Build Your Empire Without Breakdown

Do you ever feel like you’re paying rent in a life that doesn’t even feel like yours? You’re showing up. You’re doing the work. From the outside, everything might look polished and put together. But inside, you’re exhausted, stretched thin, and constantly trying to keep up. In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds opens up about what it really takes to move from just surviving to actually thriving. And it’s not about pushing harder. It’s about changing how you’re wired and reclaiming your time.Tiana introduces a simple but powerful image, your brain as a seesaw. On one side is the demolition crew, those loud, survival-driven thoughts that tell you you’re behind, not enough, or always in crisis. On the other side is Sage, the grounded, wise part of you that knows how to respond with clarity. For many of us, that seesaw is stuck on survival. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.Through tools like POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE® and small daily “PQ® reps,” Tiana shows how to quiet the noise and reset your nervous system. She also shares the idea of the Strategic PAUSE, creating space through intentional rest so you can stop reacting and start choosing.Tune in to this episode to learn how to step out of survival mode, reclaim your time, and start feeling at home in your own life again.In This Episode[00:00] Introduction[00:27] Recognizing stress and misalignment[01:20] Introducing the seesaw metaphor[03:44] Survival vs. thrive mode[05:03] Fixing the wiring: positive intelligence[06:09] Recognizing saboteurs and taking action[07:15] Brain push-ups and PQ reps[08:36] Practical mindfulness techniques[09:52] Choosing your move from a sage place[09:52] Taking the deed back: strategic pause[11:10] Admin day: intentional time management[12:20] Sanctuary day: strategic nothingness[13:42] Adapting strategic pause for your life[13:42] Invitation to connect and assessment offer[15:02] Closing Notable Quotes[01:10] “You're like a tenant in your own life. “STOP paying rent in stress to a job that doesn't even align with your soul.”[02:31] “Imagine that your brain is like a seesaw... On one side you have the demolition crew... On the other side you have Sage.”[06:05] “The second you feel the 'oh my gosh, I'm not getting this done'... that's the demolition crew acting up. In PQ, they're called saboteurs.”[12:23] “Sanctuary Day is the day for strategic nothingness. No phone. No goals. No hustle.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsMentionedSign up to take the Saboteur Assessment. https://tinyurl.com/SaboteurAssessmentLink Stop paying rent in a life that doesn’t even feel like yours. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client".  Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.