It's time, people. Can we please stop calling them negative emotions?! 🙏 Whether you're a EQ thought leader, or someone just starting out to understand what is happening from our neck down and what feeling exist, this applies to you.

Hear the case on why we need to stop calling the uncomfortable feelings 'negative.' This is not a new idea. I heard it for years from my mentors, Drs. Bob and Judith Wright where I studied emotional intelligence along with Transformational Leadership & Coaching, for well over a decade.

The old way: Anything that isn't 'pleasant' = negative.

The new way: Anger, fear, frustration, sadness or anything that doesn't feel "positive" aren’t negative. They’re uncomfortable.

For us tech leaders trained to stay composed and table our emotions, the word “negative” carries a hidden message: something is broken.

This judgment stacks shame on top of the feeling, and suppression only makes emotions fester and get louder, and naming what you feel actually calms the brain. 🧠

So, let's change up how we use our words, in service to how we can show up more resilient, regulated, and ready for what's next.

We'll dicuss the neuroscience of emotion and the data each uncomfortable emotion carries, and then leads you through a practice you can use in your very next tense meeting.

In this episode:

• 💬 Why “uncomfortable” is a sensation and “negative” is the verdict that stays, and adds up
• 🔍 What anger, fear, frustration, sadness, envy and anxiety are trying to tell you
• 🚨 How muting an emotion is like muting an alert while the incident keeps running
• 🧠 The science behind “name it to tame it”
• 🤝 Why emotions are part of the machinery of good decisions, trust and psychological safety
• ⏸️ The 90 second Seat at the Table practice: Pause, Name it, Ask what it’s telling you, Express it, Choose

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  Watch on YouTube instead:

  https://youtu.be/yMnY8E-2vEM

Your invitation this week: 🔄 Every time you catch yourself saying “negative emotion,” swap it for “uncomfortable.” Notice what shifts.

Ready for rooted confidence? 🌱 This is exactly the work we do inside the Confident Tech Exec Mastermind (CTEM).

If you’re a tech leader ready to stop white knuckling it and start leading from a grounded place, book a call: https://calendly.com/rachaelomeara/30mins

What if a pause isn’t about taking time off, but about changing how you show up?

In this solo episode, I reflect on a series of experiences that took me from San Francisco to Ireland to India, each offering a different lesson about how we navigate life and leadership. 🌍

A wedding reminded me that connection is a form of wealth.

Unpredictable weather in Donegal became an unexpected perspective pause.

A device free mindfulness retreat showed me what happens when we step away from the constant stream of input.

And traveling through India challenged me to loosen my grip on control. 🙏

Together, these experiences reinforced something I see again and again with high achieving leaders: we can spend so much energy trying to plan, optimize, anticipate, and control what happens next that we lose touch with what’s happening right now.

Sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is step away from the inputs.

In this episode, I explore presence, perspective, gratitude, connection, and letting go of control, and why these aren’t just wellness practices. They are leadership skills for navigating uncertainty with greater clarity and self trust. ✨

Digital Detox Retreat Reference & info: Timelessness.com

What if the thing missing from your leadership isn't another framework... but your body? 🌺

I reconnect with fellow former Googler Elise Birkhofer, who led Google's Women's Initiative for nine years, supporting 60,000 people across 120 countries. After losing her brother, Elise paused, got radically honest about what felt aligned, and built a new life as a love and leadership coach leading immersive retreats in Kauai.

If you're a tech leader who is crushing it on paper but running on fumes inside, this one's for you. 💛

In this episode:

🫀 A guided pause you can use before your next big meeting
🧠 Why emotional intelligence is the leadership skill nobody taught you
🌊 How stored stress lives in the body (and how to release it)
💃 Why dancing in your kitchen counts as professional development
🔥 Burnout and perfectionism inside big tech
🚀 Rebuilding confidence after leaving a stable corporate role

Don't miss:

⏱️ (02:31) A guided pause: breath, heart connection, and gratitude
⏱️ (12:15) Emotional intelligence as a teachable skill for leaders
⏱️ (22:53) Rebuilding confidence after leaving a stable role

"The heart and body are the access points to our truest selves." ✨

Your nervous system doesn't care about your title. Press play, take the pause, and come back to the leader you actually are. 🙏

In Episode 254 of The Pausecast, Rachael sits down with her friend and colleague Wendy Chin, an EQ coach and executive recruiter, to unpack something many high-achieving tech leaders know all too well: the higher you rise, the less your technical expertise alone can carry you. 🧠

Wendy shares practical ways she uses the pause to regulate nerves and get grounded, from wiggling her toes in a meeting to jogging in place and even imagining herself on a boat when she needs to breathe, reset, and come back to center. 🛶

The conversation explores Wendy’s path from HR, executive search, and recruiting into emotional intelligence coaching, and why self-awareness and adaptability become critical leadership skills as your scope expands.

One of my favorite concepts is the difference between being a strong functional leader, an “i,” and becoming a broader enterprise leader, a “t.” It’s the shift from being known for what you know to being trusted for how you lead, influence, and navigate complexity.

We also get real about the emotional armor so many leaders build to survive high-pressure environments. The belief that emotions don’t belong at work might have helped you climb the ladder, but at some point, that same armor can start getting in the way of the influence, connection, and confidence you need next.

💡 Because emotional intelligence isn’t about becoming “more emotional.” It’s about becoming more aware, more adaptable, and more intentional in the moments that matter.

If you’re navigating bigger leadership expectations, questioning how you show up, or realizing that your next level requires more than technical excellence, this conversation is for you.

Watch on YouTube if you prefer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bshHryTZj6k&feature=youtu.be

What if the next step in your career isn't about pushing harder... but pausing long enough to hear yourself think? 🤔

In this episode, I sit down with my former colleague Becky van der Werff to explore her journey from Google to entrepreneurship and what it really takes to navigate a career pivot with confidence.

Becky said it best, “Growth begins the moment you trust yourself enough to change.”

We unpack burnout, self doubt, resilience, and why some of the biggest leadership breakthroughs begin with creating space to reflect.

If you've been wondering whether you're ready for your next chapter, this conversation is for you.

✨ How to know when you've outgrown your role

🧠 Navigating self doubt and imposter syndrome during change

🌿 Why reflection is a leadership advantage, not a luxury

💪 Building resilience and confidence through uncertainty

🚀 Creating a career that's aligned with who you are today

🔗 Connect with Becky on LinkedIn

💛 If this episode resonated, share it with another leader who's navigating change, and leave a review to help more high-achieving tech leaders discover The Pausecast.

"Without the people, there is no company." - Janice Litvin

Burnout is often framed as a personal problem to solve.

Practice more self-care.

Set better boundaries.

Become more resilient.

In this conversation, burnout prevention expert, speaker, and author Janice Litvin joins me to explore why burnout is a two-way street between people and organizations.

We discuss how leaders can create healthier, more sustainable workplaces while navigating AI, increasing workloads, and constant change.

Janice shares her journey from tech recruiting during the 2008 financial crisis to becoming a leading voice in burnout prevention.

Together, we unpack the role of emotional intelligence, the importance of psychological safety, and why the "glue skills" that build trust and connection may become even more valuable in the years ahead.

If you're leading a team, navigating uncertainty, or simply trying to stay grounded in a rapidly changing world, this conversation offers practical tools and an important reminder: people are still at the heart of every successful organization.

Moments Worth Pausing For:

5:10 || Burnout Is a Two-Way Street

Burnout isn't just an employee problem. Janice explains why organizations, leaders, and workplace systems play a significant role in either preventing or contributing to burnout.

10:50 || The Power of Glue Skills

As AI reshapes the workplace, human skills like connection, trust, communication, and emotional intelligence become even more valuable. These "glue skills" help teams thrive and can't be automated.

12:10 || What the CMU Recruiting Story Reveals

Janice shared the story of a talented CMU engineering candidate who never interacted with a human during the hiring process(!) A powerful reminder that technology should enhance human connection, not replace it.

18:00 | Pause Before You React

Janice's STOP framework, a cousin to Pause:
Stop. Take a Breath. Observe. Proceed.

A simple practice that helps us respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively when stress levels rise.

21:40 | Psychological Safety Starts with Leadership

Leaders can help prevent burnout by creating environments where employees feel safe speaking up, asking for help, sharing feedback, and bringing their full selves to work.

Key Takeaways

The future of work isn't just about technology, it's about how we lead people through change.

The organizations that thrive won't simply adopt the latest tools. They'll create cultures where people feel supported, valued, and connected. As Janice reminds us, caring for people isn't separate from business success. It's a critical part of it.

Watch the Video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4Xcli_CYA&t=11s

What happens when a Silver Medalist, Olympic athlete, F100 leader, women's sports advocate, and cancer survivor shares the lessons she's learned about performance, purpose, and trusting yourself through life's biggest transitions?

In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with Kate Johnson, a 2004 Olympic rower, trailblazing sports marketing leader at Google, TED speaker, and breast cancer survivor. Kate's story is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and listening to your inner wisdom when the path ahead feels uncertain.

For high-achieving tech leaders who are questioning what's next, feeling stuck in the grind, or wondering whether they're still aligned with the work they're doing, this episode offers a refreshing reminder: success isn't just about pushing harder. Sometimes the breakthrough comes from reconnecting to joy, trusting your intuition, and creating space to hear yourself think.

⏱️ Quote Worth Remembering

"The 1st and 2nd thoughts are usually based in fear. The 3rd thought is where the truth lives." - Kate Johnson, 2004 Olympic Sliver Medalist, US Rowing W8+

In this episode, we explore:

✨ How Kate wrote "Olympian" as a goal after only six weeks of rowing and made it a reality(!)

✨ The surprising parallels between elite athletics and executive leadership

✨ What it was like building Google's sports marketing practice from the ground up and convincing others to believe in a vision before they could see it

✨ Why finding joy again helped her overcome one of the toughest periods of her Olympic journey

✨ The life-changing lessons she learned during her battle with Stage 3 breast cancer

✨ How a six-month leave of absence transformed her priorities, career, and life

✨ The powerful "third thought" practice that helps quiet fear and reconnect with truth

✨ Why being fully committed matters when deciding whether to stay, leave, or pursue your next big opportunity

Moments worth pausing for:

🏅 04:00 — Writing down an Olympic dream after just six weeks of rowing

🚀 18:30 — Building something new at Google and navigating resistance as a trailblazer

💛 28:00 — Returning to joy when hard work alone wasn't producing results

🎗️ 36:00 — The breast cancer diagnosis that changed everything

🌲 41:00 — Why stepping away created clarity, healing, and a new vision for life

✨ 48:00 — The "third thought" technique for making aligned career decisions

🎯 58:00 — How to know when it's time to move on from a role

If you've been wondering whether you're playing small, questioning your next move, or feeling disconnected from the work that once energized you, this conversation is a powerful invitation to pause, listen inward, and trust what you already know. 💙

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMfDf8x930c

#Pausecast #OlympianMindset #Leadership #CareerGrowth #WomenInLeadership #Resilience #PowerOfPause #ExecutiveCoaching #TechLeadership #CareerTransitions #WomensSports #BreastCancerSurvivor #HighPerformanceLeadership

I share what it's like to go from overthinking to self-trust, and how to navigate career decisions with greater confidence.

What happens when you've done everything "right" and still feel stuck?

You've built a successful career. You've worked hard. You've checked the boxes. Yet when it comes to making your next big decision, whether it's a promotion, career transition, new opportunity, or simply admitting something isn't working anymore, clarity feels frustratingly out of reach.

In this special episode, I sit down with Davis Nguyen from Career Coaching Secrets to explore one of the biggest challenges I see among high-achieving leaders: learning to trust yourself when the stakes feel high.

I share my own journey from burnout during my years at Google, the wake-up call that led me to take a three-month unpaid leave, and why so many smart, capable leaders get trapped in analysis paralysis without even realizing it.

We talk about the hidden cost of waiting for clarity, why confidence isn't something you magically find one day, and how learning to pause can help you reconnect with what you already know deep down.

If you've been overthinking a decision, questioning your next move, or feeling caught between where you are and where you want to be, this conversation is for you.

✨ A few moments you may want to jump to:

⏱️ 9:00 — Why high achievers get stuck in analysis paralysis and what keeps us spinning when making important decisions.

⏱️ 12:00 — A client story that illustrates an unexpected truth: sometimes the breakthrough isn't another strategy. It's giving yourself permission to pause.

⏱️ 18:30 — Why commitment is a skill and how self-trust grows when we stop keeping one foot in and one foot out.

⏱️ 24:00 — Why you don't need clarity before asking for support. In many cases, support is what helps create clarity.

⏱️ 28:00 — Rethinking career success beyond titles, achievements, and external validation so you can define success on your own terms.

💡 One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation:

"My whole life changed because I took a chance on me."

Many of us were taught that confidence comes from having the answer.

I've found the opposite is often true.

Confidence grows when we learn to trust ourselves enough to take the next step before we can see the entire path.

And sometimes that begins with something surprisingly simple:

A pause. Not as a luxury, but as a leadership skill.

Sometimes the next step isn't another strategy. It's a conversation.

If this episode resonated and you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about what's next, I'd love to help.

Book a complimentary Career Clarity Call and let's uncover what's beneath the noise so you can move forward with greater confidence and self-trust.

👉 https://calendly.com/rachaelomeara/30mins