New York Times bestselling book, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution. Ten years in the making, and making a huge splash internationally, the book is a fascinating, myth-busting tour of biological evolution that re-examines everything we think we know about the human body by placing women at the center of it all. 

In honor of International Women's Day on March 8th, we’re thrilled to talk with Cat about her boundary-breaking book, which puts the female body in the foreground of biological research. “ It's not that there's a sexist cabal saying, ha ha! We're gonna understudy females”, she tells us, “It's that there’s this pre-existing idea that ovaries don't matter”. Cat shares how there’s a long history of female bodies being excluded from medical, evolutionary and biological research, and why that matters for everyone.

The interview also dives into Cat’s sci-fi movie inspiration for the book, how female figures in evolution were key to the humans of today, why the “male norm” in biological research developed in the first place, and how change in the scientific community is happening…slowly: “paradigm shifts are hard…that’s the hardest thing to break out of. A paradigm shift is the biggest thing there is”. Don’t miss this eye-opening discussion that looks at the human body from a whole different vantage point.

 About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms.  Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, is out in June 2024 and available for pre-order now!

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

The Breakout on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

About Cat Bohannon

Researcher, scholar, writer, freak. Cat completed her PhD in 2022 at Columbia University, where she studied the evolution of narrative and cognition. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Science, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, Lapham’s Quarterly, The Georgia Review, and on The Story Collider. Eve is her first book and a New York Times bestseller. She lives in the U.S. with her partner and two offspring.

Connect with Cat Bohannon

Cat Bohannon’s Website

Cat on X

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution 

Get ready for a Valentine's Day episode like no other. True to form, we're challenging some expectations, and today, it's that age-old ideal of “the couple”.  Why is it still so glorified, and what are some ways to do relationships differently? 

Psychologist and sex educator Dr. Joli Hamilton is one expert who wants to shake up the monogamy paradigm. In her practice, Joli helps people explore non-monogamy and the many ways it can be implemented in a relationship. Joli specializes in helping couples develop their own self-awareness, and navigate the bumpy road of non-monogamy – a choice that for lots of people can be overwhelming. But, she says it doesn’t have to be, “a lot of times we accidentally shame people for not following the script – for not just sticking with monogamy. If we actually had these conversations, we would have a different way of approaching this and it might not be so scary”.

Joli also happens to be in a consensually non-monogamous relationship herself. But when she first began living non-monogamously, she made a lot of mistakes. She developed her own coaching and therapy practice to help couples avoid the difficulties she had. On this episode, Joli shares that messy monogamy breakout story, and gives us the 101 on non-monogamy, polyamory, and all the relationship concepts we need to know. She also explains how she takes couples through “the year of opening”: a year long process to help them navigate their open relationships in healthy and empowering ways.

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms.  Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, is available for pre-order now!

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

The Breakout on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

About Dr. Joli Hamilton

Dr. Joli Hamilton is the relationship coach for couples who color outside the lines. She is a research psychologist, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and AASECT certified sex educator. Joli also co-hosts the Playing with Fire podcast with her anchor partner, Ken. Joli’s been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and NPR.

She’s spent the past two decades studying and reimagining what love can be if we open our imaginations to possibility. Joli helps people create non-monogamous partnerships that are custom-built for their authentic selves, no more shrinking, pretending, or hiding required.

Connect with Joli

• Dr. Joli Hamilton -  Instagram
• Dr. Joli Hamilton - TikTok
• Dr. Joli Hamilton - YouTube
• Playing with Fire Podcast 
• *Podcast episode that covers different relationship styles

Learn more about Joli’s work:

www.JoliQuiz.com

www.OpenEasier.com

www.JealousyRoadmap.com

“I never felt I was Bengali enough. I never felt I was Italian enough…And because of that, I struggled to find my cultural identity”. Urmi Hossain is Italian by birth, and Bengali by blood, but there’s always been friction between those two identities. Born and raised in Italy to immigrant parents from Bangladesh, Urmi grew up at the center of a clash between Italian culture, strict Muslim parenting, and a society that wanted to categorize her one way or another.

You know that tendency we all sometimes have where we want to define someone's cultural identity with one convenient, hyphenated label? Well, it's not always that simple. And on this episode, Urmi explains why it can also be a real problem. She tells us about her ongoing journey of breaking out of a single cultural box and how her writing and mentoring helps others do the same. 

Urmi talks about the push and pull of being raised in a country where cultural diversity is not the norm, and how it took her many years and a move to a new country to find her confidence, leadership skills, and self-awareness. In her book Discovering Your Identity: A rebirth from interracial struggle, Urmi explores the delicate balance of cultural self-discovery and her journey toward owning her own identity. Now she mentors young women of all cultures, in business and finance, helping them push their careers forward and embrace their power.

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms.  Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, is available for pre-order now!

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

The Breakout on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

About Urmi Hossain

Urmi Hossain is Bengali by blood and Italian by birth. She works in the financial services industry in Canada, where she is currently residing. She is an author, blogger, speaker, polyglot, and mentor. Her first book is, Discovering Your Identity: A rebirth from interracial struggle.

Urmi is an advocate of women's empowerment and very passionate about teaching and mentoring other girls and women. She is part of the organization called Women In Leadership for the Victoria Chapter in Canada as the social media lead. Urmi enjoys being a promoter of self-investing and personal development. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and boxing.

Connect with Urmi

Urmi on LinkedIn

Urmi’s book, Discovering Your Identity

Urmi’s Blog 

Urmi’s YouTube channel

Urmi’s Instagram

“Four years after I left – four long years of being stalked and having my tires slashed – my former husband took the kids one day and disappeared out of country.” That’s the beginning of Lizbeth Meredith’s years-long nightmare of searching for her two young daughters after her abusive ex-husband kidnapped them and took them to Greece. Living on just $10 an hour at the time, Lizbeth embarks on a $100,000 journey working with a private detective, fighting through a foreign court system, getting arrested, and taking terrifying risks to bring her children home.

But this is a story that really begins with Lizbeth’s own difficult childhood. In this episode, Lizbeth shares the long road from her own early trauma to surviving domestic abuse, to rescuing her girls and growing a foundation of confidence and self-worth. She now works as a writer, true crime interviewer, probation worker, and child abuse investigator, and uses her voice and her experiences to advocate for victims everywhere.

Lizbeth talks honestly about being “a good victim”, staying quiet in hopes that things would get better, and how her childhood contributed to decades of not believing in herself. She wrote about the whole harrowing journey of defying the odds and the expectations in her memoir, Pieces of Me, and in 2022, that book was made into a Lifetime movie, called Stolen by Their Father. In 2023, Lizbeth published her second book, Grounded In Grit, that she describes as “personal development for women weighed down by crises or abuse, finally ready to become their own best advocate”.

You don’t want to miss this amazing story of transformation and survival.

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms.  Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, is available for pre-order now!

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

The Breakout on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

About Lizbeth Meredith

Lizbeth Meredith is an author, speaker, and true crime interviewer with a small coaching practice. A former domestic abuse survivor advocate, child abuse investigator, and probation officer, her first book, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters is now a Lifetime TV movie.

Connect with Lizbeth

Lizbeth’s Website

Lizbeth’s Facebook Page

Lizbeth on LinkedIn

Book: Pieces of Me

New Book: Grounded in Grit

2023 has been a big year with highs and lows for everyone. As the year draws to a close, Keri and Kelly are looking back at their breakout year with The Breakout (sorry, had to).  The show has hit number 1, the audience has had huge growth, and they’ve been hard at work on their new book that dives into a lot of the learnings from the show. It’s called Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, and we’re thrilled to announce that it’s now available for pre-order!

Join us for a fun, short and sweet episode as Keri and Kelly wish you happy holidays and share their own breakout stories for this year – yes, they too have had some personal growth, change, and self-improvement moments. We’ll also hear about all the amazing things you can expect from the show in 2024. 

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. 

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, is available for pre-order now!

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

“I lived in Southern California, born and raised my whole life. And I was bullied for being different”. That’s how Dr. Zabina Bhasin, better known as “Dr. Zee”, experienced her childhood as a South Asian American growing up in California. Today she is a child psychiatrist who is deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of children. Her work is about building self-confidence and self-awareness in kids, and she’s been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the healthcare space since her career began. So when her own child came to her upset and confused about how she was treated as a South Asian American, she realized history was repeating itself, “It hit me: Oh my God! This is the exact same thing I went through”. The same ignorance Dr. Zee experienced as a kid was still happening today. 

Frustrated, dismayed, and sad all at once, Dr. Zee knew the only way to change things is through education. And that's when her life took an unexpected turn. She left her thriving career as a doctor to start InKidz, an educational toy company that aims to build belonging, self-worth, and acceptance from an early age. 

On this episode, we're digging into two breakouts: Dr. Zee's courageous decision to leave one passion to pursue another, and how she dealt with the friction she experienced in moving from a respected profession to create products that challenge the status quo. Dr. Zee’s second breakout is about her work in stopping the cycle of ignorance and building more acceptance in the world. Plus, with the holidays coming at us quick, you're going to get some amazing gift ideas for all the great kids in your life!

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. 

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, will be available in June 2024. Look for pre-order opportunities coming soon.

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

NEW: The Breakout on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Dr. Zee and InKidz

In KidZ Instagram

https://instagram.com/inkidzco?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

In KidZ YouTube 

https://youtube.com/@InKidZ?si=uA4E4IAiPtA-csrr

In  KidZ tik tok

https://www.tiktok.com/@inkidzco.com?_t=8hmflZtRgKo&_r=1

InKidZ LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-kidz/

facebook

https://www.facebook.com/inkidzco

Dr. Zee Instagram

https://instagram.com/drzee_md?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Dr. Zee LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzeemd?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Dr. Zee tik tok

https://www.tiktok.com/@drzee_md?_t=8hmfuqYP7ud&_r=1

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/zabinabhasinmd

“I didn’t want to be a leaf floating down a stream. I wanted control of the oars in this next phase of my life”.  Stacie Shifflett has always led a bold life. She’s been pushing against boundaries and expectations since she was a teenager and she walked into the principal’s office to demand that she graduate high school early. She went on to several leadership positions, building a construction business, working for a large consulting firm, and then even ran a llama farm while raising a family. But when her marriage ended after 28 years, for the first time, Stacie was thrown.

On this episode, Stacie takes us through her post-divorce reinvention and how it inspired her to found Modern Consciousness, a coaching company that offers personal growth programs to help people cut through the noise so they can live the life they want.  After intensive healing work, meditation, and study, Stacie found her self-confidence again, and developed her step-by-step Elevate Your Life program. By making small adjustments in mindset and behavior, her coaching makes big impact, and helps people cross the bridge from what was, to what will be.

About the Show

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. 

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, will be available in June 2024. Look for pre-order opportunities coming soon.

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Learn more at abbraccigroup.com

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

NEW: The Breakout on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Stacie Shifflett

Modern Consciousness website

Stacie Shifflett and Modern Consciousness - Facebook

Stacie Shifflett and Modern Consciousness - Instagram

 “I was beginning to lose my ability to feel. I would go to movies just to be able to cry, because otherwise I didn't feel anything”. If you’ve ever felt dead inside and  that your job was killing you, you’re going to want to hear Robert Markowitz’s reinvention story. Years ago, Robert was a very successful, and incredibly miserable, criminal lawyer. And then something broke and he traded in his respected, high earning law career for a new career that no one would have predicted, especially not him

Settle in for one of our favorite breakout stories, as Robert shares how he traded in his high status job for a pair of clown shoes. Robert’s journey of personal growth is a quietly inspiring self-improvement story. Robert takes us through his life, from being a young man with low self-confidence who followed family pressures to go into law, only to find misery at the end of that path, to being a person who jumps without a safety net in search of happiness.  It’s a candid, funny, and brave story about pushing back against expectations, confronting failure, and throwing it all away to find what you really need.

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, founders of Abbracci Group.  The show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts. Abbracci Group is a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have broken through boundaries, pushed for personal growth, found self confidence, and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

NEW: The Breakout on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Robert Markowitz

Robert’s novel, Clown Shoes

Robert’s website

Robert Markowitz Facebook

Robert Markowitz LinkedIn

“The beauty of adversity is it creates these amazing conditions for growth”. Jolie Wills is a cognitive scientist and a specialist in disaster relief who wants us to rethink how we deal with disasters. In 2011, Jolie lived through New Zealand's worst earthquake on record. As she helped her community through the aftermath that included 5 years of devastating aftershocks, she saw how disasters can make people re-assess their whole way of life.  “You hit this point where you're having to innovate constantly, you're really tired, and suddenly the things that maybe were there hidden, but didn't really get in your way, really surface.”

Jolie and her business partner, Elizabeth McNaughton realized a dire need for resources to help leaders, organizations and individuals manage adversity. They founded Hummingly, a company that creates tools and training for leadership skills, resilience and performance under pressure. Based on extensive research around disaster fatigue, prolonged stress, cognitive response to adversity, and leadership skills, Hummingly’s coaching and tools are accessible, game-based, and effective support for any community, organization, family or individual negotiating high-pressure times.

On this episode, Jolie talks about post-traumatic growth, and the self-awareness and confidence that comes with adversity. She also explains how disasters blow everything wide open and expose the foundations of your whole way of life, and for some, inspire a complete rebuild from the ground up.

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, founders of Abbracci Group.  The show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts. Abbracci Group is a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have broken through boundaries, found self confidence, and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

NEW: The Breakout on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Jolie Wills

Hummingly website

Hummingly on Facebook

Hummingly on Instagram

Hummingly on LinkedIn

“We have so much more in our own control than we acknowledge”. Erica Rooney knows there are big glass ceilings that are tough to bust through, but she also believes that sometimes we also hold ourselves back. Erica is a C-suite executive, speaker and podcaster who’s on a mission to help women break free of what she calls “sticky floors”. Those are the limiting beliefs and toxic behaviours that keep us from moving forward.

On this episode Erica explains those sticky floors, and how they can show up as a lot of things: imposter syndrome, fear, burnout, and Erica’s own sticky floor: stress management with wine. She says that leaning into self-discovery and getting curious about how you handle your own stress management can help you figure out your sticky floors. But until you clean up those floors, you can’t reach your full potential. 

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by people and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, founders of Abbracci Group.  The show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts. Abbracci Group is a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have broken out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

NEW CONTEST!! Win a set of Apple AirPods Pro - a $250 value!

How: 1) Subscribe to The Breakout and write a review; 2) Take a screenshot of your review and that you’re subscribed to the podcast; 3) Tag The Breakout on either Facebook (www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast) or Instagram (@thebreakoutpod)**

When: The contest will run from September 27 thru October 24*

**One entry per person

*All entries must be received by midnight Pacific Time on October 24. A winner will be selected after October 24th.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

NEW: The Breakout on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Erica Rooney

Erica Rooney LinkedIn

Erica’s website

Erica’s Instagram

Erica’s Podcast: From Now to Next

“I like to say that I help people break out of the sucking vortex of ‘pissed off’ ”. That’s how Carol Bowser describes her role as a conflict management expert. Carol is a former employment lawyer but after years of practicing law, she found herself much more drawn to mediation. She realized that conflict, and breaking it down, was her real passion. 

Carol now works to train others in mediation and conflict resolution in the workplace, and on this episode she shares the big truths about conflict, and how dealing with it head-on can also be a journey of self-discovery. She tells us why conflict happens in the first place, how it can restrict who we are and the ways that dealing with it head-on can lead to relationship improvement, health and wellness, and personal growth. She also shares her love of reality shows, and what they can teach us about how to, and how NOT to deal with conflict.  

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by people and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, founders of Abbracci Group.  The show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts. Abbracci Group is a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have broken out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

NEW CONTEST!! Win a set of Apple AirPods Pro - a $250 value!

How: 1) Subscribe to The Breakout and write a review; 2) Take a screenshot of your review and that you’re subscribed to the podcast; 3) Tag The Breakout on either Facebook (www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast) or Instagram (@thebreakoutpod)**

When: The contest will run from September 27 thru October 24*

**One entry per person

*All entries must be received by midnight Pacific Time on October 24. A winner will be selected after October 24th.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

NEW: The Breakout on YouTube!
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Carol Bowser

Conflict Management Strategies, Carol’s Company Website

Conflict Management Strategies on Facebook

Carol Bowser LinkedIn

Carol Bowser Instagram

Are people born gritty and resilient, or can anyone learn to be that way? Dr. Brian Davidson says that the tools for success can be developed by anyone, we just need to know what needs improvement. 

We met Brian in our last episode, when he told Keri and Kelly about MindVue, the assessment tool and learning platform that he built which uses positive psychology principles to first measure your mindset and then help you improve it. On this episode, Keri and Kelly put it all out there when they take the MindVue assessment and Brian breaks down their surprising…and not so surprising results.

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by people and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, founders of Abbracci Group.  The show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts. Abbracci Group is a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have broken out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther
The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Brian Davidson

Brian Davidson LinkedIn

MindVue website

MindVue on X

MindVue on Instagram

Brian Davidson is a psychologist and leadership expert who has always been fascinated by what drives successful people, and whether these same qualities can be taught to everyone. After years of research, he developed MindVue, an assessment tool and learning platform that first measures your mindset and then helps you improve it. But when he began to assess a range of individuals, from high-ranking military personnel to prison inmates, Brian learned some surprising things about success. 

On this episode, we dive deep into the assessment tool and what those mindset scores really mean for success and failure. And Brian shares some extraordinary stories that his work has revealed, and how it has changed, and even saved people’s lives.

The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by people and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther.  The show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts. Keri and Kelly are the founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have broken out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms. Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther
The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website 

https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Brian Davidson

Brian Davidson LinkedIn

MindVue website

MindVue on X

MindVue on Instagram

Rob Cross’s latest book was supposed to be about how relationships have a positive effect on people’s well-being. But during one interview, he ended up discovering something else. When Rob asked his subject what had stopped her from doing what she wanted in life, she’d answered “just life, I guess”. And Rob realized it wasn't the big stressors, like a health scare or a nasty boss that derails people, rather “it’s an accumulation of small that it creeps up, week to week, month to month.”

On this episode, Rob explains the micro stress effect, those tiny stresses that hit you dozens of times a day and can take a huge toll, affecting everything from your health to your life path. And Rob also shares what his research revealed about the 10% of highly successful people who are unaffected by micro stressors.

The Breakout is hosted by people and change experts, Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. Keri and Kelly are founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have busted out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website
https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Rob Cross
Rob Cross website
Book: The Microstress Effect
Rob Cross on LinkedIn

“It's so beautiful to meet other people and work with them, because then we can see our own society with so much more clarity and perspective”. Janet Livingstone has a unique perspective on the bubbles we all inhabit. After decades living and working throughout Europe and Africa, she’s learned a thing or two about how our cultural expectations get in the way of understanding each other, and ourselves.

On this episode, Janet talks about her work as an intercultural competency coach, and the how she helps her clients break through communication barriers, and learn about our own embedded cultural expectations in the process.

The Breakout is hosted by people and change experts, Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. Keri and Kelly are founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have busted out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website
https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Janet Livingstone

Culture Is Key website

Janet Livingstone LinkedIN

“I looked at the way Gabriel lived and, and he just didn't allow fear to get in the way of anything he wanted to do”. Clint Hatton’s son Gabriel was a bold kid who embraced life completely. So when he died in a plane crash at only 17 years old, Clint made a choice to honor his son by living fearlessly, and helping others do the same. 

On this episode, Clint tells about his devastating loss and how he created Big Bold Brave, a personal coaching company aimed at helping people move beyond fear to find the life they really want.

The Breakout is hosted by people and change experts, Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. Keri and Kelly are founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have busted out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website
https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Clint Hatton

Big Bold Brave website

Clint Hatton on LinkedIn

Clint Hatton on Twitter

Book: Big Bold Brave: How to Live Courageously in a Risky World

A hurricane, premature twins, gallstones, a husband deployed to Iraq, a toxic workplace, and terrible grief; these are just some of the incredible stressors that Danielle Cobo has tackled in the past few years. But as difficult as all this was, it led to Danielle leaving her sales job, and following her passion. Today, Danielle is a change management, leadership development, and burnout prevention consultant, and she uses her own difficult experiences to help others develop grit, resilience and courage to thrive in the workplace.

On this episode, Danielle takes us through her process for conquering self-doubt, identifying burnout, and following your purpose. And you'll hear about the many unbelievable curve balls she's been thrown and how she's managed them all.

The Breakout is hosted by people and change experts, Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. Keri and Kelly are founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have busted out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website
https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Danielle Cobo

Danielle’s website

Podcast: Dream Job with Danielle Cobo

Danielle on Facebook

Danielle on LinkedIn

Danielle on Twitter

In 2009, Kim Sorrelle was diagnosed with breast cancer. If that wasn’t devastating enough, four months later, her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away six weeks later.  In that extraordinarily difficult time, Kim did something surprising: she decided she needed to embrace her own life even more, and went looking for the meaning of love.

On this episode, we dig into Kim's year-long quest to find out what love really is. We'll hear about her incredible adventure, and what she discovered about how our understanding of love affects how we experience everything in our lives.

The Breakout is hosted by people and change experts, Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. Keri and Kelly are founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. Join them as they get advice and insights from change experts, and dive into the stories of people who have busted out of life’s stifling boxes and shifted their lives into bold new territory.

Connect with Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther

The Breakout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thebreakoutpodcast

The Breakout on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebreakoutpod/

Abbracci Group website
https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/

The Breakout Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thebreakoutpodcast/

Abbracci Group LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbraccigroup/

Connect with Kim Sorrelle

Kim’s website

Kim on Facebook

Kim on Instagram

Kim on TikTok

So this week I have a funny story for you that looks at some things I have been moving through and how they have been showing up in my life...

You can connect with me on:

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Instagram (@livingthroughheart)

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LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnajoyusher)  
https://traumasolutions.com/attachment-styles-quiz/

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If you want to check out Savage Boho Studio, my handmade jewellery collection that I make with one of my best witchy friends, go to www.savagebohostudio.com/shop and use the coupon code PODCAST as my gift to you to get a 10% discount.

You can connect with me on:

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