The Self-Employed Life

In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with occupational health psychologist Dr. Christina Guthier, author of Joyfully Exhausted, about the often misunderstood concept of burnout. We discuss the idea that not all exhaustion is bad, explore the difference between joyful and harmful exhaustion, and examine the effort-reward imbalance that many self-employed people face. Christina emphasizes the importance of managing our energy and recovering from hidden efforts we may not even realize are draining us. Our conversation is a refreshing reminder that it’s okay — and even healthy — to love your work, as long as you prioritize recovery and recognize your limits. Since childhood, Christina was fascinated to observe different states of exhaustion in adults after work (including unpaid care work). At Ruhr-University Bochum, she majored in organizational psychology, conducted corporate social responsibility (CSR) field-research as student assistant at the marketing department, and worked at eligo GmbH where she helped develop recruiting software. During her M.Sc. Psychology at Heidelberg University, she majored in Organizational Behaviour and Adaptive Cognition learning a lot about the complexity of performance ratings and leadership behavior as well as cognitive biases and decision heuristics. At the same time, Christina also completed her train-the-trainer certificate during her internship at the career services and development department at Mannheim Business School. Then she focused on occupational health psychology (particularly on burnout research) during her PhD at Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz. Christina’s PhD thesis on "How to create healthier study and work environments" got awarded with the Alfred Teves dissertation award 2020. Additionally, her meta-analysis on the reciprocal relationship between job stressors and burnout (published in Psychological Bulletin) got awarded with the Schmidt-Hunter Meta-Analysis Award 2022 by the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (division of the American Psychological Association). Finally, as a self-employed scientist, she has started to translate (her) research insights into actionable advice by giving a TEDx talk, getting interviewed for German media outlets (e.g., Der Spiegel, deutschlandfunk nova), and writing articles for different journals and magazines (e.g., Leader to Leader, change magazine). Additionally, she has supported organizations as a speaker, trainer, and coach with shifting their mindsets regarding exhaustion and recovery. Guest's Contact – Linkedin Website Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

Explore the intriguing concept of living with paradoxes in both business and life. The host discusses the importance of embracing contradictions instead of choosing sides, arguing that wisdom often lies in holding multiple truths at once. With nearly 1,000 podcast episodes behind them, they reflect on their journey and tease exciting new content focused on luxury business insights. It's a thought-provoking look at how navigating life's complexities can lead to deeper understanding and growth.

Katie Keller Wood, a Montessori educator and TEDx speaker, shares her insights on redefining work-life balance through her upcoming book, Alignment. She emphasizes the life mosaic metaphor, showcasing how work and personal life can harmoniously coexist. Katie challenges societal guilt around passionate work and highlights the importance of self-awareness and purpose. With a focus on embracing Montessori principles, she encourages lifelong learning and the integration of joy in all life areas, fostering fulfillment without burnout.

In this episode of The Self-Employed Life podcast, I had the great pleasure of speaking with learning scientist, curriculum expert, and the “Workshop Whisperer”, Julia Phelan. In this episode we explore how well-intended coaches, consultants, and course creators can unknowingly do harm when they don’t understand how people actually learn. Julia shares insights into why oversimplified advice discourages learners and how to design effective experiences for people at all levels. We also dig into the myth of learning styles, the difference between good content and good delivery, and what it really means to create learning experiences that empower rather than overwhelm. Whether someone is leading a team, creating a course, or crafting a keynote, this conversation will help anyone build with purpose and make a lasting impact—without ever losing sight of your learner. Julia is the co-founder of To Eleven an innovative education consultancy firm specialized in using evidence-based principles and approaches to develop, evaluate, and improve learning experiences. Julia and Ellen co-founded To Eleven to utilize knowledge of how learning works to shape the design and development of meaningful and engaging learning experiences for learners of all ages. Julia has a Ph.D in Education from UCLA and spent much of her career as a research and learning scientist at UCLA as well as consulting and advising for school districts, philanthropic organizations, academic publishing, ed tech, corporate training, and government agencies. She is currently an advisor for the National Laboratory for Education Transformation. Guest's Contact – Linedin Website: To Eleven Solutions Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

Feeling overwhelmed? It's time to change your perspective! Discover how viewing overwhelm as a sign of life's flow can lead to a more fulfilling journey. Learn from transformative experiences, like managing overwhelm during a stay in Paris, and explore how these feelings can signal vital growth opportunities. Embrace the energy of overwhelm as a powerful expression of your life force, unlocking the potential for focus and responsibility in your pursuits.

In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Emily Paul, a member of my High Achievers year-long coaching group. We explored the concept of alchemy—what it really means and why it's essential for entrepreneurs. Emily shares how she helps high-achieving individuals dissolve old patterns, tap into deeper intuition, and reconnect with their authentic selves through the transformative power of alchemy. She also explains how her work goes beyond traditional coaching, why energy healing can be just as powerful remotely, and why now is the time for changemakers to fully embrace their brilliance. This episode is for anyone ready to begin their journey to true freedom and step into who they were meant to be. Rather than letting health challenges, diagnosis, and perceived expectations from others define who she is, from an early age Emily committed to blazing her own path including:   ● Completing her senior year of high school in the Iowa town where she lived while her parents and two younger siblings moved a seven hour drive north... ● Declining a teaching career in her early twenties to instead follow her heart and passion and move to an island in the Caribbean to pursue a path of humanitarian service... ● Realizing why she’d been dying her hair for a decade did not reflect her true self, she chose to gray naturally at age 35.   Emily revels in the sacred space beyond what we’ve experienced or been led to believe is our truth… The potency of Emily's work lies in decades of her own dedicated self-cultivation and the mastery with which she walks clients through their own internal maze to access latent energy and wisdom. Daoist-infused Alchemy is one means she uses to ignite profound and lasting transformation. Customized integrative coaching/mentoring, ceremony and group facilitation are further means she engages to invoke newfound freedom for her clients. With a Master’s of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Bastyr University and a Women and Gender Studies -BA- from Macalester College, Emily has sought out teachers, mentors, and healers - both within the United States and internationally - who have guided her exploration of meditation, mindfulness- based practices, coaching/mentoring, leadership development, somatic acuity, energetic healing, and perennial wisdom for well over twenty-five years. All Services and Programs are geared toward personal transformation and cultivating calm confidence in order to show up in an unprecedented way AND find fun in playing a bigger game with life. Guest's Contact – Website Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

I've spent the past five weeks in Paris with one week left. When I left the U.S., I had some very clear intentions. One of them was to explore all the aspects of #TheArtOfLivingWell. I'd like to share what I learned so that you can consider these "luxuries" in your own life. Sell to the Rich: The Insiders Handbook to Selling Luxury – Website Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

In this episode of the Self-Employed Life, I had the great privilege of speaking with Nesha Pai, author of the book “Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles”. Nesha shared how she transitioned from running a fully remote accounting firm to empowering others to pursue their boldest dreams.  She further explains how personal tragedies deepened her mission. We explored the difference between courage and bravery, the “Four C’s” framework she uses to guide dreamers into bold action, and how cultivating personal style and daily confidence practices can help us show up as the person we’re becoming. Nesha’s story is a great reminder that taking courageous, intentional steps—especially through life’s hardest seasons—can lead to extraordinary transformation. Nesha Pai is the founder of Pai CPA, PLLC, a fully remote bookkeeping firm in Charlotte, NC.   She started her firm in February 2011,  and was one of the first in the industry to create a fully remote office model, along with giving employment opportunities to primarily to stay-at-home moms. As a single mom, sole owner, she grew from one client on her kitchen table to over 72 with revenues in the multiple six digits. In January 2020 , Nesha published her book “Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles”, which won the award in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category by the 2020 competition of the American Book Fest.  She is currently known as an international speaker, activating women and entrepreneurs to go boldly into the life of their dreams by cultivating the right tools to overcome the obstacles in their way. Nesha is a recent breast cancer survivor and was named one of the Top 50 Infulential Women in The Mecklenburg Times (2020 and 2024), on of Charlotte’s biggest media publications. Guest's Contact – Website LinkedIn Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Annette Mason, sabbaticalist and Succession Architect at Trilogy Design Works. Annette shared how intentional sabbaticals can be powerful tools for self-employed individuals to regain clarity, spark creativity, and build sustainable success. We discussed the difference between a vacation and a sabbatical, how to structure one even while running a business, and the importance of designing time away with intention. Annette also introduced her framework of Compass, Maps, and Constellations to help people align with their values, plan with vision, and lean into the support systems around them. Annette uses her background in corporate innovation and personal experience with burnout in order to encourage others to rethink how we work and to embrace sabbaticals as a meaningful part of a resilient and fulfilling self-employed life. Annette Mason, Sabbaticalist and Succession Architect at Trilogy Design Work We help forward-thinking CEOs turn under-leveraged benefits-like flexible paid time off and sabbaticals-into strategic tools for building resilient people - individuals, teams, and organizations. Guest's Contact – Website LinkedIn Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

In this episode of the Self Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Heather Holloway, founder of Holloway Media Services. Heather shared her journey of personal and professional emergence, emphasizing the importance of stress reduction and serving more. We further discussed her social media strategy, focusing on the significance of LinkedIn for business networking and personal branding. Heather highlighted the need to set boundaries on social media consumption. She also touched on the evolving role of social media in business and the importance of having a support system to facilitate personal growth and business success. Heather's message encourages individuals to embrace their potential and seek support to navigate their path to emergence and recognition. Heather Holloway is one part entrepreneur and one part inspirational speaker. She is the founder of Holloway Media Services, a social media marketing agency dedicated to helping women and LGBTQ+ CEOs leverage their personal brands to grow their business. Through powerful talks, engaging workshops, and strategic consulting, she empowers others to lead with authenticity, mindfulness, and confidence– showing up as their most genuine, inspired selves. Guest's Contact – Website LinkedIn Contact Jeffrey – JeffreyShaw.com Books by Jeffrey Shaw Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap. Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.