Healers with Hustles

A career pivot might change more than your work… It might shift your personality too, if you let it.Clinical psychologist and researcher Dr Shannon Sauer Zavala joins Caitlin to share the science behind intentional personality change and how values can guide the traits we grow. We talk burnout, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and how the very traits that once drove our success might now hold us back.Shannon shares how she’s taking her work beyond academia by building a public-facing platform, writing a book, and making science useful in real life. This ep is a must-listen for any health prof rethinking how they work, lead, or show up in the world.Tune in to learn:How one statistic made Shannon question everything she believed about therapyHow targeting a single personality trait can treat multiple mental health conditionsWhat happened the moment she realised academia isn’t always about merit or meaningHow rejection from book agents sparked an unexpected creative chapterThe surprising lesson behind her first book cover being rejectedWhich personality trait predicts whether you burn out or bounce backHow “supportive care” can sometimes hold clients back from deeper changeWhat shifted to make her fall in love with marketing after months of resistanceWhat she discovered when she stopped hiding behind data and started telling storiesConnect with ShannonInstagramWebsiteConnect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn

“If your words could belong to anyone, they belong to no one.”In this episode, Caitlin chats about the dreaded, but all too common realisation, that your content feels boring. She validates why it’s easy for health profs with side hustles to slip back into academic speak. From breaking down Apple’s clever headline tricks to giving you playful edits that add personality (think wordplay, asides, and sensory detail), Caitlin shows you how to make your content feel less stiff and more human. Tune in to learn:The common trap health pros fall into when they start writing for their businessA creative writing trick you can steal from Apple’s copyThe writing “mistake” uni lecturers marked wrong that your readers will loveThe editing trick Caitlin borrowed from shows like The Office (and how it works in copy)How to swap textbook words for language you really useWhat a cup of lukewarm tea teaches you about talking about your workSimple edit tips that makes your writing look human on the page and keeps readers hookedThe potential promise of typos in the futureThe easiest strategy to make your content sound conversational and it doesn't involve writing!Listen if you’re:A health professional-turned-entrepreneur struggling to make your copy sound less dullFeeling bored of your content Ready to ditch the academic speakLoved this episode?Leave a review or send it to a friend who’s been feeling unsure about their health career lately. Your support means the world to me!Connect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedInDitch Academic Speak freebie

Are you basing life decisions on what YOU want or what someone else expects of you?In this ep, Caitlin chats with Trang Nova, a former physio turned speaker and coach, about the messy, emotional, and liberating journey of walking away from a career that no longer fits.Trang shares how one rainy run, and one very unlucky snail, sparked her quarter-life crisis. She opens up about why speaking became her most powerful healing tool, and how she navigated family expectations, rejection, and fear to leave the “safety” of a stable career, and step into something far more true.If you've ever felt the pull to do something wildly different, but fear what others might say, this one's for you!Tune in to learn:The snail moment that sparked Trang’s pivot from physio to personal developmentWhy losing your professional identity can feel like grief—and how to move through itWhat she told her parents when they didn’t understand her career changeThe power of following your gut (even when it makes zero logical sense)The question she now asks to reframe fear before every keynoteHow she’s redefined “success” outside of job titles and degreesWhat one audience member said mid-keynote that nearly made Trang walk off stage (and what she did instead)The belief Trang leans on to show up online (even when she doesn’t feel ready)What she's learned about visibility, vulnerability, and being seenHow Trang built a practice of being visible, even when vulnerability felt riskyConnect with TrangInstagramLinkedInWebsiteConnect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn

Is employment *really* the safe option or just a false sense of security?In this ep, Caitlin chats with Leesa Tuffnell, occupational therapist, coach, and founder of The Mindful OT, about what it takes to build a sustainable business as a health professional. Leesa shares how her own experience of burnout led her to combine OT frameworks, somatic regulation, and business strategy to help health professionals step into their CEO role (without losing themselves in the process). If you’ve felt like your private practice is “just a little thing” or struggled with the leap into doing business differently, this conversation will give you the permission to think bigger.Tune in to learn:The somatic regulation practice that turned her calendar into a magic productivity toolThe two things that helped one OT triple her utilisation after just one sessionThe shift from clinician mindset to CEO mindset (and why so many sole traders resist it)The moment Leesa realised employment isn’t the “safe” option after being made redundant three timesHow she went from resisting Facebook until her 30s to coaching OTs on social mediaThe quote Leesa repeats to herself whenever she avoids posting, filming, or being seen onlineThe nervous system clue that tells you whether you’re moving toward or away from something you wantHow a single decision could have made Leesa an actress instead of an occupational therapistWhat nearly getting trampled in a Gold Coast mosh pit taught her about friendship (and survival)Why clarity of purpose, not more systems, is the foundation of every sustainable OT businessConnect with LeesaThe Mindful OT WebsiteFacebookInstagramConnect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn

“Not now” doesn’t mean “never” but only if you know how to close the awareness gap.In this ep, Caitlin walks you through the 5 stages of awareness and why most health profs unknowingly skip the early ones… leaving potential clients behind. Whether you’re fresh out of private practice or years into your creative side hustle, you’ll learn how to meet people where they’re at and guide them to the point of a sale. Listen if you’re:Tired of repeating your offer without tractionFeeling stuck between educating and sellingReady to make your audience feel seen from the first touchpointLoved this episode?Leave a review or send it to a friend who’s been feeling unsure about their health career lately. Your support means the world to me!Connect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn

When Nadine almost collided head-on with a truck, her body gave her the message her brain kept ignoring: something had to change.This ep, Caitlin chats with Nadine Muller, former emergency nurse and Australian military officer turned life mentor, about what it takes to walk away from the identity and career you’ve always known. Together, they unpack the cost of always keeping it together, the quiet reckoning that follows, and what it takes to choose yourself.If you’re a healthcare professional who’s starting to question the career you’ve built, this one’s for you.Tune in to learn:The one sentence Nadine repeats to every burnt-out healthcare worker who's “great at their job” but dying insideWhat happened the day Nadine almost collided head-on with a truck (and why she says it saved her life)Why she believes your career becomes your identity and the brave decision it takes to let it goHow Nadine hacked the system to earn triple her income while secretly building her businessWhy leaving the military as a woman leader shocked her boss—and how she took her power backWhat she means when she says “healing isn’t in your mindset, it’s in your soulset”The moment that made her realise she was holding her entire family together while slowly losing herselfHer metaphor of the “backpack of bullsh*t” and what happens when you finally put it downWhy she says generational trauma isn’t the whole story and what most people are missing about ancestral wisdomConnect with NadineWebsiteInstagramTiktokConnect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn

Turns out, “qualified” doesn’t always mean “chosen.” So how do you bridge the gap?In this ep, Caitlin unpacks a common struggle for health professionals turned creatives: feeling invisible despite years of training. Drawing from her own early business days, She talks about why leaning too heavily on your title might be creating distance instead of connection and offers three grounded, practical ways to shift how you show up in your marketing so your expertise gets noticed. Listen if you’re:Leaning on your title but still struggling to book clientsNot sure how to explain why your background mattersCraving a way to market that feels specific, grounded, and true to youLoved this episode?Leave a review or send it to a friend who’s been feeling unsure about their health career lately. Your support means the world to me!Connect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedInHow to ditch the academic speak

Kate O'Connor, a psychodynamic therapist and clinical psychologist from Brisbane, dives deep into the nuanced relationship between supervisors and supervisees. She argues that true healing involves embracing one’s complex humanity rather than conforming to rigid therapeutic norms. Topics include the surprising use of tarot cards in sessions, the potential dangers of overly sanitized therapy, and how authentic connections can transform therapeutic practices. Kate’s insights on the pressures of modern psychology and the evolving role of therapists are both enlightening and refreshingly candid.

What if the thing holding your message back… is how you were trained?In this ep, Caitlin gets real about a sneaky messaging habit that so many clinicians-turned-creatives fall into: staying neutral. She explores how being taught to hold space can lead to watered-down words in your business and why owning your beliefs (even just 1 or 2 steps ahead of your audience) is what actually builds trust. Caitlin walks through real talk, lived experience, and gentle but powerful ways to start showing your point of view—without burning your ethics in the process.Listen if you’re:A health professional or clinician navigating the leap into businessTired of playing it “safe” and getting zero traction in your contentCraving more connection (and conversions) through your wordsLoved this episode?Leave a review or send it to a friend who’s been feeling unsure about their health career lately. Your support means the world to me!Connect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn

What if the discomfort isn’t a sign you’re on the wrong path but an invitation to rethink your next step?Caitlin opens up about the messy, in-between phase of balancing a healthcare career with a creative side hustle. She reflects on the guilt of wanting out, the pressure to keep going when it looks good on paper, and why small tweaks might make a bigger difference than going all in or walking away. Caitlin challenges the idea that leaving is the only option and encourages you to dig deeper into what your discomfort is really saying.Tune in to learn:Why Caitlin once wished she’d get injured just to skip workHow taking Mondays off saved a draining healthcare jobThe harsh truth about the “fantasy” healthcare careers sold in uniWhy many healthcare pros jump into coaching What makes admitting you want out of healthcare so hardHow sitting with discomfort might reveal a third, unexpected career pathWhy you don’t have to keep pushing if your gut says otherwiseSmall changes that can fix your healthcare job (or show it's time to quit)The confusing mix of pride and disconnect in a healthcare careerHow to hold space for grief and confusion when your career feels stuckListen if you’re:Feeling stuck between your healthcare career and a creative side hustleUnsure if you should stay, pivot, or take a break from health workTrying to make sense of the discomfort that’s been growing in your current roleLoved this episode?Leave a review or send it to a friend who’s been feeling unsure about their health career lately. Your support means the world to me!Connect with Caitlin:Healers with Hustles websiteInstagramFacebook GroupLinkedIn