Burnout doesn’t happen overnight.

Long before we reach exhaustion, our emotions, our relationships, and even our bodies begin telling us that something is out of alignment. The question is: are we paying attention?

In this episode, Monique welcomes multi-time CEO, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Heartnomics founder Hanna Bauer to explore a new way of thinking about leadership - one that builds resilience before burnout even takes hold.

Drawing from her experience surviving childhood heart diseases, leading organizations through constant transformation, and helping teams thrive through change, Hanna introduces Hearnomics — a leadership philosophy that brings heart and execution together. Rather than seeing emotions as distractions, she explains why they’re some of the most valuable data leaders have, and how learning to listen to them can create healthier people, stronger teams, and more resilient organizations.

Together, Monique and Hanna unpack why sustainable leadership isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about building the kind of resilience that allows both people and performance to flourish long before burnout becomes the cost of success.

Whether you’re leading a business, a team, or simply navigating a demanding season of life, this conversation will challenge the way you think about success and what it truly means to lead well. Because the strongest leaders aren’t the ones who wait until they’re burned out to change. They’re the ones who build a life and a leadership that make burnout far less likely in the first place.

In this episode:

(03:16) - Understanding Heartnomics: The Intersection of Emotion and Execution (06:53) - Emotions as Data in Business (09:30) - The Role of Emotions in Organizational Health (14:24) - Identifying Signals of Disengagement and Burnout (17:38) - The Importance of Human Connection in Leadership (21:45) - Why Self-Care Is One of Your Greatest Leadership Responsibilities (23:29) - The Power of Deceleration (35:15) - The Heart Framework: How Heartnomics Turns Values Into High-Performing Teams (36:10) - The BEAT Method: Turning Awareness into Action (39:11) - How Resilient Leaders Turn Failure Into Forward Momentum (42:01) - How to Lead with Purpose Instead of Constant Presence

• The HEARTnomics CORE Alignment Diagnostic - Free Audit | https://heartnomics.com/#audit

• Website | https://heartnomics.com/
• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bauerhanna/

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

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You don’t always need more discipline to find your creative spark again. Sometimes, all you need is one conversation.

In this episode, Monique reflects on what happens when creative energy begins to fade under the weight of a full, demanding life, and how, unexpectedly, one conversation can shift everything.

What starts as a reflection on corporate pressure, survival mode, and creative depletion becomes a powerful reminder: creativity is often reawakened through connection, not isolation. And the real shift happens when you stop trying to push through alone, and instead start paying attention to the people, conversations, and environments that bring you back into alignment with your energy, clarity, and creative spark.

(01:31) - The Tension Between Corporate Demands and Creative Energy (02:11) - The Subtle Signs You’re Becoming Disconnected (03:18) - The Power of One Conversation (04:08) - Why Community and Connection Matter More Than You Think (04:51) - Simple Ways to Reconnect with Your Creative Spark

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

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AI is moving fast, and the pressure to keep up can feel even faster.

In this episode, Monique unpacks the quiet guilt many professionals are experiencing as AI reshapes workflows, product strategy, and the future of work. From internal company initiatives to the endless stream of LinkedIn hot takes, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has already figured out the tools, the language, and the pace of change.

But the reality is far more nuanced.

Monique shares what teams are actually seeing inside product and business environments — the gap between compelling demos and scalable execution, the tension between speed and business value, and why the real differentiator is not fluency alone but clarity on the outcomes you’re solving for.

(00:53) - March catch-up, full seasons, and operating through personal and professional intensity (03:15) - The growing pressure professionals feel around AI fluency (05:12) - The truth about AI adoption: everyone is still learning (07:11) - The difference between compelling demos and scalable enterprise execution (08:13) - Governance, trust, collaboration, and the reality of implementation (10:33) - Why outcomes and business value matter more than the tools themselves (11:41) - How leaders can build confidence through experimentation (12:43) - Progress not perfection

• AI Daily Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/show/32wqFTVolFKfKZ6kPVmHoD

• Website | https://www.greatlifeexperiment.com
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

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So often we find ourselves frustrated at work, in teams, in family, or in friendships, because someone else isn’t showing up the way we think they should. We get stuck waiting for them to act, to decide, and to fix things. And in that waiting, we surrender the control that’s always been ours.

In this episode, Monique dives deep into the concept of reclaiming your agency, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming personal power in various aspects of life, including relationships and workplace dynamics. Whether it’s navigating constant urgent requests at work, negotiating expectations with a team, or stepping back from relationships that no longer align with your values, this episode is a reminder that you always have a choice, and real change comes when you take action.

(01:16) - Understanding “Agency”: The Power of Choice (02:18) - Waiting for Others to Change (And Why That Fails) (03:13) - Identifying and Addressing Agency in Group Dynamics (05:43) - Protecting Your Energy and Structuring Your Time (06:29) - Negotiation as a Leadership Tool (07:17) - Resentment as a Signal You’ve Lost Control (09:00) - When Values Are Fundamentally Misaligned (10:32) - Taking Action: Your Right to Change

• Book - Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself | https://a.co/d/01s96IQB

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

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Leadership isn’t about doing it all. It’s about making clear decisions, defining accountability, and protecting your team’s energy.

In this episode, Monique draws insights from a quarterly business review to explore how leaders can prevent cognitive overload while maximizing team performance. She highlights the power of clear roles, well-defined accountability, and strategic prioritization - not just to keep projects on track, but to protect people, sustain productivity, and drive meaningful outcomes.

(00:54) - Quarterly Business Review and Leadership Accountability (02:21) - Too Many Ideas, Not Enough Boundaries (03:52) - Action Steps for Clarity & Accountability (06:25) - Delegation and Ruthless Prioritization

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

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Life doesn’t slow down when you’re overwhelmed.

In this episode, Monique explores what it’s like when all aspects of life demand attention at once - work, parenting, health, leadership, and personal projects. She examines how to stay present and effective without letting overwhelm take control.

Monique reframes difficulty as an opportunity rather than a failure. She shares practical strategies for navigating busy seasons with clarity, intention, and self-compassion. Through stories and reflections from her own life, she demonstrates how to use friction as a signal, make strategic decisions about what truly matters, and how to protect energy while still showing up fully.

(00:51) - How Are You, Really? (03:12) - The Reality of Full Seasons (05:22) - Using Difficult Moments to Your Advantage (06:50) - Acknowledging Frustration Without Paralysis (08:51) - Brain Dumps & Clearing Mental Overload (11:37) - Glass Balls vs Rubber Balls Framework (13:42) - Protecting Your Team & Shielding Priorities (15:24) - Delegation, AI, Virtual Assistants, and Family Advisors

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

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In this episode, Monique gets honest about breaking her own consistency streak and why giving ourselves grace matters in a messy, overwhelming world. She talks about holding space for real feelings at work and at home, and shares practical, down‑to‑earth ways she’s using AI in real life—from planning a family trip to synthesizing feedback and even learning to build with AI through a product boot camp. Take what resonates, leave the rest, and keep experimenting.

(01:36) - Consistency, Priorities, and Starting Again (04:24) - When the World Feels Heavy (05:39) - Permission to Pause and Give Yourself Grace (07:30) - Holding Safe Spaces at Work (10:47) - Planning a Family Spring Break with AI (Practical Trip-Planning Use Case) (15:27) - Using AI to Synthesize Performance Review Data Responsibly (18:19) - Building a Front-End Using Natural Language (20:00) - APIs and Backend Learning (22:01) - Why Experimenting Builds Better Product Leaders

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

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At the start of every year, we quietly hope that this will be the one where we finally feel in control of our time. We imagine a calendar that feels calm, a life that feels balanced, and a year that feels ours.

But the truth is, most of us aren’t overwhelmed because we lack discipline. We’re overwhelmed because we’re trying to keep every option open, and the pressure of possibility quietly becomes a weight to carry.

In this episode, Monique shares the exact vision-planning framework her family uses to design their year with intention - without burnout, guilt, or decision fatigue. It’s not about doing more, but choosing with clarity. It’s a grounded, realistic method that turns broad dreams into a clear calendar, while still leaving room for life’s unpredictability. You’ll learn how to prioritize outcomes, reduce mental load, and make big decisions early so your year can flow with purpose.

(00:54) - The Family Vision Planning Tradition (02:27) - The 4000 Weeks Reminder (03:11) - Why You’ll Never Do Everything - And Why It’s OK (07:03) - Defining the Outcomes (08:46) - Planning in Order of Priority (10:47) - The Regret-Minimization Test (11:48) - Locking In Priorities to Eliminate Decision Fatigue (12:40) - Staying Flexible Without Losing Structure

• Book - Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman | https://a.co/d/iFhCsrC

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

Got a question that's keeping you up at night? Need a new way to look at a problem?

'Ask Monique' is your chance to get personalized insights. Submit your questions about business, professional life, or personal development, and let's dive into the messy, beautiful, and ever-changing world together.

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