What happens when everything you thought you were prepared for falls apart in an instant?

In this powerful episode of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E., host Jen Caceres sits down with Valerie Probstfeld—pediatric nurse practitioner, author, podcaster, and mother—for a deeply human conversation about pausing, perspective, and choosing love over fear.

Valerie shares her transformative story of becoming a mother after her newborn was rushed to the NICU - an experience that shattered her expectations, exposed deep emotional patterns, and sparked a lifelong commitment to mindfulness, self-reflection, and intentional response over reaction.

Together, Jen and Valerie explore:

• The difference between reacting vs. responding
• How the brain’s amygdala and prefrontal cortex shape our behavior
• Why the “angry face” shows up in parenting and leadership
• How mindfulness, gratitude, and body language change communication
• What Viktor Frankl’s “space between stimulus and response” means in real life
• The overlap between parenting, leadership, and team culture
• Why perfection is an illusion—and growth lives in imperfection
• How slowing down can create freedom, clarity, and connection

Valerie also discusses her book, To Mom Is to Love: Pioneering a New Kind of Motherhood, which blends neuroscience, lived experience, and practical tools to help parents—and leaders—lengthen the pause, regulate emotions, and lead with compassion.

While rooted in motherhood, this conversation resonates far beyond parenting, offering insight for anyone navigating relationships, leadership, identity shifts, or personal growth.

This episode is a must-listen for:

• Parents and caregivers
• Leaders and managers
• Coaches, educators, and healthcare professionals
• Anyone working on emotional regulation, mindfulness, or personal development
• Anyone learning how to pause, reflect, and respond with intention

🎧 Listen in to discover how slowing down isn’t weakness—it’s leadership.

In this episode of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E,, we dive deep into one of the most essential and underestimated leadership skills: Intentional Listening. If you want to lead with clarity, build trust, strengthen communication, and coach your team more effectively, this episode gives you the practical framework to do it.

You’ll learn how to:

• STOP and become fully present in conversations

• DROP the stories, assumptions, and biases that distort what you hear (or miss)

• REFLECT on the listening habits that may be holding you back

• OBSERVE your body language, attention, and presence

• LISTEN with your head, heart, and gut — not just your ears

• EVOLVE into a stronger, more intentional communicator and leader

We explore real examples from work and home, the dangers of "multitasking", why leaders often listen to respond instead of listen to understand, and how intentional listening improves trust, coaching, team dynamics, and decision-making.

If you’re in leadership, management or any role where people rely on you (including being a parent, spouse or friend, too) — this episode will challenge how you show up and how you communicate.

Small shifts in listening can create massive changes in relationships and results!

Do you dread networking and/or meeting new people?

Always feel like there's too much competition or awkwardness at networking events?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E., host Jen Cáceres shares how she overcame her fears and anxiety around networking.

Whether you're and introvert or extrovert, sometimes networking just doesn't feel natural and feels more like a chore where you have to perform.

Listen in to manage networking anxiety, overcome comparing yourself to others, and shift from competition to authentic connection using the R.O.L.E. Method: Reflect, Observe, Listen, and Evolve.

✨ What You’ll Learn:

How to identify emotional triggers tied to competition

Practical reflection tools to calm anxiety before events

Ways to lean into collaboration instead of competition

A mindset re-frame that turns networking and meeting new people into opportunities - not nightmares

What happens when a machinist stops waiting for growth and starts building it?

In this episode of Stop. Drop. & ROLE., host Jen Caceres talks with Nicholas Roman, founder of Quantum Edge Precision (QEP) — a company reshaping the future of American manufacturing by blending CNC craftsmanship, AI innovation, and workforce development.

Nicholas shares how reflection, self-awareness, and courage helped him evolve from employee to entrepreneur. They discuss:

• Knowing when it’s time to create your own opportunity
• Why today’s manufacturing leaders must build people, not just production
• How technology and tradition can move forward together

A must-listen for anyone in the trades, leadership, or entrepreneurship ready to bet on themselves and shape the next generation of manufacturing.

When a high performer starts hurting culture, every leader faces a tough question: Do I keep results… or protect my team?

In Episode 52 of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E., Jen explores what happens when performance no longer equals alignment - and how strong leaders make the right call with clarity and care.

Using the Stop. Drop. Reflect. Observe. Listen. Evolve. framework, you’ll learn how to:

✅ Stop ignoring behavior that doesn’t match your values

✅ Drop the story that “results excuse attitude”

✅ Reflect on what you’re modeling as a leader

✅ Observe how misalignment ripples through your team

✅ Listen to honest feedback — from yourself and others

✅ Evolve by having real conversations or parting ways gracefully

💡 Key insight: Protecting culture is performance.

CTA: This week, ask yourself — who’s performing well but not aligned? What conversation needs to happen?

#Leadership #HighPerformers #CompanyCulture #LeadershipGrowth #TeamHealth #StopDrop&Role #ValuesBasedLeadership #EmployeeEngagement

#workplaceperformance #workplaceculture #toxicworkplace

Copyright © 2025 Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E. Podcast. All Rights Reserved.

This show may be shared for non-commercial purposes with proper credit.

Commercial use or reproduction without permission is prohibited.

If you’re eating lunch at your desk right now… I’m talking to YOU. And if you didn’t even bring lunch? Oh, I’m really talking to you.

Welcome to Episode 51 of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E., where we pause, reflect, and take a deep look at how we're showing up as we lead ourselves.

Today, Jen breaks down hustle culture with raw examples from her own life and explains why/how we might be giving too much of ourselves to our jobs, and how to finally take your life back.

You’ll discover how to:

✅ Stop chasing unhealthy “always-on” habits

✅ Drop myths like “breaks = lazy” or “hardest worker = most valuable”

✅ Reflect on what you’re afraid will happen if you slow down

✅ Observe the toll of constant work on your body, mind, and relationships

✅ Listen to what your inner voice (and your loved ones/friends) are telling you

✅ Evolve your leadership by setting boundaries and modeling balance

Core truth: You don’t get a trophy for unused PTO. Real leadership starts with self-leadership. Because if you’re empty, you can’t pour into anyone else.

CTA: This week, take a real lunch, away from your desk. Then share this episode with someone who needs permission to step away from hustle culture, too.

#Leadership #HustleCulture #WorkLifeBalance #LeadershipDevelopment #BurnoutRecovery #StopDropRole #EmployeeWellbeing #SelfLeadership

Check out the full video on YouTube at Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E. Podcast https://youtu.be/SjW0V7_YI2w

Copyright © 2025 Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E. Podcast. All Rights Reserved. This show may be shared for non-commercial purposes with proper credit. Commercial use or reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Welcome to Episode 50 of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E. 🎉

Learning & Development (L&D) doesn’t have to mean expensive systems or endless training budgets. In this episode, Jen breaks down what L&D really is (and isn’t) — and why it’s one of the smartest investments leaders can make for their teams.

You’ll discover how to:

✅ Redefine L&D so it’s practical and leader-driven

✅ Use Stop. Drop. Reflect. Observe. Listen. Evolve. to create a learning culture

✅ Start small: engagement surveys, team check-ins, and simple development conversations

✅ Attract and retain young talent by making growth part of everyday leadership

CTA: This week, ask your team one question — “How do you want to grow?” Then use ROLE to act on it.

A learning culture doesn’t start with an expensive platform — it starts with you.

#Leadership #LearningAndDevelopment #RoleFramework #TeamEngagement #EmployeeRetention #CultureOfLearning #LeadershipGrowth

Copyright © 2025 Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E. Podcast. All Rights Reserved. This show may be shared for non-commercial purposes with proper credit. Commercial use or reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Burnout at Work?

Angela Hodgson joins Jen to share her personal story of corporate burnout and the lessons that transformed her life.

Today, Angela helps leaders and businesses recognize burnout early and build brilliance without it.

In this episode of Stop. Drop. & ROLE, Jen and Angela discuss:

« Angela’s personal journey through corporate burnout

« The hidden signs your team (or business) is burning out

« Why “pushing harder” makes things worse

« The Business Brilliance Without Burnout approach

« Tools like Angela’s burnout quiz to help you self-assess

« How leaders can create sustainable success without sacrificing health

Weekly Challenge: Take Angela’s burnout quiz and reflect on where you or your team may need more balance.

👉 Connect with Angela Hodgson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahodgson/

👉 Take Angela's burnout quiz: https://igniteimprovement.co.uk/quiz

👉 More resources from Jen Cáceres: www.perpetualcapacity.com

#Burnout #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #thegreatoutgrown #StopDropandRole #StressManagement #CorporateLeadership #growthmanagement

Copyright © 2025 Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E. Podcast. All Rights Reserved. This show may be shared for non-commercial purposes with proper credit. Commercial use or reproduction without permission is prohibited.