You finally sit down.

And someone needs something.

That spike you feel?

It’s not rage.
It’s frustration.

And most of us think the answer is control — control the schedule, control the interruptions, control the environment.

But calm isn’t control.

It’s self-trust.

In this solo episode, I’m going deeper into what we touched on in my conversation with Jackie — how to stay steady when life doesn’t slow down.

We talk about:

• The emotional spike when your attention gets interrupted
• Why doing less isn’t realistic
• The difference between reacting and responding
• The shift from “should” to “want”
• And how self-regulation builds real self-trust

You don’t need less life.

You need steadiness inside of it.

We’re told if we want to feel calm, we should “do less.”
But real life doesn’t work like that — especially when you’re a parent, running a business, and juggling a hundred moving pieces.
In this conversation with Jackie Cella, we talk about what actually helps you stay steady when life doesn’t slow down.

We all say “it takes a village.”
But most of us don’t actually let the village help—until we’re already overwhelmed.

In this solo episode, Stephanie reflects on when “it takes a village” becomes something we say in exhaustion… versus when it becomes a quiet, intentional choice to accept support before things fall apart.

Through real-life examples and honest self-leadership insight, this episode explores:

• Why we wait until burnout to let others help

• How “I’ve got it” becomes a default—even when support is offered

• The difference between reactive help and intentional support

• What self-leadership looks like before the breaking point

This conversation opens the door to a deeper exploration of emotional spillover and staying grounded—topics that continue in February’s episode with Jackie Cella.

If you’ve ever wondered why accepting help feels harder than handling everything yourself, this one’s for you.

Topics:

Self-leadership, accepting help, burnout, overwhelm, emotional regulation, women’s leadership, and personal growth