39: When What Worked Stops Working
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
There comes a point in business when the things that have always worked simply stop working. You push harder, do more, and nothing moves. It's tempting to decide something is wrong with you, when you may just be standing at the edge of what's next.
In this episode, I talked with Lauren Golen, founder of The Crossing, about decision making, leadership, and what it means to listen to your body as well as your strategy. Lauren coaches women in what she calls their best years of life (usually 50 and beyond), who have already built the success and still feel like something isn't quite right.
Her work centers on body-led discernment, a way of tuning back in to the inner knowing that busyness and performance tend to cover up. That listening matters most at what Lauren calls a threshold, the point where you're gripping something that is no longer yours to carry. It's why a threshold shows up as control, exhaustion, and work that used to feel easy suddenly feeling hard. Once you can name it, the question shifts from what's wrong with me to what am I being called to let go of, and Lauren is honest that letting go usually involves some grief.
We also talked about what decision making feels like when it comes from strategy alone versus when your body is part of it, why brand strategy should start with your natural gifts instead of someone else's website, and the book Lauren is writing about life's crossings.
If this resonates, consider it your sign that feeling stuck doesn't mean you've lost your drive. Start where Lauren starts her clients: for one week, just notice where your decisions come from and how they feel in your body. Then find the women you trust enough to talk about it with.
02:06 The impact of vulnerability and authenticity in leadership
04:23 Lauren's work with women in their best years and the concept of thresholds
07:45 Making decisions from strategy versus body-led discernment
16:02 Understanding thresholds and crossing them in life and leadership
22:47 Practices for listening to your inner voice and finding safety
25:30 Lauren's upcoming book on crossings and inner guidance
28:38 The importance of community and support in personal growth
Links:
Connect with Lauren:
Visit her Substack, The Crossing, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Connect with me:
Branding: Learn more about my branding and design services.
Instagram: Follow along between episodes @branchcreativeco
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