Episode Snapshot:

What if discomfort isn’t something to fix or escape—but something to notice? In this episode, Dr. Katie shares a powerful realization from a long treadmill run that reshaped how she understands growth, discomfort, and presence. Through story, science, and simple practices, she invites listeners to rethink how quickly we label sensations as “bad”—and how that judgment quietly fuels suffering.

Summary:

Discomfort shows up everywhere—in our bodies, emotions, relationships, work, and growth journeys. And almost instantly, we judge it. We label it as bad, uncomfortable, miserable, or something that needs to stop. Without realizing it, that judgment gives discomfort power.

In this episode, Katie walks listeners through a real-time epiphany she had during a long treadmill run: many of the sensations she was experiencing weren’t painful or dangerous—they were simply sensations. It wasn’t the discomfort that made the experience hard; it was the story she was telling about it.

Blending lived experience with mindfulness research, neuroscience, and somatic awareness, Katie explores how labeling sensations triggers our nervous system into control mode—driving us to fix, numb, escape, or resist. She introduces the concept of interoception (our awareness of internal bodily sensations), explains the difference between discomfort and suffering, and shows how mindfulness helps us stay present without judgment.

Listeners are guided through a short, practical exercise to “feel without fixing” and are invited to reframe discomfort not as a signal of danger—but as a natural and often necessary part of growth.

Key Learnings:

• We judge sensations—physical, emotional, relational—far more quickly than we realize
• Labeling discomfort as “bad” activates urgency, control, and resistance in the nervous system
• Discomfort and suffering are not the same: suffering is the story + resistance layered onto sensation
• Interoception (awareness of internal sensations) supports emotional regulation when paired with mindfulness
• Growth always involves sensations—and discomfort doesn’t mean something is wrong
• Curiosity and presence create agency; judgment gives sensations power

Practices Shared in This Episode:

• Name sensations without judgment (e.g., “tight,” “warm,” “intense” instead of “awful”)
• Stay with discomfort one breath longer before reacting or escaping
• Use curiosity as a regulation tool by asking: What is this sensation asking me to notice?

Reflection Question:

What sensations in your life are you labeling as “bad” that might simply be part of your growth—or just part of being human?

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

Episode Snapshot:

What if “doing less” isn’t quitting? What if it's the most strategic way to reclaim clarity, energy, and real impact? In this episode, Nell Derick teaches us how to stop living on the hamster wheel of gold-star achievement and start making space for what actually matters.

Summary:

Dr. Katie sits down with keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and author Nell Derick to unpack her countercultural framework: systematic subtraction.

Together they name the tension so many high performers live inside—craving simplicity while stacking more habits, commitments, and “shoulds” in the name of becoming healthier, better, and more successful. Nell calls out the system behind our “more” addiction: modern incentives, social conditioning, and the gold-star mentality that trained us early in life to equate worth with output.

Nell introduces a practical three-step process—Stop, Drop, Roll—to help people gather honest data about what’s working, experiment with subtracting what drains them, and then “roll” forward through systems thinking: making one action serve multiple values instead of adding more tasks. From parenting overload and workplace meetings to nonprofit board roles and leadership identity, the conversation lands on a powerful truth: we can have more impact without doing more—especially when we subtract noise, false urgency, and outdated expectations so we can show up more fully human.

Key Learnings:

• Doing less is hard because the system rewards doing more. We’ve been trained—socially and economically—to chase gold stars, streaks, promotions, and productivity as proof of worth.
• Systematic subtraction starts with honest data. The first step is “Stop”—pause long enough to ask, How is this really working? without self-gaslighting or shame.
• Subtraction works best as an experiment, not a forever decision. “Drop” means trying a change (one season without a sport, one week skipping a meeting) to see what improves in your life and nervous system.
• “Roll” is the shift from doing to being. Instead of piling on more tasks, connect actions to multiple outcomes—health, values, relationships, and impact—so life feels integrated instead of stacked.
• High performance is changing. Nell argues that today’s real edge isn’t obsessive busywork—it’s presence, humanity, discernment, and the relational skills no technology can replace.

Resources:

• Nell Derick: Nell3D (website + work)
• Nell's FREE 1-Page "Subtract to Succeed" framework
• Nell's Substack + 100-Day Subtraction Practice

Guest Info:

Nell Derick is a keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and author who helps high-performing, purpose-driven leaders subtract what drains them so they can lead and live with greater clarity, alignment, and impact. Her work blends systems thinking with deeply human insight, offering practical tools that create more space without sacrificing ambition or contribution. Nell’s approach is both compassionate and sharp, challenging the myth that more effort always equals more impact. She teaches leaders how to become fully present, more effective, and more alive—without burning out.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

Episode Snapshot:

What if “reality” isn’t reality… but a well-worn habit of thinking that once protected you and is now quietly running your life? In this episode, Amy Kemp helps us name those subconscious patterns so we can stop living on autopilot and start making millimeter-shifts toward a life we actually love.

Summary:

Dr. Katie and Amy unpack how ~80% of our thoughts happen below conscious awareness, meaning we’re often reacting from old mental grooves that were built for survival—not fulfillment. Amy explains that the brain creates automatic thought patterns to conserve energy and keep us safe, but those same patterns can become limiting once the season that required them has passed. A major theme: you’re not your thoughts but you are the one who can notice them.

Through vivid stories (like launching a book and instantly sliding from “this will be amazing” to “this is a disaster”), Amy shows how quickly the brain can jump into catastrophic thinking. The turning point isn’t “fixing yourself”—it’s building awareness + language so you can slow down in high-risk moments and choose a different response. The conversation also explores why change feels terrifying even when we want it: your subconscious may interpret slowing down, earning more, or setting boundaries as danger because it threatens old survival rules, identity, or belonging. The path forward is not a five-step hack—it’s compassionate, incremental rewiring.

Key Learnings:

• Most of your thinking is subconscious. You’re living the top of the iceberg, while deeper mental grooves shape your reactions, choices, and relationships.
• Survival patterns can outlive their usefulness. What helped you “get the plane off the ground” (hustle, over-functioning, hypervigilance) can become the very thing that crashes you later.
• Naming creates agency. When you can label what’s happening (“I’m catastrophizing,” “I’m in fight-or-flight,” “I’m attached to this idea”), you create a pause—and the pause is power.
• The Habit Finder is about risk, not personality. It highlights where you’re most likely to slide into old grooves—so you can slow down, bring support, and build new pathways.
• Millimeter shifts beat dramatic overhauls. Deep, lasting change happens incrementally—especially in a culture addicted to speed, convenience, and constant stimulation.

Resources:

• Amy's book: "I See You"
• The Habit Finder assessment (behavioral “risk” tool Amy uses and offers via her website)
• The “superhighway” metaphor for neuroplasticity (Katie references The Confidence Code)

Guest Info:

Amy Kemp is the owner and CEO of Amy Kemp, Inc., an author, and a coach who helps leaders and business professionals understand how subconscious habits of thinking shape performance, relationships, and fulfillment. Her work centers on building awareness of the mental “grooves” that once protected us but may now be limiting us. Using tools like the Habit Finder assessment, Amy helps clients identify thinking risks, slow down in pivotal moments, and create sustainable change through incremental practice. Her approach is deeply compassionate, practical, and grounded in how the brain is wired for survival.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.