What if knowing how you’re wired could help you change more intentionally?

Ilona Pamplona has a way of making Human Design feel less mysterious and much more practical. Her version?

If you’re a Billy bookcase, stop trying to be a Malm bed.

Your design gives you the pieces. Self-awareness helps you understand how they fit together and how to use them on purpose.

That idea takes this conversation in some fascinating directions: why certain kinds of work energize you while others drain you, why some people naturally command a room while others amplify the people around them, why self-worth can feel steady for one person and deeply tested for another, and how the parts of yourself that feel vulnerable can become powerful places for growth.

Ilona also gets wonderfully provocative:

“You are not gonna navigate these storms being someone you’re not made to be.”

And later:

“Your job is still to be on the journey. You’re going to sometimes be triggered by some of these MFers out here who are going to challenge your worth as you build this amazing thing.”

In this conversation:

• Human Design explained without making it painfully complicated
• The IKEA theory of self-development
• What your natural energy may reveal about how you lead, work, communicate, and make decisions
• Why copying someone else’s operating system can leave you exhausted
• Self-worth, open centers, and the people who know exactly how to push your buttons
• How understanding each other’s design can change a partnership or team
• Why workplaces keep forcing radically different people into the same mold
• Conditioning, authenticity, and the parts of you that feel deeply innate
• Ilona’s provocative view of the shift toward greater individual responsibility and self-awareness
• Walter Mercado, astrology, intuition, peace, and love
• Why recognizing your calling can help you stay on the path before the results show up

One of the most powerful ideas comes near the end. Ilona talks about certainty: the kind that comes from knowing yourself well enough to move.

As she puts it, Human Design can give you “just enough certainty for you to believe in yourself to give it a go.”

And underneath the whole conversation is one question:

What changes when you understand how you’re actually built?

ABOUT ILONA PAMPLONA

Ilona Pamplona is a twice-published author, Human Design Coach & Strategist, and founder of Your Aura at Work. She utilizes Human Design to transform personal development insights into practical, strategic actions. Her work helps entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, and community leaders create clear, self-directed results in life and business, grounded in emotional intelligence, clarity, and self-trust.

Website: ilonapamplona.com
Your Aura at Work: yourauraatwork.com

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!
Instagram: @be.act.change
Website: beactchange.com
Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG
“HIGHER” by Kingsley
Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for the podcast.
Instagram: @yokingsleymusic
Website: iamkingsley.com

Human Design, self-awareness, knowing yourself, intuition, authenticity, self-worth, personal development, career alignment, workplace strengths, purpose, calling, emotional intelligence, self-trust
#JustWhatINeeded #HumanDesign #KnowYourself #SelfAwareness #SelfTrust #Authenticity #Purpose #Intuition #CareerAlignment #BeActChange

Can you be wildly ambitious and deeply present at the same time?

In this episode, Esther welcomes Tyler Dickerhoof back for a candid conversation about a tension many high achievers know well: wanting to do something big in the world while also craving a life that feels peaceful, connected, and enough. Esther calls it the “Beach and Forbes” dilemma.

Tyler’s answer is yes. You can have both. The harder question is: what is driving you?

Ambition rooted in purpose, growth, and contribution can be healthy. Ambition rooted in fear, insecurity, or the need to prove your worth becomes a chase with no finish line.

Together, they explore:

• Why ambition and presence do not have to compete
• How to tell whether you are driven by purpose or fear
• Why “all in” should look different in different seasons
• Why quantity of impact is not the same as quality of impact
• The starfish story and the power of making a difference for one person
• Why putting on your own oxygen mask first matters
• How unspoken expectations create frustration
• Why service itself can become a hiding place
• How excellence can inspire growth or make others feel they are never enough
• The question: Would you work for someone who spoke to you the way you speak to yourself?
• Why empowerment often means stepping back instead of stepping in

Tyler also shares his empathy spectrum, from becoming a doormat on one end to bulldozing everyone around you on the other, and why healthy leadership lives somewhere in between.

Paul makes a surprise appearance to connect the conversation to economics: diminishing returns, delegation, long-term investment, and why developing someone today can create greater value tomorrow. Tyler adds another memorable distinction: leaders can be incinerators, extracting everything people can produce now, or incubators, investing in who they can become.

The takeaway: you do not have to choose between the beach and Forbes. The work is understanding your values, checking your motivations, and recalibrating so your ambition, health, relationships, and contribution can belong to the same life.

ABOUT TYLER DICKERHOOF
Tyler Dickerhoof is a speaker, coach, author, and leadership practitioner focused on self-awareness, empathy, and authentic leadership. He is the author of The Things We Hide and leads the Free to Lead Roundtable coaching community.

Website: TylerDickerhoof.com
Book: The Things We Hide

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!
Instagram: @be.act.change
Website: beactchange.com
Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG
“HIGHER” by Kingsley
Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for the podcast.
Stream: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley
Instagram: @yokingsleymusic
Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: high achievers, ambition, work life balance, values alignment, authentic leadership, perfectionism, boundaries, delegation, burnout, purpose, empathy

#JustWhatINeeded #HighAchievers #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #ValuesAlignment #Authenticity #Perfectionism #Boundaries #Delegation #Burnout #Purpose #BeActChange

What if the rejection that made you question everything is only one data point in a much bigger universe?

In this personal episode, Esther turns the microphone on Paul after a tough round of rejections left her questioning a vision she deeply believes in. Paul brings an economist’s lens to a feeling we all know: defeat.

The conversation introduces a powerful framework from economics: small universe vs. big universe thinking. When we focus only on what is immediately visible, we optimize within a narrow set of possibilities. When we expand the universe, we begin to see solutions, people, opportunities, and paths that were invisible before.

Setbacks make that harder because fear narrows our planning horizon. We retreat toward what we can control. The dream gets smaller, the pitch gets safer, and even our understanding of our own value can shrink.

So how do you know when to pivot and when to keep going?

Start with evidence.

Ask whether the setback actually disproves your idea. Look at what has worked before. Examine the data. Then flip the question fear keeps asking:

What if I wasn’t thinking too big? What if I was thinking too small?

In this episode, we explore:

• How fear and risk shrink your perspective
• Why one rejection represents one small universe, rather than every possibility available to you
• How breathwork, growth, champions, and your “front row” reconnect you to possibility
• Why expanding your universe means meeting new people, asking for advice, serving, and making genuine connections
• How big universe thinking changes the way you interview, pitch ideas, and communicate your value
• Why your value reaches beyond your degree, title, tasks, or years of experience
• How AI can amplify human potential and create space for deeper connection

Paul also introduces alignment capital: the value created when people with complementary strengths, values, and ways of solving problems come together intentionally.

By the end, Esther has moved from wanting to retreat to feeling energized about the vision again. That shift captures the heart of this episode.

When rejection comes, resist shrinking your universe around it. Look outward. Look at the evidence. Find your people. Ask what else is possible.

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!

Have a question, want to appear on the show, or have a topic you want us to explore?

Instagram: @be.act.change
Website: beactchange.com
Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG
“HIGHER” by Kingsley
Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for the podcast.

Stream “Higher”: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley
More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast
Instagram: @yokingsleymusic
Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: feeling defeated, overcoming rejection, big universe thinking, resilience, fear of failure, career rejection, entrepreneurship, human potential, personal growth, confidence, mindset, alignment, purpose

#JustWhatINeeded #FeelingDefeated #Rejection #Resilience #BigUniverseThinking #HumanPotential #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #Purpose #CareerGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Alignment

You are more than the main character of your story. You are the author.

In this episode, we sit down with Victoria Carrington Chavez, storyteller, archetype guide, and brand strategist, for a conversation that goes straight to the heart of why so many brilliant, driven people struggle to articulate their own value. Victoria uses the power of archetypes, narrative psychology, and what she calls main character energy to help trailblazers, cycle breakers, and first-generation leaders start owning the one they actually are.

The conversation moves through King Arthur and Merlin, the three C's of story, the concept of Sonder, and the line that landed like a thunderclap: the tools you used to survive are not the tools you will use to thrive. If you have ever shrunk yourself to fit a box that was never built for you, this episode is the permission you did not know you were waiting for.

Your story is your most powerful asset. And you get to write it.

ABOUT VICTORIA CARRINGTON CHAVEZ

Victoria Carrington Chavez is a storyteller, archetype guide, creative brand strategist, and TEDx speaker whose work sits at the intersection of narrative psychology, identity, and impact. Through her methodology of main character energy, Victoria helps trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and leaders uncover the archetypes that drive them, rewrite the stories that have been written for them, and show up in the world with the kind of clarity and conviction that makes them undeniable.

A multiracial woman who has spent her life navigating between worlds, Victoria knows firsthand what it costs to contain your own multitudes while the world insists you pick a box. Her TEDx talk, her work with Goldman Sachs cohorts, and her one-on-one client work all carry the same through line: giving people back their power, witnessing them in the story they are creating, and then connecting them to the community that helps them sustain it.

Connect with Victoria:

LinkedIn: Victoria Carrington Chavez

Substack: The Story Saloon

Website: lilacaspen.com

Instagram and TikTok: @victoriatellsstories

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!

This show is for YOU! Connect with us:

Instagram: @be.act.change

Website: beactchange.com

Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG "HIGHER" by Kingsley

Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for JWIN. Stream here: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley

More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast

Instagram: @yokingsleymusic

Website: iamkingsley.com

archetypes, main character energy, storytelling, narrative psychology, identity, value proposition, trailblazers, cycle breakers, personal branding, authenticity, survive vs thrive, representation, self-worth, author, story

#JustWhatINeeded #Podcast #Author #MainCharacterEnergy #Archetypes #Storytelling #ValueProposition #Trailblazers #CycleBreakers #PersonalBranding #Authenticity #SurviveToThrive #Representation #Identity #BeActChange

Every high achiever is running from something. Most of the time, what they are running from is the fear that what they have is not enough.

In this episode, Paul sits down with Tyler Dickerhoof, leadership mentor, entrepreneur, host of the Impact Driven Leader community, and author of "The Things We Hide," for a conversation that goes straight to the root. Tyler spent years defining his worth by achievement, often at the cost of everything else, and it took confronting the fears and insecurities he had carried, sometimes for decades, to understand what it actually means to lead. Together, Paul and Tyler unpack the hustle culture trap, what your comparative advantage has to do with your calling, and why the mirror you look into every morning might be lying to you.

This is a conversation about knowing what you are best at, deploying it in service of others, and understanding that you do not have to do more, be more, or prove more.

You are already enough.

Stop hiding from what you already are. The window is waiting.

ABOUT TYLER DICKERHOOF

Tyler Dickerhoof is a leadership mentor, entrepreneur, host of the Impact Driven Leader community, and author of "The Things We Hide." With over 25 years of experience and more than $700 million in generated business sales, Tyler knows firsthand the pressure that drives leaders to perform, and to hide.

A Cornell University graduate who once pushed through life on intensity alone, Tyler spent years confronting the hidden insecurities that quietly shaped his leadership before he understood how to name them, own them, and work through them. Today he helps leaders do the same. Through his community, his coaching, and his book, Tyler guides people to slow down, tell the truth about what is really driving them, and lead with greater clarity and impact.

Whether he is breaking down his B.E.S.T. framework or naming the four walls that protect our fears, Tyler has a rare gift for making the invisible visible. And the story at the heart of his book is one of the most honest and courageous things you will hear on this show.

Connect with Tyler:

Website: tylerdickerhoof.com

Book: thethingswehidebook.com

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!

This show is for YOU! Connect with us:

Instagram: @be.act.change

Website: beactchange.com

Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG "HIGHER" by Kingsley

Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for JWIN. Stream here: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley

More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast

Instagram: @yokingsleymusic

Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: leadership, authenticity, hustle culture, fears and insecurities, personal development, entrepreneurship, mindset, the things we hide, servant leadership, vulnerability, self-awareness, comparative advantage, pivot, impact

#JustWhatINeeded #Podcast #Leadership #Enough #ThingsWeHide #HustleCulture #PersonalDevelopment #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #ServantLeadership #Vulnerability #SelfAwareness #Impact

What if the most powerful wellness tool you own costs nothing, takes 90 seconds, and you've had it your whole life?

In this episode, we sit down with Kingsley, the creative force and artist behind our very own theme song "Higher," to explore breath play, identity, and what it really takes to build an authentic life. Kingsley has been part of the Just What I Needed journey from the very beginning, and this conversation is long overdue. If you have ever been curious about breathwork but did not know where to start, or if you have ever poured everything into a career and forgotten who you are along the way, this is exactly what you needed.

Authenticity is not found. It is built, one honest decision at a time. And sometimes the most powerful tool you have is the one you carry with you in every single breath.

You do not have to be superhuman to begin. You just have to be willing to show up as yourself.

ABOUT KINGSLEY

Music that sounds like the first sip of champagne. Kingsley is a Black alt-pop artist from Chicago, creating uplifting, immersive music made for both dance floors and late-night drives. Her work centers joy, self-love, and embodiment, blending infectious pop energy with emotional depth.

Singing from her lived experiences of life, love, and becoming, Kingsley has rebuilt her brand from a local indie pop artist into an international recording artist and community thought leader. She has performed across the world, launched immersive cocktail books that pair music with curated drink experiences, built a dope, story-driven merch line, and is preparing to release a new record rooted in healing and self-celebration.

Kingsley is also a breath play facilitator. Not breathwork. Play. Her sessions are body-first, intuitive, and built for people who thought these tools were not made for them.

Her music is for your first mirror twerk after heartbreak.

Connect with Kingsley

TikTok: @kingsleymusic

Instagram: @yokingsleymusic

Branding: kingskitchenmedia.com

Music and Patreon: iamkingsley.com

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!

This show is for YOU! Connect with us:

Instagram: @be.act.change

Website: beactchange.com

Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG "HIGHER" by Kingsley

Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for JWIN. Stream here: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley

More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast

Instagram: @yokingsleymusic

Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: authenticity, identity, breath play, breathwork, creativity, music, entrepreneurship, branding, mental health, vulnerability, personal growth, resilience, self-discovery, wellness

#JustWhatINeeded #Podcast #BreathPlay #Authenticity #Identity #Creativity #Entrepreneurship #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #Branding #Resilience #Breathwork

How do you find joy when the world feels like it is on fire? Not by ignoring reality, but by making joy a daily, intentional practice.

In this episode, we sit down with Gretchen Schoser to discuss why actively practicing joy is an act of resilience. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by global events or burned out while trying to build a business, this conversation will resonate deeply.

Joy is not an accident. It is a protective boundary for your mental health, a tool that keeps you moving forward, and the foundation for creating a life you are genuinely proud of.

No matter how difficult things get, you have the power to change your trajectory, ask for help, and build a beautiful life.

ABOUT GRETCHEN SCHOSER

Gretchen “G-Rex” Schoser is a mental health advocate, entrepreneur, and award-winning podcast co-host dedicated to making honest conversations about mental health more human, accessible, and supportive.

After experiencing a life-changing mental health crisis in 2022, Gretchen chose to turn her story into a mission. She co-created the award-winning podcast Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads with her best friend and co-host Dirty Skittles. Since launching on February 14, 2023, the show has grown into a global platform with more than 2 million downloads across 100+ countries, blending humor, raw storytelling, and expert insights to remind listeners they are not alone.

In addition to her work behind the mic, Gretchen is the Founder of Schoser Talent and Wellness Solutions, a consulting and training company that helps small and midsize businesses build healthier, more sustainable workplaces. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in HR technology and workforce systems, she specializes in UKG Recruiting and Onboarding, change management, and human-centered workplace wellness. Through courses, consulting, and practical tools, Gretchen helps leaders create environments where both people and systems can thrive.

Whether she is speaking about mental health, coaching organizations, or laughing through difficult topics on the podcast, Gretchen’s work is rooted in one belief: real conversations save lives, and connection creates healing.

Connect with Gretchen

Website: shosersolutions.com

Podcast: goesoninourheads.net

LinkedIn: Gretchen Schoser

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!

This show is for YOU! Connect with us:

Instagram: @be.act.change

Website: beactchange.com

Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG “HIGHER” by Kingsley

Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for JWIN. Stream here: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley

More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast

Instagram: @yokingsleymusic

Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: joy, mental health, entrepreneurship, resilience, intentional living, burnout recovery, boundaries, career pivot, depression, self care, business boundaries

#JustWhatINeeded #Podcast #Joy #MentalHealth #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #CareerPivot #IntentionalLiving #OvercomingDepression #SelfCare

What is a leader, really? Not a title. Not a personality. Not the loudest voice in the room.

In this episode, Esther and Paul sit down with Renzo Del Castillo to redefine leadership as a way of being: servant leadership rooted in purpose, empathy, and enabling others to succeed. If you have ever been promoted because you were great at your job, then felt unprepared to lead people, this conversation will land.

Leadership is not “doing more.” It is removing obstacles, building psychological safety, and creating conditions where a team can deliver far beyond what one person can do alone.

As a preview:

• Servant leadership as “I work for you” leadership that clears the path
• Accountability vs blame, plus guardrails that make learning possible
• Ready-to-wear vs made-to-measure vs bespoke: why leadership growth must be tailored
• The Disney World moment: the shift from “I do” to “I enable others to do”
• EQ as trainable, and self-awareness as the foundation of empathy
• Why art and poetry deepen empathy, and why empathy is not fluff
• A coaching moment on authenticity and ambition in a male-dominated workplace: test assumptions and build agency through self-knowledge

This episode is a blueprint for leaders at any level, including the “leader without a title” who sets the tone, interrupts gossip, and helps the team make the soup together.

ABOUT RENZO DEL CASTILLO
Renzo Del Castillo is a corporate leader and poet who builds bridges through empathy, discipline, and creation. He is the author of Still (Amazon bestseller), created to keep art accessible, including a low-cost Kindle edition. He also co-hosts Reel Poetry with Scott Raven, spotlighting poets and highlighting poetic movies.

Connect with Renzo
Instagram: @renzodelcastillo.author
LinkedIn: Renzo Del Castillo

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!
This show is for YOU! Let us know if you have a question you would like us to answer, if you would like to appear on the show, or if you have a topic you would like for us to discuss. Find us:
Instagram: @be.act.change
Website: beactchange.com
Email: hola@beactchange.com

THEME SONG
“HIGHER” by Kingsley
Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for the podcast.

Stream “Higher” here: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley
More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast
Instagram: @yokingsleymusic
Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: leadership, servant leadership, emotional intelligence, empathy, psychological safety, leadership development, managing vs leading, accountability culture, workplace culture, authentic leadership, inclusive leadership, coaching leaders

#JustWhatINeeded #Podcast #Leadership #ServantLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #Empathy #PsychologicalSafety #WorkplaceCulture #AuthenticLeadership #Coaching #TeamLeadership #PersonalGrowth