What if the real reset you need this year isn't about a new planner or another five-year plan — but about getting brutally honest with who you are right now? In this solo episode, I'm walking through the psychology-backed "fresh start effect" and sharing the three lessons I'm personally carrying into the second half of 2026: why the real work always starts internally, why it's time to let go of who you used to be (and what used to work for you), and why choosing to believe life is happening for you — not to you — can change everything about how you move through overwhelm.HighlightsThe "fresh start effect" is a real psychological phenomenon — meaningful dates and transitions (New Year's, birthdays, Mondays) boost our motivation to pursue goals by giving us psychological distance and a mental clean slate.Lesson one: no matter the goal, the work always starts internally — chasing external milestones (a new job, a relationship, a certain income) means your sense of purpose stays tied to a constantly moving goalpost.Practices that support "internal work" include therapy, examining thought patterns, meditation, journaling, self-compassion, and visualization.Lesson two: get honest about who you are now, not who you were 6 months or 10 years ago — habits and structures that worked in a past season (like working from home) may no longer serve you.Lesson three: life happens for you, not to you — reframing overwhelm as something you have agency over, rather than a fixed state, helps break negative patterns.A personal story about a birthday slumber party with her team, where a bracelet reading "for you" became a symbol of choosing agency over victimhood.Chapters1:04 — Fresh Start Effect2:33 — Midyear Reset Setup3:19 — Work Starts Within5:28 — Tools For Inner Work8:07 — Be Honest Now9:48 — Life Happens For You11:02 — Breaking Overwhelm12:60 — Three Lessons Recap14:02 — Wrap Up And ShareWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the key to growth this summer was intentionally chasing no's? That's exactly what I've been doing — and it's changing how I approach risk, rejection, and going after what I want in business and life.After working with a coach last fall on vocational dreams, I was introduced to a goal that stopped me in my tracks: collect 100 no's. The idea is simple but powerful — the more asks you put out there, the more opportunities you create. This episode unpacks that concept, explores why "no" is actually clear and kind, and walks through how I've gamified rejection for myself this summer using a tracking spreadsheet.HighlightsRejection doesn't mean you're not good enough — it means "not right now" or "not for me," and those are two very different thingsA "maybe" is actually worse than a "no" — a no is clear, and clear is kindReframing "no" as a doorway to an eventual yes from somewhere else shifts everythingThe Summer of 100 No's has two goals: get comfortable taking risks, and get okay with rejectionCollecting 100 no's means you'll likely find 10 yeses — and those yeses move your business forwardThe mistake in my first business wasn't the branding or the website — it was avoiding the ask out of fear of rejectionWhen I started The Thread, I did it differently: I ran a focus group before building anything and made the ask to everyone I metMarketing pulls people to you; going out and asking brings people in — and that's the skill worth developingChapters0:00 – Summer of 100 No's1:45 – Gamify Rejection2:10 – No Is Clear & Kind3:18 – Spreadsheet and Asks4:22 – Two-Part Goal6:59 – Expect Yeses Too7:34 – First Business Lesson10:55 – Building The Thread12:21 – Challenge and Wrap UpResources MentionedSummer of 100 No's SpreadsheetConnect with Audra on LinkedIn — @AudraDinellWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What's the difference between a dream that changes your life and one that just lives forever in your Notes app? That gap might be smaller than you think — and it starts with one risky step.We're at the midpoint of 2026, and it's time to stop waiting for the "right" time. This week's short pep talk is a challenge to every woman who knows what she wants but keeps pushing her timeline out. Whether you're sitting on a business idea, a creative project, or a life change you've been planning "for someday" — this one's for you.HIGHLIGHTSThe most dangerous place for a dream to live is in your Canva account or your journal — not because it's safe there, but because it can be perfect thereKeeping a dream in the "no-risk zone" means it never has to face the messy, criticized, real world — which also means it never gets to be realYou don't need the whole plan. You just need one bold, stomach-flipping action stepLong timelines feel realistic but they're often just fear wearing sensible shoes — shorten itIf you don't have clarity yet, that's okay: keep moving, keep experimenting, and release the timeline until the vision becomes clearOnce you do have clarity, taking risky action isn't optional — it's your responsibilityThe #1 regret of the dying isn't failure. It's not trying.CHAPTERS0:00 – Midsummer Pep Talk1:03 – Dreams Stuck on Hold2:31 – Danger Zone Perfection3:35 – Take One Risky Step4:05 – Shorten the Timeline5:35 – When Clarity Is Missing6:11 – Messy Middle Momentum7:29 – Regret and Courage8:20 – Do the Thing TodayRESOURCES MENTIONEDThe Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Warehttps://www.amazon.com/Top-Five-Regrets-Dying-Transformed/dp/140194065XWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the thing standing between you and the life you actually want isn't your circumstances — it's still thinking in terms of “or” instead of “and”?Alex Kuhn, founder of Born Leaders (now rebranding to All In Worldwide), joins me for a conversation about ambition, identity, and what it really means to go all in — on your career and your family, your dreams and your present moment. Alex was the guy who left home at 12 to chase Olympic swimming dreams, became one of the fastest-rising college swim coaches in the country, then lost it all — the job, the relationship, and his sense of self — in the span of a few months. What came out of that rock bottom was a total identity resurrection that has shaped everything he does today.Whether you're a dad navigating how to be fully present at home while still building something meaningful, a parent wondering if going after your dreams is selfish, or someone stuck in binary thinking about what you can and can't have — this one is for you. And yes, this episode is releasing Father's Day week, but the message is for everyone.HighlightsWhy Alex chose a $20,000/year swim coaching job in Iowa over a Nike management training offer — and what that decision taught himThe "or to and" shift: how identifying yourself by your title keeps you stuck in binary thinkingGetting fired, losing the relationship, and eating bananas and popsicles on his sister's couch — Alex's rock bottom storyWhy the first step out of rock bottom isn't belief — it's actionWhat self-trust actually means (hint: it's not about having all the answers)The "selfish vision" framework Alex uses with his whole family — including his 7- and 4-year-oldsWhy parenthood doesn't have to be all sacrifice, and the powerful modeling that happens when kids watch you chase your own dreamsRedefining "juggling it all" — and giving yourself permission to drop a ballBoundaries as subtraction, not addition: stop adding to your life and start dumping what doesn't serve youShutting the business down four weeks a year — and why it worksThe story Alex's dad told him at a swim meet that became his life's mantra: fight for yourselfChapters1:03 — Meet Alex Kuhn2:51 — Fatherhood and second acts3:52 — Early ambition and swimming5:58 — Chasing legacy and empire8:29 — From "or" to "and"11:04 — Getting fired and the identity collapse13:37 — Climbing out of rock bottom16:22 — Self-trust and the messy middle19:04 — Redefining ambition today20:29 — The family vision weekly ritual21:18 — Family vision sync22:17 — Team family mindset23:50 — Kids follow actions, not words25:51 — The selfish parenting reframe28:21 — Juggling without perfection30:09 — Boundaries and seasons33:35 — Seasonal business shutdowns35:35 — Fight for yourself37:57 — Where to find AlexResourcesAlex Kuhn's websites: :https://bornleaders.com/ and  allinwithalex.comWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if your second act isn't about changing your life — it's about finally showing up in the one you already have?Monica Packer, founder of the About Progress podcast and a certified habits and identity coach, joins me to talk about the version of personal growth nobody talks about: the quiet, internal kind. Monica spent years as a self-described aspiring perfectionist — achieving on the outside while disappearing from herself on the inside. What she discovered in her 30s (after two early midlife crises and a decade of recovery) is that sustainable growth doesn't come from hustle or apathy — it comes from progress. And it starts by asking: do I even know who I am?We talk about why perfectionism isn't just about striving — it's just as alive in the people who've stopped trying. We explore Monica's "Do Something List," the three Cs of change (curiosity, compassion, and courage), why habits built for men don't work for women, and what it means to stop waiting for arrival and start trusting the process.HighlightsMonica's "costume life" realization at 30 — loving the life she'd built but not recognizing herself in itWhy perfectionism lives on both sides of the spectrum: the overachiever AND the person who's given up tryingThe connection between ADHD, all-or-nothing thinking, and the perfectionism spectrumWhat the "Do Something List" is — and why never completing it is the whole pointWhy there is no arrival, and the mantra that will help you stop waiting for oneThe Three Cs of Change: curiosity, compassion, and courageWhy popular habit methods fail women — invisible labor, less time, less energy, less predictabilityThe inner comparison monster: comparing your current self to a past version of yourselfIdentity isn't static — and that's actually freeingChapters1:03 — Introduction & episode premise1:28 — Meet Monica Packer2:55 — The "costume life" realization: living life on the sidelines8:35 — Perfectionism as a spectrum — it's not just overachieving12:40 — Starting the experiment: the internal and external work14:06 — The Do Something List18:46 — There is no arrival: the transformation lies in the process22:30 — The Three Cs of Change: curiosity, compassion, and courage26:34 — Sticky Habits: the book written for women, not men31:08 — Comparison and the inner critic33:52 — Where to connect with Monica35:02 — Identity keeps evolving — and that's a good thingResourcesSticky Habits: A Woman's Guide to Reclaim Happiness, Ditch Perfectionism, and Create Habits That Last by Monica Packer — pre-order at stickyhabitsbook.comDo Something List free training: aboutprogress.com/dslAbout Progress podcast on Apple or SpotifyWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What does it actually take to leave behind everything you've built — your career, your country, your circle — and start over from scratch? Carolina Freeman did exactly that when she moved from Argentina to Wichita, and what she found on the other side is a story about identity, resilience, and the courage to finally live life on your own terms. Carolina is the chef and owner of Argentina's Empanadas in Wichita, Kansas — and she is one of those rare people whose wisdom hits you soul deep. In this conversation, we talk about the grief of starting over, the surprising difficulty of making friends as an adult, and why the journey itself is the actual reward.HIGHLIGHTSWhy moving around as a child builds the kind of resilience that sticks with you into adulthood — and how to give kids that same gift without leaving the countryThe emotional reality of immigrating as an adult: leaving behind a career, a neighborhood, a university identity, and friendships — and arriving somewhere no one knows your storyWhy making friends past 35 is genuinely hard (and why it has nothing to do with you)The two types of people you'll find after 40: those who are completely settled, and those who are just starting to discover who they really areHow Carolina left a career in HR to build a business that bridges her past and her presentWhy the second act isn't about age — it's about waking up and taking agency over the life you actually wantThe difference between chasing an end result and learning to find reward in the daily processThe emotional nakedness of entrepreneurship — and why feeling your emotions is not weakness, it's dataThe concept of "emotional agility" from Harvard psychologist Susan David and how using emotions as information can guide better decisionsWhy success, for Carolina, means freedom, harmony, and peace — not a yachtHow small, consistent action — a "grain of salt" every day — is what builds something big over timeCHAPTERS0:00 — Welcome1:50 — Second Acts and Identity3:25 — Moving to Wichita4:35 — Culture Shock and Language5:35 — Resilience Through Change7:22 — Making Friends as Adults9:46 — Defining the Second Act10:57 — From HR to Empanadas13:02 — Authenticity and Acceptance14:15 — Loneliness and Starting Over16:22 — Community-Driven Business17:39 — Taking the Leap19:07 — Journey Over Outcome20:34 — Live How You Want22:26 — Show Up Daily24:05 — Support and Emotions27:32 — Emotional Agility Tools29:42 — Redefining Success31:17 — Freedom and Brand Legacy33:09 — What's Next and Where to FollowRESOURCES MENTIONED Argentina's Empanadas — Instagram | Facebook | Location: Clifton Square, College Hill, Wichita, KS | Food truck at the Saturday Farmer's MarketWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if your birthday celebration wasn't really about your birthday at all? Jen Christian turned 40 with one of the most intentional, fun, and friendship-forward celebrations I've ever seen — and it started not with a party plan, but with a personal reckoning. After navigating a postpartum fog that hit during COVID, Jen found herself asking: Who am I now? What do I value? And who are my people for this next decade? The answers led her to create "40 Things for 40" — a curated list of experiences, meals, adventures, and connections she organized into a Google site and sent to the people she loves most. No pressure. No spotlight. Just an open invitation to show up and share life together. If you're approaching a milestone birthday — or honestly any season of life where you're ready to come back to yourself — this conversation is going to spark something in you.HIGHLIGHTSJen shares how coming out of postpartum and the COVID season prompted her to ask the big questions: who am I, what do I value, and who are my people?Why loneliness can sneak up on you even when you're surrounded by wonderful people — and what to do about itHow Jen's eclectic friend group actually inspired the format of her celebrationThe four "buckets" she used to organize her 40 things: places to dine, things she loves most, things to discover, and an evolution of JenWhy she chose a Google Site to host the list (hint: her husband's class reunion inspired it)How a Google Form made logistics effortless and her social calendar full for the next decadeWhy celebration isn't about the spotlight — it's about pausing, reflecting, and connectingJen's definition of celebration: "It's about pausing. It's about reflection. It's about accomplishment, and it's about connection and relationship."CHAPTERS0:00 – Welcome and Meet Jen1:04 – Why Turning 40 Matters3:10 – Reclaiming Identity After Motherhood6:47 – Pulling Back and Finding Your People9:57 – The 40 Things for 40 Idea12:07 – Building the List and Buckets17:03 – Sharing It Out and Timeline20:11 – Favorite Picks From the 4021:37 – Why Celebration Matters23:05 – Template Offer and Wrap UpRESOURCESJen's "40 Things for 40" TemplateSaltwell Farm Kitchen — between Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas (https://www.saltwellfarmkitchen.com)Google Sites — the free platform Jen used to build and share her celebration list (https://sites.google.com)Google Forms — used for RSVPs and tracking signups (https://forms.google.com)ChatGPT — Jen used this to help brainstorm ideas for her final bucket of five (https://chat.openai.com)Pinterest — also used for inspiration while building the list (https://www.pinterest.com)Want to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the path that didn't work out was actually the one preparing you for exactly where you're supposed to be? Career and leadership coach Jenna Bottolfsen joins me for a conversation about the unexpected pivots, restarts, and pauses that shape us — and why the thing you thought was a setback might actually be the most important step in your story. Jenna went from 25 years in corporate HR to a failed first attempt at entrepreneurship right as COVID hit, back to corporate, and then into the unexpected opportunity of purchasing an established business. She now runs Wallace Associates, helping people navigate career transitions, clarify their value, and take confident next steps. This conversation is full of practical tools and permission-giving perspective for anyone sitting with uncertainty about what comes next.HighlightsWhy "detours are signs too" — and how Cleo Wade's poem frames the entire conversationThe difference between a failure and a learning opportunity, and why Jenna refuses to use the word failureHow letting go of a corporate title is often the hardest — and most necessary — first stepThe role values and purpose play when someone feels stuck or out of alignment in their careerWhy Jenna starts every client conversation with, "What got you into this field in the first place?"The power of "five seconds of insane courage" — and how you don't have to be brave for long, just long enoughTwo practical tools: the "You Are Here" exercise and the Worst Case Scenario spiralWhy "expectations are the killer of joy" — and how loosening them opens the door to forward movementThe mindset shift from "this has to be forever" to "what's my next right step?"How a friend's grief over a missed promotion led to the realization that the job she didn't get was actually protecting what mattered most to herChapters0:00 — Introduction & About Jenna2:02 — Detours Are Signs (Cleo Wade poem)2:44 — Milestone Catch-Up3:44 — Jenna's COVID Leap & Return to Corporate4:52 — Buying Wallace Associates6:07 — Resilience After Setbacks8:10 — Five Seconds of Courage10:26 — Audra's First Business Lesson12:35 — Detours & Alignment15:39 — Questions for When You're Feeling Stuck20:09 — Letting Go of Identity24:55 — The "You Are Here" & Worst Case Scenario Tools28:19 — The Next Right Step Mindset31:33 — Closing: Loosen Your ExpectationsResources MentionedIn a World of Sunrises by Cleo Wade — the book Audra references and from which she reads the "Detours are signs too" poemWallace Associates — Jenna Bottolfsen's career and leadership coaching businessThe Next Right Thing podcast Want to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the most powerful lesson from the Olympics has nothing to do with the athletes?Executive coach Jeana Marinelli joined me for a conversation straight from her last days in Florence, Italy — capping off nearly 90 days abroad that started as a one-week trip to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. What began as a trip to see snowboarding turned into an extended season of rest, community, curiosity, and unexpected self-discovery. We talked about what it really means to be present in an experience, why we're all at risk of being passive consumers of our own lives, and how the smallest act of noticing — and then sharing what you notice — can change everything.HighlightsJeana packed for one week and stayed for 86 days — following curiosity, awe, and wonder every step of the wayMilano Cortina 2026 was the first gender-equal Winter Olympics (and Paris 2024 was the first gender-equal Summer Olympics) — and Jeana attended bothThe Olympic spectator experience is completely different from watching on TV: no commentators, no play-by-play, just raw emotion and crowd energyJeana reframes "spectator" — she wasn't watching the Olympics, she was participating in a communityThe difference between consuming community and contributing to it is one of the episode's central threadsA chance encounter with Jaelin Kauf's family at dual moguls — sparked by offering to take their photo — turned into a full day of celebrationHow "noticing + sharing what you notice" is a simple, accessible way to build connection anywhereWhy slowing down is always the starting point for meaningful change — whether in personal life or organizational leadershipTurning 40 and the lessons of living in the gray (not everything is black and white)The National Equity Project's definition of leadership: taking ownership over something that mattersChapters2:35 — Birthday Reflections5:35 — From One Week to Ninety Days7:52 — What the Trip Gave Her10:29 — Handling Transition Seasons12:37 — Spectator Experience Reframed16:58 — Gender Equal Olympics18:30 — Bringing It Home Through Writing21:37 — Consumption Versus Contribution29:38 — Noticing Wonder Daily34:09 — Final Threads and FarewellResources Mentioned2026 Milano Cortina Winter OlympicsWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if becoming a mom didn't just change your schedule — it changed you at your core? I sat down with Taryn Zweygardt, a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health and co-owner of Flourish, to talk about the identity shifts, the mental load, the perfectionism, and the ADHD diagnoses that so many of us didn't see coming — until motherhood cracked us open and showed us what was really there.This is a conversation for anyone who has ever wondered why it feels so hard, why they feel so different, or why the life they carefully organized before kids suddenly feels like it belongs to a stranger.HighlightsMotherhood often doesn't feel "natural" at first — and the shame that comes with that is real and incredibly commonBecoming a mom can act like a rock thrown into a still pond, bringing everything that's settled at the bottom rising to the surfaceSociety sells us a timeline — married, then kids, then house — but the cost of following that script without self-reflection can be highBoth Taryn and Audra were diagnosed with ADHD after becoming mothers, and motherhood was the thing that illuminated itThe mental load isn't just "feeling busy" — it's a specific and invisible weight that needs to be named, shared, and actively redistributedAsking for help requires being direct — "I'm overwhelmed" isn't enough; specific asks like "Can you handle dinner on Tuesdays?" are what actually shift the loadThe "hell yes or hell no" framework is a powerful filter for deciding what deserves your limited capacityNot every ball is glass — knowing which ones are plastic (and can bounce if dropped) is a game-changer for managing motherhood and business simultaneouslyStandards can and should shift with seasons — giving yourself permission to let the grass grow a little longer isn't failure, it's wisdomChapters1:03 — Motherhood Changes Everything2:08 — Expectations vs. Reality3:02 — When It Doesn't Feel Natural4:42 — Normalizing the Hard Parts7:03 — Social Media and Real Life8:45 — Identity After Becoming Mom10:23 — Perfectionism and ADHD Revealed11:53 — Her Motherhood Timeline17:27 — The Pond Rock Metaphor20:49 — Choosing Your Parenting Path22:51 — Trust Your Parenting Gut23:17 — ADHD Meets Business24:38 — Capacity and Boundaries26:48 — Hell Yes or Hell No28:43 — Mental Load Reality29:31 — Asking for Direct Help31:36 — Sharing the Invisible Work34:09 — Fair Play in Practice36:58 — Glass vs. Plastic Balls38:13 — Standards for This Season39:06 — Closing Advice and Where to Find HerResources MentionedReproductively Speaking podcast — hosted by Taryn ZweygardtTZ Therapy — Taryn's therapy practiceFlourish — Taryn's collective (also on Instagram: @flourishict)Taryn on Instagram: @tztherapyWant to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.