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In Season 3, Episode 12 of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with Cory Dunham to explore what it truly means to disconnect in a world that never stops.

Cory introduces the concept of a “Digital Sabbath” a deliberate 24-hour period without screens, notifications, or digital noise.

But this conversation goes far beyond productivity hacks.

It’s about attention.
It’s about presence.
It’s about reclaiming humanity from the algorithms that compete for it.

Together, they discuss:

• Why leaders struggle to disconnect
• The anxiety that surfaces when we put the phone away
• How constant interruption erodes deep focus and meaningful relationships
• The difference between being informed and being consumed
• A simple starting point: the “Phone-Free First Hour”

Pressing pause isn’t about escaping the world.
It’s about returning to it, fully present.

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What happens when something you believed would succeed… doesn’t ?

In this episode of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams is joined by Jon Sheldon, founder of Bellewood Coaching, who shares a humbling and deeply honest press pause story about accountability, ego, and misalignment.

After years of success in real estate investing, Jon made a decision that looked right on paper, but slowly became unsustainable in real life.

What followed was a difficult realization: the problem wasn’t the market, the property, or the people involved. The problem was his lack of focus and accountability.

This conversation explores what it really means to take ownership, not just of success, but of failure and how pressing pause can help realign your time, attention, and intention.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How ego can quietly drive misaligned decisions
• Why vision without accountability eventually breaks down
• The cost of assuming past success guarantees future results
• How to recognize when something no longer supports your life
• Why pressing pause is sometimes the most responsible leadership move

This episode is a powerful reminder that real growth begins when we stop deflecting and start owning the truth.



🔗 Learn more about Jon Sheldon and Bellewood Coaching:

👉 https://www.belleauwood.coach/

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-sheldon-82760a51/

🔗 Learn more about Ellen Williams:

📘 Ellen Williams upcoming book (pre-launch):
Creating Time: The Key to Productivity and Peace

👉 https://shopbooksdirect.com/product/creating-time/

📰 Subscribe to Ellen’s newsletter for updates on new episodes and the book launch:

👉 https://www.thesalientstrategist.com

👉 https://api.transpond.io/form?am=42668&fid=49041&host=true

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How do you know when it’s time to leave, even when you’re the owner ?

In this episode of Time To Press Pause, Ellen Williams is joined by Sean O’Rourke, a cyber liability consultant, CFO, and former IT company co-founder, who shares the moment he realized he could no longer live in a millisecond-by-millisecond business.

After more than 25 years in technology, including 12 years running the IT firm he co-founded, Sean made the difficult decision to step away from day-to-day operations.

Not because he couldn’t do the work, but because it no longer aligned with the life he wanted to live.

Together, they explore what it means to pause without quitting, how identity and motivation shape leadership decisions, and why being honest with the “reflection in the mirror” matters more than external expectations.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• How to recognize burnout before it defines you
• What it really means to leave, even when you’re the boss
• Why technology became a 24/7 pressure cooker
• How Sean reshaped his career without walking away from his expertise
• The importance of being honest about what truly motivates you

This episode is a powerful reminder that pressing pause isn’t about stopping, it’s about choosing what comes next.

📘 Ellen Williams’ upcoming book (pre-launch):
Creating Time: The Key to Productivity and Peace
👉 https://shopbooksdirect.com/product/creating-time/

Learn more about Sean O’Rourke and his work at Combs & Company:
👉 https://www.combsandco.com

📰 Subscribe to Ellen’s newsletter for updates on new episodes, insights, and the book launch:
👉 https://api.transpond.io/form?am=42668&fid=49041&host=true